Conquer

Ryuko was lounging around in the garage late one afternoon, hiding in her old favorite ‘responsibility avoidance refuge shelter’, a.k.a. a recessed spot behind the top shelf of the garage cabinets. It was something of an architectural optical illusion, how the rear wall was set further back than it appeared, and one would never think to check up there for a certain missing delinquent unless they had recently used a ladder to replace some light bulbs like she had one day. Shirking her laundry duties could go on for a little while longer: she had arrived back home from shopping earlier than expected, and she didn’t quite feel like laying into that imposing mound of dirty clothes just yet. A secretly stashed pillow, a huge bag of sour gummy worms and a muted smartphone was all she needed to haunt the garage as ‘Matoi, The Incredible Duty Dodger’.

All of Satsuki’s talk about ‘personal responsibility’ principles could be tiring, Ryuko decided. Why didn’t Sats just keep the mansion’s full staff if she was going to force her to do all her own work? Sure, having a zillion staff around to humor Ragyo’s every whim was arrogance personified…but we couldn’t keep even one? Sure, Soroi still tends to her needs as a personal assistant, but he can’t do it all. A dedicated laundry squad would have been nice, at any rate. Cooking is fun, true…but doing laundry truly blows. Ryuko mentally weighed the options of hiring someone to secretly come in when Satsuki wasn’t around versus her sister finding out in the meantime. Could she get away with it, and for how long…?

The abrupt sound of glass shattering from somewhere within the house snapped her out of lazy mode. She hurtled herself down and through the inside garage entrance in a blur, frantically zipping down the hallway in an effort to locate the source of the noise. Ryuko was about to start calling out in an effort to locate Satsuki when she came upon her, standing in the kitchen and calmly staring at the floor.

“Oi, what happened? You all right, sis?” Ryuko blurted out, startling the elder Kiryuin out of her pensive floor gazing. A fraction of a second was spent noting the current time via the wall clock before Satsuki slid back into her quiet pool of reflection.

“You’re home early, I see. Strange that I did not hear you arrive? Don’t mind me, I just dropped a plate. That’s all this is.”

Ryuko surveyed the scene. Broken parts of a dinner plate were strewn about on the kitchen floor, and Satsuki was just standing there, numbly examining the wreckage at her feet. Something about this scenario was odd, Ryuko noted…but what?

“Yeah, okay. As long as you weren’t hurt. Here, let me help with that, then. I’ll just-“

“No. Don’t.”

“What? I ain’t gonna just leave this mess here, it’s dangerous! I’ll grab a broom and-“

“No. Wait, please. I…”

“Satsuki? Are you all right? You’re actin’ kinda weird…is something going on here I need to know about?”

“It’s all right, Ryuko-san. Everything is all right. I…I dropped it on purpose.”

“Uh…you what? On purpose? Yeah, right! Why the hell would you do such a very un-Satsuki-like thing like that, huh?”

“Ah yes, that’s exactly it. You see, I was merely bringing the breakfast plate you ever so thoughtfully left in the den this morning to the kitchen sink. I was coming around the corner here when I slipped. I almost dropped this plate, but then I was able to properly recover from falling. But what bothered me was the train of thoughts that went through my head while it was happening...”

Ryuko crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe, waiting for the wisdom bomb to drop. She lingered in silence for a moment, to grant the proper opportunity to let the story continue. But when Satsuki didn’t speak again right away, she gently prodded her sibling on by reaching out and squeezing a shoulder. Satsuki dreamily blinked, then quickly snapped her gaze up to meet Ryuko’s increasingly concerned look.

“Oh! Sorry, I was lost in thought. This is quite profound for me, I assure you! Ah, so where was I? Oh, yes. It was the usual litany of internal dialogue I endure when something like this happens. ‘Don’t you dare fail, Kiryuin! To fail at this is unforgivable!’ But then I had another thought answer back: ‘Why’? I mean, it’s just a plate, and not even a particularly expensive one at that. Yet here I was, automatically admonishing myself so very harshly for…for something like this? I just realized that I am so damned sick of always reacting in such a brutal and unforgiving manner. So, on a whim I just…let go of it anyways. And as it fell, my mind was of course screaming at me for allowing such a disaster to strike on my watch! But as I was observing this play out, I felt that perhaps another way of thinking was making itself known to me. An epiphany of sorts, I suppose.”

Ryuko playfully cocked her head, a quizzical expression falling over her features. “Well? Don’t just keep me in suspense…?”

Satsuki looked up just then, the trace of a smile appearing upon her lips. She gestured, palms up, at the former plate’s corpse. “I thought that perhaps it’s okay to occasionally…fail. Perfection is just an abstract ideal, and not a realistic or attainable one, either. It’s impossible to achieve it in all practicality, and that I perhaps need to just relax and focus on what is truly important. Bad things happen, it’s a fact of life. It can happen, just like that. Anything can, really! It’s how you react to it that matters! And if there’s one thing I’ve managed to learn in my life recently, it’s that steel shatters while under severe stress. I simply cannot afford to live my life that way anymore, Ryuko-san.”

Ryuko slowly nodded, somewhat cautiously agreeing with her totally-not-weird-at-all sibling. “Yeah, I’d agree with ya on that. You do really need to learn how to chill out! Hey, ya know…you look a little beat. You feelin’ okay? You’ve been puttin’ in a lot of time with arranging the move and stuff. I’m a bit worried about you right now.”

