Hello again everyone. I apologize for having taken so long in publishing yet another chapter, but I hope the wait is worthwhile. Before reading: once again I must emphasize personally that I don't own any songs, movies, TV-shows or anything that's mentioned/referenced in this story. Nevertheless I hope you all enjoy the content.
I remained silently still for a few moments savoring the brief and now rapidly fleeing sensation of her warmth radiating within my skin. As soon as the sweet remains of the embrace no longer lingered, I regained my composure and began my voyage towards home. I got back in my car and sped off into the night. I navigated through cobblestone streets, intersections, a handful of stops, and soon I was leaving Death City and soon approaching my house. Sometime as I was driving, I heard strange sets of sounds coming from the back of my car. At first I think it was a mechanical issue, and then it dawned on me: I forgot to give Tsubaki her three platters. For a few seconds I contemplated driving back, but instead I chose to drive up the isolated hill where my house sits. I pulled into the garage, got out of the car, took the platters out of my car and entered my house.
I made my way into the kitchen, and began thoroughly scrubbing and rinsing all the grime and remaining traces of Ragnarok's drool. Once they were squeaky clean I set them to dry and checked the time on the stove clock. It was only midnight, but I didn't feel a single trace of exhaustion. So to pass time and to ease any concern of welcoming Tsubaki to a filthy house: I went through every room in my house cleaning and tidying it until I felt satisfied. That feat only took about thirty minutes, and I decided to begin choosing every piece of music I wanted to show her. I walked into my music room, and scanned every shelf full of CD's, vinyl records, and picked out ten different albums. My main focus in picking every song was to avoid songs that sounded too aggressive or somber. I stacked my selections on top of my record player, and felt that my work was done for the night. I shut the light off in the room, closed the door, and decided to prepare for bed. However before I retreated to my bedroom, I walked into the kitchen one last time just to retrieve two cold beers and made my way to my room. I took my beers with me into the bathroom, undressed, and took a steaming shower while enjoying shower beers. Not long after I changed into my sleepwear: an old black t-shirt, and black pajama pants with skull and crossbones prints all over them. I crawled underneath my blanket, lied down, and in a mere matter of moments I was sound asleep.
Dream Sequence
I woke up in a forest enveloped completely in darkness and snow. Soon a heavy fog began to swirl amongst the trees making it hard to see in front of me. I sat up and got to my feet with hopes of leaving this cold, surreal environment. As I slowly trekked through the trees I began to hear a faint sound coming from somewhere within the woods. I turned around cautiously to see what it was, but it seemed to be very distant. A deeply repressed fear I had was urging me to ignore it and get out quickly, but the bolder side of me won out and began to guide me deeper into the forestine labyrinth.
It seemed that the closer I got to reaching the source of that strange sound, the louder everything else within the forest became. The wind began to howl fiercely, leaves and branches rustled audibly along with the wind, and the calls of the owls made concentrating nearly impossible. To make matters worse, the fog grew in density as I wandered deeper into the forest. At one point I became careless and paid dearly for it when I stepped poorly in between two trees and tumbled down a hill. As I helplessly descended downwards, I vainly reached out for anything I could use to stop my fall, but it proved to be a challenging feat with every rock and tree my body collided against wracking my body with excruciating pain.
Eventually I mercifully reached the bottom of the hill. However it goes without saying that I took quite an extensive amount of damage. There were severely sharp pains coursing through my chest, head, limbs, and I could taste a vast sum of blood which nearly made me choke. Regardless of my anguish I once more rose to my feet gradually while my blood stained the snow with scarlet droplets. I then realized that I was much closer to the sound's origin. Soon I deciphered the sound to actually be a medley of cries, sobs and whimpers. I feared that whoever that was had suffered the same fate as I, and was badly injured as well. So I began to limp with haste towards the unknown forlorn person. I entered a clearing that was somehow untouched by the fog and who it was I saw within stunned and horrified me as never before in my life.
By way of the pale moonlight in a starless sky: I made out the weeping silhouette to be that of my beloved Meister. She was kneeling in the snow with her hands concealing her face, and her shoulders shook with every sob she tried to suppress. Even as she cried she looked absolutely beautiful and it pained me to see her tormented with such sorrow. I slowly and silently approached her, knelt in front of her, and embraced her lithe, trembling figure tightly in my arms. At first she was tense, but soon she sank into my arms and her crying ceased as we spoke to each other.
"V-vlad? Is that you?"
"Yes, my darling angel. I'm here."
"I've missed you so much."
"I've missed you too. I still do with every passing day."
She withdrew herself slightly and looked upon me before smiling and commenting as her tears evaporated from her lovely visage."You're just as handsome as I remember. Your scars definitely make you look even sexier."
