"A trip?!" Hibiki was very excited for a moment but Miku pulled her back to reality with just a stern look. "Haha… ha… I wish I could go but I have remedial lessons and make-up exams for the next two weeks."
The four of them, Hibiki, Tsubasa, Miku and Chris, were sitting and standing outside, on one of the many wooden benches that filled the school grounds.
Tsubasa smiled a little because this was not at all surprising for her. "I suppose I will go on my own then. It would be a shame to let the opportunity go to waste. But I have to say, I expected this of you, Tachibana."
"Aren't you forgetting someone?" Chris raised her voice in mild annoyance. "What about me? You're not gonna invite me?"
"I automatically assumed you would not want to spend a week alone with me." Tsubasa was pretty sure that Yukine would be bored if she came along. She hadn't made concrete plans yet, but she was pretty much going to be visiting famous symphonies and operas. I still have a long way to go as an artist. Learning from the best will surely make me understand a thing or two.
"I didn't flunk any of my tests, unlike that idiot over there. If you leave me here with just those two, I am not responsible for what happens." Chris couldn't stand how obviously lovey-dovey the idiot and her owner were always acting. Not that she minded that they did so at all, but being so in public really didn't sit well with her.
Tachibana's complaint remained unheard when Tsubasa changed her mind. "You're welcome to tag along if you want. I expect it won't be very interesting for you, though."
"I'm coming with you so you don't bore yourself to death." Chris's right eye twitched when she saw Hibiki show her the victory sign behind Tsubasa's back. One day I will teach her about respect. And that idiot still doesn't call me senpai!
"I was planning to visit the Orchestras in Vienna, London, Berlin as well as the royal Concertgebouw-" Tsubasa was cut short by Chris.
"That's all classical music! You're a pop artist! Not that I'm much of a fan or anything. But you should get out and live a little. Or a lot, if going to orchestras is what you think you should be doing on a graduation trip!"
"Huh, really? But I saw the special limited edition of her last single the last time I was over at your place, and you had to get in line at like three in the morning to get it, and-" Hibiki's careless mouth was sealed shut by Miku's left hand.
"Well, Yukine, thank you for your support," Tsubasa said with a smile. She thought that it was a funny reaction for her to show. But seeing Yukine's embarrassed face, she thought otherwise. I suppose I still need to work on my ability to make jokes.
"Who the hell cares about some CD I have!" Blushing quite thoroughly, Chris had kept her fascination with Tsubasa's music a secret for so long. Or at least she thought she did. "You're just gonna die of boredom and it'll be like work, work, work if I let you go alone so I'm coming with you. And we're changing the target!"
"This is my graduation trip. Might I remind you that you're in no position to make demands of me?" Tsubasa couldn't even imagine where Yukine wanted to go. "But just for future reference, what do you have in mind?"
"India. Agra. They have the Taj Mahal there and the best spicy food on the planet. Spicy food makes you feel alive like nothing else!"
"If you want to just eat Indian food, I am sure there's a local restaurant that-" Tsubasa was cut short.
"No, what the hell are you talking about? The local stuff is for wimps. It's all watered down for the typical Japanese palate. Real Indian food is nothing like that!"
"You're really passionate about this, aren't you? Now I am curious what exactly it tastes like." Tsubasa was already thinking of curry now.
"And don't you think their only good food is curry. Sure, that's their staple like Japan's staple is rice balls, but they got a lot more good stuff." Chris didn't even notice that she was alone with Tsubasa until she wanted to take a jab at the idiot. "Where did they go?"
"I get it, I get it. India, is it? I suppose going to see the Taj Mahal might actually be interesting. It is one of the most famous buildings in the world. I just hope that we, with our luck, don't run in some kind of dormant relic that is activated by our presence."
"If we do, you jinxed it."
"When will you finally stop calling me you or calling Tachibana idiot?" Although Tachibana can be a bit of an idiot, I suppose.
"The moment you start calling me by my first name."
"It is a form of respect to call people by their surname, while it is just rude to address everyone with you or derogatory terms like idiot."
"Yes, yes, so sue me." Chris was not about to pretend to be the bigger person or something like that. That was just something adults told themselves to give in to peer pressure. And then it clicked. "You call me Yukine, so you respect me?"
"You're a valuable and dependable ally in battle and my friend. Why would I not respect you?" Tsubasa saw absolutely no reason. "And don't think for a second that I forgot that time when you called me senpai."
Chris blushed furiously "Forget that already!" She had mostly bad memories of the moments before they got rid of Solomon's cane. But it had been particularly embarrassing to cry out for help from Tsubasa.
"In any case, you're welcome to join me. We're leaving in three days."
"Wait a damn second! You didn't actually confirm we're stopping in India first!"
"Take this as my confirmation then. I will accompany you in India. In exchange, you will accompany me to the orchestra."
"Don't I need real fancy formal clothes for that?" Chris was not sure her wardrobe was up to par for that. She had some fancy clothes but they were still pretty casual, all things considered.
"I am sure someone as beautiful as you will easily find something to wear. You have three days, too. I suggest a black dress, one that isn't revealing." Tsubasa knew what proper attire for the orchestra looked like from magazines and such. She hadn't been to foreign orchestras herself, but it was a fairly universal standard, Japan, Europe or even America. "If you need to, I can send Ogawa to help you-"
"You might be comfortable letting that guy clean up your room and shit, but if you don't trust me to pick out something myself you hafta come with me yourself."
"Just trying to be considerate." Tsubasa took out her phone. "I will inform Ogawa that you're coming with me where we are going. We have one week. Considering travel time, we can spend about two days in Agra. After that, we will have some free time to go sightseeing in Berlin and Vienna. With this reduced schedule, we won't be able to make it to London or the Royal Concertgebouw."
"So you'll handle the planning?"
"Ogawa will. I still have a little recording work to do before we leave. I'll give you my number in case you need anything."
"Are you for real? I had your number for months now. Don't treat me like I'm some random acquaintance." Chris got off the bench and faced Tsubasa. Or tried to; she was a little too short to look her right in the eye. "I'll have my bags ready in three days. Just make sure to pick me up on time." Chris turned and walked away. "Your world is gonna change in three days!"
