What use does grieving have on failure if it cannot be changed, and if it were the other way around?
Nevertheless, horror gripped his chest.
They truly have nowhere to go.
They truly have nowhere to go. He really did take part in the fault, didn't he? Even though his heart was beating fast; his nerves were bundled tight, he — maybe, just maybe — shoved that rational thought aside and thought there was a way to get out. Maybe he really overestimated on this. Maybe he got too arrogant about the issue and really believed this was just like one of the older times. He couldn't help, right? After all, for every despair there must be hope; hope could be found in the darkest of times if one remembers to turn on the light.
Turns out that everything has their own exceptions.
Turned out that he took things too much for granted, sometimes.
Every locked door has a key, yeah? Entrepreneurs are magically and insanely good at escape routes, however narrow. When there isn't said route they just build one, and they are so insanely keen on it their ears ring with laughters of ridicule, which are triumphantly debunked. For that Mirumo is no exception. Except, there aren't only entrepreneurial escapes he is to seek or build.
The escape helicopters were vanquished. There was no one else to go to, because everyone had sacrificed just to let his son live a little longer. (A turn to the left.) Was it everyone? Yeah. They couldn't go back. The CCG could be hunting and shutting down companies now. Even if some remained, how would they maintain contact? Even voluntarily, as they were now exposed? One good thing to note was purchased condominiums are equipped with protective wards — except those for human clients or residents. Would he be able to pinpoint all of those warded buildings? (The intersection was quite desolated, but he just obliged the traffic light. On one hand CCG might not bother to tail them to this point. The other ghouls tensed at this interval.) Driving physically to whatever place he knew would consume too much of car fuel, and the sanctuaries were so familiar to him that they would be probably so to the CCG.
The only tools were destroyed, and there was no where and whom to go to.
How was he going to face them?
What Shadowhunter Institute can accept a Downworlder?
Can she even accept him?
Once again?
The auburn hair, the daunting spirit, the black the warriors embody ...
A red box encasing a public phone appeared at the end of a street, so far away they would be a mere blot to a human eye. His reflex slammed on the brake at once, and the car lurched to a screeching halt. Thankfully, this block was empty of humans from the dead of night.
Mirumo gave a sudden jolt, as did everything else. Touka's head slammed on the surface before her, grunting angrily; Chie's and Yomo's head emitted a loud thump; and Shu stopped himself just in time but his hand had to clutch hard on his father's headrest momentarily.
Touka glared at him, poised for flaying just as the driver said, "My sincere apologies, everyone."
"Papa?" Shu asked, surprised but panicked. "What happened?"
He drove the van again to near the pole and the phone pavilion as he spoke. "I am planning to leave here. If you all don't mind, I would like to use this car as means of travel."
Touka sat back. "At least we stole it all for you, if not for her." — jerking her head to Chie — "You're welcome to use it."
"Thank you very much." He adjusted his tie, taking a long look to everyone in the van. "So this is it. You all can leave now."
"Good luck." Without a backward glance she unbuckled her seat belt, shoved the door and got out.
Yomo fumbled in his seat, and opened the door to his side. A moment hanged and Mirumo turned back to meet his stare. "Be safe throughout your journey," the other man said.
"You, too, monsieur. Bon voyage."
The door closed just as Yomo disappeared.
The ensuing silence was awkwardly soundless, and for that Mirumo was almost glad. It just seemed like a frozen time in which he could dwell on his thoughts, even though the reality was just one second. The escapes are eliminated; everything else was unavailable, dead or alive. Even the living people he knew views his types with disdain. He had to do this. Was this the only way out? Was there no opportunity so he had to build another door?
"I am staying." The girl chirped. "I am fine with that, really. No need to worry."
She seemed like she was talking to herself, because no one answered for a second. Not even his son. The van was empty except for the trio.
He looked back to the telephone's site. If he had to face it, this was now or never.
