( Thought I would try putting some of the songs that will appear up here)
Songs:
Como La Flor – Selena
Don't Stop Me Now – Queen
Blinding Lights – The Weeknd
Stir It Up – Bob Marley and the Wailers
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
.
.
.
.
Dark eyes gazed across the rock garden; the sun shined down, but the woman hid in her room's shadows. Akito had been feeling agitated more than usual. Kureno had been acting strangely as if he was 'unhappy' about something. Then Marley had been so busy with the recent guests that it felt like she had barely any time for her.
It was pissing her off.
It seemed like she was alone for often these days. Had people forgotten about her? Had her treasured Zodiac members started to abandon her. No. That could never happen for Akito was-
"Akitooooo."Marley burst through the door, and Akito jumped out of her skin as the white-blonde energetically entered the room with a few tote bags.
"You trying to kill me?" The head of the Sohma Clan glared at Marley as she put down a bunch of stuff on the table before coming over to the corner where Akito was lounging.
"Wha-? No! Never! Sorry I was just excited." Marley laughed as she then wrapped her arms around Akito, mentioning that it had been too long and Akito grumbled and patted Marley's back in a weak attempt at returning the hug.
"I know! And I'm sorry, it's just been so crazy. And you keep turning me down every time I invite you out." Marley reminded her, and Akito just rolled her eyes.
"What are you doing here anyway."
"Well, I leave tomorrow for the beach house, and I wanted to hang out before I left. Plus, I thought we could do our nails."
"What's so great about the beach anyway," Akito complained, but her pessimist attitude did not bring Marley down; if anything, it only encouraged her to get Akito to see summer's joys.
"Well, you could build sandcastles, or look for crabs and seashells, play in the waves. I'm gonna bring a few books and relax a bit on the sand. Oh, and play beach ball or something." Marley rambled as she thought of all things she was going to do with her friends.
"That sounds exhausting..." Akito sighed.
"Aww, I really wish you would come, Akito. You would see how much fun it is. And then you could get to meet Miguel and get to know Tohru some more. I know you could be friends if you just gave it a chance." Marley tried to entice, but Akito only huffed and glared at the tatami mat.
"I have no intention of being friends with that girl." Her voice lowered, but Marley just tilted her head and let out a small disappointed sigh. Marley couldn't understand what Akito had against Tohru... or anyone who wasn't a Sohma for that matter. But that would never stop Marley from trying to get Akito out of this bubble she had made for herself.
But she wouldn't push it today.
"... that's too bad. I bet you would like her a lot, she's really sweet."
"I don't need any more friends... I've got my Zodiacs..." Akito argued that a glazed look crossed her dark eyes, and Marley only watched, unsure how she was supposed to comment on something like that.
She understood, for the most part, about Akito and her role with the Zodiacs. It was a powerful connection based on a spell or 'promise' from long ago that still ran through the Zodiac members' blood to this day.
But the Zodiac members still had friends and made connections outside of the Zodiac... why did Akito feel that she didn't need anyone else? And also...where did that put Marley in all of this.
Just an outsider, I suppose...
"What's all this junk." Akito gestured to the bags that Marley had brought and started going through everything herself.
"Oh, right! I thought we could have a little spa day! You know, maybe some mani-pedis and a face mask." Marley explained, shaking herself of the negative thoughts. It didn't do good to dwell on things she couldn't change.
"…..." Akito stared at her blankly, probably wondering how the two became friends in the first place.
"I'll let you pick my nail colour." Marley tried to entice her friend, and Akito pouted before giving in. Marley left to fill some tubs with hot water to soak their feet while Akito looked through the polish bottles that Marley brought. She was feeling kind of giddy as she looked browsed through the spectrum of colours.
.
The morning continued on, and Marley and Akito caught up on the porch while they soaked their feet in warm water before getting them ready to paint their nails; well, Marley was painting her nails. Akito was still on the fence. The last time Marley had painted Aktio's nails, she had removed it almost immediately after.
"So I took Miguel to Harajuku, and he scarfed down like 4 crepes in 20 minutes. But there were actually some charming vintage shops when we left the main area, and he found me this super-cool old suede jacket. It's too hot to wear right now, so I'm already looking forward to the fall." Marley spoke of her and Miguel's adventure around the city as Akito nodded along.
"What did you pick?" Marley asked, and Akito tossed a bottle her way. It was dark purple, almost black. It wasn't a colour that Marley might have picked for herself, but it was still stunning.
"What? You don't like it?" Akito asked as she watched Marley tilt her head at the bottle.
"No, I love it! It's a beautiful shade. Hey! It's almost the same colour as your eyes." Marley noticed as she held up the bottle, and Akito blushed a bit.
"What did you pick for yourself? feel like its always me doing my nails... or you trying to do my nails." Marley asked as she shook up the bottle of polish for herself.
"Men don't paint their nails." Akito simply stated but a dark look in her eyes.
"... well, that's not true." Marley could think of plenty of men who painted their nails.
"I'm head of the Sohma clan. It would be unfitting..." Akito mumbled as she glared at the nail polish bottle.
Marley was reminded that Akito was raised as a boy and everyone treated Akito as such. And she had certain expectations to uphold. This was always a strange situation, and Marley often asked why that was the way. But she was usually shushed and told it wasn't any of her business. But she never missed the uncertainty in Akito's eyes when she looked at the mirror a certain way.
"Well... you don't have to if you don't want to..." Marley pointed out, but by the small angry look on Akito's face as she stared at the nail polish, it was clear that Akito wanted to paint her nails but was holding back.
"What about just your toes? It'll be like a little secret that we have, and no one should notice. I'll do it for you", Marley proposed, and Akito agreed and showed Marley her pick.
It was a deep red colour, like the red of the flowers that Akito kept in her room. As Marley worked as a nail technician, she told Akito about all her summer vacation adventures so far and how nice it was catching up with Miguel and Gabriella.
"We also took a trip to the Tokyo sky tree, and the sky was so clear we were able to see Mt. Fuji in the distance. Oh, and we went to Tsukiji Market with Tohru, Hana and Uo. They got to enjoy some fresh sushi, and we found this stand that had really delicious strawberry daifuku." Marley good still taste the delicious treat, the soft mochi and the tart strawberry making for a wonderful combo
"We should go one time, it was lots of fun seeing all the stands!" Marley smiled as she painted Akito's toes before she did her own.
"I wanted to bring along Yuki and Kyo, but... it's a really touristy part and gets busy." Marley let out a small, sad sigh.
"They're fine. They are not yours to worry about." Akito snapped at Marley, but she didn't seem bothered and just shook her head.
"How can I not, though... and it would have been so much more fun if they got to come." Marley sighed, wishing there was a way to get her friends to come. Maybe she would look up what time of year was the least busy and plan around that.
There were lots of fresh tuna dishes that I bet Kyo would have loved; it would be fun to go with him and have him enjoy himself.