"Why exactly am I the one to pick her up?" Tsubasa found it a little difficult to deal with Yukine. Her standoffish nature made her a pain sometimes. But still, she was secretly glad that Tachibana couldn't go. She was so high-strung that she was nice to have around for training and fighting but for a vacation, especially the orchestra, she would not really fit in. But no matter how brash and brazen Yukine could be, Tsubasa trusted in her ability to appreciate the fine arts if she was exposed to them. "I hope I will actually be able to eat that food. She made it sound delicious, but if it is as spicy as Yukine said it is, it might be difficult for me to eat."
=== The Sound of Wings and Snow ===
Chris was completely beat and glad that she was all alone in her apartment, with no one to bother her. She had gone from shop to shop all day, looking for a nice black dress. After getting a text from Tsubasa, she also had to look for new shoes. Those had been easy. Classy 14,000 yen high heels in black. She had so much experience wearing both heels and platform shoes that these new ones were not giving her any trouble. Or at least that was how it was supposed to have gone. "Maybe 14 centimeters is a little much after all. But I don't want to look like the stupidly tiny Japanese tourist over there. I'm half-American so why am I so short?!"
Her ankles hurt. Compared to her usual platform shoes, the new ones were pretty high angled but at least she would be just as tall as Tsubasa with them. No more looking like a tiny side kick. "Even our idiot is taller than me. There's no justice in the world, even if you leave out adults."
Her phone vibrated just then, receiving a text. Chris ignored it, and shortly thereafter, a second, third and fourth text arrived, until the phone vibrated off the nightstand. Rolling over and reached for the phone on the floor, Chris adamantly refused to get off the bed, even if reaching the phone this way was ten times the effort. Finally reaching it, halfway off the bed and her arm stretched so much it hurt a little, Chris was proud of herself. Checking her texts, there were a bunch of the idiot and her wife. "Have fun on the trip… bring me back a souvenir… keep Tsubasa safe… confess your feelings?!"
Chris nearly threw her phone against the wall in surprise and anger. "The heck does she think she's saying? Feelings? What feelings? For who? Her? The sword maniac? Are they kidding? Sure, she's tall, beautiful, strong, capable and probably rich as hell, but what the fuck, that doesn't mean I feel that way about her. Why do they even assume I like girls?" Ranting by herself, Chris threw, gently but still threw, the phone to the foot end of the bed.
It's been so long since I escaped trafficking… I'm long over that… and Fine… well, Fine was totally bonkers, so I know that's not how normal people are when they're together. I'm not some weakling that gets hung up on all the shit that happened to me forever. But where do they get off, telling me to confess some feelings I don't have? All their lovey-dovey antics are messing with their heads!
Turning over, Chris hugged herself out of habit. Fine had her way with her quite a number of times and if that had taught Chris anything then that all sadists could go and burn in hell. She'd see them off personally. The times before that were so long ago now that the issues from then were covered, buried, by other issues. And although being with Hibiki and everyone else had made her overcome so much, she still didn't really trust herself with opening up to someone in that way.
Just gonna nap for like thirty minutes. I still need to check what still fits and what doesn't and sort it out. I should probably pick up another bra or two. The old ones are getting a little tight. Chris didn't really see herself as fortunate with her low height and large breasts. Her shoulders always hurt and every time they started hurting, she also remembered how Fine would just use electroshock therapy to cure her back and shoulder pain.
Dozing off, Chris thought she woke up just moments later. It had already been dark outside, so she couldn't tell how much later it was. But after checking her cellphone for the time, Chris realized she had been asleep for four hours. I guess I'll try on clothes tomorrow. Throwing the phone under her pillow, Chris was glad she had already changed to a comfortable sweater and pajama pants earlier. Taking off her top and throwing it on the ground, she immediately went back to sleep.
=== The Sound of Wings and Snow ===
Chris didn't want to go to another clothing store for the remainder of the year. Or maybe an entire year, she couldn't decide. Getting up at 6, spending four hours sorting out clothes and finding that a good third of her bras were too tight and some of her tops just didn't meet her taste anymore, she took a speedy shower and went clothing shopping. And returned with a lot of loot but no black dress. She only had one more day and she still needed to pack and get some practice with walking with her new shoes.
She was eating dinner alone, microwave pizza with extra, extra, extra pepperoni and extra tabasco sauce. Spicy food was just something she really enjoyed, alone or in company. Pizza, pasta, curry, just to name a few of her favorites. Her phone rang, placed next to her pizza, and Chris didn't even bother to finish eating before she answered. "Yeah?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end. "Are you… eating?" Tsubasa was on the other end of the line.
"Sure am." Chris didn't hold back and bit off another piece of the next slice. Her table manners left something to be desired, but she didn't care about that.
"I called to tell you that I am sending someone to pick you up tomorrow at four." Tsubasa thought it was good etiquette to let her know in advance. She also didn't want her to think that she could drag her feet with packing. In any case, she set the time for about an hour early, expecting some kind of delay to happen for sure.
"You're not gonna pick me up yourself?" Chris still talked with her mouth full. Sitting on the chair with just shorts and a loose shirt, she put her right foot on the chair, right in front of her butt, and took a closer look at her toes. Maybe I need to cut my nails.
"I can drive a motorcycle but I have no license for a car. And obviously we can't transport your luggage with my motorcycle."
"You should still come pick me up. Just because we're on a trip. Makes a nice start, right? I mean we both run and jump around like superheroes in our Symphogear but I kinda wanna feel what it's like riding on a motorcycle."
There was a moment of silence. "Do you have a helmet?"
"Nope." Another bite and the slice was gone.
A soft sigh from Tsubasa. "Okay. I will come and pick you up. I still need to have Ogawa drive the van over there to pick up your bags."
"Great. I'll see you tomorrow." Chris was about to hang up when she heard Tsubasa say something other than Okay, bye. "What?"
"I said, do you have a dress yet?"
Chris paused. "No. It's bloody hard to find something not revealing and black that fits me."
I wish I had your problems, Yukine. Tsubasa didn't mind her height much, but after partnering with Kanade, then temporarily partnering as a songstress with Maria, and also with Tachibana, she was a little jealous that everyone around her was a little more gifted in the chest department. But she told herself that it was fine. They would just get terribly in the way with her fighting style. A sword doesn't need to be overly feminine. I am fine like this. I'm fine. Just fine.
"If you can't find one tomorrow, we need to go and try to find one in Vienna."
"At least I found some nice shoes and other stuff. Going clothing shopping was overdue for a while."
