Zwei
And there are other things, larger, weirder and lurking.
School vacations are the best, even if he is going to work in the evenings along Shizuka, to learn his way around the club's kitchen (then he will replace her once she moves to the dorms at True Cross Town). At first, he was nervous, but his first day of work goes ok. The club's kitchen is understaffed even with both Rin and Shizuka there, but his new co-workers are ok people and he'll get along with them. His boss is scary and prone to gesture with the knives, but she gave him a slap -that he's sure was supposed to be a pat- to the back once his sift was over, so he thinks she approves him.
The walk home is different now that they are going directly home; they take their time and chat a bit, look around. Rin will miss this, but still, school vacations are the best because Rin doesn't have to go to class or pull late night study sessions and he gets to hang up with Shizuka and Yukio, if his brother finds free time.
They just hang up at home or go to the park, but they have a karaoke night with Yukio one Wednesday, on their day off. There, it is discovered that Shizuka can sing in French and Yukio demurs he can't sing at all (a fact Rin knows is a lie, Yukio is just really shy).
Afterwards, Rin and Yukio are walking Shizuka home, because it's quite late and far from their usual haunts, where they have a reputation among most petty criminals and gangs. Still, they aren't expecting problems when a bunch of older guys, college age and very drunk, start harassing them from across the street.
Rin does a stellar job keeping calm and collected and ignoring them, even after the assholes begin following them; he is still calm when the assholes cross the street and he is still agreeable to just walk away when the assholes cut their way, sneering and posturing like idiots.
But then one guy grabs Shizuka by the arm and makes her turn his way forcefully. She goes rigid and sends a look first to Rin and then to Yukio, and in any other situation she would have already freed herself, but she's trying to not escalate because she doesn't want to get Rin in trouble and Rin is furious, with Yukio who never understands, himself because it's his fault she is still being manhandled, and especially the assholes, for daring to disrespect Shizuka in the first place .
"Release her," Rin tells the asshole.
"And if I don't want to?", the idiot asks mockingly, making Shizuka step closer to him, and the others laugh. Rin looks at Shizuka and nods, and she throws the asshole over her shoulder and knees his friend on the stomach after he tries to backhand her in retaliation.
"We tried," Rin tells Yukio after punching a third asshole in the nose and watching him run away with the fourth one.
Before Yukio has chance to respond to that, Shizuka takes them by the wrist and begins dragging them away.
"The objective of self-defense is to escape", she says and Yukio glowers at her but allows himself to be led. Once they are at a distance, he stops and tugs at his wrist- Shizuka lets him go instantly, then she gives Rin wrist a light reassuring squeeze before releasing him too.
"You need to stop getting into fights, Nii-san", says Yukio with a sigh and Rin is automatically pissed off because his brother was there, he surely noticed that the assholes where the ones picking a fight and got what they deserved, what if they went after another girl? One walking alone? And Rin is trying, before he did pick fights with whoever looked at him wrong, even after meeting Shizuka, but she always jumps after him. At first it was mortifying, because he didn't want a girl defending him, then learned better and it was nice to have someone always on his side, and then it was mortifying again, because most fights were over stupid stuff and he was dragging her into them.
They still get into fights, but nowadays is usually with a good reason behind.
"It wasn't our fault". Shizuka is always on his side. "In any case I hit him first, didn't I?"
She stares at Yukio until he finally admits, "they deserved it", but before Rin can begin to gloat, he continues, "still, it happens too often. Dad worries, I worry; this time you didn't get hurt but what are you going to do once Uchida-san and I are gone?"
That's the question, isn't it? He's trying and he can say with pride that he's changed too, but what will happen once he's alone?
A nearby streetlamp shorts out with a loud bang and they jump aside to avoid the glass and sparkles that fall. Rin digs his hands into his pockets, slouches and begins to walk away, "let's just get Shizu home".
Δ
Rin expends his Thursday window-shopping with Shizuka and then working. After their shift, he insists on eating out, for old times' sake. "We won't see each other once school starts". He's been thinking about it for a while.
"Now that you have a job, you could get a cheap computer and we could have video calls". Shizuka herself has a heavy old laptop with a fan that sounds like a helicopter and a defective battery, he doesn't think one can have video calls in that thing, he isn't even sure if it has a camera. "You can use it for studying and homework, too".
"Yeah, maybe". And even with a computer he isn't sure how will he fare at school without his brother and Shizuka.
