Meanwhile at school
"What do you mean 'left with Ayanami'?" Asuka asked Hikari Horaki in an annoyed, borderline angry, tone. "When?"
"I meant exactly what I've just said", Hikari replied with a sigh. "They left about a minute after you, talking about food. I think it was about food, it's not that I was eavesdropping", she explained patiently.
"And you didn't stop them?!"
"Why should I?" Hikari asked with confusion in her voice and on her face. "There's no rule about staying in class during the lunch break, and sometimes people want to talk in private."
'And that's the entire problem!' was at the tip of Asuka's tongue – but she decided that saying this out loud was a bad idea. "Right", she agreed instead. "Never mind, I'll grab him later", she declared as she finally opened her bento. 'Speed-eating contest, coming up!' she grumbled internally, 'and then, the hunt is on.'
...
"Hey, I thought you weren't supposed to run away" thrown in a rather mocking tone made Shinji almost jump in place. Rei, in turn, reacted with barely a twitch.
"There was no need to do that, Soryu-san", she said calmly, turning her face towards the source of the voice. "Your presence was anticipated."
"What?" Asuka asked in a confused voice as she stepped out from the doorframe that hid her from both Shinji and Rei, currently sitting on the roof. "You made yourselves scarce and left me alone."
"I asked Toji to–" Shinji started and realization dawned on his face. "Right. That was a bad idea, right? Let me guess, he likely ran off to get his lunch."
"You really need to learn a bit more about planning and deciding who's reliable and who's not", Asuka let out a heavy sigh. "And why, in the name of all that is holy, are you eating here instead of inside the classroom, like civilized people?"
Before Shinji could reply, Rei interjected: "It was due to my request. I requested the bento to be made slightly spicier. I did not know how I would react to the results. Therefore, I also requested Ikari-kun to take me to a place with more privacy in case I suffered undesirable side effects."
"Undesi–okay, if we're going to… work together", Asuka hesitated, "you'll need to learn to speak like a human being, and not like a robot or some lecturer. Or someone who ate a dictionary."
"I do not understand", Rei replied with a hint of confusion on her face. "Consuming paper is inadvisable. Cellulose is indigestible for humans and thus provides no nourishment."
"What?" Asuka shook her head. "Okay, and we need to teach you some other stuff, like idioms. Never mind", she shook her head again, forcing herself to focus on Shinji. "What now? I mean, after school?"
"I asked Ayanami-san if she'd like to have us accompany her home", Shinji explained and paused, looking at Rei expectantly.
"I find this proposition unexpected. But it is welcome. Thus, I have accepted", Rei picked up after a few seconds, her voice somewhat unsure.
"Okay… color me surprised", Asuka admitted with a frown. "I remember too well that you told me you'd talk to me only if ordered to."
"My perceptions have been altered recently", Rei stated in her usual, level tone. "That statement is no longer true. I intend to… seek contact."
Shinji and Asuka exchanged quick glances; Shinji's eyebrows rose and Asuka's frown deepened. "Okay, I'll take that. Fine for me. I hope it's not too far a walk, though. We have things to do today. Like, you know, some work", she added with a glance at Shinji.
"Not very far", Shinji shook his head; Asuka could swear he blushed slightly when saying that, but this could have been her imagination. "We'll be able to get back with plenty of time on our hands."
"Great", Asuka stated – and, no matter how unwilling she was to admit that, relaxed. 'Okay, this is weird, but not that bad… assuming he won't spring any odd surprises on me…' she mused. "Okay, I'm heading back. Don't get late, the last thing we need is Hikari 'Where have you been, teacher is coming in a moment!' Horaki to nail you to the wall as an example for future generations. And then the whole plan will go south."
"Being nailed is unpleasant. But I do not think Horaki-san would resort to this level of escalation. I would expect verbal reprimand at most", Rei replied. "But we shall endeavor to be on time to avoid that as well."