Satsuki shrugged, then illuminated Ryuko’s face with a bright smile of her own. “I’m fine, really. I have been both looking forward to and also dreading this move. Ryuko, I’m looking forward to a new beginning, a new chapter in our lives. A change in scenery will most certainly facilitate this, surely! And yet, the memories...they leap out at me when I’m not expecting them. It has kept me off balance, I suppose. Could things have possibly turned out better? Surely. Yet we must deal with things as they are, not as we wished them to be. So yes, I’ll need to learn how to ‘chill out’, as you say. It’s time I learned, I believe. You are willing to assist with this ‘chilling’, I assume? I have your blessing, oh self-proclaimed ‘Chill Master’?”

Ryuko smirked a devilish grin, her mind working overtime on devising fun and hilarious ways to loosen up her dour sister’s attitude. Karaoke? Paintball? Oh, the possibilities were endless. “Hmmm, yeah. But you’ll have to trust me if we’re gonna work on that.”

“Of course. I trust you implicitly! Thank you, Ryuko. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your patience!” Satsuki briefly closed her eyes as she nodded her head towards her sibling in deference to her innate coolness.

Ryuko scratched her chin as she looked up to the ceiling in open-mouthed amazement. “Uh…I don’t think I’ve ever actually heard that statement before, especially towards me! Wow, what is the world coming to?”

Satsuki smiled in spite of herself. “Ah, well now. It is but one of the many things I need to learn to recognize, that I must thank people more for their presence in my life, both past and present. Tonight I shall be starting with you…in my own way. But for now, I have a late afternoon appointment at work with Inumuta Hōka. He has something quite urgent to discuss, and he would not go into the details over the phone. I shall rendezvous with you later this evening for dinner, say at about eight o’clock? Agreed?”

“Yeah, that sounds cool. I’ll be there with my Sunday best on!”

“Oh, do show up wearing less than that, Ryuko-chan…I’ll text you once I am on my way home. You may return to your laundry avoidance crevice for the time being, dear heart.”

“Urk! Uh…right, nee-san…*sigh*”

-

“As you know, we have mounted several diving expeditions at the former site of Honnōji Academy. So far, we have unearthed a vast amount of resources and data. We’ve been searching for more life fiber samples for some of our more destructive analytical experiments, since Matoi-san simply cannot provide enough viable product on that sort of scale. In this, we have been successful! Iori-san had been thorough enough to seal away a large cache of inert samples during the later stages of his Goku uniform refinements, and this discovery will give us more than enough testing material to move on to our next phase of development!”

Excitedly motioning his laser pointer upon the digital smart board that filled one entire wall of his office, Isshin Aerospace Inc.’s Chief Research Engineer Inumuta Hōka highlighted the relevant information as it scrolled by during his meticulously laid out presentation. This was routine, as he presented his team’s monthly findings to his CEO, and said company officer was growing impatient at this somewhat mundane display.

Arms crossed and with one foot idly tapping, Satsuki bore an inquisitive gaze into his blue-tinted lenses as she stood next to him before the enormous screen. “This was expected, Inumuta-san. Surely this is not urgent though, is it? Was there some sort of unexpected trouble, then? You sounded more distressed over the phone, surely it cannot be over these scraps of data?”

Hōka’s collar swept open as he sought to confidently soothe her concerns. Once he left the familiar territory of cold, hard data and delved into more emotional waters, however? He was praying to be a bit more creative with his situational awareness skills when he got to that point. Dealing with people on a personal level like this was something of a challenge for Inumuta Hōka, and he was simply not very good at wielding things like empathy or concern in a very effective or believable manner.

“Ah, yes. Perceptive as always, Kiryuin-sama! No, the expeditions went well. It’s just that we may have found more than we bargained for under the surface of Tokyo Bay. Perhaps I shall start with the details that are easiest to handle, and work from there. So, on that note…please observe.”

He flashed the screen over to another picture: that of a familiar, crimson blade resting upon a soaking wet tarpaulin that was laid out on their research vessel’s deck. It gleamed with the sheen of just-manufactured metal, seaweed and other detritus clinging to the elegantly curved handle. Satsuki’s eyes widened, immediately recognizing the scissor sword half that once took her own father’s life.

“How surprising! I must say, it looks no worse for the wear, given all that it went through. Did you perhaps locate the other half as well? Surely it must be in the general area?” Inumuta blinked nervously, expecting to provoke a somewhat more troublesome reaction than this.

“Ah, well…no. Not yet, although I will admit we weren’t looking for them, either. It was discovered purely by chance, as one of the undersea roving units brought it up due to the life fiber material signal frequency it detected. Should I make it a priority, then? I can add it to the list for the last expedition, slated for next week. I can even bump the priority to the very top if you like, although I must warn you that this may necessitate further dives to gather the final equipment we need.“

Satsuki dismissed the idea with a relaxed wave. “No, it certainly has no real importance, not compared to the other items we require. Still…perhaps Ryuko might want to have them back, once again. Or would it bring back unwanted memories…? Hmm, I wonder if it is a good idea, after all.”

Hōka adjusted his glasses, the mumbled sheepishly “Please forgive me, Lady Satsuki. I thought it might possibly upset you. It was foolish of me to think this might disturb your legendary focus!”

Satsuki whirled her head around, shiny, black feathers of hair settling down upon her shoulders as she smiled warmly at him. “No, I truly appreciate your thoughtfulness. I can see why you might think along such lines. It might potentially bother Ryuko on some level, but I doubt even that, really. She is an unusually tough woman, after all! Thank you for your consideration in this matter, Hōka-san.”

