Chapter 19 at last.
I'm surprised by the number of reviews the last chapter received, and impressed by how many have said they will keep reading even though the pairing appears to have gone against their preference. Wish I could please everyone...
I'm not confirming for sure one way or the other if this is how it will finish. I'm afraid only time will tell on that score.
Anyhow, time to get on with things methinks.
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Repercussions – Chapter 19
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Blinking blurriness out of her eyes, the prone figure momentarily studied the ceiling above her, as if surprised to see it. The sleep she had longed for but seemed unwilling to arrive must have caught her unawares, as she was lying half-in and half-out of her futon in a manner normally associated with Mitsune after a mid-level alcoholic bender. Clearly what had at first seemed like an eternal night had, in fact, ended – the room being lit by the twilight glow only seen on overcast days when morning was just considering making an appearance.
Gradually, Motoko eased herself up into a sitting position, wincing as a stiff back made its presence felt. Rubbing some feeling back into her left cheek, the gown-clad girl yawned a quite impressive yawn, surprised she was actually having the chance to wake up. The way thoughts had chased one another around through her head in quite a dizzying manner after darkness had fallen…..Feeling the same sensations brewing, Motoko decided to get up and meet the day early - anything to avoid the same whirlpool she'd been drowning in the evening before. Getting to her feet with less grace than was normally anticipated of her, the slim woman took in her appearance in the mirror sat beside the suit of armour with a tiny grimace. Although she hadn't been up all night, she certainly looked like she had. For a few moments the teachings of her clan echoed into her mind, and Motoko had to fight the instinct to mask the bags beneath her eyes, control the urge to appear flawless and correct.
That was behind her now. It wasn't necessary any more.
Plucking a white hairbrush from atop her dresser Motoko began to draw its teeth through her raven hair, gritting her teeth in annoyance as every stroke caught on a knot or tugged strands from her scalp. After what must have been the twentieth such episode she discarded the brush, frowning at the tangled mass of black trapped in its grasp.
Somehow, the young woman sensed that today was not going to be a day she would remember fondly.
Deciding that she was presentable enough for the present time, the tall figure decided that making her bed could wait and instead opted to see if breakfast was going to be taking place any time soon.
It was obvious by the peace through which the ex-swordsmistress walked, only punctuated by the occasional sound of soft snoring, that she was alone in being awake at the present hour. Padding softly down the staircase Motoko paused as she came into the lounge, taking in the sight before her.
A totally empty room.
Upon the sofa sat a carelessly heaped mass of blanket, obviously not containing the sleeping form of a certain Kanrinin. It seemed, contrary to her earlier assessment, that Motoko was not the only one up and about already.
Shrugging gently (and quietly disappointed the sofa was unoccupied) the young lady slipped into the kitchen, switching on the light as she did so. It was clear that the making of breakfast hadn't commenced; every surface a gleaming testament to Shinobu's housekeeping skills, utensils and plates obviously untouched. Making her way over to the fridge, Motoko unconsciously gave the dormant Wishy-Washy Two-Point-Three a wide berth - Su had fixed the overheating problem which blighted the Two-Point-Two, and the new machine had turned out to be quite reliable so long as it was given a constant stream of plates and cutlery to wash. If it wasn't, then it would instead attempt to clean the nearest possible object it could get any of its eight hands on. In the old Hinata-Sou it would have been a recipe for disaster – Motoko could have put money on some kind of 'pervert' incident within the first two days. Probably involving Keitaro, Shinobu and the removal of clothing from her person, followed shortly afterwards by a brief but explosive flash of violence.
Motoko was sincerely glad that the days when Kanrinin + underdressed tenant broken masonry seemed to be over.
Fishing some leftover rice and popping it into the microwave, the white-gowned figure reclined against the worktop while humming a vague tune until a loud 'ping' announced her temporary breakfast was ready. Withdrawing some chopsticks from a drawer and sprinkling a pinch of mixed spice atop the bowl, Motoko made her way back into the living room and took a seat on the battered old sofa, shivering slightly as the winter air chilled her even through her silken dressing gown. Eyeing the heap of blanket beside her, the girl momentarily hesitated before reasoning that it was safe to curl up beneath them – anyone approaching would be heard long before they could see her snuggling into Keitaro's sheets.
Drawing them across her lap, she shuddered again as the chill fabric made contact with the bare skin of her legs until her own body heat began to collect beneath it. Reclining back and enjoying the warmth the young lady took a bite of her food, allowing still drowsy eyes to sweep around the room. For a moment they focussed on the television before her and she idly considered turning it on, before deciding she wouldn't watch whatever was on it anyway.
It was on their second pass that her olive orbs alighted on the clock, ticking its familiar way through the seconds of the morning. It was earlier than she had anticipated, hardly past half-seven, which explained the half-light barely illuminating the house.
Suddenly, something wasn't right.
It took her several moments to pick up on exactly what, but the moment her pensive fingers brushed a cold fold of blanket it struck her.
It was early, very early. The man who should have been sleeping where she was sat had been awake continuously for thirty-six hours until the night before, so by all rights he should be comatose at this hour. Additionally his bedding was absolutely frigid; clearly it had gone un-used for hours. For a moment Motoko wondered if Keitaro had left the Hinata-sou for some reason, but the sight of his shoes in their customary place by the door suggested otherwise.
