Chapter 35: When We Were Starting Over, I Didn't Mean Like This ~ Len
I'm sure it will be a surprise to hear, but I don't actually skip anger management today. I did kinda tell Miku and everyone else I would try to get better, so, after school, Big Al drops me off somewhere in the middle of town and watches me go in. I know he's brought some school work with him that he needs to mark, meaning he's going to be sat in his car outside the entire time, just so he can catch me if I try to escape.
But I'm not planning too.
"I'm here to see Doctor Xingchen Stardust," I say to the receptionist.
The receptionist looks up. "And you are?"
"Len Kagamine," I tell her. My nails are already digging into my palms, and my foot is already tapping in irritation.
The receptionist taps a few things out on her computer then tells me to sit down and wait. I begrudgingly comply, and I'm sat there for what feels like forever. Finally, my name is called by a Chinese woman with long lilac hair tied back in two low ponytails. Soon enough, I find myself sat at on a chair in a spacious room, with Doctor Stardust sat in front of me. I know she's a Monster specialist, but from first appearances it's impossible to tell what she is straight away.
"Are you an alien?" I ask, taking in her starry wallpaper. She even has stars on her dress.
"I'll leave you to figure it out," she says, smiling as she leans back in her chair. "So, you're Len? I missed seeing you last week."
"Sorry, but I was in a bad mood," I reply, slumping back in my own chair.
"Which is precisely why you're in this room right now," she tells me. "I know your uncle through work related things. He says you have trouble at home."
I grunt. That would be an understatement.
"So, are you having trouble at home?" she asks.
"I guess," I mutter, flexing my fingers so I don't curl them into my palms again.
She gives me a slow nod as she says, "I can tell you're already getting angry, and this is what we're here to stop. How about we start from the beginning?"
So she asks me a bunch of questions, mostly about potential triggers. What makes me angry, really. I snort and tell her it's being a werewolf that's the reason. She doesn't seem particularly amused as she writes something down in her notebook. I try my best to answer the rest of her questions, but, well, it's not exactly easy. I can't even talk to those I trust. How am I supposed to talk to a stranger, even if she is a paid professional? Still, I mention something about Mum in passing, and she writes something else down.
I'm only supposed to be there for an hour, and that hour passes by quicker than I expect. I leave somewhat grumpily, but Doctor Stardust still smiles as she waves goodbye, calling out that she'll see me next week. I manage a halfhearted wave in response, though I don't even spare the receptionist a thought as I trudge out the building.
I climb into the passenger seat of Big Al's car. It's actually quite funny seeing him in a car; he's so big he takes up almost all the space. He has to keep his chair pushed back super far so he can fit in his legs, which means whichever poor squat is sat behind him gets no leg room at all.
He looks up from the work he's got balanced on one knee and asks, "So, how did it go?"
"Successful, I guess," I say, slumping back in the seat, much in the same manner as I had done back in Doctor Stardust's office.
Big Al actually smiles as he asks, "Really? How so—"
"I actually walked inside," I mutter as I plug in my seatbelt. "I even sat down. I'll call that successful. Especially since I stayed the whole hour."
Big Al's smile slips, and he sighs as he hands me his work so he can plug in his own seatbelt. "Well, it's a start. I know, since you've done extraordinarily well, considering this is you…"
I snort. "Wow, thanks for the compliment."
He rolls his eyes as he finishes his sentence. "How about we stop off at McDonald's on the way back? We don't have to tell Rin or Oliver."
"And I can have all the chicken nuggets I want?" I ask, eyebrows raised.
"Yes, you can have all the chicken nuggets you want," he replies.
"I'm game," I say.
Big Al smiles again. "Good to hear."
#
On Wednesday there's actually a cheer when I walk into the Monster Club, and for a moment I stand in the doorway and frown. Piko stands behind me, his eyebrows raised. Big Al, who's sat at the desk of the classroom we use (it's his classroom) looks as surprised as I feel. Oliver tugs on his arm to get his attention again. My cousin evidently isn't bothered by my appearance.
Miki and her sisters don't look entirely ecstatic, but they don't look scared or like they want to end me. Gumi is smiling, Sonika is grinning, and Kaito is pretending to faint back in his chair.
