Repaired Beyond Recognition
Chapter 25
"That's it. You've got the hang of it." Yuki clapped happily as Harmony clicked on Yuki's laptop.
"Um…Thank you?" She looked back at the woman like she was naked. She had changed her clothes twice since last night. Kuji insisted she wear her spare night gown instead of the tattered and oddly burned old pants and T she had met her in. Now it was Yuki's turn to share clothes. Harmony wore over her bandages her short sleeved black T-shirt a picture of an 'Animal Crossing' character on it, a yellow school girl skirt with black shorts under, and Yellow and black stripped socks.
"I guess it's a good thing you dress like a kid still." Kuji mocked. She was helping tie Harmony's hair back the way the girl had requested. "There! You look so lovely." She gestured the girl to turn around so she could see her face. "Now we can see your pretty face. I wish you'd let me get this out of the way." She referred to the large bang that covered one of her eyes, but it swept to the side so that the rest of the face could be seen.
"What's that, a tattoo?" Yuki noticed something that was on the lower cheek under her covered eye. It looked like a picture of a music note at a distance but when one got closer enough it was reveal as a burn scar, like a piece of hot metal in that shape had scorched her flesh.
"Poor thing. You don't remember that either. It's probably for the best." Kuji smiled sympathetically as she caressed the girl's face like Ryouko often did to Ryuto and Kane or Ka-Chan with Klay or Pit when she was younger and didn't push her away when she tried.
"I've been through something like this too. I'll help you." The girl smiled back at her. She could see how content Kuji was with the moment so she decided it best to remain silent. "First things first. We'll get you situated at your new home."
"Isn't this your home? Aren't you guys-?" Both the women jumped back with their arms held in front of them as if to shove her words out the window of a skyscraper.
"NO, NO, NO ABSOLUTELY-."
"Oh, not at all! We're just friends on vacation! We, we were going to have other friends too but- And we got stuck here alone, in this house, me and her, just unpacking and cooking and laughing together."
"…You're not helping Yuki-Chan."
"And we did bathe together that one time…"
"YUKI!"
"Um…OK." Harmony was set back by the great amount of hostility they had toward the idea of being mistaken for roommates. 'If they hated each other that much,' she thought. 'Then why did they decide to vacation together?'
"I can't wait to show you to the others! They'll love you." She quickly jumped back to ogling the teen brushing her hair with her shell adorned brush. Harmony was beginning to feel like a porcelain doll. "And you'll feel so at home with them." She looked at the child a few times as she switched between brushing and fluffing her bangs. "I can't wait to take you clothes shopping. It's so much more fun for a girl."
"That's nice of you Kuji, but-."
"You going to make her wear dolphin stuff so you can be 'kinda twinsies'?"
"Shut up Yuki-Chan."
Meanwhile
The leaves on the trees were halfway fallen. The trees looked more pathetic as they seemed to cling onto deadweight. Ryuto couldn't help but stare at them through the kitchen window as he helped his aunt set the table for breakfast.
"I don't know what's wrong this refrigerator." She sighed as she pulled out some food. "All of the sudden it decided to freeze the milk, and then when I turn it down it the juice gets too warm."
"Hm? But you just got it." Ryouko had come in the moment she spoke. She took a few seconds to realize what Matsu had told her. "…Oh, well, maybe it just needs to get used to the outer temperature…"
"What? I, guess so…" She looked at her sister-in-law like she had spontaneously started singing opera. She set the last dishes on the table in time for Ryuto to finish his job with the chopsticks.
"How come you never wear that suit Mr. Suit guy gave you? You've had it for almost a month now." Breakfast was unusual quiet once it had started so pit had decided it was a good time play for her curiosity.
"I wear the shirt sometimes…" He played a little with his plum using his chopsticks as he answered. "He told me to take it with me every chance I got so I have to careful with it." He ate some porridge as he contemplated his own question. "What's it mean when you get 'Installed'? Cuz he didn't really explain what I was supposed to do if I was 'accepted'."
"You sing." Kane explained as she daintily sipped her de-frozen milk. She was loving every bit of her new taste bud program. "Like you do when you're in the bathtub. Dr. Hiyo told me."
