"Hmm, hmm, hmm… hmm, hmm…"
"Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm… hmm, hmm, hmm…"
Loki strolled down the hallway, humming his ancient tune. Classes were over and they were free to conduct the going-home club activities. Today, that consisted of pulling a prank on Apollon, grabbing something to eat, and, after sabotaging one of the classroom doorknobs, making his way down the familiar path toward the music studio.
It had become a pastime of his over the last few weeks, occasionally making his way down these familiar halls after class time. As the sole member of the music club — as far as he knew — Nari Kusanagi could often be found somewhere between the studio and one of the many music rooms at this time during the day. If not one, she could often be found in the other, occasionally dancing around with the skittish Egyptian god. He had spotted them on multiple occasions, and each time he did, it brought a scowl to his face. What was he doing in there anyway? Was he even a member of the music club?
Not that any of that mattered, of course. He was just wandering aimlessly through the halls after all. It was only by coincidence that he happened to pass by there on occasion. It's not like he was looking for her or anything. No, he had no reason to. Why on the world would he be concerned with Nari or her whereabouts?
The musical goddess. The enigma. The firecracker that was the older Kusanagi sister. The woman he had first met covered in blood upon her arrival and now waged war against him at every turn. The student that, much as he hated to admit it, fascinated him. Though he wanted to torment her — which he had become very good at — he also wanted to grow closer to her. He wanted to learn her and unravel the mysteries that surrounded her. He wanted to…
"Hmm?"
Loki frowned. It seemed that Nari was not to be found in the dance studio this time around. A quick stroll by the music rooms provided the same result. How disappointing. He was hoping to have some fun with her today. Their last interaction was still fresh in his mind.
Having grown tired of his presence around her, Loki had decided the best way to discourage the god of ecstasy from his flirtations was to give him a pommeling he would never forget. Thus, he had followed and was waiting for him at the crossroads. What he hadn't been expected was for Nari to be with him; the result was her inevitably getting caught in — and unfortunately, taking the brunt of — the blast. After the incident, he had encountered her only one other time later in the week. That interaction had ended with her hurling a textbook at his face; clearly still upset about the paint bomb incident.
With a huff, he drove them onward down another series of hallways with no destination. It looked like his day couldn't get any duller.
Until it did.
"I'm not a damsel, by the way." He heard her voice, laughing in that adorable way that she did. It seemed he had found her after all. With his interest piqued, he made his way toward the other corridor, feeling his levity change to irritation at the sound of a second voice. A voice he was becoming increasingly frustrated with. It seemed one bright orange paint ball wasn't enough.
"Still beautiful."
Peeking around the corner, he could see her navy hair through the sea of wandering students… alongside a taller head of maroon. They were walking together. She chuckled at him. "Not giving up, are you?"
"Should I? If you're not interested, I can take a hint."
"I just don't understand your fascination with me."
"What can I say? You are difficult to resist…" Surprise, surprise. He was flirting again. Dionysus flirted with everyone, although it seemed that Nari was a particular favorite of his. A fact that Loki was not very happy with. Maybe another bomb was in order…
"Is that so?"
"Yes. It has been a long time since I met someone like you." What exactly was he hoping to accomplish? Why was he so interested in her? Why was he so determined to catch her attention? He never seemed to bother the younger sibling, so why was he so enamored with this one?
And most importantly, why did it bother him so much?
"What are you doing?"
Loki nearly leapt into the air as another, deeper voice sounded from directly behind him. He was so startled, he had to cover his own mouth to silence a yelp. He had been so focused on his current task that he had completely forgotten he was accompanied. Technically, it was still going-home Club time, and he and Thor had been stationary for a few minutes. Shaking his head, he turned around to face his friend, who was now watching him with mild interest. "Eh? Whatever do you mean?"
"You were watching them."
Loki smiled. "How very observant of you."
"Why?"
"Why?" Loki gave a quiet laugh, shaking his head. "For a prank of course! Dear Thor, you should know me by now."
"…" Thor didn't give him an answer. The god of fire was right. He did know him very well… which was exactly how he could tell that the other was lying. His smile, while confident, had a light twitch at the corner and didn't reach his eyes. His fingers, so often found curling between his crimson locks, were now resting tensely at his side. His voice was off kilter too, running just a bit deeper than his typical lilt, indicating frustration. It was clear that his motivations had more to do with the Kusanagi sister than any insidious plot. But what those motivations were, he couldn't fully say. "We should continue."
