‚Wake up. You have work to do.'
The blonde groaned in her sleep and curled up into the soft blanket. She was still worn out from the day before and too tired to even move. Moreover did she not listen to strange voices in her head that she couldn't identify as human or living. That voice could go to hell for all she cared.
'Wake up!'
Midori continued to ignore the voice and put her pillow over her head.
'WAKE UP! DAMN IT!'
With a jolt she sat up and promptly fell from the bed. Groaning she rubbed the bump forming on her head. Why did nightstands always had to stand in the way?
The blonde pirate gave the piece of furniture an evil glare.
"Stupid voice…waking me up a-"Muttering curses under her breath she turned to the clock. "6 AM? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?"
Disbelievingly she stared at the clock. This had to be a bad joke! For once she could have slept in and then something like this happened!
Midori sighed.
Going back to sleep was obviously not an options, since this annoying voice wouldn't leave her alone. The only other option though was to get up and have breakfast, but was it really that much of a choice?
Murmuring something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like 'fucking shitty voice messing with my head' she stood up and went to get dressed.
Incredible 15 minutes later the blonde stood in from of the inn.
"Good, I am awake and dressed. What do I have to do now?"
No voice.
Only Silence.
The blonde grew irritated.
"You have to be kidding me?"
Still no voice.
Taking a deep breath she massaged her temples. Life just wanted to annoy her like usual. Oh and it was doing a fine job!
"Hello."
She turned and came face to face with the young man from the day before. Cocking her head to the side she blinked at him slowly and a little stupidly. They stared at each other for some seconds, then scratched their heads in the same embarrassed manner.
"Ah..Sorry…and hello to you too." Midori said awkwardly.
"Yeah…" The man didn't look very comfortable in his skin either. "I need to talk to you!"
Somebody wants to get straight to the point here. She noted this with small amusement and nodded in agreement. Maybe she could get some new information out of him (You could never have enough information).
"I believe we should take this conversation somewhere else." He said more to himself than to the blonde woman.
"How about we have a nice breakfast in that case?"
"Good idea!" The young adult looked at her with enthusiasm which made her mood rise considerably. Hopefully the day would turn out better than it had started.
'Stupid voice, you are not as bad as I thought!' She thought with a grin and followed her companion to a café. Only now the blonde recognized the brown wolf following them. So he was an inhabitant too. Not that it really surprised her, but maybe she would hear his wolf's thoughts or whatever that was she had heard yesterday again. It would proof that this devil fruit she was connected with for unknown reason had to be a Zoan. That or she was simply able to hear the thoughts of wolves.
Watching her surroundings closely she noticed that the café, he had led her to, was at the main street of the town, which was to her amazement buzzing with life. It didn't matter to her though. As long as she was sure that no sane pirate was awake at such an hour, she could care less.
In a good mood and high spirits she sat down across from him. While her counterpart tried to find the right words, she looked him up and down for the first time.
He had hazelnut-brown eyes and brown hair in shade that seemed familiar. His hair was lighter than his eyes which made the latter stand out more. He wore a pair of dark trousers and a cargo shirt. And as far as she had seen, he was a shorter than Marco and Thatch, but not as small as Ai or her.
Midori had to admit that he didn't look that bad…
When he spoke up, her attention shifted back to the reason they came her in the first place.
"I…" He started. "…I will give you every piece of information you want about this island and its inhabitants, if you answer all my questions truthfully."
"Okay."
"Uhm…what?" His surprise was written all over his face making Midori chuckle.
"You didn't think I would agree so was, did you?" She said mockingly.
A blush of embarrassment staining his cheeks he looked away. The blonde pirate was very tempted to laugh at the man, but decided against it for it would not help the situation. He was most likely the best person to ask and she really wanted to know more about this island. He seemed to naïve to distrust her and to honest to deceive her.
After he calmed down the questioning began.
"So.. What's your name and why are you with the Whitebeard pirates?"
"I am Midori and well… I guess I am their guest or future crew member, if they get their way."
He gazed at the blonde with calculating eyes.
"And why would they want to make you a crew member?"
