Chapter 41: Soothing Scene
|August 3rd|Amara's Apartment|7:30 am|
"What a beautiful morning!" Amara said, looking out her bedroom window. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping away, and the person living above her hadn't turned on her overly loud radio yet. And to make this morning even better, she got to wake up next to Zao. If she hadn't wound up on a quest to save the other world from Shadows, her life would be pretty good. Sure, she'd never have met Blaine, Serena, Nathan, or most of the others, but she'd at least have Zao.
"Yeah!" Zao said, still lying in bed. "A great day to catch some trout!"
"Zao, for you that's every single day!" Amara said, lughing.
The rest of the working week had passed mostly without incident. Matthew had mostly settled into his role as a rebel Persona user, but it was hard to juggle that and his duties in the village. His foster parents, Tara's grandparents, had no idea why he constantly left the village, but his excuse of wanting to walk more seemed to do the trick.
Daniel's mood was a lot friendlier now that Matthew was part of the team. Yet, whenever his younger brother had to go to his home, Dan got sad again. Not that Amara could blame him, after all that had happened. Nothing had happened in Nova Albion since the Ornatu Legion had left, but when they checked Tara's apartment, the dead homeless people were gone. Someone had buried them in the back garden, with many flowers placed at their graves.
No one had any idea who did this, but Amara felt better, knowing that someone cared enough to bury them. She...was too horrified by the sight of them to suggest it herself. Zao helped her feel better, but if she saw more dead people in the other world, she didn't know what she'd do. Amara went into the kitchen, followed by Zao, and got started on breakfast.
"What are you thinking about?" Zao asked, eating some toast.
"Oh, it's nothing. You're hanging out with Karl tonight, yeah?" Amara said.
"Yeah, I said earlier! Looking forward to the karaoke?" Zao asked.
"I suppose so! Priscilla and Shirley are going, that'll be fun. Stella said she might show too." Amara said. "Anyway, we better get to work!"
"Right! Those fish aren't going to catch themselves! Although that would be kinda cool..." Zao said, grinning.
"Oh, Zao. Your imagination is crazy so early in the morning." The two of them quickly got ready, and Zao whistled a catchy tune as they went their separate ways to their workplaces. Hopefully, the day would go by peacefully, then she could have some fun tonight.
|Solar Ray Mall - Bianca's Flower Garden|5:30pm|
Business was booming as usual at the mall. Blaine had arrived, having finally gotten a haircut. He quite liked his hair short, and thought about doing it more often. He was also wearing his best black shirt, a birthday gift from Dan a few years back. The reason for his makeover of sorts was a date with Lucy - alone, at her place. She had teased him about his messy hair and clothes before, and now he realised he had to make more of an effort. Not just for her, but for himself. And so he figured that Lucy would enjoy some flowers, and where better to get those flowers than from a former enemy?
Bianca was at her flower stall, chatting to someone on the phone. From the smile on her face, it was a friend. Most likely one of the Holy Cross. She saw Blaine coming, and looked startled. He just waved, and walked up.
"Yes Kazuya, I'll be there! I must go now, I've got a customer. Bye!" Bianca said, hanging up. "Hello sir. Sorry about that."
"No problem. Can I have those roses, please? I've got a date tonight." Blaine said, pointing at the red roses.
"Certainly, sir. Here you are." Bianca said. Blaine paid for them, but not before wincing at the price tag. But would being a cheapskate really endear him to his girlfriend? No, he thought to himself. "Good luck with your evening, by the way."
"Thanks! Oh yeah, how's your uncle?" Blaine said - and it wasn't until he finished the question that he realised his mistake.
"I beg your pardon? My...uncle? Are you a friend of his?" Bianca asked, confused.
"Sorry, no. I had you confused for someone else! Hehe...so, um...bye!" Blaine said, dashing off.
He was still panicking as he was leaving the mall, when he saw Nathan. He was still in his distinctive blue suit, the one Blaine secretly envied. Priscilla wasn't in sight, nor was anyone else. Blaine waved, and Nathan looked up in surprise.
"Oh! I didn't expect to see you. I figured you'd be working today." Nathan said. "Someone's dressed up. Got a date?"
"No, I thought our kitchen could use a feminine touch. Of course a date, dumbass!" Blaine said. "What about you? Doing anything with Priscilla tonight?"
