No musical interludes in this chapter…

That's pretty much it…

Chapter 7: The Journey of the Twelve Zukins

            Do you ever get one of those mornings in which you just do not feel like waking up? If so, this is one of those days. After falling asleep in my bed with my clothes on, I woke up feeling lousy as hell. Of course, considering that I was on the verge of death last night in hand to hand combat atop a dance club, well, you tend to see things differently.

            The sun arose today, a Monday, the 28 of October, and today should have been one of those days in which I would wake up and greet the happy people of youth. However, I almost felt like crashing down and sleeping like the depressed people of youth.

            Cataloguing the events that happened last night, it was very obvious that I needed a vacation. As I recall, I went from common audience member to a soldier in less than 30 seconds, deflected numerous energy blasts that I have not the idea how they were formed, and placed a finishing move on a corset wearing gajin that I knew nothing about atop a broken glass ceiling that was probably at least two floors down. Typical people do not experience these types of things everyday, you know.

            There was something that I did not notice when I did woke up, and that was the time. Apparently, the clock on the counter said 12:54. After double checking it with the other clocks in the room and noticing the bright light outside, it was right.

            I quickly made a phone call to the shop, frantically thinking that no one was going to be there… then Inoue answered. "Zukin, you're awake."

            "Inoue? Oh good. You're still alive."

            "You're still stunned about last night were you?"

            She was right about that. "Ok… maybe. I'll be there."
            It was a good thing Inoue had the keys to open today. If I did not, then Inoue would be standing out in the street getting very lonely and possibly cold.

            At around 14:00 (2 pm.), I was in the back room with Inoue. Over the last couple of days, I made some improvements to the room, seeing that this back area has begun to get more traffic recently. One of the things that I added was a plushy couch that relieved our tired bodies when there was nothing going on, although it seemed that the plushy couch got more activity as a bed than as a seating implement.

            Going back to Inoue, she felt somewhat depressed after last night, and she appeared to be returning to her old, gloomy self, but it seemed that there was something else on her mind. "Zukin, can you help me?" she asked

            "What is it Inoue?"

            "After last night, I began to wonder if… well… if I have not done much in my life as a result of my parents. I know I help around and you almost have that room set up for me to live, correct?"

            "Well, yes, but I mean, what is it that you like doing?"

            "I don't know. That's just it." She sat down in the couch with her legs stretched out to the floor. "I feel like I am completely undecided in life."

            "So you have no purpose, no ideas, nothing?"

            "Well, you see…, there is one, but I'm kind of ashamed."

            "Well, tell me."

            Inoue went to the back of the room and took out a red sketch pad that appeared to have seen better days. All the pages appear to have experienced some wear and tear over the years as Inoue sat down in the couch and carefully opened the pad. I soon followed. "I started drawing these pictures a long time ago, before my parents divorced."

            Taking a look at the pictures, I noticed a vague storyline forming. In the first picture, I noticed a highly detailed landscape of the countryside, complete with cherry blossoms. In the next picture, I noticed two characters in the balcony of their hotel room, overlooking the Tokyo Tower. As I looked more and more into these pictures, the quality of the pictures drastically improved, from simple designs to detailed works of art. Once we have made it to the last picture, I realized what Inoue wanted to be. "You want to be a manga writer, is that correct?"

            "Yes."

            Just for a side note, a manga writer is usually the same thing as a comic book writer in the west, only manga books usually last for usually 200 pages while the western books last for 32.

            "Is there any reason why you decided to become one?" I told her.

            "Well… it is quite interesting… when I was ten, I began to read all these shoujo (girl) graphic novels just to see if they were interesting, and well… I got hooked. Over time, my interest in them grew… and in some ways, I started to create a collection… and well… I don't know why, but I was somewhat ashamed of it…" Her words began to stutter, as she struggled to get the words out. "I actually wanted to be a manga writer, and as I began to draw my manga comic, I had to deal with the divorce issue that was looming over my entire life, so the book was on hold."