He bowed, excited at the prospect of his next query being answered to the affirmative. “Of course, Satsuki-sama! If you believe that Ryuko-san would not be upset by this, then I would ask a favor of you, if at all possible. I’d like to formally inquire that she assist us with her innate command of shrinking and enlarging this sword. My team would appreciate the opportunity to learn the mechanism behind this reshaping, as it would be immensely helpful to our research! Could you ask her, when you find the time to discuss this discovery with her?”

“Indeed I shall! I foresee no issue with this, personally. I am certain Ryuko will assist you in any way she can. So tell me, Inumuta-san: might this be all we needed to discuss? I only ask because I have something I would like to bring up with you as well.”

“Ah, no. Not exactly. That was merely the easiest thing to reveal to you. I have other subjects to go over.”

“Very well, then. Let us cover these points quickly.”

“-ahem- Certainly! In amongst the treasure trove of data we discovered in that hidden wireless backup capsule, the one that was secreted under your father’s old underground laboratory? I had also located a hidden disk partition within it, separate from the rest of his research notes. It was heavily encrypted, so I have been thusly attempting to decrypt this volume for over a year now. Some of that information has now come to light, and I suppose it is this urgent information that I need to discuss with you. Off the record, of course, as no one officially knows about this particular discovery. I have taken great pains to not make any notes or otherwise record this specific knowledge, and I am sure you will understand how much that might mean to one such as myself? Some of it is…ah, it is…well, rather sensitive in nature, Lady Satsuki-sama. For both yourself, as well as Ryuko-san.”

Satsuki straightened up, stance now at full attention. “Sensitive? How so?”

Inumuta walked over to his desk and sat, then wordlessly motioned for Satsuki to sit down as well. Hands pressed together in front of him as though he were praying (and on some level, he was), Inumuta uttered not a single word until she had taken her seat and was settled comfortably: this comfort would not last, he suspected. One deep breath later, he proceeded to continue into the murky depths of histories past.

“Due to some data I have uncovered, I find myself to be somewhat concerned about Matoi’s health as a human-fiber hybrid, in the long term.”

One spindly eyebrow shot up as the faintest of frowns hooked the corners of her mouth down. “Her health? What do you mean, Inumuta? Please explain this at once!”

Hōka fired off this information as dispassionately as he could muster. He concealed any subsequent anxiety by secretly tapping his knee with one slightly nervous fingertip: he idly observed this to be at precisely four beats per second. “Well, I have taken the liberty of cross-referencing some of this new information with that which we already had collected about human/life fiber hybridization. Now as you know, we have a tremendous amount of data regarding the standard interaction of life fibers and humans, either via just regular life fiber-infused clothing, the use of our own three-star uniforms, even the Junketsu and Senketsu kamuis…we know what to expect there, more or less! But we don’t know much at all about hybrids…permanently fused beings such as Nui, Ragyo and your sister, Ryuko. The smattering of data we do have about that union has been faithfully transcribed mostly by yours truly, and I cannot say I have the merest fraction of the intellect your father possessed in this particular field, either. What I have now discovered…well, it troubles me. I have uncovered multiple reports: data gathered by the technicians who assisted in the development of Nui Harime, data gathered by your father regarding your sister’s hybridization as well as your own attempted one…and I now possess your father’s information and accounts about Ragyo’s early contact and transformation due to her contact with the Original Life Fiber as well. Satsuki-sama, I…do not like the patterns I perceive. I have reason to believe that such a hybridization, this joining of species…it may not be tenable in the long run. Instability eventually crops up sooner or later, endangering the organism and all around it as well. Wild fluctuations in temper, uncontrollable bouts of anger, followed by increasingly erratic behavior and…eventual insanity. Nui’s breakdown manifested itself almost immediately, whereas Ragyo’s was slow and virtually undetectable until her later years as an unchecked megalomaniac. I do not wish to unnecessarily alarm you, and it is a purely theoretical pattern borne from a rather small population sample…but sooner or later, I feel that this may potentially become an issue for Matoi Ryuko as well. We should at least consider taking steps to deal with this phenomenon, just in case. How has she been holding up lately, by the way? I have not seen her since her release from the hospital. I hope she is well?”

The woman known as Kiryuin Satsuki was, at her peak, one of the most indomitable and unshakeable minds on the entire planet. Now, however…her strength had been serving her in other, kinder areas of life, and it allowed a loose bolt or two to blow out past her iron will. She shook, quivered, and felt the coldest of chills run her through, as though rude harpy talons had brushed across her naked back once more for old times’ sake.

‘That anger…her uncontrollable bouts of rage…n-no! Not my Ryuko-chan! Please, by all that is holy, no! Spare her from this, please! I cannot allow it! I will NOT!’

Her poker face allowed no trace of this to taint her expression, however. Old habits die hard, and Satsuki was a magnificent creature of instinct. A minor furrowing of her brow was all that served to indicate her inner turmoil. “That is most troubling news, Hōka. She has been well, save for some minor stumbles, of course. We will have to study this phenomenon in more detail. I shall contact Mikisugi, I will want his expertise on this matter. I shall not fail her, Inumuta…I cannot afford to! Was that it? I’d rather not waste any more time here if I should be preparing for…this.”

“No, there’s a bit more. One more fact that-”

Teeth clenching hard, Satsuki spat out an entirely unintentional yet volatile hiss of frustration. “More? Something has been deemed to be more sensitive than my sister’s health being in possible danger? Surely you cannot be serious?”

