Experimentation: Part A
How did it end up like this?
Tears streamed down Retasu's face as she unsuccessfully attempted to drag herself out from under the fallen beam. She could barely see her shattered glasses that lay before her, much less distinguish between bodies and fallen rubble. Everything was eerily silent amid the wreckage of books and building materials. She couldn't even hear if there was a battle going on outside the library.
She thought back to how she had been sitting peacefully, engrossed in an unremarkable, but still entertaining adventure novel, unaware of the peril that was nearing. She had been roused from her deep concentration when she heard a familiar attack that she had heard many times in battle, and the wall of windows behind her shattered into an innumerable amount of pieces.
"Fuu rai sen!"
Screams sounded throughout the area as pieces of glass flew through the air. Retasu, startled, yet still aware of her duty, ducked behind her chair, reaching into her pocket for her mew pendant. She froze as she heard his attack again, and then saw the walls and ceiling begin to crumble. Panic and instinct immediately set in, and she darted out from behind the chair, searching for cover. As she saw beams falling on innocent people, knocking over bookshelves, Retasu stopped again, whipping around to face the attacker.
She stared curiously when she saw that Pai looked confused to see her. Feeling as if time froze for a moment, inexplicably, she began to think about how her little brother sometimes made the exact expression that Pai was wearing. She was drawn out of her trance, however, when she saw his face twist in horror. Immediately, she looked up to see a beam beginning to fall. In a split second, she leapt forward in an attempt to escape her impending doom, but the beam caught her from the waist down, pinning her to the ground.
Screaming in pain, she clutched at the ground, trying to get out. As she watched Pai stare at her in shock, rubble falling all around him, her vision started to blur, and then fade to black.
When she awoke, pain immediately set in, causing Retasu to scream. Forcing her hand over her mouth, she bit down on her lip to try to stop the screaming. With sobbing breaths, she tried to pull herself out from under the beam, only to cut her fingers on the broken glass. She struggled for a few minutes in the deafening silence, sobbing in frustration.
Crack.
Retasu froze, her eyes wide with fear. Crack, crack, crack… she listened to the man walking on glass as he drew nearer. She slowly turned her head to the right, watching the man as he came into view, fan at the ready. She suppressed a sob as he stared at her with his piercing violet eyes. Her eyes trailed after him as he walked around until he was directly in front of her. Unable to summon the will to move, she simply stared at Pai, unable to stop the tears from flowing.
"Pai-san…" She whispered as he slowly raised his fan, his face blank, as if he were a robot. She wanted the summon up the courage to stand up to him, to fight, but any hope that she had seemed to fall away into his unflinchingly severe gaze. He stood, silently scrutinizing her for several minutes, his fan pointed threateningly, yet he made no move to attack. As Retasu saw his lips part, she knew that it must be the end. Closing her eyes, she waited for the final blow that would end her life. Instead, she heard Pai continue his walk through the glass, making his way the beam that was trapping her in her vulnerable position.
Although her legs were beginning to numb, she could feel weight being lifted off of her. Opening her eyes slightly to look up at the ominously flickering light (which was somehow still intact), she felt as if she were falling into a trance as she was gently turned over onto her back, unaware of the glass that was cutting through her shirt and into her skin. She looked towards Pai as he crouched next to her, his hands hovering over her legs as he visually examined them. Why, Pai-san? She thought as pain shot through her again as he lifted her leg to examine it.
Letting out a sob, Retasu clutched at her stomach, somehow feeling very hungry. As Pai placed a cloth over her mouth and nose, she slipped out of consciousness, unable to protect herself.
She felt so very cold. The fabric that had been cloaking her from the chill of the air slid smoothly off of her skin, and she could feel the warmth of his hands hovering above her, but not daring to touch. Hours seemed to pass in this way, his hands hovering over her neck, her breasts, her stomach, her thighs, her core… And then, he lowered his head to hers, his lips were so very soft against hers, shyly questing along the surface. His fingers gently wrapped around the back of her neck, tickling the small hairs that lay just below her hairline. His lips gently tugged at hers, willing her to give a response.
