Chapter 15
recap: Kyoko and Sayaka are heavily injured after fighting the greatest dragon on earth, Santa Clause, but their eighteen children have showed up as back-up against their wishes, armed with only coal and the power of family! Will they be placed on the naughty list? Will Homura finally give in and bear Madoka's child?
Sayaka practically floated home after school. She greeted a couple walking down the same street as her with a big grin on her face.
"Good morning, citizens!" Oblivious to their stares, she continued walking past them.
"That girl said 'good morning', but it's not morning…"
"She probably got laid."
'Better than that, my new friends!' Sayaka thought to herself, slinging her bag over her shoulder. Today… she had given Kyosuke a normal greeting. She was so proud of herself. He had walked by her and said "hello" and she had smiled and "hello"'d back! And it wasn't strained, or awkward, or constipated, or any other variety of weird variety of greetings that she had been giving him throughout the few weeks since he had rejected her! It was actual tangible evidence of her progress, and she couldn't help being excited.
Sayaka's smile widened as she stopped at a crosswalk. She felt as free as a bird! If she suddenly jumped up into the air right now she would freeze in place like the end of an eighties sitcom episode. At the thought, Sayaka shrugged and jumped into the air with a loud whoop that drew even more stares.
"I'm so happy~" she hummed to herself.
Just then, a car drove by, hitting a puddle that splashed Sayaka mid-jump. She seemingly stopped mid-motion, frozen in shock, at least in her mind. Then…
"~OHGODWHY!"
By the time her feet touched the ground, her mood was dampened. As well as her clothes. A stiff breeze blew directly into her, making her shiver and wrap her arms around herself. She grumbled as she started across the street.
"Stop it, universe! Stop trying to ruin my happines-!" A newspaper hit her directly in the face, making her stumble as the sheet seemed to mold itself to her face.
By the time she ripped the paper off her head, her eyes made contact with a small speeding bike barreling towards her, much too close. Sayaka tensed to dodge but the bike was already practically on top of her-
Sayaka was yanked off her feet by a strong tug from the back of her collar, pulling her just out of the swerving bike's path. Sayaka yelped in surprise and the bike corrected itself at the last moment. It sounded as if one of the two passengers was screaming.
Sayaka tripped a little over the curb of the sidewalk. She stared after the motor bike, breathing harshly from the shot of adrenalin, then whirled around to see who still had a hold on her collar.
"Are you alright?" Homura asked, releasing her grip on Sayaka's uniform.
Sayaka just stared at her for a moment before her eyes went wide.
"WHOOOOA!" Sayaka shouted breathlessly, making Homura jump. "Homura, you just… saved my life just now!" She exclaimed in disbelief. Homura blinked at the outburst, tilting her head.
"I doubt the impact would've killed you," she said with a measure of hesitance. Then she promptly turned into a cardboard cutout of herself when Sayaka pulled her into a bear hug, lifting her off the ground for a brief moment before releasing her.
"Wow, you're like a real life hero!" Sayaka laughed, patting Homura on the shoulders, almost sending the cardboard cut-out flying away before Homura managed to unstiffen her body and give Sayaka a weird look. "I was really lucky you happened to be there!"
"I suppose," Homura said uncomfortably, taking a step away from Sayaka. Sayaka was looking in the direction the bike went with an irritated look on her face.
"You could almost say that was... too lucky." Sayaka suddenly gave Homura a suspicious look. "That wasn't staged, was it?"
At the insinuation, whatever emotion on Homura's face seemed to melt away, her muted glare making Sayaka start sweating on the spot. She almost wished the motorbike would turn around and consider hitting her again
"What exactly do you take me for?" Homura said with a cross of her arms.
Sayaka examined a bush nearby that was suddenly extremely interesting. However her, pride didn't seem to want to back down just yet. "Well, maybe it was all part of a plan to get on my good side so that you can have my blessing to date Madoka!" She said in a joking manner. But when she glanced back at Homura the other girl had a considering hand on her chin. "Don't tell me I figured you out?!" Sayaka exclaimed with wide disbelieving eyes.