Jocelyn, rejecting him. Or worse, never answering to leave him to plead to the abyss. The negative outcomes just seemed as likely as the positive ones. The pessimism had to play a bigger part, though, because this was between life and death.
But hope is stronger than fear.
And then he realized. How was he going to call ...?
He turned back to them. "Excuse me, Hori-san. May I ask if you have enough coins?"
She blinked at him. "Oh, yeah." Her hand dug in a pocket of her pants, and took out a yen. "Here you go."
"Thank you very much." He took it before opening the door.
He idly clutched at the hem of his coat from the chilly air. In a moment he was inside the pavilion. Inserting the coin, taking the receiver to his ear, he clacked his fingers on the buttons right away. Tap tap tap.
The line beeped, and beeped, and beeped.
Maybe he could brace for what was coming.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two —
A sound clicked weakly, speaking of a phone being picked up. He successfully connected.
The woman hummed in half confusion, before letting out, "Hello?"
"... Bonsoir," he said too smoothly.
And the other remained silent. Before she reacted.
"Long time no see."
"It is a long story to explain, but can I transport to Parkslope, Brooklyn? I need your help."
"There is none I can offer right now. I'm sorry."
"I assure you this is nothing about Valentine and the Circle. It has nothing to do with you. It's a personal emergency — more like a manhunt. It won't get you involved, though —" A little bit of protest — his heart racing desperately — "It WON'T."
"Listen, I am just living normally here and I'm tired of being involved in ... anything."
"I just need to look for a shelter. Just take me in, and I'll do anything. Please. Get me hidden out of sight; make sure nobody sees me; doing all sorts of duties in your home; I promise, I would do anything."
In turn, she just breathed rapidly on the other side in thinking. There was no time to lose. Right now, there was no abnormalities nor the Doves' smells near the vehicle. He could've seen if something was wrong anyway, as the van was literally beside him, visible beyond the window.
Finally she answered. "I will get Magnus to make a Portal from here to your location, if he knows where you are."
"How long will the Portal hold?"
"I don't know. But don't dawdle; you and I both know he doesn't like it."
"I will drive just to the car entrance near the Tokyo airport. Give me time to get there."
"See you there. You're still good?"
He glanced at the night outside. "Yes; no investigators near us. I'll try hard."
"Good luck. We might get a second try half a minute later, but you'd best to hurry up."
"Will do." His hand slammed the receiver into its place harshly, and it emitted an audible crack despite remaining intact.
Pushing the door open, the motion briefly whipped open his coat. And in an instant he opened the door and was back in the van, pulling back the gear edgily. Meanwhile, Shu had just lied his head back to the headrest, his condition improved with less present wounds.
He snapped his seatbelt in place. "Buckle up, kids," Mirumo whooped in English. Two ensuing snaps cracked. Right after that his hand pulled back the gear and the car reversed thoughtlessly and abruptly. Chie grunted.
As it completely settled on the main road, he jerked it forward and it accelerated drastically fast. Traffic lights raced by; there was a flash of red from them and he disregarded it, unlike earlier. Chie snatched an overhead handle and a clunk was heard.
"What do you think what he is thinking, Tsukiyama-kun?" Chie asked.
"That's just him," Shu replied lazily. "You do realize this, don't you? Getting out of this city?"
"It's all right. My parents don't need to know, though I will miss them." She sighs. "I'll miss my camera too."
Eventually, there was another clunk as Shu grabbed his handle.
"I didn't hear him much. We should have outside help, since we have subsidiaries outside of Japan. All I hear is we are heading to America; New York, in fact. Brooklyn." A pause. "Apparently the time is limited."
"Well, it seems like it is a hardly earned opportunity."
At that, none of them notice a dark flicker in the father's features.
"Yes. Count us lucky." A few seconds later, Shu started to muse again. "Luck. It is such an interesting thing, isn't it?"
It is.
The girl only briefly hummed in sympathy. "Yeah, if you think about it."
THIS IS
THE HUNT
After an unknown amount of time the van slowed with an uncomfortable progress, and a giant, sprawling airport materialized before them.