"Unple– you know what, I'm not even asking. See you", Asuka shook her head – and a moment later her steps sounded on the steps of the stairway.
Shinji and Rei contemplated for a moment, exchanged a mutually sympathetic glance – and returned to their bentos in silence.
...
Meanwhile in the school's nurse's office
"Toiguchi-sama, I'm done here", Auset spoke up as she saved the last student's record. 'I really hope this was the last task like this for a while. This kind of stuff is why mistress brings Timmy…' she grumbled internally. "What should I do next?"
"Hmm", Chisaka Toiguichi took a look at her notes and shook her head. "Nothing on the list. So, unless an incident walks through the door, you can do the routine things."
'Routine things, right. The Japanese do not relax, or take it slow, do they?' Auset let out a quiet sigh. Of course, externally, anything but a proper "Yes, Toiguchi-sama!" would be at the very least inappropriate. 'On the other hand, I'm still the stranger here, and while I'm supposed to behave here… it doesn't mean I am to be proper everywhere', she smirked – and after a few minutes of making sure everything was in order in the cabinets, she turned to face the head nurse again. "Toiguchi-sama… can I ask you a favor?"
"Mm? What is it?" Chisaka raised her head from the notes.
"I am still very new to this city, and… I don't have many friends", Auset started, her eyes down, her expression demure. "And the city itself is… intimidating. Could you perhaps show me a few places where it is safe for a girl to have a drink and not… you know… get too much unwanted attention?"
"Well… there aren't many, to be honest… if you want an actual bar and not a place to just get food and go" Chisaka replied, trying her best to maintain her focus. She got used to the girl's presence in the last few days – but only to her presence, not to the moments when she focused on her and had nothing else on her mind. The fact that the girl seemed entirely unaware of the effect her behavior had on Chisaka was definitely not helping. She was frantically looking through the limited list of places she remembered and scratching out virtually every single bar, club, or restaurant she had visited with her boyfriend; she was all too aware that if a woman went there alone, she would receive a lot of attention, every time. "There is a place or two like this when I think of it" she continued after a moment. "But not many more… I'd try Fleur de Lis. It's quite easy to find…" Chisaka started to explain.
Auset was not the most self-controlled person in current Voland's retinue – but she was quite adept at giving her expressions a different meaning to what they actually meant: the smile emerged on her face because she knew the place – but to an outside observer, it was just an expression of happiness and eagerness.
But getting the name out of Chisaka was just the first step. "I'm sorry, it's a bit confusing", she interrupted carefully. "Could you please perhaps give me an address?"
"I'm afraid not", Chisaka smiled apologetically. "We… well. 'Address' doesn't mean much around here, especially in a city that changes so much as Tokyo-3 does."
"Um…" Auset's eyes dropped again. "Could you… would you take me there then?" she asked in a quieter tone – and her pleading eyes met Chisaka's.
Chisaka's thoughts of 'I've got this, this is a friendly conversation with a colleague' briefly turned to 'oh shit' and then to 'this is the worst idea since the invention of credit score, but I don't think I can refuse her' within about five seconds. "I… Um…"
"If it's not too much trouble, of course!" Auset interrupted a bit louder. "I mean… I'm sure you have things to do–"
Chisaka Toiguchi was currently in the process of mentally slapping herself out of a stupor. "Of course, I – not a problem", she managed to say. "Um… tomorrow night?"
"Yes! Thank you!" Auset's face lit up immediately as she grabbed Chisaka's hand and squeezed it. "Oh! Sorry! Sorry!" she withdrew immediately. "I'm sorry, I keep forgetting this is not okay here!" she exclaimed – and quickly retreated to the back room, leaving Chisaka utterly confused, staring at her hand, and with her head filled with conflicting thoughts about her co-worker, her boyfriend, and her very nature.
Only when the storage room's door closed behind Auset, she allowed a smirk to emerge on her face. 'That was just too easy…'
...
