Somewhere between Jupiter and Mars
The remnants of the once-proud 2nd Jovian Home Defense Fleet were waging a fighting retreat all the way back to Mars. The once 200-ship strong armada was now reduced to about 62 ships, of which only 15 were in the battleship class. With almost no hope of winning, the fleet's orders from the UEC were to slow down the enemy as much as possible while collecting data for analysis in order for the UEC strategic wizards to conjure up a miracle battle plan to defeat the enemy, now dubbed the Unknowns.
Currently, a small skirmish was being waged between the Unknowns and the Jovians, and space was lit up again as powerful blasts of energy were fired off from either side, criss-crossing paths, slamming into ships, annihilating fighter craft, and ending lives. While the carnage raged on, a lone Jovian research vessel, the Cowboy Johnny, began recording every bit of data on the Unknowns' movements using sensitive detection equipment and a gigantic directional antennae over 85 feet long.
Fifteen minutes into the battle, the Cowboy Johnny's sensors picked up a lone object floating in space from the direction of Jupiter. A quick broad-spectrum analysis of the object revealed it to be a battered but relatively intact Aestivalis. Intrigued by the unusual discovery, the captain of the research vessel made the decision to stray slightly off course in order to pick up the mecha. A transmission was sent, and two of the fleet's precious high-speed cruisers were detached and sent to escort the Cowboy Johnny and protect it from any stray Unknowns.
Powerful gravitron beams from the Cowboy Johnny were released, and snagged the semi-metalloid frame of the Aestivalis, dragging it quickly into the hangar bay of the vessel. Engineering teams quickly swarmed it, studying it for signs of damage and stress. The Aestivalis, pink in color, had apparently taken a severe beating, and the chief engineer clicked his tongue in distress as he observed the damage.
"This poor mecha took one hell of a beating," he observed, noting the shorn off armor plates on the chest and a missing arm. "Pop the pilot's hatch and see if anyone's left alive," he called to the rest of the crew, who responded with a chorus of "ayes" while tearing the cover off the pilot's compartment. Surprisingly, it was empty; the chief engineer and his men had expected a body, at the very least. What was an empty Aestivalis doing in the middle of nowhere? Thoughts of an Earthling conspiracy crossed the engineer's mind before he dismissed it as the result of too many Gekigangar episodes, and went back to work. It would take a while before the Aestivalis was completely repaired, but the damn things were expensive; the UEC would want it salvaged at the very least if it was possible.
While the engineers called in parts and tools and various other things to satisfy their mechanical desires, a lone figure in a blue jump suit watched in the shadows, unseen and unknown to the entire crew aboard the Cowboy Johnny. As the chief engineer bellowed out orders, the lone man watched in silence. Suddenly, his body tensed.
"They're coming," he whispered, just as the alarm klaxons went off.
Aboard the Nadesico-C
The reunion had been a joyful one for at least half the party involved.
After the rather exciting battle over the moon, Saburouta-san and his "horsies from hell" had landed aboard the Nadesico, and after showering and changing into uniforms, had raced up to the bridge to see their Captain, Hoshino Ruri.
Naturally, Ruri with her logically superior mind knew who was coming, even if their names had yet to be mentioned. As she waited, the elevator doors opened, and the three female pilots rushed out to greet her, followed by a grinning Saburouta.
Amano Hikaru was the first to reach Ruri, and she gave her a big hug, chattering excitedly. "Oh, it's so great to see you again, Ruri-Ruri!" she exclaimed effusively. "It's been so long! A whole year, hasn't it? We've got so many stories to tell! I guess it wasn't so bad being activated again for reserve duty!"
Subaru Ryoko, the green-haired aggressive tomboy pilot, was the second to greet Ruri, and she gave her an affectionate ruffle of the hair and a light punch to the shoulder. Laughing at Ruri's slightly confused look, she said, "You sure have changed a lot, Ruri. I almost didn't recognize you back there!"
Ruri gave a slight shadow of a smile. "I suppose I have grown a little bit." She gave Hikaru and Ryoko a quick once-over "I see you two have also changed." And indeed, she was right.
Hikaru had given up her glasses and now wore contacts, which accounted for an incredible difference in beauty for her part. Pretty enough with her glasses, the male members of the Nadesico took note that she was quite the knock-out now. Whispers were exchanged, and the name Amano Hikaru was quickly added to the "Top 10 List of the Hottest Females aboard the Nadesico-C," at a classified ranking Her hair had also changed from the short shoulder-length waves one year ago to a nice long ponytail that she accentuated with a few ribbons.
