A/N: Yay, new post! Not much to say in the author's note this time.
Special thanks to Welthund and Kenshin-sama for geting my butt in gear.
Oh, there is actually Japanese in the chapter. For anyone who reads/writes Japanese, any mistakes are the before mentioned Kenshin's fault. He was my reference.
Same disclaimers! Thanks to all reviewers and readers!
On with the show!
How to be Human
Lesson Twenty: How to Dance (Part One)
[In which the first chapter of Anima's story is published, Freya's plan is set into motion as Shera convinces Zel to go to the dance, Turk Break starts, River meets the tenets at the Valentine Manor, and the dance lessons begin]
Alyss's Adventures in Wonderland: Author's Note and Chapter One
By Anima
Dear Reader:
Many a story begins with those famously annoying words "once upon a time." The second those words are read, the story looses touch with reality and the reader falls into the state of being that says "this will have a happy ending, so why worry about how it gets there." So let me spoil something for you.
This has a happy ending.
Sort of
If you're wondering why I've told you that, then put this story away. I don't want to deal with your criticism. Because, of course, I begin this story with once upon a time, so it must end happy, correct?
Another spoiler.
Only the ending is happy.
Sincerely Anima
Once upon a time there lived a girl named Alyss. Now, Alyss was a normal girl , as you would say. She was smart, witty, and, of course, beautiful. Her family was quiet wealthy, and she lived in a large mansion with her mother and father and cat, Cheshire. She loved stories, especially the old novel given to her by her teacher, Mr. Lewis, called Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
But as Alyss grew older, she began to think that there was something strange about the story. It seemed wrong-incomplete. The characters didn't fit the descriptions given to them in the book. She began to write her own version, one that was more fitting to her. She showed no one but her teacher out of fear of rejection.
Mr. Lewis loved Alyss's story, however. He told her that she seemed to capture the true story better than the original. Alyss was delighted. She began to illustrate the story as she wrote it, showing only Mr. Lewis. Her pictures took the cartoon-like characters and made them something else.
People.
Yes, every one of Alyss's characters became real human beings, but some had quite animal-like characteristics.
Alyss was very proud of her story, and decided to show it, finally, to her parents. Naturally, it was after she was too old for her private teacher, Mr. Lewis. He had packed up and left only three days prior to young Alyss's (thirteen at the time) decision.
Had he still been there, maybe nothing would have happened.
The night before Alyss was to tell her parents about her story, she was up late reading the original Alice. This, I forgot to mention, was a time when candles were a source of light.
Needless to say, Alyss fell asleep while reading, with her window open and the candle still lit, clutching her small, stuffed, white rabbit. Now, she wasn't worried about the candle. She'd fallen asleep many times with the candle lit, and nothing had happened.
This night, though, something did.
A crow flew through the window, right after Alyss had fallen deep asleep. I say a crow, but I'm not sure that's what it was. It was a big red bird, in the shape of a crow. On its chest was an ornate crest, in the shape of a heart. Had it not been so sinister, the bird might have been called beautiful.
Now this bird stared at Alyss for some time, before speaking.
Yes, it could talk.
"What a pesky brat," was what the bird said, in a strongly royal accent. "So easily gotten rid of, though." It hopped over to the lit candle and smiled.
"Don't do it Red." The Bird didn't stop, nor did it heed the warning of the man in the top hat who'd appeared in the window. It knocked over the candle, cawing with pleasure. Then it flew out the window, leaving the house to catch on fire.
And it did, of course. The moment the candle hit the books beside it.
The man in the window jumped to Alyss's side and tried to wake her up.
"Wake up, Alyss!" he called, over and over again, shaking her. Cheshire, her cat, ran to wake up her parents.
Alyss finally woke up, to find her house on fire and her parents screaming for her. She tried to open her door, only to find the hallway erupting in flame. Her parents were trapped.
"Hurry!" she heard someone call. "We must save Alyss!"
"Mom! Dad!" Alyss screamed. She tried to enter the hallway. Something held her back.
"Not that way. You want to go the other way!" The person ordered, shutting the door and pulling her way from it.
"Mom!" Alyss struggled. "Dad!" She began to sob, struggling to break the hold of the person restricting her. The fire began to creep into her room. She was suffocating from the smoke, burning from the heat.
The next thing she knew, she was lying in the snow, surrounded by broken glass, and her shattered window as she watched her house burn. She still clutched the rabbit.
Five years later
The night she lost her parents still haunted Alyss. She lived with her uncle now. He didn't believe her story when she told him about the man who had pulled her through the window and to safety. He told her that she had been found alone, with only her stuffed animal and her cat around her. It was a miracle, he said, that she 'd survived unscathed.
But Alyss knew it wasn't a miracle that had thrown her though the window.
The nightmare returned day after day, until one night she awoke from her dream. It had been different this time. She had dreamt of falling. Down , down, down, until she'd reached the bottom. There was a little boy. And all he said was
"Save us, Alyss."
Shera's View
"We're coming, Master Zel," I whispered, clutching Mr. Rito as he ran throughout the building. If I was annoying him, he didn't say anything. I probably was choking him, but he also said nothing.