I chuckled at her odd statement and asked dryly in response. "Oh so I wasn't sexy before huh? Wow, thanks."
She laughed and hugged me as she reassured me. "You know that's not what I meant, you dork. You'll always be my sweet and adorable Jack."
The moment she called me by that nickname nearly moved me to tears. It was one of many she associated me with. I kissed the top of her head and whispered in reply. "And you'll always be my lovely Sally, sweetheart. You're still the most beautiful angel to ever walk on this Earth. I love you Sareena."
She began to cry once more, and I embraced her tightly immediately. I continued to hold her as I whispered with sadness laced in my voice. "I don't want to leave. Especially not without you." She said nothing in return but began to dig her fingers deeply into my back. We held each other in silence for a few moments until I heard something foreboding which made my blood run cold.
A multitude of raspy and hellish voices began to vaguely call out, "Join Us", from beyond the trees. In a matter of moments the inhuman voices grew louder as ghoulish shadow-like creatures lurched towards us. Some of them limped with one or more limbs contorted at unnatural angles or missing altogether, others dug their fingers into the earth crawling with their lower halves missing entirely, and the rest staggered aimlessly for they had no heads. There were at least a hundred or more of these demented shades, and as they drew nearer their calls only grew louder. "JOIN US!", they hissed through clenched teeth, "JOIN US VLADIMIR!" To further heighten my already unparalleled dread, I recognized all of the encroaching specters as former enemies Sareena and I slew. Every unfortunate yet corrupted foe who met their ends by my blade now were within arms reach.
I frantically tried to pull away from Sareena's grasp, but I realized it was no use. In fact her fingers only dug deeper into me until they actually penetrated my flesh. I writhed and screamed in agony as I desperately tried to pry myself from her clutches. She spoke once more, this time her voice was filled with malice in lieu of her sweet and angelic tone. "What's the matter Vlad? You wouldn't leave me again would you? You DID say you would be by my side!" She hissed and spat every word at me. Suddenly I saw her begin to undergo a daunting metamorphosis. Her long and silky hair began to fall in clumps onto the ground, her gentle and beautiful eyes sank into the back of her head leaving behind empty sockets, her teeth began to fall out of her mouth, her nose decayed and followed suit of her teeth. Ultimately her once divine visage now resembled that of a corpse. Then her flesh gradually decomposed and peeled away from her body in heaps. Soon my eidolon's appearance mirrored that of the swarm of wraiths which now completely surrounded us. Their bony and festering hands soon began to tear away at my flesh. All I could do now was resume screaming in anguish as Sareena spoke her final words while maintaining her strong grasp of me. "This is all your fault. You have only yourself to blame. You were too weak and left me to die, Vlad. Now I will drag you down with me where you will suffer and lament forever."
I suddenly woke up screaming and sat up quickly in my bed. After a few moments passed, I calmed down realizing it was only a nightmare. My sleepwear was damp and I felt very cold as I got out of bed. The first thing I decided to do was get something to drink before taking a shower. I made my way to the liquor cabinet in the kitchen and grabbed a small glass along with a bottle of rum which I anticipated would help calm my nerves. Slowly I filled the glass, rose it to my lips and gulped its contents in an instant. The light burn of the alcohol flowed from my throat and soon spread like fire throughout my body thus achieving the anticipated effect.
Not long after I put the liquor away and washed the glass my phone started ringing. Before answering the unknown caller, I glanced at the stove clock which read 10:45 A.M. I fished my phone out of my pocket and saw who was calling me so early prior to finally answering.
"Hello?"
"Good morning, Vlad. I hope I didn't wake you."
I chuckled a bit before responding. "Guten Morgen, Tsubaki. And no you didn't, but better luck next time."
"Oh darn it. Now my plans are ruined. Thanks a lot Vlad."
"Well sorry to have disappointed you. Anyway, what's up?"
"I was wondering, did I leave my platters in your car last night."
"Yeah you did, silly. But no worries, I washed them for you last night."
"Thank you, Vlad."
"You're welcome. You can pick them up later on this afternoon."
"OK then. See you soon."
"I look forward to it. Farewell."
"Bye."
After we hung up I went to the bathroom to get out of my sweat drenched outfit, took a hot shower and got dressed. About five minutes later I stepped out of the shower and went back to my room to change. For that particular day, I decided to wear something that differed from my routine of wearing black. Instead I wore a white long-sleeve shirt whose sleeves I pulled up to my elbows, dark blue jeans, and my black and white sneakers. Feeling satisfied with my outfit I went to the living room to find something I could do to pass the time. I then remembered I had yet to finish watching the remaining episodes of my favorite TV show. Therefore I sat down and watched the last two episodes intently. Once that was over I saw it was two o'clock. I took my phone out and sent Tsubaki a text message. [Hey, are you almost ready?] Just two minutes after I sent it, my phone buzzed upon receiving her reply. [I'm getting ready now. Black-Star just left with Soul and Kid.] I sent her a brief reply asking her to let me know when she would be ready.
