Bara no Scarlet
Chapter 32
Unease
Anshii walked into the dorm room, and found Ayomi fast asleep at her desk, head resting on her Algebra textbook. She watched for a moment, and then reached out and put her hand on Ayomi's shoulder, shaking her slightly. "Ayomi.? Ayomi. wouldn't you be more comfortable in your bed.?"
Ayomi picked up her head and blinked sleepily through her soft pink bangs at Anshii. "Oh." she paused, forcing herself back into the reality of the world. "I had the strangest dream." She looked at the textbook that had been her not so comfortable pillow, and smirked. "And with that as a pillow, it's little wonder. Ugh."
Anshii chuckled softly, moving the textbook off to the side of the desk. "If I had an Algebra textbook for a pillow, I'd have strange dreams too. Come on, the bed would be more comfortable." She walked over to the table and set her purse down on it as she talked.
"Well. I've napped. I can stay awake for a little while. How was your evening?" Ayomi asked, moving towards the side table and pulling out a warm teapot and teacups. She had set the tea to brew before she'd fallen asleep, and it looked like it hadn't finished steeping all that long ago. She hadn't spent that much time asleep, then, she decided. But how was it that one could nap only a few minutes and have it seem like hours? She reached for the creamer and sugar, putting them on the tray beside the teapot.
Anshii flopped down in a chair and leaned on the table, chin on folded arms. "Oh. it went. I swear, I have the most evil brother in the world."
Ayomi came to a halt, frozen for a moment. Events in her dream played through her mind, and she shook her head, turning to smile at Anshii, tray in hands. "Maybe he isn't truly evil? Just. angry?" She set the tray down on the table and turned the two teacups over.
Anshii arched an eyebrow. "If it breathes, he'll seduce it, Ayomi. You have to be careful around him. He used to have power over me. once, long ago. He'll use whatever advantage he can against you, so just keep that in mind."
Ayomi nodded, pouring tea into the teacups and offered a cup to Anshii. "There are lots of people who will use others to their advantage. It's not easy to tell who is who at times." She took her own teacup off of the serving tray and sat it in front of her chair. She moved back to the side table and picked up the plate that she had been unable to put on the tray.
Anshii sipped at the tea thoughtfully. "Yes. there have been times when it's been clear that people were trying to use me. and other times, it wasn't as clear. It makes it hard to decide who you can trust, and who is your enemy."
A plate of cookies were set by Anshii's saucer, and Ayomi turned to put sugar in her tea. "I used canterella in the tea. I hope you like it." Her voice was non-committal, as if she were unaware of what she had just said.
Anshii froze in mid-sip. She'd said that to Utena once. She'd used that very line to test Utena's trust in her. Was that Utena, trying to give her a message? "Really? The tea is quite wonderful. Did you put any in the cookies?"
Ayomi turned and and sat quietly in her chair. After sipping her tea, she pointed to a wrapper off on the side table and smiled. "No, those were store-bought."
Anshii took another sip of tea, then reached out and took a cookie. "They probably won't be as good as the tea, then. Pity." She took a bite and chewed it thoughtfully. Sugar butter cookies, the kind that looked like a little flower with the hole in the middle. Not exactly her favorite, but they were a good match with the tea.
"I agree," Ayomi replied. "They aren't nearly as good as home-made, but I really had to study for that exam." She left out the part where she hadn't even cracked open the book and instead took that impromptu nap with the bizarre dream that she was still trying to figure out in the back of her mind. The woman in the red dress. the stained glass depiction looked a lot like. "Miss Anshii.?"
Anshii looked up, across the table to Ayomi, and arched a brow. "Yes, Ayomi?"
Ayomi took a deep breath and considered the question carefully. Knowing what she knew, having spent time with Anshii. maybe she was wrong. But she had to ask. She had a feeling that it was important. "You. you were the Rose Bride before, right?"
Time stopped.
"Yes."
"And your gown was red."
"Yes."