"…That's it?"
Meanwhile
"Ooh! Can't we put a bow in her hair and hide her like a surprise present?" Yuki asked excitedly as she packed her clothes up for a trip cut short.
"Please don't." The girl replied quietly as she helped Kuji.
"Don't worry Harmony-Chan, I won't let her put a bow on you or wrap you up in wallpaper."
"Aw, can we-?"
"We are not getting her to jump out of a cake." Kuji spoke in her 'and that is final' tone as she guided Harmony to the car.
"I wasn't going to say that but that sounds awesome!" She hurried what little she had left an caught up with them.
"Cake…" Harmony moaned under her breath as her stomach scolded her.
"Already hungry again? Hm. How long has it been since breakfast?" Kuji looked at Yuki for the time.
"Um… A while actually."
"That's not it." Ryuto shook his head at Pit. "That was only an underling. You can't beat the Boss that fast." He had on his Gachapin coat with the little tail, a mostly plain grey shirt with a small picture of a Shiba Inu, and black cargo pants that were meant to resemble armor and his light pink and yellow scarf that was meant to be his cape and paperboy hat was his helmet. He had just 'cut grass' for money to 'fall out' with his toy sword before turning to the girl.
"I know, he was about to attack Kane so I had to defeat him with my super punch." She held up her fist and acted like it was tugging on something. She wore a dark baggy sweat shirt under a jean jacket, a knee length swampy green skirt, and black leggings that was her berserker's uniform. "I was just saying he might have been sent by the Boss. He's a big one too."
"Then why did you kill him?" Klay shook his head. He wore a wizard's fedora that was two sizes too big, a tie-dye long sleeve peacefrog T, swampy green shorts, an oversized button-up shirt to serve as a robe, and a puffy blue coat over all that. "If you trapped him I could have used a spell to force him to tell us where the Demon Boss was."
"Ooooh. Does that mean we have to run around again?" Kane moaned with displeasure. She wore her favorite casual dress that was pink with maroon lace around the bottom of the skirt, collar, and poofy sleeves and a winter coat that mostly concealed it.
"You don't have to play if you don't want to Kane-Chan." Pit tried to his best not to sound condescending.
"N-no, I want to play. I just…My feet are a little tired." Of course it was a lie, but she didn't want them to think she hated playing with them. She just really hated playing the 'pretend to fight monsters' game that her brother and cousins loved to play.
"Tired?" Ryuto seemed a little concerned and it made her feel really bad.
"Um, Yeah. I'm just going to sit down inside…" She started to walk away.
"Um, alright…Maybe we should-."
"It's OK Pit-Chan. You guys can keep playing." She felt guilty for nearly ruining their fun but knew it was too late to take back her small fib. The others watched as she left them all with looks of concern. She was hoping the TV would be free so she could watch her favorite show. Matsu was leaving the house just as she was entering.
"Kane-Chan? Are you alright?" He asked. He glanced up to see the kids staring at the two of them and contemplated the situation.
"Yeah, I just wanted to see if my show was on today…" She decided to tell him the truth, not wanting to let him think the other children had booted her out.
"Oh, alight." He shrugged. His nonchalant behavior told the children it was alright to continue their pretend game without the threat of guilt.
"Sir Gacha, now that lady Kane has been sent to aid a faraway land with their diseased invasion of Heafdor virus how are we to contend against the fell Demon Boss?"
"Well, Um…" The boy paused, not remembering what wizards were referred in rank. "Grand Houdini Master Klay-Kun, I have collected enough gold for potions so we should be OK."
"Can't you just poof potions into existence?" Pit asked sassily with her hands on her hips.
"I cannot make things out of thin air Berserker Pit-Chan." He frowned at her deeply. She always seem to forget when they were trying to heal Samurai Gacha from a fierce Hydra poisoning and explained several times that matter cannot be created out of nothing regardless of how advanced one's staff was.
"Wait! I saw it! The Demon Boss!" Gacha held his hands in front of his face like he was adjusting binoculars. "He's getting away!" They darted into the woods as they tailed the invisible fiend.
