The week passed with little incident and soon Friday night had arrived. The three women had arrived in town Thursday and stayed the night at a nearby hotel so they could walk.
The front entrance was guarded by a man in a standard black suit and Sora offered her invitation to him before he had even moved to stop them. He took it and skimmed over the words before offering it back to her. "A pleasure to see you as always, Mrs. Langston. It's a pity your boss hasn't overcome her circumstances yet, but it would be a shame to make you stay away."
"You say as much every time, Eustice." Sora had warned Sakura ahead of time, back at the hotel, that she used a pseudonym at these events though she hadn't shared why or what it was. Tanya had attended several of these events so she gave just as little reaction to the unusual name. "You flatter me greatly," she said as she moved her hand so the ring was visible, "but don't forget I'm already married."
"Of course, of course. And what a fine husband you have too." Though there was no one behind them yet, he ushered them inside to provide cover for himself. "Go right on in; get out of this chilly air."
Both brunettes offered him a nod as he bowed their way in, even though the evening outside was rather warm yet. As they passed through the main doors, Sora spoke soft Japanese to Sakura, to fill her in. "He's a harmless old flirt, but if I don't remind them right away that I'm married then some of the younger guys here forget I'm off-limits." The smile on her face was a gentle one though as they entered the main room.
The charity gala was being held at a private studio, normally given to art showings but this weekend the gallery held only a handful of pieces, adorning the stark white walls at precise intervals. The staging was made to appear incidental, though the trained eye would notice it was intentional. The gentle melody of a classical piece drifted on the air beneath the low murmur of voices that filled the room.
No answer or words were offered to Sora or Tanya, even when it was to let the two know if the one in question understood or not. When they had entered, well really when they came within about fifty feet of the building, the woman gained a satisfied, knowing smile, and had spent most of the time drifting in and out, with her eyes closing randomly. Whether or not she was flirted with was not noticed by her either, though somewhere deep inside her she had two fears about that. Despite the trance-like state she had resided within, two of her usual fears plucked at her mind. The first being of what would happen if someone actually flirted with her, the other being the usual fear that plagues the female mind: She felt awkward and ugly in comparison to those who accompanied her.
The youngest of the trio looked far older than her age with her hair pulled back behind her head. She'd gotten hair extensions just for this event so her hair could be laced together in a simple, yet elegant fashion on the back of her head. She wore a deep blue velvet dress that reached only to her knees and had 'sleeves' that barely came off her shoulders. There was a soft lavender sash of fabric, a couple inches wide, belted around her waist, and every so often one of her hands would move to touch the material as if making sure it were still in place. The shoes were a matching shade of blue with low but thin heels and she'd worn nylons to match her skin color so they were invisible against her body.
Slightly behind her, Sora also wore her hair tied back and up but in a less graceful style than her daughter. Both wore a minimal amount of makeup as well, but there similarities ended on their attire. The brunette had chosen a sweeping satin gown in a pale green that teased the hints of green in her eyes into play. The material fell just short of the floor, hiding both her legs and shoes beneath its billowing folds. The cut of the fabric gave the illusion there was both less and more than there actually was depending on how she moved in it, but it didn't hamper her movements. That was an important factor in picking the dress.
Around her neck, Sora wore a single necklace. A golden chain holding a small charm just above the gentle curve of fabric that was the neckline. The same fabric climbed her shoulders to hold the gown in place, framing the lone gem above her chest. The charm itself was a clear bead of an unidentifiable material encasing a small soft yellow seed that had begun to sprout. The yellow-green root appeared to be nearly breaking out of the gem. Not the most beautiful piece perhaps, but dear to her heart.
There was more jewelry as well. Simple diamond earrings and a matching diamond ring, set with three smaller diamonds on either side of the main one, on the second to last finger of her left hand. The ring, at least, cast flashes of varying colors off the larger stone when it hit the light. The last detail of her appearance was the bag tied to her wrist. She'd bound the drawstrings to keep from losing the purse, not for fear of stolen money but because it was the only place to carry another item precious to her. The white fabric caught the faint glow of color from her dress and looked to be the same color except on close examination.
