Alternate link on AO3 under the username Shiny_the_Strange.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Camilla yawned as she rolled out of bed. Quickly wrapping a robe around herself, she got up and opened the door.
"Good morning, sister," said Leo. "I hope I didn't wake you."
Camilla stifled back a yawn and shook her head.
"Don't worry about it. Now, what brings my cute little brother to me this morning?"
"I can't find the key to the paddock. Do you know where it is?"
"Hmmm…perhaps it's somewhere in my room, I did use it last night." Camilla cocked her head slightly. "But…the paddock key? Where are you riding at this time of day?"
Leo grinned.
"Takumi's place."
"I see. One moment please," said Camilla. She turned went back into her room. A minute later, she returned with the key.
"I found it! But why not take the other car? And where will you let your horse stay while you're visiting your friend?"
Leo shrugged and accepted the key.
"It's faster this way. You know how long it takes to get near the city by car, with all those turns. Also, don't you remember? The horse trail was finally completed the other day. It goes straight past Takumi's house. Which, by the way, has a stable. His older sister is a rider too. That's where I'll be putting my horse."
Camilla giggled and put a hand to her forehead.
"Ah! Right! It's so early in the morning, I forgot. My precious little brother is always brilliant, no matter what time of day it is."
"Thank you, sister," said Leo. He walked over to the staircase and took a step down. "Well, it's about time I get going. I'll see you later."
"See you later, Leo- oh! And don't forget to feed the other horses, too!"
Once she heard the front door slam shut, Camilla wandered back into her room. It was too late to go back bed now, so she drew the curtains back and looked outside.
The sun gleamed as is rose over the trees, illuminating the azure sky. Thin and wispy cirrus clouds floated in from all directions.
Below, the verdant yellow-green lawn sprawled until it hit the road -about forty feet away from the front of the house. Xander had cut the lawn the day before, leaving the grass at a perfect length. Around the edge of the property, Camilla's various flowers bloomed. She was thankful to have a black, pointed fence around the property solely because it would deter the rare visitor from stepping on them. The paddock was to the left of the driveway, where one silver car sat. Along the outside of the fence ran the new horse trail, with two paths converging into it; one led from the forest, the other directly from the city.
Pleased at the idea of it being a mild day, Camilla opened the window. The cool breeze ruffled her hair as it tickled her face. She stripped her robe off, letting the wind lick her body before slipping into a pair of shorts and a tank top.
As the sound of clopping came from outside, Camilla gazed outside again. Leo rode his ebony horse out of the property and onto the trail, heading towards the city.
"I'll be waiting here for you when you get back."
I wonder how Elise is doing at school? Hopefully Xander didn't get stuck in traffic after driving her there, thought Camilla. She sat on her window's seat, photo album in her lap and tea on the table at her side. On the book's current page sat pictures of Camilla and her siblings, each standing beside their own horses. A smile stretched across her face, remembering how Leo's horse bucked him off the first time he tried to ride it.
Turning the page, Camilla's smile fell. In the photo stood she and her three siblings alongside one of their closest friends, Kamui. He was grinning, his arms wrapped around both Camilla and Elise. Despite being close, the family hadn't seen Kamui in years. Though he was more like another brother than anything else, Camilla missed him as if he were her lover.
Hopefully my cute Kamui is doing well too…I wonder when he'll finally visit us again. I miss those days when he and his friend Silas would come running in, after hearing I'd baked them cookies. Yes, those were the days…
Yawning, Camilla stretched her body out along her seat and slid a pillow under her head. She placed the album on the table as she turned away from the light and closed her eyes.
The sound of hooves against dirt roused Camilla from her slumber.
"Ah, my precious brother is home!" She quickly rolled onto her other side and looked down at the trail, expecting so see her sibling come around the corner the next moment.
A white horse appeared instead. Its rider was a literal redhead, not a blonde like Leo. The rider wore a white scarf, flowing in the wind.