"Here, Asuka!" Shinji waved as he saw the redhead in the crowd departing from school.
"I can see you, idiot", Asuka replied, rolling her eyes. "Or, more precisely, I can see you", she gave Rei a glance. "Let's go… wait, where are you heading? The stop is that way."
"If we intend to arrive at the place of my residence, it makes more sense to go in its direction", Rei replied in her usual deadpan tone.
"Wait, you intend to walk the whole way?" Asuka shook her head in surprise.
"Sorry about that. There's no valid bus or train line that would take us there", Shinji explained. "You can still head home, you know."
"What are you, stupid?" Asuka shrugged; her expression of surprise and annoyance got quickly replaced by a mask of dedication. "Let's go. Lead the way."
...
Rei Ayanami was walking the streets of Tokyo-3. But this time, she was not alone.
It was the same route she took dozens of times, and it was still the same city. It was also the same air, the same sun, and the same soundscape.
It was still full of new sensations, and – foremostly – full of company.
They already started to help her. Ikari-kun's bento was a new experience – and he joined her on her way home. Soryu-san joined her as well. They appeared not to know how much it mattered to her – but accompanied her nonetheless.
She has always perceived the presence of other people in some manner, even if she did not see or hear them; it took her a while to understand that this was not commonplace, that, for example, if she moved quietly and out of sight, Doctor Akagi would be surprised by her approach. This perception was always low-key, though, and in time, she learned to tune it out, just as she did to the familiar and meaningless sounds.
But now she realized that in the same vein as she could focus on sounds that mattered, she could do the same to presences she wanted to perceive. And so, she not just saw her two pilot companions and heard their occasional exchanges – she also knew their presences, presences both different and similar. The calm but eager presence of Shinji Ikari, touched by sadness and a hint of despair – and the aggressive but erratic presence of Asuka Langley Soryu, touched by the same sadness and a hint of fear.
Suddenly, she wanted to feel more – and recalled how she felt when the strange visitor was leading her around the city. She took a quick look at her companions – and realizing there was only one viable solution, she made a request to the only person who had both hands free: "Ikari-kun, would you please hold my bag for a moment?"
"Um… sure?" came the reply – and once her own hands were free, she enacted the second part of the plan: grabbing both Asuka's and Shinji's hands with her own.
The presences she sensed immediately changed; Rei was not adept at reading those changes, but the simple act of looking at her companions told her it was a reaction of surprise. "I am sorry. Have I done something wrong?" she asked while still holding to their hands. "I was told this is a sign of… companionship", she decided on the word after a moment of pondering. "It can also signify an intent to remain together. I was explained that otters do it in this manner and that it was also applicable to human beings."
Asuka's expression was one of utter confusion. 'She still sounds like she was educated by some bloody aliens who managed to get their hands on an encyclopedia but without any context… and she acts like that, too. Odd as it is, though, it's not unpleasant or anything, though… maybe she's serious about connecting? Did that messenger get to you, too, Wondergirl? And if so, what have they done to you? And how did he… she… look to you?' she wondered quietly.
Shinji, on the other hand, was somewhat panicking. It abated, if only slightly, when he realized that Asuka was not about to explode – but this changed little. A girl was still holding his hand – and seemed to almost smile. "A-Ayanami-san… are you all right?" he asked and immediately regretted it, realizing how stupid it sounded.
"I am fine. I think. Can we walk like this for a while?" she asked.
Shinji could only nod – and Rei decided that Asuka's confused face did not constitute a refusal. And her almost smile grew a little bit.
...
'This is an interesting development', Behemoth thought as he trotted a few meters above and a dozen away from the three. Having left the relatively cold confines of NERV after saying his good-byes, he decided to take a look at the one person who was still making him worry – and realized that she was happily – or at least in a way that could be understood as 'happily' with her limited ability to express – walking with two other pilots. 'Well. Perhaps she will not end the world… At least not today', he concluded.
