Small of Two Pieces
The streets were crowded, as she knew they'd be on a beautiful spring night like this. The crisp sea breeze carried a hint of salt through the city, cooling the colorful inhabitants.
She took in the sights and sounds Naples had to offer. A beautiful city, rich in culture and experiences. It was a strange but beautiful mix of modern and ancient times, transporting her to another time, if only for a brief moment. Away from the hustle and bustle of her life, with all its madness and frenzy.
She passed by an opera house, one of the most famous in all of Italy, San Carlo. She paused, inspecting the play bill posted outside. She noticed that tomorrow Charles Gounod's Roméo et Juliette would be performed.
"Signora," one of the men standing near the entrance greeted, taking off his hat and bowing slightly. "You wish to attend the opera, yes?"
She smiled, giving a small nod.
"Well, might I suggest Faust?"
"Is the theatre doing a series on Charles Gounod?"
"Sì, signora."
She looked back at the playbill. The man followed her gaze.
"Signora," he continued with that thick accent. "That show is sold out."
She just smiled at him and resumed her walk.
"I'll find a way."
Kanina Shizuka sighed. Yet another performance finished. The orchestra had been a little off today, but not so much that one with an inexperienced ear might detect. But she knew fully well that most in the audience were knowledgeable with respect to her craft.
She entered her dressing room, not at all surprised any longer by the endless sea of flowers scattered all over. Tokens of admiration and affection from her fans.
Single red roses, elaborate bouquets, baskets...
Something caught her attention in the sea of color and smells. Perhaps it was the lack of color of this specific object that drew her gaze. Either way, she approached her desk, on which were scattered dozens of long-stemmed red roses.
But in the midst of it all was a single, perfect white rose. She blinked once, making sure that she wasn't imagining things. When it remained, she picked it up to observe it better.
A sharp prick of pain resulted, causing her to take hold of the rose with the other hand. She inspected her forefinger. A single drop of blood rested without a care on the tip of her finger.
She turned to the rose: the thorns still remained. She smiled. Most of her admirers removed them to ensure that something like this never happened. But this person, whoever it may be, sent her a rose as it was in nature, beautiful but dangerous.
She took a seat, inspecting with rose from every angle. It brought her back memories of a place she had not thought about in many years, Lillian.
Rosa Gigantean, the object of her secret admiration and affections since she was a first year. Beautiful, bold and so very complicated. She even ran to become the next Rose in her second year just to gain her attention. And she did. The blonde had given her something very special, a kiss that she treasured to this day. Satou Sei may have been a flirt, but she was not unkind.
Her decision to run had gained her the attention of another member of the White Rose family, the beautiful and shy Rosa Gigantea en bouton. Sweet, quiet and delicate, Toudou Shimako was, as she once heard a first year say, the petite soeur that everyone would want. And it wasn't far from the truth.
She last heard from a Lillian classmate she had met a while ago that after she left, the Rosa Gigantea had picked a somewhat fiery first-year with a leaning toward Buddhist teachings. It made her smile to think of the different personalities that the family of the White Rose attracted. They were all very different, save for one thing- they were the wild cards of Lillian.
Bringing the perfectly shaped petals to her nose, she inhaled the sweet fragrance. To her surprise, it was not a rose carefully bred to perfect its beauty. Those have come to lose the wonderfully heady scent of a real rose. No, this one was perfect in every way.
She briefly wondered if it was one of the White Roses herself that sent her this flower. After all, the White Roses always managed to make everything unexpectedly perfect.
But no, that was impossible. Last she heard, all the White Roses were in Japan, forging out their own lives with those spirits filled with respectable abandon. No, this was merely from an admirer, and nothing more.
With a sigh, filled with- to her shock- a hint of regret and dejection, Kanina Shizuka rose from her seat and changed to go home. Walking out of the dressing room, she carried only one flower, the white rose, leaving her assistants to handle the rest.
"Another wonderful performance."
Shizuka smiled, dismissing what her manager said. She always did. It was his job to make her feel good about herself, even if the performance had been abysmal. Which it had not been at all, of course.
She left the noise and buzz behind once she stepped into her dressing room. Her eyes unconsciously slid over the flowers in the room, looking for another to match the surprise she had received yesterday. She was unexpectedly disappointed to find none, as she knew she wouldn't and shocked at her annoyance to the confirmation of her theory: an admirer and nothing more.
