Before reading this chapter - if you haven't done so in the past month - please return to chapter 1 and start all over again. Chapter 1 has been completely rewritten, and several other chapters have had significant rewrites and character overhauls. I'd like to thank nuttyjigs who's insightful review inspired me to fix this a little and finally finish this chapter - I tried to fix most of the issues there along the way, but I may have missed one or two of them. Hopefully the work on it has brought it up to par.
"Before criticizing someone you should try walking a mile in their shoes. This way, when you do criticise them, you'll be a mile away and have their shoes."
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.
Someone Else's Shoes – Flight of the Concordes
"How can you hate the devil . . . when he looks like such an angel . . ."
Rika's eyelids fluttered lightly as she stirred from her sleep. She sighed, completely disillusioned by the fact that once again she had woken up in this twisted reality and in a bed that wasn't truly her own.
"Stupid, English mansion," she had muttered angrily to herself last night as she struggled to find her own bedroom in the way-too-big-for-it's-own-good mansion that according to Rinny, belonged to her.
She missed her friends. She missed her home. She missed everything special to the reality she had left behind. It just wasn't the same, and there was no getting used to that.
Her phone rang, forcing her to accept this world and everything about it. 'Probably Rinny,' she thought to herself as she reached over to answer, 'given that everyone else around me seems to pretty much hate my guts.' What a sad fate she encountered that the only person who cared about her other than those she paid to do so, was Ryo Akiyama.
"Good morning, Rika," Rinny said cheerfully, which made Rika scowl. Rika was not herself a morning person and therefore got highly antagonised by anybody that was.
"I've asked the staff to put out a set of clothes for you and pack your bags," Rinny continued, explaining everything with a cheerful and very awake attitude. "And there'll be a dress waiting for you in your hotel room when you get there for the launch party."
"Ok," Rika replied tiredly. "Remind me again exactly what it is that we're launching?" she asked.
"The new season premiering in China," she told her. "They're the shows second biggest market so the produces like to make a big deal of things for them so as to appease the fans. They're about four weeks behind Japan, so everyone there has probably already seen it from YouTube anyway, but you guys are promoting it irrespective.
"I've sent everything to your blackberry, which is in your hand luggage so you should stay up to date," she finished. "Is there anything else you need to know?"
"Aren't you coming?" Rika asked after a moments thought. This did seem like an awful lot of effort if Rinny was going to be with her pretty much the whole time.
She could almost feel Rinny blushing through the phone. "I . . . um . . . can't really fly in my condition," Rinny explained vaguely. "You'll have an assistant waiting for you in Hong Kong, but she'll only be dealing with the organizational side of things."
"Ok," Rika replied again. A dirty and ironic thought occurred to her about Renamon and Terrimon being at it like bunnies, but she kept it to herself sensing that somehow Rinny would not appreciate it. "Is there anything else you think I should know?"
Rinny paused for a moment to consider this before answering. "Just be careful of Henry," Rinny relied, her voice quiet and thoughtful. "Just don't let him too close, ok? He's not what you think he is."
"I know," Rika told her with a sad sigh. "He's nothing like the Henry I knew and I guess that's my own fault."
Rinny sighed softly in response. "Have a nice trip, Rika. I'll see you in about a week."
The outfit laid out for her was nothing like Rika would normally choose for herself. That's not to say that it wasn't nice, but it just wasn't very her. A pinstriped pencil skirt, a pair of nylon stockings with dark seams, a pair of black pumps and a cream cowl-necked jersey were laid out for her approval.
But it wasn't really meant to be 'her', it was meant to be whatever Rika she was supposed to be here.
As far as she could tell, this 'Rika' wasn't very nice. She had a lot of acquaintances, but not many friends, which Rika didn't think was to different from herself, but she noticed that the relationships she was supposed to class as friends were so much shallower than her own and so different.
In real life Henry had been a friend above all others. He was the one person she could tell absolutely anything to without fear of judgment. He was the one person who understood her, bar Renamon.
She dressed quickly and made her way downstairs where a breakfast was waiting for her. She tried not to grimace at the items laid on the table – dry whole meal toast, a sliced apple, and a glass of spirulina. Apparently she was on some sort of health kick, which seemed at odds with party lifestyle that her wardrobe and liquor cabinet suggested.
With breakfast begrudgingly consumed, Rika was on her way out of the door. She made note to buy something edible at the earliest opportunity. Trying her best not to alarm the driver, she sullenly asked him to pull over at the first fast-food joint he spotted and treated the both of them to fat-filled breakfast.
At the airport, she was herded onto a private jet. She suddenly realized why Jeri liked being on 'Written in the Stars' so much. Even her mother, who was a top model in Asia, hadn't been afforded her own private jet. This was certainly an aspect that she could stand getting used to.
She happily spread herself over two seats, humming along to the song to the music coming from her mp3 player as she awaited takeoff. Deep in her own little world, she didn't even notice when she was joined by another passenger.
He snorted loudly to get her attention.
Rika sat up suddenly, surprised to meet the slate coloured eyes of the other Henry. Her mouth opened and closed like a guppy as she searched for words, but Henry just rolled his eyes as he sat himself opposite her.
