Standing with her ticket clutched in her hand, Ryuko swallowed harshly. "You got this. It's just a plane ride, just one connection. It's all good." Bouncing on the balls of her feet, she leaned to the side, inspecting the front of the line for check-in.

She could have avoided this, if not for the fact that she was visiting her father for the first time in almost five years. That phone call had been an odd one for sure. Most of the time they would exchange emails, him being so busy and having a no-cellphone policy in his lab preventing actual phone calls.

Running a hand through her hair, Ryuko tried to calm herself. She hadn't been on a plane for more than an hour since she was a kid, and that specific time she had gotten airsick and ended up spending half the flight in a cramped smelly restroom in the back of the plane puking her guts out.

This time, however, she was ready. Late night Internet searches had led her to buy anti-nausea medication to try and counter her unavoidable sickness in the air. If she thought about it, she would say that the way the plane would dip and come back up immediately is what messed with her stomach.

Seeing the person in front of her march off to another line, seemingly in the wrong wing of the airport, Ryuko put her suitcase on the metal scale. Handing the ticket over, Ryuko yawned. Getting up at the ass-crack of dawn wasn't her strong suit.

"So you're heading to New York for a connection to Amsterdam? Is that correct?"

Ryuko nodded. Her father's lab had previously been somewhere in France, but due to some other scientists leaving the project; they had been moved to the Netherlands. Her father never told her what he was working on, just that it was for the government and he had been sworn to secrecy. It pissed her off. What sort of project takes over twenty years to complete?

"Alright, you'll have to transfer the bag yourself when you get to New York, otherwise it won't make it with you to Amsterdam, okay?"

"Wait. Why do I have to that? Doesn't it just meet me there? Since when do I have to transfer it?"

The clerk was smiling too wide, "It's just a new policy. See, you're switching to an international flight, so as per the conditions of the new procedure, you have to recheck your bag at New York."

Ryuko frowned, "That seems like a lot of hassle. Can I just carry it on, then? I mean the only reason I came over here was to get my real ticket and verify my passport."

Her smile didn't falter, "I'm sorry ma'am, but your suitcase is too large to fit in the overhead compartments of your plane. You'll have to check it."

Sighing, Ryuko rubbed her face, trying to get the blood to flow a bit more, "Okay, okay. Whatever doesn't make me look like a terrorist."

The clerk didn't think that was funny, frowning almost immediately. She printed out the new ticket with the scan of Ryuko's passport verifying her identity and handed it to her. "Have a good flight."

Looking back, Ryuko was glad she put her pills in her backpack, or else they wouldn't have made it with her on the plane. Reclining in her seat, Ryuko looked out the window. Swallowing a pill dry, she looked forward, mentally preparing herself.

Take off was a bit rough, a few bumps as they left the ground, but otherwise Ryuko's stomach seemed fine.

"Damn, this plane sucks, they don't even have individual TV's."

Looking to her right, Ryuko saw a man with green hair and sunglasses sitting next to her. He looked military. When did he get there?

"I'm making a joke."

Lifting a brow, Ryuko stared. "Uh. I'm not sure I get it."

The man sighed, as if he had told the joke a thousand times and no one ever understood him. "I'm blind. Can't you see? Who the hell wears sunglasses on a plane?"

Ryuko attempted to control herself, snorting at the situation.

"Oh, I get it, laugh at the poor blind man," he turned to her, "I'll have you know I can snap your neck thirty-seven different ways from this position."

Ryuko smirked, "Killing someone on a plane full of people isn't the best way to get away with murder, you know."

"Who is to say I won't kill the witnesses, too? I can do it. Maybe I'll make it on one of those crime shows," he grinned, making Ryuko do the same, "The name's Uzu, by the way."

"Ryuko."

The rest of the flight was just as entertaining; it turned out Uzu was a recently retired Sergeant Major from the Marines. He shared a few war stories, nothing too graphic, and asked Ryuko about where she was going and what she did for a living.

"Well, I'm going to Amsterdam, I have a connecting flight after this one. I'm an artist, to an extent."