Akito watched as Marley painted the red shade on Akito's toes, but the clan's young leader could tell that Marley's mind was somewhere else, a soft look on her face and light blush on her cheeks.
"But that's why I'm looking forward to the beach house, they'll be able to relax a bit and enjoy the private beach. The only person we have to be careful of is Miguel... I don't know how we would handle Kisa 'poofing' into Tiger all of a sudden." Marley laughed as she tried to imagine the situation.
Miguel would probably think it was a prank at first... don't know how we would talk our way out of that one.
"You have such pretty toes, Akito, and the red looks really nice against your skin." Marley simply complimented as she finished putting the clear coat on.
"Don't say weird things..." Akito tried to wave off, but Marley only giggled and then moved on to ask what kind of sheet mask did Akito want to try.
It certainly felt nice to hang out, the only interruption being when a maid had walked in and saw the two girls with sheet masks on, and Aktio got embarrassed, ripping her's off and throwing it in the corner, embarrassed over being caught with it on.
Marley tried not to laugh, but it was too late, and soon the main house was filled the sounds of her laughter and Akito begging her to stop.
.
.
..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
.
.
Marley admired her dark toes as she walked through the Sohma Estate. The dark colour looked nice against her brown skin, and then for her hands, she had picked out very light pink. It was nice to have such a chill hangout with Akito before Marley left for the week.
Akito had been in a bit of a foul mood at first, but Marley blamed that on the hot day that could definitely put anybody in a bad mood.
Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a flash of flowing black hair and long pale legs disappearing around a corner.
"Zuzu!" Marley called out, but the girl kept walking, and Marley had to jog after her, the awkward sound of her flip flops slapping against the stone filling the air.
"Zuzu!" Marley called again as she caught up and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. As soon as she touched skin, Isuzu turned around.
"Is everything okay? Kagura says you haven't been around much. And I feel like... you've kind of disappeared." Marley had seen Isuzu less now than she was in the hospital, and it always felt like she was just missing her.
Is she avoiding me?
"It's none of your business." Isuzu brushed off Marley, and the good feeling the girl had moments ago was gone. Marley knew that Isuzu could have a bit of a cold tongue, she had been victim to it before, but this felt... different.
"Hey! Wait! Is it something... I did?" The white-blonde was able to get in front of Isuzu and tried to stare her down. The Zodiac member was wearing heeled boots, so the two stood eye to eye.
"It has nothing to do with you, Marley." Isuzu stood firmly, her eyes narrowing at Marley, telling her to back down. But Marley ignored the glare.
"So there is something?" Marley knew that Isuzu could be like this and wanted to do things on her own, but that didn't stop Marley from pushing. She could prove to be just as stubborn as the Horse Zodiac.
"Maybe I can help? How about you come over for tea, and we can catch up, and you can fill me in." Marley wasn't backing down. Marley felt she could call Isuzu her sister and felt hurt that she was pushing her away like this. The black-haired beauty let out a huff as a strong wind blew, and Isuzu's and Marley's long hair seemed to whip around them, the light and dark colours clashing.
"Tell me. Do you have feelings for Kyo?" Isuzu asked, hoping to get a different answer now that Marley had a few days to think about, hoping that she wasn't in too deep.
"I-…" Marley felt her words get caught in her throat and Isuzu could only watch as the look in Marley's eyes changed. Her eyes had such a softness before a sadness settled in.
"It's complicated, but I won't deny that I do like Kyo-" Marley admitted, but Isuzu slammed down her foot at the answer, making Marley stop and take a step away, surprised at how brash Isuzu was being towards her. Marley really couldn't understand why her feeling for Kyo should be so upsetting.
"You need to stop it," Isuzu warned her, and a part of Marley's felt a part of her heart cracking. A feeling of hurt washed over her. Isuzu was shooting her down and not even comforting in any way. Was it that ridiculous? Was Marley so foolish that Isuzu was trying to do her a favour by telling her off?
"What? But-… Is it because of Kagura? I promise I'm not planning on pursuing or anything. I doubt Kyo would feel the same anyway, and I know I'm not the best match or anything. Isn't it okay to just-" Marley tried to explain, assuming that Isuzu was protective of her fellow Zodiac members as they shared a bond while Marley was just an outsider.
"Marley. I'm warning you. Stop whatever you feeling. You need to back off." Isuzu interrupted, and Marley felt her jaw clench, and her heart felt like it dropped into her stomach.
And with that, Isuzu stormed off. Marley didn't feel like chasing after, not today. The sky started to rumble, and the once clear sky filled with dark clouds. The girl couldn't help but wonder if even the sky was feeling pity over the matters in Marley's heart and reflecting her own feelings.
.
How am I supposed to stop how I feel?
.
Marley was ripped from her thoughts when her phone started going off, and she looked down to see Momiji's caller ID.
"Moshi moshi," Marley answered, trying to put forth her best voice.
"MARLEY-CHAN! Are you excited?!" Momiji yelled into the phone so loudly that Marley nearly dropped her cell in shock.
"Of course! Its gonna be so much fun! I'm nearly done all my packing." Marley returned the excitement, pushing down her disappointment and hurt feelings.
No need to burden Momiji with my drama... he would probably tell Marley to back away from Kyo too... in probably a softer way but still... better not give anything away.
"Let's go to the store tonight! We need to grab lots of fun stuff! Like maybe inflatable stuff and then a beach ball-" Momiji started rambling, but it reminded Marley that she needed to buy stuff from the store as well.
"Ah, we should actually pick up sunscreen too." Marley went through a list in her head, trying to envision all the things they would need for the trip.
"Exactly!" Momiji cheered, and Marley could just picture the energetic boy jumping up and down on the spot. Momiji certainly had a way of cheering her up, and she found his sunshine attitude contagious.
"Alright, that sounds good. When do you want to go?" Marley asked, and only a second later, she felt a tun on the back of her shirt and looked behind her to see Momiji's large eyes looking up her.
"Can we leave now?" Momiji asked, a bright smile on his face, and Marley laughed, merely nodding her head.
Momiji cheered as he hopped around Marley. He knew that she had been busy this last week and felt like he didn't get as much time with Marley and was looking forward to making many happy summer memories. Even something as simple as shopping together seemed exciting.
"Oh, and let's drop by and surprise Shigure and ask if they need anything. It's on the way."
The sky boomed again, and a strong wind blew through as Momiji and Marley hurried to her house to ask Tetsuo if his driver was available to give them a ride.
.
.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
.
.
"GET READY, GET READY! Vroom-vroom-vrooooom! We're setting out tomorrow with a boom!" Momiji yelled as he burst into the Shigure's living room as he held Marley's hand, and she used her free one to wave at Yuki and Tohru, who still looked shocked at the sudden arrival. Well, Tohru looked more shocked while Yuki seemed to be a bit more used to Momiji's sudden outbursts.