"Of course not, you fool," Homura replied, turning on her heel and striding away.
Sayaka resisted smacking herself in the forehead because of how she continued treating that darn transfer student, despite having her butt saved just now. She would have gone to town on her face if she didn't jog up to Homura quickly on the sidewalk. "Hey!" she signaled the dark haired girl. "Sorry! The suspicion is just hard to turn off sometimes." Homura didn't break her stride.
"Despite what you might think of me, I'm not merely a Madoka fanatic."
"So you admit you are-" Sayaka started with mirth, but a second dose of Homura's glare was enough to shut her up, checking to see if that bike had reconsidered running her over yet. She stuck by Homura's side, pulling her foot out of her mouth as Homura looked ahead as she walked.
"I said I was sorry," Sayaka grumbled under breath. Homura mumbled something about letting Sayaka get run over. Feathers ruffled, Sayaka opened her mouth to let loose another comment before snapping it shut. Through her teeth she took a deep breath, eyes looking skyward as if asking help from the silent floating blimp above them. The smiling white cat displayed on its skin offered no immediate answers. Still, Sayaka figured that since today was supposed to be a good day, she should try to be nice.
"So… Madoka," Sayaka ventured.
Homura was silent for a moment, though she couldn't seem to resist the name. "What about Madoka?"
"It's… uhhh... really hard to tell if she likes you back or not."
"Thus, my dilemma," replied the shorter girl. "It doesn't matter. As long as there's the slightest chance she does, I should try."
Sayaka wondered if she had given herself more of a chance without worrying about whether Kyosuke liked her or not if things would have turned or differently. Well, no use thinking about it or having regrets. She was rejected, and that was that.
"Well, Homura, you're in luck," Sayaka clapped Homura's shoulder. "You've caught me in a good mood! Or at least I was in a good mood until Mr. Magoo back there almost hit me," Sayaka grumbled. "But since you helped me out with that...I guess I can help you too."
A single inquisitive brow shot up. "How do you mean?"
Sayaka shrugged. "Well I uh… I could put a good word in for you to Madoka. Or I could set something up for your confession! Speaking of confessions, how do you plan on doing that?"
Homura went quiet with a look on her face that Sayaka could only describe as Batman-esque.
"You mean you don't know?!" Sayaka said in surprise.
"I just want to wait for the right moment," Homura settled for saying. "Unlike your confession in front of everyone."
Sayaka cringed at that. "You make a good point. Then I guess I could help you with finding the right moment?" she suggested, ideas forming in her head already. She was a sucker for romantic endeavors, and her mind was already conjuring Homura holding up a giant boombox twice her size over her head, playing classic rock outside of Madoka's window to declare her love.
"Why the change of heart?" Homura's inquiry pulled Sayaka out of her unlikely scenario.
"Hm." Sayaka rubbed the back of her head in thought. "I guess... look, this is really just up to Madoka. If you two like each other...then who am I to stand in your way?" Sayaka said as she walked, blue eyes looking ahead of her wistfully as Homura watched her. "So you have my blessing to ask her out. Whether Madoka says yes or not is entirely up to her. I… trust her." Sayaka smiled to herself as she thought of her friend. She really has been a little overprotective when it comes to her, hasn't she? If Madoka insisted Homura was okay, then… Sayaka could probably assume that she was right.
Probably. Hey, she couldn't help still being a little overprotective, right?
"So if you hurt her, you're mine!" Sayaka turned to the other girl and pointed at her chest. "You're mine to do… things… with! In a uh, regular way, not in a weird way or anything! I just mean that I'll fight you!"
"I know what you mean," Homura deadpanned, paying no mind to that clumsy threat. Homura wondered about this change of heart. But she ought to take what she could get, and frankly, Homura appreciated the support. "Thank you."
Sayaka chuckled and shared a supportive grin. "Not a problem."
"If I had known it would be that simple, I would have sent ten cars after you."