In the meantime I wandered into the kitchen and brainstormed something appropriate I could make for dinner later. After checking in the pantry, cupboards and fridge, I settled on making pasta. Although I had most of the essentials, I decided that yet another quick trip to the store was in order for the specific pasta dish I'd be making. Before leaving the house, I took her dishware, set them in the backseat and got in my car. The garage door opened with the push of a button, and I put my aviators on before gunning the engine to life. I reversed out while slowly turning the car around, shifted into first gear, and began my rapid descent downhill. As I reached the bottom I pulled a cigarette from the box in my armrest and turned the volume up as "Fascination Street" by The Cure played on the radio.
Within twenty minutes I arrived at the nearest Death-Mart. Once I found an open parking space I snuffed out my cigarette, got out of the car and walked towards the entrance. I quickly glanced at my watch which read 2:13 P.M. and stopped dead in my tracks when I heard, "Hi Vladimir!"Instantly I looked up and saw Marie approaching me with a shopping cart stocked full of all kinds of groceries. I smiled in response and returned her greeting, "Hallo Frau Stein." (Hello, Lady Stein) She seemed taken aback by my salutation, but continued smiling nevertheless. "How are you? I heard the mission in New York was a success." "Yeah, it was surprisingly easier than I anticipated. And I'm doing well, just though I'd get some groceries." Her smile only grew as she said, "I can certainly see that. Would you like to come over for dinner later? I'm making pot roast and I'm sure Stein would appreciate your visit." I couldn't contain my nervous giggle before answering. "He-he, as much as I'd love to accept your invitation, I will have to decline. I'm expecting company and I'm here to get ingredients for a meal I'll be making." At first she looked disappointed, but then she smiled again and merrily said, "Alright then. But don't be a stranger and stop by. You know you're always welcome." I nodded and thanked Marie for her boundless kindness before bidding her adieu.
Finding the necessary ingredients was a quick and painless endeavor thankfully. In only ten minutes I had a loaf of French bread, spices, Parmesan, Caesar dressing, chicken stock, and a bottle of Pinot Noir. I made it to the registers and waited for my "favorite" cashier to ring up my groceries including the bottle of alcohol. After the whole mess regarding my age and approving my purchases was taken care of, I merely smirked while handing her forty dollars, took my bags and left the store. Just as I reached my car, my phone suddenly buzzed and I took awhile to successfully drag it out of my pocket. I saw Tsubaki's brief, one worded message: [Ready] to which I replied: [Alright. OMW.] I unlocked my car, set the bags in the backseat, and made ready to leave. Maneuvering out of the parking lot was easy and in no time I was getting close to her house. When I arrived she was standing at the base of the stairs waving. Before I brought the car to a complete halt I took the time to gaze in awe at her stunningly alluring appearance. Her ebony hair was not braided in its signature ponytail, but rather into two long pigtail braids which draped over both sides of her collarbone. Instead of the pale yellow dress and white boots that were synonymous with her, her new outfit only enhanced her already overwhelming splendor. She wore a black halter top, gray pants, and black sandals. Her beauty was enriched due to the sunlight which shone down on her. Especially in regards to her smooth, ivory skin: it gleamed with flawless grace. Her black top certainly complimented her pale and lovely complexion. Yet her eyes were also marvels to behold: for they glistened like amethysts in the light.
Once I brought the car to a complete stop, I got out of the car to greet Tsubaki. "Hi again, Vlad", she said warmly. I in exchange quoted Joey Tribbiani from "Friends", "Hey, how you doin'?" She merely giggled at my eccentric greeting and noted a difference in my attire. "Oh wow, you're wearing white instead of black." I grinned and remarked with a shrug, "What are the chances? The one time I don't wear black, you take it upon yourself to dress in dark colors." Nevertheless she got in the passenger seat after I opened her door and closed it for her chivalrously. I then made my way to the other side, sat myself in the driver seat and then we commenced our departure.