And, sat at a table on her own, is Rin. We haven't spoken much since the Valentine's dance, but she's stuck to what she said, and she hasn't ignored me. In fact, she actually sought me out yesterday, when I had returned from counselling, to ask how it had gone, because I'd immediately headed up to me room to be anti-social as I usually am. She smiles at me when I walk in, and for once in what has possibly been forever, she looks like the twin sister I'm supposed to have.
Miku isn't here, though. Neither is Sweet Ann.
"I thought you'd never show your face here again," Kaito calls out when he's 'recovered.'
"I had a quarrel with a table and thought I should give it some space," I reply as I perch on the table Rin is sat at, dropping my bags at my feet.
Lapis the fairy, whom I haven't seen in forever due to my avoidance of everyone, flies across the room and hovers in front of my nose. "Are you feeling better?"
"Nothing to feel better about," I lie.
"I'm not sure I believe you," Lapis says as she floats back a little bit, and I have to brush some of her fairy dust off my nose.
"You should have seen him yesterday," Rin teases. "He actually sat down at the table and had dinner with his family."
"It was a coincidence," I say with a shrug. "I was hungry and just happened to sit down at the table at the same time as everyone else."
"And it was also a coincidence that you just so happened to be craving Aunt Ann's sausage casserole?" Rin asks, eyebrows raised.
"Obviously," I reply, and I notice Big Al rolling his eyes. Oliver frowns at me then tugs on Big Al's sleeve to get his attention again. I frown back at Oliver, well, the back of his head at least.
"Where's Miku?" Piko asks. He doesn't sit down, but he does drop his bag down on the floor, next to mine.
"Fetching our newest member, of course," Rin replies, her voice hushed. "Or did you already forget?"
"Forgive him. He has the memory of a sieve," I say, nudging Piko in the knee with my foot. He doesn't even blink. Robots have a higher threshold for pain, after all, not that I kicked him that hard for even a normal person to feel pain.
I could almost laugh at my own brain thinking up the word normal.
"Me? Memory of the sieve?" Piko shakes his head. "Said the guy who forgot his math homework again."
"Not a problem when I have you to do it for me," I say with a grin.
It's at that moment where the club room door opens again and Miku and Sweet Ann finally appear, Mew trailing behind. The rest of the club weren't aware in the slightest that we were getting a new member today, so when Mew walks in, their eyes go wide. Kaito falls off his chair, for real this time. I decided after the last catastrophe I caused by talking about Miku behind her back, I was going to sit quiet on this one.
Sonika rubs her eyes. "Is that another normie I see?"
"Mew Sanderson?" Gumi asks, blinking back surprise.
"Isn't that, like, the really weird one?" Miki asks. "Y'know. The loner."
Yukari jabs her sister sharply with an elbow, and Miki winces as she rubs her side, frowning at the violence and unaware of why it happened. She really isn't that smart. Mew is also frowning, but only for an extremely brief moment, then her face becomes the more neutral expression I'm used to.
Sweet Ann shoots a stern look towards Miki, before clearing her throat and waving a hand at Mew as she says, "I would like to introduce you all to Mew, though some of you may already know her. Would you like to say what you are?"
Mew gives a courteous nod and simply says, "I'm Mew Sanderson, a recently awakened witch doctor."
"I thought witch doctors were African," Miki says, though she whispers this time, actually thinking about her actions and words. Well… she stage whispers, loud enough for everyone to hear. This time Iroha elbows her.
Mew once again frowns at Miki, or maybe she's simply frowning at the sisters sat either side of her, Yukari with her rabbit ears and Iroha with her cat ears. They make an odd trio of sisters for sure. Miku's gaze flitters around those in the room. She sees me watching her, stares back at me for a moment, then manages a small smile. It doesn't reach her eyes, but it's better than nothing. Better than what I deserve.
I keep staring, debating if I should smile back. Piko rolls his eyes, gives Miku a smile, and her own grows a little wider. Dammit, Piko. Next Rin grins and waves at Miku. Miku finally breaks out into a grin herself and waves back. Dammit, Rin.
"I'm sure you'll fit in just fine," Sweet Ann says as she pats Mew on the shoulder.
"Come on, let's introduce everyone," Miku says to Mew, giving her a smile too. Mew's face remains neutral for a moment, but then the corners of her mouth tug up slightly.
