Beyond the Outer Gates Lies...A Movie Marathon?
I braced myself, using a deep breath and full body shudder to center myself. It couldn't be that bad, right? There were rules that were being followed (even if I did not know or understand them), and there would be chaperones. And if it got too Dangerous, I could always run away, screaming like a little girl. I took another calming breath, and pressed the door buzzer.
"Hi, Harry-kun," Yura Tsubasa greeted me as soon as the door to her family's apartment opened. I hesitated, and not just because of how the casual tank top and capris shorts showed more skin than her uniform and better emphasized her figure. Instead, it was a remnant of my home world.
In my world, homes had thresholds. Any supernatural entity that crossed a threshold without permission paid for it. As a wizard, doing so would have weakened my powers for as long as I was in the home. Other creatures, like the fey, had it even worse. That was also the source of the legend that a vampire couldn't enter your house uninvited. It wasn't that they couldn't, just that doing so would cripple them.
As odd as it might sound, since I landed in Bizzaro world, I had never once entered another person's home. And while a gentle probe did not reveal a threshold as I knew, that didn't mean Bizzaro World didn't have something similar that I just wasn't aware of.
"Come in." she encouraged me, presumably mistaking the cause of my hesitation. With the invitation extended, I stepped inside. I gave Tsubasa my coat when she held out her arm for it. And when I set down my bag to take off my shoes, she picked it up as well.
"You look nice," she told me, "But aren't you a bit warm?"
Despite the steadily growing heat of the Japanese summer, I was wearing full-length blue jeans, a long-sleeve, dark grey t-shirt, and my usual black leather glove. It was uncomfortable, but better than the alternative.
"I'd rather not expose anyone to the sight of my hairy, white legs," I told her, "I reserve that for enemies I really want to torture."
"Well, Reya is already here," she giggled slightly as she said it, "And we better get started, if we are going to have any hope of finishing this all in one weekend."
She lead me past the kitchen and dining room, into a large living room with a plush couch, a trio of matching recliners, a couple of end tables, and the largest TV I had ever seen outside of a store. I mean, seriously, the thing's diagonal was probably longer than I was tall.
As we entered the room, Kusaka Reya quickly stood up from her spot on the couch. The bookish devil was wearing a light sundress that went almost down to her knees and had short sleeves as well. It covered a lot more than Tsubasa's outfit, but still showed off plenty of arm, leg, and cleavage, and generally exhibited her figure better than the uniform I was accustom to seeing both girls wear.
"Hello, Harry-san," Reya sounded a bit nervous.
"Good morning, Reya." I considered commenting on her outfit. But I did not; I didn't want to encourage her or Lash. And if I took note of the library girl's appearance, I would have to the same for Tsubasa. And telling the Rook that she looked good would ratchet up the Danger level at least two notches.
"Do you have all of your homework done for the weekend?" the Bishop asked.
"I always do it all on Friday night," I nodded, "Unless I am on a case. That leaves Saturday and Sunday free for jobs, or movies, or whatever."
"I looked it up online, and was thinking we would go chronologically," Tsubasa plowed straight ahead, "Start with Captain America, then Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Incredible Hulk, Thor, Avengers, and the first two episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Then, depending on what time we get done, we can hopefully squeeze in Iron Man 3. That way, tomorrow we can hit the next five episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Thor 2, nine more episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and then Captain America 2. We should still have some time for a few more episodes after that, but I don't think we will be able to finish out the season."
She stopped for a breath, and blushed slightly, "Does that sound good to you two?"
Yes, I was at the home of Yura Tsubasa, a girl actively pursuing me, with Kusaka Reya, a girl I hoped still just wanted to be friends (though it appeared that hope would be dashed) for a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie and TV marathon. As to how that happened…
When the door to the library opened, I quickly yet carefully placed my bag over the top of the open volume. Reya shot me an appreciative look as I stepped out of the alcove to head off whoever it was. Rather than a random student, or worse, Sona, I was confronted by the form of Tsubasa. The Rook was carrying a large stack of books.
