(A/N): With the main part of this story done - believe it or not - it appears we've come to the final chapter!
I could spend a long time spoiling what's coming in the blurb but... I don't feel like that today :P
And Christ almighty, this A/N is even more awkward and out of place than the last! I really need to work on these on multichapter stories: I feel like the kid at the back in the school corridor D:
Onwards to the finale!
WARNING: Spelling errors, OOC portrayals of everyone and anyone, butchery of canon, peculiar inferences of how relationships work from a 17 year old with no friends, language, cosplay, awkward comedy and a Tsundere Kokonoe!
Chapter 3: A Day in Review
To be honest, she hadn't initially intended to return to work the following day. 'though while spongy and bruised and in need of time to rest, her heart and body knew full well that she was needed back at the laboratory. She'd always been the punctual sort; hadn't missed a moment at work since her very first day, no matter how her inclination fared.
Like so many times before she had the perfect excuse to save herself the pain. Seemed strange for such a gutless and craven woman like herself to have the sort of integrity that refused to take a furlough, yet was more than willing to lie to those closest to her for her own good alone.
Yeah, in case you couldn't tell she was still hung up on that.
That she let Ragna take all the blame; all the responsibility.
A year's sentence for a crime he didn't commit.
Not that you could tell from just looking at her - her expression still bore the generic condescension for every living being for miles on end that it always had, as she quietly paced down the lifeless corridors of Sector Seven - a carrier bag filled to the brim with cutesy garments sat in her hand. She must've been the only case in Kagutsuchi of someone you wanted to look unhappy and spiteful - at least then you knew she was in a neutral mood!
She had to admit, she liked the lab when it was like this; silent and still, as if in a long, drawn out slumber. Of course in a few hours time her subordinates would slowly trickle in through the front doors, and it seemed like many others the laboratory was rather groggy when it stirred. There was no choice: She'd have to cope with the racket of the various virgin scientists and female technicians with dorky laughs and guffaws.
Who on earth could grin and giggle at eight in the morning?
Was she the only normal person this side of the city?
Lapping the same identical corner she'd seen three minutes ago, Kokonoe spotted the labyrinthine maze of desks and computers that led the way towards salvation; her stalwart office, overlooking the area with the vigilance you'd expect from a nursery teacher.
"Whose sorry idea was this?" the professor snarled with contempt, awkwardly contorting her bony form to try and squeeze it through the tightly-knit shield wall that the tables and chairs seemed to form. She raised a leg and hopped for open space, far too fatigued for a military exercise like this. "You'd think they'd damn well put a convenient path through the middle, but no." she whined, before putting on her best attempt at a snobby, dandy artiste's voice. "It's abstract, I tell you, abstract! Bastards."
Strangely enough, she didn't feel quite as bitter as she usually did on a Tuesday morning - helpful, since she felt just as awful as she'd feel on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays usually. Kokonoe's brow eased its fury as she at last navigated the network of furniture, the welcome weight of her office door standing tall and firm as it always did.
No matter what she said, it was true.
She felt happy in a predictable, dull, samey day.
Like a gun from its holster she drew her rusted, crooked key and calmly set it within its lock. One stiff, forceful twist popped the tumbler free, and the door gave way to the room's owner - backing off to accommodate her arrival.
The sight before her didn't surprise her that much, but it certainly filled her with a strong sense of confusion - Litchi Faye-Ling sat at her deskchair comfortably, resting her smooth, luscious legs across the sticky table top. They exchanged a stare - eight eyes in all - punctuated by the occasionally squishy blink. It only seemed right for the superior to speak first, as she pointed out the big issue she had with the situation. "... I have the only key to this room."
"Smug" wouldn't be the right word to describe the sheer pride of the grin she flashed, her legs gracefully falling to the ground with a gentle clop of two well-cared for heels. Kokonoe couldn't help but hiss all cat-like under her breath - she honestly wondered how such a gorgeous woman managed to make it to work and back without causing traffic collisions with her assets. "I know." she eventually answered collectedly, swiftly turning her superior's hiss into a full on judder of fear. "... Well then? Come on!"
Kokonoe lazily nudged the door closed behind her as the giddy goody two-shoes began tapping the dusty floorboards with overwhelming enthusiasm. She wasn't particularly in the mood to chat with her subordinate at the moment - although to be honest, when was she ever in the mood to talk to anyone?
"How'd it go?" Litchi asked in the seat, entirely ignorant to her boss's inclination as she calmly paced forward. If her smile grew any larger, she would've probably been fined by local law enforcement for being a threat to public health - her shiny white teeth turning the dawning sun's glint into a sharp laser death ray. "Did it work out?" she pressed on, looking upwards as Kokonoe came ever closer. "Did Ragna like it? Oh, I bet he loved it!"
