PesistantLove.
"Hawaii?!" I exclaimed in surprise, then stared at her. "Why are you
spending your sabbatical there?!"
"I'll be visiting some old friends who I haven't seen for ages," Katsumi
hummed, then nodded. "I won't be gone long. It'll only be a week...and
I'll be taking my mothers knife and grosspoliner with me."
She had every right to go wherever and whenever she wanted. But I had a
bad feeling about that and wanted to voice my opinion.
"I don't like it," I grumbled uneasily, then looked away. "He could come
at you at any time and..."
"Don't worry about me. Worry about Ganossa." She nodded, then smiled.
"His time...will come. When it does he'll pay. Pay for all of this."
"What?" Kiddy uttered.
"It was him you know." Katsumi hummed. "He set the Silent Crisis in
motion. Dad tried to fix but the spell made things worse. For that
...his day will come."
I sighed. Katsumi was turning to vengence. Just like I did years before.
I didn't want that to happen. Vengence comes at a high price. Whether
be it your own soul or someone elses. Besides...Katsumi's too...nice th
think like this.
"Besides I'll have to do it alone." She sighed. "You won't be there to
back me up, remember?"
She did have a point. Still...
"Well I'd better get going so I can pack for my trip." She turned away
and was about to leave. I blinked took a few steps and latched on to
her. She struggled against my body but I held her fast "Kiddy what are
you...?!"
"Don't think liked that." I whispered. "You'll end up like me, Katsumi."
She stopped struggling as the weight of my words hit home.
"You're too....strong for that." I whispered in her ear. "Yeah you have
your faults...like brooding day in and out. But everyone has their faults
and weaknesses. I didn't want to go on after Wire. But Ralph gave me
a reason to live."
She didn't say a word and I continued to speak.
"You need a reason to keep on living until all of that grief passes." I
stated, then sighed. "Can I be that reason Katsumi?"
I loosened my grip on her and she slowly turned around to face me. I took
one op her hands into mine and gazed at her.
"Katsumi..." I uttered, gulped back some air, then gazed at her. "I like
you...Katsumi. Please. Don't kill yourself after you defeat Ganossa.
You have to live."
Katsumi just stared at me for a few minutes, then gazed at my hand that
was holding hers.
"I....I see." Katsumi hummed, then nodded. "Is that how you feel about
me?"
"What of Ralph?" Katsumi hummed.
"I'm gonna talk to him about it tonight." I sighed, then nodded. "He's not
gonna like it."
"I see." Katsumi hummed, then sighed. "Well. I guess its best that I'll
be away for a while. It'll give you guys a chance to have a few meaningful
discussions while I'm in Hawaii. I'll leave my hotel phone number on
you're voice mail, okay?"
"Alright." I nodded then let her go. "I guess I'll see you in a week,
then?"
"Uh...." Katsumi nodded, then smiled. "Aren't you forgetting something.
Yuki's throwing me a Get Well Party at Labyrinth, remember?"
Get Well Party?
Oh shit. I'm screwed. Ralph is gonna be there.
* * *
The party wasn't as tense as I expected. Katsumi didn't say a word about
my confession to the others. Or Ralph for that matter. What a moron I am.
I shouldn't even have worried about it.
Nami, Yuki, Lebia, Lum Cheng and some of the non combatants were at the
party. Mostly the med techs who got to know Katsumi during her stay in the
ward. Heck even the newbies are here. Yeah. Makoto and Ami are finished
with police school and are now part of the team.
Rei? Heh. She's standing a little to close to Nami. Nami's blushing a little.
I think theres something going on between the two of them.
Katsumi?
She was over in a corner....talking with Yuki and Lum Cheng.
Surprisingly the chief and Rally Cheyenne were also here. Usually they don't
participate in these events. But they've done a lot for her and I guess they
wanted to see her off before she takes that little break in Hawaii.
Ralph was standing next to me. Hopefully he was there to give moral support
as well.
{Sigh}
I was wrong about that.
"You're pretty quiet." He observed.
"Everyone is actually." I replied to him then gazed at Katsumi. "Its a quiet moral
support that's giving her strength. A lot of strength."
"Kiddy..." He uttered. "I have to ask you something."
"Ask it." I sighed.
"Do you....like her?" Ralph hummed.
I gazed at him for a moment.
"Everyone is actually." I replied to him then gazed at Katsumi. "Its a quiet moral
support that's giving her strength. A lot of strength."
"Kiddy..." He uttered. "I have to ask you something."
"Ask it." I sighed.