"Don't worry Shera, he's okay..." Mr. Rito said. He skidded around the corner, sliding a bit before charging off in the direction of Zel's office. I held on to his neck as he charged around, scattering people, papers, and random objects as he ran. Nothing could stop him.
I felt important.
Finally, we slid into Zel's office. Master Zel's door was left open. He was sleeping with his head down on his desk.
"Master Zel!" I shouted. I woke him up, I think. He jolted and looked up.
"Shera?" I didn't even let him finish his thought as I jumped off Mr. Rito's back and dove at him. Zel stood up and caught me, which caused us both to go tumbling to the ground.
"Master Zel, Master Zel, Master Zel!" I sang, wiggling out of the heap of our tangled limbs and gave him the biggest hug I could muster. My arms didn't reach all the way around him, but he got the picture.
"Hey little one," he said, hugging me.
"Master Zel, I missed you so much!" I stated, poking him in the nose. He went cross-eyed to stare at my finger. I laughed and hugged him again. "I'm glad to be home." I snuggled into his arms. He lifted me up easily and sat on his desk. Mr. Rito chuckled.
"You're not home yet, you know," Master Zel said to me, kissing my forehead. "And you were only gone for an overnight…"
"What can ya say, Twitchy? She likes ya," Mr. Rito stated, leaning against the door frame. "Plus, you missed her too." Master Zel stuck his tongue out at Mr. Rito. I giggled.
Master is such a kid sometimes.
"Rito, don't ya have somewhere ta be?" Master Zel retorted, sneering (well, as much as Master could) at Mr. Rito. Mr. Rito just laughed.
"Yeah. Unlike some people I know, I actually get work done," Mr. Rito laughed. "Oh, and Zel, don't forget that Break starts at 8:00 tonight."
"What? Already!" Master Zel's eyes looked like they'd pop out of his skull. "That means…whoa, the Masquerade is only a two months away?"
"You're keeping track?"
"No…"
Speaking of Masquerade…
"Excuse me, Master Zel…?" I whispered timidly. Master Zel stopped talking and looked to me. I was surprised, because Master Kriev always told me never to interrupt, and that if I did, no one would listen…
What am I saying? What he said doesn't matter anymore.
"What is it, Shera?" Master Zel asked kindly. Mr. Rito slipped away from the doorframe and disappeared out into the hallway.
"Um…can…I…well…Miss Riley…um…she…" But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't speak. Primal fear enveloped me.
"You want to go with Riley to the dance, huh?" Zel said, smiling.
"No sir," I said. He looked confused. "I want to go with you."
"Shera…" Master Zel sighed. "I can't." I stared at him. "I don't like social functions…" I think my lip started to quiver. "Um…heh….Look, I'm really not good in public…"
"It's okay, Master Zel. I understand…" I said. So why did I feel so sad?
"But you can still go."
"No, not without you," I said, stubbornly. Zel panicked. I looked at him, trying to pull my best "cute face."
I'd heard part of Miss Freya's conversation earlier. She was trying to get Master Zel to go to the dance so that she and the others could get him and Miss River back together! Miss Riley also talked about a plan to help the two of them. I want Master Zel and Miss River to be together. For this, I will not fail!
"Aw, come on Shera! I can't…oh, don't give me that look…I…I….OKAY! Stop looking at me like that!" he cried, covering his eyes. "I'll go, I'll go!"
I cheered, catapulting myself into his arms. He sighed and hugged me back.
Turk's View: Zel
I can't hate Shera. No, never.
But why does she have to be so damn cute?!
I've never gone to one of those stupid dances. Now I have to go. Oh well…
But wait!
When I went to tell Lilith I was going, she grinned and told me who I was going as!
That little….
Why do I have to be the Hatter in my Anima's story? (Just because I practically wrote his parts isn't supposed to mean anything!)
I looked over at the clock. Holy shit! It's 7:55 pm! I jumped up from my desk and charged towards the meeting hall, which, actually, is not the commons area. That's where Shera's sleeping right now. She's really tired for some reason. Wouldn't tell me why. Probably Riley kept her up all night.
After dashing past the commons to check on her, I ran (almost late) into the meeting place. Everyone was already there, chairs making a giant circle. I slid into the second-to- last open chair (mine) right as the clock hit 8 pm.
"Cutting it close, Twitchy," Lilith scolded, despite the fact she walked in after me. I just slumped in my chair like I always did and gave her my best cock-eyed grin. She smiled back at me and stood grandly on her chair. "So, everyone, this is when I tell you to be back tomorrow for work. On time, smiling, and ready to go."
We laughed. Vincent rolled his eyes. Rito coughed. Tori sneezed. David began scooting his chair towards the door, dragging Kyra's chair with him. Lin was sleeping on Kilick's shoulder. Kilick was sleeping on Lin's head. Verdot kept shooting glances to Freya, who was playing a single person game of Charades back at him. Legion and Rachel were glaring at each other, mining out an argument they'd been having all day. Riley is too busy to notice, she's texting Aaron. River ignored everyone, while watching her phone's clock with conviction.
I yawn, thinking about the long trip home I'll have to take eventually. Dad wants to meet Shera.
"Hey, TURKS!" Lilith yelled. We chuckle again. It's always like this.