"That didn't factor into my decision that much! And please don't!"
"That was a joke."
"Hilarious." Sayaka hoped Madoka knew what was going to get herself into. "So, as for your confession…"
"While I appreciate the offer for help, I think I'll pass-" Homura started carefully just as Sayaka's blues lit up. Homura was skeptical about receiving the other girl's romantic help when she was, by evidence, a romantic failure herself.
"Oh, I got just the thing!" Sayaka clapped her hands together just as an idea popped into her head. Homura muttered an "oh no" as Sayaka took out her phone. "Gimme your number! I'm going to send you so many ideas!"
Homura slowly took out her phone, barely holding it out in front of her before Sayaka eagerly booped their phones together, transferring her contact data. Homura had so much regret. She voiced as much.
"Well whatever, just thanks again," Sayaka said with a sigh. "I have to get going. Kyoko has a thing today!" Sayaka sounded very proud.
Homura was giving her a look she couldn't quite decipher. "And I'm sure you're quite eager to attend to Kyoko's… thing."
"Oh, I am!" Sayaka said while rubbing her palms together
'Kyoko works fast,' Homura thought with admiration and respect.
.-.-.
It wasn't often Mami discovered something new about herself. It was just frustrating that the thing she learned today was that she'd have to add "bikes" to the list of vehicles she could not handle. Also, she was pretty sure she was learning what a heart attack felt like.
The motorbike she was riding revved under her like an old pissed off cat as she felt it suddenly swerve. Several displeasured honks sounded around her but she kept her eyes firmly shut and concentrated on simply hanging on and trying not to die. Finally, she felt the bike slow down and stop.
"Tomoe, we're here!"
The blonde had to mentally prepare herself to breathe in and then breathe out again, the thunderous pounding in her head softening enough that she realized she was squeezing the person who drove her here way too hard.
"TOMOE!"
The overly loud voice jump started Mami's brain. "What?!"
"My ribs, I literally hold those dear to my heart!"
"Sorry." Mami quickly released her ride here and climbed off the back of the bike as quickly as possible. She removed her helmet and desperately sucked in air into her lungs. Her eyes landed on her destination, the tall and pristine building of Rebirth Pharmaceuticals. It was good to be alive.
Taking a moment to compose herself, Mami ran a shaking hand over her curls, feeling slightly less frazzled by the trip. She offered the helmet back into the hand of her fellow classmate.
"Do me a favor and try not to kill anyone with your bike."
"Whatever, but remind me to never give you a ride again," the softball captain grumbled as she took her helmet back gingerly, mildly glaring at the blonde. She touched her sides as if in pain.
"Trust me, I will never ask again," Mami said with an airy laugh as her nerves calmed down. "I apologize, I'm not very good with vehicles. But as I explained earlier, I'm running a little late." Mami looked behind her at the tall building where her appointment would be taking place. "Thank you again."
"I owed you one," Jun said simply, bike wheezing noisily beneath her. "What is this anyway, a job? Don't you have enough crap to deal with?"
"It's not quite a job, and I like to keep myself busy," Mami explained as briefly and honestly as possible.
"There's busy, and then there's you, Tomoe." The girl revved up the bike to pull away. "Anyway, I gotta go pick up my sister."
Mami's eyes widened in alarm. "Driving that thing?"
"She's seven, the helmet covers most of her head so it's even safer for her," Jun reasoned.
"I'm pretty sure that's not how it works."
"Bye!"
She drove away as Mami opened her mouth to say more, choking on the cloud of smoke from the exhaust. "I'm very concerned for that child." Mami did her best to pat herself down and cough the smoke out of her lungs whilst erasing that experience from her mind.
Head clear, she jogged towards the building, a smile gracing her face. She briskly entered the expansive lobby, flashed a pass at the desk who greeted her warmly, and headed for the elevators. She adjusted her shoes within the circular glass lift and check her reflection in the seconds she had before she reached her floor.