Rubbing her eyes with irritation, Kokonoe circled behind the tall woman with uniform efficiency. Her hands clamped onto her shoulders, gently lifted her to her feet, and nudged her away before taking her rightful place on her desk chair. Of course, that made little impact on that shit-eating grin of hers.
Thankfully it wasn't contagious.
Litchi seemed to be a terminal case of life-threatening optimism.
With a dull slap she let the carrier bag fall to the ground beside her, letting it sag and flop sideways like a sack of beans. She desperately needed a fix of sugar - jelly babies, winegums, hell she'd gladly eat an orange gummy bear to sate her needs. Like a starving refugee she forked through her trouser pockets, feeling for any lollipops or chewy sweets she had left to spare.
"Come on!" Litchi repeated sadly, forcing a puppy-dog pout to try and childishly get her own way. Kokonoe smirked with satisfaction as she drew a drumstick lolly from the folds of her clothing, quickly getting to work on unwrapping it. This made her subordinate fume with impatience - all the better; entertainment while she ate! "I bet you had all sorts of fun!" she predicted, exhaling like a dreamy princess looking out of her window. Her eyes fluttered into a perverse stare, as her voice fell into a husky whisper. "Must've been hot."
Oh, god damn it.
Kokonoe hacked and sputtered with surprise, hitting her chest with her fist to regain her composure. Part of her knew that Litchi had said those words purposefully to get her talking - but the vast majority of her fatigued mind was more defensive than a cheating spouse. "Shut it!" she instantly fell to, falling into Litchi's manicured hands like a fly in a spider's web. Kokonoe stuttered with feigned withdrawal, putting the facts straight. "... I-I'll have you know that we were up all night."
They hadn't left each other's side for a moment, 'less the other fell into a teary-eyed mess with no one to turn to. It was almost as if they were making up for the nights and days that they had missed together - within a boiling embrace, with nothing but their trembling jaws and beating hearts making a motion. It'd been hard enough to break free in the morning; curled up comfortably across the living room floor, snuggled close against Ragna's chest. Neither of them had had much sleep that night.
Of course Litchi didn't hear that.
She heard exactly what she wanted to hear.
Litchi smirked with elevation, glad to hear of their triumph. "Up all night you say?" she repeated, easily imagining a dumbfounded Ragna falling head over heels for Kokonoe's skilled seductive prowess. "Heh, seems our little ploy worked its magic. It must've been the dress!" Litchi gestured at the carrier bag by the desk, noting the roughly-screwed up bundle that had once been a pristine maid dress. No doubt it'd been thrown aside in a fit of lust and ecstasy as Ragna stripped her bare with heat! Kokonoe's reddened cheeks and pouty expression only added fuel to the fire. "Don't worry, it's machine washable."
The professor shot a glance at the higgedly-piggedly pile of clothing; the product of a lazy, exhausted person clumsily getting dressed for work at 5 in the morning. "Y-Yeah." she acknowledged shyly, deciding to go along with Litchi's assessment. It was typical; just like before, she was unable to get the truth across. Her shoulders fell in defeat under Litchi's gaze, "... I guess."
"I'm glad that it worked out for you, Kokonoe." Litchi smiled serenely, honestly pleased that her bitter friend had managed to wrestle with her love life and find a firm hold on it once more. With her characteristic poise she reached over for the bag containing the prize of her wardrobe - somehow managing to make the holding of an orange plastic bag from the local corner shop look majestic and womanly. A fist rested at her hip, "I told you that it'd all be just one big misunderstanding, didn't it?"
A solemn nod was all that it got, as Kokonoe stared at her desk absently - gently suckling on her lollipop for the sugar it provided. "All of it, yeah." she acknowledged, always eager to avoid confrontation. Litchi, Ragna; she just couldn't say the truth; couldn't face it. "... One big misunderstanding."
Litchi was no fool, despite the image she often portrayed. It was obvious that something was amiss - Kokonoe'd gone for several minutes without uttering a single curse, or making a comment dripping like fat from a fryer with snark and superiority. She filled this moment of thought with her usual happy-go-lucky rambling. "Well then, I wish you the best!" the woman announced, turning to make her exit. Kokonoe continued to look off into nothingness, her expression solemn with uncertainty. "... Remember that I'm here for you. Okay?"
She honestly wondered if the professor forgot.
Always the one to wallow on her own.
This was acknowledged - barely - with a quiet mewl. "Mmhmm." Kokonoe exhaled, her finger and thumb twiddling with the titular stick of her drumstick's length. The offer stood in front of a steep cliff, tip-toeing over the chasm like a drunken sailor on the piss. She would've considered whether or not to reach out and pull the offer towards her, but she was already acting on it before she could even think. "... Hey, wait."
The tall lady froze mid-stride as Kokonoe spoke, looking very much like a deer in the headlights of a combine harvester. Although once she thought about it, if she was an innocent deer then Kokonoe must've been a cute little kitty cat falling for the bait of a trap. Litchi turned her head - her body still mid step, adding to the general creepiness in the air. "Yes...?"
