This story uses characters and locations based on the Gunslinger Girl manga written by Yu Aida and published in monthly shōnen magazine Dengeki Daioh. The characters of Kara and Michele are original to myself.
"Sassou" [Looking Ahead to an Optimistic Future]
A Gunslinger Girl Original Story by Chris Wallace
With a slight jolt, the Air France A321-200 touched down a few minutes early on Runway 09L of Charles de Gaulle International Airport outside Paris and taxied to Terminal 2, Hall F. As they exited, Michele and Kara were greeted by an Air France concierge who escorted them to the L´Espace Première lounge where they passed the time until their overnight flight to Tokyo started boarding. The L´Espace Première cabin on the 777-200ER consisted of a single row of four suites and Kara and Michele were the only two people booked into it, so they stayed in the center pair of 1E/1F for the meal service and then later switched to 1A and 1L to sleep after the cabin crew had prepared them into beds.
Their flight landed a few minutes past 09:00 at Narita International Airport Christmas Eve morning and they were escorted to the Arrivals Suite where they freshened-up and then went to retrieve their luggage and clear Customs and Immigration. The Narita Express train deposited them in Shinjuku Station an hour later and they took a taxi to the Park Hyatt Tokyo. Located on the top 14 floors of the 52-story Shinjuku Park Tower, the hotel had been made famous as the backdrop for the film Lost in Translation released two years prior.
Even before the automatic doors had opened on the taxi, the doorman was standing next to them, waiting to welcome them. A bellhop rolled out a baggage cart and transferred their bags while a uniformed attendant bowed in greeting and walked them to the elevator, which whisked them to the 41st floor. They exited and another attendant greeted them, escorting them to one of many small private desks.
"Ah, Mister Pagani. One moment, please," the lady on the other side said as she reviewed the information in the leather-bound folio and disappeared in back. A few minutes later the Hotel Manager came out, accompanied by a young Caucasian woman.
"Welcome back, Mister Pagani," he greeted in passable Italian with a bow.
"Domo arigato," Michele replied with a bow, which Kara matched.
"We have the Diplomat Suite ready for you. Kirsten here will see to your needs," he added, switching to Japanese, and the Caucasian woman bowed at the introduction.
"If you will follow me, please, I will escort you to your suite," she said, also in perfect Japanese.
They rode the elevator to the 50th floor and Kristen inserted the card and opened the door, motioning the Pagani's and the bellhop in. She showed them around the suite and pointed out the various amenities. She also unpacked their bags and wished them a pleasant stay as she left. Kara and Michele both showered and changed into warm clothes before taking a cab to the Imperial Palace grounds for a guided tour followed by a walk around the East Gardens.
Sunset on Christmas Eve occurred at 16:33 and the Peak Bar on the 41st floor did not open until 17:00, so Kristen secured a window table in the Peak Lounge for Kara and Michele to watch the sun set behind Mount Fuji. Just before 17:00, Kristen appeared and escorted them to a table in the bar against the window with a view of Tokyo Tower, brightly lit orange by scores of floodlights.
They enjoyed the view as night descended fully, the soft glow from the paper washi lantern absorbed into the dark marble of the tabletop. Around 18:00 they both finished off with a "Pink Jewelry" (champagne and Chambord served in a flute with sugar crusted down one side) and had dinner at the hotel's Japanese restaurant, Kozue. Afterwards they decided to visit Tokyo Tower since it was still open and the weather was clear. They found the view from the 150m Main Observatory somewhat disappointing as the Peak Lounge was located at 182m, so they waited in line to ride the elevator to the Special Observatory at 250m (about 20m higher then their suite) before returning to the hotel and retiring for the night.
On Christmas morning they enjoyed breakfast at Girandole (also on the 41st floor) and then caught a cab to Shinjuku station where they boarded the JR Chuo Rapid line and rode it to Mitaka station. A fifteen-minute walk through Mitaka Inokashira Park and they entered the grounds of the Studio Ghibli Museum and passed a faux ticket booth with a huge statue of the animation studio's mascot – the Totoro – inside. As they walked toward the main entrance, they admired the unique architectural style and exterior color palette. Even in winter, there was still plenty of greenery present in the form of trees and grasses on the landscaped property surrounding the structure.
Admission to the museum was via prior reservation so at the main entrance they exchanged their ticket reservations for three frames of 16mm film in paper to keep as a souvenir. Above them was a large fresco painting of a blue sky with a smiling sun and fruit trees and flower blossoms circling it. They could also make out two film characters – Kiki on her broom and Nausicaä on her jet glider. A stained glass window had the character of Mai and two small totoros from yet another film.