"I saved Marco's life."
The man stared at her.
"Do I want to know why?"
She shook her head with a smile.
"No, you don't."
His next question startled her.
"Are you in love with him?"
Midori didn't have to ask whom he meant with him. There was only one person aboard the Moby that deserved such a suspicious sounding question. Marco.
"No, I don't." Midori said slowly, but seriously.
An invisible weight fell from his shoulders, as he breathed in. The former tenseness of his body and actions was completely gone and the man smiled. The blonde couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
"You were worried that I was in love with Marco… ?"
"I-I-I d-didn't m-mean i-it that way!" Cheeks flaming with red he stuttered nervously.
A small chuckle escaped her, while the blonde kept on watching her opposite. Her eyes didn't stray from his face, even as she reached for her coffee-she had ordered it after they sat down- and took a sip.
"Ai is my sister."
In retrospect it hadn't been the smartest idea to drink the coffee…
The blonde spit it out right into the young man's face and began to cough vigorously. Guiltily she observed him trying to clean his shirt, after she could breath freely again.
"Sorry…" She scratched her cheek in embarrassment.
"No… Problem." He stared at his ruined short and added. "This was my favorite shirt…"
Midori couldn't help but laugh at his childish pout. To be honest, he actually looked cute, when he had this kicked-puppy-expression. After a minute he gave up and waited patiently, until she had calmed down. The young lad couldn't hide his own amusement though.
"I definitely didn't expect this." Midori shook her head in wonder. He smiled sympathetically. "Was this the reason you wanted to talk to me."
"Yes and no…You know about my sister and Marco?"
She nodded in approval.
"Good… Wait, not good…Oh, forget it!" Midori raised an eyebrow at the strange behavior. "Anyway…I think, he will soon and this 'relationship' they have and I am worried about my little sis."
"And what do I have to do with this matter?"
He took a deep breath a looked pleadingly at her.
"I want you to help me. I know you don't understand this yet, but you are the first woman that shows not interest in that man, yes, even despises him! And I know you want some information about this island and maybe about the pirates too, so…" He trailed off.
"Who…Who told you this?"
A secretive smirk pulled on his lips.
'That's a well guarded secret, girl.'
Midori's head snapped around turning in all directions to look for the source of that voice, but…wait.
Hadn't it come from…? No that was impossible, wasn't it? No, it had happened the day before, too, that means…
She shook her head to arrange her thoughts.
"I forgot to ask you…What's your name?"
"Oh, sure. The name's Makoto."
"Then, Makoto, could you tell your dog that it's Midori, not 'girl'?"
Have you ever seen a wolf and a human having the same shocked expression?
The blonde grinned. This was one of those moments, she really missed her camera!
"How…?"
Uhh… Did the boy even know how entertaining he looked when shocked? Probably not, though he obviously was able to think logically for he instantly understood what her words meant.
"No Idea."
"Wha-"
"How about this? I will help you with your sister and in exchange you're going to tell me everything about this island and your sister."
Makoto just gave a dumbfounded nod and started his explanation.
"Fine… I think it's best to start at the very beginning. My mother was an inhabitant of this island and my father is Whitebeard's doctor. I always stayed in this isle, but my sister wanted to see the world a little and became a nurse aboard the Moby Dick. She sailed with them until a year ago. She…She destroyed it all with her jealousy."
At this point he paused and sighed looking for the right words to continue.
"She always has had a thing for Marco-I believe- and they had all in all a good start. He, too, had an interest in her, yet it never became serious like with every other woman. At least not for him… I think, you know what her reaction was, don't you?"
His lips curled into a humorless smile.
"This time something else happened… She began a game. A very dangerous game. She tried to make Marco jealous by acting like she got over him and started to date Thatch. He…"
"He fell in love with her…" She added in a whisper. "Oh god… She tried to start a fight between Nakamas, not to mention commandants, out of selfishness! Whitebeard is a fair and loving captain, he can't tolerate such behavior."
The brown-haired man nodded.
"They brought her back here instantly and left without a word… It was the right thing to do…"
His hands shook in a mix of anger and sadness.