"Not tonight, actually. She's going out with Amara and that Shirley lady for karaoke. Tara's going, too. Which will be weird for Amara..." Nathan said, looking off into the distance. "Me and Adrian will probably just meet at his house and watch some old westerns."
"Ah. Oh yeah, did you ever confront your father about Josephine?" Blaine asked.
"Not yet...I keep putting it off. I just don't know what to do." Nathan said. "But I have to at some point, right?"
"Yeah. The sooner, the better." Blaine said. "You can't guarantee you'll have forever to wait. I assumed my dad would be around for a long time. But...you know what happened. I couldn't even imagine life without my dad. If I hadn't met Dan and Matthew, I doubt I would have moved on at all. So hurry up, dude. Make the most of the time you have."
"I...You're right. I will." Nathan said. "I have to get going. Where are you off to, anyway? Did Lucy finally get you to have a haircut?"
"Sorta." Blaine said. "I've got a date with her tonight. At her place! Wish me luck!"
"Luck? With what?" Nathan asked.
"Dear god, Nathan. You've been with Priscilla how long, and you still have to ask?" Blaine said, sniggering. "Let's just say I'm looking forward to it. A lot."
"...Oh." Nathan said, embarassed. "Well, in that case...good luck."
Nathan left for the mall, and Blaine left, smiling. These roses were expensive, alright, but Blaine had a feeling it would be worth it.
|Saragel Promenade|5:45 pm|
Zao and Karl were enjoying some ice cream, after finishing another hard day at work. Zao had caught some mighty fish, whilst Karl had been training with his team. Both were exhausted, and needed the break.
"Hard to believe it'd be that tiring kicking a ball around..." Zao said, licking his strawberry ice cream.
"Speak for yourself...you're all tuckered out after swinging a rod around all day. You make it look easy, you know...but it's all about the technique, right? Same with me...phew." Karl said, eating his chocolate flavoured ice cream.
"Technique? Yeah, that's a big part of it. Grandpa made it look so natural. But he is the best!" Zao said. "Remember when he showed up at school, and you were scared by his beard?"
"Of course I was! It was gigantic! And it had a living crab in it! How did that get in there, anyway?" Karl asked.
"The man loves searching for shells...and he's thorough!" Zao said, smiling. "Your dad was pretty scary too, you know."
"He's just protective. Like when Aimee went off with you without telling him..." Karl said. "He seems to have mellowed out now, though. I can take care of myself."
"Good to hear. Me, I'm always mellow. You gotta face life with a smile!" Zao said, smiling, as if to illustrate his point. "You know...Amara was saying she wanted me to meet her dad. You ever met him?"
"Um...yeah, a couple of times. He's a good man, but he's kind of the sentimental type. He'll always be going on about how amazing Amara is." Karl said. "Then again, I was saying the same sort of stuff."
"Oh, you are every girl's Prince Charming, aren't you?" Zao said. "Heck, it'll probably be alright. Must be a good sign if she wants me to meet the family!"
"Yeah, I guess. Good luck to you." Karl said. "Anyway, I was trying to reach you last afternoon, but you never picked up. What happened?"
"Oh, I was with Amara!" Zao said. "She was...um...painting!"
"When isn't she painting?" Karl said. "Ah, it's okay. She's a lucky girl to have you, you know. I sure felt lucky just being with her..."
"What are you talking about? Any girl would be lucky to have you, man! A guy as handsome as you? What girl could possibly resist?" Zao said, sniggering. "Not to mention the high salaries of soccer players..."
"I suppose I could try getting back into the scene. I don't know... I don't mind being single, for now. My mom keeps asking me if I have a girlfriend, though..." Karl said, sighing. "You sure got lucky, man."
Zao was quiet. He still had a niggling feeling Karl resented him. But he didn't want to confront that. So, the conversation soon turned to fish, as it often did, and Zao proudly discussed his capture of a sea bass.
|Lucy and Shirley's Apartment|6:00 pm|
Blaine had just arrived outside Lucy's apartment's door. He had been to plenty of apartments in Kanaloa, all of them gritty and filthy places. Here, it was nice, mostly due to stricter hygiene rules. Even the doors looked better, and there were potted plants around. Smiling, he pushed the doorbell.