Several seconds passed where no words were exchanged between us. However the silence was broken when Tsubaki looked my way and asked with a smile gracing her face. "So how are you today?" I glanced at her for a few moments before looking ahead and answered, "I'm alright. How about you?" She stared ahead and fidgeted with her hands while speaking. "I'm fine. I'm just excited is all." "If you don't mind me asking: what made you accept my invitation last night?" She opened her mouth and was about to speak, but she then paused and stayed quiet for awhile. Once more I worried I had scared her or asked something too outlandish that would make her uneasy. With each silent second that passed, I gradually feared the two worst case scenarios. She'd either misunderstand and think I'm discretely ridiculing her, or perhaps she realized interacting with me on-on-one was a bad idea after all. Who am I kidding? Even if I smiled more, dressed in lighter colors, it wouldn't be enough to cloak my well known and strongly evident dark persona, I thought. Despite the unnerving silence I kept driving and focused on the road while anxiously waiting for her response.
After a while she spoke and what she said next was both surprising and reassuring. "It's because I wanted to get to know you. I've made an effort to learn things about everyone of my friends, and so it wouldn't be fair if I didn't do the same for you. I want to know what kinds of things you like, figure out what we might have in common, and work on avoiding being strangers to each other." I had slight doubt at first regarding her sincerity, but I quelled it for I saw no hint or trace of any ulterior motives or ill intentions. If anything, I surmised it made sense to open up and let her know more about me. After all, before I met everyone, I took some time to read their reports and inquire about them to Stein and Marie. Just to put all uncertainty to rest, I asked, "Why?" "Because you're not just our group leader, or a Death Scythe, you're also, and most importantly, our friend. That's why I agreed to come along. I in return said nothing but smiled and allowed her words to sink in. "I appreciate your company. I promise not to bore you too badly with details about myself." She stifled her urge to laugh and quipped back by saying, "That's OK. That just means I can do the same to you." We both sat and laughed at each others' quips. I then cleared my throat and bashfully said, "On a different subject, you look very pretty." I stole a glance at her after saying that and saw her smile grow. "Aw thank you." "There's no need to thank me for speaking honestly," I replied shyly.
Eventually we got onto the freeway which branched away from Death City. Tsubaki took notice and asked, "Where exactly do you live? How far away is your house?" I didn't reply for sometime until I neared the exit that lead towards the base of the hill. As we ascended I finally answered her, "We're almost there. You'll see where I dwell once we reach the top." We arrived not too long after and Tsubaki stared in awe as she exited the car at my one-story modern house. The exterior was slate gray and black, and made of stone and wood panels. In front of the house stood four tall oak trees which helped shroud the house from plain sight. I withdrew the bags of groceries from the car and closed the passenger door while she continued to gape at the ornate architecture until I cleared my throat to gain her attention. "Would you like to come inside? I assure you the interior is just as impressive." She abruptly snapped out of her trance and asked in wonder, "Is this seriously YOUR house?" I nodded once and said "Yep. It's kind of a gift from my parents." She stared silently at me, and so I began to explain. "When I first enrolled as a student at the DWMA, I was living in a small modest apartment and I had a small job to help pay some expenses while studying. But after successfully becoming a Death Scythe, my parents were so proud that they insisted on commissioning for a nice house to be built for me. I told them I wanted something humble, but they said the house must befit a Death Scythe." I started walking towards the entrance and she strode quickly to catch up as I made my way towards the entrance. "Come on, I wager you'll be just as flabbergasted when you walk inside."
I opened the door and stepped aside in order to let her enter first. She passed through the front door, and walked into an immaculate house with pitch black walls, high ceilings, refined black furniture, and polished mahogany floors. As she took gradual steps past the entryway I simply said, "Welcome to my solitary sanctuary. You're welcome to accommodate yourself to your liking while I go put these bags in the kitchen. You can also come with me if you wish." I began to walk towards the kitchen as she followed me and looked around at the décor. She paused momentarily and looked at a handful of banner flags that hung on the walls. "Tear-jar-yen? How do you pronounce this Vlad? And what are all these flags from?" I couldn't suppress the bubbling laughter I was holding but composed myself after a few moments and vocalized the foreign name correctly. "Oh my sweet summer child," I chided humorously. "That's House Targaryen, and all those banners represent the noble houses from 'A Song Of Ice And Fire'. It's a book series and it has a pretty enticing TV show. Have you heard of it?" She merely stared at me and shook her head but then exclaimed, "Oh wait! Maka said she read a book series like that. Isn't one of the books 'Game of Thrones'?" I nodded and said, "That's the first book in the series. Perhaps sometime I'll lend you my collection of the seasons." She smiled and said, "I sure could use something new to watch other than cartoons that Black-Star enjoys or all those cheesy soap operas Liz likes to watch." We entered the kitchen where I set the bags on the counter and pulled the bottle of wine out. As I opened it, I turned to her and asked, "Can I offer you something to drink? I have water, soda, tea, wine, what would you like?" I waited for her reply and she then made her request, "May I have a glass of wine please?" I smiled and grabbed two glasses from the cabinet, poured scarlet hued liquid into both glasses and handed her one. She accepted it, took a small sip, and hummed with satisfaction. "This is good. What kind is this?" "Pinot Noir," I said with a grin. "How does a tour of my home sound?" She nodded and followed me out of the kitchen and into the dining room.