Horse and rider disappeared before Camilla had time to register anything else about them.
Right, even though it's new doesn't mean others don't know about the path…
She stared at the direction the rider went for moment before shaking her head. Unsure of the time, she pulled out her phone.
Perhaps I should do the laundry before Xander and Elise come home.
"What is that, Leo?"
"This? It's a Tanabata lantern. Takumi gave it to me earlier today," said Leo. "You know, that Japanese festival? It's not coming for a while yet, but Takumi's younger sister made it for me."
Camilla grinned at the sight of the vermillion lantern.
"It's lovely! The Japanese sure have many wonderful festivals. You should hang it in the dining room."
"I just might do that," said Leo.
"Hmmm…you and Takumi have been friends since his family immigrated here, right?" said Camilla.
"Yes, sister. We've discussed this before."
"Well, next time you see him, tell him your big sister said thanks too!"
Leo chuckled.
"I will."
The next day was much like the first. Barring Leo studying quietly in his room, Camilla was alone again.
She sat in a rocking chair on the veranda. In her hand was a copy of Gone with the Wind, about three-fourths completed.
People and the book itself may say Scarlett isn't beautiful, but I like her, thought Camilla. I suppose I see some of myself in her.
Though she was entertained, Camilla spent most of her days in the home. Occasionally she would leave to buy groceries and other home supplies or visit her friends. Otherwise, she spent most of her free time doing things for her family. With Leo home from university, it often meant extra work. Even though she loved doing everything for her family, Camilla often craved the weekday afternoons when most of her family was out.
Taking a sip of her iced tea, she noticed a soft cantering sound coming from around the corner.
"Yah!"
Camilla dropped her drink, the glass and tea strewn all over the porch.
That was a loud shout!
Around the corner came the redhead and the white horse from the day before.
Camilla quickly rose and ran across the lawn, reaching the fence as the dust behind the horse scattered high into the air. The rider was now off in the distance.
That shout was rather high pitched. I think that might've been a woman, thought Camilla.
Her eyes went wide, suddenly realizing that she'd have to clean the mess of glass and iced tea on the porch.
With the promise of another enjoyable afternoon, Camilla opened the garage. She looked over to where the beach umbrella and lawn chair leaned against the wall and smiled. Taking both items and setting them up in the middle of the lawn, Camilla quickly ran into the house. She returned with a glass of lemonade and a bottle of sunscreen.
Sunbathing had always been an enjoyable activity, especially when onlookers passed by. Camilla often fixated on her audience when this happened, looking them straight in the eye and giving a smirk. She would put suntan lotion in her hands, slowly slathering it up her legs, waiting for the stranger's reaction.
Of course, I have no strangers to tease while I'm out here in the middle of nowhere. She quickly applied the lotion over her body and sat back on the chair.
Her lips curved upward as the sun warmed her skin. Something felt wrong, however.
Oh, yeah! Can't forget to put some lotion on top of these babies, thought Camilla. She sat up and grabbed the lotion, applying it to the top of her breasts.
As she was about to lay back down, something moved in the corner of her eye. She turned her head to the source.
A fox was chewing her flowers.
In less than a second Camilla was on her feet, walking towards the animal.
"Hey! Get away from there!"
The fox quickly looked at her and ran to the flowers on the other side of the garden.
"No! Stop that! Shoo!" said Camilla. She ran over to where she lounged before and pulled the umbrella out of the ground, closing it and running straight for the fox.
"Get out of here!"
Camilla chased the fox, running down the driveway and onto the horse trail. The fox raced into the woods.
"Good riddance," said Camilla. She turned to re-enter the property when the woman with the white horse came at her.
"Whoa!" said the rider, pulling the horse's reins. The horse came to a complete stop, sending dust into Camilla's eyes. "Are you alright?"
Taking a step back onto the driveway, Camilla finally got a good look at the rider.