"Me and Marley-Chan are here to take orders," Momiji announced, a proud look on his face and Marley nodded and greeted everyone in the living room, apologizing for the sudden intrusion.
"... is it raining outside?" Yuki asked, but it was apparent it was pouring outside as both Momiji and Marley were wearing what looked like matching raincoats, Momiji's was bright yellow while Marley's was a soft lilac colour, almost matching the girl's eyes.
"Don't you two look cute." Shigure teased, but they were hardly bothered by the comment. Momiji was quite proud, and Marley thought the matching raincoats were adorable and was touched that her friend wanted to wear a matching set.
"Ah, it was a gift from Momiji. We got them during the rainy season, but lately, it has been so nice that I haven't had an opportunity to wear it.." Marley smiled as she put down the hood of the raincoat and slightly adjusted her French braid.
"Tomorrow's the day that we're heading to the Sohma Summer home!" Momiji cheered.
"And Momiji and I are going to the store to grab some supplies and wanted to ask if you guys needed anything," Marley asked.
"Ah! I need to start packing still!" Tohru jumped up and then turned to Marley, still feeling uncertain if she should be going.
"Are you sure it's okay for me to come? It just sounds so luxurious." Tohru fretted, but the white-blonde Sohma was having none of it.
"Of course it's okay for you to come! We want you there, Tohru." Marley insisted as she held the girl's hands in hers and gave them a light squeeze, and Tohru felt a wave of warmth wash over her.
"Leaving tomorrow feels so sudden..." Yuki softly said, but Marley caught it, and it was her turn to fret.
"Ah, that's my bad. I should have followed up after the invitations." Marley bowed her head in slight shame, and Yuki had to that insist that it was fine.
"We've actually been planning this for a month; we have everything set up for the most part. I just forgot when it came to making sure who could come. I guess I just got so excited to go on an adventure with everyone." Marley still felt a little embarrassed, and Momiji only giggled.
"Who is going?"
"Umm...lets see. Kisa and Hiro are coming. Kagura has school stuff, so she can't come. Miguel is coming. Momiji and Haru... Zuzu said no." Marley sighed, a flash of sadness crossing her features. Not only was her dear friend missing out on the summer trip, but Marley could feel Isuzu pushing her away, and she didn't know what to do.
"Zuzu?" Tohru asked, not recognizing the name and only more curious as Marley seemed to be slightly distraught at the very name.
"Isuzu Sohma, she's another Zodiac member," Momiji informed Tohru.
"And then its Kyo, Yuki and Tohru... oh and me! So 9!" Marley counted on her fingers.
"It's going to be so much fun! We'll catch stag beetles, and let's set off fireworks!" Momiji cheered, and Tohru agreed, nodding her head and smiling as she too was really excited to do all these things with the Sohma family.
"It does sound like fun. Maybe I'll go too." Shigure said as he folded up his newspaper.
"Really?! It'd be great if you could come." Momiji responded.
"Don't you have work to do?" Yuki challenged, but Shigure just gave him a cheeky grin.
"Nope!"
"I don't believe you, and that smile makes my stomach turn, so knock it off." Yuki warned him.
"Never mind me. Are you kids doing your summer homework? Going off to have fun when you have homework to do isn't cool." Shigure jokingly scolded as he wagged his finger at the teens.
"No worries there. I'm almost done with it." Yuki said without batting an eye.
"Finished up mine last night." Marley chirped.
"Mine's just about finished toooooo!" Momiji proclaimed, a proud smile on his face.
The room looked over to Tohru, who looked like she admitted to running over a deer and was bathed in regret. It was apparent that someone still had a load of summer homework to do.
.
The teenagers then moved up to Tohru's room and helped her with any questions she had about homework. Well, Yuki and Marley were helping while Momiji hung out.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm causing trouble again..." Tohru apologized again.
"I don't think of it as trouble, so relax." Yuki tried to console her as they worked on physics.
"Your English homework looks great, Tohru. You must have been working really hard on it." Marley noticed as she checked over some of Tohru's homework. It was undoubtedly a huge improvement from the last time that Marley had helped the brunette with the language homework.
"I did my best... but the physics homework is just so hard for me. I keep getting stuck.." Tohru admitted, and Marley couldn't help but agree. She struggled when it came to math and sciences, but Tetsuo had been quick to make sure Marley had tutors to help her with things like that.
"Ah, the physics was hard for me too, sorry I can't help you there." Marley apologized as she just made a small note on the homework for Tohru to look at.
"Hang in there, Tohru! You can do it!" Momiji cheered.
"Right! I'll do my best so that I can go to the vacation home with everyone..." Tohru got a determined look in her eyes.
"For the stag beetles!" Momiji cheered.
"For the fireworks!" Tohru cheered.
"For the watermelon smashing!" Marley jumped up, and it was almost like she had stars in her eyes. But she clapped her hands when she remembered what she originally came here for and realized that poor Sousuke was still in the car.
"May I borrow a piece of paper?" Marley asked Yuki as she sat back down.
"Of course. Here." Yuki handed Marley a piece of paper, and she got started jotting down some stuff.
"May I ask what you are writing?" Yuki asked as he tilted his head, noticing that she wrote things out in English instead of Japanese.
"Just a list. Can you think of anything you might need?" Marley asked the boy, and he shook his head and insisted he was fine, but Marley wasn't so sure.
"No sunscreen? What about a towel? Or toothpaste? Oh, and maybe some aloe vera!" Marley was trying to think of anything he would need.
"Aloe vera?" Yuki tilted his head, wondering what aloe vera was and why he would need it.
"You look like you might burn easily, even with sunscreen." Marley bluntly put as she wrote down the items and the boy's face flushed a little bit as it was true.
"I'll go ask Kyo! Huh... Where is he?" Momiji asked, and Tohru let him know what Kyo was resting in his room.
"Well, I'll go ask him and remind him of tomorrow! Besides, I don't want to get in the way of your homework. Good luck, Tohru!" Momiji waved goodbye as he left the room and went off to find Kyo.
"Thanks!"
"Ah, I should probably go get him. I imagine with this bad weather that Kyo might be a little exhausted. Tohru, are you sure there isn't anything I can pick up for you?" Marley asked as she looked over at the Brunnett.
"No, I could never ask you to do that and -"
"Tohru, if you don't give me something to buy you, then I will pick out something for you. How about a cute beach towel?" Marley threatened but with a cheeky smile.
"That's a strange threat," Yuki admitted.
"It's a promise." Marley winked, and Tohru wasn't sure what to expect now.
"Well, I should go collect Momiji, and then we'll probably head out. Oh, but we'll say bye before we go." Marley said as she stood up and stepped out, softly closing the door behind her.
.
..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
.
"Kyoo!" Momiji called as he opened up the door to Kyo's room; he was lying on the floor, an open duffle bag beside him.
