[DISCLAIMER: Not real people – only characters they play.
Okay, so I love Pekora and Miko. The second half will have a bit of their love story and background – why this is happening.
Okayu and Botan will become kickass bros. And so, there will be a little of it all, as we continue to build up to some action-packed stuff.
Here's a little of Doom, Resident Evil, and a few other things – mostly just my crazy ideas.]
Chapter Three
[[[[[[[[[[[Marine's Bar - Ave #69]]]]]]]]]]]
Okayu looked up at the sign and snickered deep and to herself. Every time she came by, Marine's sign made her laugh. It had been years since she served on the Captain's boat. She was just a teen and needed a job and the Captain gave her one for two years. Some of the best years of her life, and it's how she met Korone.
The doggo saved her when she fell off the boat, and Okayu couldn't swim. Strange how she was on a boat and couldn't swim. But, Korone, the amazing athlete that she is, saw her and jumped in without a second thought.
She ended up serving on the ship with her and that's when they really grew close. They realized they went to the same high school, and became inseparable friends. She was sure she fell in love in that moment, when she looked up at the beautiful young doggo who was giving her mouth-to-mouth on the beach.
"Yahoy, Senchou!"
When Marine spotted her old ship mate she walked out from behind the bar and gave her a big hug, hugging extremely tightly. She still smelled of sweet lavender body wash.
"You smell nice Captain."
"Still a flirt – but go ahead," she hugged her more tightly pressing her breasts up against the Neko. "Yeah, you've become a real dope chick kid."
Okayu pulled away laughing. "I see you're still using antiquated terms."
"Nothing antique about me. I'm not like those boomers."
The cat simply answered with her low snicker.
"So, what brings you by? Need a drink? A job? This is kind of early for you."
"Nah, getting by with jobs here and there. In fact, was just headed up to Sora Mountain regarding a job, your place is just below the mountain, and so thought I'd drop in."
"The mountain named after the old Mayor Tokino Sora?"
"Yep. There's a shrine up there I'm headed to, but thought I'd stop in on the way."
"Ah, I see." Marine grabbed a couple of glasses from behind the bar and laid them out in front of the Neko as she took a seat. Okayu respectfully placed her two hands on the glass, as her Senpai slowly poured into her glass. "How's that cute Doggo girlfriend of yours?"
"She's not my girlfriend." They both lifted their glass and took a drink.
"You keep telling yourself that."
"She as much as told me that when she walked out this morning."
Marine poured them two more glasses, when the new Sheriff walked in, dressed in black and white and a badge at her hip on her black slacks.
"Ah, you're the new Sheriff, Shishiro Botan, right?"
Botan nodded, looking over Okayu.
"Can I help you, Sheriff?"
"Yeah, I got a report there was something strange happening just north of here, and I was about to head up, but I got a call from Chairman Usada's office who told me to talk to Nekomata Okayu and someone told me she'd be here."
"That's me, why?" Okayu got up from her chair. "And who would tell you I'd be here?"
"Mayor Fubuki."
"Ah yeah, saw her on my way here. She's always out talking to her constituents and she spotted me."
"You seem pretty popular."
"Not really – I just have a lot of friends."
"Isn't that the same?"
Botan towered over the smaller Neko – cute – but not that tall.
"No, it's not."
"You're the private detective?" Botan let loose a light snicker. "Aren't you kind of small?"
"Size doesn't always matter." Okayu straightened up, the Sheriff was intimidating. "So, why do you need to talk to me?"
"She said you were headed up to Sora Mountain shrine and asked me to assist you."
"Assist, why?"
"I honestly don't know, but when someone like the Chairman asks, I answer. Public servant and all."
Marine suddenly cut in, "by the way, Lamy's wife, right?"
Botan nodded, "Yeah?"
"She has a tab that I've been meaning to call her on, but since you're here…"
"I see." Botan pulled out a credit card and handed it to the owner. "Just take it from that – I don't need to know the total."