"Yes," she says. "Let's."
#
It's kinda hard to say whether Mew actually fits into the club or not. She's polite and answers people's questions the best she can. She frowns at Miki a lot, who asks one too many questions. Piko has to apologise on his fellow robot's behalf. She gets along with Kaito, at least, who, when he wants to be, isn't such a dunce. Though he does knock his bottle of blood over one of the tables and we have to clear it up.
It's not a surprise she spends the entire time sitting close to Miku, and, by proxy, Rin too. She actually smiles a little when Rin starts waving her hands around in the air, vividly describing the trouble she and Nero had caused during their free period today.
Once the club is over, everyone says their goodbyes and start heading home. Rin, Oliver and I always stay behind, so Big Al can give us a lift home. Piko's always the last to leave, sitting with me until my family is ready to head home. Today, though, Mew also looks to be staying behind.
"Mrs. Johnson, if it's all right with you, am I allowed to stay and practice some potions?" she asks.
"You want to practice in our classroom?" Sweet Ann asks, her eyebrows raised.
"You see, there was a certain potion I'd like to try," Mew explains, brushing a strand of dark hair behind an ear. "It requires volunteers, and I don't want to have to ask Grandmama to help. I think someone… younger would be more ideal."
"I'll volunteer," Miku says. "I owe you for helping me out on Valentine's."
"Oh, oh, if Miku volunteers, I definitely volunteer as tribute!" Rin exclaims, leaping up from her chair, her eyes twinkling at the thought of trying out some potions. "This sounds super fun!"
Mew looks down at her feet for a moment and murmurs, "But it might be dangerous. I've only just woken up as a witch doctor, so the potential consequences are unknown to me."
"Then it's a terrible idea," I point out, leaning back in my chair. "You could hurt Rin."
"And me," Miku reminds me, her eyebrows raised.
"Oh, you're none of my concern," I reply nonchalantly, throwing a smirk her way. She rolls her eyes and just… it feels normal for once, like we were before when we first met. Okay, so we weren't exactly great when we first met, we didn't get along that well, but I definitely prefer the flirty sarky exchanges over constant tears.
"Len, you're supposed to be trying to be nice," Piko says, leaning forward with his chin in his hands. "Telling someone their idea is terrible isn't nice."
"Give me a break, I've only had one counselling session so far. I'm working on it," I say, leaning back further in my chair. "Okay, I appreciated your willingness to be a witch doctor, but it's a not very good idea. Just gotta look out for my fellow club members, y'know."
"No, you're right," Mew says, and she picks up her bag and slings it across one shoulder. "I apologise for asking."
"Wait, I really want to try some potions!" Rin cries. "I've never tried a potion before. I can't miss this opportunity."
"If anything goes wrong, your grandma can surely reverse the issues," Miku says. "I say we give it a go."
"I say you should ask the adults first," Sweet Ann says, arms crossed as she taps a foot.
"Can we try some potentially dangerous potions, please?" Rin begs, her hands clasped together as she gives Sweet Ann her best puppy eyes.
"As long as they're sensible, I don't see why not," Big Al says. Oliver's sitting on his father's desk, sulkily leaning back on his hands, bored by the entire conversation.
Sweet Ann's worried expression is switched for a scowl as she stares at her husband. "Of course, you'd say that; you love to put children into trouble."
Big Al grimaces. Sweet Ann still hasn't quite forgiven him for the Valentine's Dance.
"Ms. Ann, it's fine," Miku tries to assure her, though I'm not sure if she's saying what happened at Valentine's is fine, or trying potions is fine, or maybe both is fine.
Seeing as everyone in the room is staring at her, Sweet Ann rubs her temples, sighs, and says, "Fine, but not at school. We go back to ours."
"Well, if Rin's not backing down, I volunteer to take the potion too," I say as I stand up and sling my own bag onto my shoulder, an indication that we really should be heading home.
"About that…" Mew says. "I need an even number of volunteers. It's a potion that works in pairs. It's supposed to connect two people together. It can make sharing feelings easier."
No everyone's staring at me, and I give them all my fakest, brightest smile, and say, "Oh no. That's what I have counselling for."
"I could always do it with Len," Piko suggests as he too stands up.