The Central Hall extended up through the entire height of the museum with a giant glass dome at the top where a yellow whale swam and a giant five-bladed fan rotated. A maze of spiral stairways, bridged passages, and overhanging terraces allowed access to the various levels and sides. They stopped first by the Information Desk where Kara took a Japanese program guide and Michele took one in English (for the other cyborgs to share) and then entered the Saturn Cinema to see a PIXAR computer animated short and then a Ghibli animated short. After exiting the theater, they walked through the various permanent exhibits, as well as the special exhibit that showcased the artwork of the PIXAR computer animation studio in the United States.
Climbing a staircase to the roof, they were greeted by a life-size iron statue of the robot guards of the movie Laputa along with a replica of the levitation control stone. Next was the "Mama Aiuto" gift shop where Kara swore Michele bought at least one copy of everything on the shelves and left instructions to have it shipped back to Italy (likely by it's own private freighter). They ordered lunch at the café and enjoyed it on the terrace before exiting the museum and riding the "Ghibli Bus" back to the train station for the return journey to Tokyo.
Once in Tokyo, they connected to the subway and travelled to Asakusa to visit the famous Sensō-ji Buddhist temple, the oldest in Tokyo at 1360 years. They took the Water Taxi for a one-hour ride along the Sumida River, enjoying views of the Asahi Brewery, Tokyo Tower and the Rainbow Bridge as it made its way to Odaiba artificial island in Tokyo Bay to visit the Aqua City shopping center, took their picture in front of a replica of the Statue of Liberty and rode the Palette Town Ferris wheel.
It was about an hour to dusk when they boarded the Yurikamome automated train and rode it across the Rainbow Bridge to Shimbashi station. They took a few minutes to pay a visit to the graveyard of the 47 Ronin at Sengakuji Temple and then rode the JR Yamanote Line back to Shinjuku followed by a cab back to the hotel to prepare for Christmas dinner.
"Ok, I'm ready," Kara said as she exited the bedroom and walked into the main living room, her dress boots clicking on the hardwood floor of the suite's living room.
Michele rose from the couch and stopped dead when he looked at her.
"What?" she said, self-consciously.
"In a nation full of attractive women, you are surely one of the most beautiful of all this evening," he said. Kara blushed so hard that her face matched the red of her wrap and stood out against the iridescent white silk of her full-length sleeveless dress. They stood at the floor-to-ceiling window, watching dusk fully descend upon the city spread out 50 floors below them as Michele put his arm around her waist.
Michele lent Kara his arm and they exited the suite and entered the elevator, which took them up two floors to the top of the tower and the New York Grill restaurant. The elevator doors opened and they were shown to a table for two at the window where they could look out on the lights of the city to the dulcet tones of a jazz band wafting in from the adjoining New York Bar.
When they finished dinner, the waitress brought over a panettone that had been prepared special for them by the pastry chef at the behest of the hotel manager. They thanked the chef personally for the gift and took the remainder back to the suite. The restaurant had notified Kristen when they served the panettone and she had one of the housekeeping staff light dozens of tea-light candles around the living room area and lay out a selection of liqueur bottles and a sterling silver ice bucket with crystal glasses for them on the table, ready for when they returned. She had also laid out the two presents Michele had bought and Kara saw them when she walked in. She went over to the couch and sat down in front of them.
"Go ahead and open them," Michele said as he took off his jacket and loosened his tie.
"I'll wait," she said. Instead she sat down at the piano and played one of her favorite pieces as Michele prepared some shot glasses and then brought everything over to the sofa on a tray. Kara rose from the piano and sat down beside him.
"Merry Christmas," he said, handing her one of the shot glasses. Three different liqueurs were layered one on top of the other. Kara tilted it back and felt the sweet concoction warm her from the inside as it went down.
The first present she opened was wrapped in a Ghibli Museum Store bag. From it she removed a red box with the name of the Baccarat Crystal Company across it. She opened it and saw a sapphire blue crystal in the shape of a teardrop with the Royal Seal of Laputa carved on it attached to a thin gold chain.
"That's lovely," she breathed. "And from my favorite Ghibli movie heroine." She carefully removed it from the box and put it on around her neck. "Ah, it's good to be loved," she added as she leaned against him.
"One last thing," Michele said, and handed Kara a greeting card in an envelope. She removed the card and the cover was a painting of a lake covered in snow. She opened it and taped to the inside was an Italian driver's license in her name.