Everyone except Mirumo were deadly close to bumping their heads as it stopped. Then, the vehicle started up again to travel to a side of a pavement with a bountiful of shrubs near it. Mirumo pulled the gear over, shutting down the car.
He opened the door and got out. Then, he opened a back door and chose a seat Shu had yielded. "Now we wait."
"OK," Shu replied.
The three sat in silence, until his father began again.
"The Portal will appear in the form of a hole. It will look transparent with a sort of halo. And follow the man who will appear alongside and grab onto him when going through. As long as I can recall, he is trustworthy. Now in the meantime, there is a lot of things to explain, and I shall apologize for any secrecy within."
The sudden change in his father's tone caused Shu to look in his eyes, which — sending a jolt so uncalled and alarming in his veins — was so uncharacteristically intense and torn he almost questioned if this was his father at all.
"As for you, Hori-san —" The look passed on the friend next to him, now lightened to hide its unease. "— everything I will tell you — you must promise you will never talk about this afterwards, or communicate any information about this to any of your clients as an informant, or any family members or those you know. There is a CCG equivalent that takes drastic measures. If you do not comply, I am afraid you will be sent back or halted whether willingly."
Her eyes looked back, unblinking. "Yes, sir."
"Chie, you have to listen to him," Shu urged.
"I did." She turned to look at him. "I will leave here and never look back."
Shu shifted slightly in his seat. "So what do we need to know?"
The moment hung, before a sigh was heard. "So let me tell you about the Shadow World. World of shadows.
"America is a diverse country and more or less complicated, with entirely opposite traditions. It is very developed as most people say. The customs there will completely be different from that of Japan's, so we have to switch to a different style of hunting. That's better than finding nowhere else to go. Also, there are not only ghouls that live in that country, except humans don't know they exist. They are what … well … legends, books and novels say." Mirumo paused to take in the reactions. Shu's brows were furrowing. His expression was attentive, and held no horror. Chie's was schooled into neutrality as if this was just another horror story.
"And the legends told in many works are true indeed. This includes vampires, werewolves, warlocks, demons. They will lurk around nightly as a habit, but mainly strive to hide from shadows, away from humans. The first three are sentiently conscious and like us, they can blend into humanity. The demons are inherently evil and chaotic, even rarer to encounter; but they are very deadly if you see them. Hori-san, keep that in mind. All of them are regulated by a governing body, the way CCG does to us; except they hide away from the society rather than allowing the humans to acknowledge."
"You can just call me Chie," she interjected — then added, "For convenience. I'm literally the one and only when we get there, right?"
"Yes." Then he jumped back to the topic. "The governing body call these three — vampires, warlocks, werewolves, possibly more —" He held up three fingers for emphasis. "— the Downworlders; those who live in the underworld.
"As you have thought, vampires live on blood. Werewolves change into wolves every full moon. Warlocks have magic and create portions and Portals. All except werewolves are immortal; all four have demon blood, although vampires, werewolves and warlocks are half demons. You hardly meet those if you stay or look normal, however. They are monitored, after all. Rogue ones are hunted down, even killed if necessary. But those are just governors' side jobs. They mainly focus on slaying and terminating demons, and have equipments for doing such. They are humans are mixed with angelic blood; and yes, angels do exist." — a bob of head from Chie — "Therefore, they are half angel, half human. They are the governing body I just said of. They are clad in black, hunting in the corners, hidden from the humanity's eyes and guarding it from any Downworlders and demons that pose as chaos.
"They call themselves the Shadowhunters. Translated literally as hunters of the shadows."
"Does that mean ghouls are Downworlders?" asked Chie, failing to enunciate the word properly.
"Yes."
Shu and Chie slowly drifted their stare to their hands, judging the information.
The silence combined with the surprise of the revelation left the illusion that time was being suspended. It took, and it took.
