Chapter Fourteen

Kill the Tension

Night was near fallen by the time they returned to the base. The savory scent of cooking dinner washed the building's air, and Inari took her limited spare time to unpack her new possessions. Jock sat under the window, licking his paws, and she unwrapped each paper parcel. The fabrics were rougher than what she was used to, and as Inari folded her clothing and tucked them away in the drawers, the reality of her situation became ever more clear. Her closets back at the Ryder estate were filled with silk and cashmere and never a patch of cotton in sight. Her linens were like a bed of air, her furniture was carved and polished and grand.

But she had forgotten to buy a hairbrush. Inari was forced to comb with her fingers and hope that was enough.

Shadows leaked in from the window, and the night felt very solemn. Hugging her sides, Inari deactivated Wind Rider. She tried to pretend she was back home, and her parents were only down stairs. Completely disassociated from her surroundings, Inari nearly convinced herself that the smoky scents in the air belonged to the chef's chicken, the romps shaking nearby rooms were just the guards changing shifts. She tried so hard. She imagined her home.

But then she activated Wind Rider.

Sighing, Inari massaged her temples. Her life had turned tragic. But then the angel on her shoulder whispered Tepp's name, and Inari realized that at least her cloths were clean. At least she had a bed, no matter how small. At least she wasn't dining on raw rat. Guilt pricked her stomach. She wanted to feel sorry for herself, to mourn her losses and blame the world, but that small voice of reason reminded her that things could be worse. She wanted to yank that voice and toss it in the fire.

To make matters worse, she hadn't had a single moment along with Seiger. When she and Mine finally met up with him and Lubbok, the four walked the long trek back to the base together. Lubbok offered his bookstore to crash for the night (apparently its basement was a secondary base location, for when Night Raid needed easier access to the capital,) but Seiger insisted he was fine. Inari was growing increasingly worried—whether it was for him, or about him, however, she wasn't sure. She needed Seiger to be her ally, but as of yet, neither knew of the other's true intentions. Was he also plotting to avenge Inari's parents? Or did he really consider himself apart of their team? Even considering that possibility made her furious. The responsibility of mourning Helena and Danven was as much his as it was Inari's. Yet…He stopped wearing the crest…

The other weight on her mind: searching the Ryder Estate cellar before it was too late. Inari didn't know if she was prepared to clean up her parents' crime or not, but she if she wanted to find some sort of cure for "Ambrosia addiction," she would have to act quickly. The drug den was hidden enough, but she simply couldn't risk it being discovered and emptied until she found what she was looking for. It had been two days already. If Aria's house was anything to judge by, the Empire would have the Ryder Estate emptied within the week.

"DINNER IS READY!" Leone's voice bellowed through the halls. Sighing, Inari took a moment to gather herself. She called for Jock, and together they left the bedroom. She would have to eat with the others. She wanted them, needed them, to trust her.

At the table, plates of steaming meat and sautéed vegetables called to her stomach. Tossing Jock a turkey leg, Inari piled her serving full of healthy salads, hungry after a day of shopping. One by one the entire team took a seat, until everyone was bumping elbows. Only Najenda was absent.

"We need a bigger table," Lubbok said through a mouth full of food.

"Tatsumi can just sit on the floor," Mine suggested.

"I'm not sitting on the floor, Mine," Tatsumi refused, a slight exasperation to his tone.

"Someone just build a new one," Akame muttered, uninterested.

"Anyone know how?" Leone asked.

"I can try," Sheele offered.

"The last time you built something," Lubbok waved his fork at her, "I ended up with a nail in my butt."

"Oh, that's right," Sheele remembered dreamily.

"It was your fault for sitting down," Mine said.

"My fault for sitting down!?" Lubbok stuffed a chunk of broccoli in his mouth. "It was a chair!"

"Yea, but a chair Sheele built," Leone tsked. "You should know better."

"But don't feel bad Sheele," Bulat pat her shoulder.