"Hey, Kyo. You sick?" Momiji asked as the orange-haired teen continued lying on the floor, his arm covering his face.
"I'm tired. I don't have the energy to talk to you. Get out." Kyo mumbled, too tired to properly yell at the younger boy. Momiji nodded but knew he had a job to do.
"We're going to the vacation house tomorrow, so get packed!" Momiji yelled with determination, and it started Kyo enough for him to sit up and properly glare at the blonde boy.
"I know already! You don't have to yell!" Kyo yelled at him as he finally got up.
"But you're coming with us, won't you- wow, it looks like you've already been packing!" Momiji hopped over to a duffle bag that seemed to have some clothes in it.
"Shut up, will ya..? I already said I would go." Kyo said as he slowly dragged his body to his closet, continuing to look through and pick what he would bring.
"Why I gotta pack for a trip when I'm already beat..." Kyo complained, the rainy weather depleting him of all his energy. Momiji watched and couldn't help but be slightly surprised at how quickly Kyo agreed. Something had changed.
"Your nicer than you used to be..." Momiji mumbled as he watched the orange-haired boy pack.
"Huh?!"
"Nothing! Oh, that's right! There something I wanna know! When can you get stag beetles other than at a department store?" Momiji asked with a determined look on in his eyes, and Kyo just raised an eyebrow before letting out a sigh of exhaustion.
"Are you serious?"
"Wait, you can get beetles from a department store?" Marley asked as she opened the door and stepped in, only catching the last bit of the conversation.
"How long have you been here?" Kyo seemed to jump at Marley's sight, and she only smiled a little guilty looking that she came in without knocking, but she had gotten intrigued over the idea of a department store selling those giant beetles she had only seen in pictures.
"…. I came with Momiji." Marley said, and then Kyo noticed what the two were wearing.
"Are you two wearing matching raincoats?" Kyo asked, and the two both threw up peace signs and posed.
"I'm too tired for this..." Kyo slumped, and Marley felt a little guilty for disturbing him when he was trying to rest.
"We just came by to see if anyone needed anything from the store for the trip. I'm sorry you're not feeling well." Marley apologized as she was aware that Kyo's body struggled in this kind of weather. It was too bad as Marley really enjoyed the rain and wished Kyo could enjoy it also.
"It's not like it's your fault..." Kyo shrugged.
"Still, it sucks that the weather makes you feel like this... But the weather looks like it's going to be a beautiful day tomorrow. Hopefully traffic isn't too bad. Me and Miguel even put together some music playlists for the beach – oh! I have to pack my Bluetooth speaker!" Marley put on a bright sunshine smile, and Kyo slightly smiled back, feeling the tiniest bit better seeing her so excited over the trip.
"But do you need anything from the store?" Marley asked Kyo, and he shook his head.
"Na, I'm good. What are you getting anyway?"
"I need to grab some coconut oil, and I wanted to grab some floaty things for the ocean. I want one of those donut things and maybe some goggles for seeing underwater. Oh, and I looked up that I should grab these bat things for smashing the watermelon." Marley explained as she went off and made strange hand gestures as she spoke. Momiji and Kyo just watched; Momiji was smiling as he was happy at how excited Marley was, and Kyo hardly understood a word that came out of her mouth.
But she certainly looked happy about whatever she was talking about.
Momiji looked back and forth between the two, and he felt like he might be seeing something that he had known for a while. Marley had appeared a little down earlier, even though she covered it well, but now it seemed her worries had been somewhat forgotten. And Kyo, who was at his worst when it came to days like this, even seemed softer and just a little more carefree.
"oh, and sunscreen and aloe vera for Yuki." Marley clapped her hands, and Kyo cringed at the mention of his rival.
"Why are you getting stuff for that damn rat..." He groaned, and Marley just tilted her head.
"Ha-ha! Kyo's jealous because Marley's looking out for Yuki." Momiji teased as he hopped around Kyo, who was visibly getting grumpier.
"Shut it! I am not!" The sound of glass breaking interrupted them, and they all looked at each other before they raced out of the room and went down the hall to check on Tohru.
"What happened, Tohru?! Are you okay?!" Marley asked as she rushed in, and Tohru was panicking; a cool wind blew in from the now broken window and glass littered parts of the floor.
"THE G-G-G-GLASS! THE GLASS!" Tohru stuttered as her whole body shook with distress.
"We get it calm down. Anyone hurt?" Kyo asked as he walked into the room.
"Oh! Wind, cease your blowing!" Momiji ordered, and Tohru was still in shock.
"C-cease blowing?"
"Like that would work! Idiot!" Kyo scolded, but that didn't seem to stop Momiji or Marley.
"Stop destroying Shigure's house, god of the wind," Marley ordered as she already knew her grandfather was going to have to sign off on permission to get Shigure's house fixed... again. It had become a bit of a joke on the estate how often the house needs repairs.
"Not you too, weirdo..." Kyo facepalmed, and Marley looked over at him before giggling as he just shook his head at her.
"For now, we need to block it... It's too dangerous, Honda-San. Please wait in another room." Yuki advised.
"I-I'm fine. I can help!" Tohru moved forward to try and clean up, but Marley was quicker and intercepted.
"Let's go, let Shigure know." Marley grabbed Tohru by the hand and led her out, Yuki sent her a thankful glance for getting Tohru out of harm's way, and she just winked as she left the room.
.
.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
.
.
"So it was the window breaking. I wondered what that sound was." Shigure nodded his head, understanding the situation.
"I'm so sorry..." Tohru bowed her head, feeling like it was her fault.
"Ah-hahahaha. Nobody to blame but the wind this time. But we'd better cover it up." Shigure suggested, not bothered in the least over the broken window.
"The boys are working on that now," Marley mentioned and imagined that Yuki and Kyo were actually doing all the work while Momiji watched. It was probably better that way.
"Don't worry. I'm not mad about it at all." Shigure waved of Tohru's apologies.
"Me and Momiji should probably head out. Our driver is waiting to take us to the store." Marley mentioned as she noticed how late it was starting to get and felt a wave at guilt over Sousuke in the car.
"Thanks for having us, Shigure. Maybe I'll see you at the beach house?" Marley proposed, and Shigure couldn't help but smirk just a little as going to a summer resort certainly sounded like fun. An idea popping into his mind about how to perhaps move things along.
Perhaps... this could be a good opportunity...
Marley soon left with Momiji, both in their matching raincoats, and they were off to the waiting car. The house settled back down after the excitement.
Shigure opened up the sliding door from his office and was met with an unexpected sight.
"Just so we're clear... I didn't break the window." Isuzu said as she stood with the wind whipping around her, her dark brown eyes seemed to stare into Shigure's soul, but he was mostly unbothered. Only curious.
"I know. Long time no see. Oh, and congrats on being discharged from the hospital, Rin." Shigure greeted her, it was indeed a surprise, but the novelist had a feeling that Isuzu would be making an appearance soon.