When the doors parted she burst forth in the most dignified manner possible and made her way down the bustling hallway. By the time she made it to the office at the end of the long hall, the stylized clock on the wall displayed that she made it with a whole three seconds to spare.
"Barely made it on time, as usual, Ms. Tomoe," Oriko drawled from her seat at a desk in front of the office. "I'm starting to think you just have a fondness for dramatic entrances."
"Or timeliness," Mami quipped smoothly, as if she hadn't been in a rush to get here.
"We have very different definitions of timeliness, you and I," Oriko said, straightening some papers on her desk.
"I agree, considering you seem to get here and get everything done before I even think of them," Mami observed, walking up to Oriko's desk with a disapproving frown. The bin on the corner of the desk, usually reserved for Mami to file all the papers within, was completely empty. "Must you do that?"
"Sorry," Oriko said with a smile that wasn't apologetic. "But you're going to be keeping your hands full for the day, even without paperwork."
Mami blinked and tilted her head. "Oh? You're going to let me take on more responsibility? That's unusual."
"Not entirely. Though I do want to keep my hands free of this one matter."
Mami raised her brows curiously. "And that would be?"
"New intern," Oriko answered with a long suffering sigh. Mami immediately brightened upon hearing those words. She thought it was going to be some horrendous task, but a new intern sounded promising, even exciting!
"I don't know what Ms. Kaname is thinking with this one. Digging up the paperwork for this new girl alone was a nightmare."
Mami blinked in curiosity. It wasn't often Oriko had difficulty with something concerning paperwork. "Why is that?"
Oriko's eyes were focused on several sheaves of papers on her desk, tucking some hair behind an ear. "Well, her identity wasn't hard to find, considering her infamous family history. It has been the most recent years that have given me trouble. The paper trail just didn't seem to exist." The volume of Oriko's sustained voice trailed off slightly, as if she forgot she was speaking to Mami and settled for speaking out loud to herself, a more appropriate audience.
"According to documents, this Sakura whoever is supposed to be housed with her mother in Kazamino. But she hasn't attended school recently and she hasn't been reported missing. Probably has to do with an incident with her father." She dropped the stack of papers onto her desk, removing her glasses. "Well, good news about such documents not existing is that we can forge our own. It wasn't too hard. Still, this is a company, not a charity. What could she possibly have to offer us?"
"Maybe there wouldn't be a vacant spot on the intern team if it wasn't for your crazy ex."
"I told you never to mention that again!"
Mami's smile slipped briefly from her face when her golden eyes caught on the paper atop the desk. A copy of a newspaper article. Mami's eyes were immediately drawn to the headline, her eyes widening a fraction in recognition.
"What is it?" Oriko asked, noticing Mami's wandering eyes despite her small ramble.
"Nothing. Just… I didn't catch her name?" Mami tore her eyes away from the paper, swallowing.
Oriko looked down at her files once more. "Kyoko Sakura," she read, glancing up in time to catch Mami's quiet intake of breath. "Know her?"
Mami took a discreet breath, her face bright the very next moment. "No, no. Not really. Would you like some tea? If you had warned me we'd have new company, I would've prepared something ahead of time."
"You do that." Oriko eyed her contemptuously as she walked away.
Mami left the scene quickly, her mind reeling. Suddenly, she wasn't nearly as excited to have a new intern as she was just a few moments ago.
.~.~.
Kyoko was starting to feel sick. "I've made a huge mistake," she muttered to herself.
The full realization of what she had gotten herself into was starting to sink in and… She didn't want to use the term "chickening out," but...
Kyoko resisted the urge to punch herself in the face. There was no way in hell she would back out now. But she couldn't help the uncomfortable feeling settling in her gut. This… step for her, this decision to go through with the internship was so vastly and fundamentally different from the way she's brought herself up. It was going to be a change in her very lifestyle. In a way, she was consciously making the decision to tie herself down. That thought was frankly terrifying.
She had a hard time sleeping this past week, constantly restless, like a dog tempted to bolt out the door the first chance it cracked open. But like an invisible leash, Sayaka's promise to help her through this kept her here.
