Part I

Chapter 14

Minamo removed the wrapping paper from the small box, carefully tearing it open.

"So yeah, Happy Birthday, or whateveerrrrrr..."

She looked over beside her, Yukari slumping down in the passenger seat of her car, and then smiled. "Thanks, Yukari."

The woman grinned stupidly, her eyes barely able to keep themselves open as she took another swig from the bottle of whiskey she held, placing it back into her lap when she had her fill. "Ayup', kiddo'…yeah, sho', you like it, that thing…?"

Minamo chuckled at her, Yukari's mannerisms much more comical than usual, thanks to both her friend's current level of intoxication and the buzz that she herself had going. "I do, but…" She opened the box, taking the contents out. "You know I haven't got that new phone yet, right?"

Yukari scrutinized the item in Minamo's hand, a slick leather phone case that she had just presented as a gift to her a minute ago. "A'so' what?"

"Well…it might not fit the model that I get…"

"Ya' welcome, ya' welcome! Dun' ya' worry yo'self about it." Yukari leaned over and slapped her shoulder heartily. "It goes on da' phone, you understands'? Yeah, ya' didn't know dat', but dash' ok."

Minamo laughed, her friend sounding so completely out of it now, and then threw her gift upon the dashboard as she leaned back into her sat, her gaze now watching the night sky through the front window of her car.

That was fun…that was really fun, you guys.

Her laughter continued on, all of it coming out so easily thanks to the alcohol that she had consumed earlier, when she and Yukari had gone out with some of their old friends to celebrate her birthday today. The schedule for the occasion had been a fairly simple one, the group taking her to a few shops for some gifts first before they all headed towards a fancy bar, partying away the rest of the Saturday night in style afterward.

And while it had been a belated occasion for her, Minamo's actual birthday having been the day before, that hadn't taken anything away from the wonderful time she had experienced tonight. It was an incredible rarity for all of her friends to get together like they had just done, everyone busy with their own lives now, and so a special event like a birthday was one of the only instances in which that could actually happen.

I'm so glad that we all could go out today...that's the only real present I ever want, to just see you all...

The good times had come to their eventual end though, and after everyone had parted ways, she and Yukari had walked back to her apartment together, or rather, had staggered there. They both had done their fair share of drinking tonight, Yukari going overboard as she usually did, and now, in the middle of the night, found themselves resting lazily in the interior of Minamo's car.

"Yukari…I don't think I should drive you home right now. I-…I'm kind of out of it still. You can just spend the night here, ok?"

The woman shook her head. "Lady…we gonna' be fine, 'cause the horse, the horse dat' pulls dis' wagon…it knows the way home."

Minamo cracked up again, everything that Yukari was saying sounding so hilarious. "Where do you think you are? In some American movie?"

Yukari looked out the window, eying the surroundings outside. "I'm in da' place...where da' dreams are made."

"What dreams? What are you talking about?"

"Nyamo, it's too much for ya' ta' understand right nows'." She leaned over to her, pointing the bottle of liquor in her face. "Tomorrows' we ride...and we'll robs' dat' mornin' train, for the monies, you schee'? Then wesh' take it all, and gud'dammit', we gonna' schave' dat' orphanage and dose' ugly kids..."

Yukari was starting to buckle over now, her balance wavering, so Minamo gently rested her friend back into her own seat, the woman now closing her eyes as she fell into sleep.

Geez...you're too much.

She watched Yukari rest for a bit before looking back at the black phone case that she had received from her as a present tonight. Earlier in the week she had mentioned one of the possible gifts that she would be getting on the weekend, and so her friend seemed to have figured that a nice cover would make a great birthday gift along with it. Yukari always had trouble showing the generous side of herself though, so the woman appeared to have put off the presentation of her own gift until they were both alone, without the crowd of their friends around to mushy up the moment.

Or you just waited until you were drunk enough to not care about it...

Minamo smiled. Her friend was always so inexperienced when it came to sentimental occasions, and while the gift that she had gotten her was a bit of a premature one, that really didn't matter to her at all. The warm feelings that Yukari had shown towards her today were better than any material item out there, and she couldn't ask for a better way to end her birthday celebration than by having her closest friend sitting right there beside her for it.

I wish you could be with me tomorrow, too. I could really use you around…

She sighed. Even though her day had been nothing short of fantastic, in the very back of her mind all the while had been a small, nagging little voice, one that she hadn't been able to fully suppress for the entirety of the past week. It kept whispering to her of a coming encounter that she would soon have to engage in, one in which that she had been trying her best to ready herself for, but was still no where near as mentally prepared as she had hoped to have been.

Her head leaned back against the seat, Minamo staring at the roof of her car now. "Maybe I should say that I'm sick…"

"Wazzit'?"

She looked over at Yukari. The woman's eyes were still closed, but there was consciousness about her. "Oh…I thought you went to sleep."