"Wait, you're Lamy's wife?" Okayu asked. "The pretty Snow Elf that um… you're the one who was serving in the Demon Realm for a few years, right?"
Botan nodded again, this time unsmiling and wondering why the cute Neko who she immediately surmised as a player, knew her wife. If there was one thing Shishiro Botan could do, was size up a person immediately.
"She helped me with a small case a couple of years ago – that's all. Nothing more."
"Why would you assume I'd think it was more?"
Botan stepped closer, again with the intimidating stance.
"I wouldn't. Lamy is an awesome healer, right?" Okayu had never felt nervous by anyone's presence before, but for some reason this lioness made her feel extremely insecure.
Marine watched the two and recalled the drinks Okayu and Lamy shared, since she remembered all her patrons. Okayu tended to drop in every time Korone walked out. She'd drink too much and had a way of making any woman around swoon. Once Karaoke started, her voice made women go wild. It was pretty much all hands on the cat until she'd fall over and then have to be carried back to sleep it off. The Neko would never remember what happened the next day.
Lamy was actually someone who listened to her that night, if she recalled. Lamy was always a real sweetheart who would listen to anyone's sob story, and Okayu, despite not remembering, sobbed a lot about Korone leaving her for a week.
"Well," Botan stepped back, taking her credit card from Marine. "I don't have all day. I'll drive you up to Sora Mountain."
"Uh, thanks Sheriff."
Okayu waved bye to Marine, who ran around the bar to give her another hug and told her, "Don't worry – she'll be back."
"Who said I was worried?" Okayu laughed it off, her usual defense.
Marine snickered and then told them goodbye again.
As Okayu followed the Sheriff out to her small truck, she asked, "How was the Demon Realm? Still crazy with power struggles?"
"Yeah… still crazy."
Okayu realized that was a sore subject and wouldn't breach it again. She noted the Sheriff had a slight favoritism to one side, and realized she'd been injured in the left leg – probably why she came back earlier than what Lamy had told her about when her wife was serving five years.
The truck bumped along the road, as they passed taller trees driving up to the higher elevation. Okayu looked over the shotgun along the back of the truck, with a long-range sniper rifle just below it. Botan also carried a small firearm on a shoulder holster. Okayu carried a smaller 9mm pistol on her person also. She was licensed to carry, and wasn't sure what to expect.
"What did Pekora, I mean, Chairman Usada, tell you about why I was going to the shrine?"
"Her office actually called and just said to assist, and I took that as keep an eye on you in case things go south – though I didn't realize shrines were dangerous places." She glanced to the cat, "which makes me wonder why you're packing a gun."
"It's kind of a desolate place."
"You called her Pekora, and so how do you know the Chairman?"
"We went to the police academy together."
"You were a cop?"
"For two years, and I don't do well with authority and prefer to be on my own so, I got my PI license and left the force."
"I see."
"Do you?"
Botan glanced to the cat. "Yeah, I see a lot."
Okayu snickered, and Botan also chuckled.
"Since you're new, I'm guessing you know Danchou and Fu-tan."
"Yeah, my deputies – and they told me about you."
"Did they?"
"It was all good. They said I should totally make you squirm because you've pulled a lot of pranks on them and," Botan chuckled again, "I thought it would be funny."
"Ah." Okayu kept laughing. "Funny. You're a funny Sheriff."
"Call me Botan or Shishiron."
"Okay – you can just keep calling me…"
"Cat?"
They continued laughing all the way up to the shrine. Botan had a snarky sense of humor.
They were nearly at the shrine, when something leapt out from the side of the road right onto the front of the truck.
Botan swerved hard to the right to miss, but ran her truck up onto a boulder, causing it to stop immediately.
They both flew forward, stopped by the seatbelt and the airbags.
"What was that?" Okayu looked back behind her.
"I don't know," The lioness looked over at her passenger, "you okay?"
"Yeah. Maybe a bruised snout, but I'm good."
Botan undid her seatbelt. "Stay here. I need to see if anyone was hurt."
"Yeah sure."