Kyoko sneered. A small part of herself was disgusted by her decision, but she beat that part of herself down. She wasn't fucking happy with the way she'd lead her life up until now. She'd be a fucking idiot if she dropped this chance. Say what you will about her, she's not an idiot. She recognized the opportunity and she was going to take it and do what she did best- she was going to steal the damn opportunity and run with it before anyone realized what was going on. When she was done with that place, that fucker Ryu or anyone would never dare call her a "nobody." And she was going to do it before her legs changed their mind and before her nerves dissolved what was left of her guts, by god. That was her resolve.
"I'm home!" Sayaka announced as she floated through the door. "Are you ready to change your life forever?"
Sayaka heard a clatter and a window being thrown open, making her instinctively charge towards the noise. She came upon Kyoko with one leg thrown over the window ledge, giving her a panicked look when Sayaka charged right at her, eyes ablaze like a bull that just saw red.
"KYOKOOOOOO!"
Sayaka looked as if she was ready to tackle Kyoko right out the window and send them plummeting to their deaths several stories below, so Kyoko hastily brought her leg back inside before the idiot got them killed trying to rescue her. She shoved the window close and tried to get away, but Sayaka was too close, tackling the other girl to the ground, demolishing her target instantly.
"Not even death will get you out of this! What were you thinking?" Sayaka demanded a flattened Kyoko. The redhead groaned from the ground.
"I was just getting some fresh air, you dumbass!" she snapped, annoyed at herself. Getting caught trying to escape was not cool.
"If you wanted fresh air, you should've said something! I'll take you out for walks!"
"I-I-I'm not your damn pet!"
"Whatever, just get up!" She started to walk off to her room. "We gotta hurry and get you ready for the thing!" As Sayaka left, Kyoko peeled herself off the floor, grumbling about not getting an apology for nearly killing her. She followed sullenly after Sayaka, wondering what Sayaka had in mind. She knew for a fact that Sayaka had prepared something for her to wear ahead of time, judging from the way Sayaka's kept her closet hidden. Might as well have slapped a bow on it, from all of Sayaka's obvious giggling-behind-her-hand secret keeping. Kyoko entered the room, prepared to be not dazzled one bit.
"Ta-da!" Sayaka emerged from the closet, an outfit in her arms and a big grin on her face. She held it out to Kyoko, high expectations practically glowing from her eyeballs. Kyoko reluctantly took the outfit into her arms.
"This should suit you. Get it? Suits," Sayaka made finger guns at Kyoko and winked.
"I should have you arrested for that," Kyoko said as she cocked an imaginary shotgun at the other girl. "Back away so I can change, Sayaka."
Sayaka obliged and backed up with her hands up, finger guns pointed towards the ceiling to give Kyoko some privacy. While she waited outside, she paced to herself in worry, like a mother hoping her child's first school uniform wasn't too big. "How is it?" she asked through the door impatiently.
"Your bed could be more comfortable," Kyoko commented.
"Kyoko! You're not on my bed naked, are you?"
"Damn right I am."
Sayaka almost charged into the room in anger before she checked herself. "Clothes! Now!"
"Fine!"
It took another couple of minutes of yelling through the door before Kyoko eventually emerged, blushing self-consciously. "Well?"
Sayaka stepped back to admire the attire, putting her hand on her chin and making a thorough inspection with her eyes. She had gotten Kyoko to wear a white dress shirt with a snug black blazer over it with matching black slacks. Kyoko left the top three buttons open, and Sayaka stepped forward to button them back up.
Kyoko managed to keep her face straight when this happened, having grown somewhat used to Sayaka's disregard for boundaries by now. Her heart still acted up though, beating rapidly against her chest as if she needed reminding of her crush.
"I knew it would suit you," Sayaka grinned, and Kyoko groaned at the terrible pun.
"Can we go now? I wanna get this day over with," Kyoko said, reaching up to undo at least the top button so that she wasn't suffocating in the high-collared shirt.