A knock came and she sighed, undoing her shoulder-length hair from the elaborate bun it had been styled in. She opened the door to find one of the ushers armed with a shy smile and blush upon his young cheeks holding a bouquet of what seemed like something from a shrub.
"I was asked to give you these, signora."
His accent was charming, if she went for men as young as he. But she didn't, and so she rewarded him with a grateful smile and handed him a small tip before taking the flowers. As she shut the door, she had the sudden urge to toss the bouquet out. She hated the signs of how jaded she had become to lavish gifts, but it was hard not to look down upon things like shrub flowers in her position.
Before she did, however, she was overcome by the desire to inspect the bundle in her arms. With a somewhat exasperated sigh, she took a look. Her eyes widened.
Small white flowers with red tips stared back at her from its home of small green leaves. She swallowed as she realized that in her arms she held a bouquet of Rosa Canina.
"Perhaps someone else had decided to entertain the pun on my name, and nothing else," she murmured, though she neither wanted to believe it nor did she really believe her theory at all.
The chances of someone knowing what Rosa Canina were was slim. After all, who would bother with the formal name of a plant known by all as the Dog Rose? It couldn't be mere coincidence. No, not with the perfect white rose that had been sent yesterday.
She numbly sat down on a nearby chair, overwhelmed by the possibilities. A specter of her past sat on her lap, almost but not quite forgotten. The white rose could be from anyone. But this, this bouquet of Rosa Canina in her lap, this meant someone she knew was here.
Perhaps, she allowed herself to hope briefly, it was even one of the members of the Rosa Gigantea. Maybe, just maybe it was one of them. The thought brought a smile to her lips. It wouldn't surprise her; the women of that family were always doing unexpected things. Those beautiful, complicated and alluring women.
Shizuka felt nervous for the first time before a performance. She hid the shaking of her hands by playing with a white handkerchief. What if- what if it was one of the White Roses? Even if it was, that didn't mean she'd be here again. It was foolish, really, to be so nervous.
But if she was here... if she was... it didn't matter who it was. The thought of a Rosa Gigantea in the audience unnerved her. She smiled somewhat self-depreciatively. What was it about that family that got to her like this?
The stage manager gave her a one minute warning before slipping away to ensure that everything ran smoothly. She took a deep breath. It was time for her to sing, and she would put everything else away in her mind. After all, her music was her soul and she wouldn't let something as insignificant as an old classmate sitting in the audience deprive her of her release.
But, she realized as she stepped on stage with a small, mysterious smile, it wasn't just a classmate. It was a Rosa Gigantea. And those women, those women always made her feel so… nervous.
She spent most of her time on stage inspecting the crowd, both hoping and dreading to find a familiar face. But to her annoyance and relief, she didn't encounter a single person that looked familiar. So, it was a somewhat sad heart that she left the stage. She didn't bother to notice the audience rising for intermission.
She sat in her dressing room as people buzzed around, reapplying her subtle makeup, fixing her dress and so forth. Her golden eyes stared straight into the mirror, unseeing of even her own indifferent expression. No, she didn't care. Not at all.
"Signora?"
The voice sounded familiar and from the reflection of the mirror she could see the usher from the day before. That shy, embarrassed boy with his soft smile. She returned it, though it wasn't as genuine as she would've liked. But no matter, he wouldn't be able to tell the difference anyway.
"Une presente, from one of the audience."
She reached out her hand and felt a slender stem being offered to her. Her eyes widened and she slowly turned her eyes to it.
A white rose. Like the first, heady in scent and beautiful in appearance. This time, the thorns had been cut off. As if as an invitation. But an invitation to what?
"Quanto romantico!" her hair-dresser chirped, sighing dreamily.
"It means purezza, purity, and anticipation of felicitia," her makeup artist remarked.
Shizuka smiled and played with the petals of the flower. Now she knew for sure that a Rosa Gigantea was in the audience. She went back on stage with a genuine smile and searching eyes.
She wasn't surprised that she didn't find her in the beginning, to be honest. Part of her was dreading the thought that it wasn't one of the White Roses. But now that she knew it was, she let her eyes slid over the audience once again.