The sight was not unfamiliar, it was a task Reya and I had often been assigned in the past; Reya for her near perfect memorization of the library's layout and contents, and me under my title 'Replacement Stepladder'. But when one or both of us was not available, the task generally fell to Tsubasa, as she could carry more books than the rest of the Student Council, combined.
"Let me help you," I reflexively told her, taking the top few books, so she could lift the rest of the stack onto the counter.
"Thank you, Harry-kun," she smiled up at me. I looked at the first book I had taken, and headed off down an aisle.
"No problem," I told her.
"Are you sure?" her grin broadened slightly, "Aren't you in here reading with Reya-chan?"
"Yup," I agreed, "But neither of us is comfortable reading out loud with anyone else here, so the quicker I get rid of you, the quicker we can get back to it."
I gave her an affectionate smirk as I said it, so she knew I was just joking. She stuck her tongue at me and pulled down her right eyelid; but her expression said she was struggling not to chuckle.
After we finished shelving the books, Tsubasa followed me back to where Reya was waiting.
"So, what are you two reading now?" the Rook asked innocently. I waited for her to mention my interests, but she did not. I glanced at the Bishop, who stared down at my bag, not answering.
"Well," I stalled, "We are waiting on our Nooks; they were on back order, and shipping from the US is expensive, or slow."
"If you don't want to tell me…" the Rook sounded a little disappointed.
"It's okay," Reya swallowed her pride, and gently moved my bag aside.
What she uncovered was a thin volume, opened to a pair of pages of full color art, showing a familiar figure in a red spandex costume with blue and black highlights.
"Is that Spider-man?" Tsubasa asked after a moment.
"Ultimate Spider-man," I clarified quickly "She still won't tell me where she got them…"
Reya gave me a mysterious little smile, letting me know once again that the omission was intentional. She had as much as said that she was not going to reveal her source for English literature to me, so I could not become her competitor. Of course, that meant she was the one paying for the books we were both reading. And we had the excuse we were both looking for to keep up our meetings.
Tsubasa leaned closer, and asked, "What is the difference, Harry-kun?"
"That's a loaded question," I told her, and Reya blanched slightly, probably remembering my borderline rant when she made a similar inquiry.
"Well, let's just say the Ultimate universe is a 'dark, modern' reboot of the original Marvel comics," I simplified it, not just for the Bishop's sake, but also because my own views had softened from reading the books with her. But I could not keep all of the derision from my tone. And Tsubasa caught it, and looked at me sideways.
"Does that mean you don't like the Marvel movies, either?" the blue-haired girl prompted evenly.
"No, I like the movies quite a bit," I told her, "And I don't hate the Ultimate comics. I was just pissed off by some of the fanboys stupidly claiming the Ultimates are better, because they don't have all the continuity. Plus I would have had to buy twice as many comics if I wanted to read them all. But now that I've read them, they aren't too bad. Especially the scene between Peter and Jean Grey in the previous issue."
Reya looked amused as she recalled the scene, but also developed a hint of pink in her cheeks. Tsubasa watched us both, and seemed to come to a conclusion.
"Well, I have all the movies, and the S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show, on Blu-Ray," Tsubasa informed us with a confident smile, "And a big TV. Maybe you two could come over this weekend and we could watch them all. Then Harry-kun can tell us how the movies are different from the original comics, Reya-chan…"
The librarian looked up at her friend speculatively.
I still had not seen second Thor or Cap movies, or any of the spin off TV show. And who doesn't love a massive movie marathon? Probably most people, actually. But I have always worn my fandoms on my sleeve. So my inner geek had trampled any caution I might have felt.
"I will have to defer to Harry-san's expertise in the matter," Reya said, after considering Tsubasa's proposed viewing order.