Ryoko's hair had changed color again from green during the Great War, to a dark blue during the Martian insurrection, and back to a light green. Her hair was cut short as usual, but her face bore the strains and stresses of combat in the elite Lions' Sickle unit of the UEC. A faint scar etched its way from her temple to her jaw, a mark left behind by a bit of shrapnel that had punched its way through her distortion field while she was fighting terrorists on earth, and one of her eyes was slightly discolored; the result of emergency surgery. Naturally, the culprits had been severely punished by her and her Aestivalis, to put it politely.
"So, Ryoko-san, Hikaru-san, what are you two doing here aboard the Nadesico?" Ruri asked after taking this all in. "I thought you were commander of the Lions' Sickle unit," she said, pointing to Ryoko, "and I thought Hikaru-san was a manga artist. What happened?" At this, the two women exchanged looks and shrugged.
"I got a reactivation letter from the military, so I had to come aboard," Hikaru said. "They gave me a choice, so I could've stayed." She sighed dramatically. "But being a manga artist is tough work, and I hate how I have to stay up late every night just to make the weekly deadlines! I think if I take a brief leave of absence, it'll teach those stupid editors to respect me more!" she declared rebelliously.
Ryoko sighed, shaking her head. "As for me, I asked for a transfer from the Lions' Sickle to the Nadesico." She chuckled softly at Ruri's surprised expression. "I heard that the UEC won't be getting too involved in this, an that UE Spacey will be doing all the grunt work. I don't want to get left out of the action, and besides, the Nadesico is where all my favorite memories are," she finished fondly, gazing around at the new ship.
"Which leaves just…" Ruri trailed off, looking straight ahead to where the last known Aestivalis member sat, cross-legged, in the still open elevator shaft, cradling a small Japanese banjo. Smiling like a crazed woman, the deranged pilot strummed a demented cord, and chuckled softly.
"It's been a while….kanchou," she muttered, but before breaking into a fit of giggles. Ryoko groaned in misery, placing her head in her hands. "Even though I wanted to be transferred, I don't know if I can stand being around her again," she complained bitterly.
Ruri ignored the comment, even though she somewhat agreed with Ryoko. "Izumi-san," she said, "I thought you ran a bar on Earth. What are you doing here?"
"The bar?" the raven-haired women asked, with a distant look in her eyes. "The bar…barred me from coming," she said with a smile on her face. Only silence greeted her latest joke, and she collapsed in a heap of laughter.
"I think what Izumi is trying to say is that when she received her activation letter, so she was so happy to join that she sort of set fire to her own bar. Guess she just got that sick of it, right, Izumi?" Hikaru asked, unconsciously pushing up nonexistent glasses with her thumb (they had a habit to slip down when she wore them earlier). Izumi only kept on chuckling. The four young women stood in awkward silence for a few seconds.
"So…uh…Ruri…how's it going?" Ryoko asked softly.
Ruri returned her question with a gaze that revealed no emotion. "Being the captain of the Nadesico is extremely difficult work, but it is a job that I do well and I am currently having no problems."
Ryoko laughed a bit uneasily. "That's great to hear, I guess. So what's this top-secret mission that I heard about from Saburouta?" Instantaneously, Izumi and Hikaru noticed the lack of "-san," implying there was more than a polite working relationship between the two, and they pounced on her, poking her viciously with strange looks on their faces. Ryoko scowled and smacked them on the head before turning back to Ruri.
"The Nadesico along with an escort fleet is to reconnoiter the enemy lines and collect what useful data we can in order to develop a cohesive strategy with which to defeat the enemy," Ruri replied. "But for now, we are to reinforce the defensive fleet at Mars, before continuing our mission."
"That's sort of stupid," Ryoko
pointed out. "Why bother fighting them if we don't know how to effectively destroy
them?"
"I'm certain there are
political implications in this decision." Angry silence greeted Ruri's words;
the Nadesico in the past had been subjected to the whims of politicians and
corporations more than once. The image
of Akatsuki Nagare and Nergal sprang to mind almost immediately. "In the meantime," Ruri continued, "we will
have to do the best we can to survive."
"Surely he knows they're coming. Mars is his home planet…he'd go to defend it at any cost. He's going to be there," Ryoko mused absent-mindedly. There was a moment's pause as she glanced at Ruri. "Have you found him yet?" She asked softly.