Now there was no doubt that she was a woman; her round hips and small breasts ensured that. Her face was unmistakably Asian –Japanese, Camilla thought- and her crimson hair went down to the top of her neck.
Well, well! I haven't seen a girl this cute in a long time! thought Camilla.
"…Hello?" said the woman.
Camilla shook her head, the woman's words knocking her out of her trance. She grinned, putting the umbrella into the ground and leaning on it.
"Well hello there, cutie! I'm perfectly fine, thank you."
The woman's face momentarily turned as crimson as her hair.
"…Very well," said the woman. She turned to face the trail once more and raised her reins. "Yah!"
"Hold on a moment! What's your name- drat!" said Camilla, watching the woman disappear. "…At least she asked if I was okay."
She looked where the fox had ruined her flowers and sighed.
I suppose I'll have to clean them up, but…this is the third day in a row I've seen that girl. Does she always ride in the afternoon? Still, I wonder how she learned about this trail…
She pulled the umbrella out of the ground and headed back to tan longer. Before she could put the umbrella back where it previously was, though, she hit a realization.
A new trail few knew about. A Japanese woman suddenly showing up three days in a row, starting with the day Leo rode to Takumi's house. Takumi's house, which housed a family of Japanese immigrants. His older sister was a rider. Camilla put the pieces together.
She dropped the umbrella and ran toward the house.
"Leo!"
"What is it, Camilla?" said Leo as he opened his door.
"Dear brother, what is the name of Takumi's older sister?"
"Given how long Takumi and I have known each other, I thought you'd never ask," said Leo. "Her name is Hinoka. Why are you asking about this now?"
"Hinoka…it's a very cute name," said Camilla. "You see, the same girl passed by our house for the third day in a row today. And I'm thinking this girl might be Hinoka."
Leo nodded as she explained her thoughts.
"Yes, that does sound like her. Did she have red hair?"
"Blazing red."
"Then I suppose it's relatively safe to say that the woman is Hinoka," said Leo. "I told her about the trail while I was visiting Takumi. She likes to take her horse Tianma out every day, so I figured telling her about the trail would be a welcome addition to her route."
"Well if that's the case, then it seems I can expect to see more of her," said Camilla.
"Sounds like you probably will," said Leo. "I believe she's around your age. Maybe you and her should have a chat someday."
"Thank you for telling me, Leo," said Camilla. "Sorry for interrupting my adorable little brother while studying. I'll see you later at dinner."
Camilla tossed and turned in bed that night, dreaming for most of the night.
She dreamt of a world where she and her family were royals, living in a towering castle. Instead of riding a horse, Camilla rode a dragon instead. Kamui was her younger brother, and he was forced to choose between his birth family and the Nohr family. Camilla nearly wept when Kamui chose to stay with Nohr.
The scene changed to Camilla opening the garage door and looking down. Before her was Leo and Takumi laying on a blanket, holding each other. Both men were smiling and staring, their chests touching. Camilla realized the two weren't wearing any pants.
Again the scene changed. Looking down and seeing herself in a lavender dress, Camilla looked around the coffee shop before realizing she was on a date.
Across from her sat Hinoka, her outfit no different from what she wore while riding. She smiled and held Camilla's hand.
Gazing into Hinoka's eyes, Camilla's heart fluttered. She reached her free hand out, held her partner's neck, leaned in…
Suddenly moaning, Camilla sat up in bed.
Oh my…I haven't had a dream like that in a long time.
She looked around and raised a hand to her forehead, feeling sweat.
Hinoka…you are a very cute woman. I want to learn more about you. Why did you trot off before I could talk to you?
Shaking her head, Camilla fell back into bed. There were more important matters coming up.
She hoped the weather would still be good for her tea party with Belka and Luna.
"I'm so glad my adorable friends could make it today," said Camilla.
"You practically ordered us here," said Luna. "It's not like we're here because we want to be…"
"There's somewhere I need to go after this…" said Belka.
Camilla crossed her arms and huffed. She smiled and laughed a moment later.