"Well, come on in. I'm sure this weather isn't good for your recovery." The adult waved her in, and she stepped into his office, not even bothering to take off her boots.
"Why was she here..." Isuzu asked, and Shigure simply asked who Isuzu was talking about.
"Marley... What was she doing here?" The teenager asked as she glared at her fellow Zodiac member, and he was a little surprised at the hostility.
"Just dropping by, asking if the kids needed anything for the beach trip." The older man explained as he sat down at his desk, making himself comfortable and gesturing for Isuzu to sit as well.
"Now. What brings you here?" He asked as he rested his chin on his hand and merely waited for Isuzu to come forward and ask.
"... You already know... don't you Gure-Nii? What I'm thinking and what I want?" Isuzu asked as she knelt down on the tatami mat of Shigure's office.
"Hmm, I'm not sure I can live up to your expectations." He smirked.
"You can. Give me an answer, Gure-Nii." Her deep dark eyes locked onto Shigure, but he was hardly bothered.
"Do I look like a simple man?" Shigure teased, but Isuzu was having none of it.
"No." She simply replied, and Shigure let out a small chuckle.
"Are you stupid? Or is playing the fool part of your plan?" The Dog mused as he leaned back in his seat.
"Well... what am I to do with you?" Shigure smirked as Isuzu leaned towards him, desperate for anything that would lead her to wish.
To free the people she loves and Shigure might be her only lead in what seemed like a next to a hopeless situation.
She would do anything. Give anything. Whatever it takes.
.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
.
Morning birds chirped, bringing music to the other wisely quiet morning, and the sky was clear with a few white fluffy clouds. Marley looked at the dark door, hesitating about knocking, it was early in the morning, and she didn't want to disturb anyone.
But she wasn't sure about leaving the tub of food on the porch.
"It should be fine..." Marley leaned down to place it on the front steps, but the door opened right as she about to put it down.
"Marley-San?" An older woman with very straight light brown hair that only went to the nape of her neck and light brown eyes looked at the beautiful foreigner on her doorstep, curious as to why she was there.
"Oh! Good morning Sohma-San!" Marley stood back up, and the woman greeted her back. The two didn't know each other well, but they had met, and the woman was happy that Marley had the patience to teach Kagura how to cook.
"Um, I just wanted to drop this off; it's for your family and Zuzu. I made a few batches of Samosas this weekend. They're basically... um, they're kind of like dumplings in a sense. And I made these not spicy..." Marley handed over the Tupperware container, and Kagura's mother bowed in thanks as she grabbed it.
"Thank you so much, they look delicious." Kagura's mother took a peek inside the container and gazed at the large triangular-shaped foods.
"I hope they're okay. Oh, almost forgot. Here are the re-heating instructions." Marley pulled out a piece of her paper from her dress pocket.
Kagura's mother mentioned that she knew about the summer house trip, and Marley explained that they were actually leaving this morning, but she had wanted to drop off the food before she left. Marley had also hoped to see Isuzu before they left as she couldn't shake this feeling that her friend was keeping things from her. Important things.
"Umm. How is Isuzu doing, since she got back?" Marley asked, wondering if anyone else had noticed a change or if it was just Marley herself.
"Well... I hardly see her around much. I honestly just assumed she's been spending time at your house as usual." The woman explained, and Marley just looked at the ground.
"Has she not... I see. I imagine she's just working through a lot. It was a pretty nasty fall. And Isuzu has always been difficult and a cold. Sometimes I just don't know what to do about that girl."
"She's not cold." Marley snapped, and Kagura's mother was a bit taken back and felt two feet tall as she looked in Marley's large eyes locked onto her. Marley was such a polite and friendly young woman and had never seen her displeased at all.
"I didn't mean-" Kagura's Mother tried to apologize, but Marley simply stepped back as she bit her lip slightly. She understood that Isuzu might seem cold, but she wasn't. Marley knew that Isuzu was kind and caring, she just... Had trouble showing it and closed herself off a lot. But to Marley, Isuzu helped her when she was at her darkest and stayed by her side when she at her worst.
"I should get going. Sorry to bother you, I hope you enjoy these. Use the tamarind sauce sparingly, a little goes a long way." Marley advised as she quickly gave a small bow and promptly walked away. The adult calling her friend that just made her wonder how Isuzu was doing in that household. Was it not a good fit? Was that affecting her? Where had she disappeared to?
.
The white-blonde let out a sigh and just continued walking back to her home to grab her bag and say her goodbyes to her Dadaji. As she got closer, she noticed that he was already standing out front with her bag, and Gimli was sitting at his feet.
"Okay, are you sure you're going to be okay by yourself?" Marley asked for had to be the 100th time. She felt like her Dadaji was missing out on all the summer fun, but he insisted that he had much work to do and had no time for a vacation.
"I can't promise the bird will still be here." Tetsuo groaned, wondering how he got stuck with a natural alarm clock that went off at 5 every morning. Zazu had been a recovering 'guest' for the last week, and the vet said that he should be fine to set free after two weeks. The plan was once Marley got back, they would be able to release him back into the wild.
If the poor bird made it that long...
"Huh?"
"... if it chirps too much, I'm letting the little monster have it," Tetsuo smirked, and Marley dropped her jaw at the very thought before looking down at the Gimli, who was sitting there looking quite proud.
"What?! NO!?" Marley protested and even picked up the large cat to try and have a talk with him.
"Gimli! Zazu is a guest, and you will not eat our guests. Please be a good boy! I promise to feed you extra shrimp when I get back." Marley lectured as she cuddled the cat close to her chest, rocking him like one would rock a baby as she cooed at him, and he only meowed back.
"I'm only kidding. Enjoy your trip. I'll look after everything. Just promise me you'll try not to get into trouble." Tetsuo told her as he took the large cat out of her arms and held it like it was a bomb. Gimli struggled a bit before getting free, and running off to do what Marley imagined was his morning route.
"What do you mean?" Marley asked, wondering what kind of trouble her Dadaji thought she was capable of.
"You'll barely have any adult supervisor... except for the maids..." Tetsuo was more thinking out loud now as he imagined what kind of trouble a house full of teenagers could get up too. His own son had used the summer home once to have a party, but he doubted Marley would do such a thing. Marley? No. Miguel? Maybe.
"What do you think we'll get up too?" Marley giggled over her slightly protective Dadaji. It was sweet but funny.
"... I remember what it was like to be young." Tetsuo argued as he raised a brow at the teenager who had yet to show any real rebellious sprit.
"Okay, I promise. No 'ragers.' No big house parties and no drugs." Marley made that action of crossing her heart, and the elder was already slightly regretting booking the summer house for them.