"Nervous?" Sayaka said in a teasing voice that made Kyoko automatically scoff in denial.
"As if, I'm going to ace this thing," she said. "I'm going to kill it in there. Absolutely obliterate it." She grimaced at the last line.
"Hmm," Sayaka walked around Kyoko once, eyebrows drawn in thought. "I feel like something's missing."
"A jetpack? Pimp cane?" Kyoko guessed, not liking being under such close scrutinization. An idea seemed to occur to Sayaka as she snapped her fingers and grinned widely.
"I got just the thing."
"Oh boy," Kyoko said in false excitement as Sayaka darted into her room, making a loud ruckus as she looked for something. "Better be a pimp cane!"
"Even better!" Sayaka responds as she comes out of the room while ripping a package apart with her hands. And in her hands is an untouched box of…
"Make-up?" Kyoko said aloud with something between a horrified whine and a question.
Sayaka smiled brightly, throwing the plastic aside. "Yup!"
"Do you even know how to use that stuff?"
"Nope!"
"Yeah, that sounds like a bad idea," Kyoko said with obvious reluctance.
"How hard can it be?" she said even as she wondered why the tubes and pencils and cylinders weren't labeled. Sayaka made a dismissing sound and herded Kyoko to the nearest seat like an overeager sheepdog, and Kyoko the protesting and muttering sheep that was liable to kick. Kyoko was pushed into the chair, unhappy about being fussed over.
"This looks like it's probably for your face," Sayaka muttered as she opened one of the packages.
"Oh Jesus."
Sayaka experimented on Kyoko for quite a while, not being able to help keep her hands off this new canvas.
"You're going to make me late on my first day," Kyoko complained after a while. You'd think Sayaka was trying to replicate the Mona Lisa on her cheek bones.
"Hang on," Sayaka's concentrated face was weirdly intense. "Just one more thing…" She was so focused she unconsciously started climbing into Kyoko's lap to get closer.
Kyoko jumped in place, the blush on her cheeks much more prevalent now. "O-oi!"
"My legs are tired! And I get a better angle this way!" Sayaka reasoned, kneeling with her knees on either side of Kyoko. "Close your eyes," she asked, placing a hand under Kyoko's chin to tilt her head up.
Kyoko glared up at her before complying, focusing on trying to calm down her heartbeat before Sayaka noticed. Was she too busy to realize that this position was incredibly embarrassing? How dense could she be? Then again, they'd bathed naked together, so this would be tame in comparison.
Yeah, tell that to her raging lady boner.
Sayaka was putting something on her eyes, tempting her to twitch them open. She tried to focus on other things. Like peanut butter and jelly residing in one jar. Or that weird TV game show with the chocolate furniture? Definitely not how Sayaka was close enough to breath onto her cheek. And it smelled like she had eaten a roast beef sandwich for lunch.
God, how Kyoko loved roast beef sandwiches.
"Annnnd, we're done!" Sayaka announced, which prompted Kyoko to make a sound like a walrus that had been holding its breath all winter.
"Oh thank God!"
Sayaka narrowed her eyes in offense, grumbling. "Couldn't have been that bad."
"Trust me, the experience was harder than you can imagine," Kyoko reassured with a smirk. "Now get offa me. Should I be scared?"
Sayaka rolled her eyes and got back on her feet, Kyoko following her. Kyoko asked as her hand reached up to feel her face. Sayaka smacked the hand away.
"Of course not! Sayaka the Great masters everything she tries."
"Lies," Kyouko sang sarcastically, prompting Sayaka to shove her in the direction of the nearest mirror.
"Behold my skills!" Sayaka gestured dramatically at the mirror, jazz hands doing maximum jazzing. Her eyes were twinkling too much for Kyoko's liking, who eyed her suspiciously and stepped towards the mirror with the greatest reluctance.
Sayaka stepped back, biting her lips to keep from laughing out loud as Kyoko's face went from wary curiosity to absolutely stunned.