"That was not the right way!" Ai's brother stared at her angry tone with surprise. "What she did is by no means easy to forgive, but Ai's punishment was too cruel!"
Makoto stared in wonder at the young woman opposite from him. All this didn't concern her; even so she was utterly furious.
"They took her family away… Oh yes, I know how the Whitebeard pirates view each other!"
Midori gritted her teeth and took a deep breath trying to calm back down. This was not that easy, though, for she was too riled up and because Makoto and his pet were starring at her with shock and awe (It was kind of creepy, when an animal showed respect towards you). As long as she stayed on the island, she would have to get used to animals with human traits-and she would stay here.
Whitebeard, or Pops (she preferred the latter, but would never admit it), Marco, Thatch and all the others would not be happy with this decision. The seventeen year old didn't care…much.
To leave them had been her plan from the beginning, hadn't it? Even though fully joining them sounded…nice, she couldn't. She may be safe then, but she wanted her own family back. Staying was a match for replacing her friends and her older Brother. Yes, they were her family!
If they had pushed her away, she would not have taken it as good as Ai did. The girl probably still felt guilty and nobody would ever accept her apology. At this moment Midori decided silently that she was going to help her.
"SHIT!" Makoto's cursing put an end to her inner pondering.
"I am late for work! Have to go! SORRY!" He said jumping up from his seat and running down the street his wolf at his heels. "SEE YA AROUND!"
Shaking her she turned back to her coffee. A small smile graced her face.
'He really is a nice guy and good older brother.'
For a moment the blonde felt at peace, while she listened to the sounds around her and watched her environment. Adults were talking about the newest gossip, children were laughing happily, as they played tag, and wolves of all ages were accompanying them. The older ones sat patiently next to their owners and cubs frolicked around the children. Everything just boomed with life. Her smile widened. She would have loved to savor the peaceful moment a little longer, but somebody just had to come and ruin it.
You have three guesses.
"I never thought you could beat Thatch."
Midori looked up, only to lock eyes with a pair of blue ones.
"I never thought I could hate your timing more than I already do."
Marco smirked.
"So you don't hate me but my timing. I believe we just made a progress."
She chuckled. Her mood was way too good to let it be destroyed so easily.
"Originally, I wanted to meet up with Thatch, but it seemed that our little girl was lonely, after her boyfriend left, and needed urgently company." His voice had this sickly sweet and innocent sound.
Normally she would be alert by now, but strangely nothing happened. This moment of peace had left her far too relaxed to get angry.
"Hmm…No, she isn't lonely, just relaxed. She also is stilly happily single and doesn't plan on changing that anytime soon."
A smirk lit up is face- if it hadn't already been there all the time- and the pirate leaned forward so that their faces were inches apart.
"My, my! She's single!" Marco chuckled. "What a lucky man I am."
"Sure you are."
"So you finally admit that you're interested in me?"
"Not in a millennia." With a satisfied smile she leaned back in her chair and stretched her tired limbs.
"Aww…You're no fun. How shall I seduce you, when you don't take me seriously?" He asked in a very Marco-unlikely-voice. This situation was slowly but surely getting out of hand.
"Because, if you haven't got it by now, I am no one-night-stand and apart from that… Would you like to touch something, when you know that hundreds of others touched it before? I don't think so, especially if it still belongs to somebody else."
"Hmm…" Suddenly he stood up and vanished in the crowd.
'Okay…? What was that?' The blonde stared blankly at the space her admirer had sat until a second ago. Different thoughts swirled through her head. 'I highly doubt, he decided to leave me alone. So what is he plan-…Oh shit! Oh goddamn, holy SHIT! I said "still belongs to somebody else", didn't I?...he isn't going to do what I think, is he?'
That chased the last traces of peace away. A scheming Marco was never a good thing and after a conversation like this most likely apocalyptic. She prayed to heaven that he wouldn't do what she thought. He wouldn't be so bold to just run to Ai and dump her, would he?
She groaned. Who was she kidding? Marco was that bold.
She wanted to help Makoto and Ai, not make it worse!