"Do you....like her?" Ralph hummed. "As in love her....in that way?"
A noisy breathe escaped my lips. What Am I going to say to him? What CAN I
say. I swallowed then took the direct approach.
"Yeah...." I whispered, then hugged him. "I like her. A lot. I care about
her, Ralph."
So what now. Will he stay? Or....
He gently pulled out of my embrace, touched my cheek and said....
"I understand." He uttered. "Take good care of her....and yourself, Kiddy."
I just stood there with my mouth agape. Gods did I look like a dumb ass.
"Wha...." I uttered as he strolled through the crowd, then exited Yuki's
little establishment. "What?"
* * *
Katsumi watched the exchange, studied their body language, then sighed when
Ralph left Laybrinth.
{Poor Kiddy} Katsumi thought, then sighed. {She's just lost a good man. He took
the confession well enough not to make a mess of the place. Most guys would
make a scene.}
She watched on as Lebia broke away from a bunch of techs to check up on Kiddy.
{Maybe I'll leave more than just my number on her voice mail.} Katsumi thought.
* * *
Hawaii November 1, 2029AD
Katsumi relaxed in her hawaiian bungalow. It was a one story abode that had
all the comforts of home in three rooms. It even had a canopy bed with a thin
almost transparent curtain...which sat on the corner of the larger sitting
room.
She was wearing a Yukuta and seemed to be at ease with herself.
She blinked when she heard a knock on the abodes front door. Wondering who it
could be...she slipped off of the couch and strode over to it. She turned the
knob and opened the door....to see Kiddy smiling sadly at her.
"Hi Katsumi." Kiddy nodded "Long time no see, huh?"
"Kiddy?! what are you doing here?!" Katsumi exclaimed.
"Time off." She replied, then nodded. "...and well...I thought I'd spend the
rest with you."
"I see." Katsumi nodded. "What about..."
"Ralph and I...." I murmured. "...have broken up."
Katsumi sighed at the news, then offered her shoulder
"C'mon." She nodded as she held out an arm. "C'mon inside and we can
talk all about it.
Kiddy stared at her, smiled gratefuly and took several steps towards her.
As she did so, the megaydne took a hold of the door knob and slowly
pulled the door shut.
"Arigato...Katsumi." Was Kiddys reply.
End
"Hawaii?!" I exclaimed in surprise, then stared at her. "Why are you
spending your sabbatical there?!"
"I'll be visiting some old friends who I haven't seen for ages," Katsumi
hummed, then nodded. "I won't be gone long. It'll only be a week...and
I'll be taking my mothers knife and grosspoliner with me."
She had every right to go wherever and whenever she wanted. But I had a
bad feeling about that and wanted to voice my opinion.
"I don't like it," I grumbled uneasily, then looked away. "He could come
at you at any time and..."
"Don't worry about me. Worry about Ganossa." She nodded, then smiled.
"His time...will come. When it does he'll pay. Pay for all of this."
"What?" Kiddy uttered.
"It was him you know." Katsumi hummed. "He set the Silent Crisis in
motion. Dad tried to fix but the spell made things worse. For that
...his day will come."
I sighed. Katsumi was turning to vengence. Just like I did years before.
I didn't want that to happen. Vengence comes at a high price. Whether
be it your own soul or someone elses. Besides...Katsumi's too...nice th
think like this.
"Besides I'll have to do it alone." She sighed. "You won't be there to
back me up, remember?"
She did have a point. Still...
"Well I'd better get going so I can pack for my trip." She turned away
and was about to leave. I blinked took a few steps and latched on to
her. She struggled against my body but I held her fast "Kiddy what are
you...?!"
"Don't think liked that." I whispered. "You'll end up like me, Katsumi."
She stopped struggling as the weight of my words hit home.
"You're too....strong for that." I whispered in her ear. "Yeah you have
your faults...like brooding day in and out. But everyone has their faults
and weaknesses. I didn't want to go on after Wire. But Ralph gave me
a reason to live."
She didn't say a word and I continued to speak.
"You need a reason to keep on living until all of that grief passes." I
stated, then sighed. "Can I be that reason Katsumi?"
I loosened my grip on her and she slowly turned around to face me. I took
one op her hands into mine and gazed at her.
"Katsumi..." I uttered, gulped back some air, then gazed at her. "I like
you...Katsumi. Please. Don't kill yourself after you defeat Ganossa.
You have to live."
Katsumi just stared at me for a few minutes, then gazed at my hand that
was holding hers.