"…Right." Loki turned around, shooting one last glance down the hallway just in time to see the pair disappear around the corner.
That was the last time he had seen her. Up-close anyway.
Aside from class, he had yet to run into the Kusanagi sister since that day. He noticed her in passing doing various activities, usually involving the other gods. He had found her dancing with Anubis, and gobbling rice cakes with Hades — she was eating more often, he noticed — he had even seen her off in the courtyard watching the moon with Tsukito. At this point, he was convinced she was actively avoiding him. Which, considering their last interaction, wasn't entirely surprising.
But now that was becoming a problem because he had a serious bone to pick with her. With Nari staying as far from him as possible, he had found himself with a great deal of free time. In that free time, he had sated his curious desires, spending nearly every other moment wandering through the school's library and excessive texts. Since she wouldn't speak to him, he figured he may as well get some information about her through research. But there was one small problem... he couldn't find anything. It would no longer be exaggeration to say that he uncovered nearly every book in the mythology section, even spending some time looking outside of it. Yet still he found nothing.
There was no record of anyone called Nari, let alone the goddess of song. Either her book had been stolen or someone was lying to him. More than likely the latter. And if he could ever find her, he would figure out why.
A glimpse of blue in the corner of his eye presented him with an opportunity. There she was, alone in the empty corridor. Not far from the grand entrance hall, she stood, with her eyes gazing up at the cloudy sky. It was raining this afternoon, loud heavy drops rattling against the ceiling. He wasn't surprised to see her doing so either. Nari had mentioned that she enjoyed watching the rain but had never explained the reason why.
As he watched her, he couldn't help but take notice of her features. Navy locks trailing down her back. It was growing longer, he noticed. Her skin remained as pale as moonlight with deep brown orbs that gazed with an intensity unlike any he had seen. He enjoyed those eyes. They were vibrant yet he couldn't help but notice they always looked sad. As though she were carrying a great weight on her shoulders. He wondered more than anything what was going on behind them.
If he was ever going to find out, he would have to make a move toward. Seeing no other distractions, he strode forward to take his shot.
. . .
Nari heard the footsteps before she saw him. They were slow and careful; unlike the casual saunter she had grown accustomed to. She contemplated walking away right then and there but quickly decided against it. She was far too tired. And even if she did, he would just follow her. Because that's how Loki was. If she ran, he would chase her. If she hid, he would find her. And Loki always caught her. Loki always found her. So instead, she stayed there, watching the rain.
"…Hey there, puppy. I've been looking for you."
"I'm well aware."
"Yet you've been avoiding me."
"And? It clearly didn't work." Loki grimaced slightly at her agitated tone. To be fair, he may have deserved it. The orange incident aside, the older Kusanagi sister had fallen victim to far more of his traps than anyone else in the school, accidental or otherwise. Even still, he had no intention of messing with her. Not on this day. But before he could start a conversation, she did it for him. "Look, what do you want, Loki? Here to throw another bomb in my face?"
"That wasn't supposed to happen, I wasn't even aiming for —" Realizing his admission would get him nowhere, he decided to change to course. "I simply came to enjoy your company." His offer was met with silence. He could see the tensing of her shoulders, and planting of her feet. She didn't trust him. With a scoff, she shook her head, and kept her eyes forward. Loki stepped toward her. "Fine. If you must know… I'm here for information."
"Information…?" His question piqued her interest. Turning, she quirked an eyebrow at him. "What do you want to know?"
"I want to know why you were untruthful. I pegged you as many things, Puppy, but certainly not a liar. That's my schtick."
"Excuse me?"
Loki strolled closer toward her, smirking as she turned and backed away from him. It didn't take long for her to reach the wall, leaving her cornered. She was trapped. "I've been doing some research lately."
"Good for you. You're a student, that's what you're supposed to do."
"Ah, but I wasn't researching humans. You see, I was thinking about what you said that night and decided to do a little digging. Imagine my surprise when I couldn't a find a single paragraph on Nari, the goddess of song… anywhere."
"What?" Her eyes widened in disbelief, mouth falling open. He smirked at her reaction. She had been caught.
Contrary to his assumptions, her surprise had little to do with deceit and everything to do with utter confusion. "Are you being serious right now?"
"I couldn't be more serious, puppy."
"Loki, why the hell would you do something that?"