He watched them for a while, careful to stay behind; he was all too aware that the moment the perception of the inhuman girl stops being so focused on her companions, she would notice him – and so, the moment they stopped at an ice cream booth, he decided he had seen enough.
...
"What is your favorite taste, Ikari-kun?" Rei asked.
"I like vanilla", he replied.
Asuka rolled her eyes. "Why I am not surprised", she chuckled. "Plain and innocent."
Before Shinji could react, Rei spoke up: "And what is your favorite taste, Soryu-san?"
"Strawberry, of course!" she huffed.
"That makes sense", Shinji nodded. "Pink suits you, you should wear it more often", he added with a small smile that could be seen as cheeky – if that notion did not sound absurd to Asuka.
Asuka gave him an incredulous look, but before she could say anything, Rei spoke up: "One vanilla cone, one strawberry cone, and one honey jalapeno pickle cone, please."
"A… what?" Asuka's eyes almost bulged.
"I'm afraid we don't carry that last one, young lady", the clerk replied without a sign of confusion and apology in his voice. "I must ask you to choose from the list."
"Salted caramel then, please", Rei corrected after half a second of scanning the list.
"Coming right up", the clerk smiled.
Shinji gave Asuka another look that could only mean 'I told you, something is different' – and Asuka let out a heavy sigh.
...
About twenty minutes later
"{My God}", Asuka blinked as she looked around Rei's place. "{It's worse than – than I thought.}"
"{Please forgive the simplicity of the accommodations}", Rei spoke. "{I am not accustomed to guests.}"
"{No problem, it's just – wait,since when do you speak German?!}"
"Um… guys…" Shinji interjected meekly. "I don't get a word of this?"
"Do not worry", Rei replied, "we are not planning anything detrimental to you. And I have been able to communicate in German since early childhood. I have received a comprehensive education."
"Okay… I just wonder what's the next surprise that is going to hit me", Asuka shook her head, her expression suggesting that she was about to start screaming. "Okay, Ayanami, we're off. Thanks for the ice cream, and… see you tomorrow."
"Thank you for your company on my way home", Rei said with a small bow. "It was… pleasant."
"And so was yours", Shinji added; he seemed to be more embarrassed than confused. "I'll see you tomorrow… ah, what kind of bento do you wish?"
"I would request it to be a degree spicier", Rei replied. "If it is possible."
"Of course", Shinji agreed with a smile.
"Bye then!" Asuka interrupted what started to look like some prolonged departure ritual – and grabbed Shinji by the wrist.
...
"{Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit}", was all Asuka could say as her back was resting against the concrete wall of a half-ruined building a few dozen meters away from Rei's apartment building.
"Asuka?" Shinji probed carefully. "Do you want to go home? We don't have to go to the library today–"
"Of course we do, idiot", Asuka growled. "I just saw it with my own eyes!"
"Saw what?" he asked, his brows furrowing.
"Come. There's no time to waste", she grabbed his wrist again – and once more, Shinji was thankful for the NERV training regime that allowed him to keep up with Asuka.
...
"{Shit. Shit. Shiii–}" Asuka Langley Soryu rattled off, hiding her paler-than-usual face behind her hands.
"Asuka?" Shinji whispered as he leaned out from between the shelves.
"For fuck's sake… I should've known. I'm soooo stupid…" she growled, reflexively adjusting the level of her voice; horrified or not, respecting the rules of the library was important. "Of course. I think I messed this up. Just a bit, but still."
"Asuka?" he raised his eyebrows.
"Now I'm sure I made a pact", she stated, her voice grave. "I know this is not the most reliable source", she waved towards the screen with about ten tabs open. "But I this was, no doubt, a proper pact."
"Well… we both–" he started.
"No, no, you don't get it. You made a promise. I… I think I'm the keystone here. It's just… not for my soul. But it is, in a way, for my life", she tried to explain.
"You're going to die?" he asked in a voice mixing confusion with terror.