"We're lucky that the school year overseas runs differently than it does here. Around this time of year, they are preparing for final exams which are in June."
"Why're you telling me that?" I definitely need to clip my nails. It'll be so bad if my toes start to hurt when I sit in that super fancy concert room or whatever and there's another hour of orchestra to go through.
"No particular reason. You originally lived overseas so I thought it would be interesting for you to know that most nations start their school year after summer vacation in August or September." Tsubasa really didn't know why she told her that. It was such a random piece of trivia.
"Didn't expect you to care about foreign stuff. Speaking of which, do you speak whatever the heck they speak in Vienna or Berlin? You said Europe, but that's a big damn place." Chris felt a bit stupid for not even looking that up. She mostly cared about India and the time there, but she was so caught up on finding a dress because… because, why? I don't want to look stupid or like a pleb next to Tsubasa, that's why. I even bought shoes to be as tall as she is, even tho they're not really all that high-society stuff but so bite me.
"Vienna is the capital of Austria. It's a pretty small country in central Europe. Berlin is Germany's capital, which is just something like 700 kilometers away from Vienna. I planned to go to Amsterdam after Berlin, which is another 700 kilometers from Berlin but west, not south, where Vienna is. And from there, to London, just across the channel, barely an hour by airplane. But with our stop in Arga, we'll lose a lot of time so we will fly from Berlin back to Tokyo. I hope you have something to keep you busy on our flight, it'll be a long one."
"Define long."
"We are lucky and there is a non-stop flight to New Delhi from where we will go by car. The flight will be around seven hours flight time, plus check in, and so forth, so probably close to nine hours. The car ride is another 2 hours without heavy traffic. From New Delhi to Vienna is another 8 hours flight before check-in and such, so most likely around ten hours."
"Seriously? Really seriously?" Chris dropped a slice of pizza and it landed on her pants. "Damn Pizza!" Picking up the slice and putting it back on her dish, Chris was glad she kept paper towels within reach on the table.
"Yes, seriously. I know you usually wear shoes that offset your height a little, but I recommend you stick with something comfortable."
"I am comfortable not looking like a sawed off gnome." Chris was not going to get caught by some overzealous airport guard thinking she was a lost kid.
"If you say so. Just have your bags packed tomorrow by four. We're leaving late in the evening so we arrive in the early morning in New Delhi. I suggest sleeping on the plane."
"What, you want to look at my sleeping face or something?" Chris paused. Why the hell did I just ask that? Why would she do that? I must be all messed up in the head because of that stupid text that stupid Hibiki sent me.
"Finish your pizza and go to bed. Or take a shower first if you haven't yet. I already finished packing."
"You should help me find a dress if you have that much free time." Chris immediately regretted that. "Actually, forget it. You said you got recording work, right?"
"I am done with that. I'll be over at 9:30. I know a really good store that also makes my stage outfits. They're a little pricey but the 2nd division compensates you really well for your work there so that shouldn't be an issue."
"Yeah, I'm not hurting for money or anything." Chris figured that if Tsubasa had connections, she'd be stupid not to use them. "But sure, 9:30. Can't be that hard to find a dress in a big city like this."
"I am going to sleep then. You shouldn't stay up much longer either. Sleep well. Good night." Tsubasa waited for a reply but the line just went dead. She could have at least responded. Putting her phone down, Tsubasa was already in her underwear and on her bed. She had agreed to take Yukine with her on a whim, pretty much, and she wasn't regretting it, but what was this uneasiness that she felt?
Chris on the other hand was feeling not uneasy but strangely excited. She hadn't been overseas in a long time, and she didn't have any positive memories of being there, but if she was going with Tsubasa, things would be vastly different. "Now that I think about it, she's gotta be traveling incognito and shit because there'd just be reporters all over us and in our faces if they knew. Maybe she should put her hair up in a ponytail. Would probably look hella good on her." Chris ate the slice of pizza that she had dropped on her pants earlier, stuffing it into her mouth in one go. "Not that I really care, as long as I don't have to beat up some foreign reporters that can't take a hint."
Finishing her pizza, Chris left her phone on the table and went for the bathroom. Nail clipping, then brushing my teeth… actually, gonna brush my teeth first, that'd be gross the other way around.
Fifteen minutes later, Chris finally went to bed, just leaving the clothes she had worn that day on the floor. Unlike that slob songstress I at least clean up after myself. Can't even imagine some dude taking care of my underwear.
=== The Sound of Wings and Snow ===
Her arms around Tsubasa's waist, Chris was secretly infuriated. Not because Tsubasa had been five minutes late due to traffic but because that idiot had sent her another text, telling her that types like Tsubasa probably need her to make the first move and be aggressive. I'm not into her! Goddammit, I'm gonna shoot that idiot to the moon. It'll make the Kadingir look like bootleg fireworks.
"Yukine, I appreciate that you're holding on tight, but could you relax a little? You're starting to hurt me." Tsubasa didn't want to say anything but it was making her drive worse and that was a dangerous thing.
Chris relaxed her grip but continue cursing Hibiki. Parking a little bit away from the store, they got there after a few minutes of walking in silence. "Are you the type that needs time to wake up properly?"
"No. Just thinking about stupid people that stick their noses where they don't belong. Is this the place?"
"Yes." Tsubasa figured that Tachibana had done something intrusive like asking Yukine to bring back a lot of souvenirs or documenting everything where they went.
The staff within the shop was very professional, taking Chris to the back to take her proper measurements. Tsubasa stayed in the main room, checking out some of the more expensive dresses. While the shop, Starlight Fabric, did her stage costumes, they were usually more of a high class shop.
Getting bored of waiting quickly, Tsubasa peeked into the backroom, the floor clerk simply ignoring what she was doing. And Yukine was standing around in just her underwear, getting measured still. Big. Tsubasa didn't feel inferior, just mildly jealous. I'm sure she has her own problems with those. It would be trading one issue for another, and still… swords should be thin.
Standing there and quietly observing, Tsubasa was confused when Chris was finally done getting her measurements taken and didn't even bother to cover up, just standing there, with her legs apart, looking mildly annoyed. She was so embarrassed when I saw her change at the division the other day. What is with this difference in treatment?