Was it only her or did things like this happen every time she tried to do something?
Somehow fate loved to proof its crude humor. She groaned. It would be wise to stay out of Ai's way for… a long time. Midori couldn't stand her jealousy, when directed at her, and her anger and heartbreak, when Marco would- probably in the next hour- break up with her? Hell no! She wasn't going to face this.
With another sigh she placed some money on the table and stood up.
'Sooo…what is the smart thing to do now? Maybe I should finally gather some information about this island! Oh and shopping would be wise.' Her cheeks took a light pink color. 'I am still wearing Marco's clothes..but that is no reason to blush! I don't even like him!"
She slapped her forehead and groaned. Again. The blonde decided she didn't like this new habit.
The blonde slowly headed for the shopping district quite content with the sum of money in her backpack. At least her poker skills were reliable.
With an exhausted sigh but content and loaded with shopping bags Midori let herself fall into a chair of a tavern in the shopping district. This bar was much smaller than the one from yesterday and definitely cozier and more peaceful. It was most likely a hot spot for the townspeople which was confirmed by looking at the clientele. In other words she wouldn't meet any pirates here-hopefully-, although you could never know. For now she was more or less alone and that was more than fine with her.
With a creaking sound the door opened and some familiar and unfamiliar men walked in. In mere seconds all until then free tables were occupied.
'Okay! I never expected my peace to be of long continuance, but-damnit- just a hour more wouldn't have hurt anybody!' She whined inwardly. Someone up there hated her. Deeply.
The newcomers gained the blonde's attention, as the general ambience in the room dropped and like an unspoken plea all inhabitants left the pub. The only ones remaining were Midori and the Whitebeard pirates. What should she do? Go like everybody else?
That would be the intelligent thing to so, for she barely knew any of the pirates here. None of them had been on the Moby Dick, so they had to be from a sister ship. The commandants, who sat in the other corner of the room, confirmed her hypothesis.
Izou, Curiel and Rakuyou.
They were the only ones who didn't look like…well…like somebody died. Not a very positive atmosphere. Midori sighed lightly, started to stand up and would have been gone faster than you could look -None members were obviously unwanted-, if it weren't for the depressed looking men who addresses her in the exact moment.
"Do you mind, if we sat down?"
With a gentle smile the girl nodded. She couldn't deny anything, when the person in question looked so broken hearted. Silently they sat down.
Neither did Midori really mind their company nor was she by any means a coldhearted person, she had just never been good at comforting strangers and as much as she liked pirates, helping them practically screamed "I will join you" . False hope was the last thing these man needed right now.
Quite a shock, wasn't it?
The blonde girl cared for these men. There had been a time she looked and probably felt like them. Back then life was so…so not worth it. Life had been lonely and hard and dark and…
Oh GODDAMNIT! Midori's face darkened. Just wonderful, hardly ten minutes ago she had been in a good mood and now? She felt as depressed as her companions.
She would have continued her sulking, if one of the men hadn't sighed loud enough for her to hear. He sounded completely desperate and it nettled her to not know why!
Ignoring her own sadness the blonde decided to cheer them up. Screw consequences!
"What happened?" She asked softly.
The pirates blinked at her confusedly like they just woke up from a dream.
"Huh?"
"I asked, what happened?" Her voice still unusually soft.
They needed a moment to process the question, before one pirate answered.
"We lost our commandant a week ago."
Midori stared at them. Wow… she expected everything nut not this. For a Whitebeard pirate the worst thing that could happen was to lose a Nakama. To lose a commandant… It was impossible for her to estimate their loss.
Feverishly she searched her brain for an idea, for anything to cheer them up. Then a sudden idea struck her and she smiled lightly. 'Yeah… this could work…'
"Would you allow me to cheer you up a little?" She asked silently.
"You can't…"
"Let me try. Please."
"…" The men only nodded.
A soft smile reached her lips and she began to sing. The song she had chosen was mellow and accurately what they needed.
"It's late and I am tired
wish I could spark a smile.
The place is flying high,
but right now I wanna be low.
Don't wanna move an inch
let alone a million miles
and I don't wanna go,
but I know I gotta go.