“Possibly, yes. As I said, this is pure conjecture. Matoi’s health may not change at all, so this is but a specter of things that may not ever come to pass! However, the next thing I say will change both hers and your life forever, and there is really no way for me to prepare you for it, either.”

“Very well, then. Please tell me, Hōka. As a friend...tell me what I need to hear.” Satsuki bravely steeled herself, fortifying her defenses for whatever awful salvo was incoming…but she could not have possibly been prepared for his words or the jolt of bitter memories they unleashed upon impact.

“I found your father’s private video journals. A diary of sorts, one would say. Also, personal messages meant for both you and Ryuko. I believe that you will both want to view them, when the time is right.“

Her pupils contracted. Though her posture denoted no difference in her mood, her heartbeat sped up and her nostrils flared imperceptibly. To actually see her father once again, after so many years…what would it do to her? More importantly, how would it affect Ryuko? She managed to utter a quiet query to answer Hōka’s information bombshell. “Have you…have you viewed them?”

“Some. It could not be helped, as I had to verify the integrity of the data as it was being decrypted. But the things I have read and seen, so far…they…please, please forgive me, Lady Kiryuin-sama, I’m not good at…this…sort of…I did not ever intend to pry into your family’s turbulent past!” A small tear slid out from under his blue spectacles, and Satsuki could not stop a small gasp from being uttered from her own lips. She didn’t even know Hōka could cry.

“Hōka...what exactly was witnessed to put you in such a state?”

His face a dull shade of scarlet, Hōka quickly centered his being, silently cursing the smallest loss of composure as a direct (though entirely unintended) insult. “I apologize, Lady Satsuki-sama. Please forgive my impertinence! I do not mean to cause you any heartache or pain. But I could not keep this revelation from you any longer. I can only hope that you and Ryuko can find a way to prepare yourselves for what lies within those journals. It will most likely answer every question you may have ever had about your family’s somewhat…unfortunate past. I can tell from the subject matter that your father was a rather conflicted man. I would postulate that it might possibly be difficult information to process…even for you, Lady Satsuki.”

She drew up to her fullest, emanating both masterful poise and serenity as she tried to calmly process this most unexpected soul searching. “Hōka-san, I appreciate your most thoughtful discretion in this regard. I shall broach this subject with Ryuko at a time of my choosing. This will need to be a delicate undertaking, of course. Please leave that to me, and I will go through it all with her at some point in time. How shall we view this material, when we are ready to do so?”

“Ah, well…I’m still decrypting it, but it is nearly complete. I would say a few weeks, perhaps a month or so, and it will be fully accessible, at which time I can give you a fortified external hard drive with biometric locks. That way, only you and Ryuko could access it at all, and anyone trying to crack into it otherwise would trigger the self-destruct, rendering that copy of the data irretrievably inert. No one else will be viewing this material save yourself and Ryuko, I have seen to that. On this, you have my most solemn word!”

“Oh, weeks…to a month. I…understand.”

“I am truly sorry, but even with all of my free servers dedicated to the decryption, it is a tremendously difficult process.”

“No, I understand the situation completely. I know you always provide me with your very best work. This is no different. You honor me with your impeccable service, as always!”

He straightened up, no worse for the wear. His dispassionate mask was firmly sealed in place once again. He was human, after all…so a minor glitch in his personality matrix was to be occasionally expected, right? He could afford to let his mask slip once more sometime in the next, oh, say twenty years or so, by his estimation. Delicate emotions like this are so annoying and inefficient to process, he thought with an internal grimace.

“Inumuta-san…look. I wanted to give you this under more auspicious circumstances, but perhaps it is a poignant time to do this now, after all? Here, please take this…it may possibly assist you in your research. Please consider it a heartfelt token of my most sincere respect and appreciation.”

She slowly slipped a thick, white envelope across the desk and into his waiting hands. Curiosity piqued, he tentatively felt the package: it was filled with dense, folded paperwork of some sort, but there was also a bulge on top that he deduced was an access card of some sort, based upon the general outline in the paper.

“Your life and work are as one...so I want for you to be able to perform to the very best of your abilities. I know you place a great deal of pride in your research, and have done so for as long as we have been united in our mutual pursuits. I decided recently that I have a great need to thank people more for their presence in my life, and I figured that you might appreciate a gesture such as this…?”

He opened the envelope, and a pamphlet from D-Wave Systems, Inc. fell onto the desk. His eyes, once they read the characters, widened so fast that Satsuki was momentarily worried that his glasses would become spontaneously airborne. He put together the clues in record time, but the answers, however obvious, were not readily accepted by his subconscious.

‘Impossible. Simply impossible. This simply cannot be?’ Inumuta pondered to himself, slightly dizzy at the prospect of playing with the world’s fastest advanced quantum computer system.

“I trust you know what this is, and what it refers to…I know you better than that! This is a D-Wave Two: now corporate owned by Isshin Aerospace Inc., with this badge granting you permanent access to it. It is in Sub-Basement Three’s secure room.”

“So that was the mystery delivery I was barred from investigating yesterday? I cannot believe that such a marvel has been right next to me all this time and I had no idea! May I assume that it was your doing, sealing that room from my cameras and probes? Not to mention the fact that the room is completely off the grid! Ah, you must have enlisted someone on my team to assist you with this, it’s the only way!”