"Why not? Honestly, you didn't expect me to?"
"Of course not!" Leaning forward, she scowled at him. She couldn't believe it. Was that what he had been getting up to after class every morning? Combing through the library searching for a goddess that doesn't exist? "Loki, of course you're not going to find anything. I'm —"
Her voice was halted by a distant sound, a loud crash echoing from somewhere off the grounds. Was it an explosion? It shouldn't have been since Loki was right in front of her. Then again, Hades could be anywhere… "What was —" ah! Once again, her words were halted, this time by a violent tremor as the ground began to shake.
It felt like a bomb had gone off, rattling the walls and the ground beneath their feet. Nari yelped, losing her balance, and stumbled back against the wall. Reaching the hard surface, she bent her knees and slid to the ground in a protective ball, lifting her arms to cover her face from any falling debris. The trembling continued for nearly two minutes, including the aftershock. Thankfully, the only thing that rained down on them were branches and leaves from the plants snaking up the walls.
When the quaking subsided, the two remained still for a few moments, holding their positions for safety. When they were certain it was over, the two slowly opened their eyes. Lifting her head, Nari gasped. Similar to herself, Loki had crouched low to ground during the quake. However, he had leaned forward, caging her between his arms and shielding her against the wall. Now, with the adrenaline fading, Nari quickly noticed their proximity, once again finding themselves within centimeters of each other.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm… yeah," she mumbled. "Yeah, I'm fine." It was all she could muster, meeting his gaze with a nervous expression. They were so close. Again. Despite their earlier interaction, she found herself suddenly torn. She could feel it again; that strange compulsion to move forward, to bring them closer together. And if his intense gaze were any indication, her suspicions had been right... Loki could feel it too. But he resisted, instead drawing backward, and rubbing the back of his head.
"Good."
With their previous discussion forgotten, the two students slowly climbed to their feet. Nari brushed off her jacket. "What the hell was that?"
"I have no idea."
The two stood in silence, looking around to see if they could find any clues as to what had happened. The only sound they heard was the rain, pounding against the towering walls. It was oddly quiet, considering the apocalyptic scenario only moments ago. They wondered for a moment if it were Zeus' doing. Surely, if it were anything else, they would have been alerted by now. The pair had almost relaxed, for just the briefest moment. But as a loud, familiar shriek reached their ears, Nari spun around. Her voice was so loud, she could hear it from down the corridor. It was Yui.
"Suspended? No!"
The two shared a look with one another before turning and bolting down the hall.
. . .
"What the hell is going on over here?" Nari demanded. Drawn by the sound of Yui's shouting, the older sister made her way as quickly as she could to the source of the noise with Loki right on her heels. Bursting through the doors, she found Zeus, Takeru, and Yui in what looked like some sort of standoff. The first looked aggravated, the second upset. Her sister just looked shaken.
"It does not concern you, Kusanagi."
Nari scoffed. "Um, it almost brought the roof down on my head. It kinda does."
"I will not tolerate —"
"I..." Zeus' retort was interrupted by a loud growl; Takeru clenched his fists, teeth gritted together as he tried to force the words out. "I'm… I…"
"No, Takeru, stop! You don't have to apologize! There is nothing to apologize for!"
"Huh…?" Nari blinked. Now utterly confused, she turned her attention back to the sea god, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. From the snippet she had heard following the quake, someone had been suspended. And from the direction of this conversation, it was clear to see who it was. What she didn't understand was what he had done or why her sister believed he shouldn't have to apologize for it.
Zeus, clearly, believed otherwise. Turning his glare on the younger sibling, he gripped his staff tightly in his hands. "What are you saying?"
Nari made to move forward, her intention to protect her sister from what was sure to be a violent verbal onslaught. But she froze in her tracks when Yui surprised her. Rather than backing down, as she so often did when faced with conflict, her sister stepped forward, holding her head high and resolute. "Listen to me, Zeus… Takeru only wanted to save me. That caused his shackle to come off. That's all! Isn't this academy a place for gods to study human emotion?"
So, Takeru had caused the quake. Now, everything made sense. To shatter his limiter forcefully must have taken tremendous power. And with his emotions heightened to such a state, she was certain the tempestuous god had more than enough of it. At seeing her sister in danger, he must have transformed, causing an eruption of magical power that rippled across the entire island. Zeus had mentioned that using their powers indiscriminately could destroy their floating paradise...
