The girl had escaped through the kitchen, leaving pages of the menus that had been in her hands scattered over the tiled floor. Two chefs and several waiters were staring dazedly towards the back exit, leaving pots and pans unattended. Narugami dashed after her through the mess, calling out vague apologies to the people left in his wake. As he ran he fumbled with Mjollnir, twisting it out of his belt and trying to whip it out without making too much noise (the situation was highly suspicious and he didn't want the waitress to know that he was armed and dangerous).
As he paused and looked around, trying to work out exactly where it was that she had gone, he begun to wonder. What was she doing here? Was she supporting that family from the photo with a full-time waitress gig? If so he could definitely give her some tips on the best-paying places in the area. He could vaguely recall from half-faded memories that this place paid barely a pittance, and was sure that if he sat down and carefully considered it he'd be able to come up with better ways of earning a living (though he hoped that the other older man from the photo was supporting the family, too, because he didn't really approve of a man making his partner do all the work in a relationship; it was not in Narugami's nature to allow a maiden to do his work for him).
But this was ridiculous. Yes, she was a maiden, but a ridiculous maiden! A mystery maiden! Turning up from nowhere, crying over spilt salt, and refusing to explain what exactly she was doing even existing without any of them knowing who in the name of Odin she was. He wanted to hit something with Mjollnir, just wave it around and maybe dent some lightposts, get out some of the stress and confusion he had found himself in (which was a rare situation for him; usually he just stuck things through until they started to make sense, or threatened to hit other people until they made it make sense for him. It was an unusual change for him to go out and explode with anger and bewilderment at the way things were).
But there she was! At the back of the kitchen were two tall doors opening to a back street, with two round windows set high up in the frames. There was a flash of movement passing by the windows and he told himself off. Of course she'd go out the back, of course, why wasn't he thinking…
Narugami shoved the doors open with firm hands, standing framed in the wide doorway facing out into an alley. And there she was, the tall, dark-haired girl, nothing like his shorter, slender Mayura, almost her exact opposite, crouched against the dirty wall with her arms wrapped around her legs and head resting on her knees, looking at him through teary eyes. She hadn't moved when he had barrelled through the door but now that he was just standing and staring, she raised her head a little and he saw a tiny scrap of fabric clutched tightly in her right hand.
"Was he…brave?" she said, in a withdrawn, quiet voice like a sigh, mouth barely moving. "I wanted to be there, but he wouldn't let me. I don't think…" the words seemed to be a strain for her, and she stopped. He couldn't just watch her cry. Was it his fault?
"What's your name?" He didn't move. She wiped her eyes and smiled.
"Spica." When she smiled, the world seemed better, brighter. Then she stopped. "He was scared of you, for so long. But he had no choice… I will make it better." Spica held onto the scrap tighter, her knuckles turning white. "I promised them. I will make it better." Her voice petered out weakly and she stood and turned away from him.
"This wasn't the place I was meant to have. But for him, I will do it. I will do anything." She turned her face to look back at him and the look of determination in his eyes stunned him. "What will you do? He said you'd forget him, but I don't think you could. I don't think anyone could. And," she added, "I don't want to see you again."
She was twisting the fabric round and round her fingers, unable to let go, and he caught a glimpse of dark ribbon. "I do my duty," Spica sighed once more, and Narugami had the feeling that she didn't usually talk this much to strangers as she walked away.
"Wait! What do you want me to-" he called out after her, utterly bewildered, but at the sound of his voice she lowered her head and began to sprint away from him. He could have chased her and demanded that she start making sense but she made him feel uncomfortable, like she was both afraid of him and wanted to like him at the same time.
Narugami didn't like the way that this random girl had turned up, been cryptic at him, and then run off. It complicated things, and he didn't like complications. At all. He wanted…urgh. He didn't know what he wanted. He wanted someone to sit down with him and explain what in the name of Odin was going on here. He knew he wasn't incredibly clever, but most of the time he got along perfectly alright because of a sense of hard work, decency, and good aim with bolts of lightning. It was only times when the whole damn world didn't make sense that lightning and thunder didn't help.
Maybe flinging some thunder around would make him feel better, he pondered. It generally did.
"Narugami?" Mayura called from behind him. Damn. Now he felt real chivalrous, taking her out for a nice meal and then running off after an admittedly cute stranger.
"Sorry, Mayura, I-"
"So what was that? A mystery?" Her excitement was palpable. "Was she a murderer?" she asked knowingly.
"What? No! Just someone I…used to know. Never mind. Let's go eat."
"Well…okay, then! I wanted to tell you about this wedding we've been invited to! And it's…sort of….fancy dress!"
A/N: Points to anyone who works out what the wedding might be a reference to. And thanks for reading!