Until Mirumo spoke again. "Shu-kun ..." His voice rang back so quietly, obviously to not let the only human know. Shu inched a bit closer to his father while Chie of course did not look into it.
"Hm?"
"Your mama is one of them."
"Shadowhunters?"
"Yes."
The son slumped back. That was when the father's and his ears picked up a sucking sound seemingly barfed by a whirlpool. Beside the shrubs, a transparent, circular Portal took its form and out stepped a man seemingly in his early thirties. He looked like a complete human, if not for his slit-shaped pupils reminiscent of a cat whose yellow irises flashed in the dark. Other than that, he was dressed in a black but fancy suit from head to toe, had a stylishly spiked hair and a scent of burned matches.
Mirumo was the first to act. He leaned toward, opened and got out of the door, approaching said man, who raised his head and beckoned idly, saying in English, "Very sorry for your loss, Mr. Tsukiyama."
"Don't worry," replied the father in the same language. "Thank you very, very much for the trouble. I am forever in debt."
"Life is full of debts, my friend." He extended his hand in a smooth motion, his body angling toward the Portal while his eyes swept over the other duo. "My name is Magnus Bane, high warlock of Brooklyn. May you please step into the Portal; it waits for no one." Then he lowered his head briefly in disappointment. "Well, surely you may not understand what I just said. English is a common language. Pity."
Mirumo took his hand while Shu came over and took his. The younger man spoke in his best English to Magnus, "I understand and I can translate it for her. Thank you." He smiled shyly then turned his head to call Chie. She sprinted and got him. He immediately introduced Magnus, paraphrasing in Japanese.
Just as he finished Magnus gave a tug, nearing the gaping hole. "Now hold tight! If we lose each other we will be stuck in limbo!"
Mirumo then looked back and translated. He had to holler because the wind this Portal gave was so strong.
"WHAT'S A LIMBO?" Chie called.
"WHEN EVERYTHING IS NOTHING INCLUDING YOU!" he called back.
The warlock counted down.
"THREE —
TWO —
ONE —"
And they collapsed into the void beyond.
Just as his sense of orientation returned, Mirumo let go and rolled on whatever concrete on which he landed for additional measure. Thankfully his clothes wasn't that dirty after the roll. Meanwhile, Magnus did an epic land; Shu landed tenderly; Chie slammed her feet on the ground and had to curl into a ball briefly so her ankles wouldn't break.
Unlike the cold night, the destination right now was brightened by morning sun, filled with compact buildings that had simple colours and textures modestly packed together. The community was slightly cluttered from its middle-class status but way more favourable than the bloodshed location back at Lunar Eclipse. The quartet was facing a decent shop, with leftover human traces that smelled almost too enticing, and vaguely decorated columns and a sign carved in fancy text at the top: Greenpoint Antiquities. In front of them, an auburn-haired woman crossing her arms, who was well grown and developed after all these years, her green eyes focusing on Magnus and mouth moving during the negotiation. She passed a few money to him and he saved them in his inside pocket, thanking her.
"No problem," she responded.
"Oh, and may I stroll inside the shop for a while? Been a while since I've seen Dot." There was another smoking scent inside the shop.
"Sure." She yielded aside to let him in.
That was when she turned to fully acknowledge them.
Her eyes were as lovely as back then.
The fire in his chest boiled while another part of him attempted to smother it. All the past could have opened up. All the confessions could come later — the love — the questions — the confrontations —
The disappearance —
Still staring at him she turned her back to him to apply a rune on her arm — a smell of ice and fire whisked briefly — before turning back. In a flash she went next to Shu, and the two adults ushered him into the shop. Chie skipped along. Jocelyn stopped briefly to address to the woman with whom Magnus had been talking: a young, petite woman with hazel skin and large dark eyes and identical smoking scent. "If Luke comes let me know."