"This is when we tell you that we'll see you in a week," I said, smiling at her. She glares at me, but playfully. I'm the rebellious one, you know. It's my job to lead the Break.
Vincent stood up on his chair, Lilith sat down.
"Alright, so Break's running a little bit slow this year…" he said, looking at his phone. We looked at ours. 8:10 pm. "So, we should all be back one week from now, exactly at 16 hours, ten minutes, and thirty-nine seconds." Then we all took the batteries out of our phones and set the phone on our chairs with the batteries next to them. Lilith shook her head, but it was the same every year.
Turk Break had started.
We Turks became people.
Oh, and them my favorite part of the year.
The mass chaos that is our total evacuation.
See, Akito just recently learned about Break, and normally tries everything to keep us in the building.
It never works, but it's fun to sneak out. I don't think there will be anything too dramatic this year, though. Akito already left.
"Hey, Legion," Rachel called, smiling. "I dare you to repel down the side of the building to get to your car. Using a grappling hook."
But then again, I'm always wrong.
Wait, let me explain. Things like this occur often, especially between Legion and Rachel. They're worst enemies, see. Legion is pure-blood Wutianese and Rachel is pure-blood Midgarian. Yeah, you guessed it. They take the racial feud to a new level. It's always "I'm better than you 'cause blah blah blah…" and "No you're not, I am 'cause blah blah blah." And so on and so forth. Actually, it was an accident that they ending up being partners. Kilick, who's an old buddy of Legion's, actually asked Vincent if he'd mix the Wutianese and the Midgarian Turks together, as to get over the racial differences. It was too late for him and his fellow exile Lin, but who cared?
So Vincent, being the fair guy he is, did just that.
Kyra was put with David and Legion was put with Rachel.
As you know, Kyra and David get along great.
Not so much for the other….
(Personally, I think they're madly in love but hate to admit it so they feud to throw us all off…Or maybe I've been reading too many of Freya's romance novels…)
"Oh, that's fine," Legion said, smiling. "But I double-dare you to do it with me."
Oh, I forgot to mention. They both have this pride thing…
"Fine!" Rachel said, crossing her arms. "I bet I can get down faster!"
"Bring it on!" Legion challenged.
Oh Gaia…this isn't going to be good.
Turk's View: Freya
Now, Freya had seen a lot of things in life. But she'd never get used to the crazy stunts pulled by Rachel and Legion in their vain attempts to prove superiority over each other. They always end up getting into trouble or getting hurt.
Like now. That whole "Grappling" business. Well…they started from Lilith's balcony, about 60 stories up. Neither of them thought this through…because both of them are twenty feet short of the ground.
Freya sighed as she stood in the window, staring right at Rachel. Rachel stared back, dangling from her grappling hook with a look of sheer anger.
"Argh!" she called, her voice muffled by the glass. "This is your fault, Flee!"
"How so? You started it, Rat!" Legion shot back.
Freya moved to open the window. After doing so, she looked back and forth from the two dangling Turks.
"Want to come in?" she offered, holding out her hand.
"Only if Rach-Rat goes first," Legion said.
"Hell no! Flees first. Admit it, you lost."
"Did not! I'm still here!"
"How are you going to get down if you keep arguing like that?" Freya asked wisely.
"I'll think of something," they both answered.
Freya shook her head.
"HEY GUYS!" The three looked down. Zel waved up at them, a sleeping figure on his back. Shera… Freya waved back. Rachel shook her foot, an attempt at waving. Legion just nodded. "Need help?"
"NO!" the feuding Turks answered.
"Oh…OKAY THEN!" Zel shouted, smiling. "But do you want to know who I'd get down?"
"I'm not jumping!" Rachel shouted.
"Oh, what, scared to break a few bones?" Legion taunted. But he didn't look too sure of himself either. Rachel gave him a look and he glared back.
"No, not that! I think one of you guys should swing to the other, then retract your hook and shoot it towards lower point. Then you both slowly repel down using both hooks!" Zel shouted proudly. Freya smiled. It was a good idea.
They'd never do it.
"NEVER!" They shouted.
"I'm not touching that!" Legion retorted. "I'd rather die!"
"I guess we can agree on something!" Rachel blurted out. "I'd rather die too!"
"Okay, if you say so…" the two Turks looked up. To their shock, Lilith stood on her balcony, holding a…flamethrower….
She pointed it at one of the grappling hook's ropes. From the distance, neither Turk could see who it belonged too.
"Hey, you guys better kiss and make up or both of you are going to be pancakes," Lilith warned, tapping the flamethrower on the railing.
"I LOVE PANCAKES!" Zel shouted gleefully. A crowd had gathered by now. Freya sighed. So much for starting Break without casualties this year.
"Lilith, don't worry about us!" Rachel called.
"Yeah! We'll get down eventually!" Legion added.
"If you're not down in one hour, I'm torching the both of you."
"Yes Ma'am!" Lilith set down the gun and rested her arms on the railing.
"Well?" She asked. Rachel sighed. She knew, using Zel's plan, it'd take about forty minutes to get the both of them down, assuming nothing went wrong.
Jumping seemed like a pretty good idea.
"Hey…Rach-rat…."
"What Flee?"