            "But there was another side to it… I didn't realize this until it was too late, but… well… after the cosplaying incident, I realized that I was…an otaku."

            "A fangirl?" I told her. "I mean, there is nothing wrong with it now and days, but… I can see where you were coming from." To those who do not know what "otaku" means, a while back, anyone who was called an otaku in Japan was basically given the status of "fanperson." It was similar to the fanatics over in the west who are fans of the Star Wars series, only it was more of a derogatory term to the person, and it focused specifically on manga books and anime.

            Inoue continued. "I did not know what to do and well… I just felt that I was… ostracized. I'm not sure how to put this but… everyone at my school well… wasn't into that… It seemed that I felt left out in school and… was picked upon for being one." She sat back on the couch with her sketch pad in her hand. "Even through all this, I still wanted to be a manga writer… I even though up of a story called "Aquatic Dreamer."

            "What is it?"

            "It was this futuristic comedy which involves humanity living on the ocean in colonies. I though it would be kind of interesting, even if I did not know the information about oceans or comedy."

            She placed her pad back in her bag. "I kind of kept it to myself, but it seemed that I could not tell anyone this secret… until I met Remi. I mean, she is like this jovial girl that always thinks that there is hope in the world, and I admire her. Maybe she is one of those rainbows that make a girl feel welcomed… To be most honest, I actually admire her when she did dress up in that fairy costume..." A small smile came to her. "You seem to understand me, Zukin, seeing as you are a cosplayer and all… I cannot believe that I dressed up as a Sailor Senshi…"

            I had to interrupt her at that point. "You dressed up as a sailor Senshi?"

            "Kind of. I converted my sailor fuku uniform to the Senshi outfit."

            I felt speechless. I could not figure out whether to praise her or ask questions as to the degree of her fanaticism. "So you actually did this?"

            She nodded.

            "Interesting."

            Inoue got up from her spot and went to the storage area. "Say, Zukin. I know that you are a cosplayer yourself, with the creation of the Oshare, Kareu, Devil, Angel, Maid, and Princess costumes, but have you ever done any others?"

            "I did, but for some reason, I never released them, or shown them to anyone. As I recall, I made six other costumes. I'll show you." Going all the way into the storage room, I took out twelve boxes: the six that contained the first set of costumes, and the other six which contained the ones I have yet to shown.

            Placing the two side by side, I began to show Inoue each of the costumes, starting with the top box. The first look was an attack on my previous creation for being too cute with Princess-Zukin. Inside contained a silver necklace, followed by a medieval combat suit that had most of the "areas" covered in metal. Looking into it more carefully and noticing the wings and the design, I realized that it was my 7th creation, Valkir-Zukin, after the Viking warriors, the Valkyries.

            The next box was one of the elemental costumes that I created a while back. Kareu-Zukin was the first one, which represented air. This one represented water, with its lacy silk and strapless aqua dress. It also contained a blue hood which contained two blue crystals on each side, and below the waistline the dress was covered in "scales" to show the illusion of a mermaid look. Its name: Naiada-Zukin.

            The third one was my earth based model, Artifice-Zukin. I figured that I'd try to create a Zukin that was beautiful but also tied with the earth. What I ended up with was this part plant, part human creation that had most of its body covered in branches and leaves with vines encircled around the arms and legs. If you add some professional makeup, it would look even cooler.

            The forth is called Inferna-Zukin. With trying to represent fire, I kind of went a little overboard. The arms and legs itself were partially torn up, and contained red flaries in them. The shirt and blouse area looked like one massive fire around me, and let's forget the headpiece: I'm not sure if I, by putting it on, I was to become a Super Sayijan or not.

            Number five was another warrior model, but it was more attached with Asian references than western influences. Entitled the Ronin-Zukin, it was your classic wanderer warrior type outfit from medieval Japan, containing the tan shirt and the decorative sword as well as a pair of sandals and traditional pants as well.