"Sounds good," I agreed with the Rook's plan, mildly impressed with her show of greek cred, despite who obvious she was being, "So where you thinking lunch after the first movie, and ordering dinner between Hulk and Thor?"
"Yes," she nodded, remembering my insistence that a true American film festival would not be complete without greasy, American style pizza. I had even insisted on paying, seeing as how Tsubasa was providing the location and equipment. I chose to ignore that fact that neither girl had objected, and in fact both seemed a little eager…
"And I have the guest room laid out for you, Harry-kun," she continued, "I put out two futons, since you are too tall for any of the ones we have. Reya, you will be staying in my room with me."
Right, sleepover. Tsubasa had insisted it was most efficient that way. My hormones and Lash had both thoroughly agreed, and the logical side of my brain decided that the sometimes brazen Devil would have both Reya and her parents to contend with if she decided to get frisky.
Though now that I was here, that same logical side suddenly remembered the comments Tsubasa had made during and after the Incident. And that the buxom Bishop might not be much of a deterrent. She would more likely be a secondary target. Or even a reluctant assistant if Lash was right. On that thought…
"Before we start, I should say hi to your parents," I told Tsubasa, "and thank them for letting us do this."
"Oh?" the Rook tilted her head in poorly feigned innocence, "Did I forget to tell you they are out of town this weekend? Part of the reason I asked you two to come over was so I wouldn't have to be all alone."
'Okay, not good,' I managed not to bolt. But before I could move or respond, Tsubasa latched onto my arm, pulling it firmly into her cleavage.
"Come on, Harry-kun," she dragged me down to the couch, "Reya-chan, will you put in the first movie?"
'Would you convey my admiration to the Rook, my host?' Lash laughed at me, as the disc menu appeared on the screen.
So far, things had been going okay. The movies were almost the same as they had been in my home universe, and the minor differences made the repeat watching more enjoyable. And other than wedging me between them, and the occasionally hugging my arms tightly against their pleasantly soft chests during tense or surprising scenes, their behavior had been downright tame.
After Incredible Hulk, we took a quick break for me to call Pizza Hut. Lash insisted in ordering from the company that supported the revolution, whatever that meant. But they had the requisite toppings and grease quotient, so I didn't bother arguing with her.
We settled back in to watch the first part of Thor as we waited for our meal. But when the title character appeared for the first time, both Devils gasped loudly. I instinctively hit pause, and reached for my absent blasting rod, currently hanging in the Yura family's coat closet.
"What is it?" I demand, getting ready to turn whatever had alarmed my girls in a block of ice.
The girls. 'The', not 'my'. God, I hope that was not a thought Lash could hear.
"That's Thor," Tsubasa said, pointing at the frozen TV.
"Well, yeah," I nodded, confused, "That is the movie we're watching."
"No, she means that is really the god Thor," Reya explained.
"Nooo," I insisted, praying again to the expired Christian deity, "That's an actor. Chris Helmsworth or something like that."
"No," the Bishop shook her head, her conviction dashing my hopes, "Kaichou made us memorize the faces of various gods and spirits who are still active in the mortal world. Though his hair and beard are different, to match the character, that is definitely the Viking god, Thor."
"But he has been in other movies," I was whining. I knew I was whining. Just like I knew that Bizzaro World had thrown me another curveball.
"There are stories of Thor's acting prowess," Reya recalled, "According to legend, he was able to fool the Jotun king into thinking that he was Freya.
"Taking other roles probably helps keep people from asking questions," Tsubasa suggested.
'It is a good plan,' Lash noted, 'If the gods of this world can gather power from human belief as they did in our world, then placing himself in the movie about his comic book counterpart would maximize the effect.'
"So is that the real Loki, too?" I demanded of all three of them, "Is Anthony Hopkins just Odin in disguise?"
"I don't recognize the others," Tsubasa told me.