"Truce...?" Legion sighed.
"Just because I don't want to be fried…" Rachel agreed. "And I don't want to jump."
"Yeah. It's not like I want this or nothin'…"
"Yeah, and when we get back down…"
"I hate you and you hate me."
"Fine."
'Fine.." Legion looked around. "Should I come over there or…"
"Shut it, I'm coming over. She's pointin' the 'thrower at me… You grope at anything and I'll cut off your nuts…"
Freya laughed as she closed the window. Such was the life of a Turk.
Turk's View: River
I stood there, biting my lip. Vincent was outside, standing up against his nice new shiny car, waiting for her. He didn't knock. Hadn't knocked. Actually, he was busy eyeing the three guys who always stood on the corner across the street from my door. They always asked me for "favors" when I came out.
I normally exited the back way to avoid them.
Vincent finally moved towards the door. He knocked. Even though I had been standing right there, Tori beat me to the door.
"Hel...lo...?" Tori said, looking shocked. "Um...Hiya Vincent..."
"Don't look so surprised. It's not like I'm here to kill you," Vincent replied. I chuckled. I'd packed my things, all of which fit into one rucksack and one duffle bag. I hoped Vincent wouldn't comment.
"Well...why are you at this part of the Slums?" Tori asked skeptically. Rito brought out my bags from my room and tried to hand them to Vincent. Tori stopped him. "Hey, what's going on here?"
"I'm spending Break at Vincent's." I said, trying not to look at Tori's betrayed expression. "I thought Rito told you."
"Why didn't you say something?" Tori shot. Vincent picked up my bags, staying out of the conflict for now.
"Is this all?" he asked, politely.
"Yeah, um...I can get them..." I stated, trying to get to my bags around the three men standing in the door. Vincent nodded but acted as if he didn't hear the second half of my reply. He took the bags and started to turn.
"Don't ignore me!" Tori spewed. Rito sighed.
"Ignore him." Tori stood there in stunned silence. "Bon Voyage River!" I weakly smiled back at him.
"Bye Tori."
Still silent.
I sighed and followed after Vincent. The three guys were looking over his car when the walked over.
"Nice ride, chico," said one with a warning. I rolled my eyes. "That your chica?"
"For your information, I'm older than you," Vincent replied, putting my bags in his car without as much as a flinch. "So I don't take kindly to you calling me 'boy.'" The three exchanged a glance. They backed off with his glare. Vincent walked around the car and opened the door for me. I looked at him for a moment.
"Chivalry is dead," I stated, looking back at the three guys glaring at Vincent.
"It's my car." He gave me a slight shove and I got in. He walked around the front of the car and got in the driver's side. I crunched myself up next to the window, refusing to look at him. I was really very far out of my zone suddenly.
I mean, his car even smelled new.
"Sorry about the smudges...finger prints and stuff..." I said, trying to break the silence as we left the Midgar City Limits.
"It's okay," Vincent replied, grinning at me. "Ella will probably just use my car for her band car wash again."
"Ella?" I looked at him skeptically. He didn't have a sister.
"She's one of the many tenants at the house. She's the youngest...and probably the most permanent. I think you'll like her," Vincent said, nodding. "Look in the glove box; there's a list." I opened the glove box and lo and behold, there was a list.
A chore list.
"Um, well, you see, being ex-slaves and the like, they all refuse to stay for free, so they made that list and my dad and I are not allowed to do anything on the list," Vincent explained. I laughed. They did sound like ex-Rats forcing themselves to integrate.
I read down the list. The most funny entry was the four people in charge of keeping Grimore out of the kitchen. That was their job, I'm serious. I finally found Ella's name, near the top of the list. Her group was called the "Permanent" tenants.
It read:
Kazahana: Run household
Sebastian: Clean up dog and ferret poop
Ella: Wash cars, clean bathrooms
Evelyn: Family counselor
Next to the man named Sebastian's chore was two words written in total caps.
"I REFUSE!"
I laughed.
After that, we rode in silence until we entered the city limits of Nasairie. That's about when my eyes popped out of my head.
Okay, it's not like the town was made of gigantic houses. Nope, there was only one gigantic house, from what I could see, up on a hill at the back of town.
I guessed that was where Vinnie lived.
No, the town was very...quaint. Nice little painted houses, most two story but all about the size of a normal house.
So like three times bigger than the one I live in.
It was all incredibly picturesque. Clean, organized, bright. I didn't fit in here. Sure, I'd just showered and all, but I felt grimy and unclean. I bet I reeked of Rat.
And we hadn't even reached his house yet.
We stopped in the center of town. We kind of had to. The town seemed to have gathered in less than a minute and now successfully blocked our advance to the house. Directly in front of the car was girl no older than eight.
"Ella?" I asked, looking at Vincent.
"No, that's Amanda. She's a neighbor's daughter." Vincent unbuckled his seatbelt and turned off the car. He got out, leaving me wanting to curl up and hide. Was he really that influential to the town that when he comes home everyone comes to great him?
Vincent stood outside and talked with the people for some time. I didn't want to rush him. It was his car, his town, his home...he belonged here.
He was really a in a whole class than I am.
