"One's life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, by means of love, friendship, indignation and compassion" - Simone d Beauvoir

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!

She didn't know what to do. Technically, it was her suggestion that Hotaru should call the police so … wasn't she partially to blame? Shit, and she can't approach his sister... doing so at this point was simply asking to die. So she waited until the blaring red and blue faded away and Daki's cries waned into distraught whimpers as she ran back inside her home.

OK, now! Like Superman, she jumped into her work clothes; flew to her car and drove to work as fast as possible to figure out a way to fix this. Sure Gyutaro may be an ass and his sister a bitch but in the very few interactions she's had with them it was ABUNDANTLY clear that they needed each other, desperately. Nobody else in this neighborhood cared about them as much as they did each other and Marin technically screwed that up. In the end the demon siblings were simple: don't threaten them and they won't harm you. Despite Daki detesting her guts the moment they met, she never did anything more than talk shit. The same was true for Gyutaro with Kensei. Sure he was hostile but his actions were minimal, like a junkyard dog sitting idly by growling as a deterrent. Only when Hotaru threatened Daki directly did Gyutaro turn feral. No longer the guard dog sitting idly, he turned to freakin Cujo! It was the first time she felt scared of him.

Knowing Gyutaro's criminal history would be extremely valuable right about now! Oh! Why did she cut Kagaya off?

Calm down… she breathes, taking in shaky inhales before exhaling again. The anxiety was like a well of nausea swirling in her stomach. Call Daia first, then Kagaya. Her fingers even tingled while dialing Daia's number.

—-

"Marin. Perhaps it's better you don't get involved this time around. I mean I know how you feel but even if you did have a hand it seemed inevitable that this would happen given everything you've told me." Well, that wasn't what she wanted to hear.

"Daia, Jim won't help, you know that. You work forensics and you know a lot about law thanks to your parents, so please, you gotta give me something." She tried again begging her to help her reach some amicable solution. "You know we have the money to bail him out. Aren't there phone calls you could make? Dai, I called because I trust you, more than anyone!"

"Marin it's just…" She could tell Daia wanted to protest, but she knew Marin was a stubborn mule on certain things, and eventually with a sigh she says, "Let me ask around, but I'm telling you it's never so simple, even if he comes home, people like this are petty by nature. One of them is more than likely gonna pay you a visit. Don't expect gratitude Marin"

"I know" She didn't care, she already accepted that. Just like Amane said, she isn't entitled to it, she just wanted to do right. With Daia on board she calls Kagaya next to see if she could swing by, he answers in exactly two rings and agrees. And there she was given the full cope of what the situaion was.

"Uh, Mar, are you sure? Rune asked unable to hide her concern after drinking a glass of wine to calm her nerves. After speaking to Kagaya she called an emergency meeting about Gyutaro's situation namely what she needed her friends help with:1) that they needed to get Hotaru to drop the charges because he was absolutely adamant on pursuing them, and 2) if the girls were ok pulling money from their joint account to pay for Daki's brother. Of course they were fine with the money but Rune had deep reservations about the former issue. "I know you want to help but this is..."

"–absolutely fucking terrible." Daia finishes snapping her phone shut. "Look I know you're gonna go through with this no matter what but at least call one of the boys in case shit goes south? They said they'll be here. In the meantime…" Daia adjust Marin's skirt by hiking it up so high her cheeks showed, "switch out the G-string for tangas" she orders with barely any change in her voice. "also…" She pulls Marin's shirt down and squishes her breasts together. "...we'll need a second bra to put over the push-up. Rune go into my bag and pull out a…" she looks at Marin's chest, eyes knit in thought, "...another push-up, one size up, and dress socks to stuff. Should lift your tits to a D mar, if Hotaru can stand to look at you I'll be convinced he's gay because your tits are gonna be screaming along with that ass in this lollipop chainsaw cosplay, I'm so glad I kept it all these years. Now text your boy, tell him you wanna meet up." Marin does just that and he replies immediately to everyone's non-surprise.

"Cool so remind me again where Daki is? She won't be there when we drop by right?"