Retasu awoke abruptly, her eyes snapping open. Remembering the danger that she had been in when she was last awake, she shot up, and immediately doubled over in pain. Whimpering, she looked around through blurry eyes, trying to figure out where she was. She froze as she felt two hands on her shoulders, easing her back down to rest on the bed. She felt cold as she laid back down into the sheets, allowing her arms to fall back to her sides.
"Wh- who's there?" She asked hesitantly, her voice laced with fear.
"Pai," a cold voice answered. She stared up at the ceiling, her eyes wide. She said nothing for a while as she listened to him tapping away at something.
"Where am I?"
She waited for an answer, but none came.
"Where are my glasses?"
Still, nothing but tapping. After a few minutes in which Retasu stared at the ceiling, terrified, she heard footsteps as Pai exited the room. Minutes passed in complete silence, save for the whirring of machinery. Slowly, ignoring the aching pain in her arm, she held her hand up to look at it, and she saw bandages through her blurry eyes. She could see the dried blood, seemingly the only color in the cold, white room.
"Here."
Retasu cried out and jumped in alarm at the sound of Pai's voice to her immediate right, since she had not heard him re-enter the room. Once she had slowed her heart enough, she turned to see him holding something out to her. Squinting, she hesitantly reached out and grabbed the object, finding that it was a pair of glasses. "O-oh… thank you." She said as opened them and slid them onto her face. Her eyes widened as her vision was clarified beyond anything that she had seen before.
"These are amazing! These aren't my glasses!" She said happily, briefly forgetting her still dangerous situation.
"Yours were broken in the… attack." Pai said smoothly, albeit hesitantly. She felt a deep chill run down her spine again as she turned to see him staring down at her, his arms crossed. She so desperately wanted to sink into the mattress and away from that place- wherever it was. She could see some unknown emotion flickering in his eyes, although the rest of his face gave no hint as to what it was. Unable to keep his steady gaze, Retasu abruptly turned and stared at the wall ahead of her.
"Why did you bring me here?"
"It was only right for me to do so."
She turned to see him still scrutinizing her. "What?"
"It is part of my culture. You would not care." He said as he turned away, walking towards what seemed to be a computer.
"H-how would you know?" She asked daringly, regretting her choice as it caused him to hesitate dangerously before he continued on his way.
"Humans are ignorant, vulgar beings." He hissed. "If you keep talking, I may reconsider killing you." Retasu fell silent as she looked down at her hands, fighting back tears.
"I'm sorry."
No reply came.
"So… this is the Mew that you captured, ne, Pai?"
Retasu stared up at Kisshu, her eyes wide. He raised a hand, causing her to pull back quickly. He let out a laugh at this as he lowered his hand. "She's awfully jumpy." He remarked as Pai glared at him, crossing his arms. Retasu bit the inside of her mouth to hold back the rare defiant remark that threatened to spill from her lips.
"Do not toy with her, Kisshu." He growled as Kisshu gave him a strange look.
"Why not? It's not like I'm actually doing anything to her." He said as he reached for Retasu again, causing her to pull back abruptly once more. "Hah… she's actually kind of cute."
"Kisshu, stop," Pai said firmly as he grabbed the other alien's wrist. "Your behavior is shameful." Kisshu frowned at Pai whose violet eyes were blazing with fury. "If you have finished your evaluation, I would appreciate it if you left." Kisshu raised an eyebrow at his elder as he withdrew his arm, placing his hands on his hips. Shrugging, he admitted defeat by turning and exiting the medical bay, leaving Pai to scrutinize Retasu, his arms crossed. After a few moments, he finally spoke.
"I would like to take a few samples of your blood." He said, causing Retasu to shrink back slightly, hugging her arms. He paused before speaking again. "It would be in your best interest for you to not resist." He said. After a moment, she nodded and offered her arm. They both remained silent as Pai prepared the needle and syringe.
"Are you going to let me leave?" Retasu, fighting the despair that had a firm grip on her very being. Pai turned to her, his expression unreadable.
