Hey everyone ^^
I'm back on the road! Man, I really had a tough time in school the past few weeks, so, I'm very sorry for making you wait that long. X3 I hope you'll like the new chapter and if you wanna support my ego . . . leave a review XD
Kaori Summers: Well, I may say that much: The falcon will definitely be an important character in this story ^^ and I hope you'll like the next meeting between Phoenix and Simca in this chapter.
Chapter eleven: New Haircut and Clouds
It had been two weeks since the meeting with Simca. Phoenix was staying at Spitfire's apartment when the Flame King went to work and started doing some research on those things called Air-Trecks. Spitfire had given her the allowance to use his old laptop for this. He also had started to teach Phoenix the basics of cooking; he took her to the supermarket and showed her the different ingredients, explained her what she could use the different kinds of vegetables for and how to use the stove. The girl learned surprisingly fast and soon became a great fan of cooking her own meals. The first time Spitfire had taken her to a restaurant Phoenix was still excited about this experience two days later, but she kept insisting that Spitfire was the best cook on earth after all.
The day when Spitfire returned from work and suggested her to get a new haircut she had prepared miso-ramen for dinner and was eating onigiri while searching the net.
"Haircut?", she asked puzzled. "Why would I need a new haircut? My hair is just fine."
The Flame King smiled as he took a place next to the red-haired girl.
"Sure, there's nothing wrong about your hair, but don't you think that it's a bit too long?"
Suddenly Phoenix' eyes were filled with pure shock and she looked up at Spitfire obviously scared. "I don't want them to be cut short", she almost screamed at him fearfully while grabbing the longer dark-red strands of her hair. Spitfire grinned and parted her bangs with one finger which were already long enough to cover Phoenix's eyes. "I would never cut your beautiful hair too short. I just thought about cutting them one or two centimeters shorter because they're falling in your eyes that much. You were wearing a bandeau yesterday to be able to see the screen of the laptop clearly, weren't you?"
Phoenix seemed to be very relieved and gave it a short thought. "Would you do the haircut?", she asked hesitant.
"Sure I would."
"Well, I guess I could give it a shot . . . but you have to promise me that you'll be the one to cut them . . . and that you don't cut them too short."
Spitfire placed his right hand upon his heart and hold the other one up in the air at the height of his shoulder. "I solemnly swear."
"Nice." Phoenix smiled broadly and hugged the older man. "When will you cut my hair?"
"How about tomorrow? My schedule shouldn't be that full for that day . . .", he placed one hand on the top of Phoenix head and continued with a whispering voice, "and how about stopping by the supermarket and getting some of those cookies you like that much?"
Spitfire couldn't see her face, but he could hear her smile as she answered:
"That would be nice. They ran empty yesterday."
The next day was cold, but the sky was blue, the sun was shining and no cloud could be seen. Phoenix was wearing the red 'Don't play with fire' – sweater and a pair of dark-blue jeans. Spitfire had lended her an orange-red-striped muffler which covered the lower half of her face.
"Don't you think it's a bit strange that there are no clouds in he sky?", Phoenix suddenly asked while they were waiting next to a traffic light to cross the street. "You think so?", Spitfire asked back and looked at the light-blue firmament. Then he lowered his gaze and faced Phoenix who was now focusing him. "Sure . . . I mean, aren't the clouds a part of the sky – same as the birds and the wind?"
The Flame King looked thoughtfully over at the other side of the street before he answered:
"Ich guess, you're right, but the sky is much greater than the small part we're able to see from here . . . maybe the clouds can be seen from another point of the earth." Phoenix looked up at the sky again and remained silent. Spitfire sighed, he could have told her something about thousands of little waterdrops condensating in the great hights or about atmosphere and why the sky was so shining light-blue today, but he had the feeling that she wasn't talking about the clouds at all – it felt more like she was looking for something and was scared to loose what had been there for so many years.
The traffic-light turned green and Spitfire touched Phoenix' head to get her attention because she seemed to be dazing off a little while staring at the sky. "Come on, little girl."
She blinked a few times in surprise, but then recognized the green traffic-light, grabbed Spitfire's hand and followed him across the street.
"I like clouds, you know", she mentioned when they had reached the other side's pavement.