I just want to feel alive.
The times you don't wanna wake up,
'cause when you sleep
it's never over when you give up.
The sun is always gonna rise up,
you need to get up,
gotta keep your head up.
Look at the people all around you,
the way you feel
is something everybody goes through."
By now all heads in the tavern had turned to Midori. Her skin prickled from all the gazes laying on her, but her eyes were closed and she didn't care. The blonde was fully complying with the song.
"Dark out,
but you still gotta lie up.
You need to wake up,
gotta keep your face up.
Seems like the more you grow,
the more time you spend alone.
Before you know it,
you'll end up perfectly on your own.
The city's shining bright,
but you don't see the light.
How can you concentrate
on things that don't make you feel right?
I just want to feel alright.
The times you don't wanna wake up,
'cause when you sleep
it's never over when you give up.
The sun is always gonna rise up,
you need to get up,
gotta keep your head up.
Look at the people all around you,
the way you feel
is something everybody goes through."
The room was silent. Even the sound of breathing seemed to have vanished, although here and there pirates slowly hummed along, their eyes glassy and their thoughts far away.
"Dark out,
but you still gotta lie up.
You need to wake up,
gotta keep your face up.
I'm looking for more than a little bit.
I'm gonna have to find my way through it.
I'm gonna leave a mark.
I'm gonna set a spark.
I'm coming up off the ground.
I won't be looking down.
The times you don't wanna wake up,
'cause when you sleep
it's never over when you give up.
The sun is always gonna rise up,
you need to get up,
gotta keep your head up.
Look at the people all around you,
the way you feel
is something everybody goes through.
Dark out,
but you still gotta lie up.
You need to wake up,
gotta keep your face up."
Midori opened her eyes a small smile gracing her lips. The pirates around her looked so mesmerized by her lips that she couldn't help but chuckle. Only the commandants appeared unimpressed or it at least looked like it.
"Did I cheer you up…?" The blonde asked in the same mellow voice, she had sung with. "…At least a little?"
No one answered. She sighed. 'Nobody can say that I didn't try…'
She stood up, grabbed one of the shopping bags and made her way to the toilettes to change in mor decent clothes. However, before she reached the door, somebody addressed her.
"Thanks."
The girl turned around and winked at them.
"You're welcome." She turned back to the door intending to open it, and then she stopped. "Maybe you should go back to your comrades now. To isolate yourself from the people that want make you feel better and those who can understand you, is the stupidest way to react to such a loss."
A last grim smile crossed her face, before she finally disappeared in the toilette.
Several minutes later she came back out.
Midori now wore a pair of dark blue jeans, a white top with a v-neckline and white, high-heeled sandals. Her platinum blonde, shoulder-length hair was tied up in a lose bum and some particular stubborn flicks of hair fell in her face.
Most tables were empty now and the girl smiled. 'They took my advice to heart.'
Her table was one of the few which were still occupied and it wasn't due to her shopping bags. There at the table three very familiar faces waited watching her with interest. The three commandants. Apparently none of them had left and the interest, they had lacked after her little show was written all over their faces.
'Me and my strange fascination on other people…' She mused.
Nevertheless she didn't stop walking, until she stood in front of the only unoccupied seat. She glanced at all of them, yet nobody said a word.
"Why don't you sit down? I hope you don't mind that we sit her too, do you?" Izou was the first to speak up and instantly Midori came to the conclusion that his voice didn't fit with his appearance. His words were calm and friendly though.
"Do I even have a choice?" The girl asked amusedly and sat down.
Rakuyou and Curiel grinned and Izou laughed.
"I believe you do not, Midori-san."
"Am I allowed t know why you know my name?" Her eyebrows rose. 'Uh~…why do I have this feeling that Marco and Thatch will get a clout from me? Or maybe I should relieve those gossiping pirates of their money?'
"Thatch was gushing over a beautiful girl who had a knack for playing poker." Curiel explained. "oh and quite a number of the others agreed with him."
They smirked at her. Midori slapped her forehead and groaned.
