"Rose Red"
Aya found himself surrounded by several adoring fans, customers split nearly evenly between him and Youji. It had been a while since the Koneko was opened, and all the girls were anxious to see their favorite florists again. The two were busy, and for once, they were actually making profit from the girls that flooded around them. /Disappear for a few days, and then they lean to appreciate that this is a business. Why didn't we think of this before?/ Aya scowled.
The door opened once again, more customers. "Irrashaimase"
There was something, a change in the air maybe, that drew Aya's eyes up. A woman, ten years older than any of the girls, stood completely still in the center of the shop. Her long, black coat reached nearly to the floor. Aya glanced over to Youji, who somehow had not noticed her arrival. He was busy, so Aya turned his attention back to the woman.
When he looked back, she was standing closer to him, looking over a few blossoms. She turned her dark brown eyes to his violet with a curious look. Aya took a breath. "You."
"I'm looking for a very special kind of red rose. Do you have any?" The woman's Japanese was accented with English, possibly American. She had dark brown, nearly black hair, dyed red and down to her waist. When she turned, her jacket revealed black pants and boots and a stylish blue shirt. A silver chain hung around her neck. Her eyes gleamed secretively at Aya's wide eyed expression.
"I thought you were.... What happened to you?" Aya whispered.
She flipped her hair over her shoulder in an unconscious motion then stuck her hands in her pockets. "I had to go into hiding for a few years, but I don't need to be anymore. Crisis averted. More importantly, I needed to check up on my favorite student."
Aya looked around. No one seemed to be paying attention to the woman. Best to keep up appearances. "Roses, right?" he confirmed.
The woman nodded. "Red, please, Ran... er... You go by Aya now, right?"
"Hai." Aya nodded and crossed the shop to search through the roses. The woman followed him until they were out of earshot. Aya sorted through the flowers, pretending to be looking for what the woman wanted. "The tricks you taught me are failing."
She frowned. "We were afraid that would happen eventually. Did the dreams return?" Aya sighed, and the woman looked down, thinking. "There's a way to bury it again, if you want." Aya shook his head. She nodded. "Good answer."
Aya pulled a single rose from among the others and stared at it. "Just one?"
"Make it a dozen."
Aya pulled out eleven more and set to work on the arrangement. "So what brings you here?" he whispered. /On a mission?/ he continued in his mind.
She shook her head, and hair fell in dark waves around her shoulders. Barely above a breath, she said, "Since Kritiker can't use the normal channels to contact Weiss, they sent in an unknown agent to talk to you. You can't let the others know who I am, only that Kritiker has found a way to keep in touch. It's safer for all involved that way. With the network down, it gets harder to keep a secret." Aya nodded.
"So how are things with you and Manx?" Aya questioned.
Raising an eyebrow, she answered, shrugging, "As well as can be expected from life-long rivals. Not much change. She got the job obviously. You know how it was.... Birman is keeping us all functional right now under Persia's guidance."
Finishing with the flowers, Aya straightened up and nodded. "Will we be seeing more of you?"
The brunette rummaged through her pockets and produced a large fold of bills. She counted the yen on top then looked to Aya. He set the flowers on the table in front of them, and she used the cover to pass the whole fold to him. Aya discreetly flipped through the cash, counting. Exact count for the flowers and --"Deuche marks?"-- folded inside. Aya looked a question at her.
"You should know what to do," she said, picking up the flowers.
The money disappeared into Aya's pocket as the cover of roses was removed. The woman looked around the shop at the other customers, finally settling her eyes on Youji. A smile cracked her bland expression. It was a nice sight against the usual seriousness of her face, and Aya couldn't help but smile at her. "He's a good-looking one. So... you pick anyone yet, Aya?"
Aya's face fell, his voice slipping into a gentle warning, "Somali..."
The Kritiker agent turned the smile to her protege. She whispered, "You don't even know my real name do you?" Aya started at this, and Somali laughed. She leaned into Aya playfully, "It's okay, Abyssinian. You know I love you anyway." She poked his softly in the nose. "It's good to see you again... and in such good health." Her gaze fell to Aya's leg, and he shifted uncomfortably. She looked around again. "You know, that Eden was right. A flower shop is a dull cover."