Finally the crowd dispersed enough that we could get through. Vincent watched as a whole gang of kids ran of towards the house on the hill in front of us. Then he got back in the car and followed slowly after them.
"Nice town," I muttered. Without saying anything, he handed me a piece of paper. On it was a list of names and numbers. "What's this?"
"All the guys who want to date you," he replied nonchalantly. "Those are just the ones I wrote down in your age range." I looked at him and frowned. There were like thirty names on the list. "I know all of them personally. None are your type, but they're nice guys."
"Uh...okay?" I set the list on his dash. Thanks but no thanks, Vinnie.
Vincent flashed me a knowing smirk and looked back at the road. The kids who had ran ahead were opening a gate for us. His house had a gate. And a fence. And when I told you it was gigantic?
I wasn't kidding.
The gate opened to a driveway I guessed was half a mile long. I'm not kidding. The tree-lined driveway (cobble stone, of course) stretched windingly up towards the house. It was like a fairy-tale house too.
Two story, which looked normal. But then again, I told you it was huge. It stretched out further than I could see. What I could see is that it was smack dab in the middle of a forest, with only one official entrance, the one we were using. I could see a garden surrounding the house, but I was surprised not to see any rich-people statues. You know, the Cupids made of marble, or the girls pouring water, that stuff.
What I did see, when we got out of the car, was a little hand-made pot. It was far from expertly done. Actually, it looked like amateur work. While Vincent busied himself with grabbing my bags, I picked the little pot. It was the only artwork outside, and sat right on the walk way up to the front porch, on its own little pedestal.
"Ella made that," Vincent said, walking around to see me holding the vessel. "Art class. She didn't like it too much. She was trying to make something way more complicated, but that's how she is. She gave it to me for a birthday gift. I wanted to take it to work with me, but was worried you guys would break it. So it greats me every time I come home." I smiled. From the way Vincent spoke about her, I could see he cared about Ella. I couldn't wait to meet her, and the other people who lived with them.
Carrying my bags, Vincent started towards the house, leaving his car in the driveway, something I'd never do even if my life depended on it. I followed after him, still gawking at the house.
He opened the door for me again, much to my chagrin. I walked in and almost fainted. I swear to Gaia, my house could fit in his entryway!
Vincent chuckled at my reaction.
"I know, it's obnoxious," he said, sighing. "My dad actually inherited it this way." I stared at him but he didn't say anything more. Well, he didn't have time.
"Magomusuko-san!" (Grandson!) I looked to the direction that the call came from. I couldn't call it a yell, but a call didn't really work either. The woman who was speaking effortless Wutianese walked forward from one of the many hallways.
And I gawked. I mean, it's impolite to stare, I know, but I couldn't help it. The woman was beautiful, to say the least. Gliding towards us with the grace of a butterfly, the woman wore a full, true Wutianese kimono. It was very light green, almost white in color, with a green under-robe. On the front was a sakura tree branch, stitched with gold and black thread. When she bowed in greeting to Vincent, I saw a whole willow tree painted into the fabric on the back with the same gold and black coloring. Her long black hair was expertly put up with what looked like two...knives? holding up a bun, but still allowing some of the hair to cascade down her back. Her eyes were bright hazel, and full of light.
"Obaa-san," Vincent said to the woman, bowing in return. The woman stood up straight and opened her arms for a hug, which Vincent gave willingly.
Now, I don't know much Wutianese, but I do know what Vincent just called that woman.
"She's your grandmother?!"I whispered, at him, looking shocked. "She looks my age!" I squinted. Only looking closely could I see a little bit of grey at the tips of some of her hairs. I also noticed she had bells in her hair, but they weren't ringing.
Vincent gave me a shrug. Then he seemed to remember.
"Oh! Obaa-san, konako wa kawa desu." (Grandmother, she is River), Vincent spoke so fluently that I began to question his ethnicity. He pointed to me and his grandmother raised eyebrow.
"Kawa? Oro! Konako wa kappa desu ka?!" Vincent's grandmother asked, looking shocked. She hurriedly bowed to me, muttering some sort of prayer. Vincent laughed.
"What?" I asked, panicked. Had she just made fun of me? "What she say?"
"She asked if you were a water spirit," Vincent replied. To his grandmother he said "Iee. Ribaa desu! Sumimasen, Obaa-san. Konako hu namae wa Ribaa desu." (No. It's River. Excuse me, Grandmother. Her name is River.) Vincent's grandmother looked embarrassed.
"Aah! Gomainosai. Hajimemashita. Watashi no namae wa Makina Kazahana desu. Yarachika," she said (actually, every time she spoke, it sounded like singing to me), smiling at me. I stared back at her, feeling like an idiot.
"She said she's sorry, it's nice to meet you, and that her name is Makina Kazahana," Vincent whispered into my ear. I quickly reversed the name, remembering that in Wutianese, the last name came first. Her name was Kazahana, then. Wow...she was on the top of the chore list...
In charge of running the place.
Right...
"How do I say 'it's nice to meet you' back?" I whispered to Vincent, panicked.
"'Hajimemashita,'" he whispered. I repeated that to Ms. Makina, butchering it horribly. She chuckled, but didn't seem offended.