"When you are well," He said as he slid the needle into her vein, causing her to bite her lip. She remained silent as he took two more vials of blood from her.
"You… you never explained why you saved me." She said, a light blush crawling onto her cheeks. He froze, staring at the vial of her blood.
"Lsain," He said bluntly as he set down the vial and turned to face her again. At this point, she met his eyes with confusion. Before she could ask what he meant, he spoke again. "It is a concept that my people used believe in. In ancient law, it means that when you unintentionally harm another in battle, you must heal them, regardless of whether or not they are your enemy." He crossed his arms. "It is extremely inconvenient, but it is a custom to be followed, and I strongly believe in the traditions of my people." He said as Retasu looked down at her hands.
"Another reason is Zshan." He said, tapping his finger on his arm. "In simplest terms, it means to repay in equal measure of what was taken." Turning to leave, he unfolded his arms. "When you leave, I will return the time that you have lost. It will be as if you were never here." His words were met with thoughtful silence.
"I always knew that you were kind." Retasu said quietly, smiling softly to herself.
He froze, his hand against the doorway. "It is simply what I believe in." He growled, clenching his hands into fists. "If I had originally known that you were present at the library, I would not have hesitated to kill you." With that, he left the room, leaving Retasu to stare after him unhappily.
"So, Mew Retasu huh?" Kisshu smirked at Pai, his arms crossed. A very light blush appeared on Pai's cheeks at the other's words. "What's your theory? I'm sure you have one."
"I believe that the animal DNA in the Mews' bloodstreams enhances the output of Pheromones, thus making them incredibly enticing to males such as myself." Pai said as he set down the vials of blood that he had drawn from his captive.
"Really? Pheromones? Or, you could just admit that you like her regardless of her DNA or Pheromone output." Kisshu said as Pai scowled at him. "After all, you don't like any of the other Mews."
"Although that is a valid point, I still stand by my original statement. The only reason for attraction is to find a mate." Pai said as he crossed the room to reach his medical equipment. "The basis of all kinds of attraction is sexual." He said as he set down the vials of Retasu's blood on the table. "It's only romantics that try to make it something like love." Kisshu smirked.
"So, you're saying that you think she's sexy." He said as Pai's blush deepened.
"Kisshu…"
"You want to kiss her, you want to touch her, oh, how you want to take those sweet, full, firm-"
"Kisshu…"
"-breasts, and then take your fingers and stick them in her-"
"Kisshu, if you do not stop talking, I will suture your lips together."
Kisshu decided that Pai would certainly follow through with his threat, so he ceased his lewd monologue.
After leaving Pai be for a few minutes, Kisshu spoke up again. "So, are you going to act on your 'biological urges'?" He asked with a grin as Pai slammed his hands on the table in frustration.
"Kisshu, you-"
"Pai, in all seriousness, you've been avoiding making yourself happy for so long. Mew Retasu seems to be nice, and she's cute. It might not hurt for you to make a move." Pai's look was of pure and utter shock.
"Are you honestly suggesting that I initiate sexual intercourse with Mew Retasu?"
"Well, you probably shouldn't walk up to her and say 'Hey, wanna have sex'-"
"That's not even a 'probably shouldn't'. I would never say anything like that."
"Shh. What I'm suggesting is that you at least tell her how you feel. How can it hurt?"
"Kisshu, you are quite possibly the most unintelligent life form that I have ever had the displeasure of encountering." Pai growled, glaring at Kisshu. "Have you forgotten that we are in the midst of a war with the mews?" Kisshu rolled his eyes as Pai continued. "Not only is it absolutely impossible, but it would be extremely detrimental to our mission for a physical relationship to form between me and that girl. An emotional connection would almost certainly form, and then where would we be? It would be an absolute disaster."
"See, and here I thought that you would see having emotional leverage over Mew Retasu as a positive thing."
"I wasn't talking about Mew Retasu's emotional state!" As soon as the words left Pai's mouth, his jaw snapped shut, and he stared at Kisshu in embarrassment as the younger alien cocked an eyebrow.