Lucy answered the door, and smiled gave her a quick kiss on the lips, and whistled when he got a closer look at her outfit. She was dressed in a red top, that was quite revealing compared to her usual clothing.
"If I didn't know any better, madam, I'd say you were trying to seduce me." Blaine teased. He presented Lucy with the red roses, and waited for her delighted reaction. However, she merely looked at them with unease.
"Oh...these are...nice!" Lucy finally said. Blaine's smiled faltered, and he sighed, downhearted. All that money and she didn't like the flowers at all. She looked up at him, and briefly panicked. "Alright, so I'm not a big fan of flowers. To be honest, they're all stupid. But I can tell these didn't come cheap."
"Crap, did I leave the price tag on?" Blaine said, sweating. "Woops. Never mind, then. I'll remember to get you someone more to your taste next time. Anything for my girl!"
"Really? I'd like that. That means more white chocolate for me! Now yourself comfortable. I know you like your beer, but I thought some wine would be more romantic." she said, going into the kitchen.
Blaine sat down on the sofa, and smiled. Today there would be nothing to worry about. No rotting mansions covered with dead bodies, or ferocious monsters blasting him with water spells. Yet Lucy was just as terrifying when she was mad, as he had discovered one evening. She took her wrath out on an unfortunate waiter, who broke down in tears after she was through with him. Even he was frightened.
Still, she wasn't shy about her feelings. That was what he liked about her. Sure, she did often remark about how crappy his job was, and could be rude a lot, but Blaine could ignore that. She made him feel young again…as if he didn't have a care in the world. Every time he saw her, it made him forget about his problems - his work, Dan moping around, the Shadows. In all his life, he'd never felt like this about a girl before.
"Here you go." Lucy said, bringing up a glass of red wine. "The lasagna's in the oven, and I think you're going to love it! I made it myself." she said.
"That sounds great. I do love homemade cooking..." Blaine said, sniggering. "Tell me, did you make that packaging in your hand too?"
"Well, uh, I…You're mean!" Lucy said, as Lilith, the black cat, jumped onto a chair and looked at her expectantly. "Alright, alright, I'll get you something too!"
|Takanawa - Shiyamiya Karaoke|6:30 pm|
Amara, Priscilla and Shirley arrived at the karaoke bar, where Stella was sitting by herself. Priscilla had arranged a private room for them to sing, so they didn't have to worry about total strangers watching them. Shiyamiya was a popular venue, not just for the Takanawan locals but for those all over who wanted to unwind by singing their favourite songs.
"Well, hello there. Good to see you all again." Stella said. "I had a prediction of which song to sing - my only worry is whether my voice can reach the right pitch."
"Not a problem for me. I'm quite good at singing. I've been here before quite a lot, actually." Shirley said. "Feels strange going out with out Lucy. I wonder how her date's going?"
"I also consulted the cosmos about that. Trust me, it will be a very memorable night for both of them." Stella said, browsing the drinks menu.
"Okay then..." Amara said, blinking. "I don't need a reading of the 'after dinner show', thanks. Let's just get singing!"
"We can't. Tara isn't here yet." Priscilla said. "She might be late...she was busy performing this afternoon."
"Oh, is she the one in the orchestra? She must be really talented to perform in Nova Albion." Shirley said, smiling.
"She is incredibly gifted. When we first met, she insisted we hear her practice. Even then, she was magnificent." Priscilla said. As Priscilla and Shirley discussed Tara, Amara looked nervous. Stella noticed this, and they walked away a little.
"Amara, you're nervous about something. I can feel it. You know Tara in the other world, don't you?" Stella asked, staring right into Amara's eyes. This gave her a strange sensation...like Stella could see directly into her own soul.
"Yeah. She was in Clairdol Village for ten years." Amara said, describing the events of Monday. "It'll be weird seeing her, and she won't have a clue who I am."
"There is nothing to worry about. We simply hide your secrets from Tara - there is no reason to involve her. All we need to do tonight is sing, regardless of how tone deaf you are!" Stella said.
"Hey, I'm not tone deaf! Actually, there's something else. I told you about Nihane Kronos, right? I saw another one of his memories in my dreams a little while ago. He was a little boy, in an orphanage, and he heard people saying his parents didn't want him to find out about his family." Amara said. "Why do I keep seeing his memories?!"