"Eventually, most likely", she deadpanned, her voice suddenly chirpy, her smile wide, her eyes hollow. "But this is not the point. It's complicated. I… I made a pact. I made a promise not to kill you, and – in essence – to listen to you. Then I made a pact to… well, accept the weirdness Wondergirl would bring. And…"
Shinji's eyes were about to escape his skull. "There's more?"
"Yes, but it's not important right now. I mean–"
"Asuka?" he interrupted, immediately scared by his audacity.
"Will you trust me?" she demanded, throwing her hands in the air – and pulling them down just as quickly when she noticed that they were shaking. "For now… for now it's you, and we talked about it already. There's… there's Wondergirl, but we still don't know how she's aware and involved, and I have no idea what she'll bring, with all the weird and not like her she just showed today", Asuka kept explaining. "I just have to make sure you don't kill her – which is likely to be easy – and to make sure I don't kill her, which might be harder if she makes an overture towards you", she paused to take a breath. "And all that… and all that I promised to Devil himself. Thrice. Thrice and thus binding."
Shinji pondered his options for a moment, then decided to go with the most dangerous one possible: he leaned in and embraced Asuka. "Well, whatever you do, I'll be around to help."
"Leave. Now", she demanded suddenly in a hollow voice.
"Asuka?" he probed, confused.
"Go. Trust me. Go. You're not ready for what is coming", she spoke, her voice starting to shake. "Nor am I."
A sudden, unexpected surge of courage drove his answer. "No, unless you really mean it."
"For fuck's sake", a sob interrupted Asuka's retort, "why do you have to be contrary in the" – another sob – "worst possible moment?"
"Well… I did promise her I will not run away", he explained apologetically – and tightened his embrace.
...
Eikō Yamada, a librarian with almost eight years of professional experience, saw numerous things happening at the public computers and was quite experienced in dealing with all of them: people looking at porn, people making use of said porn, people heartbroken on receiving a long-awaited e-mail only for it to be a "Dear John" letter, people desperate for any work that were just refused another posting, people crying because of some news… she saw it all – and the answer, while depending on the particular situation, was usually obvious.
Not so much in the situation she witnessed right now: two teenagers, including one who was definitely a foreigner, talking and then holding each other as tears were running down their faces. This might not have been a situation that required her immediate attention, but certainly required some resolution – at least before other people came in. She froze in indecision for a few seconds – and breathed a breath of relief as she saw them separate. She stepped back from the doorway as the boy started to turn his head towards her.
...
"We… should go", Shinji remarked, shooting careful looks around.
"Yeah", Asuka agreed. "Let me guess, we just made a great start, because it can only go up from here?" she quipped sarcastically.
"Asuka…"
"Well, consider yourself honored, you just saw something nobody did since my mother's funeral", she reached into her backpack and fished out some tissues. "Let me just find a bathroom here, fix some of the nightmare I've become, and we can go."
"I'll do the same", Shinji agreed. "I'll be waiting outside."
...
A few minutes later
"How do you feel?" Shinji asked the moment Asuka emerged from the doorway, her slightly puffy eyes the only suggestion that something happened.
"Fine", she replied curtly. "Listen, if a single word about this gets out to anyone–"
"Asuka, I–"
"A. Single. Word–"
"Asuka, what do you think I am?" his voice sounded openly offended. "I'll keep your secrets."
She gave him a look that was an odd mix of mistrust, hope, fear, appreciation, and worry. "Okay", she finally spoke. "Let's go home. I'm hungry."
"I need your help with shopping", Shinji objected.
"All right, all right", she rolled her eyes. "Let's just… let's just get over with it", she added – and grabbed his hand again.
'This is not going to be easy, is it?' he realized as he was being pulled towards the bus stop. 'But I think it's going to be worth it…'
...
Later that evening
Sergeant Miyoshi was somewhat nervous.
