There was more cheer a few days later when their long-absent manager, Yoneda Ikki, finally returned to the Grand Imperial Theater.
"Well, at least the place is still standing," he said gruffly even as the Hanagumi and Kazegumi girls showered him with well-wishes.
"What the hell, you should have told us you're coming back today!" Jason grumbled good-naturedly from afar.
"I just wanted to come back earlier, that's all," Yoneda replied as he saw everyone's happy faces.
"Still, we can have a party tonight!" Kohran said excitedly.
"I swear, that's all what you people think about," Yoneda said half-heartedly.
"Give 'em a break, it's been a tough time," Jason said, nodding knowingly at the girls.
"I know," Yoneda smiled.
---
"Kampai!!"
Everyone cheered loudly and raised their glasses in salute to the health of their manager.
Yoneda gulped down his sake eagerly. Most of the Hanagumi were drinking juice and chatting excitedly among themselves.
"You have to slow down a little, old man," Jason sniggered. He made a show of pinching his nose and waving off the thick alcohol smell.
"Bah! I don't want to hear that from –you-, of all people," Yoneda scoffed as he drained his cup, which was instantly refilled by a smiling Kaede.
"Now now Jason, this is a rare occasion, don't be so uptight," Kaede admonished lightly.
"Y'see! Even Kaede is on my side!" Yoneda exclaimed triumphantly.
"Huh. You're lucky Ayame-san isn't here," Jason muttered.
"Yes, I am not my sister. Which is why I'm banning him from drinking sake starting –tomorrow- instead of today," Kaede laughed.
"Not you too! You Fujieda women!" the manager grimaced.
"They are just looking out for you, sir," Ogami smiled.
"Ahhh, I know that..." Yoneda said wistfully, a sober look coming over his face.
He placed his cup down on the table and tapped it with a chopstick to produce a ringing sound, causing the entire party to focus their attention on him.
"Everyone... thank you for your hard work. In my absence, all of you did well," Yoneda said gravely.
"It was our duty, Yoneda-shihainin," Maria responded.
Ogami nodded. "Yes, and it was your leadership which taught us that we are a team... no, we're a family."
"And we take care of our own, don't we?" Sakura asked earnestly.
"That's right!" Kanna agreed. "And Chief, you're part of the family too, y'know. Don't be so formal!" she added with a grin.
"Heh, hearing you say that... brings a tear to this old man's eyes," Yoneda said, "you have all grown so much while I was away..."
"You're not going to cry, are you?" Jason smirked.
"Don't be stupid, you punk," Yoneda growled. Then his smile returned; a thoughtful look on his face.
"What are you thinking, sir?" Kaede asked.
"About what Jason said. About giving them a break."
That caught everyone's attention.
"What are you yapping about, old man?" Jason asked irritably. Sitting beside him, Maria poked him with an elbow to shut him up.
"You are right. After what all of you have been through... The Hanagumi deserves a vacation," Yoneda answered.
There was a moment of silence from the Hanagumi.
"I've decided to give you people a summer break. The least you can do is be thankful," Yoneda grumbled.
The Hanagumi erupted in cheers and exultations.
"A summer vacation! Yes!!" Kanna yelled, pumping a fist.
"Wai wai! A holiday! Iris wants to go to the sea!"
"Hahaha! The sea it is then!" the manager laughed uproariously.
"Hey, you sure this is wise? There's the matter of the Kokkikai to worry about y'know," Jason said skeptically even as the others chatted excitedly among themselves.
"Ahh, don't be a worry wart. I've got everything covered," Yoneda said confidently.
---
A few days later...
Having made the arrangements, the Hanagumi assembled in the lobby with their baggage, ready to depart for the holiday. But before they boarded the bus which was waiting outside, Yoneda introduced them to the ones who would be protecting the Grand Imperial Theater and the Imperial City while they were gone.
"Here they are," Yoneda said grandly.
"Hi! My name is Seiryuin Kotone, leader of the soldiers of love and beauty, the Baragumi!" a bespectacled man declared in his decidedly higher-than-usual-men's voice. He was dressed in an overly flashy uniform with frilly pink undershirt, a large red scarf and dripping shoulder braids over a yellow coat decorated with red roses.