So he was in the Hinata-Sou, and given the presence of his sheets hadn't gone to his own room. Not that it was inhabitable yet anyway, several hours cleaning the night before merely enough to downgrade the room from 'biohazard' to simply 'filthy'.
So where was he?
Almost without realising it, Motoko found herself striding towards the hot springs. Pausing for the briefest moment at the threshold, the girl realised if Keitaro was in there he was going to be very undressed indeed. Blushing hotly, she found in her heart of hearts the prospect was more an incentive to enter than a deterrent. Shaking her head firmly and telling herself she was merely trying to put her mind at ease, she threw the door open and marched in while scanning the bathing area with keen eyes.
She was disappointed, in more ways than one.
After taking a moment to calm her pounding heart, the svelte figure left and trekked upstairs to investigate elsewhere. Ten minutes later she had concluded, to her growing anxiety, that the man she was searching for was not in his own private bath (barrel) or on the roof. She had even checked the laundry room and (much to her private embarrassment) the lavatories in an increasingly desperate attempt to disprove what she had feared. As the last door slid shut, Motoko couldn't help but recall what Tsuruko had said the day before.
But what would you do if your feelings are not returned, or he only has eyes for another?
Pausing mid-step, the young woman bit gently at her lower lip as the real reason for her anxiety came into focus. If the man wasn't somewhere public, then he must be somewhere private. Which meant a room, someone else's room…..and how could she be sure Tsuruko wasn't trying to give her a clue the day before? Her sister was perceptive as a hawk on the hunt; surely she couldn't have seen something……could she?
Could she?
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Keitaro was warm.
Warm and comfortable. Two things he'd not been since his self-imposed eviction from room 205. He was also still nine-tenths asleep, which explained why more complex thoughts were not buzzing through his head. Such as why he happened to be snugly curled up beneath soft blankets and atop a very pleasant mattress, rather than on lumpy sofa cushions with a terminally stiff neck. No, it was far too nice a dream to possibly be real, and so the Kanrinin was happy to just keep dreaming.
That was until something nearby coughed.
Suddenly more alert, Keitaro allowed one eyelid to creep open, taking in a blue bedspread at close range. To his still drowsy mind this suggested Mutsumi's room, but the same mind suggested further confirmation was required. Annoyed that he needed to move but giving in to curiosity, the man slowly turned over.
The pair of gleaming mahogany eyes he met at close range provided all the confirmation he needed.
"Ah!" With an undignified squeak of surprise Keitaro found himself at the opposite edge of the bed before his Okinawan host could blink.
"Good morning Kei." Mutsumi said with a beatific smile, apparently oblivious to her guest's discomfort.
"Uh, g-good morning Mutsumi." Staring at the pyjama-clad girl with wide eyes, Keitaro couldn't help but realise that Mutsumi lying full-length on the bed with bushy morning hair and a broad grin was a sight of the sorest of eyes. The blue-green silken outfit she was wearing only served to accentuate her very feminine figure, which swooped and curved in a way he was finding increasingly hard to ignore. Tearing his stare away from the buxom sight proved a struggle, one he knew Mutsumi had noticed given the slightly feline edge to her smile.
Swallowing the swelling in his throat (and desperately hoping it was the only swelling he would need to deal with), the man felt the urgent need to clarify exactly why this vision of femininity was laying on the same bed as him.
"Ah, h-how did we…..?"
"Kei, don't you remember last night?" Her smile dimmed the tiniest amount, face creasing with concern as the man before her frowned slightly. It took only seconds for memory to furnish him with the details – the growing realisation, his nocturnal visitor……
…..The conversation which followed…..
Mutsumi almost glowed with delight as Keitaro drifted out of his reminiscence with a small smile. "Do you remember now?"
"Yeah." Hesitantly the Kanrinin reached out a hand to cover hers, the two sets of fingers interlacing tightly upon contact. "Sorry it took so long for me to actually realise what my feelings actually meant, but I've been so confused by everything recently….."
"Ara, it's okay. Better late than never, ne?" Dismissing the apology easily, Mutsumi allowed her head to settle on the pillow with a sigh of utter contentment. In truth what she really wanted to do was either dance through the halls of the Hinata-sou telling the world at the top of her voice or pounce on Keitaro and ravish the man until he passed out. Twice. Neither option was likely to be appreciated…..well, the latter might be, but the last thing Mutsumi wanted to do was rush things.
Actually……she did, but she was sure it would be counter-productive.
"Um, one thing Mutsumi." She drifted back down to earth as Keitaro gestured at the bed with a hesitant hand. "How did we end up in bed…..together?" As the last word was squeaked in a very mouse-like manner, Mutsumi was suddenly even gladder she hadn't given in to her more…..primal instincts. If the man was still anxious about lying on a mattress with a girl, heaven knows what he would do if the aforementioned girl jumped his bones unannounced.