Ruri slowly shook her head, careful to betray no emotion whatsoever. I can't let my emotions get in the way of my job. Not now. "I have found no indication of his presence whatsoever in the known regions of the solar system. There is the always the change that he might show up to defend Mars, like you said. That planet is very precious to him," she agreed, with a hint of desperate hope.
Ryoko and Hikaru exchanged sorrowful looks; despite Ruri's best attempts, they could see past her veil and detect the despair, frustration, and sadness that she tried so hard to keep inside. Even Izumi seemed a little sober.
The silence continued for a little while, until Saburouta clapped hands on Ryoko's and Hikaru's shoulders, earning him a suspicious glance from Ryoko (and a little blush), and a raised eyebrow from Hikaru. "Come on guys," he said boisterously. "You should act a bit more lively! It's been a year since you've seen Ruri, you know," he admonished them. "Besides, there's one more oldie you guys should know…right, Ruri?" he said with a wink. At this, Ruri nodded.
"Hai, he's the captain of one of the escort ships, the Amaryllis," she said. "You remember Jun-kun, right?"
At this, a vid-screen popped up, and the aforementioned male piped up, saying, "Did someone call my name?" Then, seeing Ryoko, Hikaru and Izumi, he smiled broadly and said, "Hey guys! It's been a while, hasn't it?"
The Nadesico erupted again into a series of laughter, talk, and reminisces of the "good old days." Quietly, Ruri snuck out of the conversation and approached Haley.
"Haley-kun, take the conn for a while. There are things I need to finish," she murmured quietly before leaving.
"Hai, kanchou," Haley replied. He watched Ruri leave, the door hissing shut behind her, with a look of concern. She was acting a bit out-of-character, and he made a note to check up on her at the end of his shift. He turned back to his game of Super Kanji Fighters. "Just another 2,000 points, and I'll beat the kanchou's high score," he murmured to himself. "I can do it…it's only 2,000 points. Just…have to…concentrate…."
Half an hour later, he threw the controller across the bridge in frustration. Ryoko was impressed with the strength of his throwing arm.
Like its predecessor, the Nadesico-C was one of the few military ships gifted with a hot spring and ample water, and the female members of its crew made sure to take full advantage of the battleship's facilities. Currently, there was only one female in the springs, and as she sat bathing, Hoshino Ruri contemplated the Nadesico's arrival at Mars.
We're unprepared, she thought with her cold logic. The Nadesico is the most powerful ship in the fleet, but we know nothing of the enemy. Nothing about the weapons they use, the ships they pilot, the tactics they utilize. We don't even know their race…can they be the real Jovian Lizards? Her cold logic melted away as her thoughts drifted off. And when we arrive at Mars…will he be there? Ryoko said he would, and Ryoko knows him better than most people. What if he is there? What will we do? She paused. What will I do?
She lowered herself into the water, immersing her head to the point where the water almost reached her nose, hugging her knees to herself. It was the classic teenage pose, and one that she unconsciously performed. It's been so long. What could he be up to? Where could he be? Her thoughts shifted to more disturbing scenarios. Could he have a connection with the Unknowns? Another experiment? She shuddered at the thought of another Martian insurrection. What if the Unknowns found him? Is he okay? Would he make it alive? She banished these thoughts from her mind, shuddering. She didn't need that kind of apprehension right now.
She sighed deeply. It had been a while since she last indulged her more emotional side. She might as well do it again while she had the time. Ironically, she began by logically analyzing her own feelings. How do you feel about him? And when did it start? Memories started flowing back.
She had first seen him on the vid-screen when the Nadesico had first been launched, so many years ago. She noticed that he seemed to be an innocent soul, driven by energy, compassion, and ideals. She liked that; it was a refreshing difference from herself, and she took interest in him only as someone to be admired. Granted, she had admitted back then, he was kind of cute, but that was something only a baka would think about.
When he had jumped off the Nadesico in a ground Aestivalis, only to splash into the sea, she had admired his bravery and courage in going to rescue Yurika-san. She had unconsciously smiled while he jumped off, and was surprised and embarrassed when Megumi-san asked her about it. It was all she could do not to blush.
She had begun wondering about her own feelings when he had helped her pacify Omoikane. That was when they had finally begun to know each other, and it seemed he had liked her a lot. After that whole Omoikane ordeal was over, she had taken a brief step off her logical plank and into the emotive waters, telling him how impressed she was with the strength he defended his loved ones. When he had blushed and given her a rather flirtatious glance, she was so surprised…and yet happy at the same time. She blushed then, as she did now. After that whole incident, she had grilled herself over what she had just felt. What was that?