Ignoring the Hanagumi's stunned faces; a much larger man rushed forward and caught Ogami in a death grip while staring deeply into his eyes. His dark skin, brutish looks, bushy eyebrows and his near mohawked hair clashed jarringly with his thick lips and a beauty mark below that.
"Oh, how I waited for this day, Ichiro-chan!" the big man crooned in his very thick voice, his lips making kissing sounds.
"Uwaaaahh!" Ogami cried in distress, trying his best to escape.
Kotone strode forward and wagged a finger sternly at his Baragumi team member. "Yokihiko! That's no way to do things!"
"Oh my, I'm terribly sorry," the big man said and actually blushed as he released the frightened Ogami. "My name is Ota Yokihiko," he continued, holding his hands in a very feminine manner.
The last of the Baragumi trio stepped forward shyly. Unlike the other two, this person was actually dressed in the green military uniform of a female officer.
"Ah... my... my... my name is Oka Kikunojo... please... accept my regards..." Kikunojo stuttered, wringing his hands nervously. His doe-like eyes and woman-styled hair could pass him as a real woman, but his voice did not allow it.
'Another guy?!' Ogami mentally screamed. 'And why are they looking at me like that?!'
"Haha... Well my fellow Baragumi, what do you think of the Ichiro-chan that we so admire?" Kotone asked, causing Yokohiko and Kikunojo to redden.
"Just... just –what- are these people!?" Sumire demanded. The Kanzaki heiress, like her other Hanagumi colleagues, were aghast.
"Uh huh. This is your idea of 'everything covered'?" Jason asked Yoneda sarcastically.
"Don't be fooled by their appearances. They are specialists and elite of the army," Yoneda replied.
Jason took a long, good look at the Baragumi trio who were trying their best to seduce Ogami to be one of them.
"Elite huh," Jason grunted.
"Well..." Yoneda trailed off sheepishly.
"Yoneda-shihainin! I'm sorry... but I have to ask..." Ogami gasped, trying his best to fend off the unwanted attentions of the Baragumi.
"Ahem. Yes, I'm sure you realize that they are all men," Yoneda coughed.
"Eeeh? But why is that one dressed like a woman?" Iris asked innocently, pointing at the visibly squirming Kikunojo.
"Damn, how should I say this..." Jason muttered, at loss for an explanation.
Luckily, Saki arrived at that very moment, depositing her own luggage bag along with the others. She grinned, apparently catching the conversation as she came up.
"Iris... the universe is a big place. There are all sorts of people," she said knowingly, winking at Jason who smiled back in gratitude. Maria noted the little exchange with some interest.
Orihime chuckled as she struck a thoughtful pose. "Hmm, come to think of it, there are a lot of such people among the rich and famous~."
"Yoneda-han... are you really sure about these people? I don't want them to mess with my room while I'm gone," Kohran said doubtfully.
"Don't worry, the commander and I will be in the theater while you're gone," Kaede said.
"Eh? You are not coming with us?" Ogami asked in disappointment. He immediately got his left foot stomped on by Sakura, and his right foot stomped on by Sumire, causing him to yelp in pain.
"Oh dear, what's wrong?" Kaede asked in concern, oblivious to the sources of his pain.
Jason snickered unsympathetically. "Don't mind him, he will be well taken care of," he said with a grin. "But are you sure this is alright? What if the Kokkikai attacks the city while we're gone?"
Nobody noticed that Saki stiffened at the mention of the supernatural enemies that were plaguing the Imperial City.
"The Tsukigumi division is still in the city," Kaede smiled. "If anything should happen, we will send the Shogei-Maru to pick you up."
Ogami nodded, still wincing from his sore feet. "I bet Kayama would have loved to follow us... he keeps talking about the sea."
Kaede chuckled, as if enjoying a private joke.
"What's so funny?" Jason asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing... Ogami may be right," Kaede grinned.
"Hm?"
Kaede shook her head and instead said, "Everyone, please enjoy your vacation. It's a rare chance for relaxation, so try to make the best of your free time."
"You got that right! We're gonna have fun!" Kanna yelled as the others cheered enthusiastically.