They both supported Shu all the way to the back, up the stairs, and into a wider-spaced loft with a dining and living room divided by a folding sheet of screens. They laid Shu in the middle of the room, roughly near the entrance. She took out a stele from her pocket, pressed its tip in the back of his black coat and drew, glamouring the blood, which she added "will last a few hours". Then she did the same on the bloody spot he made on the floor. She looked around. From where they had entered, there were slight blood from his steps. In response, she crudely flicked her hair out of way, grunted angrily, kneeled on the floor and drew another symbol to eradicate the specks.
Mirumo, meanwhile, had traveled back and forth to fetch the tissue box and wipe them on his son's face, throat, and hands until there left only dried blood. Chie's steps pounded and pounded as she ran off to every corners to explore. Shu eventually sat up, informing them he could sit. The stitches of his neck bled no more, and the leftovers only outlined his jaw and faintly his neck, having turned crimson. The blood on his hands were just red blotches on his knuckles. He waved away Mirumo's offered hand of another tissue, who hurried off to dump the used ones into the trash.
"He needs to be washed," he said as he came back.
Jocelyn looked up. "So do you. Your clothes are torn and need to be glamoured too." She stood up and moved to do the same on his. "You can't stay here forever, at least not for today. A friend of mine is coming. And he's already healing, so I guess he would be alright."
"Shu-kun," he looked to his son, switching back to Japanese, "do you think you would still leave stains?"
He ran his hand across a portion of floorboard. No blood. "I don't think it does anymore, papa."
His heart dropped in relief. "That's good."
"Can you stand?" she asked.
He answered back in English. "Yes, miss." And did. So did Mirumo.
"Okay. You all need to go now —" she started but broke off as she looked around. He realized and did the same. Where is Chie? "Where did that girl go?" Jocelyn muttered.
If she had run off — To think of losing a girl, he would have a good reason to worry. "CHIE?" he yelled. "HORI CHIE?"
Just as his words lasted, the girl's head poked out of the screens between the dining room and the sitting room, calling in Japanese that she was here.
He was so relieved that he was outraged. "Hori-san, come here." Still in that hollering tone, he beckoned.
She trotted to them, slipping off that she was actually 24 years old, and not a little girl.
"For God's sake." Jocelyn looked at her exasperatedly, then back to the older man. "Tell her she can't go around out of people's view; I would have no idea what she would be doing."
"It's not like she is part of the Circle or anything," he replied in English, whispering upon the cult's name. "And she isn't a girl; she is actually twenty four."
Shu raised a brow at his brief whisper, and he tried so hard not to look back. Jocelyn discreetly moved her hair so he peered at a circular symbol on her neck for a second. It was dark red and an angry burn. "Yeah, let the past stay where they are." Her look became cold again. "Okay, you guys need to get out. I have a daughter that's in school right now and a friend of mine might even visit today at any moment."
"I have a safely warded condo in Brooklyn; don't worry. I will move them to there right now, but I need to be Portaled."
Shu looked to Chie and told her they will go because someone will meet her and they had someplace else to stay anyway.
"Alright. I'll call Dot." She spun around and went, when he began, "And J —" —
Not in front of Shu!
— " — Miss Fray —"
She spun around and froze. Their eyes met. She answered nothing, waiting for him to go on.
"After I got them off, may we have a word alone?"
The moment hung. Before she caught herself. "Like I said, the friend —"
"Could we arrange a time?"
Her mouth opened and closed. she spoke again. "Tomorrow. It would be Sunday, and I'll see if he has any plans."
"Alright." In the slightest motion, he inclined his head. "Thank you."
"You are best welcome. Follow me." She turned around for the second time and went downstairs, calling, "DOT."
They caught up with her and she continued, "Sorry if I interrupted you, but we need a Portal again." Her thumb jabbing in their direction. "For them."
"Oh, you did not interrupt anything at all, my dear," Magnus replied cheerfully.
"Sure," said Dot, led them to the back of the shop, and aimed her hand at where the three was not standing: another shelves of displayed products shielded by glass.