She found her easily, hidden out in the open. In the box seat closest to the stage on the right sat the source her presents. Their eyes met for a moment and she was delighted to see a small smile appear on the beautiful face. She was as exquisite as she remembered.
She poured her heart and soul into her performance like never before. Yes, she had always performed with the intent of releasing herself, but now, now she had a target. She had a person for whom to sing, whom she knew would understand her perfectly. Ah, such was the power of the family of the White Roses.
Those eyes, misleadingly intense, stayed on her through the rest of the performance. But Shizuka didn't care. If anything, it encouraged her, embraced her and fueled her.
She received a standing ovation, like she did for the past few nights. She curtsied with all the grace instilled in her from her lessons, natural ability and the sense of lightness those piercing eyes instilled in her. She peeked at the source of her content from the corner of her eyes to see her standing as well. It pleased her that it was heart-felt ovation, and not just because she was too polite to remain seated.
As she exited the stage, nervousness suddenly overtook her at the thought of meeting her face to face. She knew they would, they both acknowledged it silently the second she found her.
Shizuka knew that if she had not seen her, the Rosa Gigantea wouldn't have bothered to appear before her. It was almost like a test, but that family of roses always liked to stay in the shadows, to be seen by only those they felt they could trust. She understood it, and their friends did as well.
She entered her dressing room and changed. She took her time, for she knew that she had the complete attention of the White Rose. If not, then she wouldn't have bothered to send the flowers. And while she knew it'd be insulting to the other woman for her to primp herself for their meeting, she nonetheless wanted to look... well, good.
She slipped through the crowd of audience members that were still there, accepting their praises with gratitude and a small smile, but never stopping. You didn't keep a Rosa Gigantea waiting for too long.
She spotted her just outside the opera house, face turned skyward to inspect the midnight velvet and firefly stars. Her blonde hair trailed down her back and the light of the moon gave her an almost ethereal glow. The black dress hugged her curves, displaying her beauty for all to see while remaining modest, trailing to the floor to make a train worthy for royalty like her.
Shizuka knew that the other woman sensed her presence. You couldn't keep anything from the White Rose, after all. Without a word, the singer approached the blonde, a smile on her lips.
When she came to her side, she was rewarded by a soft smile and the turning of those beautiful eyes on her.
"How about a drink?"
The soft voice caused the smile on Shizuka's lips to grow. White Roses, simply irresistible.
The blonde already knew the answer, so the singer didn't even bother to speak as they walked down the street to a waiting car. The driver opened the door for them and Shizuka watched as her companion gracefully slid in and followed suit.
The driver seemed to know the destination, even though neither of his passengers said a word for the entire ride. The women didn't mind the silence, they welcomed it, actually. It gave them a chance to accept the feeling of being with one another again after so long, and the feelings that accompanied that fact.
The driver pulled up in front of Salotto di Rosa, something Shizuka found both ironic and amusing. As they stepped out, a doorman opened the door and the White Rose took the lead. The hostess greeted them with warm smiles, seeming to know the blonde and in awe of being before Shizuka.
They were seated in the back at a delicate table for two. A white candle burned brightly in the center. The table was position by a veranda, the glass doors open and letting in a soft sea breeze. Shizuka could see the entire city and smiled as the waiter pulled out her seat for her.
He presented them with two menus before slipping unobtrusively into the shadows. The women turned their attention to the selection of the establishment and it was Shizuka that closed her menu first.
The White Rose smiled and ordered a bottle of wine, bantering with the waiter briefly about choosing a native Italian wine. He smiled, enjoying the attention before slipping away once again.
The two women were silent until he returned with the bottle, carefully opening it and presenting to cork to the blonde for inspection. She nodded half-heartedly, preferring to keep her attention on the woman across from her. The waiter poured them each a glass, quickly but efficiently, since he knew he was not wanted there.
Shizuka picked up her glass while watching her companion. The blonde elegantly set herself to the difficult task of wine tasting. It was as if she'd been born to do it.
The White Rose was anxious to set herself to the task of getting reacquainted with her companion, but couldn't ignore the demands of inspecting the wine that had been instilled in her by her friends. She made short work of it, knowing somewhere in Japan, Sachiko was wincing at her haste but she was sure the former Rosa Chinensis would understand.