The slowly spreading grin upon her face made him feel somewhat better. If it was her wiles that arranged this, then his own powers of deduction were not at fault: Satsuki was as good at subterfuge and misdirection as any professional trickster. In fact, he was somewhat impressed that this wool was so effectively pulled over his eyes in his very own work space. Nonetheless, somewhere in the recesses of his professionally paranoid mind, he made a note to create and implement a pattern analysis algorithm into his surveillance systems: such tactics could just as easily be theoretically employed by corporate saboteurs, or worse. Well, not on his watch it wouldn’t!

She smiled, a full-on beam of gratitude that nonetheless still felt a bit alien on her face. “I owe you so much, Inumuta-sama. Your information kept us all educated and aware of every move, of every opponent and from every angle. None of us would be here without your keen observations, and my tactical command would surely have crumbled if not supported by your hard work. Also, you have come to be one of my closest supporters in my quests, and I need you to know how very much I appreciate your friendship. One way or the other, you have saved innumerable lives, Hōka-san!”

Inumuta removed his glasses, silently locking eyes with his erstwhile commander in a rare display of heartfelt emotion. She noted just then that Hōka’s eyes seemed…older, somehow tired beyond his years. She would need to check up on him more often; she would not be surprised to later discover that he often slept in his office when in the midst of yet another pioneering discovery.

He calmly cleaned his glasses as he offered his own sobering thoughts. “You don’t know how much I owe you, Satsuki-sama. You allowed me to simply be myself, you didn’t deride me for my fascination and love for technology as others did. My parents recognized my gifts, but they also saw an evil within me. Well, just a callous carelessness and a blatant lack of respect for others, perhaps? It infected me early in life, leaving me with a cold disregard for others. Yet...for all the vastly stupid people out there, milling about in society like so many numb cows? There’s much, much worse in the universe, and I know this now. So I owe the world the opportunity to be better than that. I must do my part to improve the human condition any way I can! If anything, I owe it to you. You saved me. I just didn’t know it at the time, of course.”

“That was quite a day, when we first met. You nearly got away with it, too. If you had not stopped to gloat…!”

“Mmm, yes. I do save that for later these days, of course. A lesson well learned! I am all the more humble for it.”

“Ah, perhaps you are…or perhaps you have simply become that much better at cloaking it?”

He pushed his glasses upon the bridge of his nose, the ghost of a smirk upon his lips. ”Well now, here is a thought: to hide something in plain sight is the greatest trick of all! Wouldn’t you agree, Satsuki-sama? I believe that you have been pulling that one off for longer than anyone!”

“Ah, true. But…no longer! I, Kiryuin Satsuki, shall not obfuscate my true feelings any longer! That is the old way, and I find it to be an outdated and obsolete anachronism from an earlier era, a simplistic mechanism from a bygone time. I will hide nothing any longer, least of all my gratitude!”

With this, she quickly reached out and shook Inumuta’s hand. It was fast enough where he didn’t have time to react, and was found to be in awe of her cobra-quick speed. Her grip was firm, and her gratitude was absolute: it was only natural that he smile and bow before her in a display of his own thanks.

Returning the bow, Satsuki then straightened up one more. “Inumuta, I must go for now. I need to think of how to process all that has transpired here today. Thank you once again for your diligence and tenacity! I shall never forget it.”

“Indeed, and I certainly understand your position. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you should need anything. Oh, yes! One more thing, Satsuki-sama…about the decryption of your father’s private journals?”

“Oh…yes?”

He held up the basement access card, emerald eyes gleaming with electric excitement. “Not a month, not weeks…days! I shall contact you once all is ready. This will speed up the process immensely. One might say it’s a quantum leap forward!”

“Indeed, one might. Thank you, Inumuta-san. Oh, and please do look out for yourself? I do not wish to discover that your health has been neglected due to your new toy in the company basement?”

”Of course not, Lady Satsuki!” he cheerfully lied. He wouldn’t surrender to sleep for the next forty-two hours…and when pressed about it, he would say what he always said to any naysayers: ‘Sleep is for the uninspired!’ And inspired he certainly was.

-

Sex with Kiryuin Satsuki could be described as being a combination of chess and an arcade claw crane game: careful maneuvering and a keen sense of caution left Ryuko hovering between elated bliss and the thrill of precarious danger. After a quiet dinner, Satsuki had eventually broken down and requested comfort of a most intimate nature after the cumulative stress of her court battles and Ryuko’s illness threatened to take toll on her sanity, and Ryuko was only too happy to volunteer. It was sometimes a bit of a risk, being this close to one who was rife with such emotional pitfalls…but to Ryuko, it was well worth it to be with such an awe-inspiring goddess.

That, plus she missed the intimacy as well. Ryuko hadn’t counted on the toll it would take, her avoiding of Satsuki for fear of spontaneously hurting her…it was more harmful to both of them to deny such a connection. So she found herself submitting to the ministrations of the beautiful warrior, a willing participant in the battle to outdo one another once again.

Of course, sometimes it led to uncomfortable moments: one ill-timed caress here, a poorly phrased innuendo there, and Satsuki would plunge into a glacial pool of sudden retreat. One did not lead the life she had lived without becoming surrounded by the emotional landmines of memories past…yet Ryuko was savvy enough to avoid such tripwires…most of the time. She observed, learned, and eventually knew how to approach and subsequently care for Satsuki properly. True patience was a virtue she was becoming intimately familiar with these days, and the rewards were sweeter than she could have imagined.

Ryuko, now performing rare duty as the ‘big spoon’ in their post-coital resting arrangement, was delicately tracing her fingertips over Satsuki’s sweat-tinged abdomen, hips and thighs, marveling over and over at the hypnotic, graceful curves and lines of what she considered to be absolute, poetic perfection.