We passed through an arched entrance where a long table sat in the middle with twelve intricately carved wooden chairs surrounding it. The entire northern wall of the room consisted of large windows and in the center of the table sat a black candelabra that held three white candles. "As you can see this is the dining room. Unfortunately, it hardly gets any use since I alone live here." She looked on with something akin to sadness, which I noticed, and asked, "What's wrong?" She turned to face me and asked, "How can you live all alone in a house that's isolated from other people?" I meekly shrugged and said, "It's not all that bad. I don't have obnoxious neighbors, I can be as loud as I want to whenever I please, and it's a paradise away from the chaos of the city. I like my seclusion because I feel more at peace without worrying about masking my eccentric lifestyle to other people." Her frown vanished and was replaced with a small smile as she asked with hope in her voice, "Do you think you could ever invite the others to come here?" "I wouldn't mind it at all. Maybe next time we all have free time we can all gather here." Suddenly her phone started buzzing, and she looked at me apologetically and asked, "Would you excuse me for a few minutes?" I grinned and said, "I'll be in the hallway. Take your time."
I was leaning against the wall taking leisurely sips of my drink when Tsubaki poked her head from the dining room entrance. She walked over and said with remnants of a blush on her cheeks, "Sorry about that. It was Maka who called me just now." "Is everything alright?" "She asked me if I wanted to join her and the Thompson Twins to go shopping and get our nails done, but I kinda told her I'm here with you." Instantly I felt a looming dread wash over me after she said that. Oh shit! I don't want her or the others to start gossiping! "Oh, and what did she say?" She smiled deviously and said, "Her exact words were: 'Take care of yourself Tsubaki, OK? And if any funny business happens, I'll find out where he lives and give him a lifetime supply of Maka-chops.'" I cringed a little, but felt relieved that Maka didn't outright disapprove of Tsubaki joining me to spend the day together. I smiled once more and said, "Right, because I've been well known for luring pretty girls to my house only to butcher them and dump the bodies in a river." She then jabbed, "Well I wouldn't put that past you." I pressed a hand to my chest, clutching it and dramatically fell to my knees uttering a pained moan. "Oh how could you assume such a thing?! You've hurt my feelings!" She laughed and nearly spilled her wine and asked incredulously, "You have feelings?! I thought you were hollow inside." I couldn't keep a straight face and gave in to my laughter. I stood back up and tapped her glass with mine as I said, "Touche, lovely girl." She in response curtsied and said with a broad grin, "Thank you, kind sir."
We then proceeded with the remainder of the tour, where I gave her a brief glance into my bedroom, and the master bathroom that adjoined it. Just then she asked, "Would you mind waiting for me again outside?" I was puzzled, but then it dawned on me, she probably needed to pee, and so I made my way out while shutting the door. Afterward she joined me as I lead her across the hall and into my armory. She looked at the walls that held many different types of weapons. One wall was dedicated entirely to bladed weapons, another held a vast variety of firearms, and the last one was mainly pole-arms and ranged weapons. After awhile we exited that room and walked to the music room which was next door. The room had white walls on which hung framed ticket stubs, photos of myself with many musicians, autographs and various concert memorabilia. The floor was black and white tiled and made of ceramic. She saw two black sofas in the center, a drum kit in one corner, a piano sat across from it, and a vast shelf that held hundreds of CDS, vinyls, and cassette tapes stood on the southern wall. Along the eastern wall atop a small table sat a five-in-one record player and two speaker towers stood on each side of it. She walked to the corner that was adorned with multiple guitars and she saw one that certainly caught her eye. It was a satin-black electric guitar that had a skull carved into the body, and a red V encased by a red circle on the headstock. She was about to touch it, but hesitated until I said, "You can pick it up. I don't mind." She picked it up with care by the neck, carried it with her as she sat down on one of the sofas. I sat down to join her, but I then tapped on my thigh boldly beckoning her to sit upon there with the intention of giving her an introductory lesson. I wrapped my arms around her, gently placing both my hands over hers, and I masterfully guided them along the frets as I helped her strum the corresponding strings. At first she was severely overwhelmed by the proximity we shared, but she relaxed and trusted me as we started performing. Soon the silent room was filled with soft and sweet sounds resonating from the guitar, and I started singing as we both played.
"Do you breathe the name of your savior in your hour of need?
And taste the blame if the flavor should remind you of greed?