Kara looked at the license, looked at Michele, then back at the license before looking at Michele again.
"This is real?" she asked, her voice a whisper.
"Yes, it's a real one. You passed all your practice examinations with no errors and your driving school record was perfect so I was able to convince the licensing board that you've earned it," Michele said.
Kara rose, turned on one knee and hugged Michele as tight as she dared.
"I don't care what Henrietta says, you are truly the best handler," she said. She sat back down and leaned against him, grabbing his left arm and folding it across her middle, the card with the license open in her lap.
"Since the Agency doesn't like you girls to run around unsupervised, you'll need to have the Old Man here ride shotgun except for maybe trips into town for ice cream or groceries."
"I don't care," Kara replied, still admiring the license. "That you trust me enough to get me one makes me happier then actually having it."
"This May we're going to compete in the Mille Miglia. I secured us a 1950 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 convertible," Michele noted.
"Awesome," Kara replied. They had attended this year's event as spectators and the sight of all the famous brands and cars had really resonated inside her. To be able to actually participate in it, and as a driver no less, was something she looked forward to.
"Thank you. This has been a wonderful Christmas."
Michele leaned forward to kiss her scalp. Soon, Kara fell asleep, but he stayed on the couch with her, his head resting on hers, until he drifted off as well.
Around midnight Michele awoke. The last of the candles were exhausting their fuel and Michele moved out from under Kara. He went into the bedroom and pulled back the duvet on one of the beds. She was a very heavy sleeper, so she didn't awake as he lifted her up and took her into the bedroom and placed her on the bed he'd just prepared. He unzipped and removed her boots and then covered her up with the duvet.
"Prove the doctors wrong and live forever," he requested as his Christmas Wish and then kissed her on the forehead.
He went back into the living room and recovered his tuxedo jacket, putting it in the closet. He then changed into his sleepwear and slipped under the duvet of the adjoining bed, turned off the lights and was asleep in moments.
When Michele awoke late the next morning, his right arm was stretched out and he turned and saw that sometime in the night, Kara had awoken, removed her dress, changed into her own sleepwear and then moved to the near side of the bed where she could reach out and hold his hand before going back to sleep.
He carefully released her grip and rose. He grabbed a change of clothes and went into the bathroom to shower. When he exited, she was still sleeping so he went out into the living room and turned on the news. Kara appeared about an hour later.
"Sleep well?" he asked and she nodded her head.
"Should I order breakfast in or do you want to try the brunch buffet at the New York Grill?"
"Buffet. I'll go shower," Kara replied.
After breakfast they packed everything up and checked out of the hotel, taking the hotel van to Shinjuku Station where they connected to Tokyo Station and boarded a train of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen that connected Tokyo and Osaka.
The Nozomi service was the fastest available, reaching speeds of 300 km/h and they pulled into Kyoto two hours and twenty-two minutes after leaving Tokyo Station. Twenty minutes after that they were entering their suite at the Hyatt Regency Kyoto. They had sushi for dinner and went to bed early to rest up for exploring the next day.
Dawn till dusk on Monday was spent taking in the former Imperial Capital. They visited a score of temples, shrines and villas, including Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji, Ginkaku-ji, Ryōan-ji, the Kyoto and Sento Imperial Palaces, Katsura and Shugaku-in Imperial Villas and Heian Jingū shrine. Michele told Kara that she was half-Japanese and it was important she understood that heritage as well as she did her French half.
Tuesday was more of the same, with visits to the Kamo Shrines (Kami and Shimo), Kyō-ō-Gokokuji (Tō-ji), Kiyomizu-dera, Daigo-ji, Ninna-ji, Saihō-ji (Kokedera), Tenryū-ji, Rokuon-ji (Kinkaku-ji), Jishō-ji (Ginkaku-ji), Ryōan-ji, Hongan-ji, Kōzan-ji and the Nijo Castle.
On Wednesday they took the train to Nara and spent the day visiting the sites and sights of that city, including Horyuji, Yakushiji and Todaiji temples. Thursday was a trip to see Himeji Castle and Shoshazan Engyoji temple and Friday was spent travelling, first on the shinkansen to Tokyo and then the Narita Express out to the airport and finally the overnight Qantas flight to Sydney.
After dinner on the plane they went to sleep, waking up for breakfast just prior to arrival in Sydney at 08:00 on New Year's Eve. They took a cab to the Park Hyatt Sydney where they checked in, showered and changed before heading out to explore the city. They returned to the hotel for dinner and then returned to their suite, which had views of both the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House from it's balconies.