"Oh my god," Kyoko said, eyes widening.
"I know. Leaves you speechless, right?" Sayaka held back a chortle to the best of her ability, which wasn't very good at all.
"You fucking little-" Kyoko grabbed the sides of the mirror, gaping. "I look like a glamorous raccoon!"
Sayaka couldn't hold back her laughter any longer. Her laughter spurted out from between her lips with great force, bringing tears to her eyes even with Kyoko glaring fiercely at her. It hadn't taken long to figure out she wasn't good at makeup, (especially when she realized she had been using the lipstick for eyeshadow) so she had taken advantage of a weirdly demure and flustered Kyoko to transform her into the mentioned "glamorous raccoon." She was doubled over laughing as Kyoko grabbed the nearest rag and furiously tried to wipe her face off.
"I'm gonna kill you!" Kyoko complained. "I'm never trusting you again!"
"I'M- AHAHA- I'M SORRYYYAAA" Sayaka guffawed.
"NO YOU'RE NOT!"
A few minutes later, after Kyoko exacted her revenge by scribbling "IDIOT" across Sayaka's forehead in lipstick, the pair were finally exiting the apartment building.
"You're gonna make me late for my first day!" Kyoko waited impatiently for the doors to slide open in what seemed like slow motion.
"You'll be fine! Maybe! How far was it again?" Sayaka jogged to catch up to her, busy trying to wipe the lipstick off her forehead with the sleeve of her sweater. Kyoko growled at her in response, launching herself out the doors when they opened up fully. "Hey! Those are my good shoes!" Sayaka yelled, taking off after her.
"Shoulda thought of that before you tried to make me look like a clown!"
"It was a good look on you, admit it!"
"I am going to beat you with a live turkey, Sayaka!" Kyoko threatened as attempted to outrun the blue haired girl, but she was as stubborn as ever. "Why're you even coming?"
"I want to see you through this!" Sayaka yelled from somewhere behind her. Kyoko nearly tripped at the sappy response.
"You just want to avoid your English homework!" Kyoko accused.
"Sh-shut up! It's hard!"
"'Sayaka is very foolish,' eh?" Kyoko said in mock English.
"I don't know what you said, but I don't like it!"
Somewhere along the way their running turned into a competitive race, the two girls hollering down the street until they reached the gleaming glass tower that was Rebirth Pharmaceuticals. Sayaka's knees wobbled, her legs having gone numb from the running. Sweat ran down her face like a river, making the lipstick on her face run down like blood. She had lost all of her breath. Kyoko was already there, panting but holding her hands up in victory.
"WOO! I slaughtered you, Sayaka!" Kyoko announced much to the horror of anyone standing around. Sayaka promptly collapsed to her knees with a dying wheeze. Someone screamed.
.-.-.
"She's late," Oriko noted in a bored tone that also sounded satisfied to Mami's ears. "I give her a day."
Mami anxiously peered up from her tablet screen at the clock. She didn't know if she should feel relieved or worried.
"Also, apparently someone died outside or something," Oriko announced wistfully as she linked Mami's tablet with live footage of security taking someone down outside the lobby. "At least that's somewhat amusing."
"Oh dear Lord," said Mami as she started towards the elevators.
.-.-.
Kyoko was seething as she walked out of the security office.
"Hey, everything turned out okay! I'm sure Madoka's mom will understand that I only looked like I died!" Sayaka tried to reassure the redhead as the other girl stomped her way through the lobby, scaring away other employees. Sayaka skipped toward Kyouko's front, trying to slow her down. "If you want, I'll come up with you and explain that it was my fault that you're late!"
That got Kyoko to stop short. "No!"
Sayaka looked hurt at the outburst, and Kyoko quickly calmed down, muttering, "No, I can't keep relying on you. You've been enough help." At Sayaka's dubious look trying to determine if Kyoko was being sarcastic, Kyoko quickly explained. "Seriously! You haven't given me time to feel nervous. So whatever, thanks." She sheepishly scratched at the back of her head, looking off towards the side.