But the real clincher, she conceded, was during that embarrassing Peaceland incident. After she had met her biological father, the King of Peaceland, both of them had gone to a nearby Italian restaurant, where her truthful remarks about the lack of cooking skill had earned her a near-beating by the cook and his assistants. But it was him who had protected her from harm, taking the punishment upon himself. It was a knight's duty, he had explained, but Ruri knew men. Men protected people they loved. And he protected his loved ones more ferociously than most. Perhaps that meant that she…?
Ruri smiled a little as she pondered over that event. Now that she thought about it, wouldn't the meal at the restaurant and the shopping at the stores, wouldn't that be what people called a date? That's what her resources told her, she reminded herself. And men only went on dates with women they…she blushed again. Her emotions were getting the better of her. Besides, she hadn't gotten to the good part yet. Taking another deep breath, she resumed her memory analysis.
After the Peaceland incident, she and Akito had returned to the Nadesico, back to her surrogate family; but before that…Ruri closed her eyes. Yes, before that. That's when it happened…
It was a dreary, rainy day when Ruri and her knight had returned to Peaceland from the La Homaro Institute. Being the King's daughter, it only took Ruri five minutes to gain an audience with the King, whose face fell at the news that she wanted to return to the Nadesico and had no desire to stay here. Nevertheless, if it was his daughter's wish, the King would let it be so; therefore, Ruri was allowed to go back.
It would be another 20 minutes before the Aestivalis' battery packs were recharged for the return trip home. Ruri sighed, a little bit sad. Despite not having really known her father and mother, she had felt a little pity after seeing the crestfallen look on the King's face; she wondered, had she been a little too cold in there? She didn't dare walk back through the streets to the castle again…there was no telling if that accursed cook and his goons would show up and try to attack her again.
Deep in her musing, the young girl started slightly at the warm hand that rested on her shoulder for a brief second before patting the hair on her head. Looking up, she saw him gazing down at her, a warm smile on his face. She couldn't help but blush slightly. It wasn't often that he smiled.
"So, Ruri-chan, how did your talk with the king go?" he asked cheerfully.
"It went well enough," she answered slowly. "Though, I am afraid that perhaps I rejected his offer a bit too coldly."
He nodded sagely. "Yeah, well, you don't know him very well, and the same goes for him. I don't think he really minds as long as you're happy." Ruri nodded, only half convinced. "He's probably sad because you can't stay, Ruri-chan," her knight continued, turning to gaze off into the distance. "I'm sure anyone would be sad if you had to leave them, since you're such a nice little woman."
Ruri blushed a bit again. It was amazing how charming he could be without realizing it. "Perhaps you have a point," she conceded. There was a moment's silence, and then she suddenly found herself staring into his deep brown eyes as he sat on his haunches, studying her face closely. She gasped softly in surprise.
"Uh…what is it?" she asked.
"You look sad, Ruri-chan," he said bluntly, his eyes concerned. "What's wrong?"
Ruri looked away, her eyes half-lidded as she contemplated her inner thoughts. "Well," she began, "I believe I am still traumatized from what happened at the Institute. All along I thought they were parents. I thought they were real, and I wanted to see them, find out who they were, and as a result, who I was. Now that I know that…they're only…" she trailed off; despite her seemingly calm exterior, her heart was too troubled to carry on. There was a brief moment's silence as her knight contemplated the situation. After a short pause, he straightened and leaned against the Aestivalis again.
"Well, I don't know what to say, Ruri-chan," he said, absent-mindedly rubbing his head. "I'm so sorry that something like this had to happen to you. If there's anything I can do…" he trailed off, as his eyes lit up with an idea.
Ruri didn't notice. "No, it's alright," she murmured softly. The Aestivalis' power meter beeped once, indicating it was full and it was time to go. Turning around, Ruri faced the castle of Peaceland and gave the castle one last, final look…
And found herself enveloped in a hug from behind.
Her eyes widened, and she gasped, as she blushed furiously. What was he doing?
As if reading her mind, he said softly, "It's okay, Ruri-chan. Hugs are meant for important people who are having a rough time. It cheers them up. Feel better now, Ruri-chan?" he whispered.
Her mind was a blur. Surely he wasn't making romantic advances to her…she was far too young…then what was he doing? Was this another part of him that she had never seen before? Onboard the Nadesico, he didn't seem the type of guy who'd have the courage to do this sort of thing. How should she react to this? Her first thought was to slap him, but she quickly pushed that out of her mind. That would be absurd.