"Kagaya said she headed over to speak with Tecchin. Probably to threaten him, but Hotaru says she isnt at his place right now, she also desnt seem to be home so at least she won't be staking me here either." she says with a bit of relief, "Good, with 2 people working both generations it should work out." Daia nods with a sleazy look on her face, "Especially given her brother's track record. I mean sheesh..."

"Well, at least his victims were all bad people, right?" Daia eyes her with a stern 'you can't be serious' look. Marin knew it was naive but when Kagaya explained Gyutaro's criminal background she was surprised- in a good way; several files were sealed or expunged, the ones that were visible were carjacking, assault, battery, extortion, and misdemeanor drug possession... and not only was he underage for most but all were criminals with records too; drug addicts, dealers, some were even rapists and pimps who prostituted young girls. So while Gyutaro was indeed violent he wasn't licentious or completely depraved in her mind ...too bad Daia disagreed.

"Mar, what Kagaya told you is what we know he's done, but don't believe for a second it's all he's done. He isn't a good person..." she sighs heavily running her hand through her head, "Look, he's unfortunate, that goes without saying, but whatever bad he does as an adult is on him. No sense in pitying people like this, he's old enough to know right from wrong." Strange how Daia said almost the exact same thing the Ubuyashikis told her even though they've never spoken. Of course Marin knew why.

"Dai, I don't know if you've spoken recently but Sunny's doing well, he keeps himself busy and he seems content, even still let's me drive in his lot." she tried to address the mini elephant in the room side from this 007 re-enactment. Even separated, she knew Daia still loved her troubled ex. He had an abusive alcoholic father who beat his family, he struggled financially and when Sunny got older he went in and out of incarceration, even got locked up for murder which was later revealed to be self-defense. Sadly, it still estranged him from the rest of his relatives. In a lot of ways he was worse off than Gyutaro, but it never stopped Marin or her friends from keeping in touch and supporting him. They saw how desperately he wanted to turn his life around so even though it didnt work out, Marin still kept in touch.

"Thanks, Mar, You're a great friend really. I know I haven't been there all the time for you-"

"-don't worry about it." She stops her quickly, "Not your fault, I did the same when I dated Gojo, it happens, but Dai," Marin frowns at her solemnly, "Is this...ok? ...This feels like that time I dated Jim." they both grimaced, Daia looked as if she could spit on the ground; she always did every time she heard his name.

"Please, don't remind me of that piece of shit," she stresses, "I won't say we were right back then, but he knew I liked him. He was fucked for asking you out like that. And even more fucked for dating Nowa after you dumped him, spiteful dickhead" she said angrily, but then her tone softened, "Look Mar, I understand you feel uncomfortable and I'm not gonna mince words here what we're doing IS emotionally manipulative, but remember when I asked you…"

"Yes, I know. I'm not gonna make excuses. It's just..."

"Marin the road to hell is paved with good intentions, don't think too deeply about it. You can apologize after your neighbor is freed. Figure out a way to make it up to him, you never know things may turn out all right after all." For a while the only sound in her house was the pitter-patter of Rune's feet upstairs as she rummaged for a bra. Daia looked hesitant, like she wanted to say something else but Rune interjected holding the items, triumphant. The girls did a quick dry rehearsal making sure they knew what their roles were as they drove out to the Haganezuka residence at the end of the street. The mood in the house was somber but by the time they parked thei the car they were laughing at how bonkers this all was. Marin got out looking absolutely ridiculous, her platform heels clunked with each step as she walked up the stairs and rang the doorbell. And when Hotaru opened the door beckoning her to come inside , the girls in the car could not help but burst out laughing when he did 5 incredibly suspicious double takes to make sure she was alone (she wasn't) before shutting the door and locking it with a click.

Marin scrunched her face as her friends laughed in her earpiece. "Meowww!" one of them rawr-ed. "Sorry," she begins, "I was at a cosplay event and didn't have time to change."