---
One bus ride that included a small explosion (courtesy of Kohran's misbehaving Party Machine-kun) later, they arrived at the traditional-styled inn, a mere stone's throw away from the beach. Jason was a little taken aback to see veiled references to a species of flying turtles[i], but nobody else thought it was overly strange.
The Hanagumi indulged themselves during their short vacation, feeling free from the burden of protecting the city.
Laughing gaily and enjoying themselves, their first day even ended with an impromptu pillow fight.
It ended on a slightly embarrassed note when the mock fight went overboard and caused some damage to the shoji doors of the ryokan. After a lecture from Maria that chastened everyone, the Hanagumi (and Saki) retired to bed, with the men and women separated in two rooms.
"Well, can you get used to sleeping like this?" Ogami asked as the two men began to spread their thin futons over the polished wooden floor.
Jason grinned as he sat down on his futon. "This? I'm an old hand, I can sleep anywhere," he said confidently.
Ogami chuckled. "I bet you can."
"Y'know, this place reminds me of something," Jason said suddenly, knocking his knuckles on the polished floor.
"Really? I thought you seemed strange when the owner of the inn talked about the flying turtles," Ogami replied.
The Exodusian gave him a face. "No, that's not it... but don't you find it strange? Flying turtles, for god's sake!"
"It doesn't really seem strange."
"Huh. You Japanese are really weird," Jason said.
Ogami laughed. "Speak for yourself, Jason! I'm talking to a 400 year old immortal!"
Jason grimaced as the young Japanese man laughed.
"Oh please. I'm still flesh and blood," Jason muttered.
"Haha... so, what this place reminds you of?"
Jason grinned as he ran his fingers on the polished wooden floor. It was so immaculate that a pale reflection could be seen, and the wood was cool to the touch.
"Well, there was this one time I when I slept in a sword master's dojo[ii]..."
"A dojo? Here in Luthien?" Ogami asked interestedly. He of course, was a dual sword exponent himself.
"Well, no. Heck, it's not even in this universe," Jason said vaguely.
"Huh?"
"ANYways..."
---
"That was a great story, Jason," Ogami said when Jason finished.
"Bah, it was nothing," Jason replied modestly.
Ogami shrugged. "I envy you, having such an interesting life, filled with adventures."
Jason's head bowed slightly. "It is not all fun and games being an Exodusian, Ogami... you have no idea," he said wryly.
"I'm sorry, I was too inconsiderate..." Ogami said hurriedly, sheepishly remembering that the immortal Exodusians like Jason were still regarded with suspicion throughout human space. Ogami suspected that Jason had much more bitter experiences that he had yet to tell any of the Hanagumi.
"Don't worry about it, Ogami," Jason said, "being here with the Hanagumi more than makes up for it."
"I wonder though..."
"What?" Jason asked.
"Are you sure you're fine with us? The galaxy isn't really doing well you know," Ogami said slowly.
Jason grimaced. Reading the galactic news was something he had tried to avoid doing recently. Tensions were running high between the Alliance of Free Stars and the new, military-minded attitude of the United Federation of Planets. Their respective fleets were put into action, patrolling 'potentially explosive' areas.
Despite swearing off from reentering the galactic political arena, Jason's real identity could not help but follow the news with concern as diplomatic tensions flare. He saw the shadow of Soldat Corporation's hand in almost every move made by the Federation; it was only a matter of time before a real, galactic civil war would break out.
"W-what do you mean? Haha, don't worry about it, everything will turn out fine! Everything usually does..." Jason replied, trying to dismiss the Japanese man's doubts.
Unconvinced, Ogami frowned. "But with such a thing going on, are you sure your friends don't want you back? The RDF would surely welcome you back with open arms..."
Jason sighed. "Yeah, they would. But with things as bad as it already is, don't you think adding me into the mix would make it worse? Soldat Corp would pull the strings to war the instant they see me still alive and kicking."
"I guess you have a right to believe that... but you must also realize that your presence might help to make things better too," Ogami countered.