Going back to the floor, Tsubasa continued window shopping. I do have a dress ready and packed… but I could easily fit in another one. Perhaps something to match whatever it is that Yukine will be getting. It might create some misunderstandings, now that I think about it, but is that really my problem? I will be at the orchestra incognito. Maybe I should do something with my hair and wear makeup to remain undiscovered. And showing up with Yukine as my escort, in a matching dress, will further distract from who I am.
Tsubasa was surprised when Yukine just came out of the backroom in a beautiful black dress that reached to her ankles and covered up nicely, a rounded cut around her neck, sleeveless, and very form fitting around the waist. The black also helped make her breasts appear a little smaller than they were, turning less eyes. Strange that I would notice that. It isn't like me to be so concerned with remaining anonymous that I would think about my escort's looks.
"So? Looking good or what?" Chris was barefoot at the moment, fourteen centimeter shorter than Tsubasa normally, plus the heels on Tsubasa's boots. She didn't look like she was just one year younger than Tsubasa.
"You look very beautiful. Like a white jewel encased in smooth obsidian."
Chris had expected a typical Tsubasa response, not some corny line like that. "The heck is that supposed to mean?" Turning around to the clerk, Chris raised her voice in the shop, which was bad manners. "I'll take this one, I like it!" Walking back into the other room to get her normal clothes, just her school uniform, because that had been the first thing she found in her closet in the morning. Just as she entered the backroom, Chris blushed. What kind of line was that? Damn, it made my heart race.
Tsubasa had no real concept of what was corny or not. She just said what was on her mind and because she had just finished recording work the day before, she occasionally lapsed into lyric speech like that. That really was a very nice dress. I could definitely wear that myself. Talking to the clerk, they did have an extremely similar dress that fit Tsubasa's height and measurements, which they had on record already. She paid 62,000 yen for it, while Chris paid 55,000 for hers. Those were exorbitant prices for a high school student, but the two of them were not exactly regular people.
"Yo, I didn't think about this but your bike has no luggage bags or anything." Chis came back out on the main floor, wearing her regular clothes.
"We can have the dress delivered at your earliest convenience." The store clerk quickly informed the white haired girl before Tsubasa could even say anything.
"Well, that settles that." Chris paid via an application on her cellphone while Tsubasa paid with a card. "What now?" Looking at Tsubasa with a bit of anticipation of going somewhere else, Chris was shot down.
"I am taking you back home. You need to pack your bags."
There was an annoyed look and almost just as annoyed groan. "Sure. Whatever." Chris was not really looking forward to that.
Ten minutes later, they came to a standstill in traffic. "I'd be faster to just fucking walk at this point!" Chris didn't have a very high patience level when it came to being stuck in traffic.
"Don't be stupid. It's ten minutes by bike to your house. There is a reason Tachibana and the others take the train there."
"How come you never come over anyway? I mean, it's a damn bother that everyone just thinks they can invite themselves in, especially every time we watch your concerts and stuff, but I specifically got that big wall mounted flat screen because I get guests all the time."
"If I am there, who would be holding the concert?"
"Other than that, obviously!" Chris hit Tsubasa's back with the front of her helmet.
"I never got the impression that I'd be welcome to just show up."
Because of the traffic, Chris and Tsubasa had to nearly shout at each other to converse. And now, Chris talked in a quiet voice, there was no way that Tsubasa would hear her. "I didn't get all that furniture for our idiot and her friends, you know." Disappointed with herself for expecting something different, Chris went back to her normal, shouting voice. "I mostly just laze around when I'm home, so if you don't mind that, you're free to show up."
"I'll keep that in mind." Progressing at a snail's pace, Tsubasa wished motorcycles had radios. "What did you think of my last single? Tachibana said something about a limited edition?"
"I just happened to be up all night because I slept through the day! And I figured, sure, why not, I have the money and your music is nice."
"I still remember when you were shouting you hate singing and songs." Tsubasa felt Chris' arms tighten around her waist a bit too much. "Stop, stop, I can't breathe!"
"You know I was going through a lot!" Chris didn't like it when someone brought that up. It reminded her of Fine and terrible times. Relaxing her hold on Tsubasa, the blue haired songstress took a few deep breaths.
"That was not how I meant it. You're a much nicer person now. The others probably don't really know how nice. I was impressed with your sense of responsibility. How you felt about Solomon's Cane."
"You were impressed?" Chris thought it was just normal for her to feel responsible, because she was responsible.
"A weaker person would have tried to blame others or run away from their responsibility. But I also remember how you called me senpai."
"So what's the big deal." Chris pouted under her helmet.
"I wish you would call me that more often."
"Seems to be a running gag that none of us use that right." Chris grumbled. "That idiot never calls me senpai either, it's always Chris-chan, Chris-chan. I'm older than her, goddammit!"
But you're also shorter than her. Only with your heels are you taller and even then, just a little. It's adorable, really. "Maybe you should lead with example."
Chris didn't reply and they continue to sit on the bike, stuck in traffic. "If you say so, senpai."
Tsubasa grinned a little under her helmet. "Although given our working relationship, calling me by my name would be better still."
Chris blushed and tried to break Tsubasa in half with her considerable lack of strength. "Why you! You go about respect and shit and then you tell me to call you just T... T-T-Tsubasha!" Chris fumbled her pronunciation and wanted to disappear.
"Tachibana and everyone else addresses me with honorifics, but I thought that you would be fine just calling me by my name as my equal."
"You see me as your equal?" Chris was surprised by this. But instead of getting an answer, Tsubasa drove a handful of meters and pulled her cellphone out of her jacket pocket. "Text?"
"From Tachibana." Tsubasa had a bad habit of reading her texts out loud. "I hear Tsubasa-san is going to pick you up for some private one-on-one shopping! It's totally a date! Counting on you for some #happenings! Good luck!" Tsubasa could feel the animosity behind her. Not because she was trained or a Symphogear user, or somewhat sensitive to that but because Yukine was growling like a mad dog and desperately trying to snatch the phone from her hand. Another text followed. "I'm sorry, don't read that last text!" And then another. "I accidentally sent it to you instead of Chris-chan!"
"I'll kill her! I'll fucking kill her dead! I'll turn her to dust!" Chris barked and shouted.
"I didn't know you felt that way about me. This is really unexpected." Tsubasa blushed a little under her helmet. Tachibana is most likely misunderstanding something here, but her reaction is quite something.
"I don't! That idiot just got this stupid idea in her head that I do because I'm a fan!" Chris was glad she could hide her face under the helmet. She could feel how much she was blushing.