"Unless it's something even remotely intelligent, don't even bother," he told her flippantly as he carefully stowed his hand luggage under the seat.
Rika averted her eyes and tried to get back to her previous activity. Suddenly all the fun was sucked out of being on a private jet.
"You seem chipper," he suggested sardonically. "Someone help you remove the stick from up your ass?"
She sneered at him in response, her lips curling back in anger. "You seem bitter," she responded, mimicking his tone. "Couldn't find anyone desperate enough to sleep with you, I take it?"
"Touché," he responded with a look of interest. "Now there's the Rika we all know and love. How on earth did I go without that sharp wit of yours for so long?"
She rolled her eyes in response, turning her music up louder to try and drown him out. It didn't work, because even though all she could hear was the sound of her own eardrums bursting, she could still sense his presence and it seemed to annoy her beyond reason.
"Why do you have to sit here?" she complained, pulling out one of her ear buds in order to hear his response, but not reducing the volume of her music. "There are several other seats you know, all of them unoccupied."
"What are you listening to?" he asked, ignoring her question.
Rika blushed brightly. "N-nothing," she stuttered, forcing the bud roughly back into her ear and turning to face the window. She could still feel his eyes on her, which made her blush deepen. She had taken the time to load the mp3 player with all of Henry's favourites – Chopin, Bach, and Mozart – and having Henry know that – even if he wasn't the real Henry – made her feel incredibly self-conscious.
Henry continued to watch her curiously, carefully evaluating her every move. Something was different about her. Something about her wasn't quite what he remembered.
He had no idea what was going on, but he intended to find out.
But first . . .
First he needed to make a phone call.
"What do you mean the studio only booked one room?!" Rika exclaimed loudly at the concierge who gave her best apologetic smile.
"We really are sorry, Miss. Nonaka," she answered. "There was obviously some confusion when the booking was made and instead of booking you two separate rooms, you were put in the same room but with two beds. We are sincerely sorry about this, Miss. Nonaka and Mr. Wong," she added, glancing appreciatively at Henry who was wearing his most understanding look and a charming smile, "but there is really nothing we can do about this. We're fully booked due to your upcoming appearance."
"Just peachy," Rika muttered. "Do you know the numbers for any of the nearby hotels?"
The concierge looked surprised by the question and glanced briefly at Henry. "Uh . . . sure. I'll just . . ."
"Rika, you know we can't do that," Henry cut it, frowning at her as he spoke. "The studio has a sponsorship deal with Crown. It would be a breach of contract for either of us to spend the night any where else."
"And you don't think it's a breach for them to stuff up our booking like this?!" she cried in response, narrowing her eyes.
"It's inconvenient, but it's not a breach," he responded calmly. "I'm sure we can stand each other's company for one night."
Rika nodded, her heart unexpectedly fluttering. The quiet patience he was showing her was so like the real Henry, her heart was almost fooled into thinking it was really him.
But it wasn't, and she resolutely reminded her self of that fact, admonishing her heart for being fooled by this cheap imitation.
"Come on, Ri-Ri," he continued sympathetically, urging her onwards, "with all the promo work the studio has us doing we'll hardly notice at all."
"I told you not to call me that," Rika replied automatically, stomping her foot childishly as she would with the true Henry.
This Henry just smiled at her, his face contorting into a look that was completely unfamiliar to Rika. If she had to name it, she would call the look triumph, and yet it seemed something more sinister than that. It looked alien upon Henry's docile features.
But it passed quickly, hidden by a mask of flirtation. He moved closer, allowing Rika to breathe in his familiar scent. Everything was the same: same build, same height, same eyes, same voice, same scent. It was only his personality that had been turned upside down.
"What shall I call you then, mei mei?" he asked sultrily.
"That's fine," she waved off nonchalantly. "I don't mind being your little sister, especially seeing as she is the only person you seem to treat with any sort of decency.
"Ouch, mei mei, you slay me," he complained laughingly. "But that's 'mei mei'," he said changing the inflection in his voice. "Mei mei," he said, changing to his original tone, "means beautiful. Or rather, beautiful girl," he finished smoothly, holding out his hand to Rika in a gallant gesture.
Rika gasped, her mouth falling open. It was the same name that Henry had bestowed upon her merely days ago. It floated through her mind, and she desperately tried to recall the exact tone he had used.
She shrugged it off quickly, however, reminding her self of Rinny's warning. This was not the same Henry, and something inside told her that it wasn't safe to forget herself about him.
"Whatever," she snarled at him. "Let's just go already. I have to start getting ready."
"As you wish, mei mei," he agreed following behind her. That same triumphant smiled graced his lips as he sent one last wink at the concierge.
Things were definitely getting interesting.
~ to be continued ~
Hope you all enjoyed that, and sorry for leaving it hanging so long. I'm working up a clearer picture of where I want this to go, aided of course by my cementing the characters a bit more. Let me know what you think.
Notes:
This chapter is practically full to the brim with foreshadowing, and I fear any explanation will take away my joys of dramatic irony.
Next chapter: Proverbial