"Oh? Why to an extent?"

Ryuko tried to see behind his sunglasses, "Well, I mostly do marble work. Like statues and things. Lately, though, I've been having trouble finding jobs. Most people want a painter or something because it's cheaper," sighing, she continued, "I mean, I can do that stuff, it's just. Sculpting is my passion. I like having to put physical sweat and work into my art." She stopped there, not wanting to annoy him.

Uzu hummed, "Well, I can see the trouble you're having. That's a sticky situation," he put his hands out almost tragically, if hands could look tragic, "Choosing between passion and responsibility. What a world."

Ryuko closed her eyes, feeling exhaustion settling in her bones. She had worked almost twelve hours straight the day before. "Yeah, but I'll do what I have to; always have."

Feeling a hand shaking her shoulder, Ryuko opened her eyes, glazed with sleep. "What's goin' on?" Uzu was standing, bag on his shoulder, "You slept the rest of the flight," he grinned, "It was nice meeting you, though."

Putting both hands on her shoulders he moved so that his face was mere inches from Ryuko, "Do not fret. You'll find an answer someday; I can see the passion radiating from you, and what a beautiful aura, it is."

She could see his eyes, then. They were scarred as if someone tried to cut them in half vertically. Ryuko screwed her face up in confusion, "You're reminding me of my old sculpture teacher."

He let off, laughing and adjusting the bag on his shoulder, dismissing her, "I have a flair for the dramatics."

Ryuko grinned, grabbing her own bag, getting in line to step off the plane.

Gritting her teeth, Ryuko wished she had taken a pill for migraines. Talking with the clerk at the customer service desk, they assessed that her luggage never left the other airport.

"This is great, you know. I didn't need it for anything, I'm not going to a different fucking country or anything—"

"Ma'am, please calm down—"

"No! What the hell! I didn't even want to check my bag anyway!"

"Ma'am I apologize, but at the moment, there's nothing we can do—"

"This is ridiculous!"

Blinking, Ryuko turned to see a woman about her age, with long silky black hair looking at her with the same expression. They had yelled in unison, the other woman at the clerk in the help window to her right.

"Uh, yeah. Anyways, fine! I better get compensated, then."

The other woman was still staring. "What would you have in mind?" Ryuko crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at the clerk, "Upgrade me to first class, no cost."

While the clerk phoned her manager to make the changes to Ryuko's flight, she turned to the woman again, "They lost your bag, too?" Her skin was pale, but almost like an ivory color, not unhealthy.

"Yes. I might even miss my connection due to this." She sighed, frown deepening. Her voice was pleasant to Ryuko's ear, a low but resonating alto. "Ah. Where are you headed?"

"Amsterdam."

Ryuko grinned, "Hey, me too!" The woman gave I polite smile, "Just visiting?"

Ryuko nodded, "Yeah, I'm gonna see my Dad," she smirked to herself, "Maybe a little bit of the red light district, too."

The woman hummed, seemingly entertained by her antics, "Be careful over there, men don't exactly treat women the same as they do here."

Ryuko scoffed, "Like I'm going there to see those dirty old perverts."

She smiled then, "I mean to say, being as attractive as you are, I wouldn't be surprised if someone tried to rape you in a back alley some night." Ryuko stared.

"Jesus, that's the most fucked up way I've ever been called hot." She laughed out of sheer embarrassment, "Thank you?"

"You're welcome."

Before Ryuko could ask the woman's name, the clerk spoke up, "I'm sorry, there are no first class seats left. I'm afraid the fight is booked solid." Ryuko groaned.

"If I may interject," the clerk raised a brow at the other woman, "I was planning to go on this flight with my sister, but she cancelled on me this morning," she looked at Ryuko, "You can take her seat if you'd like."

Brightening, Ryuko gave the clerk a shit-eating grin, "You heard the lady, gimme that seat!" The clerk rolled her eyes and asked the other woman for her ticket and passport to verify she had purchased both tickets.