Tsubasa thought that was a little anti-climatic, all things considered. "I wouldn't mind. With how much time I spend around Tachibana, I am pretty much used to romantic relationships between girls." And then there are Maria's friends as well. Akatsuki and Tsukuyomi, if I remember right.
"Wha-?!" Chris couldn't reply with anything else. "How can you get used to that! They're always flirting like newlyweds! It's so embarrassing!"
So it's them being flirty that bothers you, Yukine? Not that they're both girls? "I never really thought much of their behavior. It is mostly Tachibana that is overbearing, though."
"That idiot needs to learn what kind of behavior should stay in their room!"
"I think you're a little too strict on her." Tsubasa grabbed Chris' right hand. There was really no issue with doing this since they were moving slower than an old dog. "See? There is really nothing embarrassing about holding each other's hands, Yukine." But Tsubasa didn't really understand just how reluctant Chris was to accept any closeness like this. "Yukine?" Tsubasa found it strange that she was suddenly so quiet.
"Shut up and drive." Chris felt her heart hammer against her chest like crazy and pulled her hand away. If Tsubasa had turned around then, she could have seen Chris blush despite the helmet. You… you playboy! Calm down, Chris, calm down...Taking some deep breaths as they finally started to get out of traffic, Chris managed to sort out her thoughts.
She was very finicky about physical contact like that. Fine had always treated her terribly, hurting her because she was completely nuts, and after learning how actual non-nuts people acted as a couple, Chris still struggled seeing herself with that. So she acted out whenever she saw Hibiki and Miku act too much like a couple. And still, Tsubasa suddenly taking her hand like that had been like a shock. Because despite her own expectations, she didn't freak out, not in the way she thought she would.
=== The Sound of Wings and Snow ===
"Can I use your bathroom?" Tsubasa didn't drive anywhere else after dropping Yukine off. She wanted to make sure she would actually pack her bags in a timely manner. The dress would most likely arrive in an hour or so, Tsubasa estimated.
"Yeah, why not."
In the actual bathroom, Tsubasa was surprised just how much hair care products Yukine owned. There were sets for taking care of nails and skin, too. I didn't take her to be so… feminine. It makes me question how well I even know her.
Chris decided to just wear her summer school uniform for the trip to New Delhi. India was hot as hell and she didn't really care too much about wearing something she wasn't that used to. Trying to push the large case shut, Chris resorted to sitting on top of it like in a comedy movie. It didn't actually help.
"Need some help?" Tsubasa had returned from the bathroom, ready to go on the trip. She had changed her hairstyle to a single large ponytail at the back. Even Chris needed a second to recognize her.
"Push down, I'll jump on top of it, then close the clasps!" Damn, she looks kind of hot like that. Not that I'm interested or anything! I couldn't care less! But she does look kind of sexy. Like that wild tomboy princess character she acts like when she wears her Symphogear.
While Tsubasa pushed down the lid of the case, she looked at Yukine, taking position on the bed to jump on top of the case. "I borrowed one of your hair ties. I hope you don't mind."
"I got plenty. It must suck, having to disguise yourself to avoid reporter trouble and shit." Chris jumped on the case and the two girls managed to close it. "One done, one to go." As a teenage girl with a lot of money, Chris couldn't make do with just one case.
"Back when I first started, when Kanade was still alive, I really had trouble with the press and the public eye. But it's really not an issue anymore. Does it look strange? It's the first time I really changed my hairstyle to this "
"It's fine." It looks helluva lot hotter than your usual weirdo hairdo, but no way I am telling you that. Not after you got that stupid text from that stupid idiot, putting stupid ideas in your head.
"I made reservations in an hotel in Agra already. Or rather, Ogawa did it for me, since my English is only just passable. You're half-American, right? How is your English?"
"Uh, so-so? I passed my tests but I doubt I can hold a conversation. Forget making a hotel conversation."
"Ogawa will be accompanying us to handle hotel check-ins and so forth. I could most likely make do in Vienna as they get a lot of international customers, but in Berlin, it will be difficult to get around without speaking German."
"The legal drinking age in Austria and Germany is 16 for beer and wine and 18 for hard stuff." Chris brought it up out of nowhere. "I even looked up how to order beer in German! Ein weißbier, bitte." Chris only slightly butchered her pronunciation, since German was closer to Japanese than English was, in terms of pronunciation, but was still proud. "They speak German in most of Austria, too."
"You looked that up? Do you want to go out drinking?"
"We can't here, but I think that's total bull. We saved the world like half a dozen times or something like that, what's a little alcohol gonna do to us?"
"That is not really what legal drinking age is about."
"We can't get anything in New Delhi but alcohol and spicy food doesn't go together anyway."
"How would you even know this?"
"Don't be dense. You know exactly how super easy it is to buy some beer or sake even if you're underage. Unless you behave like our idiot. She'd still get denied if she was 30 with her personality."
"Tachibana and sake sounds like a very dangerous mix in any case."
"I'm a half, so I'm gonna be fine, but can you even handle alcohol?" Chris wasn't looking to get Tsubasa drunk, she just liked the taste of alcohol. Although she had heard that overseas beverages were pretty different. But how bad could it be, really?
"There can't possibly be a drink in this world that Kazanari Tsubasa cannot handle. I've fought Noise and I have fought other Symphogear users. There is nothing that can dull this blade of mine."
"Not the sword metaphor again. I thought we were over that."
"It slipped out." Tsubasa sat down on the large case and watched the tiny Chris grab a second case from the bottom of her closet. "You might actually be packing more clothes than me."
"Your bag must be the size of the old man."
"My uncle? It is always difficult to tell who you're talking about."
"Yeah, him."
"There aren't cases that big."
"Cargo crates."
"He isn't that tall." The door bell rung. "Do you want me to get it?"
"Yeah. I'm not gonna leave you alone in my bedroom." Lest you get any strange ideas about me having feelings for you or anything.
Getting the door without saying anything, Tsubasa received two small packets from a private delivery service. Why is Yukine being so standoffish with me? More so than usual even. Did Tachibana surprisingly notice something I am not seeing? Is Yukine being coy? Is she the type to do that? Maybe I should observe her a little more closely.
"Yukine, can you pack my dress as well? It would be chaos if I tried to fit it into my luggage at this point."