"Well, after we came here we had a discussion about who should get the bed. Even though you'd been awake for two days you insisted I have it, until you sat down on the edge of it. Then you sort of…..passed out." The Okinawan's lips twitched with obvious good humour. "It was a sight to rival even one of my episodes. One second folded arms and defiance, the next poof! Instantly unconscious. Ended the argument quickly too. So I tucked you in, gave you a kiss goodnight and curled up in the chair over there." Keitaro followed the pointed arm aimed at the comfortable seat in the corner of the room, feeling his pulse begin to return to somewhere nearing normal.
"So…..we didn't….."
"Sleep together?" The young lady didn't know whether to be amused or infuriated at the whole-body 'jolt' her guest made at two simple words. "Ara, calm down Kei. No, we didn't, and we won't until you're good and ready." Schooling her features into her best 'puppy-dog' impression, Mutsumi gave the man before her the full focus of her glistening brown eyes. "Or don't you trust me?"
Keitaro had no chance.
"Of course I do!" He replied, voice unconsciously raised.
"Then stop fussing over nothing." Mutsumi stated firmly, gaze suddenly fiercer than Keitaro knew the girl was capable of. "Last night, you said you wanted to be with me. Now this morning you're trying to back away again, and it hurts Kei. Whose business is it if we slept in the same bed? Ours, and only ours."
"I-I know Mutsumi." The Kanrinin ran tense fingers through his disorganised scalp, obviously lost and confused. "It's like…..it's something built in to me, telling me that it's wrong to even be in the same room alone with anyone……" As his eyes seemed to scan the walls for escape routes, Mutsumi sighed gently. It seemed she had her work cut out for her.
"Kei. Look at me." The strong tone and a firm squeeze of his captured hand returned Keitaro's attention to his new girlfriend. Taking a long breath, Mutsumi began again in her normal soft contralto, feeling as if she was talking to a child freshly released from a nightmare. "I know you've been through the mill, and I know Naru is still fresh on your mind. But please, remember you can trust me. Everything that happens between us stays between us, and it's nothing to do with anyone else if we share the same room or the same bed. I can take lots of things, but one thing I can't is the thought of you being afraid of me, Kei. If you're afraid, how can I believe you could……love me?" For several moments the pair looked at one another amidst a pregnant silence.
"You're right….." Keitaro muttered quietly, allowing his head to hang down. "I do trust you Mutsumi, and I want to find out what we could have. I just get this little voice which tells me something bad is bound to happen……" Still paying most of his attention to the mattress, the Kanrinin was surprised to find a gentle hand tilt his head up, and a pair of warm, tender lips press against his own. Eyes widening, the man poised to bolt until they took in those belonging to Mutsumi, gazing with honest passion from millimetres away.
All thoughts of flight dissolved in an instant, and Keitaro found himself beginning to respond. Although the kiss never deepened, both bedfellows were blushing and breathing deeply as their mouths parted.
"Well. The way I see it, every time that voice speaks up all I need to do is distract you until it shuts up." Mutsumi almost growled, a seductive tone Keitaro had never heard before but sent shivers down his spine and set his hair on end. "Does that sound good to you, Kei?"
The answer was an audible gulp and frantic nodding, the man in question not trusting his voice at that moment in time.
"Good. Now, lay down right there, and I'm going to lie next to you. Then we're going to go back to sleep, as it's still early and I think we deserve it." The dark-haired girl stated, uncomfortable at forcing the point but determined to make it all the same. After watching her bedfellow comply she let her head rest down upon a plush pillow, wishing for the first time she could remember that her bed was smaller. "Now throw me some of that blanket, it is cold this morning….." It took a few seconds, but the heavy warmth of her quilt arrived with only a little hesitation. Glancing at Keitaro, Mutsumi was glad he'd been sensible enough to keep some for himself. She hadn't fancied telling him off for the second time in as many minutes.
Keitaro for his part was resolutely studying the ceiling, half learning to appreciate the situation and half praying nobody discovered it.
"Comfortable?" Turning his head, the Kanrinin took in a particularly wide smile and joyous mahogany eyes watching from a short but safe distance. As the hand still gripping his beneath the covers gave a tiny squeeze, he let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding as his apprehension began to die down. He was still lying on Mutsumi's bed, and nothing untoward had happened. No mallets, no screaming, no unintended 'perversions'. Just himself and the girl he'd grown to trust and…..love over time, lying together in comfortable silence, safe and sound. Gradually a genuine smile began to break upon his face, one he could see mirrored clear as day by Mutsumi's almost goofy grin. Although his answer was obvious, the man sensed she was awaiting the words to go with the expression.
"Yes, I'd say I'm comfortable." If Keitaro thought the Okinawan's smile couldn't possibly get any bigger, he found himself mistaken. The girl's grin swelled so much it nearly reached her ears.
"Good. Now, I'm tired after sleeping in a chair - " Mutsumi punctuated the statement with a long yawn. " – And you're tired after yesterday's sleepless night. So let's enjoy a few more hours, ne?" Silently agreeing with the statement, the dark-haired man allowed his eyes to slip closed, bathing in contented warmth until a quiet outburst from the girl lying alongside him opened them again.
"Ara! I almost forgot……" The re-opened eyes glazed slightly as Mutsumi leaned over and kissed him on the lips, mentally counting to five before releasing again. "Goodnight, Kei." She said, the words spoken with a relish expressing the years she'd spent wishing for the chance to say them.