"No, I don't think so," Jason replied with a shake of his head. "The galaxy needs new heroes, Ogami... I am just a relic now. My glory days were two hundred years ago... We Exodusians were heroes, but what did that got us? Hatred and suspicion from Earth, resentment and fear from everyone else."
"That's not true! Look at us, the Hanagumi! You are just like a brother to all of us!" Ogami argued.
"I didn't mean to slight you," Jason smiled, "but remember your own reaction when you first found out who I am. Despite me being part of the Hanagumi, do you really think the people of Imperial City would accept me, an Exodusian?"
Ogami slumped in defeat. Despite his optimistic outlook, he knew that the people of the Imperial City... no, the human race as a whole; were still harboring ill-founded mistrust over the immortal Exodusians.
Seeing the frowns creasing the young man's forehead, Jason burst into laughter. "What's with that look? Come on, this is our vacation, cheer up!"
"But-"
"Ogami, if you persist in digging up old memories while we are here, I will be –very- annoyed," Jason said, wagging a finger.
Clapping a hand to the back of his head, Ogami laughed sheepishly.
"Well then, enough for tonight, let's hit the sack," Jason said. Nodding, Ogami went to turn off the lights. The two men settled into their respective futons.
There was a thick cloud obscuring the moon that night, meaning the entire room was thrown into pitch blackness immediately after the lights went out.
Soon enough, Jason could hear the Japanese man's slight snore.
'Really a navy man, to fall asleep so quickly,' Jason grinned to himself.
But despite closing his owns eyes, sleep eluded Jason for hours. Even the sound of the gentle wave lapping at the nearby beach failed to lull him. His mind kept drifting back to what Ogami had said earlier, about the current, volatile situation in the galaxy.
'The RDF eh... Eadric, Jeffrey and the gang... I wonder how they are doing in this mess...' Jason wondered, the faces of his friends and fellow Exodusians surfacing in his mind.
'We were so young and the future was so bright...'
He remembered the time when he became an Exodusian, almost four hundred years ago. Back then, the name Arion Wong had yet to gain notoriety... back then, he was still a normal soldier fighting a war on Earth.
The very circumstances that lead him to the war on Earth itself was mind-boggling, and he had given up hope on convincing anyone of his claims. Who cared? Not him anymore, he had resigned himself to living in this particular plane of existence.
And then, the arrival of the gigantic alien spaceship that crashed on the final battlefield, ending the war so dramatically. He had wondered how his life would have become if it wasn't for that fateful encounter.
'...chances thrown... lives wasted... we all lost something when we became Exodusians...'
Almost unwillingly, he drifted in and out of sleep, hovering in between awareness and drowning in his subconscious.
But just as the final push of sleep was going to engulf him, Jason heard the sound of the shoji doors being opened. Too drowsy to really register it, he grunted with annoyance and kept his eyes closed, not bothering to investigate.
Then there was the soft rustle of cloth and small footsteps on the floor. It caused him to shift in his futon; his ears subconsciously trying to focus on the sound despite his brain trying to shut down.
He finally couldn't ignore it any further when a warm and soft presence gently crept near him.
Jason opened one eye, but it was too dark to see. He nearly jumped out of the futon when the presence suddenly leaned gently on his prone body. Underneath the futon, his right hand slowly snaked towards his Long Colt Revolver, which he kept by his side.
"Ensign..." a very soft and sultry voice said.
'Uh oh,' Jason felt his brain was suddenly electrified, his hand stopping just short of touching his revolver.
"Are you asleep, Ensign?" the voice asked.
Jason mentally groaned. He had immediately identified the owner of the voice. 'This can't be happening,' he grimaced in the dark.
"You know, I hope you can join me tomorrow..." the voice said almost hesitantly.
The image of the voice's owner blushing furiously red in the dark was too much for Jason to bear, and he let out a low gasp.
"I'm sorry Sumire, but you got the wrong futon," he said, trying not to laugh out loud and waking up Ogami.
The weight on his body vanished. "What, elder brother!?" Sumire gasped in horror.
Perchance, the clouds thinned and allowed some rays of moonlight into the room. Even with the poor light, Jason could see his unofficial younger sister's face.
He immediately clamped a hand over his own mouth to stop laughing.
"Oh my god," Sumire exclaimed, her mouth in a wide 'O'.