Of implication, insinuation and ill will, till you cannot lie still
In all this turmoil, before red cape and foil come closing in for a kill
Come feed the rain. 'Cause I'm thirsty for your love. Dancing underneath the skies of lust
Yeah feed the rain. 'Cause without your love, my life: Ain't nothing but this carnival of rust..."
Once the song ended, our eyes locked upon each others' as we vainly fought to suppress the intense blushes that coursed rampantly through our cheeks. My hands still rested atop of hers where I caressed and savored the soft, gentle texture of her skin. A very strong part of me secretly yearned to continue holding her close and bask in her sweet warmth that began to radiate into my usually frigid core. Subconsciously I also noted the intoxicating aroma that lingered from her. It smelled fragrant, like a blend of exotic flowers and honey. She was an angel in my arms, full of beauty, innocence, and docility. There was no way this day could possibly get any better, yet it seemed that the fates smiled down on me because she asked, "Could we play another song, Vlad?" I couldn't help but smile and nod like a complete doofus in utter bliss. What was initially supposed to be a simple guitar lesson would become an extended and absolutely wonderful session of music and sweet but discrete proximity. I nodded at her request, and asked, "Is there a song in particular you'd like to play?" She looked up and contemplated quietly for a bit, but shook her head and asked me to pick. We played at least ten or more songs as I sang and held her in my arms. Then she whispered a request in my ear to which I quickly obliged as I tuned my guitar accordingly, and as I started strumming she sang angelically.
"When you walk away
You don't hear me say please
Oh baby, don't go
Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight
It's hard to let it go..."
As she sang I found it arduous to focus on guiding her fingers and playing. Her voice was so mesmerizing and full of dulcet passion, she not only was an angel, but a genuine muse. When that song came to an end she looked down at our hands, and suddenly an abrupt growling noise killed the silence. I looked at her and she was redder than the wine we were drinking. "Oops, I guess singing made me hungry." I chuckled at how adorable she was in her bashful disposition while scratching the back of her head. "Come on, let's take a break from our music session and go make some food." We got up and walked back to the kitchen where she then began rummaging through every nook and cranny. I stood quietly and watched her look around frantically for Death knows what, and I finally asked, "How does Chicken Caesar pasta sound? I'll help you." Tsubaki then watched me gather all the necessary ingredients and utensils. Soon we washed our hands, and worked together to craft a delicious pasta with a loaf of baked bread and the remaining wine to compliment our meal. We took our plates to the living room where we sat on the L-shaped sofa and ate while talking. "Where did you learn to cook Vlad?" I chewed on some pasta that sat favorably in my mouth before answering. "Nowhere really. I kind of learned on the fly so I wouldn't be too reliant on only TV dinners, Ramen and cheerios. Does it surprise you?" She set her silverware and her empty plate down on the coffee table. "Somewhat", she said. "No offense, but it's just, I thought most guys would think cooking to be too girly or only a woman's job." I chuckled at that and said, "I find that mindset to be ignorant. I mean, I live alone yet I know how to do my own laundry, cook and clean." Tsubaki looked up from her plate and towards me. I looked at her in return, and in that moment I sighed while harboring a nagging suspicion. "Let me guess, Black-Star leaves you to handle most, if not ALL the responsibilities, right?" She sighed and said with resignation, "Yes, and quite frankly I get really tired of it sometimes. I feel more like his mother than I do his weapon partner. Doing his laundry, cleaning his messes, cooking, always preventing and apologizing for his stupid antics takes its toll on me." I sat silently and listened to her vent with no intention of interrupting her train of thought. "What hurts is oftentimes he makes me feel unappreciated. He's more concerned about feeding his ego, that I bite my tongue and never tell him when I feel lowly about myself." I hadn't known Tsubaki for as long as Black-Star has yet I could see so many wonderful qualities in her, which made Black-Star's blindness a complete travesty in my eyes.