"I'll take it. You better hurry along before traffic bad." The man waved her off, but Marley just smiled and wrapped her arms around him, and he grumbled, but the returned the hug, wishing her a safe strip and reminding her to phone him when they arrived.
"Byyyyyye Tetsuo-Oji-San!" Momiji hopped over and hugged the man around his waist, and the Sohma elder rolled his eyes and patted him on the back. Haru bowed slightly before grabbing Marley's bag for her, and the trio headed towards the main gate where the shuttle bus was waiting as the old man watched as they walked away.
Kisa and Hiro were already waiting at the gate by the bus. The young Zodiacs ran over to meet Marley, Kisa latching herself to Marley's side and grabbing a bit of black fabric of Marley's cami wrap dress, and Hiro scolded Marley for being late and making them wait.
"You're the one who planned this, shouldn't you be here first?" Hiro asked as he stared up at Marley, a small smirk on his face, but Marley just giggled and patted his head.
"Ah, sorry, had to have a talk with Gimli about not eating Zazu." Marley apologized, and Hiro simply rolled his eyes before grabbing her hand and leading her onto the bus.
"Marley-Onee-Chan, I think Hiro-Chan is excited about the beach," Kisa said with a small smile, and Marley agreed. Hiro denied that he was excited, and both the girls giggled.
Kisa sat next to Marley, and the two dove into a conversation about ballet as the bus drove and picked up everyone else. Tohru, Kyo and Yuki were waiting at the roadside, and the Marley stepped off the bus to greet them.
"Good morning!" Marley hopped off the bus and gave her three friends a bright smile. Marley and Tohru hugged while the boys just waved, trying not to feel left out.
"Good morning Marley-Chan! You look so cute!" Tohru gushed as she admired Marley's simple black wrap dress that went to her mid-calf and showed off her figure beautifully. Yuki and Kyo's eyes travelled to Marley's bust, but both went red and stared at the ground, feeling a little embarrassed over checking Marley out and hoped they didn't get caught.
"Aw, thanks. You look so cute too, I love that dress." Marley complimented Tohru's cute blue mini-dress and immediately fell into conversation as they hopped onto the bus, and the boys followed. Everyone quickly took their seats after they put their bags away. Miguel was the last to get one to get picked and sat at the back, taking up the whole row as he decided he needed to keep sleeping.
"He's never been a morning person." Marley explained to Tohru, who had looked a little concerned as she sat in the row in front of her. The morning bus ride was relatively quiet, people just enjoying the morning ride, but it was around lunchtime that they figured they should make a stop somewhere.
But Miguel was still sleeping.
"I'll show you a trick his sister taught me." Marley whispered to Tohru as the two looked to the back of the bus, where Miguel was still sprawled out on the back row and snoring. Marley knew that he could sleep through an earthquake, but she did know something that could wake him.
"Um, are you sure it's alright to wake him?" Tohru looked a little nervous, not wanting to disturb him.
"He'll be more upset if he wakes up and learns we got food without him. Plus... think of it as small payback when he got us caught in that water fight at school," Marley explained as she plugged in her phone into the bus speaker system and scrolled through her music, stopping on an icon that read 'Selena.'
Marley was only kidding; she wasn't mad about Miguel spraying her with water. Marley was actually feeling like the two of them were becoming close again, and this time the boundaries had been set, and she could have her friend back.
"Alright, watch this." Marley smiled, and Tohru could see the slight bit of mischief behind it as she hit play and loud but catchy music filled the bus along with a feminine melodic voice.
Yo sé que tienes un nuevo amor
Sin embargo, te deseo lo mejor
Si en mí encontraste felicidad
Tal vez alguien más te la dará
"I'm up! I'm UP!" Miguel practically leaped up and was on his feet before looking around completely confused before looking at the front of the bus where Marley had a cheeky smile, and Tohru looked a little amused as well.
Como la flor
Con tanto amor
Me diste tú
Se marchitó
"Dammit..." He ran a hand through his hair as his cheeks burned a little, a slight blush appearing on his lightly tan face.
"Gabriella told me that she blasts this song whenever they clean the house and gets him up. Their mother cleans the house to this kind of music." Marley whispered to Tohru, and she awed at the information as if it was a grand secret. The music certainly sounded fun, and she could imagine cleaning the house to the upbeat tune.
"We there yet?" Miguel yawned as he looked out the window before walked to the front of the bus.
"Just stopping to stretch our legs and get some food. We've still got a few hours to go." Marley explained as Miguel yawned and stretched; everyone else was off the bus already waiting for them to get Miguel up and moving.
"Sweet. I'm starving." Miguel quickly exited the bus and Marley, and Tohru promptly followed.
The group ended up separating slightly, going off to grab what they could. Miguel followed Marley, Kisa and Hiro to a small omurice shop, and Hiro watched in slight horror and as Miguel not only finished his own meal but ate what Marley and Kisa couldn't. Hiro kept his plate protected, his eyes watching Miguel's spoon to make sure it didn't come close to his own meal.
"That was pretty good, didn't look that appetizing at first, could of have maybe used some hot sauce though," Miguel mentioned as they left the small shop, and Marley spotted Haru and Kyo hanging outside a convenience store.
"Let's grab some snacks! I was craving some chocolate almonds." Marley told Kisa as they held hands and walked along. Miguel chose to hang out with Haru and Kyo outside the store while the other three went inside, where they met up with Tohru and Yuki.
"Great minds think alike." Marley teased as both her and Yuki went for the cold bottles of green tea in the refrigerated area.
"I was feeling a little parched on the bus. I don't think I've been on one for so long." Yuki admitted as he politely smiled over at Marley.
"Really? Never took long road trips?" Marley asked as she also grabbed a blue Gatorade for Miguel.
"No, my mother-. It just wasn't my family's thing. Did you take road trips with your family Marley-San?" Yuki asked, wanting to get away from the topic of his own family.
"Mhm. Whenever we could. We mostly drove to Southern California for the beaches, or this one time, my Bapu drove us up to Vancouver for a wedding. I think we must have been in the car for at least 18 hours or something." Marley thought back, a small smile on her lips as she remembers her parents singing along to the radio and stopping only once for waffles at a small diner.
"18 hours?! That's sort of amazing." Yuki was certainly astonished, and Marley only nodded, mentioning that her Bapu was a champ when it came to long drives, but even Yuuto Sohma had was thankful when they finally arrived at their final destination.
Kisa picked out some candy for herself, and Hiro ended up grabbing the stuff from Marley's hands and paid for everything, claiming it was only because Marley treated them for lunch, but he had a little blush on his cheeks.
"You're such a cutie." Marley simply stated, not trying to tease but simply voicing what was going through her head.
"Shut it!" Hiro snapped, his face only growing redder, and Kisa and Marley both giggled, knowing Hiro's true nature.
When the group walked out of the convenience store, Marley was surprised to see Kyo and Miguel standing in front of one another. They weren't saying a word, but they seemed to be locked into some sort of staring contest.