"You're both so cold! But I'll forgive you because you're just too cute."
Belka and Luna looked at each other, then back at their host.
"Well…it's another beautiful day, and the good weather won't last forever," said Luna. "The lawn looks nice."
"And…it's been a while since all three of us have gotten together like this," said Belka. She took a sip of her tea.
"That's the spirit!" said Camilla, clasping her hands.
They chatted noisily, discussing what they'd been up to over during the past few months and their lives in general.
"I can't believe my cute little Belka is getting married in the fall," said Camilla. "And my adorable Luna…congrats on the engagement! I'm so happy for you both!"
Belka stared.
"So…how about you? Someone special…is your life? Aside from…you-know-who. I don't think he counts."
"Me? Oh, no," said Camilla. "You know me. I want to keep myself open until I find the perfect suitor!"
Truthfully, she simply hadn't met anyone that tickled her passion for quite some time. Though she enjoyed teasing, most of her attempts were just to fluster the other person.
Luna narrowed her eyes.
"Really? I don't believe that."
Camilla leaned back in her seat.
"The important thing here is that my adorable Luna is getting married."
"Don't avoid the question!" said Luna.
"H-hey…is someone coming?" said Belka. She looked to the horse trail.
Hinoka, riding on Tianma as usual, galloped past the property once again.
Camilla stood, knocking her chair over.
"…Is something the matter?" said Belka.
Putting her chair back into place, Camilla sat and said, "I'm fine. I was so taken in by our conversation that I forgot the beautiful Hinoka was riding by at this time."
Luna smirked.
"The beautiful Hinoka? So there is someone special in your life."
Camilla felt the heat rise in her face and turned away.
"Oh, no, she's just a very cute girl who's been riding by here for some days. I don't know anything about her, aside from how she clearly enjoys riding. She's probably Takumi's older sister, and if she is her name is most definitely Hinoka."
"Still…we can tell you're interested," said Belka. "You should talk to her."
Camilla looked back at her friends and grinned.
"Oh, you can count on me to chat her up at some point. I just need to look for a good opportunity. And I'm certain one will show itself soon enough, I just need to be patient."
"Checkmate," said Leo. He tapped his knight against Camilla's king, knocking it over.
"Ah! My smart little brother wins again!" said Camilla. Though she never won, it was still fun to play Leo in chess. It was enjoyable, sitting on the floor of Leo's room and spending time together on a rainy afternoon.
She took her remaining pieces off of the board.
"Well, I think I've had enough chess for now. We've played about eight rounds, and the rain still hasn't stopped."
"Alright," said Leo. "I was thinking we should take a break soon anyway."
They sat silently, listening to the downpour on the roof.
"So, do you play chess with Takumi?" asked Camilla.
"Sometimes. He's more used to the game of shōgi, which is essentially Japanese chess. I haven't played him in either game, though, since that one time…"
Leo's cheeks turned crimson.
Camilla raised her eyebrow.
"And what time was that?"
Leo shook his head and stood. He picked up his phone and went to the door.
"Never mind. I need to use the washroom."
Camilla rose and followed Leo out of his room.
"I think I'll brew some tea, would you like me to bring you a cup when it's done?"
"No, but thank you, sister," said Leo as he entered the washroom. "Elise accidentally broke the lock this morning, so don't forget I'm in here and come barging in."
Camilla smirked as she ran downstairs. Only as her brother turned to enter the washroom did she notice how tight his pants had gotten.
As she put the kettle on the stove, Camilla noticed that the rain started to slow a little.
Perhaps I can sit out on the porch again and listen to the rain fall once this is done.
She ran upstairs to grab Gone with the Wind and a towel before hurrying back down. When the kettle screeched, Camilla quickly poured herself a cup and went outside.
The veranda was soaked. Camilla expected this, wiping the table and rocking chair down with her towel.
"Perfect!" Throwing the towel to the side, she sat down and began to read.