"Goodnight, Mutsumi." Keitaro murmured in reply, given the captured hand a squeeze that was instantly reciprocated. Seconds later his soft snores filled the room, fingers still entwined with Mutsumi's beneath the blue bedclothes.
For several long moments the Okinawan stared at the sleeping form, smile now absent. She'd been delighted (if not a little surprised) by the speed and intensity of Keitaro's response the night before, and even if she'd put him under pressure by being so honest the girl couldn't help but feel the ends justified the means. The words had been burning a hole in her for too long, and there was no way she had been able to carry them in silence any longer. Besides, there was no way the man laying beside her would lie about such things – if he'd not felt a similar way, she wouldn't be looking at his sleeping face at this very moment.
No, it was something else that worried her.
"I do trust you Mutsumi……"
Laying her own head down and closing her eyes, the girl couldn't help but wonder if she was building a house of cards with half of the bottom tier missing……
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Unsurprisingly, it had been a fractious day at the Hinata-sou. Thanks to the slackening snowfall, it had been possible for people to get out and about to some degree, which had allowed people to go about their business, whether it be making a few repairs (Keitaro), shopping for supplies (Shinobu), building a ridiculous snowman (Sara and Seta) or just escaping for a few hours (Naru and Motoko). Through all the comings and goings, Tsuruko had moored herself at the living room table, feet up and tea at the ready, talking to whoever happened by and watching events play out before her with mild interest. The only other relaxed figure was that of a well-endowed Okinawan, who had floated around the old apartments with her toes barely tracing the wooden floorboards. Tsuruko spent more than an hour chatting with Mutsumi, although she had only needed one look at the added intensity in the girl's traditional smile to know all she needed to. Mutsumi for her part was unconcerned, knowing the elder Aoyama well enough to realise that deception was both impossible and unnecessary.
However, one other person had taken notice of the young student's good mood. This was why she was stalking through the snowdrifts lining the outer walls of the Hinata-sou, in search of its Kanrinin. Who just happened to be two-thirds of the way up a ladder, hammering nails into a loose floorboard in Shinobu's balcony - which could be considered either brave or foolish given the weather. While the wind had downgraded from gale to breeze, it was still swift enough to whistle through the trees and whip her hair about when the mood took it.
Deciding not to waste her voice by shouting, Haruka placed two fingers in her mouth and unleashed a piercing whistle guaranteed to gain the attention of anyone two and a half stories up a ladder. The woman felt her heart jump into her mouth as Keitaro started, his hammer striking fingers in preference to the nail they held. Instinctively the man grabbed the throbbing digits with his other hand, conveniently forgetting he was not on terra firma. Toppling backwards, he managed to hook his good hand around one of the banisters before placing his hammered fingers in his mouth and looking down to see exactly who had made the noise. Obviously surprised at the visitor, the Kanrinin descended the ladder with minimal grace until he was stood face-to-face with his aunt.
"Haruka-obasan?" Fighting the urge to give her 'nephew' a resounding thwack with her harisen, Haruka settled for gritting her teeth.
"You get that one for free. Any more and there'll be……repercussions." For several seconds the pair looked at each other, until the older Urashima realised she hadn't actually explained why she'd called him in the first place. "Come on Keitaro-bozu. Time for a coffee, my treat."
"Uh, sure Haruka-san." Keitaro replied, recognising the code for what it was.
"Leave the ladder, it should still be here when we're done." Haruka didn't know if it would be upright or not, but to be honest she didn't give a toss. Patience was never a strong point for the tea shop owner, and waiting for Keitaro to fold it and put it away was not something she could be bothered doing.
"Okay." Descending the steps in silence, Keitaro couldn't help but wonder exactly why his aunt had chosen to invoke their old promise now.
Reaching the tea house, Haruka removed her coat and kicked off her shoes, setting to work with practised ease. Shutting the door behind him, Keitaro took his usual seat while his aunt brewed up their usual order unasked, only pausing to light up the inevitable cigarette mind-way through the process. In what must have been seconds two mugs landed on the table, each one emitting a very alluring vapour which enticed the drinker into taking a sip without even realising it.
Grasping the handle instinctively, the bespectacled man gasped as pain jolted up his arm from his abused fingers.
"That looks sore." Haruka commented idly, dark eyes betraying her apparent lack of interest.
"Ah, it'll be fine. They're only bruised, I've had much worse." Keitaro replied, dismissing the injury and using his other hand to pick up the cup. The pair took their first sips of coffee in mutual silence, before the older woman got to the point with characteristic speed.
"Okay, Keitaro-kun. I'm not going to mess around." The slim woman leaned forward, interrogation-style. "You and Mutsumi. Yes?"
"……Yes." Came the answer, spoken with more certainty than Haruka had expected.
"I see." Leaning back slightly, the woman allowed her deep brown eyes to assess her 'nephew' carefully. He looked nervous, but at the same time resolute. "Hmmmmm. Since when?"
"Last night. Well, this morning really." As Keitaro looked levelly back at her, the elder Urashima weighed her next question up carefully. When it came, it was simple and to the point.
"Why?"
Keitaro nearly choked on his coffee.