"Sure, why not." Chris was sure that Tsubasa packing her bags was actually Tsubasa doing something else and her manager packing everything. I'll never understand how she can let a dude handle her underwear. I'd die of shame. Like, death idiot swan song level of die.
=== The Sound of Wings and Snow ===
"Yukine." Tsubasa tried to talk to her travel companion in a low voice. "Yukine."
"What?" Chris was taking quick, deep breaths, clearly not feeling so good. They were still climbing and she was solely focused on not thinking about crashing airplanes in giant balls of fire without her Symphogear. Even if she transformed while the plane was nosediving, everyone else was gonna bite the dust.
Tsubasa felt how nervous Yukine was. "Airplanes are very safe. Non-noise related airplane crashes in the last year can be counted on one hand. And there are thousands of flights worldwide every day." She figured that some cold, hard numbers would take the wind out of the sails of Yukine's anxiety.
"Uh-huh." Chris didn't really listen, trying too hard to ignore that terrible feeling in her stomach.
Tsubasa was instead now focusing on ignoring the pain she was being caused. Yukine had just suddenly grabbed her hand and was holding on like her life depended on it. I don't think I've ever held hands with anyone but Kanade outside of Symphogear attacks. Tsubasa was more surprised than anything that Yukine was so shaken by flying like a regular person. They had gone to space before, in their !br0ken!
And finally, the plane finished climbing. "Yukine. Can I have my hand back?"
Chris looked at her strange and then looked at the armrest to her right. She had the window seat while Tsubasa was towards the center. Slowly letting go of Tsubasa's hand, Chris wished she could just shrink until she disappeared. Sitting there in silence, Chris eventually pulled an MP3 player out from the small bag that she kept with her. It was loaded with every song that Tsubasa had ever released and a few other ones from foreign artists.
Oh shit. Oh shit. Chris was appearing calm on the outside, but she was embarrassed to death. I can't believe I fucking went and nailed down her hand like that. Or that I held hands with her! Well, it's not like it's a big deal. We held hands before while fighting Noise and stuff.
Tsubasa had woken up really early in preparation of going to sleep on the plane. She didn't need a sleeping mask. A true warrior could sleep at any time, in any space, in preparation of what was to come. Although she found it a little difficult to fall asleep because she felt Yukine glance at her every few seconds. Am I just imagining it? Those purple eyes, all over me. It's a little… embarrassing, almost. But if I confront her about it, she might just deny it and I definitely don't want an argument on a plane.
Chris was just lightly moving to the music blaring in her eyes when Tsubasa's head softly bonked against hers. "Hey." Chris did remember that Tsubasa had recommended sleeping but not this soon! "I said hey." But Tsubasa could sleep like a log. As an artist, she had to.
And Chris immediately remembered that text that idiot had sent to her. I am gonna lynch her when we get back. Chris tried to focus on listening to music but she could smell Tsubasa's hair. What's that? It smells crazy good. But that isn't shampoo. Are you telling me her hair smells that good by itself? Chris couldn't help herself and sniffed Tsubasa's hair briefly. Screw this unfair world.
Putting away her MP3 player a little while later, Chris was surprised that Tsubasa wouldn't wake up from her moving about. Closing her eyes, Chris tried to go to sleep herself. And even though the situation wasn't optimal, she managed to fall asleep after a few minutes. Neither of them noticed when in their sleep their hands met and their fingers intertwined gently, Chris' head resting against Tsubasa's.
=== The Sound of Wings and Snow ===
Tsubasa really was glad that she had brought Ogawa along. They managed to make it to the hotel in one piece, but after that, things took a turn for the worse. It was the middle of the night now and the night shift receptionist's English was somewhat sketchy. Chris was half-asleep, sitting on her case, while Tsubasa's feet hurt. I shouldn't have worn these boots. She underestimated how much it would hurt her feet to wear those boots for over 10 hours straight.
Ogawa just returned, the receptionist heavily sweating and watching him. "Due to double booking, the three rooms you reserved are all gone. They will be giving you the last free room they have at no additional cost, despite it being in a much higher price class. I am going to be staying at a motel two streets from here."
"Hey, what about me?" Chris had heard what was going on and shook off her sleepiness.
"Unless you want to stay at a motel, and I cannot recommend this in India, you will have to share the room with Tsubasa-senpai. They assured me that the room is made for two people. Their English was… very much lacking, so they could not give me details. It's on the fourth floor, room 455." Ogawa handed a plastic key card to Tsubasa. "Now, if you'll excuse me."
"Hey, what about our bags?!" Chris was not looking forward to pulling one super huge and one huge case by herself.
"I'll handle it. You can go. Thank you, Ogawa."
"What do you mean you handle it? You got your own bag and I don't see any servants around here!"
"They're called bellhop, apparently." Tsubasa pulled up the super huge case that was nearly as tall as Yukine if it was left standing up. "I am going to carry your bags, you will have to carry mine instead."
"Off to a great start. Stuck in bloody traffic for two hours despite it being almost midnight. Timezones suck. How much difference do we have right now?"
"3 hours, 30 minutes." Tsubasa pulled the heavy bags towards the elevator, not without some serious effort.
"And then our rooms are gone. Maybe I should just march up there and kick them out!" Chris was in a sour mood.
"They would probably shout at you in some foreign language and have hotel staff kick you out. We're not VIPs here." Waiting for the elevator, Tsubasa really wanted to get some more sleep so she could start fresh in the morning. A shower was in order before sleep, however. It was much hotter in India than she had expected. Yukine was all sweaty as well. So much in fact, that Tsubasa could see her pink bra faintly through her white uniform. Thankfully she hasn't noticed.
"Ugh, my clothes are sticking to me. Why is it so much hotter here than it was in Tokyo? It was unbearable inside that rental car!"
"India, and Agra, is much closer to the equator than most regions of Japan. The average temperature in June is 40 degree celsius."
"Forty?!" Chris felt like melting just hearing that.
The elevator came and thankfully it was, like the hotel in general, air conditioned. The two girls didn't say anything to each other until they arrived on the fourth floor where a wave of heat greeted them outside the elevator. Chris groaned and moaned under the heat. She could feel the sweat accumulate under and between her breasts and was jealous that Tsubasa wasn't suffering from a gross fate like that.