Not three minutes later it began to pour again.
Camilla cringed as the water began to blow onto her, soaking her all over.
She looked at her sopping book and groaned. "I was so close to finishing, too!"
With a sigh Camilla collected her things and went back inside.
Once she changed into dry clothes, Camilla sat at her window seat with a copy of Pride and Prejudice.
I can't believe it. So close to finishing all thousand pages and my book gets soaked. I guess I'll go buy a new one after breakfast tomorrow.
She stared at the novel in her hands for a moment and placed it down beside her.
I can't do this. Not while the other story is still fresh in my mind.
Camilla pulled out her phone and checked the time. She rolled onto her side and looked out the window.
I suppose my beautiful redhead won't be coming by today in this weather.
Hinoka and her horse then appeared on the trail, right on cue.
"…What is this?" said Camilla. She sat and followed Hinoka with her eyes.
Hinoka was moving slightly slower than normal, but not so much that she wasn't gone in a flash as usual.
"She…she came even though it's pouring buckets out there," said Camilla. "So cute…"
Then again, Leo did say she goes out every day…that must include rainy days too. Wow, such devotion…
"She's so strong, withstanding the rain like this," said Camilla. She picked a pillow up from the ground and wrapped her arms around it.
In her mind, Hinoka was sitting on her lap and soaked to the bone, thanks to the rain.
Hinoka's shirt was stuck to her skin, her breasts exposed through the fabric. They fit perfectly in Camilla's hands as she stroked them.
Camilla lied back and flipped her partner over to face her, pulling Hinoka's face between her breasts. She held her tight and stroked her hair. The feeling of Hinoka's breasts on her belly enflamed Camilla's loins, quivering at the feeling of her wet body.
Hinoka climbed further up her partner's body and smiled. She leaned in, kissing Camilla.
Camilla kissed back, their soft lips coming together for what felt like hours.
Once Hinoka removed her lips, she began to remove Camilla's shorts-
Camilla snapped back to reality, realizing how her wet her underpants were.
So much for clean, dry clothes. I should take this to the washroom.
She ran down the hall and opened the washroom door, only to find Leo sitting on the toilet, staring intently at his phone.
He quickly turned and yelped, his face flushing red like a tomato.
"I told you not to come barging in!"
"Sorry!" Camilla closed the door as fast as she opened it, heading to the washroom downstairs instead.
A puddle splashed as Camilla entered the driveway, her new copy of Gone with the Wind on her lap. In front of her vehicle was Xander's black van. She exited the car and went inside the house, listening for Elise's rambunctious laughter. She always got excitable after eating a sugary breakfast, such as the waffles Camilla had cooked earlier.
Instead she was met with silence.
"…Is anyone home?" called Camilla.
No response.
She ran out to the stable and looked inside. Only her own and Leo's horses remained inside.
"Gone for a ride without me…oh well, I'll just finish my book," said Camilla.
She headed upstairs to her room, then stopped.
Leo's door was open a crack, a soft mumbling coming from the other side.
Surely it wouldn't hurt to take a peek at what he's doing, thought Camilla. She walked up to the door and looked inside with one eye.
Inside the room, Takumi sat in Leo's chair. He was reading a copy of Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Leo standing behind him.
When did Takumi get here?
Leo wrapped his arms around his friend, leaning over Takumi's shoulder.
I knew it, thought Camilla. I'll just leave them.
She went into her room and grabbed a towel, then went back down to the veranda again. Though the sky was overcast, it remained clear of rain. Again Camilla wiped the chair down and sat.
I can't believe I'm only seven pages away from the end!
True to her thoughts, Camilla finally neared the end of her doorstopper of a novel. Though she knew she should've focused on the ending, her excitement was overtaking her focus.
Slow clopping sounds came from the trail.
Camilla raised her head to see Hinoka and her horse trotting slowly down the trail. Camilla furrowed her brow and looked straight at Hinoka.