To Vincent, she asked suddenly:
"konako wa kimi no onna desu ka?" (Is she your woman?) Vincent turned bright red. I stared at him.
"Vincent, what did she just say?" I asked, looking between the two. Vincent said nothing to me, but quickly (so much so that I could hear he slurred his words) said to Ms Makina:
"Iee, Zeru no, ore no desunai..." (No, She's Zel's, not mine.) Ms Makina looked at me and then at Vincent.
"Baka Magomusuko-san," she said, slapping Vincent upside the back of the head. "Baka. Zeru wa ungaii desune?"(Idiot...Zel's lucky, isn't he?) I laughed. I don't know what they just said, but Vincent got slapped. That was funny.
"Uh, Obaa-san..." Vincent muttered, still red in the face, "onagaishimasu, Midgarian wo kuchibashiru?"
"Did you just ask her to speak Midgarian?" I whispered.
"Yeah. It's not fair to you to keep talking like this," Vincent said to me. Ms Makina looked embarrassed again.
"Gomainosai! Forgive me, Ri-san. I thought you knew what we were saying!" Suddenly, the mysterious Wutianese woman I couldn't understand disappeared. "It is a pleasure to meet you, dear. " I stared at her.
"Hi..." I finally said. "Ms Makina." She laughed.
"Oh, call me Obaa-san. Or Kaza-san, if you'd like."
Just then, another person walked into the entryway. Unlike Kaza-san, he was positively Midgarian, maybe even Junonian. He carried a bamboo pole, off of which two wooden buckets hung. Staggering along, he looked up at Kaza-san and frowned.
"Sensi, Ore no kunai tu katana wa doko?" the man asked, setting the bamboo pole down and stretching. I looked at Vincent and Kaza-san. (Teacher, where's my kunai and katana?)
"I told him not to leave this lying around..." Kazahana sighed, pulling a kunai knife (yes, I was right!) from her hair. She smiled at us.
"Grandmother, don't..." Vincent warned. Kazahana didn't seem to hear him. "Sebastian, look out!" In a flash, I watched the knife leave her hand and land itself in the man's arm. Sebastian dropped like a rock, staring at his arm in shock. I stared too. Kyra and Lin were both kunai knife throwers, but they never did something like that.
"Itaii sensei! Naze?!"(That hurt, sensei! Why?)Sebastian moaned, pulling the kunai out of his arm. Thankfully it wasn't too deep.
"Baka! sono kunai wo karakuri!" (Idiot, dodge the kunai!) Kaza shouted in her sing-song voice.
"Gomain Kazahana-Sensei." Sebastian stood up and sighed.
"Ri-san, meet Seba-san. He's my student," Kazahana said, smiling at me.
"Or her target," Sebastian muttered. "Pleasure to meet you...?"
"River," I said. "Nice to meet you, Dog-poop." Sebastian looked horrified.
"You showed her the chore list!" he shouted at Vincent. "Traitor!" Kazahana went and slapped him on the back of the head.
"Come, Seba-san. You need more training." She picked up the bamboo pole like it was weightless. "Take these back to the yard please."
"But sensei..." Sebastian started.
"No buts, Seba-san. What do you think we can do with cement inside?" she asked, pointing at the buckets. "Go on." She gave it to Sebastian, who just about fell over again. Kazahana began to glide down the hallway. Sebastian sighed and staggered after her.
"Oh, Magomusuko-san, Nakamura-chan is in the music room. She's been standing there with her face pressed to the glass ever since you drove up. You should go talk to her." Vincent nodded as she walked off.
"Nakamura?"
"Ella's name in Wutianese," Vincent stated, picking my bags up again and starting off. I followed close after him. "What was that? Your grandma is amazing!" Vincent smiled.
"Tell her that. She thinks she still needs twenty more years of training," he smiled. "She was a Lotus Assassin. They're the top of the Wutianese military. She actually led the group, known as Sakura Hitokiri, or the Sakura Assassin." I felt my jaw drop. "She's really nice though. No longer an assassin, just my grandmother."
"Uh...well...if she was so important...why is she..."
"Here? She was exiled," Vincent answered.
"But...why?" I asked before thinking.
"She fell in love." I waited for more, but Vincent said nothing else. As we kept walking, our dress shoes (We're both still wearing our uniforms) clicking on the hardwood floor, I decided to keep the conversation rolling.
"So...what's up with Sebastian?" Vincent laughed.
"That kid?"
"Kid?"
"Well, I guess he's technically an adult. He's 18."
"Really?" "Yeah. Would you believe me if I told you he used to be a spy?" I laughed too. "I take that as a no. But really. He's an ex-Wolfhound." I stumbled. You couldn't be a Slum Rat without knowing the Wolfhound Espionage group. They were Turks before Turks were powerful and Shin-Ra was in need of them. Stories were told to keep Rats in line about that group.
They'd disbanded a few years ago under mysterious circumstances.
"You're kidding."
"No. He may seem spacey, but put a pistol in his hands and you're Swiss cheese. Him and I have sniping contests all the time. I win, but by one shot every time. He's good."
"Did he try out for Turk?" I asked. I wanted this guy on our side.
"No," Vincent said. "He was shot in his last missions, and the force knocked him off a building. An awning broke his fall, but he hit the ground head-first."