She blushed furiously. She knew that he was just trying to be supportive to a girl he probably viewed as a younger sister…but something in her mind refused to accept that logic. As if to affirm her own mental rebellion,, her hand seemed to move of its own accord, and Ruri watched with a mixture of horrified fascination and confused satisfaction, as her hand slowly moved to rest on his. With that, as if on cue, her whole body relaxed, and she felt a wonderful feeling of peace fall over her.
Suddenly, the two separated as they realized just how close they had come together, and they both blushed furiously. "Um…," he began, "let's get going now, shall we?" Ruri managed to nod, still blushing. What did I just do? she raged at herself. I shouldn't let my emotions get the better of me like that! It's not…not what? she asked herself. Somehow, she couldn't answer that question. Nevertheless, her logical mind scolded her, don't let it happen again. What you just did was something a baka would do.
"Ruri-chan, do you feel better now?" he asked cheerfully, as they walked back to the Aestivalis.
Ruri glanced up at his face, and smiled a half-smile. "Hai, much better," she said softly as they walked.
He laughed. "That's good to hear. Hugs always work when you're feeling down," he stated confidently.
She smiled to herself. Perhaps it is something a baka would do, she told her other self, but I think this feeling is very nice. Could this be what they call…?
"Thank you, Tenkawa-san." She saved that thought for another time.
Ruri woke up with a stifled gasp, in the waters of the hot spring. How long had she been dreaming? She quickly checked the clock on the wall, and breathed a small sigh of relief. It had only been 10 minutes. As she sat there, the memory of her dream came rushing back: the castle, the King's face, the Aestivalis…and the hug. She blushed softly once again, before getting up, wrapping a towel around her petite body, and leaving the springs. She remembered that incident clearly, she thought to herself as she walked towards her quarters. That incident was why she had Omoikane compose that song for the idol contest; after all, she had no experience with either love or song-writing, so why not have the computer do it? She had sung that song for him, and was so happy when he clapped and praised her performance, but part of her was worried too; did he understand the message she was trying to send? Or was he too much of a baka to understand? Or maybe he was already starting to like Yurika at that point? At this, she stopped, a queer look on her face.
"I'm starting to think and act like Yurika-san now," she stated in the hallway, before opening the door and entering the captain's quarters. Unlike her room in the first Nadesico, the captain's quarters was in fact a suite of rooms that included her office, her bedroom, a den, and her own personal bathroom. By the Nadesico's rather cramped standards, her suite was luxurious. It was, as usual, sparsely decorated, with a fish mobile hanging over her bed that she had owned since when she was little, and a single picture graced the wall. It was a photo of the entire crew of the Nadesico, standing in front of the ship, posing, when they had returned to Earth.
Ruri made her way into her bedroom, and pulled out a new captain's uniform. As she dressed, she assessed her figure absent-mindedly in the mirror. She had grown a lot since the end of the Great War, she judged for herself. Just coming off her growth spurt, Ruri was probably just a little shorter than Yurika-san herself. Her hair, still its hauntingly beautiful metallic silver sheen, spilled in luxurious pools over her back and around her ears. Her figure, she noticed, had also matured over time, and in every respect, Ruri had transformed from a cute young girl into a stunningly beautiful young lady. Had she not been in the armed forces, there would've been swarms of desperate young males eager to lay their hands on her; a thought that she found rather disgusting. Nevertheless, she knew such things were typical in a human's life, and she had gathered…resources together in order to understand the nuances and secrets to the relationship that seemed to govern the very universe of the adolescent teen: dating. And with a very, very long time to go until the Nadesico-C reached Mars, she'd have a lot of time to research. She glanced over at her desk, where her resources lay: a single paper-bound book, a spiral notebook, and a mechanical pencil.
She was just about to start reading, when a vid-screen popped up, and Haley appeared.
"Hai, Haley-kun?" Ruri asked.
"Ano…kanchou...is it okay if I come in for a second?" Haley-kun asked.
Ruri nodded once. "Of course, please come in."
The door slid open silently and Haley nervously entered Ruri's quarters. The last time he had been in Ruri's room on Earth, Saburouta-san had egged him about it for weeks. He hoped Saburouta wasn't snooping around somewhere, acting sneaky.
"What is it, Haley-kun?" Ruri asked, appearing from her doorway dressed in a freshly pressed captain's uniform.
