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[Chapter 14: Of Parties and Dresses]
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Twin tendrils bounced in rhythm with Tomoe Mami's footsteps. She attracted the gaze of anyone and everyone who walked past her. It did not matter if the person was young or old, male or female. If Tomoe Mami walked by you, she would magnetize your attention. And she would do so, with absolutely no effort whatsoever.
Maybe it was her elegant, formal, yet ladylike clothing. Maybe it was her eyes and hair, which were akin to that of a westerner. Or maybe it was just her radiant, warm aura.
It was, is, and always will be a mystery.
Her smile came into being and widened almost instantly when she saw a shorter, much younger girl making a beeline towards her from her school gates. She had a red backpack, and she lunged and clung on to Mami as soon as she was within arm's reach.
"Nagisa!" The blonde gasped, slightly drawing back from surprise, upon getting tackled-slash-hugged.
"Sorryyy…." The silver haired girl whined as her grip around Mami loosened. Her eyes conveyed that she wasn't apologetic at all. Mami could see the mischievous glint behind her eyes.
Mami sighed, the smile still on her face, before taking Nagisa's hand into her own and walking down the road.
"Lets go, Nagisa," she said, her eyes taking a quick glance at her wristwatch. "We have a dinner party today, don't we?"
Nagisa's salivary glands started to tingle as soon as she heard the word dinner and party in the same sentence. She knew today was a special day.
"Yes we do!" Nagisa said, in English, something which Mami giggled softly at.
Sometimes, Nagisa would speak words that were not Japanese. On the most part, it was English, something which Mami had no problem in understanding. But on other occasions, she would speak German. Mami didn't know a single German word. But she was planning to do so, in order to be on equal speaking terms with Nagisa at all times.
The two walked, hand in hand. The shorter girl hummed a tune she had heard earlier that day in music class, while the taller one kept a keen eye on the traffic lights whenever they had to cross a road.
It was a good day for walking, as the two merrily made their way towards the house in which the Tomoe family lived. It was sunny, but not humid, and there was the occasional gusts of wind that came by. Soon, they were already at the house.
Actually, one would note that it wasn't a house, but in fact a mansion, complete with a foyer and steel gates that led to a circular driveway around a fountain.
Mami always sighed whenever she entered through the gates in a car. Now that she walked through it, she felt quite rebellious.
The two walked up the driveway and Mami checked her watch again. Nagisa didn't know why she was so conscious of the time, but she did not care. When there was food in the horizon, Nagisa would make that priority one. Therefore, as soon as the two entered the main doors, Nagisa removed her shoes, and made a beeline to the kitchen.
She entered the large kitchen, and her eyes scanned the room for a certain maid, and when she found her, she lunged towards her with all her might.
"Saotome," Nagisa said to the maid, who was clearly in shock from the tackle. "Provide… the cheesecake."
Her eyes shone with a certain glint, and the maid smiled at her, now coming to her senses. She did not mind the lack of honorifics. Nagisa was a good kid, and she loved her as much as she loved Mami.
"Certainly, Nagisa-chan," she said, taking the little girl's hands into her own and gently guiding her towards the refrigerator. She brought out a medium sized white cake, and cut out several slices from it and served them to Nagisa, one on each plate, all served on a tray.
Nagisa insisted that she take the tray up to Mami's room herself, and after some persuation, Saotome, the maid, agreed. She giggled to herself, when little Nagisa tried her best to not let her mouth water at the sight of baked divinity in front of her.
Mami was already in her room when Nagisa made her way in. It was an unusually large room, but it looked like it had not been used for some time. After all, that was the case. Mami lived with Nagisa in an apartment, and she did so out of her own free will. Nagisa was none to complain. She trusted Mami more than she did herself.
The room in the Tomoe Manor wasn't used as a result, but it was cleaned everyday. Especially during events like a party or a fundraiser, when Mami had to stay and get dressed up, she couldn't do it from her apartment. So she came here on occasion with Nagisa, and when the event was over, would migrate to her apartment once more and resume her daily life.
"Cheesecake!" Nagisa said, unable to hold her excitement in. "Do you want any?"
Mami could see it in Nagisa's eyes that she didn't really *want* to share. She giggled a little, and shook her head 'no' so that Nagisa could rest easy.
"But you can't eat more than two slices, Nagisa," Mami said, facing a mirror and untying her hair. "Your tummy will hurt if you eat that much cake."
Nagisa hummed a 'yes' and muched away. The delightful sensation of cheese sending ripples of euphoria through the nerve endings in her tongue. She loved all kinds of food. But cheese always held a special spot in her heart. Or was it her stomach? Honestly, she didn't care.
She knew Mami would forbid eating it all, so she tried to savor every bite of the cake slices. She had long since secured a spot in the bed while Mami stood at the dresser.