"Don't go too far!" Matsu shouted after them. He took a few minutes before following them. He came up to a small jog once the sound of laughter became dangerously faint. "Gacha! Not too far!"
"There! It's lair!" He found them a good distance away at a spot he had not seen before. It was a steep slope in the wooded ground causing the trees growing along that line to have crooked trunks. He was not close enough to see what was at the bottom but the children were teetering on the edge.
"Careful Gacha." He cautioned with his arms held defensively. "Back away from the ledge please."
"But Pa-PA!" The child slipped as he turned to look up at the man and fell out of view. Matsu dived blindly after him. This caused the both of them to fall into a small bog at the bottom. Mud caked the tall man as he lifted the child up by his collar with the most displeased face.
"Uh. I guess this isn't the Boss Demon. Eh heh."
Meanwhile
"Who are you calling Kuji-Chan?" Yuki was the last in the car after rushing back into the restaurant to retrieve leftovers.
"My sister. I'm telling her I'm coming over."
"NNNOOOO, Don't tell her." She whined. She tried to reach for the woman's phone.
"Alright, alright. Just stop flailing your arms like they're suffocating eels." Harmony simply watched with a mix of unease and amusement. She quietly sipped her takeout beverage as she witnessed the two grown women struggle over a cellular in the front seat.
"You promise you won't tell her?"
"Yes, YES! Stop trying to tickle me into submission you freakin' Guppy!"
"Say it."
"Ugh. Fine, I promise-."
"The right way!"
"Seriously?" She shot the other a look but she did not budge on the subject. "I, Kujiloid promise-."
"That's not-."
"I promise not to call my sister and tell her that we are coming! Happy?"
"And your brother."
"What? Why would I call him? I never call him for stuff like this. Only when I can't get everyone else. I'd call Gacha before him."
"Fine, then your Brother-in-Law."
"Ha! I'd call Matsu –Kun before Rye-San! One time I had to explain to him that the door said PUSH." In all fairness he was drunk that night years ago…Before the children.
"OK, Sister-in-Law."
"Ugh, I promise not to call Ryouko either or the house in general." She glared at her to see if there was anything else to add. "You better be glad I know where they are." She huffed before starting the car.
"Yyye-ah." The girl clapped her hands as she chanted. "We're gonna surprise them, we're gonna surprise them!"
"I feel like I'm watching over two teens…" It was a short drive to the old house. She felt a wave of nostalgia as she drove through the canvas of dying fall leaves. The car came up in the driveway with the sound of crunching peddles. She breathe in the feeling of going back as much as she could before Yuki practically jumped out of the car through the window.
"C'mon Hhhaarrrmonnnnnyyyy." The girl was far less jumpy as she got out. She was quiet too but not because she was off put by the energetic woman next to her.
"I, really shouldn't have drank that much…" She murmered.
"The bathroom is the second to last in the hall. You should probably go before you meet everyone. It could take a while." Kuji thought back in case she didn't remember Ka-Chan description of the improvements correctly.
"Th-thank you." She lead them into the house. She quickly knocked and waited a few seconds until Ka-Chan answered the door.
"Hello?"
"Sorry, gotta go!" The girl had a bowed her head before bolting to the instructed door.
"Who was-?" Ryouko saw the girl bolt through the hall. "W-Wait! Don't go in the bathroom!"
The water in the tub was still nice and soothing warm as the two soaked. Ryuto was humming a tune from his favorite TV show 'Hirake! Ponkikki' until a large wave caused by him plopping down forced his toy out the bath. "Um, Papa?" The boy looked up at his father and hoped he wasn't asleep.
"Hm?" He opened one eye and waited for his response.
"Can you get Moch-ney?" He reached over to the Lochness Monster type dinosaur toy that lay on the tile floor in a puddle of water that came with him when he fell. "I can't reach him."
"All right. I'll get him." Matsu climbed out the large tub and walked over to the creature. He became confused when he heard his son giggle and say, "You're not a boy, you shouldn't be in here." Matsu looked up to see a stranger in the frame of the open door.
"Ah!" He reached for a towel to cover himself but it was too late, Harmony wasn't thinking about going to the bathroom anymore. It was understandably blank now.
Note
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I regret nothing