"Um... everything okay?" Marley asked, and the two seemed to snap out of it, both turning their gaze to the white-blonde girl. Kyo huffed and walked off, and Miguel shrugged before grabbing the small plastic bag from her and slinging his arm over the girl's shoulders.
"Just...Talking about the long bus ride." Miguel stated, and while Marley wasn't convinced, she figured now maybe wasn't the time to dig as everyone else left the convenience store.
Everyone piled back into the bus, and Miguel had Marley sit next to him, asking if her phone had videos or something as he put his own phone at the front using the in-bus charging cable. The two fell into a comfortable conversation as they looked at some dance Youtube videos. Momiji sat in the row behind them and was peeking around to see what they were watching, both boys trying to talk Marley into trying some of the choreos they saw.
Hatsuharu was sitting a few rows back from the two foreigners with Yuki and looked across the aisle and watched as Kyo seemed to be glaring at Miguel.
"Ah. I wonder..." Haru voiced, and Kyo stopped his staring and looked out the window instead as he spat words at his cousin.
"I don't care what you're wondering, keep it to yourself." The boy grumbled, clearly bothered about something, and Haru could take a guess or two to what it was.
"What if the flame is rekindled?" Haru asked, which caused Kyo to turn back and stare at him, a look of confusion and annoyance in his eyes.
"Hah?"
"Once separated by time and distance. Lovers. Now reunited." Haru said in his usual monotone speech, but he also knew that these words had the possibility of stirring up something.
"...LOVERS?!" Kyo yelled as he shot up, and everyone on the bus looked over at him. Even the bus driver had looked back to see what the commotion was about.
"Kyo? Is everything okay?" Marley asked as she stared at him with those large amethyst eyes, and then Kyo noticed Miguel, who was slightly smirking at him, and Kyo sat back down and crossed his arms, telling everyone to leave him alone.
Momiji popped up from behind Marley and Miguel's row, standing on his bus seat to look over.
"Don't worry, Marley-Chan! He's just mad that he didn't get a chance to sit next to you on the bus." Momiji giggled, unable to help himself.
"Shut it, Rabbit! I'm not mad! Don't say stupid stuff!" Kyo snapped as he glared over at the energetic blonde boy.
"What an idiot." Yuki's voice could be heard, and this just led into more yells, and Marley only laughed at the boys, calling them silly, which caused both of them to quiet down.
.
.
.-.-.-.-.-.-
.
.
Day turned to night, and the teenagers finally arrived at a large house. It was two stories and had a large patio along with an upstairs balcony. It was an older style but looked like it been refurbed recently, traditional with modern touches. One could even hear the waves of the ocean that was within short walking distance.
"It's gorgeous! I can't believe I get to stay here for summer vacation!" Tohru had stars in her eyes as she stepped out of the bus, and Marley quickly agreed with as she took in the large house that her grandfather had booked for them.
"I'm gonna go pick my room!" Momiji cheered as he burst through the front door and raced upstairs to check everything out.
"Everyone needs to share rooms!" Marley called out as she carried in a tote bag full of beach stuff that she had picked up the night before while the boys took care of grabbing the rest of the bags.
The 2 maids hired to work at the summer house greeted everyone but focused more on the girls, calling Marley the 'young master' while they called Tohru the cutest as she blushed and denied.
"Young Master?" Miguel asked as he raised a brow, and Marley rubbed the back of her head.
"Well, she technically is Tetsuo-Sama's ward, so Marley-San is considered pretty important," Haru explained, and this only caused Marley to try and deny it and run off before the maids could fret over her more.
Everyone put their stuff away in the rooms they would be staying in. Marley, Tohru and Kisa would be sharing a room, the bed was king size and could easily fit all three girls, and the other 3 rooms were split between the boys.
After everyone settled in a bit, they all seemed to congregate to the kitchen and living room area except for one or two. Marley was talking on the phone with Tetsuo and letting him know that everyone had gotten there safely. He grumbled a good night, and Marley promised that she would call tomorrow to keep him updated.
"I have to admit... I'm still a little too excited to sleep." Marley sighed as she got herself some water from the tap in the kitchen and everyone seemed to agree for the most part as they lounged in the living room.
"We should order some food in too; lunch was a while ago, and I don't want to make a mess in the kitchen," Marley suggested and already insisted on maids taking the night off. Miguel didn't know a lot of Japanese, but he learned enough words to tell that Marley was talking about food.
"Pizza." Miguel called from the couch he was already lounging on as he scrolled through his phone.
"That sounds good! It's been a while since I've had pizza." Marley said as she looked around, and no one seemed to object to the option.
"I'll look up to see who's delivering." Haru offered as he brought out his phone and booted up his food delivery app.
"What kind of pizza would you like, Kisa?" Marley asked, and she simply said, 'cheese.'
"That's my favourite! Will you share with me? I don't think I could handle a whole one to myself." Marley asked, and Kisa nodded with a smile, happy that she and Marley liked the same things.
While they waited for the pizza to be delivered, Momiji skipped over to Marley and asked to borrow her phone, and she quickly passed over her device while asking what he needed it for.
"I'm too excited to sleep! I wanna celebrate our first night and dance!" Momiji announced as he went over to the entertainment system by the TV. And plugged in Marley's phone and looked through the music, Kisa and Hiro joined him and looked over his shoulder as they talked about what to play.
"Do they ever tire out?" Kyo asked as he entered the kitchen, fresh from the shower, his hair slightly damp.
"We're ordering in some pizza. What type would you like?" Marley asked as he leaned back on the kitchen counter next to her.
"What is it?" Kyo asked.
"What's Pizza?" Marley asked, feeling uncertain of what he was asking as pizza seemed to be so international.
"Ya. Well... I've heard of it, but I've never had it." Kyo shrugged, and Marley's jaw dropped as she tried to think of the best way to explain the tasty Italian dish.
"Oh... um, its bread with stuff baked on top." Marley simply put, leaving Kyo to picture toast with cheese on top.
"That's a terrible description, Marley-nee." Hiro scoffed, and Marley fretted as she tried to figure out how to better word it, but the more she described it, the worse it got.
"Whatever, just save me some, I guess. As long as it doesn't have leeks, I'm fine." Kyo shrugged.
"You can share with Kisa and me." Marley suggested, and Kyo agreed, figuring whatever they were having would be safe.
Momiji finally found some music he liked and pressed play. The familiar tune made Marley let out a small gasp before a bright smile appeared on her face.
Tonight, I'm gonna have myself a real good time
I feel alive and the world I'll turn it inside out, yeah
And floating around in ecstasy
So don't stop me now don't stop me
'Cause I'm having a good time, having a good time
"Marley-Chan! Dance! Dance! Dance! Dance with me!" Momiji grabbed Marley's hands and dragged her around and she laughed spun with him, careful of her surroundings still as to not make any of the Zodiac members.