"Memo to myself: kill Thatch…"
All three began to laugh.
"Did I say that out loud?"
They nodded still laughing.
"Oh shit…"
She waited until they calmed down enough, before she asked the question which truly interested the blonde.
"Did Marco say something too?"
All of the three men gave her that look. Midori assumed it meant something along the lines of 'one of those again'.
"Okay. Before you start believing I have the hots for Marco, I simply don't! End of story."
"Are you sure? I mean…"
"Look, I am sick and tired of everybody supposes that every single female being has to fall for him."
Silence. The only thing you could hear was her erratic breathing.
"So Thatch was right! There is a woman who is not head over heels for our dear phoenix." Rakuyou said with a small smirk. "It was really stupid of him to dumb Ai."
"Yeah… The poor girl." Izou added.
All color drained from her face. Oh god…Marco did it. He really dumped Ai and why did he do that? Midori wanted to facepalm. Couldn't she have said something that sounded less like 'dump her and you might have a chance with me' ?
Curiel gave her a puzzled glance.
"Is something wrong?"
The three watched her more closely.
"Where…where is she now?"
"I have no idea. She just stormed out crying…" Izou answered slightly unsettled by the memory.
"Damn it all to hell!" She cursed and jumped up grabbing her bags. "Sorry! Gotta go! See you later!"
"Where are you going?"
"Cleaning Marco's mess up and helping a friend!"
Did…Did she honestly say that Ai was a friend? According to their stunned faces she did. Midori couldn't help but smile bitterly. She knew what it felt like to be left behind and she was going to make her feel better, if Ai wanted it or not.
Her path led her down the busy streets. From time to time she bumped into passersby, the girl couldn't care less. First she would bring her bags back to her room in the inn and then she could start her search. Hopefully luck was on her side. At least once fate, god or whoever could do her a favor.
So caught up in her thoughts the blonde didn't see it coming.
Time slowed down, as she whirled around sharply and locked eyes with a pair of bloody-red ones.
For a mere moment they stared at each other, then as sudden as it came the wolf dashed into the next alley.
Her feet were glued to the ground, her eyes fixed at the space the wolf (No, she-wolf- a tiny voice in the back of her head murmured) had been.
'What the hell…A she-wolf? Where did that come from?' Midori asked herself. '…and what was this strange feeling? It felt…yeah, it felt like we met before, but how..?'
Unfortunately she was pulled back to reality, as a plumb middle-aged male rushed past her cursing about meat boning wolves.
As strange as this disruption had been, the blonde had more important tasks to fulfill. Regardless she found herself already entering the alley following the mysterious wolf. She definitely needed better control over her thoughts and her body!
The wolf led her deeper and deeper in the town's alleys. Maybe she was wrong, but Midori doubted that many people ever came in this small and shadowed alleys. There were very few windows or doors leading into the lanes. All in all this was a big maze full of dead ends; it was a wonder that she hadn't lost her leader yet. Oh, wait. No, she had just lost her.
'Great. Just so damn fucking great…' Midori huffed in irritation. 'My luck again! Damn… is this a door?'
Slowly she neared the door and blinked at the yellow sigh over the door reading 'Antiquity shop'.
'What is this shop doing here of all places?'
Although it didn't take long until she stepped through the door. The lights in the room were dim, still she could make out the figures of two wolves and…Ai?
There, in one of the corners sat a girl with an all too familiar mob of hazelnut brown hair. Sobs shook her body and her wolf was huddled against her in comfort.
Midori's shopping bags dropped to the floor blowing up dust.
"Ai…"
Eyes reddened from hours of crying looked up and widened, only to become slits moments later.
"You…"
Her voice dripped with venom.
"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU WHORE!"
With a speed, she never imagines the woman possessed, Ai launched herself at the blonde. Luckily her fighting skills sucked and the only technique she used to attack wasn't a real technique. She merely tried to scratch Midori's eyes out.
Normally her blonde opponent would fight back and simply knock her out, but… it didn't seem fair in that moment, besides Midori neither fought in such a childish way. She fought for real or not at all. Furthermore she was dealing with Ai who was an emotional wreck right now and the angry red strings the green-eyes woman left on her body wouldn't kill her.
