hisuiyuu: Yeah, Akira's cooking skills are beyond terrible. And you guess right. :) And yes, they did notice she was wearing their Captain's coat, though they didn't dare ask about it, haha! So yes, you are also right. :D
readitover10time: Haha! I'm glad you loved it! I was laughing while writing it, lol! :D
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• Chapter 10 •
After the tragic events of yesterday, the only thing I can bring myself to eat is crackers. Reisi was kind enough to let me bring a box of garlic flavored crackers back to his office. He just insisted that I clean up and crumbs and mess I make which is so like him. He's such a clean and organized person.
I place a cracker in my mouth, looking out the window boredly. The garlic flavor explodes across my tongue, making my stomach flip in delight. There is just something magical about garlic. The wonderful taste just seems to make all my worries disappear. I swallow the cracker before going to eat another one.
Reisi is at his desk, solving a jigsaw puzzle while he waits for Barbie to report back about the suspect. She was successful in gaining authorization to investigate Ashinaka High School. Truthfully, I am waiting for her to return as well. I am curious to whether or not she will come back with the suspect or at least some information on him.
So far today has been rather quiet. Me and Reisi only exchanged a few words. We mostly sat in a somewhat awkward silence. It's awkward to me at least. One of us would make a comment once in awhile either just to annoy one another or just to break the silence. Today is just one of those slow days.
My coat slides off my shoulder. With a small sigh, I pull it back up. I have it unbuttoned today due to the fact it is a little warm in here. My guess is that the weather outside is growing colder and they have the thermostat turned up, or maybe it is because I am sitting in the sunlight. Either way, I'm not moving from this spot.
I've grown fond of this chair by the window. It has the perfect view of outside. I want to bring my leg up so it rests on the armrest so I can lay sideways across the chair, but I have to keep reminding myself I have a club dress on.
My eyes land on a bird. Its wings are stretched out wide as it soars through the sky. I envy that bird. It isn't confined in a cage and can go wherever it's heart desires, much like how I was before I came here.
Sometimes I find myself thinking about plans to escape from here. However, I can never come up with an effective plan so I just drop it. Escaping from a prison cell is one thing, but escaping from the Pirate King himself is a bigger obstacle. Then sometimes I question if I really do want to escape.
I don't like being under supervision twenty four-seven, but I have a place to sleep here. Back on the streets, I had to sleep on the hard ground in back alleys or in a abandoned building I kind of claimed as my own. Point is, I had no memory foam surface to snooze on.
I wasn't able to take shelter in nice air conditioned or heated buildings, or use nice showers like Reisi's. He lets me use his things… or more like I use his things without his permission. He never comments on it though. Maybe he doesn't even know. If I stay here… Suddenly, I chomp down with much more force than necessary on another cracker. What in the world am I thinking? Staying here? Psh.
"What are you thinking about, Akira?" Reisi speaks up. He finally speaks! It's been awhile since he last said something, I was almost convinced he was going to stay quiet for the rest of the day.
"Just about why you Pirates don't have a boat." I answer, eating another cracker.
"What a scandalous remark." He replies as I look over to meet his inquisitive gaze.
"It's just part of my nature." I reply back with a sarcastic smile when a knock sounds on the door. Reisi gets up to answer it, digging in his pocket for his keys. My eyes follow his body as he walks past me. He opens the door to reveal Barbie herself.
"Welcome back, Ms. Awashima." Reisi greets, allowing her to enter the office before closing the door after he locks it once again. Darn it. He walks back over to his desk, sitting down while he awaits Barbie to deliver her report.
"Fushimi hacked into the school's database. Unfortunately and peculiarly, he did not find anyone who matches up to Totsuka's murderer. The suspect is not a registered student at the school." She concludes. They both look over at me. I assume they think I lied to them.
"I know I saw him getting on the train to the school! I didn't give you any false information! He was wearing the school's uniform!" I immediately jump to defend myself, actually springing out of my chair. I wouldn't lie about that and the fact that the would suspect that upsets me. That guy needs to be caught.
"I believe you. Additionally, Scepter 4 has confirmed your information to be true shortly after you informed us." Reisi replies with a slight smile before turning back to Barbie. ...So they didn't doubt me? "This information troubles me. How is he able to access the school island without getting caught by their security?" He thinks aloud.
"Perhaps he sneaks in somehow." Barbie suggests and I nod, plopping back down in my previous chair.
"It is pretty easy to sneak into places." I can't help commenting and voicing my thoughts. "Do you think someone is helping him get in?"
"That is a possibility." Barbie muses, bringing her hand to her chin in thought. She then straightens up as she remembers something. "Two members of HOMRA were present at the school island as well searching for the suspect. I assume their search was also unsuccessful."
"HOMRA?" I question, recalling seeing a bar with that name on its front. Isn't that normally where that trouble making gang hangs out? "The gang? Why are they looking for the white haired guy too?"
"The guy who was shot in the video was part of HOMRA, the Red Clan." Reisi explains and my mouth forms an 'o' shape.
"Wait, so there is a Red King too?" I ask.
Is there a Pink King?
"Yes. Their King is currently being confined in our jailhouse. He was in your neighboring cell actually." Barbie clarifies.
"Uh… why do you have a King as a prisoner?" I blink, openly confused.