"That, Amara, I don't know! I'm sincerely drawing a blank, here!" Stella said. What? But you know everything?! "Perhaps...you already know the answer. Try to think back to all the times you've met Nihane Kronos. There may be something you missed."
"You think so? Okay. I will." Amara said. "Hey, let's go back. Priscilla's looking at us funny!"
"She's not the only one. That guy over there keeps staring at my hair..." Stella said, and the two of them walked back to Priscilla and Shirley.
|Saragel Promenade|6:43 pm|
"Okay, what do you wanna do now?" Zao asked. "Hey, maybe we can get a drink somewhere. I heard there's a place nearby that has a singles night..."
"Zao, no. Those things suck. Let's just drink by ourselves." Karl said.
"Aww, come on! I said I'd find you a girl, and I'll do it! There's tons of pretty girls out there, and with your looks, you could have all of them nipping at your heels!" Zao said, nudging Karl.
"No, Zao. Not tonight!" Karl said, getting angry. "Sorry. I just want to chill out tonight, just the two of us."
"Wow, Karl, I'm flattered." Zao said. Karl blinked, then the two men burst out laughing. "Alright, to your eternal bachelorhood! Let's go!"
As the two of them wandered off, they saw someone they met once, or in Zao's case, multiple times. Daniel Kingsley, walking by himself. He didn't seem to recognise them - which Zao could understand, since this version of Dan didn't know Zao very well. But the Dan he knew had finally been reunited with his younger brother, Matthew. Over here, that could never happen.
"Why do you look so sad, Zao?" Karl asked.
"Oh, nothing!" Zao said, shrugging. "I'm just thinking about stuff."
"Don't most people think about stuff? It's kind of hard to think about nothing!" Karl said, sniggering. "So, want to try Bar Skadi?"
"Hell yeah I do! With all the summer heat, I need something that'll really cool me down!" Zao and Karl ran off, towards the icy bar.
|Saragel - Cocoa Harbour|6:50 pm|
Kyle and Serena were leaving Cocoa Harbour. They were nearly due back at school, but they didn't mind so much. One more year, then they could do anything they wanted. Of course, it wouldn't be that simple, but Serena had a good feeling about her future.
"So back to your house, Kyle?" Serena said.
"Yeah. It's about time we finally tested out our new teams. Word of warning, though, you won't be able to win with Stealth Rock!"
"We'll see about that - Oh, it's that guy!" Serena said, pointing at Dan. "Want to go say hello?"
"You go on ahead. I'll be quick." Kyle said. Serena nodded, and Kyle wheeled himself over.
"Huh? Oh. Evening." Dan said, with a weak smile.
"What's wrong? You look a bit down in the dumps." Kyle inquired.
"I do?" Dan said, and then he laughed a bit. "There goes my tough guy image, then!"
"What tough guy image?" Kyle said, laughing himself. "Anyway, um...I'll be back at school soon. Guess I'll be seeing you in the mornings again."
"Oh yeah. That means more screaming schoolgirls swarming the bus, too..." Dan said. "By the way, I heard you're seventeen now! A bit late now, but happy birthday. One step closer to being an adult!"
"I suppose...I still don't know what I'll do after I leave school, though. I'm thinking of what colleges to apply to. I'm not worried about getting in, but I just hope I find the right place." Kyle said.
"Hey, you're pretty smart. You'll do alright!" Dan said. "Matthew was pretty clever too! He could have done anything he put his mind to! But..." he trailed off, and stared off into the water, looking absolutely miserable.
"I'm sorry, if I remind you of him, I'll leave you alone -"
"No. Don't do that. You're alright, kid. Listen, don't worry about me. Like I said, you'll be alright no matter what happens!" Dan said. "Come on, you've got a date waitin' for ya! Go get the girl!"
"Hah, you sound like - I mean, we're not on a date! Serena's just a friend, honestly!" Kyle said. "Well, I'd better get going. Cheer up, will you?"
"Sure. Get going, or Serena will be one pissed off lady! Never keep a girl waiting!" Dan said. Kyle laughed, and went back to Serena. He tried to get excited about facing Serena in several intense battles, but thoughts of Matthew kept clouding his mind. The past just wouldn't leave him, no matter how many years would pass...
|Shimayima Karaoke|7:02 pm|
Tara had finally arrived, panting for breath. Apart from her clothes - a nice pink dress with an islander style to it - she looked much like the Tara Amara had met.