"Erm?" Sayaka tilted her head to the side in confusion, but it did appear Kyoko was doing her best to at least sound sincere, so Sayaka decided to let her off the hook. She stepped forward and started straightening out Kyoko's clothes, making the other girl stiffen at her touch. She really hoped Kyouko would get used to her soon! "Knock 'em out!" Sayaka said with a grin. "Well, not literally, you know that, right?"
Kyoko rolled her eyes, smirk pulling at her lips. "Get outta here."
Not letting Kyoko have her cool moment, Sayaka tugged her in for a random tight hug that made Kyoko make a rather adorable sound of indignance. "I'm so proud of my new wife!" Sayaka boasted.
"Gah, you're gonna get your sweat on me!" Kyoko said while not actually pushing the other girl off. Sayaka took that as a good sign. She let go after she had her fill of encouraging hugs, finding Kyoko red in the face as she let go. It made Sayaka puff her chest in pride that she could make Kyoko feel embarrassed.
Kyoko uttered a sheepish 'see ya' before making her way past the front desk where only employees could go.
Sayaka contemplated following and spying on her, but that wasn't part of her skillset. And she probably should get started on her English homework. Kyoko was surprisingly good at English, and had been helping her study.
Sayaka was starting to wonder what else Kyoko could be good at when a voice that had previously been part of the crowd made her tense with familiarity.
"-Seriously, you can't treat them like they got any brains for sure, treat 'em like the dumbass bitches they are! My hoe so dumb, she freaking loves it like that! I just tell I'll bust her shit, and she shuts right up!"
A pair of men walking through the lobby share a hearty chuckle and Sayaka could feel her blood running cold. They walked past her and she got a good look at exactly the kind of person who would say such vile things.
She knew that guy!
The guy who had been tormenting Kyoko the first time they met! What did Kyoko call him? Ryu?
He made his way passed the front desk, making Sayaka's eyes widen and her heartbeat spike. He worked here?
"Yeah, you let up for a second and they wanna get married. You can't be soft, man! I'm like, you think a shit-for-brains hoe like you is gonna make as much in ten years? That body ain't gonna last forever, y' know. And then you dump 'em, and they get all whiny! You know who's good at dumping hoes? Sho, man, that motherfucker-"
"Hey, you!" Sayaka's bold shout interrupted him, prompting the tall man to turn around and eye Sayaka. "I wanna know about that girl you were talking about just now. Tell me more about her."
"Who the hell?" the other guy muttered in annoyance.
Sayaka's fists were clenched and slick from the adrenalin kicking in, telling her to run, telling her she was being stupid. "Your girlfriend, I bet she loves you tries really hard to make you happy, doesn't she? I bet you know she does. And instead of saying thank you, you walk around calling her a bitch then dump her when she gets old." She really hoped Kyoko was on a completely different floor by now; she had no way of contacting her to warn her about this guy. The guy Kyoko had pulled a gun on when he threatened her. He was dangerous, and dammit the only thing she could think of to do was confront the bastard and possibly delay him.
"You know this kid?" the other guy asked Ryu, who was scrutinizing Sayaka, obviously trying to place her face.
Part of Sayaka hoped he wouldn't remember her... another alien part of her did. That part of her seized control of her mind, fiercely traveling through her body with hideous aggression that made her take a step toward them. It made her fingers itch, and submitted a thought into her mind that if she had the opportunity to erase his existence from the world, she would. Ryu took a step back in response, a chill going up his spine at the look she was giving him.
"Hey, are you even worth protecting? What has this company been fighting for all this time? Answer me. Right now. C'mon, tell me. Or else-"
A hand seized her arm, startling her out of her strange trance. "Alright kid, time to cool off," the security guard said as he tugged her away. She resisted as he tugged her harder, marching her towards the exits. She looked back, frantically searching for Ryu when she caught him, looking straight at her. A sly smile of recognition slithered across his face, making her heart sink as she lost sight of him.