"Feel bad about what?" She asked.

"Never mind," Bulat chuckled.

"I still don't see the problem with Tatsumi siting on the floor," Mine reached out for a second serving of potatoes. Inari would have been surprised that someone with such a small frame could still be hungry, but Akame was even more terrifying. The cat-like woman had already cleaned five plates, and there was no end in sight.

"That reminds me," Leone said before Tatsumi could reply. "Seiger, Inari—we need to talk chores."

"Chores?" Seiger asked, curious.

"Yea, we've all got some job to do," Bulat said. "Mine does the laundry, Akame and Tatsumi cook the meals—"

"Hey, we do a lot more than cook," Tatsumi defended. "We hunt, too."

"You mean Akame hunts," Mine corrected cattily.

"Why are you like this?" Tatsumi wasn't even angry. "You know as well as anyone that I do my fair share."

"How many fish did you catch last week again?" Mine asked, though she clearly knew the answer.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"What was that? I didn't hear you," Mine leaned forward.

"Shut up," Tatsumi grumbled.

"Hm?" she prompted.

"One! Ok, I caught one!" Tatsumi threw his hands in the air, "you happy?"

"Hey, we were all very proud of Tatsumi and his one fish," Sheele defended him, but her words only seemed to squander any remained pride the boy had left.

"You don't have to word it like that," he mumbled bitterly. Leone, Lubbok and Bulat laughed. Even Inari smirked, after Seiger nudged her side.

"I'm sorry, we were talking about chores?" Inari tried to regain any sense of order the conversation had left. She wasn't particularly thrilled at the idea of doing manual labor, but…if she had too…Ugh. Swallowing a grimace, Inari put a hand on her stomach. Salad, apparently, wasn't satisfying her hunger. She reached forward—Wind Rider had been activated from the very start of the meal—and piled a juice cut of meat onto her plate.

"Oh, right," Leone sniffed. "Well, you two have to contribute something, right?"

"Is killing people not enough for you?" Inari tried to mask the hostility with indifference. She poked at her steak uncertainly, trying to ignore the squish of her fork against its juices. Her comment was met with laughter.

"Well, I'm a—was, a doctor in training," Seiger offered. Inari stifled a gasp. That was right, Seiger wouldn't be able to continue his studies. His presence would raise too many questions. What a shame—he was doing so well, too. And he also enjoyed it. "But I was close to graduating anyways. I can act as your resident medic."

"What a good idea!" Mine said. She seemed to agree a lot with whatever Seiger said. Inari didn't approve.

"That would actually be pretty helpful," Lubbok scratched his nose.

"Fine," Akame voiced her opinion.

"Alright, that's settled," Leone clapped her hands. "He's good looking, too—I wouldn't mind being treated by him."

"Seconded," Bulat agreed.

Before Inari could pounce, Mine beat her to it. "Back off," she sniffed haughtily. "It's not like you ever need medical assistance anyways, lion girl. And Bulat, he doesn't lean that way."

"How do you know?" Lubbok asked. "Did you ask him?"

Mine stuttered. She looked at Seiger. "Well? Are you?"

"What?" Seiger acted as if he missed something. Inari, too, was confused.

"Gay," Tatsumi clarified.

Oh.

"Oh—Bulat is gay," Sheele suddenly spoke up. As if having just woken from a day-dream, Sheele seemed to take in her surroundings. She turned her head to and fro, the thin-frame glasses fallen at the very tip of her nose. Sheele slid them back up.

"Yes, Sheele, nice of you to join us in the conversation," Lubbok smirked.

"I wasn't paying attention," Sheele dropped her head. "My apologies."

"Yes, we know, Sheele," Leone reached over Tatsumi to pat Sheele's head. "But we love you all the same."

"Ack—hey!" Tatsumi yelped, his head about the height of Leone's (rather voluminous) chest. "Leone! Watch it!"

"Um, excuse me," Mine snapped, "can we please get back to what's important here?"