How odd. She's here later than usual, and she's moving so slowly…
Hinoka stopped in front of the driveway, dismounting Tianma.
…Huh?
Strutting up to the veranda, Hinoka stopped.
"So this place was 120 Rainbow Road all along," said Hinoka, gazing at the house in front of her.
Camilla couldn't help but grin. This was her chance!
"Hello there," said Camilla. "How are you?"
Hinoka turned to Camilla. Her eyes widened and her face whitened.
"I-I'm doing fine, I guess…s-sorry for almost running you over with my horse the other day."
Camilla smiled.
"Please don't worry about that. It was my fault for wandering onto the trail."
"You were doing a little more than just wandering," said Hinoka. "I saw you chase that fox into the forest. Why were you chasing it?"
"Ah…you see, it was chewing my flowers," said Camilla. "Say, what's your name?"
"My name? Hinoka. What's yours?"
"My name is Camilla. It's nowhere near as lovely as yours, Hinoka," said Camilla.
"Is that so…nice to meet you, Camilla. What's that you're reading?"
"This? Oh, it's Gone with the Wind," said Camilla. "I'm just about finished."
Hinoka nodded.
"Hopefully it was good. Anyway, I'm here to pick up Takumi."
"I see! You must be his older sister."
"That I am. And you must be Leo's older sister," said Hinoka.
"I certainly am. Just a moment, please."
Camilla stood, opened the door, and bellowed inside.
"Takumi! Your sister is here to pick you up!"
"Thanks for that," said Hinoka.
Camilla took her seat and continued to grin.
"I'm rather surprised that the two of us only spoke for the first time earlier this week. Truly, I'm glad that the horse trail was completed."
"Yeah, it's…kind of weird, I guess. But at the same time, we are only the sisters of our brothers' friends, so I don't think it's really necessary to meet," said Hinoka.
Camilla's smile fell.
"No, of course it isn't necessary. But after you nearly ran me down, I thought it would be nice to meet. As you can see," said Camilla, pointing towards the paddock, "our family rides horses too. I enjoy riding in the evenings."
"That must be nice," said Hinoka. "Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that I'm not interested in you. We know next to nothing about each other, so…I didn't really know what to say."
"Well, perhaps we can get to know each other better," said Camilla. "One of these days, we should ride together. On our horses, that is."
"Of course. What else could you have meant?"
Camilla shrugged and flicked her hair.
Hinoka's eyes widened and her face turned scarlet.
Camilla burst out laughing.
"I'm kidding! But seriously…would you like to go along the trail together someday? Takumi is a rather interesting young man, and his sister seems just as interesting. All I'm asking for is one trail ride."
Hinoka looked away and rubbed her hand on the back of her neck.
"If it's for just one ride, then I guess I wouldn't mind."
"Excellent!" said Camilla. She tore the blank front page out of her book, pulled a pen out of her pocket, and wrote her number on the paper. She handed it to Hinoka. "If you enjoy yourself, perhaps we can go for more. But I'm getting far too ahead of myself. For now, let's just focus on getting your brother to come down."
"T-thank you," said Hinoka. She walked over to the door and pushed on it. "I'll try this time. Takumi! I'm here! Please come down!"
Takumi scrambled down the stairs a few moments later. He wore a violet vest with a tall collar.
"…You don't own any purple clothes," said Hinoka.
Takumi's cheeks turned crimson.
"I-I do now! A-anyway, let's go! Goodbye, Camilla!"
"Goodbye, Takumi," said Camilla. "And goodbye to you too, Hinoka. Even though it was brief, I'm glad to have finally met you."
"Yeah," said Hinoka. "Me too. I'll…I'll call you at some point. Goodbye, Camilla."
Camilla watched as the siblings strolled down the driveway and mounted the horse. She kept her eye on them as they rode back towards the city.
"Hopefully someday we will ride together in the way you thought I meant," said Camilla.
She opened her book again, ready to finish it.