Chapter Four- At Least I'm Taller
"Onee-chan?"
Train stared up—he was seated on the ground by the lake outside of Tearju's mansion when Eve had walked up to him, arms crossed and eyes demanding—to her, his expression disbelieving. He wanted to laugh, but Eve's glare was deathly. He cleared his throat carefully, tugging at the red band on his neck as he looked over the lake.
"You want me to call you Onee-chan?" he repeated, searching for his laughter that was lost in the depths of his stomach due to her relentless stare that he still felt on his back.
"That's right," she confirmed, her mature voice now distinctly womanish and added to her overall maturity. Train indeed felt like the younger brother all of the sudden. "Or Onee-sama if you prefer…"
"Not even in hell!" he barked suddenly turning to her, and her disapproving glare added with a sharp risen golden eyebrow cut his retort short. He backed down, shrinking beneath her even more.
"Then Onee-chan it is, understand?"
"Yes ma'am," he managed his head in his hands, "but only until you change back to normal, okay?"
"That's agreeable," she considered, turning away from him. Train suddenly felt this heavy load lift off of his shoulders. When had lil' Princess become such an extortionist?
He blinked cautiously when she sat beside him and smiled as though she expected something from him. He sighed and slouched, rubbing his forehead and trying to hide his face flushed with embarrassment. "Oh-neh-chan," he growled through gritting teeth.
"That didn't sound nice at all," Eve said immediately, her eyes growing icy yet again.
"Give me a break!" Train squealed, "I've never had any older siblings, so the term is next to foreign to me!"
She shrugged, "I've never had a younger sibling either but I can willingly call you Train-chan," she said smoothly.
Train froze. Eve cornered him, and for some reason despite how insulting it was to have "chan" as an honorable, he didn't mind it as long as it was Eve: this older version anyway. He rubbed his forehead into his palm again. "Hai, Onee-chan," he mumbled.
"That was better," she sounded content, just like an older sister with a sibling-complex. He easily assumed until Eve turned back to her usual form—which he prayed was soon, this Eve was so manipulative it was insane—he would be her centre of attention as the baby brother. He shuddered. What cruel fate awaited him?
"Oh, so you found him, Eve," Sven's voice suddenly kicked in behind him.
"And so the single-parent-family-trio is complete," Train muttered beneath his breath.
A heeled shoe drove its way into his spine and he yelped, gritting his teeth.
"Sorry about that, my reflexes just kicked in before I noticed it was you." Sven muttered devilishly.
"You knew darn well it was me!" Train yelled at him, half kneeled in the banks of the lake. "And who the hell did you think it was?" he muttered.
"Could you not bully Train-chan?" Eve requested from her adopted father so politely—still manipulative, Train noted.
"Train-chan?" Sven asked, his eyebrows rising.
"That's right," she nodded. "He's my little brother."
"Ah, so I suppose we're going to play tea party afterwards, eh Train- chan?"
"Shut up, Sven- daddy," his voice's growl enhanced by the almost stagnant water.
"Don't call me—!"
"That's right, we'll play house later," Eve interrupted. "You'll join us?" she asked Sven.
Train jumped up in shock, "You were serious about that?"
She turned to him, feigning hurt almost as perfectly as Rinslet had she been crying. "Does that mean you don't want to, Train- chan?"
Regardless had she been crying or not, it had the same affect on the brown haired sweeper and he stuttered, trying to find a gentle response to turn her down, but failed and bowed his head in defeat. Eve smiled deeply and Sven glanced at her in half fear. Is this was the future Eve would be like? Amazing: I had no idea she had potential to be an extortionist.
Train's gaze looked past the two of them all of the sudden and the other two turned to follow his gaze, where they saw Tearju with a basket in hand and a wide brimmed white ladies' hat on her head. Her hair was loose, as Eve's always was. They seemed to have a habit to let their hair hang.
"Are you going somewhere, Tearju- san?" Eve asked the triad's thoughts.
"I'm hesitant to, but my supplies are running low," she admitted. "If everyone wants to eat tonight…"
"I want to eat!" Obviously Train's outburst.
"We know that you want to!" Sven yelled at him.
"Does that mean you're leaving? Couldn't Train-chan and I shop for you?" Eve asked.
"Train-chan?" Tearju inquired.
"Don't ask," Train muttered and gestured to her left hand with a nod. "That's the list?"
"Um, yes, but there are special places to go to and persons you have to ask for…"
"Just tell me," Eve said with a smile, "I will remember."
"Seriously, she will," Train reassured from behind as he examined the list. "She's kind of scary that way."
"Who's kind of what?" Eve asked him in a threatening voice.
He cowered. "Onee-chan is the perfect onee-chan…?" he tried.
I'm ashamed of you, Train, Sven thought bitterly.
"Maybe while we're in town we could buy some books, right Train-chan?"
The two of them were now walking down the road casually, summer air hot and blowing over their heads, and the local village half a mile away. Train blew out a sigh, "Taking in consideration the rate at which you go through books, I'd say it would be more economic to steal the book, read it overnight and replace it the next day."
There was a tangible silence after that and Train fearfully glanced at Eve. "Uh, lil'—I mean, Princess?"
Suddenly he felt a hand grab his ear he froze. "…!"
"Stealing is wrong, Train-chan," she said softly, tonelessly. "I'm disappointed in you."
"Yes, I get it… stealing is wrong, can you let me go now?"
She remained silent and looked ahead, still walking, but her grip was absolute.
"Please, Onee-chan?" Train asked, wincing.
She let go immediately. "And that was a warning," she said lightly.
I'd rather not like to experience the actual punishment if that's the case, Train thought carefully.
Kuu Kuu Kuu…Ku Kulux Klan! Muahahahahahaha! Ps: "Ku" is like a Japanese mini version of saying "evil laugh". I guess that's where the Klan got their inspiration, huh?
Anyway, you like the adult Eve? I do: especially how she treat Train…delicious. Stay tuned and leave a tip in the currency of Words!