Finally making it to the room, Chris didn't have the energy left to be overly upset at the interior. "Yeah, I should have expected something stupid like this." She couldn't get that angry, not with how sweaty she was. And tired, despite sleeping a few hours on the plane. The room was indeed for two people, but not two single people.
Both girls started unpacking, and Tsubasa finished much quicker because she had less clothes. Tsubasa needed a moment to wind down before she went to shower. The hotel did have a pool but it was probably closed at this hour. And she didn't feel like putting on a swimsuit in the middle of the night.
Watching Yukine unpack, Tsubasa noticed that really all her shoes had either high heels or were outright platform shoes. I didn't realize she was that bothered by her height. I should make sure to not mention- how does she walk in those? Tsubasa saw the new, black platform shoes that looked like something she couldn't possibly walk in. And she was pretty experienced in walking around in boots with heels.
Chris didn't even pay any attention to Tsubasa, otherwise she might have noticed the staring. Both of them didn't unpack everything. They were only going to be staying two days, and they would leave late in the evening of the second day. So they had one full day and most of a second day to tour around.
The room was about six meters from door to balcony, and 4 meters deep. The bed at the left wall, as seen from the door, closets to the left and right of the bed against the walls and two desks against the right wall of the room, with some chairs and mirrors.
"I'm using the shower, all right?" Chris couldn't go to sleep as sweaty as she was.
"All right." Tsubasa was fine waiting a little. There was something she needed to make up her mind about, too. Tachibana's texts were on her mind. She had gotten another one earlier, one that Yukine didn't know about. I'm so sorry about that text earlier Tsubasa-san! Miku and I just think that Chris should really confront her feelings for you! If you just talk it out I'm sure things will work out. As fellow human beings, we have the luxury of talking. Hehe, that sounded really cool, didn't it? I'll see you next week! Good luck with Chris-chan!
She still calls her that. Tachibana just doesn't learn. And there was another text, but from Kohinata. Hibiki is terrible with words but I do think you should talk to Chris-san. That not only Tachibana but also Kohinata thought that meant there had to be some merit to it. But how am I going to confront her? She is really standoffish and she's quick to try and bear a burden of something alone. Not that I am one to talk, though. But still, what should I do so she doesn't just brush it off?
Meanwhile, Chris was leaned against the pleasantly cold wall of the shower, lukewarm water raining down on her, feeling cold on her skin, really helping to beat the heat. Sleeping in a bed with her, huh. Shit, what am I so excited for? She didn't just feel excited on the inside. The thought of sharing a bed with Tsubasa, who she was betting on to sleep only in her underwear, was making her hot. She's damn hot and after being around that idiot and her lovey-dovey wife all the time I can't help thinking about stupid stuff. Great, I've been corrupted by her antics.
Chris thoroughly washed herself, hoping that being occupied would get her mind off of Tsubasa, But on the contrary, rubbing over her arms, legs and especially getting rid of the sweat that was dried all over her breasts, Chris was more turned on than ever. I won't get off in the hotel shower and if it kills me!
This resulted in Chris looking flustered and feeling a certain itch when she got out of the shower. But ego won over bodily needs. She's still sitting there. "Bath is free. I'm gonna hit the sack because I'm tired as all hell and I wanna get up in a few hours and browse the food stands before restaurants open." Sitting down on the left side of the bed, presumably where she was gonna try to stay, Chris felt the bed shift a little. "Shit, where did I put my brush?" Chris had fairly long hair when she didn't tie it together.
Tsubasa was suddenly in front of her and Chris held out her right hand. "You found it?`Gimme." She needed to brush her hair while it was still damp or she'd get knots in it.
But instead of a brush being delivered, Chris was forced on her back, Tsubasa pushing her down by her shoulders, getting on the bed with her, kneeling over her. An indefinite number of thoughts and reactions tried to get priority all at the same time within Chris, leaving her completely unresponsive. The one that finally won out didn't help at all. W-What the hell?!
"Look me in the eye and tell me if you like me. Not as a co-worker at the second division, not as a comrade donning Symphogear, not as someone who attended the same school, or as a friend. But the same way Tachibana and Kohinata are; romantically." Tsubasa opted for the direct and clean cut approach because she was the most comfortable with that. She wasn't the type to be overly good with subtle insinuations and the likes.
Chris' first action was to look away and blush like crazy, desperately trying to keep the super large white towel, that covered her otherwise stark naked body, in one place. "W-What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"Don't look away. Don't dodge the issue." Tsubasa wanted clarity. If Yukine had feelings for her, she needed to know so she could decide how to deal with them. She knew full and well that she wasn't pristine girlfriend material, but the main issue was how she herself felt. And it was difficult to make up her mind if she wasn't even sure if Yukine even liked her.
Chris tired to look at Tsubasa directly but with how close she was to her already, that wasn't easy. The way her heart was hammering, how embarrassed she felt, but also how excited she felt, it all pointed to a single conclusion that she didn't want to accept if only mostly because she didn't want that smiling idiot to be right!
Forcing herself to look right up and straight ahead at Tsubasa's face, at her deep blue eyes, Chris turned so red that she was indistinguishable from her Symphogear. Opening her mouth to say the words, Chris just couldn't. And when she didn't, Tsubasa got even closer, leaning down until her face was so close to Chris' that they could feel each other's bated breath.
"I won't understand unless you talk to me." Am I making it hard for her to talk? But according to Tachibana, if she does like me, she should be able to just tell me. I believe Akatsuki and Tsukuyomi have no issue with that either.
"You're too damn close!" Chris tried to push Tsubasa off but without her Symphogear, she really didn't have much in the way of physical strength. But thankfully, Tsubasa backed off on her own, sitting on Chris' legs for a short few seconds before she moved aside, just kneeling on the bed.
"So?"
Chris shut her eyes and crawled backwards on the bed. Damn, my heart is beating like crazy. My body is totally telling me I do like her. Once she figured that out, Chris was not the type to just sit there and lie through her teeth. "I d-d-d-" Why the hell is this so hard to say now?!
"You do? You don't? You dunce?"
How would you even come up with that last one?! Chris was starting to wish she hadn't gotten Tsubasa to back off. It's like I'm in some contrived romance novel. Someone is gonna knock any second now, I'll get out of answering and I'll totally snuggle up with her tonight by accident. But nobody knocked and Tsubasa kept staring her down. Shit. Adjusting her towel, so it wouldn't slip, Chris sat up and looked away again. Why am I so super embarrassed? "What about you? Y-You like me or something?"