For a fraction of second, Mirumo dared to steal a glance in Jocelyn's direction, taking in her straight, auburn hair, her emerald eyes, her bright scent, and her skin. They were smoother than that of humans', yet at the same time, rough as that of soldiers'. He allowed his stare to become a little longer, as if seeing her for the last time.
When her head eventually turned and looked, he was already staring back into the forming Portal. It barfed, sucked, swallowed, transforming into a black hole surrounded by ring of halo. He knew where he would take them and what the place looks like: a suite he had booked, in a condo secluded miles away.
"Thank you," he said, vaguely jerking his head to Jocelyn. He grabbed Shu's hand, whose other one grabbed Chie's. Closing his eyes and visualizing the destination, he took one step, then two, then charged in. The last thing he heard was Jocelyn uttering good luck behind his back.
The suite was newer and cleaner than the shop. The walls were white; the frames perfectly rectangular, with everything looking luxuriously modern.
Chips footsteps skittered as she stalked away in front of Mirumo, into the first bedroom she looked upon.
Luckily that was a smaller room to the right.
Shu, on the other hand, turned rigidly around and took in the surroundings.
"Wow ..."
His father tapped on his back. "I'll take you to the bathroom."
"What clothes —"
"You'll have to wear mine."
He stared at the other man incredulously, who stared back also, except he tried to accept the truth despite the shock. "I will buy new ones for me right now," the father added, then in a lower tone: "The money is in the safe; I'll show you later."
"OK. How long will that take?"
"Approximately five minutes. Now go; you must've been tired after all these things."
Shu only looked back, before he decided to oblige. Mirumo then led him into the bathroom and the younger man entered and closed the door. The other walked away before the scent became bare.
He went into the bedroom to which Chie had gone. She was sitting on the bed, staring out of the window nearby. "There are papers in the cabinet, and you can get a pencil from the desk in the master bedroom."
"Thanks; I don't need those," she responded without turning away.
"Don't do anything stupid." His tone hardened.
"I won't, Tsukiyama-san."
"You can call me by my first name as well." Then he turned away. "Again, if you —"
"I promise you I won't. This place is too good anyway."
Without responding but silently acknowledging, Mirumo then went to the kitchen and slid open a cabinet at the bottom. A black box with a number pad rimmed with golden accent occupied its entire space. He tapped the numbers swiftly, and it dinged pleasantly as the code was correct. He slid open its door, viewing the combination of numerous coins and bundled bucks underneath.
He took one of the bundles and put them in his pocket, recalling the song singing "twenty dollars in my pocket". If only this was the right moment.
The trees surrounding the condo rippled due to the protective wards. As he exited them, they stopped looking distorted. Walking down an opening, a lone, wide marble path, and a road, he was back in the city. Being in the upper-class district, numerous buildings occupied blocks by blocks. Some conjoined, and some spread apart. There were shopping malls with extravagantly wide entrances, brandishing the displays inside, office buildings with huge cylinders of spinning doors and smooth, clear glass, other unknown buildings literally made entirely of glasses or animated advertisements on the side, and many more. There were so many humans crowding about yet the population is less compact than where Jocelyn (somewhere in him recoiled with pain) lived, but their scents suddenly seemed pressuring. It was bearable, though, but it didn't mean he could eschew food for longer days.
He walked past them all in swift supernatural speed, and entered the first clothing brand he saw.
Electropop music boosted through the roof. Heading to the adult male section, he viewed at sizes of clothes and suits. Peering at the labels, he eventually picked a black coat, white shirt, braid-patterned belt and black pants that he reckoned suited his size. He went to the changing room and tried them on.
They fitted. Though the hems had to be rolled up a bit.
He changed back and exited the room, chose a pair of shoes, paid at the reception and went back to the condo.
From the outside, it just looked like an unremarkable forest. No one, not even the CCG, would notice the glamour concealing a gigantically tall prism peaking high above the trees. Tsukuru really did well, for paying the High Warlock of Japan, for high sum, to conjure the most believable ward so the air wouldn't shimmer because of any brushes of motions, nor would it give away any flaw if being peered at for too long. Japanese warlocks are keener on glamouring due to the existence of CCG; the humans know a type of Downworlder, so they better not uncover the whole species.