At this point, Nari wasn't sure what to think. On the one hand, Takeru had saved her sister. On the other, in doing so, he could have very well killed all of them. Neither result seemed ideal, but if she were stuck between the two, she would have chosen the latter. In the end, only two details mattered. Something potentially lethal had happened to Yui, and the god of the sea had saved her from it. Knowing those things, everything else was unimportant to her. Shifting her gaze, Nari met Takeru's eyes; she could see the pain swirling beneath his cinnamon eyes. He was clearly distressed.
While Nari remained silent, Yui continued. "The desire to save someone is a very natural human emotion, right? So, it doesn't make sense for him to have to apologize."
Finding her voice again, Nari immediately moved to support her younger sibling. "It really doesn't. I don't know exactly what happened here… but it sounds to me like Takeru should be rewarded rather than punished."
"Kusanagi…" The sea god balked, his eyes growing wide at Nari's assertion. To hear any sort of positive words in his direction were surprising enough. To see her siding with him against Zeus was even more so. His eyes gazed at the two sisters with astonishment.
Before he could say anything further, the throne room door flew open. In the opening stood Apollon, Hades, Tsukito, Balder, and to her surprise, even Dionysus. They rushed over, rallying around the sisters sharing the same looks of determination.
"Leave! This has nothing to do with you."
"That isn't true! The class isn't the same without Take-Take. It's not the same!" Apollon retorted, stepping forward to place himself between his father and Yui.
Dionysus agreed. "He's right. Without him, it doesn't feel complete."
"Yeah." Balder seconded with a stern nod.
Tsukito said nothing, but Nari could tell from the pointed look on his face that he was very much in agreement. With everyone by her side, Yui soldiered on, bolstered by her allies. "Look… Everyone feels the same way. They really are learning about humans!"
Zeus however, was unmoved. "You intend to defy me?"
One look at his agitated face sent a shiver down both women's spines. Nari had already ended up on the receiving end of his staff once that school year, and she had no intention of allowing Yui to do the same. Her sister gulped at the display, taking a step back from the lord of the heavens. Then, she took a deep calming breath, pointed her finger, and replied. "Yes. The one at this academy who understands humans the least is you, Zeus!"
Nari's eyes grew wide, along with every other attendee in the room. Where was all of this coming from? Who was this bold young woman and what had she done with her sister? Perhaps her abrasion was finally rubbing off on her... and Nari wasn't entirely sure if that was a good or a bad thing.
"Zeus, learn from the others, and study humans more closely! Humans can recover from their mistakes. They want to save their friends when they're in trouble! That's… that's… what it means to be human!" Yui ended her rant, shoulders heaving with strain. It had taken a lot out of her. Though she was determined in her defense, she was still standing up to a god. After a moment, she returned to her senses, blinking, and looking around at everyone's startled faces — Nari's included.
After a brief pause, Hades broke the silence. "Zeus. You never miss anything. You knew this would happen. Didn't you?"
His brother glared at him with narrowed eyes and clenched teeth. It seemed that, at the very least, there was some truth to Hades' claim. Instead of denying or acknowledging, he simply sighed. "Susanoo, Takeru Totsuka… Continue your studies and produce results."
. . .
After the events of the afternoon, evening began to fall. The rain had ceased, finally returning to a clear autumn night. The wind howled, whipping Nari's hair around her face. Her mind continued to replay Yui's words over and over like a broken record as she recounted the events of the day.
Humans can recover from their mistakes.
Could they?
Nari, with a heavy heart, wondered if that were true. Moving along the roof, she finally found the god she had been looking for. Standing near the edge of the roof, leaning against the railing was Takeru Totsuka, the catalyst for the day's fiasco. With a careful breath, she slowly stepped forward, approaching him with caution. One could never be too careful with the temperamental sea god.
"Hey…" Nari muttered.
"Hey."
Receiving no outright rejection, she continued forward, leaning against the railing alongside him. "Wow, that was… something."
"Yeah."
Takeru said nothing more. He simply stared forward, eyes gazing out over the grounds. Nari did the same, gazing out over the beautiful landscape. After a few minutes, she slowly turned to him. "Hey, um… thanks."
"Hmm? For what?" Takeru asked with a hint of surprise.