Okayu kept looking around, trying to see what ran out in front of the truck. She could have sworn it was something she had never seen before.
Two weeks prior ….
The shrine was quiet on the afternoon Usada Pekora walked up to see her old friend. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, just like her beautiful friend's name, Sakura Miko, the maiden of the shrine.
When Miko walked out from the temple doors she watched the bunny she'd been so in love with at one time. She was still lovely and delicate, and when the wind whipped across her long blue hair, it made her look especially beautiful. She was meant to be a goddess, but gave her life over to science.
They had a lot of fun in high school and later dated in college, but then went their separate ways. Miko felt the call to serve the gods and Pekora wanted to become an investigator and scientist. She became obsessed with finding a cure after her mother died, and Miko couldn't really blame her dedication.
"You called?" Pekora stated while walking up, her dark sunglasses covering her eyes on this sunny afternoon. She looked the part of a rich corporate Chairman now. Miko could see the black limo parked at the bottom of the steps that lead to the shrine.
"What happened to you, Peko?"
"What do you mean what happened to me? I am this close to alleviating all diseases." She pulled off her sunglasses, her bright eyes sparkling in the afternoon light. "You're upset I've made it rich and you're still up here on a hill living like a pauper?"
"Do you really think that's what I'm like?"
Pekora shook her head, "Sorry, yeah I don't - Peko. I know you have to follow your belief stuff and I'm cool with that. Just don't judge my choices."
"I'm not judging your choices. I'm questioning them."
Pekora looked over the delicate features of the shrine maiden and if only life had been different, she would have been happy living a simple life with Miko. But the shrine maiden was the one who decided on blowing their life apart, in her mind. She was the one who abandoned them.
"You're messing with the natural order of things. Mio came and spoke to me and said she saw horrible things in the future if you continue."
"I'm a scientist. Mio reads tea leaves and decides the future – a bunch'a hullabaloo - Peko. You need to go through trial and error with every great invention."
"And what about the poor souls you used?"
"Those test subjects knew what they were doing - Peko."
"You sure? You had them sign a waiver and they were desperate for money and so you took advantage of their misfortune in life."
"It's for the greater good. And you, of all people should know that."
"You know what? That's what every evil scientist in history has tried to assure themselves with, and it doesn't make wrong become any more right"
"Miko?"
"I was so in love with you Pekora. You have such a good heart. What happened to you when I left to serve the gods?"
"That's it. You left. You left me!" A tear slowly slid down her cheek, but Pekora quickly wiped it away. "You left me for some false beliefs – to spend a year in a shrine in silence and you wouldn't return my calls, you wouldn't return my texts. You just ghosted me. I needed your advice and you never responded."
"But they are my beliefs to have, Pekora. I thought you understood. You of all people."
Miko walked up to her friend hugging her tightly. They both held each other, and that's when Pekora stated, "I think… I think someone has taken my ideas and done something that truly is evil with them – Peko."
Miko pulled away, questioning her friend with her look.
"I just need to prove it. I need to look into it further and I need time."
And then Pekora handed Miko, her dearest and most trusted friend a small notebook. "This is very important. I need you to keep it here, and if something happens you need to give it to Nekomata Okayu. She will have gotten a message from me and come for this – and when she gets here please give it only to her. She'll be able to figure out what's going on."
"That sounds awfully ominous. Where are you going?"
"I need to check on some stuff, in some different Realms, and so I'll probably be gone a while."
Miko held the notebook tightly.
"Please promise me – Peko?"
Miko nodded. "Always. I love you Pekora."
"I know." She stopped herself from saying how much she loved the shrine maiden, knowing it would only make it worse. "That's why this always hurts so much more - Peko."
Pekora turned to walk back down the shrine steps. Miko watched her as she left, her driver opening the door for her, and she was gone.
[END NOTE: I hope you all enjoyed that. It was a little long, but hopefully it makes you want to read on. Thank you if you've read this far, and I'm working on finishing this by Halloween. I guess we'll see how much time I have.]