The condo was desolated, being a building the Tsukiyamas rented out for sanctuary needs (which came in handy today). Taking an elevator ride, he easily reached his floor, opened the door and informed Shu and Chie of his presence, putting the remaining cash into the safe. The shower was still running. Chie stayed in her room, but she was lying on her bed, in her clothes, and taking a nap. Once he was in he took his shoes off and slipped on the ones he just shopped. Taking another glance at her, Mirumo went into the master bedroom, shut the curtains and door, and changed into his new suit. He took a stool, slipped into the bathroom — the flow of water had just stopped — and dropped his old ones and shoes on the stool.
Now nothing else was on his mind — except of Jocelyn.
Sighing, he went to the master bedroom and sat on the bed. It was grand with a window running all the way from the floor to the ceiling. A large desk with a swivelling chair was a fair distance away from his bed, which was twin-sized. There were closets embedded in the walls, and empty shelves aligning another side of the wall.
Jocelyn, Jocelyn, Jocelyn.
The shower stopped. Shu came out, and there was another silence. The bathroom door slid open. He looked back to see. The clothes for his son was a bit too long, but luckily unnoticeably. Shu rolled up the hems of the sleeves then bent down to do the same to his trousers.
"I am very sorry," said Mirumo, in Japanese.
"It's alright." The son entered the room. "Papa ..."
"Am I right in saying Chie isn't sleeping?" The other man's voice lowered to a hush.
"Yes, she isn't."
He got up and went across the kitchen. There was a third bedroom beside the counter. He opened the door and went in. It was an equal size as Chie's.
Shu closed the door. "Whom is my mother?"
Mirumo sat on the bed, intertwining his hands on his knees. The light behind him, beyond the window, almost made his back a shadow and his eyes non-perceivable.
Shu moved to sit beside him.
"Jocelyn Fairchild." The name tasted bittersweet. "That is her name."
"In English?"
"Yes."
"She is a Shadowhunter. Not a ghoul."
He took away his glasses and set them on the nightstand. "I did not realize that until the last minute." He braced himself for a second then decided to say, "Not until I had you."
The other man's voice grew urgent for answers. "Papa, what did she mean by letting the past stay where they are? What's the Circle?"
"I'm sorry Shu." He wouldn't look at him. His head went into his hands. "I sincerely apologize. Papa is beyond apologetic for all these things ..." He breathed more and more for air, for those memories, now awakened, threatened to choke the truth out of him. He deserved them, but it was so, so hard. "... for hiding the truth ... for shielding you from all the embarrassment I have caused —"
"No, please —" A hug latched onto his shoulders and pulled him to a body — Shu's body. "Papa, it's alright. Don't feel bad about yourself. What is the truth? Please tell me. It's better to let them out than hide them; you told me that."
"This is shameful; way too shameful." Tears threatened again, but he held them back. It was true: telling the truth was the better option. But it was so hard, too hard. But look at how much they went through before arriving to Brooklyn. "Your mama ... Everything is a tragedy. Bittersweet, but tragic."
A hand caressed his back. "You don't have to tell me everything. I can sleep right now, and you can think it through. Let me find a tissue."
In a flash he was gone, and finally a tear sprang free. He wiped it away with another stroke of his finger, and that was when Shu came back with a box, taking out a tissue and wiping his eyes.
"Deep breath. Papa, deep breath."
It was a romance whose fire burned too bright. She was perfect in his eyes, and he gave all the care to the world which she reciprocated. But one day, her secret slipped out, broken down into visible bits just by his casual words. Her blonde hair retreated; her glamoured features vanished; and she reacted with remorse too, both of them wishing there was nothing to lie. Her deceptions were nothing to blame, though, for she had a family back there and a husband she never wanted.
Though they overcame it, the love was broken apart when she was, without a warning, gone.