This was, of course, not her first time going out with someone to a bar night – after all, post-work drinking binges were something of a deeply-rooted custom in Japanese work culture, be it in the corporate or the military facet of it. She also had a few friends she met for a drink – or two or ten – from time to time.
But this was different. The whole situation was quite different – while the invitation had an informal, almost friendly mood around it, it was definitely not a meeting between friends as she understood the word. Not to mention that those two she was meeting were different from the people she usually consorted with – she had her suspicions about what they might have been, and she already dubbed them "magicians" in her mind.
She looked around as her hand unwittingly fiddled with the strap of her bag; being quite aware that this was not a date night or any official outing, she chose the look she often nicknamed "don't give me trouble" – dark cargo pants, black leather jacket, and an old haversack from the army surplus. And now she was having second thoughts about that. 'What if they feel insulted by that?' rattled in her mind. 'What if I'm the worst-dressed person in the company?'
She shook her head, trying to banish the thoughts. 'No. Judging from how the then-Inspector acted, they'd have given me a dress code. They don't set traps… there's no reason to, not anymore, right?' she reasoned. 'And even if this is just more information-gathering… I won't tell them more than they read in all the top-secret files they got into their hands. I'm just a–'
"Good evening, Miyoshi-san!" a chirpy voice broke her out of her reverie.
She spotted the source of the voice immediately and silently cursed her own inattentiveness; being deep in her thoughts was not a valid excuse for not spotting a redheaded woman in a green-and-white kimono and a handsome man in colorful clothes that looked like they belonged in a museum with a label 'German style-attire, medieval period'. 'Well, shit. I'm definitely underdressed…' appeared in her mind as she realized how good the kimono looked on Natasha – and how easily did Voland move in something she could not even properly name. "Good evening!" she replied nonetheless, trying her best not to stare. "I'm sorry, I was deep in thought."
"There is no reason to apologize", Voland interjected, their voice higher than Miyoshi remembered. "It is a pleasure to see that you accepted our invitation. And I believe it now falls to you to lead the way?"
Miyoshi silently blessed the – most likely unconscious – side-effect of that suggestion: she now had a problem to solve, and thus less time to worry about the inadequacy of her own attire. "Yes, of course", she replied. "But first, I need you to tell me – what do you wish to experience?"
Voland smiled in response – and started to explain.
...
About fifteen minutes and a few quick decisions later
"You know, if I'm to call you by your first names, you could at least call me by mine"
Voland gave Natasha a discreet look – and she picked up the cue. "By all means, Gosha", she smiled.
Miyoshi blinked in confusion, then a small expression of realization dawned on her face. "Right, you know it from my file. It was the only way the Japanese would not mangle it. It's not 'Gosha', really. It's 'Margaret'… or, if you want to be true to my grandmother's intent – 'Małgorzata'."
A few moments of silence were suddenly followed by a low, guttural laughter of Voland and a high-pitched but still pleasant giggling of Natasha. Miyoshi kept staring at them in confusion, unsure of what to think of this reaction.
"My apologies, madame", Voland finally spoke, their voice still carrying the aftershocks of the laughter. "Fate is, indeed, a whimsical being, and, without a doubt, one with a sense of humor."
"I'm sorry, I don't think I follow you", Miyoshi spoke up carefully, still confused. "What does fate have to do with that?"
"You see…" Natasha picked up, "we put a lot of stock in tradition. This is somewhat necessary when one needs to face the changing world and remain stable. And one of our traditions… well, not to go into too much detail, one of our traditions involves offering a queenly position for the purposes of a certain… ceremony. And that tradition dictates that it can only be offered to a local woman with royal blood in her veins… and graced with the name of Margaret", she explained while Voland nodded to that. "In the local variant, of course."
Miyoshi's eyebrow raised. "So…" she spoke after a few moments of consideration, her tone somewhat confused. "Should I dig through my family records – well, what's left of them – in the unlikely case you ever come to hold such an event in this city and have a need to… employ me?"