'Thor would have the most to gain, being the central character and the hero,' Lash added, 'The likes of Odin or Loki would be better served with a professional actor who will improve the quality or star-power of the film. The better to make people see the film.'
"Okay," I sighed, "Well, if Laufey is being played by a real Jotun, can you save that until after the movie, please?"
Tsubasa grinned at me, while Reya nodded seriously. And as I reached for the remote again, the door buzzer rang, indicating the arrival of our dinner.
Unfortunately, by the time we finished with the second episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Reya's eyes were drooping. Tsubasa half led, half carried the dozing Bishop to the room they were going to share. Meanwhile, I started to pick up the popcorn bowl and plastic cups littered around the room. Reya had not fished her soda, so I had to be careful with that cup. I grabbed the nearly empty two-liter of Coke and slammed the last mouthful so I could get rid of the bottle.
"What time does the operation launch, Director Dresden?" Lash suddenly appeared before me, and made her voice sound real. She wore an all too familiar skin-tight black cat suit, and her vocal inflections also called to mind Scarlett Johansson's portrayal of Black Widow.
'What operation is that, Agent Lash?' I indulged her a little, for keeping quiet during the movies. But I also answered her silently. I would not put it past her to trick me into saying something suggestive or embarrassing when two of her targets for my supposed harem were in earshot.
"Operation 'Pajama Inspection', of course," she answered, still in character.
'Lash, I am not going to sneak into Tsubasa's room,' I informed her sternly. She started to counter, so I quickly added, 'Even if Tsubasa probably wouldn't mind, it would probably lock out Reya's route.'
The Fallen nodded thoughtfully, but also put on a slight smirk. Damn it, she had me talking about 'routes'. And made me suggest I didn't want to ruin my chances with Reya.
"You didn't have to clean up, Harry," Tsubasa's voice interrupted us, and Lash obligingly vanished. As I turned to look at her, I nearly dropped what I was carrying.
Tsubasa had already changed into her sleepwear. Which consisted of a camisole and boy-short bottoms, both of which were thinner and tighter than her originally brief outfit. Thin enough and tight enough that I could tell she wasn't wearing anything else underneath. I could feel Lash's smirk in my head, while my hormones cheered their approval. I took a quick breath and locked my eyes on the unpopped kernels, before it became uncomfortable to walk, in more ways than one.
"I wanted to," I told her, moving quickly towards the kitchen, "It's the least I can do."
"Well, let me help," she insisted. We quickly sorted the garbage and recyclables, and then I filled the kitchen sink with hot soapy water. The Yura family did not have a dishwasher, so besides the popcorn bowl and soda glasses, we had plates from lunch and dinner. Tsubasa began washing the plates automatically, so I took on drying and putting them away. Between my height and the small kitchen, I was able to do both jobs without moving.
"I have to say," I, well, said, as she handed me the next clean glass, "I was more than a little surprised you have so many American movies. I mean, the original US releases, rather than the Japanese ones."
"It's my dad," she explained, "He is fluent in English, his mom grew up in Canada. When I was younger, he would wait and get the Japanese dubs. But after I suddenly got a lot better at speaking English..."
She paused in her scrubbing of the last glass, and there was a hitch in her voice as if remembering something unpleasant.
"After you became a Devil and gained Language," I filled in. I gave her a gentle, supportive look. And I did not look at how leaning into the counter pulled her camisole tighter and lower…
"Yes," she agreed, giving me a grateful smile, "After that, he started buying the US versions of Hollywood films. They usually come out sooner the Japanese dubs. Plus the actual movies cost less, so even with shipping most of the time he's saving money. And my mom doesn't care either way. She's not big on action movies anyway."
She handed me the last glass, and then started to work on the bowl. It was a heavy, ceramic mixing bowl, and the butter was smearing rather than melting in the cooling water.
"So are you having fun, Harry-kun?" Tsubasa asked, lifting the dish and taking the faucet to get some more heat into the soapy water, "Liking seeing the movies again?"