Kokonoe fidgeted on the spot as Litchi's bright eyes locked onto her once more, her bare elbows taking a seat on the computer desk as she gnawed nervously on her drumstick. She'd just hopped out of the frying pan and into the fire over the course of three seconds; she had no choice but to make something out of the situation she'd just thrown herself at. Quietly she spoke, a mere murmur muffled by her nibbling teeth. "... I did something wrong."
Subordinate or not, Litchi was always eager to lend a helping hand - perhaps too eager in some cases, if you had a bleak enough outlook on life. Like a twirling ballerina she spun on her heels to face the professor, clutching onto the carrier bag at her front with both hands. "What do you mean?"
Her hands cupped her chin hopelessly, her fingers drumming at her cheeks as the lollipop stick wiggled between her lips. "... I-I said things I shouldn't have said." she admitted, pausing with doubt only to begin again: she had to trust the woman before her. Did she really have any reason not to? "... And didn't say what I should've said."
That was a mouthful and a half.
Litchi smirked in that familiar and playful manner that she always did, shaking her head in disbelief towards Kokonoe's worries. "Oh, I'm sure it's nothing." she reassured, setting the bag down once more. More often than not people dwelled on their past actions for far too long, making up all sorts of issues from nowhere. What she felt was a cardinal sin likely had little - if any - effect on Ragna. "You'd never hurt his feelings, it's just not you."
Shew as reluctant to accept those reassuring words, gently tugging at the lollipop stick and prying it free from her mouth. "All of this time, he..." Kokonoe's brow furrowed in self-loathing, pained to reflect on the realisation she'd had the night before. "He was just as worried as I was." her hands slid to her eyes, rubbing her blackened eyelids. "... I was the one who did something wrong, Litchi."
For once, Litchi didn't quite know what to say. "... Hmm?" she hummed questionably, her arms folding across her chest. Kokonoe maintained her downwards glare - anything to dodge her eyes, and her bulging bust. "What do you mean?"
The talkative fervour of last night returned in a milder dose, as Kokonoe broke out into a complaining mess once more. "From the start." she insisted, stubborn within her self-doubt. "Yesterday, when we spoke. I practically decided that he was abandoning me." she snarled, her voice muffled by her covering palms. It was disgusting to reflect on - she wanted to be the victim, didn't she? Her fingers spread open, her golden eyes finding Litchi's own within seconds. "Like the little bitch I am. A-Aren't lovers meant to be faithful?"
Like a trained professional - mind you, she probably was a trained professional - Litchi quickly went to placating the panicked professor. So many people in her situation felt like they were the only person in the world to have such issues; how wrong she was. "You were just scared, Kokonoe." she reached for the desk, leaning against it like the chairman of the board. Her expression became serious, as she furrowed her brow all business-like like the Wolf of Kagutsuchi. "Fear controls the fearful."
Retreating from their hold Kokonoe's hands returned to her chin, her digits returning to the peculiar beat that they'd drummed before. She certainly was scared; her entire life was on the verge of collapsing around her. Still, was it right to assume what she'd assumed? That Ragna of all people would turn on her? She sulked grumpily, staring at a coffee mug ring. "... That sounded pretty wise."
She was glad that she picked up on that, her form becoming feminine and flattered once more. "Got it from a kid's film." Litchi noted eagerly, fixing an invisible tie as if she was the star of an open-mic night. Taking a moment to be well and truly pleased, she suddenly returned to her broad-shouldered and commanding position. "... There was nothing wrong with what you did!"
Kokonoe was having none of that, stumbling for more reasons why she was in the shit. She didn't quite know why, yet even after all of her revelations she couldn't help but desire to whine. "B-But he took responsibility for it all." she pointed out, her expression that of a young and lost child. Whatever he was up to now, he was probably reflecting just as she was. He probably felt even worse, despite having done nothing wrong. "... He thinks all of this is his fault, but I... I couldn't admit it." Kokonoe inadvertently told to her, tilting her head to the side in shame. "Like the shitty coward I am, I couldn't damn well say it."
"You're saying it to me." Litchi pointed out simply, the ring of Kokonoe's bell-adorned tails punctuating her realisation as she flinched in fright. "That's brave enough."
It was a start.
Maybe, just maybe, she was being too hard on herself? What little she knew about the workings of love and war came from crappy books and even crappier gossip - all of those cringe worthy tales of successful loves, and soap opera-esque flirts. It was unreasonable to think that everything would fall into her open palm. There was a reason why lovers had to stick together as family; to work as one, and to approach the struggles ahead with each other's support. Wasn't that what Litchi had been trying to say since the start?