"What was that about your attraction to her being 'purely physical'?" With that, Kisshu left the room, leaving Pai to glare in embarrassment at the small vials of Retasu's blood.
As Pai lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling, Kisshu's words swam through his mind. He would be lying if he said that he didn't wish desperately to possess Retasu, body, mind, and soul. He often dreamed of her, and she was a constant source of distraction. He often found his mind drifting to her when working on a particularly dull strategy doomed to failure, and often in the midst of a battle. He felt stupid whenever he was watching a Chimera Anima wreaking havoc upon Tokyo, and finding himself hoping that Mew Retasu would be the one to arrive for the battle. And when he had her laid out on that bed in the medical bay, even with her pale thighs so severely bruised and her smooth skin marred by tiny cuts, he felt himself filling with such desire at the sight of her nude figure. And when she was dressed again and sleeping soundly, he found himself staring at her, remembering what lay underneath her white gown.
Pai's eyes widened. She must be so afraid in that cold, white room. I suppose that it doesn't help that I sound so cold and calculating every time I talk to her. She must be so bored in there. He sighed, slapping himself upside the head. I'll bring her a book, and then I'll go back to bed. Leaping out of bed, he scanned the shelf in his almost human-like room for a book that might catch the Porpoise Mew's attention. He finally grabbed a collection of fairytales –which he had never read, and briefly wondered why it was in his possession- off of the self, and exited his room.
He paused frequently and almost turned back several times as he wandered the ship's corridors on his way to the medical bay. When he was finally outside the room, he stood for a long time, wondering what he would do if she were awake. Quickly shaking the thought from his mind, he slid open the door and entered the bay. Sliding the door closed behind him, he scrutinized Retasu's still figure. His breathing almost stopped when he realized that she was awake and staring at him intently. He opened his mouth, waiting for words to come to him, unnerved by his earlier conversation with Kisshu.
"I brought you a book." He said as steadily as he could, a blush creeping onto Retasu's face. "I thought that you might find it dull in here, so I brought you entertainment." Retasu smiled softly, gazing down at her hands.
"Thank you." She said quietly, staring at her thumbs. He slowly made his way over to her, stopping in front of her bed. She sat up as he reached her, stretching out her arm to take the book that Pai was holding out to her. As he turned to walk away, she grabbed his hand, clutching the book to her chest. He was glad that he suppressed the instinct that he had to swing around and hit her. "Please wait." She said softly as he paused, secretly reveling the warmth of her small fingers around his. "What Kisshu told me… is it true…?" Pai stiffened, cursing Kisshu in his mind.
"It depends on what Kisshu told you." He growled, clenching his hand around hers as she began to pull away. She squeaked in pain at the sudden grip on her hand. He turned to look over his bare shoulder at her. "What exactly did he say?" She blushed deeply, looking away.
"Um… h-he said that you… you… were attracted to me?" She said it as if it were a question, not a statement. Pai closed his eyes in frustration, his grip on her tightening, pulling a gasp from her lips.
"Do you find that… objectionable?" He asked as she looked back up at him in surprise.
"I-I guess it wouldn't really work because you're my enemy, but I wouldn't find it objectionable…" She unconsciously wet her lips, trying to ignore the warmth pooling in her abdomen. "But… do you? Um… do you… care for me?" Pai sighed, opening his violet eyes to stare at her.
"Yes." He said turning to stare at the doorway.
"R-really?" She asked as her gaze ran down his bare back.
"I would have no reason to lie about that."
"Oh… I guess… I just find it hard to believe that someone would actually care for me."
I don't find it hard to believe. You're beautiful, sweet, your lips are soft, and you have a fabulous figure-
"Pai-san, could you please let go? You're hurting me." Pai immediately let go in horror, turning to her. He knelt by her bed, taking her hand in his. She flinched slightly, but felt another chill as his hands ghosted over her skin.
"Um… I have one question." She said, finding it difficult to concentrate as she remembered her hazy dream. "Were you… um… the one who changed my clothes?"