At least it didn't take long for her calm down or more like crumple up in Midori's arms drained of all her energy. She sobbed heartbreakingly her body shaking weakly after this nerve straining day.
"Whore.." Ai murmured hoarsely from all the crying and screaming.
"How often do I have to tell you, that I am not in love with him?"
"Liar.." She said with a glare.
"Look… I know you don't like me and all… and you have no reason to believe or let alone trust me, but damn… if I really were head over heels for him, then why I am sitting here with you trying my best to comfort you? And don't come me with bullshit like I am trying to impress Marco, because in all honesty he does give a shit about other people's feelings."
Teary green eyes stared at her unblinkingly, before their owner lowered her head in shame.
"True…"
Midori gave her a soft and understanding smile.
"It's okay. I am only here to look after you. Understood?"
She nodded listening closely to me. Ai was probably trying to find traces of a lie in my words.
"Say… do you even have any friends?"
Again she lowered her had in shame and look of guilt washed over her face. Poor girl indeed.
"I-I…No… I only had Pops and the others… I pushed everybody else away…"
Another wave of sons rocked her body and the blonde held her closer.
"I know… Your brother told me. He is really worried, did you know?"
There was no sign that she actually listened, but Midori continued anyway.
"And I really, really think that all the others worry too… Whatever you have done in the past…and I do too…care, I mean…Oh I am not good at this!"
For a moment the corner of Ai's lips turned upwards and the other girl couldn't help but smile too.
"I know you love him, but look… how can you humiliate yourself for somebody you love, when said person does not even give a damn? If he had really loved you, he would have never let anything of this happen to you… Oh and by the way Marco is surely the last man a woman should ever consider falling for. He's just not worth it! End of story!"
Ai was starring at her mixed feelings shone in her eyes like she couldn't grasp all of what had been said yet. Midori wasn't worried. The brown-haired woman had enough time to learn from this.
Silently Ai hugged her. The blonde was not sure what it meant, although she believed it to be a peace offering.
Suddenly someone clapped. Midori's head turned around and she looked at the old man in surprise. Where did he come from?
"I see Ai, you already got a lecture."
He smiled kindly at both of them and the girls could only return the smile. A gray old wolf, who had followed him, laid down next to a counter she hadn't recognized before pretty much as all the other objects in the room.
Her attention span was truly short…
"Who is your friend, Ai?"
"She is no-"
"My name is Midori, Sir."
"Oh! Don't be so formally Midori. Just call me Gramps."
"Uhm…Okay."
The old man watched, as they slowly got up from the floor untangling themselves in the process. Really, how could two people just end up so knotted with each other?
"Say Midori…how did you even find this place? It's not very known…"
"The wolf…"
'Sayo.' The strange, female whoever-it-belonged-to-voice said.
"I…I followed Sayo here." She answered a little bugged. Who could blame her? Hearing unfamiliar voices in your head was normally not a good sign.
"How do you know-?" The old man began, but halted, when the third wolf, Sao, sat down at Midori's side and nudged her hand affectionately with its nose. Confused she looked back at the man who in return simply amazed.
"I think we need to talk…"
"That's fine with me…" She interrupted him glancing at Ai who silently watched everything. "…but if it's important then could I get something to drink?"
He nodded and mentioned her to follow him.
"Something to drink?" Ai asked startled.
The blonde looked at her.
"Let me put it like this… my day was far, far to thrilling for my taste and before anyone will shock me with another thing, I need a good glass of rum."
Ai needed understandingly and followed the old man out of the room.
Yeah… this day had been far too exciting until now-it wasn't even lunchtime- and I had the vigorous feeling that one bottle of rum wouldn't be enough. Nonetheless whatever she had expected to come after her drink, it hadn't been this.
Nearl 6000 words…woah, not even I thought it'd be that long!
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will review (I love reviews ;D). Thanks to all the people who reviewed last time or added this story to their favorites. Thanks to everybody in general for reading this!
The song is 'face up' by Lights by the way ;)