"We'll keep in touch, I promise. You are the first friend I made here, and, and, uhm you know I don't have family; now all my important people are you and Okumura-kun, but I don't think he counts me as a friend".
But she will make new friends and she'll be busy all the time, like Yukio and Dad. He is proud of them, but he can't help but feel expendable, or worse, a burden, like all his effort is taking him nowhere and he's being left behind.
He's so immersed in his thoughts that he sees and dismisses as unimportant how the number of bugs buzzing over trash, out of alleys and around the shadier business suddenly augments, its dirty, there are vermin, its normal, but when he does notice how much they are swarming, forming seething black masses, he also notices that the bugs have faces and tails, and there are other things, larger, weirder and lurking.
He stops in the middle of the street and stares. The people appear to ignore the weird creatures even when they walk into the swarms and the tiny monsters crash against their bodies and bounce, floating, away. Surely they would be concerned if they could see them, surely they could try to bat them away from their faces, at least. Is he hallucinating now?
Shizuka lays a hand on his arm, startling him. "It's ok, let's find somewhere to sit".
He lets himself be dragged to a fast food joint, miraculously still open, and then he is shoved to sit in a booth with a milkshake and orders to drink it.
"You see them", she says. He nods, drinking his milkshake. "I do, too". He nods again and she reaches to her hair and plucks from her bun one of the small round creatures. Its little face looks very grumpy. Rin forgets to be shocked for a moment.
"What are they", he asks, poking at the thing. It looks resigned now. Rin doesn't ask why she is carrying one around in her hair; it has a tiny bow tied to the end of its tail.
"Demons", she answers, petting the creature between the… horns(?) with a finger. "You should tell your dad. He's a priest, so his job is to deal with demons. And he should be informed if you suddenly can see them".
Rin takes a moment and concentrates on finishing his milkshake so he doesn't have to think about it too much. His straw makes a funny noise when he drinks the last bit.
"Have you always been able to? Why I'm seeing them now?"
"Did you get hurt recently? No? A way to see demons is to be wounded by one, other is to be born from a certain bloodline. My clan has magical cursed eyes that awaken under certain conditions, very unpleasant ones, with shitty side-effects. That's why you should tell your dad".
"You are really bent to talking with the old man, aren't you?"
"It's nice to have an adult take care of things", she explains. "I'll even go with you, if you want".
Δ
"Father Fujimoto, Rin needs to tell you something important".
Shiro looks up from the report he's reading and places it face down on the desk. Shizuka is at the door of his office wearing a small frown on her face. Rin ligers nervously behind her, not looking at him. Shiro sighs.
"You lost the job, didn't you?" It hasn't been a week, but Rin has a temper and sometimes loses control of his strength. It's sad because he is kind and he is trying -most incidents occur because his good intentions- but in the end it's not surprising.
"What?! No! How little hope you have in me, old man!" In his outburst, Rin storms into the room, then deflates again.
"Then what is it?" Shiro crosses his arms and waits. If it's not the job, well, it's not a fight either, both Rin and Shizuka look unharmed and worried, but not guilty. They are still on vacations, so it's not school unless Rin got cold feet and now wants to drop out. By now he is sure they aren't dating, so it's not likely that she's pregnant.
Rin licks his lips and looks around, his eyes avoiding Shiro's. Shizuka nudges him a little.
"I can kinda see demons".
Shiro has been dreading this moment. He now wishes that Rin had lost that job.
"Rin, sit down". He does. "Uchida-chan, I suppose it was your idea to come? Yes? Good work". Shiro pinches the bridge of his nose under his glasses. "I need to have a conversation with Rin, so if you could?"
"I'll be waiting outside". She walks out the office, closing the door behind her, before Shiro can send her home.
Rin is slouching on his seat, with his arms crossed. He's not looking at Shiro, all defensive, like he's once again about to be lectured. Unfortunately, Shiro needs to be harsh to save his life.
"Demons, you say?"
"Little ones, round, floating, and bigger ones with ape like arms", Rin mumbles, looking at him side-eyed, like daring Shiro to not believe him.
"Tar Coals, demons that possess dirt, and goblins. You suddenly started seeing them? Nothing else happened?" Rin is looking at him now, less slouched, still drawn into himself, defensive in a different way.
"Yeah, I thought at first that they were bugs or something, then I don't know; nobody else appeared to see them. Shizu noticed, though, convinced me to tell you". Rin shifts in his seat. "Why, why I suddenly…?