Aya suddenly became fidgety, finding a pot of flowers nearby to attend to. Somali laughed softly this time, almost sadly. "I'll be the first to admit to it, but it's really not so bad once you get used to it," the florist mumbled.
"How's Aya-chan? I heard she woke up."
"Yes, not too long ago. Aya's taking everything beautifully. She's in France now, at school, studying... social justice, of all things." Aya smiled to himself. "I'm really proud of her. She was planning a trip down to visit soon. But all things considered, I'm not sure if that's a good idea anymore."
Somali shrugged. "Time off for both of you could do some good."
"Maybe," the redhead agreed reluctantly.
"Take care, Aya."
With that, she turned and left the Koneko. Aya felt the bills in his pocket, knowing what the higher-ups were thinking. Decision time again. He pulled out a single bill from the inside of the fold and stared at it. "So," he mumbled, "it comes to this." The pale bill seemed empty in his hand. "If this is what we need to do...." Aya pocketed the bill.
The Koneko began to clear out, and Aya watched Youji grow impatient with working. As Aya leaned on the counter, Youji cleaned out the wilted window display and left the shop through the back. Aya released the breath didn't realize he'd been holding.
Left with only the brooding redhead, many of the remaining girls left the store. aya smirked and thought, /Sure are popular with the ladies, Youji. Just as I've been become popular with the men... and Eden./
/Speaking of./ Just then, Eden entered the Koneko followed promptly by Chelsea. The girls were talking, and Aya was mostly ignoring them. /Cheesecake. It had to be cheesecake./ Aya watched silently as they talked then made themselves at home looking for plates. Aya nearly smiled as he heard them discover the state of their dishes. /What do you expect from three guys living alone together?/
/The same I should expect from you, Aya./
Aya looked up at the sounds of his name in his head. He saw a flick of dark red hair just leaving the view of the window. Aya narrowed his eyes at the passing woman slightly.
/Come with me, Aya. You've had enough for today./
/Hai, Somali./
Aya found himself surrounded by several adoring fans, customers split nearly evenly between him and Youji. It had been a while since the Koneko was opened, and all the girls were anxious to see their favorite florists again. The two were busy, and for once, they were actually making profit from the girls that flooded around them. /Disappear for a few days, and then they lean to appreciate that this is a business. Why didn't we think of this before?/ Aya scowled.
The door opened once again, more customers. "Irrashaimase"
There was something, a change in the air maybe, that drew Aya's eyes up. A woman, ten years older than any of the girls, stood completely still in the center of the shop. Her long, black coat reached nearly to the floor. Aya glanced over to Youji, who somehow had not noticed her arrival. He was busy, so Aya turned his attention back to the woman.
When he looked back, she was standing closer to him, looking over a few blossoms. She turned her dark brown eyes to his violet with a curious look. Aya took a breath. "You."
"I'm looking for a very special kind of red rose. Do you have any?" The woman's Japanese was accented with English, possibly American. She had dark brown, nearly black hair, dyed red and down to her waist. When she turned, her jacket revealed black pants and boots and a stylish blue shirt. A silver chain hung around her neck. Her eyes gleamed secretively at Aya's wide eyed expression.
"I thought you were.... What happened to you?" Aya whispered.
She flipped her hair over her shoulder in an unconscious motion then stuck her hands in her pockets. "I had to go into hiding for a few years, but I don't need to be anymore. Crisis averted. More importantly, I needed to check up on my favorite student."
Aya looked around. No one seemed to be paying attention to the woman. Best to keep up appearances. "Roses, right?" he confirmed.
The woman nodded. "Red, please, Ran... er... You go by Aya now, right?"
"Hai." Aya nodded and crossed the shop to search through the roses. The woman followed him until they were out of earshot. Aya sorted through the flowers, pretending to be looking for what the woman wanted. "The tricks you taught me are failing."
She frowned. "We were afraid that would happen eventually. Did the dreams return?" Aya sighed, and the woman looked down, thinking. "There's a way to bury it again, if you want." Aya shook his head. She nodded. "Good answer."