            As I opened the last box, a strange familiarity was attached to it. Moving aside the wrapping paper and looking at it, it felt almost nostalgic. "This is my old school uniform. I though I lost it forever when we moved." The uniform was kind of a relic for me, for I had a lot of memories of my childhood attached to it. It had on your traditional white shirt with an aqua blouse on the end. Along the way it had on a ruby bowtie, which was placed separately in the carton. Inoue noticed that the box had something else that went with the costume; and that was something that I have also forgotten about…

            "How come it comes with a makeshift jewel and this tiara that I have holding in my hand…? Did you dress up as a Sailor Senshi too?"

            A sweat bead fell down my neck. "Uh… no." I really did not want her to find out I was an otaku, but I guess it was public knowledge that I was somewhere along that line due to the fact that I am a cosplayer. What I did not want her to find out is that I am a Sailor Moon fanatic, yet she insisted on finding out.

            "I bet that you are a fanatic of the Sailor Moon saga as much as I was. I know for a fact that this is your costume of a Sailor Senshi and at one point in your life you dressed up as one."

            "No I am not. I do not understand how those items got in there."

            I think Inoue felt a bit amused at my denial. She decided to dare me to prove that I am a fanatic. "Fine. You know what; if you are not a fanatic, I want you to dress up in that costume."

            "What?" I asked her.
            "I bet you that you are still a fanatic for the Moon Princess, so I want you to get in their and become it."
            I know that she was trying to prove that I am a fanatic, but I still did not want to prove it to her. "Inoue, this is not like you at all. You want me to be Tuskino Usagi, the fourteen year old ditzy teenager who is also the famed and very liked Magical Girl know as Sailor Moon, who is also the reincarnation of the Moon Princess, along with the cats Artemis, Luna, and later Diana, not to mention Mamoru, who is also disliked by Usagi, yet is the reincarnation of King Endymion of said kingdom and…"

            "See, that is my point. You are still a fanatic." She was right. The way that I said the speech had reeked of denial. So, without further ado, I went into a nearby changing room, changed into the Sailor Senshi uniform, and, for a lack of better words, became "Sailor-Zukin."

            Her attempts to persuade me did not end there. "Ok, "pretty soldier", now I want you to go to the main store and show it to Remi."

            "Now why would I want you to do that?" I asked. "Why can't she come here?"

            "Ok, if you insist." She went in the back and checked if Remi was available.

            Meanwhile, I took a long look at my old uniform as I fiddled around with the accessories, adding the tiara here and the transformation jewel and removing it as well. You know, for a person like me, and the events that have happened, I almost thought that I could possibly be a "Magical Girl"; a child that, through some method or another, gained magical abilities that could potentially save the world, although I am 28 now and the whole genre had characters up to high school… although there were the outer planet soldiers that were considerably older…

            "Emily, help! Robbi's been rebuilt and now he's trying to capture us!" A scream was heard from Inoue's mouth. Fully geared in the Senshi outfit, I ran out to the store area, where my eyes were blinded by a flash of light. The next thing I noticed is Remi, holding a camera while Inoue, Suzue, and Yurkio watched in amazement. "I told you Remi that I would do it, and you did not believe me!" Inoue said.

            "What does it matter? We have the cosplayer at her most noticeable, and you said fantasy archetypes are not fun." Remi said.

            "Remi, Sailor Moon does not count as a fantasy."

            "But the whole "Magical Girl" genre does."

            Curse her reverse logic!

            Without anyone looking at the entrance, Emi and Yuni walked into the store and noticed me in the outfit. The two obviously gave me looks, but Yuni was a bit more hostile in her response.

            "…Not another one! Where is the nearest blunt object around here?"

            We all started to wonder about her sanity after she said that.

            That night, when all the girls left, it was just Yuriko and I in the store as we prepared to close shop. Since it was just the two of us, I went in to find information pertaining what happened during the development of the project. "Yuriko, can I ask you some questions?"