I'm a shooting star, leaping through the sky
Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity
I'm a racing car, passing by like Lady Godiva
I'm gonna go, go, go
There's no stopping me
"They look like they're having fun." Tohru smiled as she watched the two as they danced around and sang along. Tohru recognized the song; she could picture her mother playing it, the classic UK band had been a favourite of Kyoko's. Kisa pulled on Tohru's dress to her attention.
"Tohru-Onee-Chan, would you like to dance too?" Kisa shyly asked, and Tohru's heart melted at the girl's large eyes looking up at her.
"I'm not very good, so I might not be a good partner-but I would be honoured." Tohru was nervous but couldn't possibly say to the sweet girl, and Kisa gave a big smile and dragged her over to Marley and Momiji, who were hopping around and swinging to the music. Marley looked over and saw Hiro huffing and laughed at his somewhat obvious jealousy before dancing over the grabbing his hands, dragging him over to the makeshift 'dancefloor.'
"Wait-what the hell?!" Hiro yelled as he was slightly panicked.
"C'mon Hiro, it's time to dance! We're celebrating summer vacation." Marley laughed as she held his hands and swung him around, careful not to let him fall and not get to close accidentally. Reminding herself to be wary of the curse.
Don't stop me now, I'm having such a good time
I'm having a ball
Don't stop me now
If you wanna have a good time, just give me a call
Don't stop me now ('cause I'm having a good time)
Don't stop me now (yes, I'm havin' a good time)
I don't want to stop at all
"She certainly makes it look easy, huh?" Haru smiled as he watched Marley and the rest dance carefree, Marley sneaking in Hiro to dance with Kisa, which made both of the kids happy as Marley danced with Momiji and Tohru. Miguel watched from the large couch, his phone out as he recorded.
"I don't understand how they can have so much energy." Kyo groaned, but he couldn't deny that watching the dancing was entertaining.
"C'mon you guys! Join in!" Marley called over the boys as a new song started, and Haru shrugged and pulled Yuki, declaring he wanted to dance with him while Yuki shoved him away and escaped to the couch to be safe. A new song started up that was a bit more modern.
I been tryna call
I been on my own for long enough
Maybe you can show me how to love, maybe
I'm going through withdrawals
You don't even have to do too much
You can turn me on with just a touch, baby
Kyo rolled his eyes but brought his attention back to Marley, who was leading Tohru is a simple dance as Momiji danced around them. Tohru was really enjoying herself as well, and it was nice to the two kind-hearted girls having so much fun over a simple dance.
I said, ooh, I'm blinded by the lights
No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch
I said, ooh, I'm drowning in the night
Oh, when I'm like this, you're the one I trust
Hey, hey, hey
I'm running out of time
'Cause I can see the sun light up the sky
So I hit the road in overdrive, baby
Marley looked over, and her soft amethyst eyes met Kyo's bright marigold ones, a gentle blush graced her cheeks, and Kyo felt his heart skip a beat before his own face went hot.
The hell was that?!
The boy felt confused and went over to the sink to grab some more water, filling his cup and gulping it down, trying to cool himself off. As he was trying to distract himself, the song ended, and a new song started.
Stir it up, little darlin', stir it up, me on, baby
Come on and stir it up, little darlin', stir it up, oh-oh
Kyo recognized the voice, and even though he wasn't very familiar with much music, he knew the artist of this song. Bob Marley, the artist that Marley has been named after. Kyo didn't know why her mother had named her that, but whenever he heard this artist's music, Kyo would immediately picture his Marley.
'My' Marley... what the hell is wrong with me?!
The Cat of the Zodiac was so caught up in trying to figure out what was going on with him that he didn't notice Momiji sneaking up beside him.
"Kyo! Come on! Even you can dance to this!" Momiji tugged on his shirt and gestured to Yuki and Marley, who were just swaying back and forth, grooving to the chill song. Kyo didn't like it one bit and almost as quick as lightning had stepped between the two.
There was an awkward pause, and everyone seemed to be staring, waiting for some sort of confrontation, but Marley just grabbed both of their hands and continued dancing. Kyo was a bit stiff, but the soft look on Marley's face as she effortlessly moved to the music made him calm down a bit, and even he started swaying. The calming effects of reggae music and Marley was undoubtedly powerful.
It's been a long, long time, yeah (stir it, stir it, stir it together)
Since I've got you on my mind (oh-oh-oh-oh) oh-oh
Now you are here (stir it, stir it, stir it together), I said
It's so clear
To see what we could do, baby, (oh-oh-oh-oh)
Just me and you
Come on and stir it up, little darlin'
Stir it up, come on, baby
Come on and stir it up, yeah
Little darlin', stir it up O-oh
The teenagers stayed up, dancing, laughing and finally settling in when the pizza arrived, filling their bellies.
Marley laid on the right side of the bed with Kisa in the middle and Tohru sleeping soundly on the other side. The girl fidgeted with her silver locket as she thought of the day's events as she hummed the Bob Marley song that almost everyone danced to. Even Kyo had joined in and looked like he was having some, and that made Marley so happy, she couldn't erase the smile from her cheeks.
This is going to be so much fun; I can't wait to make more memories with everyone.
.
.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Notes:
Tsukiji Market: Tsukiji Outer Market is a district adjacent to the site of the former Tsukiji Wholesale Market. It consists of a few blocks of wholesale and retail shops, as well as restaurants and food stalls crowded along narrow lanes. Here you can find fresh and processed seafood and produce alongside knives and other kitchen-related goods.
Daifuku: Japanese confection consisting of a small round mochi stuffed with sweet filling, most commonly anko, sweetened red bean paste made from azuki beans. Daifuku comes in many varieties.
Omurice: Western-influenced style of Japanese cuisine, consisting of an omelet made with fried rice and thin, fried scrambled eggs, usually topped with ketchup. It is a popular dish both commonly cooked at home and often found at western-style diners in Japan.
Samosa: A samosa is a fried or baked pastry with a savoury filling, such as spiced potatoes, onions, peas, cheese, beef and other meats, or lentils. It may take different forms, including triangular, cone, or half-moon shapes, depending on the region.
Songs:
Como La Flor – Selena
Don't Stop Me Now – Queen
Blinding Lights – The Weeknd
Stir It Up – Bob Marley and the Wailers
Hello! Peachie here!
We are at the beach! The Beach arc is here! It took 11 chapters but we're here LOL
WOW! Thank you so much to those who reviewed! I was so happy to read them and they really filled me with positive vibes that I really needed during these less than pleasant times.
I appreciate the feedback so much. I still feel like a newbie when it comes to writing as this is still my first story and because I care so much about it, I tend to get nervous and anxious when there is no feedback.
Much love and good vibes to all.
Thanks for reading and hope ya'll are staying safe.
Please leave a review if you can, anything is highly appreciated :)