“I sincerely hope you are not trying to start anything again, Ryuko-chan. I’m quite spent right now…” Satsuki rumbled, a sleepy yet content warning that nonetheless carried an authoritative air.

Ryuko scoffed, being slightly offended at the very idea. “Hey, come on now. Am I not being super gentle here? No, I’m not ‘starting anything’, promise. I’m just admiring you, is all? I wish I was an artist so I could sculpt your prettiness in marble. The way your curves dip and flow are just so…I can’t put it to words, but…you’re like this awesome work of art.”

Satsuki instantly responded with rampant three-alarm blushing, then tucked her head into the pillows just a bit deeper. ”Hmph. You are so silly. I’m no art piece. It’s just the inevitable outcome of somewhat lucky genetics and routine exercise, that’s all.” 

Ryuko admonished the young woman in the gentlest way she knew how. “You really need to give yourself more credit, Sats! Have you ever actually looked at yourself? You should totally be on the cover of some fitness magazine, not some dumb corporate business periodical! That, plus your hair is always so shampoo-commercial perfect, even when you hack it off with a damn blade!”

“Looked at my…? Well, you know what’s funny about that? I actually can bear to look at my own body again, now that my supremely long mane is mostly gone. I used to cover myself up with it when I was younger, you know. I’d just let my hair grow as long as I possibly could to provide myself with some sort of modest cover…coverage that could not simply be ripped away from me. I felt so ashamed of my looks back then, so very ugly. I was just so…ugh, so repulsed by Ragyo’s preoccupation with my…look, puberty hit me rather hard. I developed quite rapidly, and this seemed to trigger some sort of latent, instinctive reaction within her. She took it upon herself to overtly subjugate me, and sexual manipulation was but one of her favorite ways to accomplish this. So no, I have not made a habit of studying my own self in anything more than a physical maintenance sort of manner. I guess I don’t really see much of interest when I look in the mirror...to be honest, I haven’t ever given it much thought. I’ve always been more preoccupied with honing my mind, I suppose. My body has only ever been the vehicle of my unerring willpower, so I have maintained it as such.”

Ryuko whispered plaintively in the direction of Satsuki’s sunken pillow head fort. “Sats, you don’t have to talk about that stuff right now, ya know. I want this to be a nice, relaxing snuggle time for you. No more stressing out, yeah? I’m sorry fer dredging up that kind of muck. I didn’t mean it.”

Satsuki dismissed the errant thought with a brief wave. “I don’t mind. I find that I can discuss this sort of thing with you now without major repercussions. My chest doesn’t even hurt anymore when I do so. It’s just…there. I’m okay with it, if you are…?”

“Hey, you’re the boss. I mean…heh-heh, you know. In bed, anyways? I’ll have you know that the term ‘surrender’ doesn’t pass by my lips too often. Yet you’ve made it all right to maybe do that, I guess? Well, at least you really know how to treat your conquests, at any rate!”

Satsuki snorted to herself, then grinned. “It’s not like you had a choice, dear heart. I beat you fair and square. Thank you for introducing me to strip poker, by the way. Poker is actually a somewhat interesting game! I never paid it much attention before. I had no idea that there could be such depth to facing off with an opponent in such a manner! Perhaps it gave me an unfair advantage, knowing your tells in advance?”

“Tells? I ain’t got…now look here, I was a total stone face with you! You were just lucky, that’s all!”

“Ryuko-chan, a person who resorts to saying that their opponent was merely ‘lucky’ is, shall we say, a bit too bitter about how the competition did not turn out in their favor? You see, I’ve been bluffing my entire life. You, on the other hand, haven’t ever had to bluff! You have always followed through on any threats you have ever employed in direct order, correct? So yes, you have certain tells that give you away. Body language involves more than just a supposed ‘stone face’, I’ll have you know!”

“Shit. Well, okay then…spill it. What gives me away?”

“Oh, dear. I shall not be surrendering my advantages that easily! We will play this again, you realize? By the way, did you want your clothes back? That impressive pile of loot has served its intended purpose.”

“Rrr...fine! Then we’ll play chess next!”

“Chess? Ah, well now. Look dear, I truly mean no sort of offense when I say this, but you simply haven’t a chance at matching me there, Ryuko-san! I’ve been playing shōgi since I was six! I do still play online occasionally, when I have some free time and the mood strikes me. I have many, many formal challenges to answer, even now. I’ve been listed in the top ten ranks for nearly a decade. So I must warn-“

“Kiryuin Satsuki! I, Matoi Ryuko, hereby challenge you to an official chess match!”

“Oh? Very well, then. I cannot resist such bravery! Standard chess, or shōgi?”

“Uh...standard chess, I guess. I didn’t know you played that particular variant? I didn’t really study that version, so...”

“Study? Matoi, have you’ve been learning how to play chess just so you could challenge me?”

“Hell, yes! It’s my duty as a little sister to cut the elder down to size!”

“Most intriguing! Pray tell, what do you hope to accomplish there?”

“Oh, nothing much. Just imagining your face when I win!”

“Hmm...so be it. I hereby accept your bold challenge. Don’t you dare complain when I whip your ass mercilessly, though. I won’t coddle you!”

“Damn straight! Me neither! Mercy is for the weak, and the weak don’t win, right?” Ryuko grinned wildly, glad that Satsuki finally took the bait. It wasn’t the first time that she had plunged willingly into impossible odds on enemy territory, and it wouldn’t be the last. This would be fun.