"It's good to see you. What happened?" Priscilla asked.
"It's nothing serious, I just lost track of time! Adrian says it's because I take too long getting ready. He doesn't understand how hard it is to look my best!" Tara said, sighing. "So are you going to introduce me to your new friends?"
"Of course. This is Amara Furaha, and that's Stella Cleon. Oh, and this is Shirley Evens! Everybody, this is Tara Miller." Priscilla said.
"Hi!" Amara said, shaking Tara's hand. It felt so odd, introducing herself to someone she had already met. Of course, Tara wouldn't see it that way at all...so Amara had to ignore the feeling of déjà vu. Stella gave her a concerned look. I can handle this, Stella. Don't worry.
"So, you're that psychic girl, right?" Tara asked. "Priscilla keeps talking about how amazing you are! I know! Guess when my birthday is-"
"April 24th, 1984. 5:53 am." Stella said. Tara gasped, and Priscilla grinned.
"Fantastic!" Tara said, impressed. "Okay, enough hanging around! Let's get singing!"
The five of them made their way to the private room. Amara's doubts about Tara were fading, as she felt herself relax. There was no need to think of the other world tonight. Rather, this was a chance to get to know Tara, without having to fight Shadows. The worst she'd have to worry about was her being off-key. And what Zao and Karl would get up to.
|Lucy and Shirley's Apartment|11:30 pm|
"It's been an interesting night, hasn't it?" Blaine said, petting Lilith. The cat hissed, but despite Lucy's warnings, she did not bite Blaine's hand. Yet she had scratched his hand a few times, and his hand was still throbbing.
"Yeah...even if we did have to watch that stupid movie." Lucy said, shuddering. They had just watched a particularly gory film called Blood, Blood and More Blood 2: Bloody Hell. "You kept laughing at me! That's not very nice!" she said, although she was smiling.
"You were screaming the entire time! You are such a scaredy cat!" Blaine said, laughing. Lilith meowed loudy, and walked off into Shirley's bedroom.
"Oh, come on! I thought I saw you gasp a couple of times. Especially during that scene with the tractor and the milkmaid!" Lucy said, giggling. "Actually...this has been really fun. Even if you did assume you could win me over with flowers."
"Yeah, it took my mind off things." Blaine said, smiling. Lucy looked at him, worried. "Oh, don't worry so much. I've just had a lot on my mind. Some crazy stuff's been happening..."
"You mean at work? You know, you could do better than that place." Lucy said. She had said this many times before, but this time she sounded serious.
"Nah, it's not that bad. I'm just glad I have something to look forward to at the weekend." Blaine said, smiling. Right then, he reached over, and kissed Lucy on the lips, more tenderly than he had done before.
"That was..." Lucy said, her cheeks as red as a tomato. "Wow..."
"I've been waiting all night to do that..." Blaine said, with a wide, hearty smile. "I...think we can forget about watching another movie, don't you?"
"Yup...There's something else I'd rather do." Lucy said, as she moved closer to Blaine. They looked at other, and from the passion in her eyes, it became very clear to Blaine what she had in mind. Looks like this was going to be a night to remember after all. They kissed again, arms around each other, their hearts pounding.
|Inanis - Centre|11:20pm|
In the eerie land of Inanis, sealed from the world by gigantic walls that could never be climbed, Nihane Kronos appeared in the centre of what was once New Motus City. He had come here by himself many times...but something felt wrong. Others had been here. Many of them.
"This is my world. No one else is welcome! No one!" Nihane shouted, as his anger rose.
The idea that someone other than him was completely anathema to him. If it were one of the Ater Vox, he'd still be angry, but he would likely pardon them. Yet he could feel it. Their enemies had come here. Yet, how?
"This place is for me and me alone! I won't let anyone be part of Inanis!"
His orange eyes flared up, and his words echoed throughout the empty fields. He made the long journey towards the ruined white buildings. What the others had not realised was that they were in the same location as Kanaloa. Yet, there were enough ruined white buildings for an entire town. And only one building remained intact, in it's former glory.
"Greetings, Amurdad. Do not fear. I will not allow you to be destroyed again."