"If I sleep, den' I can't..." Her friend put the bottle to her lips again, the liquid dripping out from the corners of her mouth.

"Quit it already. That's hard stuff for you." Her hand went to the drink, Minamo prying it away from the woman easily since Yukari's stupor had left her with no real grip. "You're gonna' puke in here."

Yukari turned her head towards her, eyes still shut. "Nyamo, das' not da' important issue here. You sound down now, ol' chum."

Minamo smiled, her friend's perception somehow not dulled from the booze. "Yeah…a little."

"Ish' my present, ain't it?" Yukari began to yell and weep at the same time. "Well I tried, lady! Man, I really did!"

"No, no, it's not that, Yukari." She patted her friend reassuringly. "It's just...something else that's been bothering me for a bit."

"Yeah?" The pouting instantly ceased. "What?"

"It's…I don't know how to really explain it. I'm just worrying about something."

"Well…" Yukari patted down the dashboard. "You jush' step intos' mah' office here, okidokies'? You tell ol' Doc' Tanizaki wash' wrong with your screwed up lifes'."

Minamo chuckled, taking no real offense from her friend's words as she considered them. Normally, the issue that was nibbling at her would be something that she would keep to herself, but the remaining traces of alcohol in her system were greasing her tongue. "…just let me think for a minute."

Yukari shrugged, her head leaning against the side window now as Minamo took her time.

"Ok...I have kind of a weird question for you, Yukari. Well, maybe not weird, just, personal."

"Lay it on mesh'."

"…do you have…anyone that you look up to?"

Her friend turned her head to her, brow furrowed. "Huh?"

"What I mean is…like...ah, I know. You know all those books and games of yours?"

"Sho', sho'."

"The characters in them, do you have a favorite one? Like...a favorite hero, or someone that you really admire?"

"Hmmmmmm..." Yukari's face contorted wildly, appearing to be spending an enormous amount of thought on the question. "Uhh…yeah…I guess. Like someone dat' I think is cools'?"

"Sort of. You know, like…maybe when you were younger, that you were kind of a fan of…like that you modeled yourself around…"

"Oh!" Yukari clapped her hands together. "Shit, yeah! I had lots of dem'…oh, damn, my favorite is dish' Valkyrie chick! Dash' like a bad ass angel I shoppose', in layman terms for yoush', Nyamo."

"That sounds cool. So, what do you like about her?"

"Well...esh' previously stated, shesh' totally bad ass. And shesh' smart as hell too, and she alwash' wins da' fights!" Her hands swung around, as if they were holding a sword. "Oh, and she damns' hots too!" She pointed a thumb at herself. "Jush' like me! In facts', I pretty much turned outs' jush' like hersh', now dat' I thinks' 'bout it."

Minamo held her tongue in check, not wanting to argue the obvious against her friend's claims, and just smiled at her warmly. "So you really like her, huh?"

"Dash' what I'm sayin', lady."

"Ok, well…imagine this for a second. Pretend that character was real, and when you got to meet them…" She sighed. "Maybe…maybe they don't end up really liking you in the same way?"

"Why da' hell wouldn't they? I'm aweshome'."

Minamo chuckled. "But…what if they didn't think that? Maybe that person that you really loved doesn't think much of you when they get to know you, or maybe just kind of looked down on you, like they were disappointed or something. How would that make you feel?"

Yukari frowned as she tried to digest the scenario, her face eventually becoming solemn. "Uh…damn. Guesh' I'd feel like shit."

"You'd feel pretty bad, right?"

"Yeah…'spose so."

Minamo smiled weakly. "So…would you still like them, then?"

"Like 'em?"

"Yeah. Like...even if you didn't get along, would they be your hero, still?"

Her friend folded her arms, lost in thought. "...you ask sum' tough questions, lady. Damn...to besh' honest, I dunno' what I'd does'."

Minamo leaned forward, her forehead resting against the driving wheel as she held it. "...it's not easy to figure out, is it?"

Yukari answered gravely. "Yeah, yeah, it ain't..."

"So...I don't know what to think of her either.."

"Wha'? 'bout who?"

She chuckled. "...it's nothing. I guess it was kind of a random thing to ask you anyways. Forget about it."

Yukari looked at her again, her red-rimmed eyes slightly opening to take her friend in, and then threw herself back in her seat as she closed them once more.

Silence came between them then, both women just quietly resting in their seats as the night continued on around them, the faint sounds of insects and cars in the distance permeating it here and there.

"Hey…Minamo."

She turned an eye towards Yukari, the woman's voice not sounding as slurred as it had a few minutes ago. "...yeah?"

"Ya' know...how yer' always telling me that crap, about how I haven't changed since high school or whatever?"

"Yeah...I guess."

Her friend didn't answer immediately, Yukari's breaths acting as an interlude until she did finally speak. "You're the one that hasn't changed."

Minamo just stared at the woman until her attention gradually shifted back towards the starry sky above the car.