Jason didn't reply; he was busy trying to contain his laughter. His entire body shook as the humor of the situation threatened to take control.
"Stop it!" Sumire hissed, visibly annoyed seeing him enjoying so much of her mistake.
When he showed no signs of improvement, she landed several lady-like blows on his quivering body.
"Ow, alright, alright!" Jason said in mock pain. He pulled himself up so that he was sitting on the futon. Sumire too had drew back and sat on it facing him.
"Wipe that smile from your face," she threatened when she saw that he was still grinning.
"Sorry, this is too funny," Jason replied with a flick of his wrist, still smiling.
"Oh, you're impossible," Sumire sighed.
Jason had often praised the Hanagumi's acting skills, but Sumire was possibly the best of them all. Within a few minutes, her furious red blush had given way to a composed calmness, as if there was nothing wrong for a lady to enter a dark room and proposition to the wrong person.
"I won't even ask what you were thinking, sneaking into here like this," Jason said mischievously.
Sumire grimaced. "It was just a moment of fancy. You're the only one who encouraged me to be more honest," she pointed out.
"I didn't encourage you to do -this-," Jason said, his grin getting wider.
"Oh, so you think it's a mistake," the Kanzaki heiress replied.
Jason shook his head. "Nah, it's not a mistake," he said, causing Sumire to look at him in surprise.
"You got guts," he chuckled, "and there's nothing wrong to be honest. But not like this."
They looked over to the side towards the Japanese man. Ogami was still sleeping fitfully in his futon, oblivious to the low conversation between Jason and Sumire.
"Why not? This is your fault. 'Take the initiative', you said," Sumire quoted, her pride trying to shift the blame to him.
"Well, you could've placed Ogami in a bad position," Jason shrugged.
Before Sumire could ask how she could have done that, there was a flurry of footsteps. The doors opened and the lights quickly came back on. The sudden brightness caused Jason and Sumire to momentarily shield their eyes.
"Oho, so there you are!" Kanna said accusingly. Behind her was the entire Hanagumi (plus a bemused Saki).
"Here I am what, Miss Kanna?" Sumire asked artlessly.
"Sneaking here and trying to get the Ensign-," Kanna blurted, before seeing that it was Jason and not Ogami that the Kanzaki heiress was facing.
"Eeeh?" went Kanna.
Ogami chose that moment to blearily sit up on his futon. "Huwahh, what's going on here!?" he demanded as he rubbed his eyes.
Sumire and Jason shared a look and laughed at their colleagues' sheepish faces.
---
The next day proceeded leisurely. The Hanagumi separated into small groups to enjoy different activities. Kanna led a group up for a mountain climb, while Sumire and the others hit the beach.
Later during the night, the Hanagumi girls and Saki gave Ogami and Jason a surprise by wearing beautiful yukatas.
"Ogami, you're drooling," Jason smirked.
"Who wouldn't?" the Japanese man replied defensively.
"True," Jason sighed, not quite able to tear his eyes from the sight of Maria in the modest yet colorful traditional Japanese dress, complete with a small paper fan.
"Hey everyone, let's go to the festival at the local temple!" Kohran suggested energetically. It was met with universal approval.
Predictably, Maria and Jason ended up at the shooting stall offering cheap prizes and cuddly soft toys.
"So Jason, care for a try?" Maria had asked offhandedly when they strolled past the stall.
"These things are usually rigged," Jason shrugged.
"Maybe, but let's try to win some for Iris."
The youngest Hanagumi clapped her hands excitedly. "Wai wai! Iris is going to get more friends for Jean-Paul!"
Maria and Jason smiled. As they paid the money to the owner and received the toy guns for the event, Orihime and Saki came over.
"What are you doing~?" Orihime asked as Jason looked over the air-powered, mock rifle.
"Nah, just trying to get something for Iris," Jason replied.
"By shooting the toys~?"
"That's the idea," Jason said dryly.
Orihime sighed and patted Iris' yellow hair. "You're so lucky that Maria is playing for you, otherwise you won't get anything from Mr. Poor Aim here."
"Hey, what's that suppose to mean?" Jason demanded.