"Three! Two! One!" the crowd shouted on the Sydney waterfront and Dawes Point Park underneath the Harbour Bridge as the clock ticked closer to midnight on Saturday, December 31st 2005. Every year the city chose a theme for the event and for 2005 it was "Sydney Has a Heart". At 21:00 when the family fireworks session kicked-off the first outline of the heart in brilliant red light was revealed. Every hour thereafter, more of the heart was revealed until the magic moment as the calendar clicked over.
Room Service had delivered a bottle of champagne and some cheese and fruit that Michele had ordered for them to celebrate the birth of the New Year, placing it on the table in front of the two lounge chairs. He'd poured a glass of champagne for each and they held them in position to toast at the appointed time.
As the clock struck midnight and Sydney moved into 2006, the final outline of the heart was revealed and the bridge exploded in purple incandescence as thousands of fireworks cooked-off. Michele and Kara clinked and then drained their glasses. The thousands of people present cheered and the boats in Sydney Harbour blew their horns, the booming sounds echoing back and forth across the water. Kara saw all the couples embrace and kiss to celebrate.
"Happy New Year, Kara," Michele said as he leaned close to her. Without warning, Kara reached behind Michele's neck and pulled him forward into an embrace. She turned her head slightly and her lips made soft contact with Michele's as she pressed her body against his.
She felt Michele's body tense for a moment, but then relax. She held the kiss for what seemed to her hours, but was really only a handful of seconds and then pulled back.
"Happy New Year indeed," Michele said, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me," Kara said. "I guess I got caught up in the moment. It's just that I don't know how to express my appreciation for everything you have done for me. Just saying 'Thank you' seemed so inadequate."
Michele nodded. "I have never doubted your appreciation, Kara Michelle. I see it every time you smile and in your cheerful attitude towards life and in how you work so hard to excel at everything you do. I am so proud of you. So very, very proud."
"I want you to be proud of me, Michele. You are my father, my older brother, my mentor, my teacher and my friend. Since the morning I awoke in the hospital, you have done nothing but give me a life that even a saint would consider blessed. You have treated me with love and respect at every turn. I have wanted for nothing and any desire or wish I had you seemed to not only intuitively know, but you would then proceed to fill. I have relished every minute we have spent together and this week has been a fairy tale and I the princess."
"The best we can hope for in life, Kara, is to live with as few regrets as possible. With the life we lead, that's going to be hard, but even though we are forced to do ignoble things, we do them for noble reasons. While we have been together less then a year, in that time you have restored my faith in the world and given me hope again. You are more then my adopted daughter or my cyborg. You are my partner in work and my companion in life and I will always be there beside you when you need me to be."
Kara leaned against him. "I want to be next to you for the remainder of my days, however many or few that may be."
"Then let's shoot for eternity," Michele replied.
"Longer," Kara said with a smile and they stood with arms around each other, watching the festivities.
As it was summer in the Southern Hemisphere, sunrise was a few minutes before 06:00 in Sydney. However, the blackout shades in their room kept it dark and it was closer to 09:00 when Michele finally awoke.
He looked over at the other bed to see Kara was still sleeping. He rose from his own bed and showered. When he exited he saw that she was awake, sitting up in her bed and watching television.
"Happy New Year, partner," he greeted.
"Happy New Year, companion," she replied.
They spent the day relaxing around the city and flew back to Tokyo that evening, landing the following morning where they then connected to a flight to Frankfurt and then home to Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome at 23:00 local time. An Agency car was waiting for them at and drove them back to the compound. Michele was too tired to return to his apartment in the city so he chose to crash in his dormitory, wishing Kara pleasant dreams as they split up to go there separate ways.
It was a quarter past midnight by the time Kara made it into her dorm room and she did her best to try and not wake Ilaria, but failed when the latter turned on the reading light over her bed.
"Welcome home," she said, rubbing her eyes.
"Sorry," Kara said, dragging in her suitcase and putting it next to her wardrobe.
"No worries," Ilaria said. "So, how was your holiday?"
"Pura magia," Kara replied as she stripped out of her clothes and into her pajamas.
"You have to tell me all about it then," Ilaria said.
"Just so you can blab it to the others over breakfast? I don't think so," Kara replied.
"Are you smiling dumbly?" Ilaria accused, straightening up on the bed.
"No," Kara denied, crashing onto her bed on her stomach, her head turned away from the light.
"Come on, Kara. Spill…Kara? Kara?"
The only response was the sound of light snoring.
The End