"You're a robot," Rin points out.
"Thank you, Rin. I didn't notice," Piko says with a small smile. "As long as it's a liquid, I can consume small—and I mean small—amounts, but, uh, excretingit isn't exactly easy, since, well, you know. It's why I prefer just not to have anything."
"Making a potion work for a robot will be hard," Mew says, peering at Piko curiously. "I can make it work. Google will have the answer."
"You're just going to google about robots?" Miku asks, her eyebrows raised.
"The dark web isn't just for trafficking and drugs," Mew admits. "Now, who wants to try some potions?"
We all nod, not all of us enthusiastic, and leave the school. Miku, Rin and Mew take Miku's car, and Oliver, Piko and I clamber into the back of Big Al's, with Sweet Ann's wife privileges giving her the other front seat. Oliver scowls the entire way home, and I don't know what's been up with him recently, but as soon as we get back he immediately skulks off to his room when we get home, having no care for potions.
At home, it takes Mew a while to create her potions, especially as she has to make sure they'll work for Piko. No one else can tell, but he's sitting a little more rigid than normal.
Finally, Mew is finished, and Miku, Rin, Piko and I are all sat on the sofa as the adults watch from the corner of the room, Big Al curious, Sweet Ann seconds away from biting her nails. The four of us each hold a shot glass of potion. It has to be small, for Piko's sake. We asked how do we know the potions are going to work for our specific partners (heaven forbid I end up 'connected' with Miku) and Mew simply says to trust her.
"So, we just have to drink it?" Miku asks, staring down at the liquid as it shifts from a yellowy pink to more of a red.
"I have grandma on speed dial, so don't worry," Mew says as she stands in front of us, though she looks more worried than most.
"That sounds comforting," I mutter.
"Well, here goes," Rin chips, and she far too enthusiastically throws the potion back, and Miku shrugs and follows her lead.
"Can't remember the last time I drank something," Piko mumbles, and the two of us drink our potions too.
At first, nothing happens. I think, at least. I can't actually remember much, apart from this incredibly dizzying feeling, and I swear for a moment I'm going to throw up (I'm not ready to be ill again, thank you very much). As my mind swirls, I think I hear shouts, or maybe the voices are just louder to me than they actually are. My sight goes black, and I lose connection with everything for a moment, and finally, I'm waking up, head still spinning.
I've fallen back against the sofa, lucky to be sitting down, I guess. I rub my hands down over my face, and something is… odd. I don't remember shaving this morning.
Before I can consider that thought further, I hear someone call out my name and ask if I'm all right, and I mumble, "Yeah, yeah, just feel like I have a hangover."
"Len?" I hear, and I can tell that's Sweet Ann. "Tell me that's not you."
"Who else would I be?" I say as I look up at her, my vision returning to normal. Her eyes are wide, and she opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.
Then I hear who's been asking if I'm okay. Big Al's got his arms around this blonde boy, who's kneeling on the floor, grimacing as he struggles to fight the urge to naturally shift into a wolf as his body panics at the effects of the potion.
I blink at this familiar blonde boy, his scruffy clothes and hair, then look down at my hands, which are smaller than usual, and feel my chin again, which is completely smooth. Then—
"Why do you look like me?" I hear Rin squeal, but something's not right. That's Miku's voice I'm hearing, but her words are said in a Rin tone.
"And why do you look like me?" I hear Rin say again, but this is actually Rin this time, or her voice, at least. Next to me, still on the sofa, are Miku and Rin, staring at each other in complete shock. Mew's stood over them, a hand clutched to her mouth.
"Tell me we haven't," I say as I shoot to my feet, though I stumble slightly, as if my body isn't mine and I don't know how to use it properly. "Mew, what have you done?"
"It seems I miscalculated what it meant to connect two people, or my powers as a witch doctor simply need some work," Mew says, grimacing as she looks at me. "Instead of sharing feelings, you seem to have… shared bodies?"
I groan as I drag my hands back down my face again. No wonder everything feels weird. I'm stuck in a bloody robot's body!
A/N:
Eyyy, finally, the proper start of a new arc! Body swap! Just a little arc that's meant to be a sorta chill down arc after all the emotions from the last one. Also, Len's officially going counselling, it's about time!
Kate x