What happened next pained me terribly, for I watched as tears accumulated in her gorgeous eyes threatening to cascade. The dam that held them at bay broke, and I sat quietly as this wonderful and amazing woman cried in silence. I don't know what coaxed me to do what I did next, but I scooted closer to her and wrapped my arms around her and comforted her as she wept into my chest. Then her soundless lament turned into sobs which strengthened my hold on her. "Please don't cry anymore, Tsubaki," I said softly. "Tears don't suit a beautiful woman like yourself. You might not think he, nor anyone acknowledges your gifts or appreciates you, but I certainly do." Dismally my words didn't soothe her woe because she only cried harder soaking my shirt as she choked through sobs. "B-but I can't help it!" she whined. "I've h-had to be st-strong for everybody else, help them see their strengths, b-but no one cares about mine. So w-what's so g-g-good about me?" I sighed and spoke with every ounce of sincerity that I could manifest. "What's good about you? Are you kidding me?", I asked incredulously. I curled my index finger, placing it underneath her chin, placing my thumb gently on the tip and gradually lifted her chin so she could look into my eyes as I spoke. "Your gentle, nurturing and giving nature is the first of your many amazing qualities I became aware of. You don't even need to be asked and you're the first person to provide solace or advice whenever necessary. Aside from that; you have such a lovely and contagious smile that easily bewitches and captivates anyone who's fortunate to see it. You have a very soothing and caring soul wavelength which makes you very easy to approach and can tranquilize all fears. You're a formidable and reliable weapon partner, very mature and a loyal friend to us all. I personally applaud and enjoy your cooking, and I certainly would never expect you to be a maid for me. Because you're far more than that. You don't need to prove anything to anyone, and lastly: I discovered something extraordinary about you just a few moments ago in the music room. I discovered you have such a beguiling singing voice. I'm not a superstitious person, but in that room, hearing you sing made me believe angels exist. So, is that enough evidence to prove what's so good about you?" She stared at me disbelievingly as more tears flowed steadily from her eyes. At first I worried that my words had no effect on her and she was too enveloped with melancholy. Then the frown that was initially plastered on her face was replaced by the most fetching of smiles. There were no way to properly describe the elation and relief I felt in having raised her spirits and seeing her smile to this degree. My happiness only soared to higher heights when she hugged me tightly once more and when I looked down at her, she still smiled, but the tears that glided down her face were now ones of joy. I indulged myself in relishing every passing second that passed as I held her, but ruefully that came to an end.
She still smiled at me as she looked into my eyes with the remaining tears streaming down her cheeks. I took it upon myself to wipe them away tenderly with my thumbs and then I looked down at her as I cupped her face in my hands. My eyes shifted precariously lower from her eyes: down onto her alluring lips, but I feared delving towards uncharted territory. She certainly observed where my eyes ventured to, and she decided to take the initiative as her eyes fluttered, closed and she leaned closer to me. My heart began to thrash uncontrollably in my chest as I watched her draw nearer to me. My resilience completely abandoned me in those rapidly fleeing moments, and the moment of truth was at hand. Unable to oppose her approach, I closed my eyes and willingly surrendered to her lips which silently beckoned me to make contact. To say the kiss was amazing would be a blatant understatement, for it was a sweet intoxication that I greedily savored. The sensation of her tantalizing lips pressing onto mine was hot, but remarkably smooth like silk. Although it was only our lips alone that made contact: the nectar that lingered within them seeped onto mine and coursed ferociously through my body. It was unlike anything I had ever felt, it was more invigorating than any drug or potent alcohol. As our lips remained pressed together, my insides began to blissfully burn from within. If it lasted any longer; I feared my bones would melt, and my heart would burst from the overwhelming euphoria.
We broke away reluctantly after some time and we both couldn't mask how flustered we were at what just transpired. We turned our gazes away, and focused on regaining control of our erratic breathing before facing each other. Several moments passed and we looked upon one another anxiously. I then looked into her eyes and said, "You'll have to forgive me for being quite bold, but I've come to like you Tsubaki." Her blush only deepened, but she continued to make eye contact with me as she said, "I like you too Vlad. I'm glad I decided to come." I smiled and said with warmth, "I'm glad that you decided to come as well, but I can't help but wonder what are your feelings towards your Meister?" She didn't say anything for sometime, and when she did she elaborated. "I respect and do care for Black-Star. He's not only my Meister, but he's also my friend. Yet romantically speaking: I only see him like a little brother. I can't see myself falling for him even if I tried." Upon hearing with whom her revered feelings resided with, I felt a growing sense of happiness. First I felt relief knowing I wasn't imposing my budding feelings of attraction on her. It also made me content knowing that I gained her attention and didn't need to concern myself with her abruptly falling for her Meister Partner. Regardless, I kept my elation bottled up while displaying a cool and composed disposition. "Very well then. Thanks for clearing things up for me." While she sat in silent contemplation I went to retrieve the bottle of wine sitting in the kitchen and returned to the living room. We spent the remainder of the day sitting, laughing, drinking wine and talking to each other. We told each other of our families, some funny stories from our pasts, and all the while we shared some very personal information about ourselves. At one point I walked behind the sofa and plucked two photographs from the mantel that sat above the fireplace.