"How'd he survive?!"
"His teammates used six Phoenix –downs and one Full Life spell. And he was in the hospital for a year. But he's not really fit for full combat again. Not yet. That's why he's training under Obaa-san. She's helping him recover." I laughed.
"Is she really?" Vincent caught the joke and laughed too.
"He'll be fine."
We'd arrived at the music room, which turned out to be a room with huge bay windows providing all the light for the room. Almost every common instrument I could think of was in a case and stacked somewhere in the room, which had a beautiful ebony piano in the center. Sitting on a stand next to the piano was a violin. I guessed it was Vincent's.
At the piano was something I wasn't expecting.
Well, I was expecting to meet Ella, but...she wasn't what I expected.
You see, when I heard the name "Gabriella," I saw someone as regal and sophisticated as Vincent, for some reason. And she had to be blonde, right?
So the small, piano-playing Slum-Rat before me was just as shocking as Ex-Wolfhound Sebastian the Poop-Scooper and Assassin Grandmother.
I say small, because she wasn't much more than five-feet tall. She wore a black beanie over her hair, which I guessed was short because it just barely peeked out from underneath. She wore black-combat boots, despite being indoors (Slum-Rat rule fifteen: never loose track of your shoes!). Her shirt was black and she wore a white tie with black skulls on it. Her pants were black also, and baggy. The left knee had a hole in it. On her right wrist was a collection of red, black, and white bracelets. Her left housed a Jacobs' Ladder rope. I loved her outfit. Her ears were pierced, and that was the only Aristocratic looking thing she had, besides the MP3 player that sat next to her on the piano bench, along with a jacket that had cat ears on the hood.
Man, she screamed Slum Rat.
I thought she was beautiful.
Anyway, she was playing very well, at least I thought so. Vincent smiled and gently set my bags down for the umpteenth time today. He quietly snaked over to where she was focusing directly on the music, oblivious to her new spectators. As I watched, a white and black weasel-looking thing turned the music for her when she got to the end of the page.
That was cool...
When it seemed Ella was closed to the end, Vincent carefully put his hands on her shoulders. She immediately tensed up and stopped playing.
"Ella, why did you go through all the trouble of getting your hair if you were just going to hide it under that hat all the time?" Upon hearing Vincent's voice, Ella softened. She carefully turned around and covertly wrapped her arms around his middle.
Gaia, Vincent makes her look so tiny! He's like a foot and a half taller than her!
"I don't think Kaza-sempi approves..." Ella whispered, "so I keep it hidden." She reached up and pulled off her beanie, revealing a dyed-red mass. Her hair was short, barley extending past her ears in the back.
"You know Obaa-san doesn't mind. Actually, she sent me a picture at work of you right after you got it done. She seemed ecstatic to me..." Vincent replied, reassuringly. Ella smiled at him and then looked over at me.
"Hello River," she said.
"Hello Ella," I replied. I was sure she'd overheard a conversation or someone had told her who I was, so I wasn't too afraid. Plus, she was a Rat like me. We all know each other, some how.
Ella stood up and picked up the weasel thing. "This is Madeline. She's my sister. I call her Maddy," Ella explained. "She's a ferret. Sebastian doesn't like her to much, but that's to be expected." I smiled at her and her well-trained ferret.
"Vincent, do you want me to show River where her room is?" Ella offered. "So you can change?" Vincent looked down at his uniform and then up at Ella.
"Thank you, Ella; that would be very helpful." Ella nodded and stood up. "Meet me back here in two hours, okay River?" I nodded. Ella then tried to pick up my bags for me on her way out.
"Oh hells no, I can carry my own stuff," I said, grabbing them first. Ella sighed.
"Just one?" she asked from the door way.
"Nope." I started out the door.
"Fine..." She walked slowly down the hall, checking periodically to see if I was still behind her. "So Vincent's going to teach you how to dance?" I nodded. "That's cool. He's been teaching me how to dance too. Kaza-sempi says it's something all girls should know."
"You seem to really respect her," I observed. I realized too, that I knew nothing about Ella. Vincent had given me backgrounds on almost everyone else but her.
"Just like Sebastian, I'm fascinated with the Wutianese culture. But I'm a pacifist, according to Vincent and Zel. I prefer the culture to the fighting," Ella replied. "Kaza-sempi kind of adopted me, too. She doesn't seem to care that I'm a stray."
"You ran away from home?" I asked, knowing I was trotting onto tender ground.
"Yeah...My parents left me behind, though." I stopped walking. She did too, but probably because she could feel my eyes boring into the back of her skull. She stopped and tried to explain.
"Um, they got divorced. My dad took my older brother and left and my mom just disappeared one day. I lived on my own for awhile. Then one day...I...well..."
Oh...My...God...She's a mini-girl-version of Zel!
"You tried to commit suicide?"
"Yeah...jumping off a roof."
"But you didn't..."
"I'm scared of heights." I snorted, and then immediately felt ashamed. But she laughed too.