One thing Sakura never really experienced was elegance, so naturally she felt uncomfortable in her gown. Though, when one took the time to look at her, she did look quite nice. Unlike her companions though her dress had no sleeves, it was held up by the corset top part, a simple velvet in a deep shade of red, with black lining. From her waist the dress went continued until it touched the floor in a soft circle around her feet made of a simple silk, the same shade as the top half, decorated with long and winding black velvet roses that led up to a small back sash. On her feet she wore simple black heels. Though she favored the dress and its colors, she felt it would look better off her and on someone else. The woman shifted, the combination her natural blue eye and green eye made with the dress felt like it clashed, but she was able to push those fears back a bit by leaving her hair down and loose, straightened so her bangs covered them for the most part. She, too, wore little make-up, aside from a few previous markings on her body, and wore a very old locket tight against her neck.
Someone between being lost in a trance and her fears, she had taken a bit to realize they had stopped moving. After some consideration, she figured it would be wise to say something so she turned to her friends with a smile and pointed upwards, "Fantasy Impromptu, Chopin."
"You would notice something like that, wouldn't you?" The comment was spoken in an amused but slightly unfocused manner, as though her thoughts were not all behind saying it. Her brown eyes were focused towards an open doorway as a voice called out to her.
["Ah! Maria-Chan! I was hoping to see you here!"]
Sakura smiled at Sora, knowing that her mind was elsewhere, but she decided to leave it be and continue to enjoy the song while it still lasted. The peace was brief as her ears became assaulted by a horrid use of her language. When the offender was found, her eyes were the ones attacked, 'What's with this guy...is he made to try and attract any woman with the "blond prince" fetish..?'
The speaker was about 30 with blond hair that framed his perfect face; blue eyes and a bud shaped mouth with a facial structure that came off both as delicate and powerful. He wore a specialty tailor-made only suit that fit his shape perfectly but hung just loose enough to leave some freedom of imagination. He was the kind of man most girls dream of falling in love with, and just the sort of boy Sora hated most.
He stopped beside the three women, a drink in each hand, and looked them all over. ["You've made a new friend."] He spoke in weak Japanese, having only learned a small amount of the language. ["And a rather lovely one at that."]
He took Sakura's hand and gave it a kiss before she could object. He met her eyes with his gorgeous blue orbs as he spoke the next comment. ["Perhaps you would all like a private showing later..."]
"No thank you Marcus," Sora replied with a mild bite. His innuendo was blatant enough that even she could see right through it. She continued as she's begun, in English, in the faint hope it might get through to him. "And I have told you countless times before that it is improper in Japanese to use another's first name unless you are extremely close. Best friends are one example, or husband and wife..."
["And how is he tonight?"] The blond continued to butcher the foreign tongue, in spite of her wishes Sora had decided long ago. ["Left you alone for another party. Do I sense a failing marriage?"]
["Only in your dreams..."] the brunette shot back. ["And in any case, my personal life is none of your concern. Yours on the other hand..."] Brown eyes made a show of looking around the room. ["I see a blond across the room in your near future. She looks to be an avid fan of the human form so I'm sure she'd love to attend the 'private showing' you mentioned before."]
Marcus stared at her a moment before glancing the direction she had last looked. His blue eyes came back to meet brown, unmoving to his cause, and he spoke aloud in English so nearby groups could hear with little effort. "Always a pleasure to see you at these events, Maria, but you really should get your boss to attend on her invitation. She's missing out on so many grand celebrations."
He then turned from her, pausing to slip Sakura a small slip of paper, and moved towards one of the back corners, where a blond stood in a red dress to the floor with a slit up to her hip. Sora remained in her place, brown eyes trained on his receding back. The male never gave another glance their way, quickly catching the female's attention and drawing her into conversation.
It was only proper to smile, so the woman let her face betray herself in hopes of not giving her friend a bad image. Even when the "pretty boy" had the gall to grab her hand, uninvited, and kiss it. Still her face remained a smile, though every impulse told her to shove her heel right into the center of the man's pants, but she remained.
'Go figure...' Her thoughts were brief and her smile was forced back into place as he handed her a slip of paper before finally leaving the group.
"I seriously hate that guy..." Sora muttered, softly in Japanese.
Finally the man had turned and Sakura showed the distaste on her face, looking down at her hand she scoffed lightly and quickly rubbed her diseased hand on the back of his jacket.
"I'm sorry you have the misfortune of knowing someone like that..." As the woman spoke, a small amount of smoke, unnoticeable to most, filtered out through her clenched fist. A second or two past and she relaxed, opening her fist to reveal nothing in it.
[Hmm...do dance here ever?] The poor girl's attempt at English was a little shaky, but after dealing with something as "traumatic" as that, she didn't really care, besides, the point got across. "If they do, how about we all dance together...I'm sure that will keep some of the...I'll call them sharks...away?" In hopes of not letting others in on her plan, Sakura switched back to Japanese and spoke quickly.