"Yes."
"It's just… I had this dream and… um…" At this point, Retasu was scarlet. "Did you… um… do… anything to me?" Thoughts of the kiss that he had planted on the unconscious Retasu's lips filled Pai's mind as he tried to think of what to say.
He sighed. "Yes." Retasu squeaked and looked down at her toes. "I kissed you. I promise you that is all."
"Oh… um… I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"I-I don't know. Just… everything."
"I take it that you don't feel the same way about me."
"It's not that I don't… it's just… really sudden."
"It is not a problem. You said it yourself; it would never work out, with us being enemies and all."
With those words, he let go and left the room.
Retasu spent two more weeks aboard the alien's ship, her broken bones healing at an exceptionally fast rate, due to the alien medicine that Pai administered to her. Pai and Retasu spent much of those two weeks under friendly, albeit awkward terms, and their days were filled with discussions of human and alien advances in science, language, and culture. Kisshu and Taruto avoided the pair for the most part, as their conversations were boring to them. Kisshu would still tease Pai on occasion, but only when he noticed that he had become particularly sullen when remembering the roles that he and Retasu would have to play when their time together was over.
The subject of romance was not brought up again during the porpoise mew's stay.
One morning, after Retasu had finished eating her breakfast of porridge made with alien grains, Pai brought her the news that she had both been eagerly anticipating, as well as dreading. She looked up as she placed her spoon in her empty bowl, watching as he made his way over to the chair next to her bed. As he sat, he examined a very thin and slightly rounded, clipboard sized computer for a few moments before meeting his patient's gaze. "If my calculations are correct, you will be ready to return home tomorrow." Pai said as Retasu hesitantly smiled, clasping her hands together.
"Thank you, Pai-san." She said, smiling up at him. "I have to admit that I am a little bit worried about how my parents will react to me finally appearing after vanishing for three weeks…" Pai said nothing as he typed something into his computer. They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes before Pai spoke.
"Before I make the final preparations, I want to make sure that you truly have healed properly." He stood, setting down the computer. "Stand," he said, pulling back the covers on her bed. She set down her bowl on the bedside table, and swung her legs over the edge of the mattress. Steadily, she stood, her legs buckling slightly, causing her to grasp Pai's upper arms for support. She blushed as they stared at each other, his hands wrapping around her elbows for added support. Breaking her gaze away, she looked down at her feet and slowly released his arms as he did the same.
"Retasu, I need you to undress." Her gaze darted up to his, her cheeks red. "I want to check on your bruising, as well as find out where you are still tender." Not trusting her voice to work properly under the circumstances, she hesitated briefly before she shakily untied the robe. It's okay, Retasu. He's seen you naked before, and his intentions are purely for your wellbeing. Besides, it's not like you haven't dreamed about this. She shivered as she slid the robe off of her shoulders, letting it fall to her feet. Pai let out the smallest of moans as he saw her bare flesh, dotted with tiny scars. At that small sound, Retasu felt that warmth return to her abdomen, and she let out her own sigh. Blushing, she crossed her arms over her chest to hide her breasts. Realizing that he was staring, Pai slowly moved his hands to her waist, planting them on her heated flesh. She bit her lip to hold back more gasps. Slowly, he moved his hands down her flanks and hips, and along the outsides of her thighs.
"If anything hurts, tell me." He said, his voice unsteady as he continued to move his large hands. Slowly, he sank to his knees, never ceasing his soft massage of her legs. He made his way from her thighs, down to her knees, along her shins, and then slowly made the journey back up, attempting to ignore Retasu's rapid breathing and flushed cheeks. Noticing that she was wobbling, he glanced up at her face. "Sit down on the edge of the bed." She nodded slightly, easing herself down. Without warning, she lost her balance on her way down, and plopped onto the bed gracelessly. Pai's eyes darted up, and he flushed upon seeing how her legs had fallen open to reveal her most sensitive area, wreathed in coarse, dark green hair.