"Well, it's obvious that Miss Maria will definitely hit the targets, unlike you~," Orihime smirked.
"Ah, but I believe Jason would be able to prove you wrong," Saki chipped in and touched the Exodusian on the shoulder. "Isn't that right, hmm Jason?" she smiled.
"Er..."
"It seems that you have a very strong support," Maria observed with the slightest touch of frost in her voice, causing Jason to wince.
"Don't worry, Miss Maria! You can beat this clown with one eye closed~!" Orihime cheered, not aware of the subtle byplay.
"Hello customers, you can start now," the stall owner called out.
Maria nodded. "Let's begin, shall we?" she said challengingly to Jason, who winced again at her icy tone.
Ignoring his reaction, Maria lifted the toy rifle and took aim at a yellow doll with adorable features. A single shot later, the yellow doll fell over, much to the chagrin of the owner.
"Here ya go, missy; that was a good first shot!" the owner said with a fake smile plastered over his face. Maria then passed the prize to a delighted Iris.
"Wai, thank you so much, Maria!" Iris said elatedly and hugged the doll close, thoughts of Jean-Paul which was back at the inn momentarily forgotten.
"Nice shooting, Maria~," Orihime praised. The Italian girl then made a show of holding Iris' hand and began to drag her away.
"Come come, lets go now~."
"But second brother haven't tried yet," Iris protested.
Orihime tsked. "Now now, you already got one prize from Maria, you shouldn't be so greedy~! Besides, he will never hit the target anyway~."
"Hey!" Jason grumbled.
Seeing that Iris was still hesitant to leave, Orihime then pointed into the distance vaguely. "Look, this is my first festival in the Imperial City, let's see the other stalls there~. They look like fun~."
Iris beamed. "Alright then, we will have lots of fun!" she nodded vigorously. Much to Jason's disappointment, Orihime succeeded in persuading the young girl to leave.
Maria wondered if she would go along with them.
"Well, since Iris won't be here, why don't you try to get a present for me?" Saki asked impishly of Jason.
"Eh?"
"Come on, I know you can do it!" Saki urged, leaning heavily onto the startled Exodusian.
"Yes, Jason, I'm sure you can," Maria commented coolly. Without giving him a chance to say anything, she turned away to join the rapidly disappearing Orihime and Iris.
And so, the night ended with a present for Saki, irritation for Maria, and disappointment for Jason.
---
Feeling restless about the brush-off from Maria, Jason again couldn't sleep that night. He looked over at Ogami enviously, who had no trouble at all.
'It's as if he can simply put off problems until the next morning,' Jason grumbled.
Sighing, he got up and left the room for a walk at the beach.
To mutual surprise, he found Maria there, sitting on the sand by her lonesome, staring at the waves. The full moon hung above the horizon, vying with the shimmering stars. There was only a slight breeze in the summer night, so that the waves gently lapped the sandy beach.
"Yo," Jason softly called.
Startled, the Russian blonde gasped when she heard him.
"Jason!? What are you doing here?"
"I can ask the same about you," Jason replied and sat down cross-legged beside her.
"Hmm."
"Can't sleep?" Jason asked wryly.
"Mmhmm, I had a strange dream," Maria replied, almost awkwardly.
"Tell me about it," Jason said, trying not to stare at the woman too much. 'She's beautiful,' he thought. The moon's pale light seemingly bathed down on her, causing her to be seemingly luminous.
She chuckled, debating whether she should tell him or not.
"Come on, you can tell me," Jason insisted, her small laugh only heightened his interest.
"Only if you don't laugh..." Maria replied.
Jason shrugged and smiled, hoping to be as vague as possible.
Maria looked at him square in the eyes.
"I dreamt I was married to a rat[iii]."
It took a moment for Jason to register what she said.
"Come again?" he asked, not quite believing his ears.
"I dreamt I was married to a rat," Maria repeated in the same, deadpanned voice.
Jason blinked several times, looked away and simply uttered a single word:
"Oh."
Maria studied his face for a moment before deciding that the Exodusian was trying his best not to laugh.
"Oh alright. You can laugh," she said, taking pity on him.