Before her hands could find that of the two brunettes, something tugged at her, "Actually...umm..." The aforementioned hands began to fiddle with each other, "Not to look the gift horse in the mouth...but...the...boy said for another party. Do you do this often? And I think he said something about a boss in English?" It's often said that a fox's worst trait is their curiosity, and if anyone was guilty of that, it was Sakura.
Deciding to reply to the last comments, the brunette skipped over the rest. "Not too often, no, but we do attend a few events a year. Invitations are only given out to those who donate a certain amount to the right groups. My 'boss,' as that idiot called her, frequently gives money to the less fortunate. Most of her money in fact goes to a children's shelter here in the States."
Glancing around, Sora lead them towards a less open spot so they could see any troublesome people before they got close. "She never attends these things though, and passes off the invitations to me."
"Oh, how come your boss doesn't just attend them herself?" In her mind, the woman pictured seeing the happy faces of orphans as they got new clothes or blankets...and then she saw a giant mansion with a bunch of people laughing and dancing...it seemed off. "By the way, you still haven't said what you do. Perhaps I'll understand better what is going on if I know your job?" Sakura cast her eyes downwards, hoping she didn't sound rude or pushy.
"I suppose that might help..." Sora mused, though her tone didn't sound convinced.
"I am the primary editor and public face of a mildly popular, but quite reclusive author," Sora explained in Japanese for Sakura's benefit. "She has turned down every interview, photo-shoot and book signing to avoid the public. It's widely believed, thanks to an internet rumor, that she's got a terrible disease that keeps her inside. I can't say that's true or not, but she doesn't mind letting people believe it."
A young male, early 20s, dressed in a similar black suit to the doorman appeared beside the women and offered them a glass from the silver platter he carried. "Champagne for the lovely ladies?" he offered in a voice deeper than expected as he partially bowed to them. With a soft 'thanks,' Sora carefully took one of the long-stemmed glasses and took a sip. She made a point to turn and avoid looking as he flashed a smile for both of them and moved on to the next group of people.
Gesturing with the hand that held her glass, she pointed out a woman in a deep green gown across the room. "The lady there, in the green, is Kathy Marie. I don't recall her last name but that's what she has her clients call her. She's the secondary editor and publicist. She catches any mistakes I might miss as well as making sure everything is just perfect and getting the books sold to the right people; publishers and customers. She does an amazing job but don't mention it where she can hear you because it goes to her head."
As if mentioning her had drawn her attention over the sound in the room, the woman looked their way then smiled and nodded towards them in recognition before returning to the conversation around her. An elderly gentleman standing beside her turned to look but looked away again directly after. Sora had smiled and waved in return to the woman's gaze but sighed softly after she turned away. "I'm glad she didn't try to come over and start a conversation with us. She's a wonderful person but these events make both of us so tense and it's hard to find the words I want to use."
The brunette turned her attention to Sakura again and frowned as if at herself. "I'm sorry, I'm sure you don't care who anyone is or anything dull like that."
The woman shook her head and smiled, "Not at all, it's all very interesting to me. Whenever I could get my hands on a book I would read like crazy. I guess you could call me a detective geek...though I do love horror...and I will always love Candide by Voltaire." A light pink touched her cheeks when she realized she was prattling on.
"So what do you usually do at these things? I've never been to something as fancy as this...that I can remember, so I want to make sure that I don't commit a faux pas."
Across the room a man around the age of thirty watched the three girls with a satisfied smile. The group around him continued to chat, drink and laugh, every now and then checking him for any sign of movement.
"Well you really don't do much," Sora answered as she gazed around the room again. There were a few people staring at them, male and female, but she only paused a moment on each person to be polite. "It's mainly an occasion for those rich enough to not go bankrupt giving a large sum to some cause or other to get together and show off how much they give to charity." The Japanese was fluid and oddly cheery for a topic she felt so negative about. With open ears all around rumors would spread based on tone alone if the words couldn't be understood.
"What you do depends on what the situation is. Many of these events focus around a banquet, and some of those are merely for the dinner while others include a ballroom dance of sorts. I think this one is only focused on conversation though," the brunette considered and took another small sip. A careful eye could see there was nearly the same amount as the cup held when she accepted it. "Perhaps a small award ceremony, to thank extremely generous donors, but thankfully that means it should only last a couple hours."
The woman followed her friend's glances around the room with a soft giggle, "I see, well I guess they must all love to hear themselves talk, huh?" Her giggles become quickly stifled as a rather large shiver caused the drink in her, now shaky, hands to spill about a bit.