After almost ten minutes of process, Ryuko was handed a first class ticket to Amsterdam.

Stepping onto the plane almost half an hour later, Ryuko, after taking another pill, stuffed her backpack under the seat in front of her and tried to relax. This flight would be a whopping eight hours.

Hearing some rustling, Ryuko cracked an eye open, confirming who was standing next to her. The woman, Satsuki, as she'd introduced herself, was wearing a pantsuit, although at the moment her dress shirt was riding up as she stretched to get her bag in the overhead compartment. Was that a six-pack?

Now fully interested, Ryuko turned to face the aisle, "Hey, do you need any help?"

Satsuki looked down from her struggle and huffed, "It doesn't want to fit. I'm not sure what the problem is."

Getting up, Ryuko helped her shove her bag into the small compartment. She was thankful she took her jacket off when she sat down before, thinking the shirt she was wearing showed off her arms in the best way. Inwardly grinning, she waited for a comment on them.

"You need to work on your triceps more."

Not expecting criticism, Ryuko whipped her head to face Satsuki, spluttering everywhere, "What? I work on them plenty!" Satsuki chuckled and took off her blazer, Ryuko watching her every move, "You need to work more, then."

Ryuko thought she needed a drink. Satsuki's arms were ridiculously sculpted, almost like she worked out four hours a day, every day; a perfect specimen. With her mind blank, Ryuko swallowed, still staring, "Do you live at the gym or something?"

Satsuki gave her a small smile, "No, I just do a lot of outdoor things," leaning back, she pulled out a small novel, "What about you? Those muscles didn't come from a machine."

Ryuko blinked, eyes moving back to Satsuki's face, "Oh, I do a lot of outdoor work, too, I guess." At Satsuki's silence, she clarified, "I do sculptures and stuff."

Satsuki's eyes lit up in sudden interest, "What did you say your last name was?"

Ryuko laughed, "I'm not famous or anything." Satsuki's stare didn't waver. "Uh, Matoi. Like I said, though, I'm not well known. I just do local stuff."

Satsuki pursed her lips, "I've heard of you."

Ryuko's jaw dropped, "No way! How?"

"You did an original work that moved around the country. Do you not remember that? I quite enjoyed it," She looked up in recollection, "I remember it being unorthodox, but at the same time it had this humbleness to it." She looked back at Ryuko, whose mouth was still open, "Sorry. I'm rambling."

Ryuko shook her head, "No, no! Don't apologize! It's just," she grinned out of sheer delight, "I don't think I've ever met anyone that has seen my work and bothered to remember my name."

Looking out the window, Ryuko couldn't keep the smile off her face. For someone to recognize her work and praise it was something else. She had always sculpted for herself, maybe now was the time to consider not being so selfish with her art.

"Well, if it's any consolation, I really did like it. I'm not just saying that."

They sat in comfortable silence until the plane's captain got on the PA system, telling everyone to buckle their seatbelts to get ready for takeoff. Ryuko took a deep breath, turning from the window and closing it, not wanting to see them leave the ground.

"Is this your first flight overseas?"

She looked to the side, seeing Satsuki with her novel open looking back at her, expecting an answer. "Uh, no," swallowing, Ryuko continued, "I get airsick, but I've taken some stomach medication so I don't feel anything."

Satsuki hummed, "If you need anything, let me know. My sister, the one that cancelled, gets airsick as well, so I have different types of stress relievers and things in my bag."

"Oh, okay. Is your sister young?" Ryuko wanted to keep the conversation going, just to distract herself from the sudden shift from ground to air. Satsuki seemed to understand, politely answering her questions.

She found out that Satsuki's younger sister, Nui, was some years younger than her, and was going to school in the Netherlands, to stay close to their mother. Her mind wandered, though, listening to Satsuki's smooth voice.

Eyes traveling down, back to Satsuki's arms, Ryuko wondered what they would look like on white marble or even on paper. Suddenly, Ryuko had the urge to draw her. Should she ask? She'd drawn people before, but never to the extent that warranted asking. Containing herself, Ryuko looked back up when she didn't hear Satsuki's voice anymore.