"For what you did. I talked to Yui after everything was all over. You saved my sister's life." Nari fixed him with an intense gaze, trying to express her genuine gratitude. "It caused a little bit of trouble, yeah, but… without you, my sister wouldn't be here now." Closing her eyes, she gave a deep, meaningful bow. "I will be eternally grateful for that."
"Hmph. It was nothing. I wasn't going to just sit there and watch a woman die. Not when I have the power to do something…"
"What…?" Nari asked. She could tell from his tone that there was meaning behind his words. But he had no intention of revealing it.
"Never mind. It's nothing."
"…Okay." Rising, Nari stood silently at his side, enjoying the autumn air. Recalling the conversation that followed after their defense, she spoke again. "So… what's your plan now? Are you guys actually going to form a running club?"
Takeru didn't answer. His brows furrowed, lips pulling into a scowl. After a long pause, he scoffed and shook his head.
Nari balked, mouth falling open at his stubbornness. "Really? Even after all this?"
"I'm not interested."
"But why? You guys already run together every morning. What do you have to lose at this point?"
"It doesn't matter."
"It does matter, Takeru!" Nari turned toward him, growing frustrated with his defiance.
"There isn't any point."
"Why?"
"Because —" Takeru began, before shaking his head. "Forget it."
"Takeru, why are you being so stubborn? You were given a second chance, why can't —"
"Because it's useless!" Nari reared back, startled by the sudden shift in his tone. Her suspicion was correct. Something else was bothering him. Something far deeper than his suspension or the events of the day. "You weren't there… you didn't see the look on their faces. Yeah, Weed helped, and I got out of trouble, but… it doesn't change anything. Even though I'm trying to learn, they…"
Now, she finally understood.
Nari sighed. "I see now."
"Don't pretend you understand."
"I do understand…"
Takeru scoffed. "What do you know?"
"I know that you've spent your entire life being misunderstood. And I know how it feels to face constant judgment, no matter how hard you try. When everyone has already decided who you really are… it feels pointless trying to be anything else." His eyes grew wide, gazing in astonishment at the older sister. She had hit the nail right on the head. "Yeah… I know a lot more about it than you might think."
"…You have a reputation where you come from?"
Nari gave a bitter smile. She most certainly did. In the human world she had an enormous one, that spanned across the entire country. One that she had tried tirelessly to defend herself against to no avail. There was simply no end to the rumors. And despite her growing popularity, it was often for all the wrong reasons. As her fame grew, her infamy grew right alongside of it. Luna, the rising star… and disgraced idol, crashing down after her rocketing to the stars.
Shaking her head, she sighed. "Yeah. You can certainly say that."
Takeru nodded his head. He seemed calmer now, less on edge in the presence of a kindred spirit. With his walls finally coming down, Nari took her opportunity. "Listen… I don't know what happened to you or what your reputation was back in your home world. But here is a chance to start anew. That's the whole point of this education, anyway, isn't it?"
"Is joining a club really necessary for that?"
"Yes! Well… no." Nari shook her head. "Not necessarily… but that's what Zeus wants and he's not going to stop until he gets it."
He still wasn't convinced. "I told you already I had a bet. If your sister can beat me, then I'll join a club."
"But… you said her body was too weak to fight you. That's basically impossible."
"Well, there's your answer."
Nari scowled. There had to be a way to get through to him. She just had to find it. Then, in a desperate attempt she blurted out. "I'll do it."
"…What?"
"I'll fight you. I'll battle you in my sister's stead."
He scoffed, nearly bordering on an outright laugh. "You?"
"…Y-Yes." Ignoring his laughter, she continued. "Same rules apply. If I win, you join a club."
That did it. The god of the sea burst out laughing, doubling over, and gripping his sides. Apparently, her suggestion was the most hilarious thing in the world to him. A bit insulting considering he hadn't done the same at her sister's suggestion — as far as she knew. Then again, her sister had years of practice behind her. Nari had fitness, but not much else. Having the strength for a sword served little purpose if she didn't have the skill to swing it. Finally, he recollected himself. "Tomorrow afternoon. Be ready to lose."
Nari couldn't come up with a witty retort. She simply stood as he sauntered away, still laughing himself nearly to tears. What could she say? He was absolutely right. She had made a poor decision in the heat of the moment and now, there was no way out. All she could do was wait for the inevitable.
'Nice going, Nari. Look what you've got yourself into now.'
With a tired sigh, she folded her arms, leaned her head against the railing, and accepted her fate.