The professor was eventually pried away from her thoughts by a fit of womanly giggles, as Litchi backed away with a bowed head. "... Don't pout like that, my poor old heart!"
Kokonoe flushed with embarrassment, forcing her cutesy pout into a more harsh and pragmatic frown. There was no helping that woman sometimes, but she certainly didn't want her to have a heart attack - the funeral would cost a fortune,and she wasn't exactly eager to pay up. Leaning to the left she continued to fish through her deep trouser pockets, procuring another sweet - which she offered to her subordinate with an outstretched hand. "Here."
"... A lolly?" Litchi said quizzically, like a toddler repeating her first word five times over. Kokonoe actually took a moment to glance at it to make sure she was correct - indeed, it was a lolly. A lemon and lime flavoured one to be hesitantly reached for it, raising an eyebrow. "What's this for?"
Good question.
Just before Litchi could take hold, Kokonoe pulled her arm back and gave the lollipop a look over. It must've lasted at least a minute, before she mumbled a comment unenthusiastically. "... The hell if I know." her fingers twiddled the stick. It must've just been a spur of the moment thing; likely had a deep metaphorical meaning within it somewhere. "It's meant to be symbolic or meaningful or something." she pointed out, prompting Litchi to nod. Suddenly like an assassin on the warpath her arm shot out, causing the well-endowed woman to reel back in surprise. "Take it!"
She swiped it from her grasp gently, forcing a smile to try and ease the sudden change in atmosphere. Kokonoe's hand remained hanging in the air for a moment, before it quickly returned to her desk. Within moments she hung her head, randomly scribbling nonsense on a bit of paper to try and look hard at work - dismissing the woman's existence within a matter of seconds. Litchi's smirk remained, honestly this time. "You'll be ready soon, Kokonoe." she reassured, so daring as to pat the bedraggled pink mess the professor called hair twofold. "Trust me."
The fact that she didn't lash out and take an eye and an ear was surprising enough, as her pen froze mid-scrawl to appreciate the young woman's gesture. As much as a nuisance as Litchi could be, she could feel a soft spot for her somewhere within her bitter black heart - where something akin to respect sat on its lonesome, free from the snark that surrounded it. "... Okay." Kokonoe reluctantly acknowledged, rolling her desk chair away without any particular grace. "... Just this once."
That was enough to satisfy her subordinate, who with one last bow turned to leave her with her work. Litchi bent her knees only slightly to reach for the carrier bag, hauling it to her side as she made her way through the unlocked office door. She made sure to let it close as softly as a hanging feather in her wake - she never liked to cause a racket or ruckus when she let a door go.
She couldn't help but think about the dress she held in her hands - and how cute her superior looked clad in it, from the crimson bow on her collar to the cutesy little brown shoes that made her feet look small and graceful. The professor must've enjoyed it in some way ; she wouldn't have agreed so quickly in the first place if it weren't the case!
And all that did was make it even more endearing.
Squeeing like a girl telling all of her friends about her first kiss, she eagerly skipped across the laboratory to collect some papers. If she was willing to dress up again, what else could she try? To be honest, there wasn't much that could beat the loyal and obedient maid archetype. Maybe a cowgirl, or a pirate?
Finding the correct set of notes, Litchi gleefully sorted through them with a pleasant hum in mind. There was no point in dreading the work she was doing; that bore little fruit, and only made it last longer in general. The best approach was to keep grinning, and bear with it. Litchi glanced over the desks to spot one of the many scientists of Sector Seven getting to work, staring at the papers and sharing her smirk - he clearly thought the same.
Or he was staring at her breasts, not the papers.
Suddenly there was a loud crash, followed by a quieter click before the crash occurred again. Litchi threw her head around to see the day's first arrivals doing the same, their eyes all converging on the lab's single coffee machine - and its sole operator.
"Piece of pissing...!" Kokonoe screeched, kneeing the counter two times over to try and get her point across. The machine quickly went from spurting random blobs to completely stopping, entirely unwilling to cooperate with the head of the operation. The professor snarled with disgust - no doubt the appliance was self aware; it never had these issues with anyone else! She clasped onto its top and shook it like a month-old bottle of ketchup. "God damn waste of...!"
Litchi snickered with amusement, settling her sheets and lifting them with an air of effort and strain. Through thick and thin, it seemed Kokonoe would never stop being herself - the same hot-headed brainiac filled with sarcasm that she always was. No matter the pain, no matter the sorrow, she would never be broken. Checking her first destination of the day and popping the lolly into her mouth, Litchi took off for floor three - Kokonoe's constant cursing echoing through the corridors.
Same old, same old.
X
(A/N): Quite displeased with the end product here, but they can't all be winners can they? :P
I certainly enjoyed returning to writing for Kokonoe though. A year is a long time, and writing styles evolve over mere months!
I wish everyone a very happy new year! Got all sorts of stories planned... The question is, where do I begin? X_X