"Looking for something in particular?"

Ryuko flushed, "Ah, sorry. Your arms are distracting." At Satsuki's questioning look, she decided now would be the best time to ask, "Hey, so…" Ryuko cleared her throat, "Uh, can I, like, use you?"

Satsuki's eyes widened and Ryuko felt like slapping herself the way she worded it. "What I mean is, could I use you as a reference? Like for my sculptures?" If she was honest with herself, she just wanted to draw Satsuki. The way the florescent light above was hitting her at the moment made the shadows on her skin that much more palpable.

"Um, sure. I can keep doing what I'm doing, though?"

Ryuko nodded almost too eagerly, "Yeah, yeah," she reached in her bag, grabbing her sketch book, "Do whatever you want. I'm not even here. Act normal, it brings out the best results." Anticipation was thrumming through her, getting out her pencils, she turned to Satsuki, eyes drinking in every detail.

She started with her shoulder, using a lighter pencil for the outline, not noticing Satsuki glancing at her out of the corner of her eye. "So, do you draw people a lot, or…?"

Looking up, Ryuko grit her teeth. Should she tell the truth? Most models were assholes, but she did enjoy drawing them. "I mostly drew them for class. To be honest you're the first person since then that I've wanted to draw on the spot."

"Oh."

Going back to her sketch, Ryuko drew most of Satsuki's upper body in one sequence, and after the flight attendant took their drink orders, she started drawing her hair. Tensing up, Ryuko realized that she had drawn way more than she asked for. Crap, she thought, I told her that I was just drawing her arm, now I'm almost done with her whole torso.

"Are you almost done? I'm no artist, but it seems like you're really taking your time."

Shit. "Uh, just a little longer."

The only thing left to draw was Satsuki's face, and after almost a minute of internal debate, Ryuko went ahead and finished it. Meanwhile, the attendant had long served them their drinks and took their orders for dinner.

"Okay. I'm done."

Satsuki looked up from her book and Ryuko showed her the sketch. Personally, she thought she could've done better, but she had already drawn much more than given permission. "Sorry, I kinda got carried away."

Satsuki stared at it for a long time, unblinking. "Um. I know I asked for just your arms, but I hope this is okay—"

"This is amazing." Ryuko felt the heat creep up her face. "You're amazing. This is. You're very talented. May I?" She reached out for the book, and Ryuko gladly handed it over with a grin.

"So, you like it?"

Satsuki was tracing the outside of the paper with her fingers, seemingly afraid to damage it, "Of course. No wonder you took so long, look at all this detail."

Ryuko stayed silent, never one to agree so freely with complements on her work. Satsuki slowly gave the sketchbook back to her, almost as if she didn't want to let go. It was then that Ryuko decided she would draw something else for her, something she could hang on her wall.

They made more small talk, waiting for the food to arrive. Ryuko told her about most of the places she had been, by car and bus, and the people she had met through her jobs as an artist.

Satsuki told her about her job and how she was almost done with getting her PhD in English, her love of reading stemming the entire process. She had traveled the world, meeting all kinds of authors and poets, and Ryuko couldn't help but feel a bit jealous.

The term 'Starving Artist' was not too far off from Ryuko's experiences. Hearing Satsuki's stories, though, she could tell that she had been granted a taste of the top, but didn't like it very much.

Taking a bite of some questionable meat on her tray, Ryuko grimaced. "So all airplane food just tastes like shit?" Satsuki snorted next to her, chewing on her salad, "From my experience, yes. There's really no difference between first class and coach when it comes to cuisine." Ryuko grunted, looking into the seat in front of her.

After about an hour, Satsuki dozed off, reclining back with ample foot room. Ryuko pulled out her sketchbook again, brainstorming what to draw for her. It had to show that she enjoyed her company, but be not too presumptuous.

Turning her brain off, Ryuko just let the feeling of the sketch take over. Some lines here, some lines there; she thought she did her best work when she didn't think, so she kept on until the picture was finished, being careful not to disturb Satsuki in her sleep.