“We shall see, my little firebird! That should prove to be interesting! Well, at any rate, I do thank you for being so magnanimous towards me, here and now. I want you to know that I appreciate your patience in this regard. I haven’t been the easiest person to…be with, I am quite certain. Your support means a lot to me.”

“Aw, come on. I ain’t ever gonna add to that, ya know? I mean sure, I like being the aggressor in just about anything else, that’s only natural. But here, with you? I can see the, ya know…the appeal. Um, ya know…the benefits to being…uh…sorta-” Ryuko tapped the ends of her index fingers together, trying to pick the proper, non-embarrassing word out of thin air and failing quite miserably.

“…submissive?” Satsuki crooned softly with a slight smirk, one eyebrow arched up at the delicious thought as well as the adorable reaction it proceeded to ignite.

Pink cheeks framed Ryuko’s scrunched-up little nose, embarrassment competing with indignance at the daring suggestion. She spluttered as heat swelled within her breast, much like heated oil would react to a splash of cold water. “Wh-well, I wouldn’t use that exact word? I mean, come on, I-I don’t roll over for just anyone, ya hear me, woman? I ain’t a freakin’ wimp!”

“...and yet, you do find yourself submitting to my guidance more and more, do you not?” Satsuki cocked her head as she delicately stroked the flustered girl’s thigh. The gentlest of suggestions sent her darling prey into a spiral of awkward maneuvering. Sometimes it was almost too easy.

Ryuko pouted, lips quivering with pseudo-hurt. “I...well, I mean...it’s more convenient. I like to allow you full control over the situation and give you a safe place fer your head to be, right? I mean, if I let you be the actual aggressor in bed, you don’t need to use that silly safe word of yours, right? You won’t ever hafta resort to that if you’re the one driving, yeah? So yep, that’s it right there, see…I’m just being nice and accommodating to you, get it? I’m no pushover, Kiryuin…and don’t you ever forget it!”

“You have an issue with my choice of safe word? I felt it to be a good idea to employ one, just in case. We do have the potential to be somewhat volatile at times. Surely you agree?”

“Aw, heck! No, ‘rainbow’ works just fine for me, too. I just don’t see me ever using it, personally? I’m down with whateeeever you wanna do, really. Hell, I can take any whipping you can dish out! Gosh, I am such a bad girl, Lady Satsuki! It’s up to you to teach me how to be good...if you can ever find a way?”

“Ah yes, I shall test the very limits of your strength one way or the other, you little minx! Oh yes, that reminds me! I have a gift for you.”

Reaching into her nightstand drawer, she withdrew a small package in a paper bag. Satsuki then placed it upon the bed in front of the curious youth, whose eyes were now sparkling with jittery excitement.

“*gasp* A present fer me? Really? I haven’t even been all that good? What’s this about, huh?”

Her bedmate tossed her head back, sighing dramatically as she did so. “It’s no big deal, Ryuko. Just go ahead and open it.”

No sooner did her blessing leave her tongue did the bag vaporize in a flurry of blurred shredding. Eyes rolling at the unnecessary mess, Satsuki nonetheless enjoyed the intensity of watching Ryuko savor every molecule of doting attention she was now receiving. Then again, she had also observed the impulsive girl once put the same frenzied effort into looking for a prize at the bottom of a cereal box, hadn’t she? Normally such unbridled behavior would rankle the ever-stoic Kiryuin, but there was something genuinely sweet about witnessing such an earnest emotion.

Ryuko’s expression changed to one of mild confusion as she pulled the odd device out from its cardboard prison. Satsuki stepped in to alleviate her sister’s questioning gaze with a brief explanation.

“It’s a hand exerciser for finger strength, see? I know you haven’t really been playing guitar quite as much these past few months, so once I spied this unit I thought that perhaps it would help you get your ‘chops’ back? Ah, at least I hope that’s what that phrase means?”

Ryuko’s head tilted back, now struck my sudden recognition of the device’s purpose. ”Oh yeaaaah, now I see! These gears here set the levels of resistance. Hmm-hey, that’s pretty neat! Thanks, nee-san! Lesse here now, what kinda workout can I crank out with this sucker, eh?”

Ryuko quickly set the maximum resistance, then grinned as she gave the device an enthusiastic squeeze. It responded with a brief groaning noise, then proceeded to suddenly explode as it rained the bed and the immediate surrounding area with black plastic chunks and random springs.

Silence quickly smothered the room with an awkward hush. Ryuko and Satsuki both stared wide-eyed and mouths agape at the fragments of plastic that were still pinched between her steel digits. Ryuko eventually muttered a succinct, quiet observation regarding the unreal situation as it played out.

“…holy fuck.”

“Well…perhaps you didn’t need any assistance with that, after all? At the very least I should have anticipated this. Yes of course, I should have obviously sought out a hardened metal one instead! I’m terribly sorry, Ryuko. If I had put more thought into it…”

“…yeah…that’s okay, really. Um. Yep. So. Hey, you know what? It’s the thought that counts!”

“Yes, I suppose so. Really, I just wanted you to cease that silly ‘air guitar‘ thing you do all the time. It irritates me to no end! I figured that if I could just get you to use this device instead, at least it would be time well spent honing your craft…instead of spastically flapping your hands around as if you had lost control of them!”

“H-hey! Wait a minute! It’s the same damned thing as Jakuzure and her ‘air conducting’ thing she does when she listens to her music?!”