Among the stabbing past, he breathed deeply, trying to walk through them all. Tried to clear his mind.
"Thank you," he panted, and leaned in desperation for help. The room was just filled with his own last hitching breaths from crying.
Then he began again, "After telling you the past, I shan't care how you feel toward me. You can look at me with scorn, shock, fury, anything. Papa ... can't afford enough apologies for you."
Shu left him to take off his shoes, sit on his bed and tucked himself into the blanket. He offered a comforting smile. "Goodnight."
His hand landed on said man's cheek to feel; his lips on his forehead, gently. "Goodnight, Shu-kun."
Instead of sinking into the pillow to sleep, Shu beckoned with a smirk. "Hey, it's my turn to give you a goodnight kiss."
Mirumo inched in with a faint sigh, and his son pulled his head closer and gave a firm kiss on the forehead. Then he sunk into the bed and closed his eyes.
Retrieving his glasses and re-equipping them, Mirumo turned around, walked to the door, opened it, and exited it.
Footsteps sounded, and Chie was walking in the living room. She looked around. "No TV?"
"No TV," he answered.
She grunted. "Could I go on a stroll outside?"
"You have to go home before evening. Actually, I shall go with you."
"Sure."
Leaving a note should Shu wake up, they went outside for a fresh air.
Technically they did not get as much as fresh air as intended, but the walk was joyous enough for him. The dazzling things in the malls took away some gloominess inside him, and during their final trip spent in a library, Chie contented in reading books and short pages from folklores. The girl was particularly interested in the Fair Folk, but she closed the books just as she opened them. Then she headed downstairs, intent on exiting the place with steps leading to home — home? Was there even home?
Midcourse, Chie suddenly turned to him and said, "Not all the legends are true, however."
He turned to her. "Oh, really?"
"People often get things wrong."
"Ah, yes. Your argument is right. Documentations can't be wholly accurate at all times."
Then there was no else topic to talk about.
Moving to noon, the rays were brighter than ever, and the front of the condo was bathed in its light.
Shu was still asleep. Chie headed straight to her room, closing the door. Her shoes made muffled thumps against the ground as she shrugged them off.
The battle indeed had everyone exhausted. He was not tired right now, but rest was necessary. The time zone differs greatly between America and Japan after all. He went to his bedroom, locked the door, and chose to take his shoes off and sat on the bed. There was a few entertainment in the residence, of course; as they are not the main priorities when danger comes. The bloodshed left part of his being feeling moist and sloppy, but he could purchase new sets of clothes. After the sheets were dirty, they could just move to the couches.
Not long after their departure, Jocelyn was at the counters again when Luke entered the shop.
"Good morning!" she greeted as he came to her. "How's your day?"
"Been great, thanks." He peered at her displays. "Yours?"
"I'm doing quite well." She laughed. "And Luke, can I tell you something?"
"Yeah, what is it?" He smiled back, cheerfully.
And unaware.
"I'm not free tomorrow, plan to go to a park for a walk. So could we talk the day after that?"
He stopped smiling. She was about to panic until he said, "Sure. I have a lot of assignments from NYPD; tons of animal attack cases. Which means you have to be careful when going. In fact I'm afraid you can't go at all, because those cases may mean —" A silence, time of heartbeat but there, paused as they quickly glimpsed the surroundings: no mundanes — "— him."
They both knew the name. The circular rune on her throat felt tight, warning, No mention of the dead.
Unless he was not dead.
No way.
So she responded, "That may not be true, but I'll take your word. I'll grab the blades and protect myself." She wanted to add, He wouldn't take me personally, though. But the rune was there, poised for pulse even under the glamour.
At this moment, a mundane entered. Luke nodded and smiled. "Alright." Then he went away to look at other things.
But the worry grew in Jocelyn's chest, even though it was clear Valentine died.
Even more worrying if he found out about Mirumo.
Something had to be done. Something. The bottle flashed dimly in her mind.