"Why?!" Wiping a sleeve across his mouth, the man levelled a glare at his aunt. "What do you mean, 'why'?!" Reassured, Haruka eased back in her chair with a tiny smile.
"Nothing, Keitaro-kun. Just wanted to make sure this isn't some kind of rebound thing."
"I wouldn't do that." The indignation in Keitaro's voice spoke far louder than his actual words. "What kind of man do you take me for, Haruka-san?" The woman in question held up a placating hand, sensing she might have gone a little too far.
"Sorry. I should have known better than that." Receiving no reply, Haruka turned her attention to her drink and waited.
"……It's been a long time since we did this." And smiled as Keitaro broke the silence, as she knew he would.
"It has."
"Almost a month now."
"Mmmmmm." A long pause followed, both people waiting for the other to broach the reason why. Inevitably, the Kanrinin stepped across the line first.
"Not since we found out what Mitsune was up to." Looking up at his aunt, Keitaro frowned slightly. "And I still think you were too harsh on her, Haruka-san. It was my money she was stealing, so it should have been my decision what was done." In response the woman shrugged, taking her cigarette from between her lips and tapping the spent ash from the end into a handily placed (and particularly ugly) Molmolian relic.
"Afraid it was time someone took charge. You're too damn soft Kei-bozu, you'd have given her a glare and a slap on the wrists at most. For that kind of crime most people get a custodial sentence, or at least community service. Heh, you know, it's the only way the community would get any service out of her……"
"But throw her out?! It's the depths of winter! She'd have lasted a week if she was lucky." The annoyance Keitaro was feeling only intensified as Haruka smiled around her cigarette.
"That's why I did it at the dinner table." The slim lady shrugged idly, looking quite pleased. "There was no way you'd let me throw anyone out. If I wanted the silly girl gone for good, she'd be gone. But bring you into the picture in her defence……" A satisfied plume of smoke was exhaled into the air between the two Urashimas, Haruka letting the smouldering cigarette rest between two of her fingers. "…..then she gets the message, and a damn big fright to the bargain. I wasn't planning on you giving up your room, but if anything it put her even more into your debt. Soon as you made it clear you didn't appreciate what she's been doing, she was going to start thinking more and drinking less."
"And look how that turned out." Came the curt reply, the Kanrinin clearly not appreciating being an unwitting part of his Aunt's machinations.
"Careful….." Haruka growled, brown eyes narrowing.
"No, Haruka-san. Mitsune ends up in hospital and you're purring over how well everything turned out? That's…..that's just wrong. Damn wrong. I don't know what to make of you now, Haruka-san, but I do know I don't like it." Keitaro muttered in response, pushing his mug of coffee away in distaste.
Haruka could have managed any amount of anger in her nephew's voice, or even the foulest language he was capable of. But when Keitaro turned his disappointed mahogany gaze on her, the woman found herself scrabbling for some way to justify herself.
"Look Kei-bozu, I didn't plan on that. I wanted her to go 'oh woe is me', brood for a while and hopefully come out a few days later with an attitude adjustment. The whole fitting and vomiting blood business was way above and beyond the lesson I wanted to teach her." The expression on her nephew's face didn't change, which unsettled her. It was the expression of someone seeing you in a different light, one she imagined Naru recognising far too late.
"……." Haruka was normally the mistress of unsettling silence, so to find she was the focus of one was disturbing. Although she'd never said as such, what Keitaro thought of her had always been important to her – family was family, and he was the closest she had. Sighing deeply, the elder Urashima dumped her half-smoked tobacco stick unfinished into her ashtray and leaned back, allowing rarely-seen emotions to show on her face.
"I honestly didn't want the silly girl to go and land up in hospital. Do I really look that heartless?" Grimacing, the woman waved a hand in the air. "On second thoughts don't answer that. There might have been better ways to do this, but I can't think of any. If I'd brought you onside for what I was planning I know that you'd have let something slip, you're not enough of a bastard to cold-shoulder anyone for too long. She'd have been right back into her old ways soon as you can say 'sake'."
"There must have been better ways." Keitaro stated, still quietly furious.
"…..Sheez, you've got to make this hard on me, haven't you?" Throwing up her arms in frustration Haruka then allowed them to flop limply down on the table, knocking her ashtray onto the wooden floor. "Fine. I gambled, and it all blew up in my face. I'm sorry. It wasn't meant to get so fucked up, but there you go. That stupid girl has got to take the consequences of the life she's pissing away, and while I don't like how it happened that's life. Now we've got to deal."
"Whatever you say, Haruka-san." Her nephew answered, clearly unimpressed. "I'm going to head back and get ready, visiting time begins soon. Not that you'd want to know……" As he watched Haruka almost visibly deflated, reaching out a grasping hand to snag his arm mid-departure. Pausing, Keitaro watched his aunt take a long breath before looking up at him.
Seconds later he wordlessly re-took his seat.
"I can't forgive her yet, Keitaro-kun. I don't like the fact that she's a drunk and a layabout, but what I can't accept is that she…..used us. Used you. Took my patience and your good will, and wasted it all without a second thought. And we're family. You know what that means to me……" The slim woman huffed quietly, face planted firmly upon her cupped hands. "Heh, saying that when I've gone and used you myself. Don't know what that makes me, but nothing good, that's for certain……"
For several long moments, the Urashimas stared at one another. Then Keitaro spoke.
