Chapter Thirteen- Rejuvenation, Relaxation, and… Puppets?!
"Ah, Yumi-Chan!"
"Oh, Yura-san… Hello." Shadow smiled as she turned to face the other woman.
It was just another day of studies and Shadow was taking a break. She felt that if she didn't, she'd go insane after studying a subject she wouldn't even care about under normal circumstances.
"Just as a reminder, tonight is the annual family ceremony, so if you want, use this pass to get into the hot springs." Yura handed the other girl a wooden token, kanji written on the front and back.
Yura winked and said, "It isn't necessarily good for just one use either." And she walked off, humming to herself and obviously proud of her good deed.
Shadow looked at the ticket and smiled to herself. Sounds nice… I haven't actually visited yet either, so this might be worthwhile. Shadow walked back to her room and collected her bag of clothes.
After the thousandth time of searching, Shadow had given up on looking for her lost hairpins, and as substitutions she had been transforming leaves and feathers to look like crude imitations of the original family crest.
Shadow grabbed her hairbrush, and light, almost dull, blue kimono and headed to the family spa center.
The reception room was marvelous. Jade columns held up different shades of green stained glass ceiling and green marble tiles were separated by tiny white pearls on the floor. Large portraits of beautiful ladies and handsome men lined the walls, each looking even more elegant than the last, and gold frames held each portrait.
As soon as shadow stepped foot on the spotless floor, a maid took her pass and whisked her to the area where customers got their feet scrubbed and legs were covered in a soothing, homemade lotion. Then Shadow was led to the mud bath room. She was told that the mud was like a soothing remedy that would smooth her skin and rid her of blemishes. Shadow passed on the offer and was then led to the steam house. She told the maids that she would prefer to be alone and since no one else was in the area, she got her wish.
Shadow sat in the room quietly soaking in the heat and steam as she thought about recent events, when she heard the door of the room opened and a couple walked in talking to each other.
"And she looks at me and asks-"
"What the hell are you doing here?!" Shadow cried.
Red hair, heavily lidded brown eyes, and an annoyingly calm voice. It all led up to one evil, and one evil only.
Sasori.
Through the steam that was quickly evaporating, Shadow was able to make out his face as she said, "Get out."
"Excuse me?" Sasori asked politely. "Do I know you?"
"Cut the crap Sasori. What the hell are you doing here?"
Sasori sighed and said calmly, "I'm here accompanying the lovely Lillian-chan. I'm her escort. Lillian-chan, this is my younger and, stupider partner, Yumi Yumeka."
A young girl around the age of 18 appeared through the steam and looked at Shadow curiously. Long, light purple hair that was braided cascaded down her back and matching, innocent purple eyes peered at Shadow. "H-hello," She said shyly. "M-my name is Lillian. N-nice to meet you." She outstretched a small pale hand to Shadow, which was ignored. Shadow only had eyes for Sasori at the moment.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
Sasori sighed again, slightly impatient, "Do you bother listening to me at all? I swear, whatever I say to you goes in one ear and out the other."
"And?"
Sasori sighed again and repeated himself, "I'm here on business to escort Miss Lillian. Got a problem with that? Talk to my boss." And with that he plopped himself on a wooden bench and stretched out his long arms along the tops of the other benches. Lillian joined him and Shadow sat across, glaring at the red head.
An uncomfortable and overwhelming silence passed between the two and Lillian tried to break it but with several failed attempts to make light conversation, she gave up.
After what seemed like decades of sitting through an unsettled silence, Shadow stood up and said, "Well, it was nice meeting you Lillian, but if you excuse me, I think I will go visit the hot springs now."
"Oh! Good idea!" Lillian cheered enthusiastically. "May I join?"
"Sure. Why not?"
"Then I might as well join too." Sasori said, standing up as well.
"What are you talking about? The hot springs are separated by gender."
"I know. What did you think I was gonna do? Hang out on the women's side like a five year old?" Sasori asked sarcastically as he rolled his eyes and left the steam room. "I wouldn't want to see you of all people naked, even if you paid me too." He laughed.
Shadow ground her teeth in aggravation, steam pouring from her head as she blushed, and walked out with Lillian.
"Um... Sasori-san? Are you okay?" Lillian called to Sasori from their side of the hot springs. Another silence had settled between the small group as Lillian lightly knocked on the wood fence that separated the hot spring.
Silence replied Lillian and Shadow sighed as she waded over to Lillian and called, "Oi! Sasori! You drowning over there or what?"
"Ooh, I do hope he's okay!" Lillian said worriedly.
"Meh, don't worry. He may have a thick head, but he can float." Shadow said uncaringly.