"Yup," I agreed, "It has been so long since I saw the first few movies, it's almost like I'm watching them for the first time. And I've never had a chance to see the S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show before. Plus, the seats are more comfortable than in the theater."
Then I pretended to consider it a moment, and snarked, "I suppose the company isn't half bad, either…"
She blew a raspberry at me. And then released the bowl with her right hand to flick some of the bubbles clinging to her fingers at me. It was a half-hearted attempt, she didn't want to get the counter or floor all wet. But as she did, the slippery, soapy bowl escaped her grip. It dropped heavily dropped back into the water. She watched it fall with a look of surprise.
The bowl triggered a wave that passed over the edge of the sink and hit her stomach. The water soaked an immodest triangle down her left side. The thin fabric clung to her skin, showing the outline of her belly button, and stretching the rest of the brief garments tighter against her breasts and hip.
As my eyes traced her body instinctively, I wondered if she had really dropped it accidentally. She hadn't even tried to dodge. As a Rook she might have trained herself not to flinch from surprises. Or she could have planned the whole thing.
I tried counter the increased appeal of her wet clothing by picturing her in her school uniform. Her nice, familiar winter uniform, with the full sleeves and thigh high socks and the extra layer of the mantle over her currently bare shoulders and the upper swell of her… For a brief moment, I could almost see it, superimposed over her, more familiar and more concealing.
But Lash countered. The translucent overlay uniform was blown away. Instead I was seeing a completely drenched Tsubasa. Her thin, soaked-though nightwear clung to every line and curve of her body. Becoming transparent enough that I could almost see….
I knew I was blushing. Tsubasa definitely noticed. Even as Lash, or my hormones, started causing the illusion of her already 'soaked' camisole starting to fade away…
'Lash, put her top back on,' I ordered, but the squeaking in my mental voice robbed it of any threat or authority.
'The water is me, my host,' she said smugly, 'The way her clothing is becoming fully transparent, I can take no credit for.'
Then Tsubasa shivered. The AC made the apartment was a somewhat chilly, as the sun went down and the outside air cooled. Yet the way she wrapped her arms around her body for warmth also just happened to present her breasts. The movement of her body in the process just happened to jut her hip out a little, and spread her legs just a little… The war between my rational mind, and the alliance of my hormones and Lash was quickly turning into a one sided slaughter.
"What are you thinking about, Harry?" she asked coyly. Teasingly. Suggestively.
"Just wondering how much longer that bowl is going to take," I lied, managing to keep my voice steady even though my face was betraying me.
I was deliberately not looking at her. She knew, and she almost certainly knew why. And I knew she knew. Finally she broke the stalemate by turning back to the sink, and finishing the bowl. She handed it to me, one-handed, and pulled the plug out of the sink. But as I took the bowl, I realized too late she was waiting for my hands to be tied up in drying. Holding the heavy dish, I couldn't stop her.
"Good night, Harry," she went up on her tip-toes and kissed me lightly on the check, "I will see you in the morning."
She stepped away, but had one more parting shot.
"And if you aren't picturing me naked, I won't appreciate it."
Then she sauntered back into her room.
"It looks like Reya lent her issue 43," I noted blandly.
"Or she googled it," Lash agreed, remaining invisible but making it sound real again. As I hung the towel back up, my shadow thought of something else.
"Are you sure you don't want to go get a good night kiss from the Bishop as well?" Lash prompted. I ignored her and trudged off to the room I was borrowing.
Author's Note: I have commissioned an image progression of Tsubasa from this chapter. They are by a talented artist with the handle Cherry In The Sun. The pictures are scheduled to be released in August (2018) and anyone will be able to see the LD versions on her DeviantArt page. Or, you can subscribe to her Pat_reon (not sure why that is getting censored) account for that month, to get the HD versions. Fair warning, some of them will be NSFW.