"What, whether you have a chance with Seiger?" Inari arched an eyebrow at the girl.

"No," Mine insisted. "But, well, it's just that—"

"Are you gay, Seiger?" Akame's cold voice cut through the table.

"Hey now," Bulat stammered, "you can't just ask a man that, ok?"

Before Inari could agree, Seiger let out a heart-felt laugh. Shocked, she turned, focusing Wind Rider on his movements. Bouncing shoulders, hand over forehead and head thrown back; Seiger was overcome with amusement. The scene caught her by surprise—when was the last time Inari saw him laugh like that?

"No, no, I don't think I am," Seiger wiped a tear—an actual tear—from his eye. "Not completely, anyway. But I will say, I've never seen anyone as handsome as Bulat before."

"Oh, come on, I'm right here," Lubbok said, though he was grinning.

"Those muscles, the shine in his eyes," Seiger's emphasized the whimsy in his voice, "the hair—"

"Bulat's hair looks like a corn cob," Leone interrupted.

"Hey! Apologize to the man," Lubbok slammed his palm on the table. "If anything, it's a baguette." Everyone laughed. Even Inari. She couldn't help herself, they were all so…barbaric…But in a good way, odd enough.

"Oh, come on guys," Bulat said sheepishly.

"Well, I'm a man who can appreciate a good pastry," Seiger laughed.

"Not too much, I hope," Mine smirked.

Completely focused on the fun at the table, Inari absently cut off her first piece of meat and popped it into her mouth.

The illusion shattered.

The steak squished under her teeth, squirting savory juices onto her tongue. The cut was medium rare, slimy, wet—Inari had never had a problem with meat before, but the sensations called up memory of the rat in the alley-way, the old man's rotten teeth piercing it's skin and sinking into it's raw flesh; the Danger Beast worm and its convulsing body, Seiger's brains dripping from his ears, Helena's bloody corpse—

Sitting stock still, Inari suffered a moment of panic. Should she spit it out? No—that was disgusting—but could she swallow it? Attempting to push the chunk of meat towards her throat, Inari gagged.

"Are you ok?" Tatsumi asked.

No, no no no no—Inari lunged from the table, sending her chair colliding into Sheele, and raced from the table. Jock growled and bound after her, his paws slapping against the hardwood. She dashed from the dining room, through the house, out the back door. Crisp air gnawed her skin as Inari ran as far as she could, until her stomach flashed. Bile rose up her throat and Inari bent over, vomiting.

Soft fingers brushed against her neck, and for a moment Inari thought someone had finally come to kill her. Instead, the person pulled Inari's hair back. Mortally embarrassed, Inari had no choice but to let her stomach spill. She was too preoccupied to use Wind Rider and determine who it was behind her. The person remain silent as Inari's heaving gradually calmed.

Wiping her mouth, Inari took steadying breaths.

"Are you done?" Akame asked.

Momentarily shocked to hear the woman's voice, Inari activated Wind Rider. Indeed, Akame stood behind her, her long hair lifting in the wind's whispers, eye muscles loose and expression empty. Slowly, Inari nodded, and Akame released the hair to cascade past Inari's shoulders. Huffing, Jock pushed his wet nose into Inari's shoulder.

"I thought you were Seiger," Inari whispered, more out of realization than anything else. She had wanted it to be Seiger.

"He tried to run after you," Akame said in a mono-tone, "but I didn't let him." Her words were cold, sending chills down Inari's spine. Akame continued standing there, towering over her, and Inari suddenly felt very awkward. Was the woman trying to be weird, staying at Inari's back with limp arms?

Uncomfortable, Inari shifted so that Akame at least faced her side. "Why not?"

"His injury will never heal," was her short answer.

"Oh, ok," Inari nodded passively. She was still recovering, the skin around her lips stinging and water glossing her eyes. The pungent odor of Inari's discards hung in the air like a damp ghost, heavy and warm. But the night was cool on her back, soothing her sweaty forehead with refreshing fingers. Cricket song enveloped the air, the stars of nature's orchestra.