"Oh okay…" Lillian was silent, then turned to look at Shadow. Innocence drained from her eyes as she spoke in a lame, almost monotone voice she said, "Okay girl. Listen and listen good because I'm only gonna say this once. Sasori-san is here to protect me and me alone. Friend or not, you shouldn't be involved with him. Don't go messing where you shouldn't be." She jabbed Shadow in the chest and Shadow winced slightly.
Bitch! Shadow's inner side screeched.
Eh? Where the hell have you been? Shadow asked her.
Dormant okay?! So shut up and kick this bitch's ass. Hard.
Shadow smiled sweetly to Lillian, grabbed her by the wrist and pushed her under the water.
The two girls tossed and turned in the unusually deep hot spring, and somehow to Shadow's dismay she was the one who ended up under the water. She struggled to reach for the surface but the surprisingly weak look Lillian had an inner strength that held Shadow under.
Although it was muffled and sounded like she was gurgling, Shadow could hear Lillian's cry, "Eek! Sasori-san! Yumi-chan fainted and I can't pull her up!"
Air! Shadow's mind yelled. She shut her eyes tightly. She felt Lillian stop holding her down and halfheartedly try and pull her up. Shadow was too weak to swim up herself when she heard a shout of "That damned idiot!" and a splash of water.
My body… Feels so heavy… I've gone numb… Is this… What it feels like to… Die?
She could feel stronger arms begin to pull her to the rocks and force her out of the water onto dry land. She opened her eyes weakly to see a brown pair of eyes peer awfully close to her.
Sasori…?
Shadow then blacked out.
"Yumi-Chan?" the voice came to Shadow's ears, but they sounded distant… Transparent, almost as if someone were calling to her from another side of a cliff. "Yumi-Chan? Yumi-chan! Are you alright?"
Shadow bolted up and coughed up water, she clutched her chest as pain settled and it felt as if it were clenching her heart. Someone patted her back comfortingly as she spit out more water. A white wash cloth slipped off her forehead and fell onto the covers of the makeshift bed that had been made of towels.
"Oh thank goodness… Yumi-Chan, you've come back. I was so worried." Shadow looked into the face of Lillian, innocence shining through her eyes again.
Sure you are. Since you're the one who almost killed me!
Shadow wanted desperately to say these words, but her throat was burning and she felt dizzy when she tried to stand up and choke the other girl. Lillian pushed her back down and Shadow didn't resist.
"It was a good thing that Sasori-san knew CPR, he was able to save you." She looked admiringly at Sasori who was sitting in a corner, arms crossed over a simple blue yukata.
If Shadow hadn't been in her present condition, she would've slapped her hands over her mouth, and spit on the ground. He used… The mouth to mouth… That… Bastard…! Shadow said warily. She coughed again, and then turned her back to the Sasori and Lillian.
"Lillian-chan?" She croaked out.
"Yes?"
"Do you mind…? Leaving the room for a couple of minutes? I need to speak..." she began to cough violently, water still trying to exit from her throat.
"Oh, yes of course. I'll be back in a few minutes. Actually, I was going to go get some hot water bottles for you anyways." Lillian stood and left the room, closing the sliding door behind her.
Sasori and Shadow both sat quietly together.
"Thank you." Shadow managed to croak.
"Sorry? I didn't quite hear that." Sasori said.
Shadow popped a vein, she knew full well that he heard, but wanted to rub it in her face.
"I said."
"Yes?"
"Thank. You." She said, through gritted teeth.
"I'm sorry, one more time. I think I still have some water in my ear from saving you, so my hearing's not so great right now," Sasori said almost in a sing song voice.
Shadow jumped from her seat as she jabbed violently at him and said, "I said thank you, you damned Puppet Master! Urk!" Shadow turned as she threw up in a bucket that had been left near her temporary bed.
Her back was turned to Sasori, but she could feel his gaze on her.
"You're welcome, brat." She looked back to face him and she was surprised to see him behind her draping a warm blanket around her shoulders. "Just be more careful." He said, actual concern hinted in his tone.
"Sasori…" Before Shadow realized it, she was already half way closer to Sasori's face. An inch away, the sliding door slammed open and the two jumped back.
"Here Yumi-Chan! I brought you these hot water bottles, I hope they help," Lillian said brightly.
"Thank you, I think my throat is actually feeling much better now."
"That's good, now why don't you get some rest?"
Shadow lay back down and smiled weakly, "Thank you… Lillian-chan."
Don't let your guard down. Shadow's inner side said evilly, I'll be getting you back some time.
And Shadow fell asleep.
Edited: August 7, 2012