"Why?"
"They're fluffy."
"I like clouds too, my dear." Phoenix stopped in surprise as she recognized that a certain pink-haired girl had appeared next to her. She grabbed Spitfire's hand a little harder and her eyes were filled with obvious dislike. "Hey, Simca-", the Flame King began, but was cut off by a grumpy Phoenix. "What do you want, Pinky?"
Simcas smile froze instantly and faded like a cockroach when the light was switched on. "It's always nice to meet you, little shopping-maniac." Spitfire swallowed because he could almost grab the tension between those two girls; he decided to try keeping the situation from exploding because he was quite sure that if he wouldn't do something those two would succeed in staring each other to death. So, he cleared his throat which made Simca look at him while Phoenix kept closely observing every movement of Pinky. Actually, she was kinda proud of that nickname she had found for the other female teen because she was quite sure that Simca didn't know this funny series about two mice tryin g to take over the world.
"Well, is there some business you have to discuss?", Spitfire asked while Phoenix thought about the possibilty to take Brain as a nickname for that Nue-guy – as revenge for calling her Toast-Freak.
Simca's smile got back on her face and she took a folded sheet of paper out of the pocket of her rose-colored jacket. "I haven't really something to discuss with you. I just want to give you a little love-letter . . . you might as well call it an invitation for that lovely young lady."
Spitfire had a bad feeling when he grabbed the folded letter and watched Simca rolling away on her ATs, humming a song he didn't know.
"I don't like her."
"I would have never expected that", Spitfire mentioned ironically, but then opened the letter and found that bad feeling being proved right. It was an invitation . . . an invitation for Phoenix to next meeting of Genesis next week. "What's written in there?" Phoenix tried to look at the sheet of paper, but the Flame kIng was holding it too high.
"It's an invitation."
"An invitation? For what?"
"A meeting."
"What kind of meeting?"
Phoenix found it rather annoying to get the whole information just only bit by bit. So she reached out for the paper and took it from Spitfire who didn't try to prevent her from reading it. "What's Genesis?", the girl asked after a while. Spitfire sighed and started walking again towards the salon where he was working. "Genesis is a team of stormriders; it consists of a great number of smaller teams and Simca is the leader of Genesis."
"Oh, now I remember reading something about that Genesis when I was surfing through the internet lately. Is it true that it's the greates stormrider-team in the world?"
With a little smile on his lips Spitfire looked down at Phoenix. "Well, I don't know if you may say the greates one in the world, but I'm pretty sure that you can't find a bigger one in Japan."
"But Japan is just a small island . . ."
"Compared to what?"
"Russia?"
Spitfire chuckled. "I guess your right. But more importantly is, do you wanna go to this meeting?"
"Well, I've been invited, haven't I?"
"Sure, but you don't have to go if you don't want."
"I have no idea what it's like so it's be kinda stupid not to go."
"So, you're not scared of it?" The Flame King raised one eyebrow as they entered the salon.
"Of course not!", revolted Phoenix and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She looked up at Spitfire angrily. "I'm not scared of the team of this damn sugary princess."
"Sugary?"
"She wears much pink stuff . . . and looks like huge, mean candy."
Spitfire shook his head slightly and greeted the young lady standing behind the cash box. "Good morning, Mina", he said.
"Morning", Mina answered then recognized Phoenix who was closely observing her new surrounding. "Who's that, Spitfire? Don't tell you got a daughter."
"Nah, she's not my daughter . . . just living with me for the time being. She, uhm . . .is the daughter of one of my cousins."
"Oh, poor girl, why did her parents leave her alone – with you, I mean?"
"Oh, uhm, they're working . . . oversea."
Mina raised her perfectly trimmed eyebrows in comprehension then she smiled and asked:
"Shall I give her something to play with?"
"That's nice of you, Mina, but I brought her here to get her a new haircut . . . I just have to ask you for not giving me any extra customers today."
"Ah, sure thing, Spitfire."
The Flame King thanked her and went back to Phoenix who were standing in front of a mirror looking closely at her own reflection. "Everything okay?", he asked.
Phoenix nodded and said:
"I'm fine, but it's kind scary in here . . . with all those mirrors."
"They can't harm you."