Humiliation immediately became Retasu's most prominent emotion, causing her to snap her legs shut, using one arm to cover her breasts, and the other to shield the apex of her thighs from Pai's gaze. Staring at her in shock for a moment, Pai cleared his throat as he stood up and turned away, tapping furiously away on his thin computer. "All seems well. I'd say that you will be well enough to return to your dimension by tomorrow morning, when I have finished making the final preparations." Retasu fought back tears as she made quick work of putting her robe back on. They sat in silence for several minutes as they both calmed themselves. Finally, Retasu spoke.
"You're a really great man." She said quietly as he paused, looking up at her.
"You must stop speaking like that. Tomorrow, we will be enemies again." He said, narrowing his eyes. "You must not show mercy, because I will not." Retasu frowned, looking down at her feet again.
"Pai-san… I don't want to fight you." She said quietly, holding back tears.
"Why wouldn't you want to?" He growled, setting down the computer. "I am on a mission to drive your species to extinction. I've forced you to endure my presence and attentions aboard this ship. Why shouldn't you want to fight me?"
"Because I know that you're a good person." She said firmly, meeting his gaze intensely. "I know that we can make peace. I know that we can make this… that we can make this work."
"Make what work? You're insane." He hissed. "Stop taunting me with ideas of a happy future between humans and Bianai, ideas of a happy future with you."
"Bianai?" Retasu whispered, eyes watering as a weak smile crawled onto her lips. "Is that what you call your people?" Pai's anger faltered as he saw the tears in her eyes.
"Yes." He whispered, allowing his fist to relax.
"Your language is beautiful. Will you teach me someday?"
"Perhaps if your dreams turn out to be possible, but that is extremely unlikely."
"You will be teleported to the library, so you must walk home as you normally would." He said calmly as Retasu stared up at him. "Understood?"
"Yes."
"Alright, now-"
"Wait."
Pai looked down at her, raising an eyebrow curiously. Her eyes were watering as she stared at him. "Why do you think that we couldn't be at peace?" She asked as his gaze softened.
"Do you really want to know?"
She nodded in response. Pai sighed, closing his eyes. Without warning, he pulled her against him, crushing her lips with his. Surprised, she placed her hands against his chest. She found herself trying to respond to his needy kiss, but she couldn't synchronize her lips with his. He didn't seem to mind her lack of experience as he put his hand on the back of her neck, causing her to tilt her head back. She let out a moan against his lips as he ran his other hand along her back, finding his way to her bottom. She shoved her hips against his in surprise as he cupped her buttock.
"P-Pai-san…" She tried to speak against his lips, but he cut her off with another greedy kiss. She moved her hands to the back of his neck, pulling him deeper into the kiss. Although she was embarrassed, she liked feeling the signs of Pai's arousal against her. She felt light headed as his fingers roamed her body, finding their way up her skirt. Suddenly, he stopped moving.
"I'll never tell you." He breathed against her lips as he pulled away. The last thing that she saw before she teleported was the grim determination on Pai's face.
Retasu's daze only seemed to increase as she teleported outside the library. She was surprised to see news crews, police cars and fire trucks all around her. Clearly, the magically appearing girl wasn't of as much interest as the crumbling library. Strange… it's been three weeks…
She made her way to the train station, still dreading her parents' reaction. Surely they had filed a police report her disappearance. Her train ride was long and slow, leaving her ample time to ponder the sudden passion that Pai had shown her only minutes ago. Her cheeks were healthily pink as she rocked back and forth with the train, staring out the window. I'll never tell you. She sighed, closing her eyes. Why?
When she arrived home, she nervously opened the door. The voices of her family drifted happily from the kitchen. Thoroughly puzzled, she took off her shoes before walking into the kitchen. "Welcome home, Retasu. How was the library?" Retasu stared at her family who were all smiling at her. When you leave, I will return the time that you have lost. It will be as if you were never here. Suddenly, Pai's words made sense.
"Zshan…" She whispered, causing her father to quirk an eyebrow.
"What?"
"Oh, nothing." She smiled sadly. "It was great."
To be continued...