"I....I see." Katsumi hummed, then nodded. "Is that how you feel about
me?"
"What of Ralph?" Katsumi hummed.
"I'm gonna talk to him about it tonight." I sighed, then nodded. "He's not
gonna like it."
"I see." Katsumi hummed, then sighed. "Well. I guess its best that I'll
be away for a while. It'll give you guys a chance to have a few meaningful
discussions while I'm in Hawaii. I'll leave my hotel phone number on
you're voice mail, okay?"
"Alright." I nodded then let her go. "I guess I'll see you in a week,
then?"
"Uh...." Katsumi nodded, then smiled. "Aren't you forgetting something.
Yuki's throwing me a Get Well Party at Labyrinth, remember?"
Get Well Party?
Oh shit. I'm screwed. Ralph is gonna be there.
* * *
The party wasn't as tense as I expected. Katsumi didn't say a word about
my confession to the others. Or Ralph for that matter. What a moron I am.
I shouldn't even have worried about it.
Nami, Yuki, Lebia, Lum Cheng and some of the non combatants were at the
party. Mostly the med techs who got to know Katsumi during her stay in the
ward. Heck even the newbies are here. Yeah. Makoto and Ami are finished
with police school and are now part of the team.
Rei? Heh. She's standing a little to close to Nami. Nami's blushing a little.
I think theres something going on between the two of them.
Katsumi?
She was over in a corner....talking with Yuki and Lum Cheng.
Surprisingly the chief and Rally Cheyenne were also here. Usually they don't
participate in these events. But they've done a lot for her and I guess they
wanted to see her off before she takes that little break in Hawaii.
Ralph was standing next to me. Hopefully he was there to give moral support
as well.
{Sigh}
I was wrong about that.
"You're pretty quiet." He observed.
"Everyone is actually." I replied to him then gazed at Katsumi. "Its a quiet moral
support that's giving her strength. A lot of strength."
"Kiddy..." He uttered. "I have to ask you something."
"Ask it." I sighed.
"Do you....like her?" Ralph hummed.
I gazed at him for a moment.
"Everyone is actually." I replied to him then gazed at Katsumi. "Its a quiet moral
support that's giving her strength. A lot of strength."
"Kiddy..." He uttered. "I have to ask you something."
"Ask it." I sighed.
"Do you....like her?" Ralph hummed. "As in love her....in that way?"
A noisy breathe escaped my lips. What Am I going to say to him? What CAN I
say. I swallowed then took the direct approach.
"Yeah...." I whispered, then hugged him. "I like her. A lot. I care about
her, Ralph."
So what now. Will he stay? Or....
He gently pulled out of my embrace, touched my cheek and said....
"I understand." He uttered. "Take good care of her....and yourself, Kiddy."
I just stood there with my mouth agape. Gods did I look like a dumb ass.
"Wha...." I uttered as he strolled through the crowd, then exited Yuki's
little establishment. "What?"
* * *
Katsumi watched the exchange, studied their body language, then sighed when
Ralph left Laybrinth.
{Poor Kiddy} Katsumi thought, then sighed. {She's just lost a good man. He took
the confession well enough not to make a mess of the place. Most guys would
make a scene.}
She watched on as Lebia broke away from a bunch of techs to check up on Kiddy.
{Maybe I'll leave more than just my number on her voice mail.} Katsumi thought.
* * *
Hawaii November 1, 2029AD
Katsumi relaxed in her hawaiian bungalow. It was a one story abode that had
all the comforts of home in three rooms. It even had a canopy bed with a thin
almost transparent curtain...which sat on the corner of the larger sitting
room.
She was wearing a Yukuta and seemed to be at ease with herself.
She blinked when she heard a knock on the abodes front door. Wondering who it
could be...she slipped off of the couch and strode over to it. She turned the
knob and opened the door....to see Kiddy smiling sadly at her.
"Hi Katsumi." Kiddy nodded "Long time no see, huh?"
"Kiddy?! what are you doing here?!" Katsumi exclaimed.
"Time off." She replied, then nodded. "...and well...I thought I'd spend the
rest with you."
"I see." Katsumi nodded. "What about..."
"Ralph and I...." I murmured. "...have broken up."
Katsumi sighed at the news, then offered her shoulder
"C'mon." She nodded as she held out an arm. "C'mon inside and we can
talk all about it.
Kiddy stared at her, smiled gratefuly and took several steps towards her.
As she did so, the megaydne took a hold of the door knob and slowly
pulled the door shut.
"Arigato...Katsumi." Was Kiddys reply.
End