Shizuka felt like she was watching a fine dance. She took in every detail of every action the blonde performed. She watched with fascination as the White Rose finally took a sip, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the taste of the wine. The singer took a sip herself, too mesmerized and caught in the moment to remember to inspect the wine carefully.
The rich taste made her taste buds dance the same way the blonde's movements made her heart hammer. She placed the glass on the table, keeping her composure outwardly.
"How've you been?"
Shizuka had to the smile at the broad question she was just asked. It seemed the blonde recognized the same and blushed faintly.
"I've been well. And you?"
"Can't complain," was the easy, somewhat playful answer.
Shizuka chuckled.
"How are the others?"
The White Rose smiled, realizing from the twinkle in the golden eyes that she wanted a full breakdown.
"Yumi's... still Yumi."
Shizuka had to laugh at the comment. It was true. Fukuzawa Yumi could only be described as such.
"She and Sachiko share an apartment now. Yumi's an elementary school teacher and Sachiko's in business."
The singer smiled, she wasn't really surprised. She wondered briefly how Sachiko's family felt about her being with a woman. But it wasn't her place to ask.
"Rei's been training for the Olympics. She's on the national team! She's in a relationship with Yoshino, though everyone saw that coming!"
The blonde laughed softly, delight twinkling in her eyes.
"Yoshino's a writer. She churns out books about action and adventure like you wouldn't believe."
Shizuka remembered the seemingly frail girl. But she knew she wasn't. After all, one had to be strong to be able to handle and even perhaps manipulate a person like Hasekura Rei.
"Eriko's a reporter, it keeps her entertained and challenged. She's also engaged to Yanobe-san."
The singer was surprised by the news. She remembered hearing about Rosa Foetida's crush on a teacher from Hanadera, but thought nothing of it. It seemed the brunette really was quite surprising.
"Youko's a lawyer now, a junior partner at the firm, actually."
Once again, it wasn't a surprise at all. Mizuno Youko was a smart, capable and powerful woman. A lawyer seemed to suit her.
Shizuka noticed the other woman's pause. So, she didn't want to bring up the last member of the Yamayurikai, at least while she had been there. With a smile, she tilted her head to the side.
"How is she?"
The blonde chuckled.
"She's a university professor."
"What does she teach?"
The White Rose chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief.
"History."
"Ahh," Shizuka said, amused. Her golden eyes turned serious. "Is she with Youko?"
She'd always known that there was something between the former Rosa Chinensis and former Rosa Gigantea. It was just a feeling, an undercurrent that was there for everything they did.
"Yes."
Shizuka smiled.
"And you, what have you been up to?"
"I'm a doctor."
"It suits you, Shimako-san."
The second the name fell from her lips, the opera singer felt as if she'd been reborn. The blonde blushed faintly and ducked her head to use her wavy hair to hide her coloring.
"And you, Shizuka-san. I never told you how much I enjoyed the performances."
The older woman laughed softly, her voice taking on an easy, teasing quality.
"Enough to come back three times, it seems."
"Four, actually."
"Oh?"
Shimako leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs under the table and looking perfectly at ease.
"The first night I was too shocked to see you to even think."
Anyone else would've been embarrassed to have admitted it, but not Toudou Shimako.
"Oh?"
The smile on the blonde's face turned wolfish, reminding the singer of her grande soeur. It was strange to see it on the shy and reserved woman, yet it excited Shizuka to no end.
"As surprised as you were, I'd imagine, to receive a bouquet of Rosa Canina."
Shizuka laughed, her confession to the truth of the words.
"Very well played, by the way."
Shimako smiled sweetly.
"I'm glad you think so."
Shizuka gazed at the woman sitting across from her. The blonde, as if understanding the woman's need to inspect her, closed her eyes, a small smile on her lip and allowed her to watch her. She felt a shiver go down her spine at the intense eyes that raked across her body.
"I..."
The hesitation was surprising from the older woman. Shimako opened her eyes to catch the emotions in the golden depths.
"Yes, it's true, Noriko and I are over."
"Ahh," was all the dark-haired woman managed to say.
"It was time," the blonde continued, knowing the curiosity of the other woman was growing with every passing second. Curiosity about why the relationship was over, about why she was in Italy. About why she came to her after all this time.