"Well…I was just wondering…," Haley wringed his hands together nervously, his eyes darting around from one point on the wall to another, "You didn't seem all that well when our new Aestivalis pilots arrived, so I was…worried…"
Ruri nodded once and reclined in one of the easy chairs set in her den, motioning Haley to do likewise. Immediately, the young boy ambled over to his favorite, a bean bag that was strategically placed in front of a vid-screen that covered an entire wall.
"It has been a while since I last saw Ryoko-san, Izumi-san, and Hikaru-san," Ruri said quietly. "Perhaps the fact that I've been reunited with so many of old my friends has overwhelmed me."
Haley nodded sagely. "Yes, that makes sense. It's quite a shock having them onboard again, isn't it?" he asked. He laughed, a little embarrassed, as he rubbed his head. "I suppose this ship will be getting a lot more interesting on the way to Mars, huh?"
Ruri only nodded, and this time, Haley-kun's face turned serious. "Ano, kanchou, I have a request," he said, his face full of mock gravity.
"Ah, hai?" she asked, curious.
With a single smooth flick of his finger, Haley-kun activated the vid-screen, and pulled out two controllers, thrusting one out in his captain's direction. "I just spent my entire watch practicing in SKJ. Want to go one on one? I think I've got what it takes to beat you," he grinned wolfishly. "And then we can talk afterwards."
At this, Ruri gave a half-smile, and accepted the controller.
Fifteen minutes later, Ryoko and Saburouta-san made their way through the very hallway that Ruri's room branched off of. Both of them sported very nasty-looking bamboo staves in their left hands, and had a bag full of something very bulky slung over their right shoulder. As they made their way in companionable silence, they heard an agonizing scream of ultimate suffering. Both stopped in their tracks, and looking at each other with raised eyebrows.
"What was that?" Ryoko-san asked. "It sounded like it came from Ruri's room." She gestured at the captain's closed door.
Saburouta-san grinned. "Haley-kun must be inside with the kanchou," he said, chuckling. "The two of them must be having a fun time," he hinted teasingly.
At this, Ryoko turned bright red and smacked the poor Jovian across the face with her bamboo stave. "Baka!" she screamed furiously.
Inside Ruri's room, Haley gave another agonizing scream of despair as his kanji fighter was bashed off the screen by Ruri's nimble fingers. It was his 23rd loss, of which eleven had been complete KOs. He banged the controller against the ground and threw his hands up in the air in defeat, as he threw himself back onto the bean bag.
"I give up!" he declared. "How do you get so good, kanchou?"
To his complete and utter amazement, the young lady gave a small giggle.
"Practice," she said.
Author's Notes: Wow, this was a long chapter! This one took a long time to write, because I agonized over how to portray Ruri's feelings, especially the dream sequence, in this chapter. As you can see, not a whole lot takes place here, but I'm setting down the basis for the romantic part of the story. Don't worry, we'll be getting to some hard-core space battles soon, don't you worry. Along with some awesome samurai action (yeah that's right: samurai action). My main concern with this chapter was that Ruri might've been a bit OOC. I personally think that she's not emotionless, it's that she keeps her emotions repressed. Also, because she was raised in a sterile environment, I don't think she knows all that much in terms of love and relationship, so I think for her, that category would hold the most interest for her. She does, after all, seem curious about dating and stuff in the TV series, around episode 9 or 10, I believe.
I know that Ruri likes Akito, and that seems especially true in Episodes 12 and 19, so I'm going along with the idea that she likes him a lot, but she keeps it to herself because that is how she was raised. So, all that emotional drudgery that we'd normally see in the typical hormone-deluged teenager is bottled up inside her, for only her to analyze and fantasize in, because that is just the way she is. I wonder what'll happen when all that bottled-up feeling comes rushing out?
Sorry about that, I'm getting too much into this unconscious analysis stuff. Lately in school we've been learning about Freudian analysis, and I think Ruri serves as a good example of a repression of id by the superego (id being her emotions towards other people, especially Akito, and superego being the cold logical self that we normally see), as well as repression in general. It serves as a good excuse to explain why Ruri seems a bit OOC during her little conversations with herself. Also, as I'm sure you've noticed, Ruri has been acting a little odd…putting hands on shoulders, giggling and stuff…don't worry, I'm not trying to make her act un-Ruri like. You'll just see when the next chapters go up. I am trying to bring out her more emotional side though, as part of the plot.
I'm not sure when the next chapter is going to come up, but please read and review! I like it when people review, so please do it and do it often!