Ryuko yawned and signed her name at the bottom on the piece, putting the date as well. Seeing there was some room up in the top corner, Ryuko debated on putting Satsuki's name on it, too. She decided that since it was for her, she should dedicate it anyway.

Closing the sketchbook, Ryuko leaned back and tucked it in between her and Satsuki's seats. Feeling her eyes get heavier and heavier, she let sleep take over, thoughts flowing with inspiration she hadn't felt since she graduated.

"Attention passengers, please put your seats in their upright positions, as we are landing in about ten minutes."

Eyes snapping open, Ryuko sat straight up, forgetting she was on a plane. Looking to her right she saw Satsuki with yet another novel—was that the third one—and guessed she had been awake for a while.

"Good Morning."

Old habits coming to life, Ryuko replied to her in her native tongue, earning raised eyebrows.

"Oh, shit. Sorry." Ryuko put her seat back up in its upright position, hoping to recover from her embarrassment by pretending it didn't happen.

"It's okay. I haven't spoken to anyone in Japanese in a long time, though. You just caught me off guard."

Now it was Ryuko's eyebrows that were raised. She sounded even more appealing in Japanese. Suddenly, Ryuko wished she had scribbled her phone number on the back of that drawing.

"Oh! By the way, I made something while you were sleeping." Reaching for her sketchbook, she flipped to the correct page, ripping it out carefully and handing it to Satsuki. With gentle hands, Satsuki accepted and stared at the drawing with what appeared to be admiration.

"How did you know?"

Truth be told, she didn't, but what came out of her mouth was much, much worse than admitting her ignorance.

"I dunno. You just kinda… remind me of home."

The illustration was of a cherry blossom tree in the midst of spring, pedals falling to the ground and grass swaying in the soft wind. Ryuko was grinning, watching Satsuki find that the top corner was addressed to her and smiling.

The plane suddenly hit the ground non-too gently and Ryuko felt her stomach jolt. Trying to keep it in, she breathed through her nose.

"This was very sweet of you," Ryuko turned back to look at Satsuki, "I'm glad we met on this flight. You're much better company than my sister."

The plane came to a stop. Was this the only time she would ever see this girl? Ryuko's stomachache took passenger to asking Satsuki for her phone number, but as she built up the courage, Satsuki had already gathered her things and stood up, waiting to exit the plane.

Ryuko started to pack her things as well, Maybe it is weird. Maybe she'd never call. She'd just accept it politely and never give it a second glance. Standing up, trying to hide her disappointment, Ryuko got in line behind Satsuki, preparing to say her final goodbye.

Ryuko jumped back a bit when Satsuki abruptly turned to her and put a hand on her shoulder, "I want to thank you. For this picture, and an over all successful flight."

Laughing, Ryuko put her hand over Satsuki's, finally feeling the softness of her skin, "Hey, pleasure's all mine. You don't have to make everything sound like a business transaction, though."

In that moment, Ryuko felt the air shift. Something about the way Satsuki was looking at her made her feel like this was the moment to ask. Just ask for her fucking number, Matoi! Ryuko opened her mouth, but was suddenly pushed by the person behind her, yelling at her to stop holding up the line.

Looking back, Ryuko saw Satsuki walking away, steps quick and sure. Sighing, Ryuko followed her down the tunnel connecting to the terminal. Stepping into the airport, she was all but thrown into a mob of people moving from one point to another, pushing her into a part of the airport she didn't need to be in.

Panicking, Ryuko looked for familiar black hair or a mostly white pantsuit or even any sign of Satsuki. Finding none, Ryuko felt the disappointment on her now-heavy shoulders. Picking her head up, she mused that she wasn't that great at goodbyes anyway.

It was almost six months later that she found it; scribbled on the bottom of one of her old drawings in the same sketchbook she brought on the plane.

Grinning when Satsuki picked up, Ryuko couldn't blame her for almost screaming.

"What the hell took you so long?"