I sat down to rejoin her while handing her the two photographs which she began to analyze. The first one she looked at was of two adults kissing with the Eiffel Tower behind them, and they were embracing each other. The woman wore a long red dress, her chocolate hair flowed in the wind and her pallid skin glowed in the moonlight. The man with her wore a black suit, had ink-black hair and stood a few inches higher than the woman who wore high-heels. While she scanned the picture I poured myself another glass and began to take leisurely sips. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her eyes full of curiosity and assuaged the looming questions regarding the photographed couple. "The couple in that photo are my parents. They were in Paris, and my dad asked a local to take pictures with his camera. Just as they were to begin the photo session; my dad proposed to her and that picture is my mom accepting the proposal. If you look a little closer you can see tears flowing down her face." She scanned it over more meticulously and she spotted them. She had a hand over her mouth and suppressed a croon that threatened to escape her mouth. "They look so adorable in that picture." I merely smirked and handed her the other photo for her to examine.
The next photograph was of the same two adults, yet in between them sat a young boy who smiled merrily while waving at the photographer. He had black hair, angular facial features and thick black eyebrows like his father. However his gentle, almond-shaped, charcoal eyes, long eyelashes and small mouth were traits that mirrored that of his mother. His parents sat on either side of him, once again dressed elegantly and smiled with pride while hugging the boy whose outfit mirrored his father's. As she looked at the photo, I said, "You can probably guess who these people are." This time she gasped and couldn't quell her crooning fit. "AWWWWW! Is that YOU in this picture?!" I said nothing but my intense blush was all the confirmation she needed. She laughed to my chagrin and nearly spilled wine on the floor. "Are you done making fun of me?" I asked with mock annoyance. She stifled her lingering laughter, wiped a tear from her left eye and said, "I'm not making fun of you. It's just that, well, you're so adorable not only in this picture, but also when you blush." Before I could counter or protest her statement, she pulled her phone out and insisted, "I want a copy of this picture!" Instantly I froze before lunging at her while yelling: "Absolutely not! I won't allow it!" I frantically tried to snatch the photo out of her hands while moving her phone's camera away from the picture. Yet she was a crafty opponent who wasn't afraid to play dirty. For she started fervently kicking at me while rapidly snapping pictures of the photo with her phone. One of her feet were launched upward and connected with my nether regions bringing me to my knees and wracked with pain. While kneeling on the floor hunched over caressing my damaged area, she took the opportunity to snap multiple pictures. I looked up at her and said, "You win this round, but you had better not show that picture to anyone!" She merely stuck her tongue out at me and coyly said, "Sorry, but I'm not sorry." I continued wincing in discomfort while she basked in her small victory while laughing.
Once the remainder of the pain subsided and she got her fill of laughter at my expense, I offered to lead her to the final unseen portion of the house. She accepted and we made our way towards the spiral staircase that stood in front of my library. We ascended and went through the hatch door that lead to the roof. She went up first and looked to her right and saw a fireplace gazebo. She walked along the surface and looked ahead of her where she got a marvelous view of Death City in the evening. The once chuckling sun was now snoring in the sky as it began to grow dark. She also saw the swarms of cars that zoomed both towards and away from the city. I stood next to the hatch door as I said, "It's quite peaceful up here. I like to sometimes bring my telescope and do some stargazing, light the fire pit and have bonfires, or play music up here far away from the city." She turned to me and said, "This is a wonderful house you have, Vlad. I might have to consider moving in here." I chuckled at her jest and said while shrugging, "Perhaps. I wouldn't mind." Before we could enjoy the view together, her phone started ringing once more, to my ire. She answered it and spoke in a hushed tone to whoever was contacting her. After awhile she hung up, walked over to me and said, "That was Soul, he's wondering when I'll be home." I sighed and said, "Let's get a move on then. We don't want to burden Kid and Soul with keeping Black-Star occupied." She nodded and we made our way down the staircase and back into the house. She went to use the restroom one last time before accompanying me to the car, then we got in and drove towards Death City.
It took a good twenty minutes to drive from my house all the way back to her apartment. When we finally arrived we sat in the car for awhile before we said our farewells.
"Did you have a good time, Tsubaki?"
"Yes I did. It was nice to get away and learn more about you. Thank you for everything, Vlad."
"It was my pleasure. I'm glad you had a great time, and I'm relieved that I didn't bore you to death. Just promise me something will you?"
"What is it?"
"Don't show anyone that picture of me as a child."
"She smirked mischievously and said, "Oh I don't know if I can keep that promise. I mean you look so cute as a kid. How could I not show others?"
I rolled my eyes at her response while trying not to giggle. Then she leaned in and gave me yet another kiss upon my lips. It was chaste, but still very enticing and worth relishing while it lasted. When we broke apart, I got out of the car, walked to her side and opened her door to help her out. She took my hand as I helped her out, and as she stepped out I reached into the back to hand her back the platters she left behind. She thanked me one last time before bidding me goodnight and walked up the stairs to her apartment. I decided not to linger and made my way back home in order to put a bittersweet end to the day.