"She realized that she didn't need what I offered. That she could find someone that needed what she had to offer. That that someone wasn't me."
Shizuka nodded, hearing the sadness in her voice. Even though it was time, even if it was for the best, that didn't assuage the pain and grief. To be with someone for so long, to love them for so long and then let them go, that was love. That was pain. She knew, she had done the same.
"And now...?"
"Now I'm traveling. Trying to find..."
Shimako's pause rang in the air. Shizuka schooled her expression in that indifferent mask she knew so well. With an elegant move, she sipped her wine and waited.
"To find whatever it is that I'm missing."
"Do you know what that is yet?"
The blonde's eyes sought those of the older woman's. As they met, they both knew the truth. The truth that they've both been ignoring for all this time. The truth they hid from themselves and everyone around them. Neither, however, knew how to get it out in the open now. What do you do after so much time has gone by? How do you face the secret you tried desperately to hide, but always remained on your mind? Mocking you. Taunting you. Driving you mad by breaking out every once in a while in the form of a familiar pair of eyes or smile.
But Shizuka couldn't be the first to ask. Not when Shimako just recently left one relationship. She couldn't allow herself to be sucked in if there was no story, only an ending.
Shimako set her lips in a straight line. All her travels through Europe, through the modern marvels and the ancient ages, through natural and man-made beauty, would be nothing compared to tonight. This woman was, and will be, the highlight of it all. This woman, who confused and baffled her as a child. This woman who is the only one to make her unsure of herself and her actions. She was the puzzle that unlocked the secrets of her own life by evoking emotions she's never felt before.
Toudou Shimako has been sure of what she wanted all her life. That was why she never accepted Sachiko's offer, because she knew they weren't right for each other. That was why she accepted Sei's, because she knew she was the kind of petite soeur the blonde wanted and the older girl was the type of mentor she needed.
But with Kanina Shizuka, everything was turned upside down. She confused her, baffled her and kept her in the dark. She never knew why the older woman did anything she did, like finding her card and going on a date with her. Mysterious but honest. Pragmatic but complex. Beautiful but humble.
"What do you say," Shimako said, taking a deep breath, not for the first time unsure before this intense woman. "We head over to my hotel?"
Shizuka's expression was unreadable as her golden eyes bore into Shimako's.
"No."
The former Rosa Gigantea felt her heart drop. So, it was too late then. This dance between the two of them had gone on for a long time, too long. So long that it ended without her knowing it.
Shizuka's eyes softened.
"Let's go back to my apartment."
Shimako's surprise caused the older woman to laugh. She waved over the waiter for their check, eyeing the bottle of wine that had barely been touched.
"There will be other bottles," the blonde said, surprised when the woman asked that the bottle be recorked.
"No, not like this one," Shizuka responded, paying despite her companion's protests.
She took the bottle from the waiter with a smile and walked out into the crisp night air, Shimako by her side. Her apartment was close by, and she instructed the driver to take the night off. Her companion didn't seem to mind that she had taken over.
"This bottle," the singer said, smiling. She reached over and took the blonde's small hand into her own. "Signals the beginning."
Shimako smiled, laying her head on the taller woman's shoulder.
"Of what?"
Shizuka simply smiled. She didn't like naming things, didn't like overanalyzing things. She just accepted them as they were. And by the look on Shimako's face, she felt the same.
Disclaimers: Don't own Maria-sama ga Miteru. I wish I did. The characters are all so wonderful! But the two seasons of the anime belong to Studio DEEN. The manga was adapted by Nagasawa Satoru. Which was an adaptation of the novels by Konno Oyuki.
All right, I'm fascinated by the idea of this couple (along with Sei/Youko and Sei/Shimako). And I figured, there aren't enough Maria-sama fics out there at all, much less one about Shizuka and Shimako, at least I haven't seen one.
The title of the fic comes from the ending song of the game Xenogears, "Small of Two Pieces The Fragment That Creaked. It's such a lovely song, check it out if you happen across it or have some time.
Charles Gounod, as I'm sure some of you may know, is the composer of Ave Maria, the piece that Shizuka sang for Shimako on their little date in the end of the first season.
If these characters seem OC to you, forgive me for my lack of writing ability. I watched the show a few months ago in the span of a week, and so some things might be a little off.