"Aha, I guess I should have chosen a warmer dress..." It was another sad attempt on her part to cover what she was feeling, but if it wasn't a believable act, Sakura really couldn't give two shits. All she cared about was finding the source of her discomfort and bringing the two brunettes somewhere that was considerably safer.
"So how long do these things usually last?" Sakura forced a yawn into the middle of her sentence, causing the end of the sentence to be said with a horridly high inflection.
Through the crowd a rather short, well dressed ginger slid about, nearing a group of three women. He shifted about until he was a few feet away from the two brunettes, a smile creeping onto his face as he began a leisurely stroll closer to the two, all the while calling the waiter nearby them. When the small man got, what he believed to be, close enough, his hands dropped down, the right a little higher than the left, and slowly let them approach the slightly curvier areas on the two until two iron grasps clamped themselves on his wrist. "Tch" The man looked up to try and either slinking away, if it were a man, or, if it were a woman, accuse the other party of lying, but when his eyes finally reached those of his captor, what he saw had stolen away any words or hope of getting out of this...much less unharmed.
"Just what exactly do you think you were trying to do?" Sakura's tone was quite high pitched and light despite the fact that she was spitting her sentence out, rather loudly (privacy be damned!), through her teeth and that her hands were constricting the perverts wrists to near bone crushing pressure.
"Well...explain yourself...better make it a good one."
When Sakura spoke, Sora gave a gasp that was a little too loud and spun away with a flourish that made it look like she'd moved farther than she really had. Attention was on them now from much of the room and if they were forced to put on a show then she could play the audience. It wouldn't be the first time either.
Sora pulled Tanya to her side with a touch on the younger's arm and looked to a waiter who was nearby. She waved him over and spoke in a voice that would carry to the nearest groups. She chose her words carefully though they would be mutilated in retelling even moving around the room. "Would you get security please? This man has caused a situation that would become a terrible incident for the press to hear, especially if my friend gets her way."
Brown eyes watched the waiter as he hurried off after a rushed bow. There had been a note of worry in his eyes; public opinion of these events ensures they would continue and those waiting on the guests would keep their job. As he faded into the growing crowd around them, Sora turned back to Sakura and reached out to touch her shoulder. "Please don't do anything foolish," she said in English, but it was mainly for show.
As the grip tightened on his arm, the man struggled to free himself before frantically turning to his, obviously foreign, captor, "Hey! Didn't you hear your friend! She told you to let go!"
Sakura tilted her head and looked between the two, feigning complete ignorance to all the English being spoken to her. Following the perverts gaze, she turned to her friend and spoke very quickly in her best known language, "My, my, what should I do...would you like to continue this show, or should I toss his ass flat outside?"
["Much as I would enjoy that,"] Sora said with the hint of a smile breaking through the mask, ["it's more acceptable to leave him until the security guards arrive. They can escort him out then."] A sigh that sounded more like a deep breath, and then she continued in Japanese. ["Although personally I would much prefer the chance to pound him into the pavement myself."]
In the background was the shuffle of body moving and many feet walking but it got gradually louder until from the crowd a pair of guards emerged. They wore simple uniforms in solid black to blend in but when you saw them there was no mistaking their purpose. Both men were tall with hard faces made even more so by the matching stern expressions and while the clothes didn't bulge, it was obvious as they moved how much muscle was under the fabric.
His hand was released as the guards approached him. "Le-listen...they're complete liars!" Flailing about, he pointed to the group of girls while attempting to back away from the men after him; unfortunately, there was a crowd solidified around him.
Once cornered, the man charged towards the women, "I'm telling you, these bitches are liars!"
The attack was unexpected but not entirely unforeseen. Sora and Tanya moved at the same time, dodging effortlessly to the right and as the would be attacker ran through the now empty air he tripped and fell only to land right at the feet of the security guards. Both men reached down, nearly in unison, and each caught an arm of the pervert to haul him to his feet.
"Throw him out on the street for attempting to harm these girls," spoke a voice that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. A wizened old man appeared from behind the security personnel moments later. The gray of what remained of his hair blended against the pale tones of the suit that only made him look more dignified.
Before he could protest, the man was lifted and taken away, presumably to be thrown out...or perhaps he awaited a worse fate.