Mami held a hairband between her lips while she grabbed her hair in her fist. "Nagisa, when you're done, could you be a dear and ask Saotome-san about your dress? She should be done with it by now."
Nagisa hummed a positive response yet again, this time, her last spoonful resting in the infines if her mouth. The spoon was still in there, and she set the plate aside before she could skip out of the room.
"Nagisa," the last syllable was a bit stretched out, and it made the little girl stop in her tracks. "What do we do when we're done eating?" Mami was facing the mirror now, her eyes fixated on tidying up her ponytail.
"We take the plates to the kitchen," Nagisa said, her voice dropping slightly. She held the spoon in place with her teeth and grabbed the tray from the bed before leaving with a small sigh.
Mami smiled, turning her head to her sides to make sure she didn't have any stands of hair outside of the ponytail. And when she was satisfied, she walked her way into the closet.
It was a walk-in closet, one of the only things she wished she had in her apartment. It made organizing things much easier. She had stored many of her childhood artifacts in this place, despite her parents' decision of throwing them away. The blonde girl took a glance at various drawings she had done when she was younger. They were laminated and stuck to various parts of the walls. The box of used crayons were stored neatly in a corner, and was never touched after being kept there. Some plush toys of animals, along with a myriad of plastic cutlery and teasets were also to be found, neatly arranged as precious relics. This was a special place for Mami, but now, she didn't come here to reminisce.
Mami picked a dress from the set of hung outfits, choosing something that had golden embroidery on white fabric. It had some accents of leather brown at various places too. A color combination she absolutely loved, for some reason. Other than the fact that the design was unique, the dress more or less looked very similar to the ones princesses wear in movies.
This was her outfit for tonight. She had made up her mind.
"Nagisa-chan," the maid said with a kind tone. "…please give the spoon back."
Nagisa looked straight into her eyes, her face turning into a glare.
"No."
The piece of silverware was kept in Nagisa's tiny mouth, and kept secure with her little teeth.
"You will hurt herself if you fall by accident, so please. If you do not want to give it back, please do remove it from your mouth."
"…no."
"I will never make cheesecake if you don't leave the spoon alone, dear child." Saotome, the maid in question, kept a straight face as she said this.
Nagisa's eyes widened at the maid's words.
"…That is what Japanese people call a… 'bluff', right?"
"…No."
Nagisa glared again, but returned the spoon, albeit doing so very reluctantly and slowly.
The maid nodded and received the spoon with a smile before setting in the sink to be washed.
"You'll make them now, right?"
"Of course. You have my word. Also please tell Tomoe-sama that the dress is being sent upstairs."
Nagisa's little frown didn't go away when she reluctantly pulled herself away from the kitchen. The prospect of not getting cake didn't seem to sit well with her. She ran up the stairs and darted to Mami's room again.
"Mami!"
The blonde was almost done with her outfit. She merely had to adjust a few ribbons here and there. She wanted to do her hair as well.
"What is it?" came the seemingly absent-minded response. "Did you ask about the dress?"
"Yes I did," Nagisa said while she climbed up on the bed. "Its gonna be here soon."
As if on cue, there was a knock on the door, and from outside came the voice of another maid.
"Tomoe-sama," the maid's quiet and graceful tone could be identified even through the closed door. "The dress has arrived."
"Ah," Mami stood up, and proceeded to receive the neatly folded bundle from the maid. After taking it, the maid politely excused herself and left.
"Nagisa-chan," she said, laying out the dress on the bed flatly. "Get undressed. I'll help you wear it." The little girl hummed a response and felt excited to wear a new dress.
The rest of the day was spent getting prepared. Mami and Nagisa had to fix their hair, and the two also tried on some subtle makeup. Nagisa wanted to try the strawberry flavored chapstick herself, something that Mami hesitated to do at first, but later agreed, as long as Nagisa wouldn't try to lick it off. Mami knew Nagisa would do it anyway. While the two spent their day getting ready, the maids and butlers were busy making the dishes and preparing the tables. It was a toilsome effort, but they completed the task with practiced ease and grace, like clockwork.
The lobby was soon turned into something straight out of an old film. Tables which were adorned with numerous types of dishes, were arranged near the walls. There were also seats available if any group wanted to chat. In the center, right below the chandelier, was an open space, which was hilariously dubbed 'minglespace' by Mami. Red and black carpets were spread over the floors, and the room's glow was set to a warm hue. After they were all done, some classical slow piano piece was played at a low volume.
If anyone were to walk into the manor through the front doors, they would be in this room, and they would immediately be served a glass of champagne. In an instant, they would feel the luxury they have never felt anywhere before, regardless of their social stature. After all, that was the sheer power of good atmosphere.