Aya pulled a single rose from among the others and stared at it. "Just one?"
"Make it a dozen."
Aya pulled out eleven more and set to work on the arrangement. "So what brings you here?" he whispered. /On a mission?/ he continued in his mind.
She shook her head, and hair fell in dark waves around her shoulders. Barely above a breath, she said, "Since Kritiker can't use the normal channels to contact Weiss, they sent in an unknown agent to talk to you. You can't let the others know who I am, only that Kritiker has found a way to keep in touch. It's safer for all involved that way. With the network down, it gets harder to keep a secret." Aya nodded.
"So how are things with you and Manx?" Aya questioned.
Raising an eyebrow, she answered, shrugging, "As well as can be expected from life-long rivals. Not much change. She got the job obviously. You know how it was.... Birman is keeping us all functional right now under Persia's guidance."
Finishing with the flowers, Aya straightened up and nodded. "Will we be seeing more of you?"
The brunette rummaged through her pockets and produced a large fold of bills. She counted the yen on top then looked to Aya. He set the flowers on the table in front of them, and she used the cover to pass the whole fold to him. Aya discreetly flipped through the cash, counting. Exact count for the flowers and --"Deuche marks?"-- folded inside. Aya looked a question at her.
"You should know what to do," she said, picking up the flowers.
The money disappeared into Aya's pocket as the cover of roses was removed. The woman looked around the shop at the other customers, finally settling her eyes on Youji. A smile cracked her bland expression. It was a nice sight against the usual seriousness of her face, and Aya couldn't help but smile at her. "He's a good-looking one. So... you pick anyone yet, Aya?"
Aya's face fell, his voice slipping into a gentle warning, "Somali..."
The Kritiker agent turned the smile to her protege. She whispered, "You don't even know my real name do you?" Aya started at this, and Somali laughed. She leaned into Aya playfully, "It's okay, Abyssinian. You know I love you anyway." She poked his softly in the nose. "It's good to see you again... and in such good health." Her gaze fell to Aya's leg, and he shifted uncomfortably. She looked around again. "You know, that Eden was right. A flower shop is a dull cover."
Aya suddenly became fidgety, finding a pot of flowers nearby to attend to. Somali laughed softly this time, almost sadly. "I'll be the first to admit to it, but it's really not so bad once you get used to it," the florist mumbled.
"How's Aya-chan? I heard she woke up."
"Yes, not too long ago. Aya's taking everything beautifully. She's in France now, at school, studying... social justice, of all things." Aya smiled to himself. "I'm really proud of her. She was planning a trip down to visit soon. But all things considered, I'm not sure if that's a good idea anymore."
Somali shrugged. "Time off for both of you could do some good."
"Maybe," the redhead agreed reluctantly.
"Take care, Aya."
With that, she turned and left the Koneko. Aya felt the bills in his pocket, knowing what the higher-ups were thinking. Decision time again. He pulled out a single bill from the inside of the fold and stared at it. "So," he mumbled, "it comes to this." The pale bill seemed empty in his hand. "If this is what we need to do...." Aya pocketed the bill.
The Koneko began to clear out, and Aya watched Youji grow impatient with working. As Aya leaned on the counter, Youji cleaned out the wilted window display and left the shop through the back. Aya released the breath didn't realize he'd been holding.
Left with only the brooding redhead, many of the remaining girls left the store. aya smirked and thought, /Sure are popular with the ladies, Youji. Just as I've been become popular with the men... and Eden./
/Speaking of./ Just then, Eden entered the Koneko followed promptly by Chelsea. The girls were talking, and Aya was mostly ignoring them. /Cheesecake. It had to be cheesecake./ Aya watched silently as they talked then made themselves at home looking for plates. Aya nearly smiled as he heard them discover the state of their dishes. /What do you expect from three guys living alone together?/
/The same I should expect from you, Aya./
Aya looked up at the sounds of his name in his head. He saw a flick of dark red hair just leaving the view of the window. Aya narrowed his eyes at the passing woman slightly.
/Come with me, Aya. You've had enough for today./
/Hai, Somali./