"It's no problem. No problem at all" he says mesmerized; eyes and hands darting everywhere as if he forgot to control them. He ushers her into his family weapons room because – that's a normal fucking thing people do– and begins rattling off how beautiful she looks and how more beautiful she would look if she held a katana. Marin tried to hold a conversation by explaining lollipop chainsaw's appeal but Hotaru insisted that a katana was better than a chainsaw. When she expressed that katanas were heavy, he sifted his repertoire to hand her a tanto, and an accompanying wakizashi fastening them to her skirt. She was fairly certain it was an excuse to touch her waist and stare up her skirt though; not like she particularly minded, she loved the cosplay and would absolutely wear it to an event, she only felt bad about lying.

OK. Daia told me to smile, laugh a lot at his jokes, touch him and… honestly what kind of advice is that? She might as well have told me to be myself! Marin loved suggestive banter and was always cheeky and touchy-feely... in fact aside from her outfit, this was pretty much the same as any other interaction she had with Haganezuka.

"Uhm, so where's your dad?" She asked almost afraid to know the answer but needing to get to business.

"He's… indisposed." What the fuck...? What does that even mean?

"Ignore it" Daia speaks in the earpiece, she instinctively covers her ear where the earpiece was fastened letting Daia's instructions sink in. When Hotaru noticed she told him it was part of her illustrious cosplay and he actually bought it.

"Ho-ta-Ru," she purrs, "can I ask you a favor?" she slides her hand over his rather large biceps and caresses it gently, "Hotaru… I know I ask a lot from you, but please help me. You will help me, won't you?" He nods feverishly; dumbstruck, "Thank you. I knew I could count on you!" she clasps her hands together a beaming smile on her face before continuing, "Can you promise me you'll do it?" again more nodding, "Yes, if it is within my power I'll help you Ms. Kitagawa."

"Oh, Marin's fine." she waves with a feminine giggle, OK so far so good…

"I'm ashamed because it was supposed to be a secret but Gyutaro and I are…" She struggles to muster the strength to say the words, "-intimate so would you please drop the charges against him so he can come home?"

For an uncomfortable minute time freezes for all involved before Hotaru breaks it by giving a confused, stoic and almost comical, "huh?" But Marin doesnt respond either.

"Mar? You good?" Daia asked when it stayed quiet. Little did she know Marin's shell shock was for a completely different reason. When she asked him if he'd help her, he nodded feverishly again, dropping his mask and- well, it was the first time she had seen his full face, and it made her completely forget herself for 60 seconds. For some reason she expected something more awkward, not this extremely attractive, masculine, well-chiseled, face. Not like she was falling head-over-heels or anything just because he had a model appearance... but how is he 36 and still single? Must be his personality... after all Hotaru did require a special kind of patience. But her mind couldn't help but wonder why he wore that mask for? It did absolutely nothing for him.

"Focus, Mar!" Daia speaks throwing out more instructions. Marin parrots her words very slowly and as seductively as possible, though at this point it feels like the spell she had over him is broken because the back and forth was extremely uncomfortable as they conversed in their respective seats. Come on Hotaru just drop your pursuit please! He simply could not believe what she was saying so much so he dropped all formalities himself and asked her point-blank, in the most deadpan voice, "You're fucking joking, aren't you? You just moved here why didn't you move in with him if you're together? No fuck that, you said you were single when I asked… actually WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU LIKE THAT UGLY, RUDE BASTARD ANYWAYS?!" like an opera his voice climbed with each rationalization until peaking like a crescendo. She was frustrated that he was so resolute, just like with the garden gnomes, logic just didn't seem to work on the guy when it came to the older Shabana sibling. Hotaru visibly shook, insisting she's not serious, that Gyutaro deserves it blablabla. It went back and forth for a while him testing her devotion and her acting like she meant every word like her fucking life depended on it.

"I need you to drop the charges," she repeats this time without all the coy acting from before. He looked absolutely, soul-crushed, She felt herself withering in shame like a plant without water as she continued with the ruse... that is until he asked this last question: He said deliberately almost scathingly, "What do you see in him? Really, the world is better off with him dead."

What...? His words sort of startled an awkward chuckle out of her as if that would make him realize how wrong he was. But he didn't take them back.