When a few guests started to appear in the evening, the doors were widely open, and the fountain outside was lit up in a warmly tinted stream. The piano music was adjusted to play in a slightly louder volume, so that the newcomers would be able to listen if they had stood close to the door.
At that moment, Mami and Nagisa were done with all their preparations. Sayaka and Kyoko were invited, along with Madoka. The former duo always agreed to attend parties thrown by the Tomoe family, while the pink haired barista came and mingled with guests. She would subtly advertise her cafe when she talked, but she did so very sparingly. After all, she was honestly more interested in meeting and talking with people. Advertising came second to that.
Mami spent her time talking with the guests. She maintained an air of elegance while she did. She asked everyone if they were enjoying their time, and if they needed anything else. The guests were happy to see the young Tomoe care about all of them. The newer guests were oddly fascinated that the girl was doing what the maids and butlers were supposed to do. It was quite odd, but nobody held a bad opinion of her. On the contrary, they felt more strongly attached to her.
The blonde clasped hands and slowly surveyed the room. Her eyes shifted to observe her friends.
Sayaka and Kyoko on the other hand, were doing things randomly. They ate, talked casually with people who were apparently of similar age, huddled together in the seats in the corner and discussed their latest bouts in binge-watching anime. It was an unplanned set of events, but the two were satisfied with it. Thus, they were in their own little world, and Mami was not going to spoil that by interfering.
Nagisa was busy playing with other children of her age, something Mami had asked her to do instead of lurking around the food tables. Mami felt happy and she giggled quietly to herself at the sight of Nagisa teaching the others how to play tag. The kids looked at Nagisa with delight and wonder, for they were sheltered children in rich houses who don't get to play with other kids often.
Madoka, on the other hand, was sitting alone, in one of the chairs near a wall. She had a forlorn look on her face and she was looking down at her feet, twiddling her thumbs aimlessly. Mami didn't often see her friend like this, so such a sight sent her into a state of worry. She frowned and hurried her way towards the teen.
"Madoka-san," Mami said, concern in her voice. The girl in question looked up and stared directly at the blonde after hearing her words. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
From up close, Mami had a better look at her friend's outfit. Madoka was in a simple pink party dress, nothing above or below average. Her hair was up in a neat bun, with two sticks protruding from it. She had worn no other piece of jewelery except for a pair of drop earrings that her mother had given her.
"No," she said, trying to muster a weak smile. "I am okay. Don't worry about it."
Mami knew it was a lie, and Madoka could tell that she didn't get past her friend's keen senses.
"Umm," she said again. "I don't know... I have no idea why I'm feeling like this."
Mami smiled, happy that her friend was willing to open up. Now she could help. Queitly, she sat in the empty chair beside her, now both of them facing the crowd of the party.
"Its okay, Madoka-san," Mami said in a warm tone, the sound of Chopin creating a barrier between the two of them and the others. "I'm all ears."
"...Thanks," Madoka said, not trying to hide anything. "I am honestly not sure why I'm feeling like this. If I knew, I would have done something about it."
Mami trusted her. She knew she wasn't lying.
"I see," she looked at Nagisa playing with the other kids as she spoke. "I suppose something happened recently, and maybe that very something is bothering you. If you run through the events one by one, you'll find what you're looking for."
Madoka bit her bottom lip and tried to follow Mami's advice. She thought about her day, and in an instant, a frown adorned her face.
"That was quick," Mami said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood. "So, what is bothering my dear friend Madoka this fine night?"
Madoka turned sideways and looked directly into Mami's eyes. Her frown remained, but her cheeks grew pink, just like her dress.
"Homura-chan isn't bothering me!" Her voice wasn't loud, but it was laced with an urge to defend. It was an impulsive sentence she had uttered. She realized her mistake as soon as she had said it.
Mami now looked at Madoka's gradually reddening face, while she smiled coyly at her.
"So its Akemi-san," Mami said. She didn't get to tease her friends at all, so this was a welcome opportunity. Besides, Madoka's face didn't show guilt. Just embarrassment. "How interesting... What did she do to make you so flustered?"
Madoka looked down swiftly and covered her face with her hands, her red ears now clearly visible for the blonde to witness. She groaned in annoyance, maybe at her own display of embarrassment. After a while, she had recovered, her tomato-red cheeks now tinted a rosy pink like before. She took a deep breath and bit her lip again, before finally facing Mami.
"Well," Madoka started, her eyes not being able to meet Mami's. "Its not something she did... It was something that... I did."
-(End of Chapter 14)-
The green haired plot will begin in the next chapter. Sorry about the delay again. I just signed up for a college, and had to assemble all the documents.
The new chapter is halfway done so will up it soon.
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Take Care
DSH99
