Sir Artemius Votaire The Third considered himself as a very very tolerant man. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune and charm would want a prosperous and peaceful life. Alas, that was not the exhibit shown in the form of a grunting, white cat.
Natsuna Sakurada sat on her armchair, her feet rested on the desk. She picked the uppermost paper from a bundle that laid on her lap.
"First…," she began, "Good job on sweeping out the west thirty sixth district from mob and thugs-"
Minako nodded with a cigarrete slipped on her lips.
"-but you destroyed a quarter of public utility and now we receive complain from city council," continued Natsuna with the same flat tone, effectively shutting her off while reading the report.
She threw the paper unceremoniously to the side and picked the second. "You escorted a representative from the main headquarter and he was taken safely to the spot…
Minako rubbed her chin.
…and assaulted him when he arrived at British ambassador."
"He was groping me and he said, 'All women are about taking care of males and shut up,' So…"
Natsuna sighed. She took a deep breath and shook her head from the impending headache. "You…," she was having difficulty with the next one and next next next afterwards. "…destroyed the drugs activities at the expected location, but also destroyed seven other houses that belong to the townspeople nearby…
"Leveling twenty feet historical fountain on sanctified area…
"Burning down half of protected thirteen district vegetation while securing the nearest bank from robbery…
"Damaging parts of archaeological research center….
A church collapsed and thus stopped its operations…"
Others who watched this scene on their respectable seats cringed at the impending doom. Minako inhaled deeply and released a satisfied sigh on her part. Meanwhile Sir Artemius had taken his sanctuary near the opened window, ready to flee when needed, and soon.
"Aino Minako…" Natsuna gritted her teeth, her eyes had long shut in irritation and rage. "ARE YOU TRYING TO PULL OFF MY HAIR, YOU UTTER FOOL?!"
"Err…, no?"
"Give me one, one good reason why you are still placed in my division."
"Because you love me?" Said the blonde in an as-a-matter-of-fact valid statement.
Natsuna screamed uncharacteristically in frustration. "YOU'RE RIGHT! YOU'RE RIGHT! YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! AND THAT'S WHY I'VE BEEN PUTTING YOU UP WITH PARTNERS WHICH YOU ALWAYS REJECTED, WHICH HAD FLED AT YOUR PRESENCE, WHICH KEEP ESCAPING FOR THE LAST TWELVE ATTEMPTS MATCHING YOU UP WITH A DECENT LOGICAL HUMAN!"
Minako rushed to her chief side, rubbing her back in soothing manner.
"Thank you." Natsuna breathed, accepted a glass of chamomile tea from one of her subordinate and took a sip at the all guaranteed free-stress concoction.
"Steady chief, steady. High blood pressure is no good for your health," said Minako as she massaged her chief stressed temple.
Natsuna's eyes glinted dangerously.
Oopss…, my bad.
"Yeah, you're right," Natsuna said after awhile. She sat relaxed for the next few minutes. Minako kept watching as she backed down slowly but surely, returning to her previous post. She took her sweet time taking a drag on her cigar and putting the ash away on the nearby bin.
Natsuna picked up her cells as it rang and spoke, "Yes, she's here," she nodded, "Alright." She hung up and breathed peacefully. Natsuna let out a wide smile, a gesture that Minako didn't like. Whenever her chief had that smile…, well, let's say it never end well for her and any other of her colleagues.
000000000000000
00000000000000000000000000000000000
Worlds beyond the world, and the quantum cat
"Weather, or not"
She reached out a paw to pat something in the air in front of her, something quite invisible to Will.
Then she leaped back, back arched and fur on the end, tail held out stiffly.
Will knew cat behavior.
He watched more alertly as the cat approached the spot again, just an empty patch of grass between the hornbeams and the bushes of a garden hedge, and patted the air once more.
-The Science of Philip Pullman's His Dark Material (Gribbin, J. & Mary, 2005)
00000000000000000000000000000000000
000000000000000
Nishi Ayame wasn't having the best day of her life. She had been sacked from her previous job, being transferred from one to another division for the fifth time within one month in Tokyo Police Department, and ended up at Azabu branch in Tokyo suburb. It was beyond implausible that she managed to stay at her current position for twenty days and advancing.
Now, she appreciated her temporary fortune, but she surely didn't appreciate her sempai who was just dozed around there liked a simpleton.
Her sempai was a relatively young woman, perhaps with an age around twenty or so. Tall, with a bright blond hair. She wore her hair down which actually complemented her overall look so well in a way that matched any other supermodel, yet, she looked so modest in it. She wore Azabu dark green vest and white t-shirt. A long jeans trouser became her choice, she refused to wear skirt much to chief Natsuna's amusement. Leather coat covered her body to her hips, where a weapon concealed from bare eyes. She wore a single ear-piercing on her left ear. Overall, aside from tedious custom, there was nothing unusual on her attire.