"I'm sorry," Inari whispered absently.

"For what?"

That was a good question—the apology had slipped from Inari's lips unintentionally. But she was. Somehow, for whatever reason, Inari was sorry. All her guilt, remorse, sorrow and anger had been washed away, leaving in it's wake an empty…acceptance, maybe, if only for the moment.

Shaking her head, Inari stood. "You didn't have to come out here."

"You are my team member," Akame said simply. She put her hand on Inari's shoulder. "My comrade. You ate at our table." Akame shifted her feet, and in that moment Inari realized how…awkward the woman was. From afar, Akame was a terrifying, cold-blooded demon, but perhaps Inari had misinterpreted the woman's guarded demeanor. As if to substantiate Inari's thoughts, Akame awkwardly pat Inari's head. "There, there."

The sentiment was so unbelievably odd, Inari burst out in laughter.

Akame stilled, her hand stiff on Inari's head. "What?"

Inari shook her head, the absurdity of the situation overwhelming. "What are you doing?" She managed.

Akame faltered. "I'm…comforting you."

In that moment, Inari wasn't with a killer. Remembering Sheele's kindness with the lemonade, Bulat's concern after pushing Inari over, Mine paying the tab at the bakery, Inari felt a wave of…something. Night Raid was a band of assassins, but they truly seemed to…care, in their own ways. Lubbok had come hurtling from the sky to stop Inari from fighting anyone. Despite all the grief he got, Tatsumi seemed so genuine and down to earth. Leone was rowdy and obnoxious, but she treated Inari like…a friend. Najenda wouldn't have killed them if Inari and Seiger refused Night Raid's invitation. They were all so young, and passionate—they believed in their hearts that they were doing the right thing.

And they were honest. They acknowledged their sins.

For the first time, Inari's resolve wavered. Should she report them to Honest? If what Night raid claimed was true—that the Capital was overrun with corruption, that Prime Minister Honest was the worst of them all—what was the right call? Inari thought of Tepp, the man eating the rat, and the ragged boy dying in the shade. They really did have it worse than her, and no one was going to help them. Inari's parents had committed an unforgivable crime. There was no denying that that man in the alley was smoking their drugs. "Ride," "Ambrosia"; Night raid was right about her parents. What if they really were right about the Casnes, too? And the entire Capital, for that matter?

She needed more proof. Every empire had it's share of poverty and corruption. And Inari didn't think she could ever forgive Night Raid for her parents. Helena and Danven were despicable, but…still…she loved them. No, Night Raid would never be her family. Night Raid killed her family, and that was a scar that could never heal.

But there were bigger issues, now, than Inari's feelings. The Ryder family had a history of dedication and heroism towards the Empire. She would revive the Ryder name, and serve a cause worthy of it. For the time being, Inari would lay low, until she can properly determine the right place to be. She can hate Night Raid in her heart, but if they were fighting on the true side of justice, than Inari would stand along side them.

It was incredibly painful, though, because the Helena and Danven Inari knew would be proud of her. But the real Helena and Danven…

She was alone. But for the first time in a long long while, Inari felt in control. And that was worth it, to some extant.

"Thank you," she told Akame genuinely.

The woman nodded her head. She inhaled, held her breath, a gap between her lips, but no words came out. Inari was about to prompt her, for it seemed that Akame either struggled for words or had them and was reluctant to speak, but Lubbok's voice called out from the shadows.

"AKAME! INARI!"

The sudden burst of noise startled Jock, who stared off in the direction of the base and growled. Akame whirled around, and Inari detected Lubbok's form running towards them. Night Raid's house was only maybe fifty yards back—Inari hadn't made it very far at all.

"Najenda's calling a team meeting," Lubbok called. He stopped running, still several feet away from them, and grinned wickedly. "We've got a job."