"Are you sure?" Phoenix eyed him sceptically, but she followed him to the rear of the salon where she took a place next to Spitfire on a orange-colored couch.
"Do you see that seat over there?", he asked while pointing at a certain chair in front of a mirror. "I'm not blind, Spitfire . . . sure I see that seat." The Flame King smiled and continued explaining:"Well, that's the place where I cut the hair of all my customers and when there's no customer you'll be the one taking place on that seat, kay?"
"Ah, I see." Phoenix nodded and Spitfire stood up to greet his first customer, a young woman with beautiful long, black hair which kinda fascinated Phoenix because of the many shining reflexes on the hair. Just like eagle's hair . . . she thought.
Soon the salon was filled with people and Phoenix found herself trying to look at all of them at the same time. They were all so very different and still they were all human beings. They were old and young with short and long hair, green, blue or brown eyes. Few of their faces had many wrinkles and others were perfectly clean and silky. Words were flying through the room; shouting, laughing, the jingly sound of the many little silver scissors. Suddenly Phoenix felt lonely. There were so many people in this salon, but nobody had the same hair color as her, no one had the same piercing red-colored eyes. She even had been asked two times where she'd dye here hair. Sure, Spitfire also had red hair, bit the color of his hair wasn't that intense and his eyes were grew-blue. Am I that different?
"My my, what's with that sad look on your face, sweetheart?"
Phoenix raised her view in surprise to see a tall woman with silky dark-blue hair hanging framing her slightly pale face. "Uhm . . . hi."
The woman's smile got even broader after that clearly unsure response of the little girl. She took a place next to Phoenix and asked again:
"What brought that gloomy look on your face? Did something happen?"
Phoenix look at her with irritation in her eyes, that woman seemed to be weird, but in the same way that she was weird herself and Spitfire. It was a good weirdness . . . somehow.
"Who are you?"
"A friend of Spitfire."
The expression on Phoenix face got darker. "So, you're a friend of that girl called Simca?"
The woman shrugged. "Well, I'm a member of Genesis, her team."
"Benkei, what a surprise to meet you here?"
Spitfire had just finished another customer and walked towards the couch were Benkei sat next to Phoenix.
"Hey, Spitfire, how are you doing?" She greeted the Flame King.
"I can't complain, business is going well these days."
"That's nice to hear . . . I've heard you are taking care of that young lady here for a few weeks." Benkei smiled and put her hand on top of Phoenix' head who was quite surprised that it didn't feel as uncomfortable as when Simca had touched her the same way. That woman was . . . different.
"Well, you're right. But more importantly, what brought you here? Did something happen?" Slight worry appeared in Spitfire's eyes, but Benkei shook her head. "No need to worry, I'm simply accompanying Yoshistune; he's got some business at Tool Toul Too's headquarter . . . getting his tuner and stuff like that, you know."
"Ah, I get it. So Ine finally had found a way to force him leaving his beloved home in Kioto?"
Benkei didn't answered, but grinned amused which was enough as a response. Spitfire turned his head towards Phoenix and said:
"By the way, you may take place on that seat now, the next customer will be in one hour, I think I should be able to finish your haircut till then."
The red-haired girl nodded and went towards the said seat in front of the mirror. Strands of different colored hair were lying around on the floor, but Phoenix couldn't find any with the same tome of red as hers.
"She's cute", Benkei whispered as she leaned back and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Will she attend the meeting next week?"
"She said she'd go."
The woman smiled and finally stood up. "Well,I'm looking forward to it." Then she left the salon. "I'll go and pick up Yoshitsune."
"Spitfire?"
"Yeah?"
"I think, I'm scared."
Spitfire looked up from the strand of hair between his fingers which he was shortening right now. His eyes met Phoenix' dark-red orbs reflected in the mirror. "Of what are you scared?"
"That meeting."
The Flame King smiled softly. "But that's absolutely natural; you'll always be scared of things you don't know."
"It is natural for a human being?"
"Sure."
Phoenix didn't answer and Spitfire couldn't say why her eyes suddenly became cloudy.
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Tht's it for today ^^
Leave a review and tell me if or why you liked or disliked it ^^ Thanks a lot for reading this far!
Bye FreakyPumpkinX3