"Why did you stab her?"
Anshii walked into the dorm room, and found Ayomi fast asleep at her desk, head resting on her Algebra textbook. She watched for a moment, and then reached out and put her hand on Ayomi's shoulder, shaking her slightly. "Ayomi.? Ayomi. wouldn't you be more comfortable in your bed.?"
Ayomi picked up her head and blinked sleepily through her soft pink bangs at Anshii. "Oh." she paused, forcing herself back into the reality of the world. "I had the strangest dream." She looked at the textbook that had been her not so comfortable pillow, and smirked. "And with that as a pillow, it's little wonder. Ugh."
Anshii chuckled softly, moving the textbook off to the side of the desk. "If I had an Algebra textbook for a pillow, I'd have strange dreams too. Come on, the bed would be more comfortable." She walked over to the table and set her purse down on it as she talked.
"Well. I've napped. I can stay awake for a little while. How was your evening?" Ayomi asked, moving towards the side table and pulling out a warm teapot and teacups. She had set the tea to brew before she'd fallen asleep, and it looked like it hadn't finished steeping all that long ago. She hadn't spent that much time asleep, then, she decided. But how was it that one could nap only a few minutes and have it seem like hours? She reached for the creamer and sugar, putting them on the tray beside the teapot.
Anshii flopped down in a chair and leaned on the table, chin on folded arms. "Oh. it went. I swear, I have the most evil brother in the world."
Ayomi came to a halt, frozen for a moment. Events in her dream played through her mind, and she shook her head, turning to smile at Anshii, tray in hands. "Maybe he isn't truly evil? Just. angry?" She set the tray down on the table and turned the two teacups over.
Anshii arched an eyebrow. "If it breathes, he'll seduce it, Ayomi. You have to be careful around him. He used to have power over me. once, long ago. He'll use whatever advantage he can against you, so just keep that in mind."
Ayomi nodded, pouring tea into the teacups and offered a cup to Anshii. "There are lots of people who will use others to their advantage. It's not easy to tell who is who at times." She took her own teacup off of the serving tray and sat it in front of her chair. She moved back to the side table and picked up the plate that she had been unable to put on the tray.
Anshii sipped at the tea thoughtfully. "Yes. there have been times when it's been clear that people were trying to use me. and other times, it wasn't as clear. It makes it hard to decide who you can trust, and who is your enemy."
A plate of cookies were set by Anshii's saucer, and Ayomi turned to put sugar in her tea. "I used canterella in the tea. I hope you like it." Her voice was non-committal, as if she were unaware of what she had just said.
Anshii froze in mid-sip. She'd said that to Utena once. She'd used that very line to test Utena's trust in her. Was that Utena, trying to give her a message? "Really? The tea is quite wonderful. Did you put any in the cookies?"
Ayomi turned and and sat quietly in her chair. After sipping her tea, she pointed to a wrapper off on the side table and smiled. "No, those were store-bought."
Anshii took another sip of tea, then reached out and took a cookie. "They probably won't be as good as the tea, then. Pity." She took a bite and chewed it thoughtfully. Sugar butter cookies, the kind that looked like a little flower with the hole in the middle. Not exactly her favorite, but they were a good match with the tea.
"I agree," Ayomi replied. "They aren't nearly as good as home-made, but I really had to study for that exam." She left out the part where she hadn't even cracked open the book and instead took that impromptu nap with the bizarre dream that she was still trying to figure out in the back of her mind. The woman in the red dress. the stained glass depiction looked a lot like. "Miss Anshii.?"
Anshii looked up, across the table to Ayomi, and arched a brow. "Yes, Ayomi?"
Ayomi took a deep breath and considered the question carefully. Knowing what she knew, having spent time with Anshii. maybe she was wrong. But she had to ask. She had a feeling that it was important. "You. you were the Rose Bride before, right?"
Time stopped.
"Yes."
"And your gown was red."
"Yes."
"Why did you stab her?"