"Oh, this is not employment, Margaret. This is more akin to an invitation. And, to my regret, that case is indeed unlikely", Voland replied, their voice still quite amused, "since we are here under a tenuous agreement and rather strict conditions, and those do not involve large-scale revelry. But should such an occasion ever arise, I certainly will not forget about you", they smiled wider. "And as for your lineage, do not worry, we have our ways of tracing it, should this become necessary."
"Why regret?" she asked.
"Well, you are certainly good company", Voland replied with a smile. "And I'm quite sure you'd fit the role quite well. But this is, as I just said, an unlikely occasion… unless we are invited here again, on different terms."
"I see", Miyoshi nodded after a few seconds of thinking. "You certainly have a lot of secrets."
"A few", Voland confirmed, their smile turning a little bit more crooked.
"Could you tell me one thing, Margaret?" Natasha picked up again. "I can understand why you didn't put your actual name on file, that being a tongue-breaker in Japanese… but why 'Gosha'?"
"Well, that's quite simple", Miyoshi chuckled. "It's a diminutive of the original, Polish pronunciation… and one that is easier to make it sound Japanese than 'Margot', or 'Margaret'. And considering that 'Margot' would easily sound like 'maggot', and 'Małgorzata' was outright impossible to render in kana without a complete mangling… I think I made the right call", she explained with a smile.
"Indeed", Voland agreed and reached for the glass. "Let us drink to the interesting discoveries", they offered and waited for a second for the others to raise their glasses. "Let those not be the last ones tonight!"
Miyoshi chuckled again. 'Well. I'm glad at least some of my worries were unfounded…' and turned her attention to a new, small glass that appeared in front of her. "What is this? Vodka?"
"Oh, no", Natasha smirked. "It would be rude to pour you vodka, now that we know your name. It's pure alcohol."
"Ah. We're at this stage of the party?" she chuckled.
"Well, with a Polish woman, a German man, and a Russian woman walking into a bar…" Natasha replied with a smile.
"This sounds like a setup for a bad joke", Miyoshi chuckled.
"Well, I sure hope that this does not feel like a joke… let alone a bad joke", Voland commented.
"Not at all", Miyoshi smiled apologetically. "To the good company, then?" she raised the already frosting glass with the crystal-clear liquid.
"To the good company!" followed in accord.
...
"Thank you for that night, guys", Miyoshi said as the crispy evening air hit her lungs. "It was a pleasure. And let me guess… I'll never see you again?"
"I tend not to use the term 'never'", Voland objected. "It carries too much gravity and very rarely holds true. But it is, indeed, unlikely that we meet in this lifetime once we take our leave tomorrow."
"This lifetime?" Miyoshi's eyebrow went up. "Are you telling me I'll have another?"
"Well, this is the kind of discussion that would warrant another drink – so I'll just say that the only thing that matters is what you believe about this", Voland explained with a crooked smile on their face. "Thank you for your company, Margot… and good luck with your life. You might need it, considering the storm you live in."
"And thanks for the crash course in the funnier drinks", Natasha added. "I didn't know bartending grew that complex in the meantime!"
"My pleasure", Miyoshi chuckled. "Take care, you two", she bowed slightly, and once the bows were returned, she turned to go her own way.
She had to admit that while she had her share of strange things in her life, she would be hard-pressed to find anything matching this encounter. 'But I suppose it would not hurt to try…' she chuckled to herself.
...
"Your orders, messire?" Natasha asked once Miyoshi was gone.
"Relax", Voland replied. "It is over. I will be visiting the temple tomorrow morning for a proper farewell. If you wish to join me, be at the bottom of the stairs at eight."
"Thank you, messire", Natasha smiled and bowed deeper. "I'll be there", she added and retreated to go her way.
Voland smiled. Their work was never light or easy – but many things made it worth the effort.
And nights like those made the fruits of their labor taste even sweeter.