When the man was out of view, the only safe woman of the group (for the entire time) turned to the old man with a bow and, laying on the accent, spoke "what little English she knows", "Sank you"
Before either Sora or Tanya could offer their own thanks, the old man spoke again. "I must apologize for my nephew's rudeness. I have tried to keep him from these events but there is only so far one may go before the boundary of rudeness ceases to exist. Even as a youth, however, he had a horrible wandering eye and his hands were even worse. And his father was just as bad. If he hadn't also gained a keen mind for business I would have disowned him when the scandals began years ago but one must have an heir, eh?"
The older brunette couldn't help a genuine smile. The things this stranger was telling them should have made the situation awkward, but it was a pure honesty that she could easily admire. A partial curtsy, just a slight bob of a bow, and Sora spoke. "Well we are ever so grateful that you had him removed from our presence. I would hate for my own daughter to be subjected to something so improper while she's still at such an innocent age."
Though the youngest was already beyond an age she would have been expected to be starting her own family when he was younger, the male nodded once. "If it should please you, I can restrict his access to the events I fund when you choose to attend. Just a word to security is needed, and your name of course."
"Langston, Maria," Sora answered the almost question, nearly forgetting the alias she was currently wearing. "But that is unnecessary, Mr..." he supplied her his name and she continued, "Walters. I do, however, thank you for your consideration and graciousness."
That seemed to effectively end the encounter, and the women were bid wishes to enjoy the remainder of their evening by the event's host. Within moments he'd vanished into the crowd again, along with the minor security detail that the brunette only noticed afterwards. That detail bothered her but it was nothing she could change. As she scanned the room for any other things she hadn't seen before, the glass came up to her lips in feign of simply taking a drink but this time she didn't even swallow any of the liquid. Perhaps the drink was to blame for her lack of perception.
The remainder if the night proceeded in an extremely uneventful manner, even as such events typically go. Shortly before events concluded a select few individuals were offered a complimentary piece of art from potential up and comings in thanks for their generosity. This small group gathered in a back room as the rest of the crowd filed out the main entrance.
Once outside, Sora started to lead her guests down the street as others were pausing to wait or getting into vehicles parked nearby. Tanya walked before the older pair as they spoke; the brunette answering a recent question now that they could hear.
"Those guys were the highest donators." Brown eyes focused mostly on the youngest of the trio but she took in their surroundings entirely so they wouldn't get lost. "Obviously they can't be given anything that costs money or donations will drop because the funds are being used wrongly. And this way there's a chance they might get a real reward, though most artists do-"
Down the block a car backfired, the sound shattering the soft noise of the night and drew many stares, even from those getting into vehicles. Both brunettes had paused to look too, and that moment was all that was needed. A dark shape lumbered out from the mouth of an alley and took hold of the teen. A flash of silver as he pressed a knife to her throat and a voice rasped out a crude demand.
"Gimme all your money, now!"
"You really don't want to threaten my daughter," Sora cautioned the armed man. She had an air of calm even with the bite in her tone. Instinct overrode habit in this instance and she moved closer, both to the man holding the younger brunette and to the dark opening the stranger had come from. For her part, the teen was strangely sedate as well. So much so, one could almost venture the guess that she felt zero fear in the present situation.
"Dear sir, I believe it is in your better interest to release the young woman." The shortest amongst the group, even in her heels, bit out through a smile.
The man demanded again that the two not held by him give them, not only their cash now, but every valuable that they had on them, hidden or not. Neither of the women moved to hand him what he wanted, as a consequence, he only needed to glance for a second to the dark opening, and the distracted brunette was grabbed as well.
Further down the road, not far off from where the screeching cars once were, three men, who knew better than to get closer to the scene, were watching, small smiles reaching them as they knew that they'd finally be able to determine if they had found not only what they were looking for, but a way to get it "peacefully". From what they could see, it seemed like the younger one, the first one grabbed, had just had enough pressure applied to the silver line pressed against her throat to pull out a tiny amount of blood...oh yeah, they were enjoying the show.
A noise that could only be described as a feral growl escaped the only free one as she flexed her hands in and out, deciding on which person to go after first.
'If I go after either one first...chances are the other will seriously hurt their hostage...I'll have to get them at the same time...but...well I could always attempt to erase their memories later...'
Sakura took a deep breath in, closed her eyes, placed her hands in front of her chest and began to speak quit crisp and clearly, "Στην αγκαλιά ο ένας του άλλου, τύχη σας θα βρίσκονται: Οργανοληπτική LINK!" Her eyes opened, catching the last few seconds of an eerie silver color which was rapidly fading back to the usual blue and green, and she smiled.