Can't that King just bust out? Surely he is just as strong at Reisi. And wait, he was in the cell next to me? Realization fills me.
"Wait a minute… He told me to hurry up and die!" I recall, crunching down on another cracker in fury.
"That is something he would say." Barbie blinks and looks back over at Reisi who now rests his chin in his folded hands, eyes closed in thought. There is another knock at the door.
"Fushimi, reporting." A somewhat lazy voice calls from outside the door. Dōmyōji mentioned the name Fushimi once to me.
"Ms. Awashima, may you get that for me?" Reisi asks, handing her his keys.
"Yes." Barbie takes the keys and proceeds to unlock the door. "Please come in, Fushimi." She says, holding the door open for him. I inwardly snicker at how Reisi is so keen on keeping everything locked to prevent me from escaping.
A slim young man with messy black hair walks in. His blue eyes are framed by rectangular black glasses. He wears the standard Scepter 4 uniform and holds one of those fancy tablets in his hands.
"We have located the suspect and the Black Dog on one of the city's cameras." He informs. With a few taps on the screen of his tablet, a large holographic screen appears in front of Reisi's desk. On the screen is a photo of the white haired male and a teenage guy with long black hair pulled back into a ponytail. They are both boarding a train.
"There is no black dog in the picture." I state, clearly not seeing a furry animal. Fushimi glances at me with an annoyed expression before clicking his tongue. I just wave my box of crackers at him.
"Fushimi are you able to keep an eye on him through the city cameras?" Reisi asks, standing up from his chair. Barbie hands him the keys and Reisi whispers something to her, she nods. I raise a brow at that. He had glanced at me during that inaudible exchange.
"Yes." Fushimi answers.
"Continue to track him. Ms. Awashima, get everyone prepared to dispatch. We will detain both the suspect and the Black Dog tonight."
"Yes, sir." Fushimi and Barbie salute before taking their leave. My heart is racing in my chest at the action I know is to come. Action!
Reisi walks over and gets his sword out of a brown wardrobe. Closing my box of crackers then setting it on the windowsill, I stand up and stretch my arms.
"Permission to come aboard?" I ask, walking over to Reisi. I come to a stop at his side, folding my arms behind my back as I peer up at his taller form. He looks down at me as he straps his sword on.
"It seems you'll have to come along. I can't have you escape while I'm absent." He smirks down at me and I can't stop myself from grinning.
"So… I get to go outside?!" I gush excitedly. It's been so long since I have gotten to breathe in fresh air.
"Only if you agree to stay close to me and not to cause trouble." He answers smoothly. I pump my fist in the air.
"Yes!" I shrill then clench my fists excitedly. "Lets send those bad guys to Davy Jones Locker!"
I hold my fist out towards him so we can perform a fist bump. He stares at it for a moment. After an amused shake of his head, he presses his fist against mine.
Not only am I excited to go outside, I want the white haired male in custody just as much as they do. No one else needs to die by his hands. That guy needs to be stopped. I pull my fist away from Reisi's and march towards the door while buttoning up my coat, the coat that used to be his.
"Do you plan on going outside barefoot?" Reisi asks. I freeze and glance down at my bare feet. Wiggling my toes, I look over my shoulder at the approaching Reisi.
"I don't have any shoes."
"What happened to the shoes you were wearing when you got here?" He inquires.
"Uh, I may have ripped them to pieces out of boredom in my old prison room." I answer timidly. "They were worn out anyway."
He stares down at my feet for a few moments before sighing and opening the door.
"I'm sure Lieutenant Awashima would be kind enough to let you borrow a pair of her boots." He says and I come to a sudden halt in the doorway.
"Wait, you mean those heels? Nope. I would break my ankles in those things."
"How unfortunate for you then. It's either that or go barefoot."
"Can't I just wear a pair of your boots? I seen a whole bunch in your closet."
"Why is it that you always insist on snooping through my clothes?" He adjusts his glasses in exasperation.
"Because I like to. Can I wear a pair of your boots? I'm already wearing your coat."
"Without my permission."
"But you didn't ask for it back so I assume you don't mind. Please Pirate King?"
"No." He says earnestly, waiting for me to step out of the doorway impatiently.
I look down at my feet with a pout, thinking of how I can persuade him. Putting on the cutest face I can muster, I slowly look up at him and stare into his violet eyes. I flutter my eyelashes and clasp my hands in front of me. His face wears a humorless expression as he looks down at me.
"Please, Reisi Munakata?" I ask, my voice soft. He leans down so his face is level with mine and just a few centimeters away.
"Akira Yukimura, you are by far the most difficult person I have ever met." He says solemnly, peering deeply into my eyes. I gulp.
I think my cutesy act fails until he strides past me and back into his office. I watch with an agape mouth as he disappears into his room. Shortly, he reemerges and tosses his boots at me which I barely catch.
With a happy smile I bound over to my usual chair and slide his boots on my feet. They are much too large but it is better than running around in heels. After tying the boot laces as tight as they will go, I stand up and walk in a mini circle to test them out. Thanks to the laces they don't move around quite as much. However, I do need to take larger steps to ensure I don't trip.
"Thank you, Reisi!" I beam up at him. His arms are crossed and he is looking off to the side as if to avoid my eyes. He lets out a soft sigh before finally looking at me.
"Let's go."
Edited: 3/13/18