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Standing slowly, the bespectacled man stretched his arms up to the ceiling, grimacing as his back emitted a series of worrying clicks. "But then again, if you never have any you're guaranteed a seat in hell." Glancing back at his aunt, Keitaro gave the woman a half-smile.
"……Coffee same time tomorrow?" Haruka asked, unable to sound completely casual.
"Yeah. Sounds good to me." Fixing his coat securely, the brown-haired man allowed a broader smile to escape. "I'll be here for the usual."
"Okay Kei-kun." Watching the figure leave, Haruka felt the kind of relief that deserved a cigarette. She'd ignited a fresh tobacco roll and placed it in her mouth before she even realised her ash receptacle was currently under a table half-way across the room, with its contents liberally strewn across the normally gleaming floor. Grumbling under her breath the shop owner gathered a dustpan and brush to sweep up the mess before replacing the odd relic to its rightful place before her favourite seat.
Then she inhaled, paused, and exhaled languorously.
"Damn, Kei. When did you grow up?" She muttered reflectively, allowing hazel eyes to glaze over. Two things she now knew for certain – one; although he never really raged at anyone, she really didn't want to end up on her nephew's bad side again. Two; if he could smile like that, it wasn't surprising he had trouble with the girls at the Hinata-sou.
The woman chuckled idly, either unaware or uncaring that her half-spent cigarette was beginning to crumble into her lap. Good thing I'm your relative and already spoken for, Kei. Else I'd have been tempted to make your life even more complicated……
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Sara was quite pleased with herself.
After her initial forays into Kaolla Su's room were met with at best silence and at worst gunfire, the young blonde had taken the dismissals as a challenge. Since then, the tenacious girl had tried every route she knew of into Su's room, from passageways and trap-doors to breaking through the ceiling. Yet every route the girl had taken was blocked, either by securely locked doors borrowed from bank vaults or another one of the Molmolian's bonkers creations, usually toting a weapon so ridiculous even the most hardened science-fiction buff would be hard pressed not to scoff.
Sara had done so herself, the first time. When she'd finished running for her life, the young American had chosen to suspend disbelief from that moment onwards.
Since then she'd tried every passage the Hinata-sou had, a few of which she was sure no other living being knew of.
Wrong.
The last mecha she came across was packing a lightsaber for goodness sake. The girl was unsure if it worked or not, but after everything else discretion was definitely the better part of valour.
But if there was one thing that Sara loved, it was a challenge. Since dor….uh…..Keitaro baiting was removed from the menu, the youthful blond had been after a new goal. Kaolla Su was presenting just that, and hence Sara was now determined to break into her room at all costs. Concern for her absent friend and curiosity over the reason for her absence might also have had something to do with it, but that was an admission Miss MacDougal would only make on pain of death.
This time, the girl was convinced she had the perfect plan. And that was not all…….
"Tell me again Sara-chan, why am I doing this?" …..If it were something that warranted concern, she had an assistant to deal with all that troublesome emotional business.
"Because, Shinobu-chan, it's the best way to find out what Su is doing. You said you were worried, right?"
"Well, yes." The teenager swept a stray strand of violet hair out of her eyes, shifting to find a more comfortable position. "But smuggling ourselves in a wooden box? And not only a wooden box, but one full of bananas?" She added, staring around. The crate was absolutely choc-full of the yellow fruits, to the point where only her chin and face were visible. Sara had to keep herself from snorting as the girl reached up and pulled a bunch off her head, before sniffing the cuff of her purple jumper with a grimace. "I'll never get the smell out of this sweater. It's one of my favourites too; Kei gave it to me for my last birthday."
"Ah c'mon, it's the perfect plan. Su has a special delivery hatch for her supply of bananas, she'll never expect it." In response, Shinobu frowned.
"So why do we have to sit in a hundred kilograms of them?"
"You honestly think she hasn't set up some kind of scanner to make sure she's getting bananas in her banana delivery?" Sara asked sardonically.
"……..Fair point." Trying to keep the torch illuminating them from sinking in the sea of yellow, Shinobu sighed gently. "So, how on earth did you set this up? First getting us into a big crate of bananas, and then delivered direct to Su's room?"
"I have connections." The young blonde smiled craftily.
"Ah."
"And Keitaro's wallet."
"Thought so." Shifting again, Shinobu huffed in frustration. "We'd better get somewhere soon; I don't know how much longer I can stay in this box."
"It's your own fault. I told you to go before we got in." Sara replied snidely, drawing colour from her companion's face.
"Hey, I didn't think it'd take so long….." The sudden onset of movement halted the conversation, and the pair focussed their efforts on keeping their heads above the banana line. After some quite vigorous jostling accompanied by odd mechanical whirring noises, the pair felt themselves come to a stop again somewhere quiet. After a few seconds silence, Shinobu spoke up.
"Do you think we're-" And nearly cracked her skull on the roof of the box as a loud siren gave a single plaintive wail.
For several long moments the pair waited in fear, expecting something seriously bad to happen. Eventually, the thought that death might not actually be imminent began to filter through, leading to matching sighs of relief.