Shiro have been dreading this moment, hoping the seal would hold forever, but –he tries to convince himself – it's not too bad, just being able to see demons, he can treat it as a warning, the seal is weakened but still active. He takes a deep breath.
"The most common way it happens is when a demon inflicts a wound or illness on a human. It leaves what we call mashou or temptain, and the human becomes able to see demons all their life. But your case is different, Rin. Even though your mother was human, your father is a powerful demon. The most powerful of them. Rin, you are the son of Satan".
Δ
Shiro finds Shizuka in the Kitchen and he is glad she stayed; Rin took the explication with the apparent calm that signals problems in the long run and she has a pacifying effect on his sons. The girl is washing dishes and the counters look cleaner. The old electric kettle is steaming, just waiting for the tea leaves. Shiro sits heavily, feeling old and tired. Shizuka pours him a cup of tea and places it in front of him, she has two other cups on a tray.
"He is should be in his room", Shiro tells her instead of thanks. Shizuka nods and goes after Rin.
Shiro contemplates his tea for a moment, takes a sip. It's good. He places the cup back down and takes a cheap cellphone out of his pocket, it has a single number stored. He calls.
"It will be soon".
Δ
When he hears the knock at the door, he is first tempted to ignore it, then to yell to be left alone, in the end the gets up and opens.
It's Shizuka with concern written all over and two cups of tea. Rin wordlessly lets her in and sits on his bed. She hands him a cup and sits next to him with the other, tray forgotten to the side.
"Yukio has always been able to see". Rin says after a moment. "Why didn't he tell me?"
"Why didn't I tell you? Why didn't you want to tell your dad?"
"Yeah, ok. I- I know. It's just… He's my twin, I should- When we were little he used to be scared of monsters, and, and, it's because of me he was born with temptain, because I'm not human. There's a sword- a seal that keeps me in human form and it's breaking, so now I can see demons, because I'm one and I, and I…"
"I don't care"
"Wha-"
"Well, I do care, because you care, and I'll try to be supportive and you need to learn to ignore things that are invisible to everybody else… But Rin, it doesn't change shit. You are my friend Rin-kun, who is bad at math and brings me lunches to school and stays up late studying with me and hates people who is cruel to animals and cries to shoujo manga and…"
"Ok, ok, I get it. But my dad? And Yukio?"
"They love you. Father Fujimoto is worried about you, I'm sure they just wanted to protect you". Rin sips at his tea, not waiting to acknowledge that yet, Shizuka does the same.
"It's just a lot to take".
"I know. Uhmm I have secrets, too. I should tell you, you are trusting me this".
"It's about your creepy magic eyes?"
"Yep, in part".
"Can I see?"
Shizuka nods, blinks and her eyes are red and black. She tilts her head first to one side, then the other, looking at him carefully. Rin doesn't know if he is imagining things, but her gaze has a weight to it.
"Uhmm these eyes can see through illusion and you look the same Rin-kun as always", she says and takes a sip of tea, Rin feels suddenly relieved. He is still himself. She looks at him again, shyly this time, side-eyed and from under her lashes. He still feels pinned under her eyes. The little black marks around her pupil spin slowly one direction, then the other. It reminds him of how a bird pupil expands and contracts when it focuses its sight. "Like this, I will also remember forever everything I see. Could you give me a smile?"
Rin does.
Notes
- The nature of the club Shizuka works at is left to your imagination.
- Yukio was being stubborn about Shizuka defending herself because he can get blindsided on anything that concerns his brother in various terrible ways, that make him feel even more terrible about various things about himself afterwards.
- They are 15, so teenage pregnancies are a concern. I had a pregnant classmate when I started high school. Kids, if you are reading this be safe and take care of yourselves! If you have doubts it's for a reason, if you have questions you should ask them, if you need help you should ask for it, your information should not come from a single source, you are smart and have common sense, be discerning. Don't trust blindly stuff people tell you on the internet! Not even this, as you don't know me and I'm for sure not qualified to give any kind of advice to the youth!
- Unfortunately, even if I get to write that far, Kuro will be the only cat to appear and this fic will be severely lacking in cats, which I know are the only reason most people read Overwhelm, but do not worry Shizuka's 14 cats are well and happy somewhere, they miss Shizuka and Shizuka misses them, but they are otherwise ok. Shizuka is not ready to let another kitty into her life this soon, so the Coal Tar's name is Smokey Eyes and it has long since accepted that there is no escape.