            "Sure."

            "It's about Project Konsento and about last night in particular."

            "I know. I heard all about it in the news. What do you want to know?"

            "Well, to be honest, I do not remember much."

            "Well then, let's try to narrow it down. Do you remember anything stemming from the beginning of the project?"

            "Such as…?"

            "…Who our co-workers were for starters."

            "Interesting, I do remember that there was you, me, and eight others who participated in this project?"

            "Do you remember their names?"

            "I think so. I know for a fact that four were from other nations. Let me think… The first was Zenos Andrew, a foreigner from the US. I'm not sure if he was in anyway involved. He was kind of an introvert, minding his own business while he did the programming. Then there was the electronics expert Santiago Elizabeth. She was not as jovial as Remi, but she tended to dance a lot when we were on breaks."

            "Go on."

            "The third member was Tresenti Maxwell from Italy. This guy was a serious worker. His overall efficiency as the technical leader was impressive. This guy just wanted to get the job done quickly and painlessly, as if he had a date or something."

            "The last member lived all the way in Hawaii: A native named Vail Keline. That woman was very interesting. I liked her for the way she tied up all the loose ends for the circuitry of the robot, but also how she was able to make the robot move without any bugs.

            "Now about the four co-workers, who I assume were from Japan, correct?"

            "Correct. I recall a man named Aoki Ennosuke. I swear the guy was insanely loyal to this job, almost like a samurai is to his master. I think that he did actually come from a long line of Samurai warriors in his past. Second there was this guy named Tsujimoto Ryo…"

            "Let's never mention that guy again." This was the guy who made the bunny and fairy programming images that represented the errors. I think he was also a closet cosplayer.

            Yuriko continued. "The third person was a woman named Sonoda Riku. She seemed ok, but she was always busy juggling her family and her job, especially when she went on maternal leave. The final coworker and team member… is interesting. Her name was Naomi von Selime, but she had official Japanese parents and lived here… I wonder if she was just like you; someone who is Japanese yet hides in a western ideal."

            She was right. My real name is not Zukin Emily or Emily Zukin. It is Kimiyama Emily. I chose the name Zukin right after I participated in the Konsento project out of personal liking to the name. It was interesting… the mystery of the name Zukin and the persona behind it almost made me part of who I am…

            After seeing that it had got us nowhere in discussing it, the two of us retired for the night.

            November 1st came around; the date in which the 50 qualifying dancers in Asia will be announced. The news reports told us that the results of the fifty qualifying dancers were to be listed on their website, but like the fanatics that they are, the influx of information resulted in the simultaneous crashing of all five of Becamite's servers in the Asian Subcontinent.

            I was at the shop, minding my own business, when an overly excited Emi walked in, along with Yuni and Akira, who had very confused glances. Emi was the first to speak.

            "Zukin, I can't believe that I am going to say this… but Rage and I are in the finals! We are going to New York, baby!"

            "Emi, would you please calm down? It's just a competition. I don't see us going all crazy about it." Yuni replied. "Anyway, Zukin, I came over to tell you that my father has decided to invite a couple of friends over for a celebration."

            Yuni's dad is throwing a party? I wondered why… "Yuni, isn't your father usually overprotective about you?"

            "Not really." She went closer and whispered something in my ear. "To be honest, he does not know that I was at the club. He thinks that I was going home hours before the incident happened. It's amazing what you can do with some careful manipulation of mothers." She stepped away. "Anyway, you and everyone else are invited."

            "Who else is going?"

            "Let's see, Rage, Emi, Izam, Ni-Na, (we'll have to figure out something if a conflict happens), and you and the three girls, as well as some guests from my father's side. So are you in?"

            If a friend was to say to you that you are invited to a private party at an exclusive mansion with multiple celebrities visiting, do you really think that you will say no?

Next chapter: We go visit Yuni's home, where something is definitely going to happen, and we are not talking about the Rage/Izam conflict…