"I know, ridiculous, huh?" She sighed and started walking again. "Grimore found me, with my feet dangling off the roof in the middle of a thunderstorm. I'd been up there for like three hours, trying to decide what to do. After staring at me for awhile, he asked me what I was doing. I told him, and he laughed. Told me the worst thing I could do was break my leg, since I was only two stories up. Maddy was with me. She was gonna go with me, I guess. So yeah, after some time of talking to me, Grim convinced me to come down, ya know. Told me to jump, that he'd catch me."
"What'd you do?" I asked.
"I yelled at him. Told him I'd never jump. I was too scared of hitting the ground."
Ella left me at what I supposed was my room for the week.
It also was big enough for my house to fit in.
I didn't really look around. I just threw my stuff down, changed into some more comfortable clothes, and left the room after watching Sebastian and Kazahana train in the back yard.
It took me exactly two hours to find my way back to the music room. The whole time, I was thinking about what Ella had said. I hoped she was happier. Or that everyone in the house was looking after her.
Her parents are on my hit list.
Along the way, I met Evelyn, a violinist who was nominated by everyone to be the consoler to everyone but Ella. After a pleasant conversation and some polite directions, Evelyn went towards what I assumed was her room and I proceeded to get more and more lost.
When I arrived, Kaza-san and Vincent were in the middle of an argument in total Wutianese. Evelyn was there, holding her violin and watching Sebastian try to translate both sides to her and Ella. He held a guitar and Ella was back at the piano. Maddy was weaving out of everyone's feet, having a grand ol' time.
"Wow...when'd the party start?" I asked. Kazahana immediately rushed over to me before anything else could be said.
"Here, go put this on," she said kindly, handing me a lump of cloth. I looked down at it. Ball gown.
Oh hells no. I'm not wearing it.
Yes, it's a dress. So sue me. I'm a tomboy.
"Told you," Ella said to Evelyn. "She's like me."
"Great," Sebastian muttered. "One of you is enough." Ella frowned but I noticed it seemed playful.
"Quiet Orange," she said to Sebastian.
"Hey, it was a training exercise, alright! I'm never dying my hair that color again!" he shot back. Evelyn just laughed.
"River, just ignore my grandmother," Vincent called. Kazahana shot him a look that would have scared Akito shitless.
"Now, Magomusuko-san, if she's going to learn to ballroom dance, should she do it in a ball gown? Honestly, I don't understand your culture at all. What good is learning something the wrong way?"
"Obaa-san, you're being irrational again."
"Don't tell me I'm being irrational, Magomusuko-san."
They started to argue again. So, to shut them up...
"I'm putting it on! Okay? Fine, stop arguing! Just someone tell me where the bathroom is or I'll change right here!" I shouted. As if to answer my call, Maddy took off down the hallway. I followed the ferret.
Five minutes later, I came back into the room. It was more organized now, with all the musicians on one side and a very flustered Vincent on the other. Maddy scampered up the side of my dress and planted herself across my shoulders.
"Well, how do I look." I asked. Kazahana clapped.
"Much better, don't you think?" she asked her group. Evelyn smiled at me.
"You look wonderful, River," she said.
"Yeah, what they said," Sebastian agreed.
"She looked better before," Ella disagreed. "More like herself." Kazahana patted Ella on the head.
"You'll understand some day, dear." Ella said nothing to that.
Honestly, I agreed with Ella. I was defiantly not myself in a dress.
"Okay, Vinnie, now what do I do?" I asked. Great, we had an audience. I stood there awkwardly. Vincent crossed the room and offered me his hand. I took it, even more awkwardly. He smiled.
"Ella, now you play," Sebastian whispered from his corner. Ella was just as enthused about an audience as I was. In fact, she was so enthused, she couldn't move. Vincent and I stood there, waiting.
"Ella, dear, are you okay?"
"What if I mess up?" she asked suddenly. I let go of Vincent's hand and crossed the room. It must have been funny, the way I was walking. I heard Evelyn chuckle and Sebastian say I reminded him of his old commander.
Yes, I walk like a man.
I sat myself next to Ella, allowing Maddy to slide off my shoulders. The ferret took its post on the music stand.
"Hey, you can already play this thing better than I can," I said, smiling at her.
"I bet not...I suck," she whispered to me. So I demonstrated what I knew.
Which was nothing.
Ella stopped my hands and peered at me from under her beanie. She smiled lightly.
"All we ask is that you try," I said, remembering how Freya told me the same words when I was about to give up on being a Turk.
Ella nodded. She raised her hands to the keys and began to play a melody that I loved instantly. I looked at the title. "Path of Repentance"
I stood up and Vincent was there. He led me to the center of the room and started to lead me in a simple dance. I was too entranced by it all now that I didn't really know what I was doing. Sebastian and Evelyn had added themselves into the song, despite it being written only for piano. Then I heard a flute. Looking over, I saw Kazahana was playing too.
"According to my dad, their payment for living here is learning an instrument," Vincent told me as we spun around the floor. I smiled.
The song ended and Ella started into another one. Vincent smiled at her from over my head. Sebastian was singing in Wutianese under his breath. Kazahana was singing too, but louder. Evelyn was dancing and playing the violin,
I smiled as I spun around again and again.
Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all...
A/N: End!
So yeah, four new characters...and a ferret...
What'd you think? Gah, I'm so brain dead right now...sorry for no information....
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Lesson Ideas? All are welcome!