Her sempai was a fairly attractive young woman, though, no qualm about that. There's just something in her overall look that's just made it hard for people not to look, and just looked, when they caught her in their eyes… and when they did, it's hard to break off… Her face looked so peaceful, but one look at her blue eyes and it felt like anyone could just…, sinked, of the depths hidden behind them… Those were the eyes that have felt, seen, and experienced many…
Also, although she radiated such a carefree aura from her overall appearance and that playful demeanor, one could undoubtedly sense that she was not one to be messed around…
…
…And…
Ayame couldn't dechiper it further.
"Ayame-chaaaaaan!" said Minako while stumbling over her. "I'm so glad to see you after these days. How are you doing? You're not hurt, aren't you? Chief didn't give you trouble? Aphrodite barking on a rubber crutch! You aren't being harrased by those punks again, are you!? DAMNIT! I'll give them a lesson they'll never forget!!!" The swing in her sempai expression was too fast for her to form a coherent thinking.
Minako was ready to leap off and chasing whatever she didn't want to know.
"Wait! Sempai!" She exclaimed holding Minako's hand, which resulting on them both toppling together on the hard floor, which really hurt because she landed on her cranium. She clutched the back of her head with both of her hands.
Damnnnn…….
She blinked and then looked at Minako who was helping her getting up from the ground.
"Ayame-chan…, are you alright?" Said Minako with mixture of concern and curiosity. "You didn't hit your head that hard, did you?"
She blinked again and shook her head, and winced at her lack of consideration. She was greeted by a thumping sensation that made her dizzy. Her ears rang.
"Whoa…., easy there, easy." Her sempai voice was serene and comforting. She felt her body being carried carefully and laid on something scented like leather and cinnamon. There was something cool probbed lightly along her skull. She flinched.
"Tender?" Her sempai asked, sitting on the floor, facing her. She could open her eyes without much nausea.
"Not really." She'd had worse.
Her sempai chuckled. She wanted to follow, but she didn't want to risk a concussion. She huffed silently instead.
"Forgive me," said Minako between her laughter, "but you looked so adorable when you were half-unconscious."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Ah ah ah," Minako reprimanded, "No sudden movement. I don't know how hard you hit your head, so we don't want to risk a more complicated head injury."
Her sentiment exactly.
"Ne, sempai." She gradually remembered the reason she was here for the first time. "Aren't you going to do your works?"
Her sempai tilted her head to the side, seeming curious. "Works? What works?"
"Paperworks, reports, more report for chief, patrolling," she listed with her fingers, still laid on the soft leather couch, "I don't know," she shrugged, "just…works…, generally."
Minako sighed and scratched the back of her head. Her expression dejected and she looked forlorn. Ayame was awed by this sight as she tilted her head to the side to see her sempai.
…
…..
…Well…
How come she looks like a puppy who'd just been kicked?
How?
It made her wanted to reach her hand to comfort her sempai somewhat.
"Maa…, you see, Ayame-chan." Minako fiddled with her fingers. "I- "
It was a high pitch-screech, and it was fast becoming thunderous. Minako looked up, startled.
She did too.
『ATTENTION ATTENTION!
『A ROBBERY OCCURRED AT ONE OF PACHINKO STATION IN THE CITY. THE CRIMINAL IS CURRENTLY HEADING TO THE NORTH AT AZABU DISTRICT…
"Shit!" She straightened from her safe haven.
"Hmm? I haven't heard you cursed before, Ayame-chan."
"This is not the time to joke around, Sempai!"
『…HE WIL PASS THROUGH THE FRONT OF AZABU POLICE BRANCH IN FIVE MINUTES!! ALL UNITS! BLOCK ALL ROAD WHERE HE WILL COME INTO SIGHT!
I REPEAT! BLOCK ALL ROAD WHERE HE WILL COME INTO SIGHT!』
"Damn, and here I thought I will have a fine fine time off," Minako muttered under her breath.
"Whaaatt!" She shrieked, looking back from the speaker to her sempai.
"Maa…maa…," Minako grinned, she put her hands in surrender. "Easy there, I was joking."
"Not funny, Sempai." She huffed and stood up, ready to join the already hectic orders and shouting.
Following orders, protecting the city, yes, that were the reason why she's in this place.
She was stopped in the middle of it all when a hand pulled her from her purpose. So she looked back. For whatever reason, she looked back; and found her sempai stared at her intensely.
What?
"Ayame." No suffix this time. "Are you sure you're alright?"
Any word she wanted to say was stucked in her throat by that frightening look. It was fierce and vicious. It made her wanted to cringe, but she couldn't move. And more importantly, it was like a mother lion protecting her cub.
…
…..
…What. The. Heck?...
She merely nodded, not trusting her voice.
"Good." Minako nodded once, and then that expression vanished from her face; replaced by a large grin.
Are you bipolar or something, woman?
"Now, you come with me," said Minako, dragging her toward the staircases that was obviously opposite with where their squads were going.
"Wha- Whaaaaatttttt?!"
"I've never heard you stuttering and squealing like that, Ayame-chan."
"Heeee?"
"It's really c-u-t-e," Minako singsonged.