"No." Tsubasa didn't pause for more than a second. "But… if I had to decide whether or not I would be your girlfriend anyway and just start liking you from there, I would say yes, I do."
That is such a stupid answer and such a typical Tsubasa answer! I'm only surprised there wasn't a sword metaphor in there somehow! Chris tried to cover her crazy heartbeat and anxiety up with internal comedy routines and sharp jabs, but it didn't work out in her favor. This is bad, this is so damn bad, she basically just asked me out, right? No amount of 'I'm just embarrassed around her' or 'I'm a fan, it's normal for me to be nervous around her' is gonna let me explain way what I'm feeling.
With anyone else, Chris would have been reluctant to even consider being with them in a normal way, much less intimately. It was rare now, but she still had nightmares about Fine abusing her, treating her horribly. But like hell I'd let that keep me from a chance like this!
"So… so, let's say, hypothetically I would like you..." Chris couldn't believe she was getting there, in more ways than one. Until just ten minutes ago, she had still been in complete denial about what she was feeling, even though she had used some pretty iffy excuses to make it sound real.
"Then would you like to go out with me? I am sure there will be some issues, such as me having to maintain the official status of being single because of my work, and most of all, it would probably not go over well with the public if they wrote articles about me dating another girl. But if there is anyone I would like to go out with, then it is you, Yukine."
"You suck so much at getting any kind of romantic mood going." Chris felt the wind taken out of her sails.
"Wait, let me do that over!" Tsubasa realized just awkward that must have sounded. Clearing her throat, Tsubasa crawled forward on the bed and grabbed Yukine's hands, drawing them close to her own chest. "I want to go out with you, Yukine."
"Call me by my name already, darn it." Chris was really happy and really mad at the same time. "And I said hypothetically! Hypothetically! It means what if! It's… it's not like I really… I mean..." Chris was back to turning red.
"Whenever someone says hypothetically they really just mean what they say." Tsubasa was a celebrity. She knew how that worked.
Why are you clever with the dumbest things? Chris couldn't just leave things this way. "I… li…. I like you, dammit!"
"I will do my utmost to be return that feeling as soon as I can." Tsubasa was still holding on to Chris' hands and wasn't really thinking about letting go.
"Can I have my hands back?"
"No." Tsubasa had seen enough of Tachibana and Akatsuki to know what she was supposed to do next. Not to mention, she had indulged in quite a few thoughts about doing this sort of thing with Kanade, all those years ago.
Pulling Chris towards herself, Tsubasa hugged her, forcing Chris' head against her shoulder. "I'm not sure how good of a girlfriend I am going to be, but I will do my best, Chris."
The white haired girl twitched a little when she was finally being called by her first name. "You better. But don't you think we'll… we'll… do this and that just because we're together now and sleeping in the same bed! I'm not Hibiki!"
"What do you mean with this and that? What do you think Tachibana is doing?"
"Are you gonna make me spell it out for you?" Chris pushed Tsubasa away again because she couldn't deal with prolonged hugging.
Tsubasa was very new to the whole act like a girlfriend business, but she really was trying. "From the tone of your voice it sounds like something girls their age shouldn't be doing."
"That's not what I meant! It's fine if they do it in their room, whatever they're doing! But I… need to get used to you first." I don't need to tell her about Fine, she can probably guess that that nut job wasn't very caring.
"For now, I will have to go and take a shower." Tsubasa still wasn't ready to sleep without a cleansing shower.
"You're leaving me by myself after that?!" Chris couldn't believe the nerve of this girl.
=== The Sound of Wings and Snow ===
Tsubasa took longer than expected in the shower, processing her new relationship with Chris. It was a bit strange to go out with her without being really in love, but Chris was plenty attractive and even though her personality could be difficult, she didn't find her difficult to handle or be around. That she liked her music, seemingly a lot so even, was nice as well. But strangely, Tsubasa didn't really feel like she was making a mistake. It had come surprisingly easy to her to ask Chris out like that. Could it be… that I am actually-, no. I am sure I'd know if I was in love with someone. But I do feel weirdly relaxed around her. It's different from Tachibana.
Finally getting out of the shower, Tsubasa sat on the toilet, a layer of fur drawn over the lid to make it more comfortable, and dried her hair with a really big light cyan towel. "Well, in any case, I will try my best." Is this really something I should approach with that mindset? I do want to be her girlfriend.
Putting on only a light blue bra and panties, Tsubasa kept the towel on her head, still drying her hair, leaving her other clothes in the bathroom. The lights in the room were off but the town outside provided enough light for her to see. Yuki- Chris is already asleep it seems like. Drying her hair as best she could, she was sure that it would dry readily in this heat anyway. I might have to ask Yu- Chris for help with brushing it later.
Slipping under the covers, the towel just landed aimlessly on the floor, she was surprised by how comfortable the bed was. They were really thin, because it was always really hot in India, but they felt also really pleasant. Tsubasa had her face turned towards Chris' but it was too dark to see her expression.
Reaching out beneath the covers, Tsubasa hesitated and stopped. Does she even want me to touch her? She was pretty embarrassed when I grabbed her hands earlier. But I suppose as her girlfriend, I should at least try. Slowly feeling ahead, Tsubasa made sure to search for Chris' hand way below her bust line.
Chris was still awake. There was no way she could have gone to sleep after what had just happened, no matter how sleepy she was. Is she… trying to feel me up? Chris couldn't imagine Tsubasa trying that. But she didn't want to open her eyes and say anything. She really needed to get some resemblance of a nap before the sun went up in a few hours and food stalls would open. But there was one thing she could do.
Tsubasa nearly pulled her hand away when Chris suddenly touched her hand, seemingly in her sleep. It was a soft, careless touch. Tsubasa couldn't really feel it but she blushed a little as she carefully and slowly moved her hand beneath Chris', putting her own fingers in the space between Chris'. Maybe… maybe I don't really need to try to like her after all. Maybe… Tsubasa closed her eyes and postponed those thoughts until she spent more time with Chris. For now, holding hands while sleeping in the same bed, as girlfriends, was plenty.
=== The Sound of Wings and Snow ===
Sing another Song?
This is the result of the patron suggestions for December 2016.
This can be considered complete unless further suggestions from patrons make a chapter 2 happen.