"Alright, I think this is it." Sara cheered, looking thoroughly pleased with herself. Shinobu groaned in reply, more grateful at being alive than successful.
"Fantastic. Now, how do we get out?" Sara suddenly stopped looking pleased with herself.
"Um……"
"……….You have GOT to be kidding me." Seeing Sara's contrite look Shinobu slumped down, trying her level best not to throttle the preteen. "After all this I'm going to die in a box of bananas with no-one but the poster child for delinquency for company." Ignoring the affronted 'Hey!' her companion emitted, the home-maker idly stroked the long sleeve of her sweater in tender reminiscence. "At least I'm wearing my favourite clothes, and have my memories to ease the passing……"
CRACK
Instinctively ducking at the loud noise, the pair shielded their eyes as their private universe suddenly became a lot lighter, thanks to the use of a crowbar. Blinking spots out of her vision, Shinobu could honestly say she'd never been so glad to see Kaolla Su in her entire life. The tan figure in question peered at the contents of the crate with odd disinterest, before plucking a sheaf of bananas from atop Sara's head.
"Hiya guys." She muttered, waving a half-hearted hand before turning around and moving out of sight. The two still in the box glanced at one another before extracting themselves from the crate with due haste. Following Su through her foliage-laden abode, Sara was astonished when the girl turned into a clearing in her indoor jungle.
If it could be called a clearing any more, given it was anything but clear. The floor was littered with mechanical parts and half-finished projects, scattered in a manner that suggested they were discarded rather than filed. Here and there patches of oil and tools were strewn amongst the rubble, while banana skins sat in little puddles on every available surface. Along the far wall was a bank of screens displaying every corner of the room from every angle, one of which contained Shinobu half-hidden behind a bush muttering something along the lines of 'never, ever again'. Turning away Sara's blue eyes took in a single hammock strung between two trees, and the figure of Kaolla Su laying listlessly within it, apparently making adjustments to a blueprint.
In all the time she'd known Kaolla, Sara had never known her friend to be anything but meticulous when it came to her machines. Nothing wasted, nothing trashed, every possible component re-cycled or re-developed into something which worked. Never before this elephant's graveyard of mechanical death.
"…..Blasted yellow phallic fruit from hell, won't eat another one so long as I live……" Shinobu's muttering ended as she rounded the corner and her own eyes took in the chaos. "What on earth?"
"I dunno." Shrugging, Sara re-applied her attention to Su, who was staring with blank eyes at the sheet before her while chewing a red mechanical pencil with more than a little force. The sound of plastic splintering suggested it was a little too much. "Hey, Su-chan! How you doin'?"
"Fine." The princess murmured absently, taking the mangled pencil from her mouth and scribbling an amendment to her current design.
Silence.
"Su-chan, I'm making banana split for dessert tonight. Would you like to join us?" Shinobu tried, hoping the mention of food would do the trick.
"Maybe." Dropping the pencil to her lap Su absently unpeeled one of her collection and scoffed it in three bites, before discarding the skin over the side of her hammock and going back to her drawing.
"Are you okay? I haven't seen you for days." The young home-maker persisted, concern growing by the second.
"I'm fine." Frowning at the state of her current design, the girl flipped over a page on her notepad and set to doing some very complex equations. They obviously did not add up, given the way she tore the page off and crumpled it carelessly before tossing it at a bin sat below the array of monitors. It was a good shot, but the mountain of equally rubbished papers already occupying it meant it bounced away and joined many of its brethren upon the floor.
"Hey Su-chan, I'm gonna go passage hunting! Wanna come?"
"Nah. Have fun." The Molmolian grunted in reply to Sara's offer, clicking another length of lead from the end of her writing tool and starting to write notes of some description. For minutes, the only noise was the scratching of graphite upon paper, until the girl's voice emerged from the depths of her hammock once again. "I'm gonna be a while, so don't wait up……"
Sara and Shinobu gaped openly at one another, before obeying what was clearly a dismissal. As they stepped into the vacant corridor, sliding the door closed behind them, Sara eloquently summed the situation up in one line.
"What the hell was all that about?!"
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--
Inside the room there was a brief pause in the sound of writing, followed by a stream of darkly muttered Molmolian invective. Then, the sound of paper being scrunched into a ball, succeeded moments later by more furious scratching of pencil on paper.
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Shifting uneasily, Naru stared at the yellow blanket sat on the bed before her, wondering why the hospital couldn't have chosen a better colour. Of all the shades they could have chosen, the odd one which hovered somewhere between canary and lemon had to be the worst possible. And to put it onto every single bed…..
The girl sighed, realising she was only pondering such an aimless topic to avoid the real reason she was where she was. Although, she mused after glancing at her friend, it looked like Mitsune was finding the décor just as fascinating.
The only word exchanged had been a pair of 'hellos' which were some time ago. Since then……not very much. The girl had summoned dozens of opening lines, but each one she had considered and ignored. Every singe one seemed to lead to a predictable few sentences of prose, a conversation she could recite word-for-word before it had even begun. Things like 'how are you', 'awful weather' or 'how's the food' didn't quite cut it any more.