Jason clapped his eyes as he shook in quiet laughter. Finally, he couldn't keep it down anymore and it exploded into a full-blown laugh.
"Tactless idiot," Maria grumbled and looked away with a toss of her hair.
"I'm sorry," Jason said as he wiped his tears of laughter away, "but that was really a bolt out from the blue."
"Hmhm, I know," Maria smiled.
"Maybe it's something from your past life," Jason suggested lightly.
She responded by punching him in the shoulder. "Stop making fun of me," she warned, eyes twinkling.
"I can't help it," Jason grinned in reply.
"I should not have told you," Maria sighed.
"Ah, don't be like that," Jason said.
"Then stop laughing," Maria ordered.
Jason struck an indifferent pose. "I'm afraid that is not quite possible, my lady," he said with an affected British accent, causing her to giggle.
It was like music to his ears, like the sprinkling of the morning dew.
As she laughed, he couldn't help but look at her face, so carefree and beautiful underneath the moonlight. Before him now, was a woman who had dropped her shell of sternness and discipline.
From what Ogami and the rest of the Hanagumi had told him, the Maria they knew would never be cheery and laugh so openly in front of others. To them, Maria was the personification of icy coolness and harshness, a woman to be admired and looked up upon.
Sure, they shared laughter and joy with her, but perhaps never something this –personal-.
Jason bet that the Hanagumi had never seen Maria like this, chuckling as she sat languidly on the beach, the soft breeze brushing her hair as the moon and the stars glowed on her.
"What are you looking at?" Maria asked, breaking his reverie. Embarrassed that he was caught staring at her openly; Jason blushed and scratched his cheek sheepishly.
"You."
"Hmm?"
"I was looking at you," Jason replied sheepishly.
"I wonder what Saki would say to that," Maria said mischievously.
Jason groaned. "Oh come on. You guys practically force me to be friendly with her and this is what I get."
"-I- didn't," Maria reminded him.
Jason shrugged. "I meant Kanna and the others... even Miss Kaede. They got me into this mess."
"What mess?" Maria asked innocently.
"Oh no, I'm not falling for –that-. I'm 400 years old, remember?" Jason exaggerated.
"Well then, what do you think of Saki?"
Jason rolled his eyes. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?"
"Well, she –is- a very attractive person," Maria smiled.
"Not as much as you," Jason muttered before he could stop himself.
"Eh?" said a very startled Maria.
"Ah, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say that!" Jason panicked.
Maria turned away to hide her blush. She made a show of folding her arms and snorted in derision.
"So, you didn't mean it eh?" she said, secretly pleased.
"No! Yes! I mean, you're attractive... gah!" Jason babbled, feeling helpless as he dug himself into a proverbial deeper hole.
When he heard Maria chuckle and her body tremble softly with laughter, Jason relaxed.
"You're enjoying this," he complained.
"Yes, I do," Maria faced him again and smirked.
Jason took a deep breath. "Well, I don't mind it, because I care for you very much."
For a moment, all that they could hear was the sound of the gentle waves washing up the beach.
A moment of hushed silence passed.
"Ah heck," the Exodusian muttered, "I'm not good with words."
Maria leaned closer and looked into his eyes.
"Then shut up and kiss me," she whispered.
"Yes ma'am."
And hidden in the shadows, the spying eyes of Saki glowed red as she watched.
"My my, what an interesting development," she commented and grinned maliciously.
-----------
Author's Note:
For those baying for more character development, there ya go. Yeah yeah, took Jason and Maria long enough, happy?
As always, reviews & constructive criticisms welcomed... this chapter was a pain to write out...
[i] Flying turtles – heh, Love Hina anyone? Just a teeny reference, move along...
[ii] Dojo – shameless reference to another of my fics, 'Kindred Spirits', also at fanfiction.net ^^
[iii] Maria's dream – Maria's VA (Takako Urara) is also the VA of the demoness Mara (or Marller) in the Oh! My Goddess spin-off, 'The Adventures of the Mini Goddesses'. In one episode the goddesses and their rat-friend Gan-chan were playing a game and somehow Mara was pulled into it and got married to the rat without ever knowing why or how ^^ ("I demand an explanation!" – Mara)