... did he seriously just… say that? What the fuck?

Did Hotaru not feel anything at all hearing something so … horrifyingly depraved? Did he forget Gyutaro screamed those exact words at them? His words haunted her that entire day! If Daki's brother were to be taken away it would mean there would be nobody- absolutely nobody- there to take care of his sister. In truth Marin felt WORSE for Daki; imagining The dull, monotonous, and frankly tedious task of living each day without the person you care for most was a God-awful feeling Marin's felt for almost 3 years now. The depression wasn't enough to kill but at its worst, it made her feel like she was dying; this ever-present sting of Wakana's absence. She couldn't stand it.

"Hotaru.." she says coldly, all niceties dropped, "Who the fuck do you think you are to say that shit huh? Are you God? Is that it? You think you can judge who is worthy of life and death?!"She grabbed his collar pulling him to her face full of rage, "You have no right to judge no fucking right. just because you have a family you can be proud of does not mean you get to drag those who don't!" She stood up angrily, "I really thought better of you, I never thought a man who showed so much devotion, love and decency to his craft and his family would deny it to people most in need of those very same things! Your ancestors were sword smiths be proud of that but they," she points angrily outside his home, "They don't have that! You dickhead!" she shouted angrily standing up Marin heard what sounded like gasps on the other end of her mike, but still she continued unwavering. "You can hate them all you want but they need each other. They're all they have in the whole wide world!"

"Wh-what? W-wait...A-aren't you his girlfriend?" It wasn't meant to be a gotcha more like a stutter actually, but she was unrelenting, ignoring the question completely and practically demanding that he be the better man and drop the fucking charges already as she stormed out, but he grabbed her wrist telling her to wait a second. It was definitely awkward standing there; her skirt hiked, her tits all but exposed; hair in pigtails speaking the deceptions in her ear. But she kept going, swept by the current of her emotions, "I … I… want to see him home!" She blushed deeply unable to say the L-word as Daia directed.

"Ok. Ms Kitagawa. Ok." She whipped her head around to look at him. Incredibly, he gave in. She had to ask again to make sure he was serious. And he nodded looking extremely down-hearted. She grabbed his hands pulling them to her chest and kissed him on the cheek, "Thank you, thank you so much!" This time she meant it with all her heart. She handed him an envelope of cash, he wanted to ask how she got this money but she quickly added "From the Ubuyashiki's"

And with that Gyutaro was freed…except for one small thing. Daia explained that since he was arrested on Friday, the absolute earliest he could get out of jail was Monday because no judge would be working his case. So even though he was 'free', he was still stuck for the weekend. Marin didn't worry though, even though it was always better to strike while the iron was hot she had every confidence Hotaru wouldn't go back on his word.

So when she returned back home she preemptively celebrated their victory with the girls as the boys pulled in her driveway. "What happened?" Kensei asked a mix of worry and excitement in his voice at the girls' excitement , "Marin got him to drop the charges! Gyutaro will be out Monday!"

"Seriously? He said he'll drop the charges? How'd she get him to do that?" The girls smiled giggling, "she was really a class act, wasn't she?" Daia elbowed Rune, "Oh yes, Must be all the cosplay you do pretending to be other people! I didn't know you could act like that, Mar! " Daia smiled as Marin came down the stairs dressed in jeans and a regular anime t-shirt with frown on her face. "that wasn't… an act. He was wrong to say that. But not like we were much better using him like that. I'll talk to him and apologize after Gyutaro's back. Just do me a favor guys and don't tell anyone ok? Not about the money or anything, all right?" Marin cracked open a bottle of wine, taking their silence as affirmation enough. She handed the bottle around and was about to ask who wanted the honor of picking what anime to watch for the weekend ... until they all heard banging on her door; LOUD banging. The kind made with the side of a fist followed by cursing; the kind said by a woman scorned. Fuuuuck…. Quickly she waved her friend's down, mouthing it was the sister.

"Bitch! you think you run shit now? you think you're better than me? Well come on and prove it!"

And thus she found herself in her preordained situation.