The two men holding her friends began to laugh, the first man managing out an insulting "Dumb bitch"
"Hand", was the reply he received from a sweet, sing-song voice. When he looked down, he could see a big purple, circle with a knife and a gun, taking up the better part of the back of his hand. "You too deary" She directed to the man holding the older brunette, to his horror, he had the same thing.
Taking their distraction and confusion as an opening, Sakura raced towards the closer one, the one who had Sora in his grasps, and jabbed him, almost softly, a few times along the spine, forcing him to release his hold, at the same time forcing his partner to do the same.
Before he could collapse from the now temporarily useless nerves, he was grabbed by the same woman, flipped back, over her and dealt a very heavy ax-kick to an area that he had considered his most precious. In the few seconds it took him, and his partner, to pass out, they suffered a doubly excruciating pain that felt as if it had dragged on for well over an hour, each mille-second praying something or someone would come to end it for them.
"Enjoy pissing blood for the next year." Sakura sang out with a sweet smile before flitting over to Tanya, "I am so sorry this has happened! Here," she ripped part of her dress and placed some goo from a small leaf she had seemed to pull out of nowhere onto it and held it up against Tanya's small cut.
The youngest seemed more startled by Sakura's sudden attention on her than she had at any other point in the confrontation, though she'd looked a bit wide-eyed as Sakura performed her spell. Her hands fumbled playing with the tie around her waist as mostly blue eyes watched the older woman. Her mouth opened but the words came out in just more than a whisper. "Thank you..."
"Come on," Sora spoke, suddenly beside them. "We should get out of here before anyone comes to investigate." The teen reached up to hold the cloth herself as her mom started to lead them into the dark between the two buildings where their attacks had come from. "We're in full public view..."
She steered them through the darkness without letting go until they reached the next street. Only then did she drop her arms but they weren't allowed to stay there. The older brunette started towards their hotel, considerably closer now than before but still a few blocks. Tanya followed close after, hesitating a moment to see if Sakura would follow too.
The woman in the now slightly ripped dress let herself fall behind a little to look at where they had come from.
'I could have sworn that that alleyway was a dead end...that's what most muggers stick to...guess I was wrong...' Realizing she had fallen a little too behind and was in danger of being on her own and getting lost, she ran off, leaving her questions temporarily behind to catch up with the other two.
That was until the hotel; it was late, but she found that she was still brimming with energy, so Sakura had managed to squeeze out of her dress and into a simple bathing suit she had bought (you can't just keep going in your bra and panties), a towel which was securely wrapped around her, and very cheap flip-flops. As she was about to step out of the door, everything from before had rushed back to her, reminding the woman aching for a swim, just how much explaining...or lying, she had to do and how many questions she needed to ask.
'Well...I guess I can try and make this as quick and painless enough that I can still squeeze in some swimming...'
"So...about before...do you want to start or should I?"
Sora looked up from the screen of her laptop and over to Sakura with a mildly surprised look. Conversation had been almost nonexistent between them since the attack on the street, which she didn't mind because she had a new deadline for work, but this was not a topic she expected nor wanted to deal with right now. And she said as much to the other female.
"There's nothing to talk about." She left the unspoken "here" hang in the air for a moment before continuing. "Go ahead and go for a swim; we'll still be here when you get back." A gentle smile to show she was teasing, though she had to let Sakura know the topic wouldn't be dropped entirely. "It's late right now, but if you're certain we need to talk we can tomorrow."
They would be headed back tomorrow so that way they could talk in a more secure setting. Security both that no one could spy on them and so Sora could detain the other girl if necessary though she needn't know any of those thoughts.
The unnaturally warm water swished about as small feet slowly made circles in it while the rest of their body remained entirely too dry. Disappointed in this, the feet stopped and refused to continue no matter how much their owner willed them to.
"I wonder what time it it..." She mused aloud, not caring whether or not the few couples around her answered, as it were, one elderly one did, strangely in unison, so she now at least she knew it was half past midnight.
'It's this late and I still haven't even gone for a single lap...' Sakura sighed and decided to finally stand up and walk over to the deep end, more specifically to the diving board.
"Here goes nothing." Slightly nervous as the height became steeper and steeper, but the woman didn't falter and with one final breath she leapt to begin what laps she could before the thick veil of sleep began to creep over her.
As it were, she only lasted for a half hour before she was slipping back into a now quite dark room quietly, making sure not to bump into anything and quickly jumping into the bathroom to change and get the chlorine out of her hair, lest she wanted it to be black and green. Finally, after checking around the room, making sure everything was locked and nothing was out of, Sakura slipped into her bed and began drifting away.