She'd known Mitsune for what must seemed like forever. In all that time, she'd never had any difficulty talking with her friend. They had become close as sisters, and in truth Naru had considered her one, something she was sure was reciprocated. To be sat in this vacuum, with what seemed to be an impenetrable wall between them, was about as unpleasant as anything the honey-eyed girl had known. After what seemed like days of stupefying silence Naru grew tired with the impasse, and decided to do the brave thing for once and take the bull by its metaphorical horns. If nothing else it would be unexpected.
"Mitsune-chan, how did it end up like this?" The girl sat in the bed, who had been cautious and watchful ever since she'd arrived, instantly closed up even further.
"Like what?" At the blank statement, Naru couldn't help but stare in disbelief.
"Like what?!" Her tone incredulous, the girl waved her plaster-clad hand at the room in general. "I mean you stuck in a hospital bed, me at my wit's end, and the pair of us sat here like perfect strangers! What's happened to us? We've been the best of friends for near enough a decade, and now we can't even look at each other – how on earth did we get here……?" Trailing off before the words got stuck, Naru twirled a strand of honey hair between anxious fingers.
The most Mitsune gave her was a glance, before returning her attention elsewhere.
"Y'know darn well how I got here, Naru-chan. And I'd be waging on you getting here either by train or van, probably van." She answered with dull indifference, while her posture was screaming 'LEAVE ME ALONE' at the top of its voice.
In truth, misdirection wasn't the best choice when talking to her friend. Naru could only rest against the cold shoulder for so long before the chill froze her will to fight. Making excuses on the other hand merely added fuel to whatever fire happened to be burning.
"Don't give me that, Mitsune-chan. Yes, things have changed since the New Year. But I still don't see why things went so bad so fast."
Mitsune tried her best to say nothing, she really did. But in the face of such obliviousness...
"Dammit Naru!" A tiny flicker of the girl's old flame appeared as she rounded on her friend, nearly dislodging an IV line in the process. "Are you thick?! Don't you even remember the last month?"
"Of course I do! How could I forget?" Naru replied, releasing the honey strands she'd been playing with.
"Then why are you bein' so stupid?" Seeing anger springing up in the other girl's face, Mitsune felt the strong urge to slap it off. As it was she settled for raising her voice to shout her visitor down. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that it weren't just you an' Keitaro that were bein' affected by all that shit?"
Naru's denial reflex was terminated long before it had the chance to form words. The girl dipped her head as memories flickered through her mind – Shinobu's furious tears, Haruka nearly biting her cigarette in half, the snarled words spoken by the fox herself – and she struggled to keep her emotions reined in. Seeing the weakness Mitsune couldn't help but press her point home, words she'd waited to say for a long time. In the back of her mind she knew it was only her own anger finding a convenient outlet, but it was such a cathartic sensation that she was past caring.
"Nah, Naru-chan's the centre of her own li'l world. I warned ya, sister, that nothin' good would come of what ya were doin'. Y'see, I was jealous. Ya had everythin' I would die for in yer hand – a good man who loved ya and a future to share – and ya threw it away. When I saw how broke it left him……" Taking a hissing breath between clenched teeth, the grey fox tried and failed to stop the crescendo building. "……You ducked and ran, he folded up, and it left me all on my lonesome. I had bills comin' outta my ears, things are crashin' down around me an' my best friend hightailed it to the hills. I was lost, dammit!" She wailed, bitterness spilling beyond her control.
A loud 'SHUSH!' rang through the room, and the two girls looked up to see themselves the focus of attention. Every visitor was staring at them with expressions varying between interest and shock, while the rather large nurse placed her hands on hips and gave them a look which indicated that visiting hours ended right now if any further shouting was heard. A mumbled 'sorry' later the two girls dipped their heads, faces now red for multiple reasons. Once sure she was no longer being watched, Naru spoke in a whisper which barely trickled into Mitsune's ears.
"I'm sorry, I really didn't know. I've been an awful friend." Sniffling slightly, the girl closed her eyes in resignation. "But you won't have to worry about me screwing things up for much longer."
"Look, I'm not blaming you for everything, but…..what?" Mitsune almost tripped over her own words as Naru's statement filtered through.
"I'm thinking about moving out, find somewhere I can live to keep studying at Tokyo-U while getting out of everyone's hair." The girl sighed, each word laced with painful regret. "Life will be easier that way, for me and everyone else. I'm looking for a place; my parents are going to help so it shouldn't take long."
"Naru-chan……" Looking at her friend with eyes wide, Mitsune could feel horror welling in her stomach. She'd been frustrated and lost, and needed someone to take it out on. And yes, Naru deserved at least a little of the rage she'd received. But then this……
"It's for the best." The ringing of a bell announced the end of visiting hours, and Naru heralded it's call by quickly rising to her feet. "I'd better be going. See you Mitsune-san." Without another word she left, head bowed to avoid the curious looks she still received from the other visitors, while Mitsune watched helplessly. As the girl vanished from view the bed-bound fox sagged back onto her pillows, before drawing the foul yellow blanket over her head and sincerely praying for the world to end before life could get any worse.
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That's all for now.
Hope to be a bit quicker with the next chapter!
Ja ne.
Nodoka Miyazawa.