“Yes, well. I beg to differ. Hmm...that immense strength of yours. Consider my curiosity piqued. How is it that you do not constantly break things like this all the time? No offense is intended here, this I certainly hope you understand? But I’ve personally witnessed you achieve some truly astounding feats of strength in what seems to be a rather casual and blasé way for one such as yourself? When I wore Junketsu, I had to carefully focus all of my ki just to follow through with my blows. Maintaining such effort was a most draining experience! Yet you seem to have this effortless control about you…well, most of the time. At least I assume you must, yes? This sort of thing would occur on an hourly basis if it were not so. Tell me, what exactly is it like having such power at your disposal, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Ryuko awkwardly shrugged, letting crumbled bits fall from her fingers as she squinted at them. “Um, well...since my fibers fully awakened, it’s been a real eye opener, that’s fer sure. It’s an upper level kind of strength limit, not a lower one. It’s at normal levels for most things, I just happen to have a...uh, I have a much higher upper end, is all? I’ll have you know that I’m getting to be very careful about that, since anger leads to...y’know...issues. Obviously. I mean sure, I might occasionally have little missteps like this, but…”

“Hmm. You have gotten much better about controlling your temper, this I will give you. All that meditation has worked wonders for you, in my esteemed opinion! Perhaps it’s time we released you back into the wild then? I mean, now that you have been properly domesticated by me, of course! Well, I suppose this is as good a time as any to ask this question. I was wondering something recently. Would you be interested...ah, I was planning to go about this in a more formal manner, but...Matoi Ryuko, would you like a job?”

Ryuko blinked. She tweaked her ears, just to make sure that she hadn’t fallen for some sort of awkward auditory illusion. “A…a job? Who, me? What could I possibly be good for? I don’t have any kind of degree, past my high school diploma. Sats, I ain’t really good fer much, y’know...unless your foundation has some motorcycles that need fixing?”

“No, nothing like that. In fact, I’d like you to run the foundation’s intake facility. To have you functioning as the first impression of our organization and to talk to those in need. In particular, the youths who may feel that they have nowhere else to go. If they could be greeted by one such as yourself, one who has lived on the streets, been alone, fended for herself…I feel it would do an incalculable amount of good to have them relate to you, and you to them. If they come through our doors, they are surely seeking help! But if we cannot quickly assuage them as to their fears, prove that we can relate to them and recognize their needs? They may decide to bolt and take their chances elsewhere. Assuring people, winning their trust…this is not my strong point, Ryuko-san. I am woefully unequipped for that! I am certain to be seen only as an authority figure, and I certainly cannot pretend to act in another manner. But you? I believe that you have the sincerity and the empathy to pull off such a thing.”

“I think that sounds like a huge responsibility, Sats. I don’t wanna screw up such an important deal. I mean, your rep would be hanging in the balance here! I don’t know if-“

“Ryuko, please tell me honestly. When you were alone at boarding school all those years, waiting for Father to come get you or even just call? Or when you were living all alone on the streets? Would you not have seen the value of just…talking to someone who was willing to actually listen to your feelings? Anyone who was kind enough to take the time to see how you were really doing? Isn’t it possible that this alone may have made a tremendous difference in your life?”

Ryuko’s eyes went wide. A long, slow stare off into the distance brought her back to relive many years of harsh heartache. Did anyone ever listen to her, back then? No, not really. The teachers were too busy worrying about their damned budgets, or if they would have a job the next year. Dad sent her to the crappiest boarding schools ever…probably on purpose, too. But what if someone had been nice enough to care for her in an actual, genuine fashion back then? What then, Matoi?

Satsuki whispered a delicate missive to her sister. “Ryuko, it’s okay. I sometimes wonder if that’s the real reason you bonded so well with Senketsu…not for any pre-programmed genetic reason, but rather that he was the first being who truly listened to you, and was willing to actually share in your pain.”

“I...uh…Senkets-*snf* I guess that it might have been nice...maybe? I mean, I’ve always been the toughest cookie around though! I never needed anyone! Um…but…*snf*…I mean-“

“Are you all right, Ryuko-sama? You sound as though you might be a bit choked up or-”

“N-naw! Who, me? -Pssht- noope! Not this friggin’ vagabond, not no how, ain’t no way! I’m cool like an iceberg, solid as a rock! I ain’t getting’ all weepy!”

“Are you sure? You sound as through you could use a handkerchief-“

“Nope, I’m good. Just…uh, just pollen allergies. That’s all.”

“What, in this area? I haven’t noted any evidence of this allergy manifesting itself before? What pollen, is it ragweed? Artemisia, perhaps? I suffer from allergies myself; I think I would have felt it before you, surely? I heard that the index was unusually low this time of year, but still-”

“Uh…sure. Pollen! No it ain’t them, it’s…um…uhh…pumpkin pollen. Yeah, that must be it! I was cooking some over at Mako’s place fer dinner a few days ago, it musta triggered my nose while I was scooping them out. Yep. Pretty sure that’s it.”

“Pumpkin pollen? Are you quite sure about that?”

“Uh, yeah! Why, are you doubting my word, Kiryuin?”

“Oh, heavens no, of course not! I’d never have reason to doubt your word. Tell me this, Ryuko: did the pumpkin seeds get all the way up your nose, too?”

“Aw shit, did I say ‘pumpkin’? I totally meant ‘ragweed’. Sorry, I thought you said Ragyo at first, and I thought to myself that I wasn’t really allergic to that bitch, she just made me break out…in fists! Heh! Yeah, so that kinda distracted me, and I just mixed up the-“

“You know, I’m actually somewhat relieved that you are such an awful liar, dear heart. It says so very much about the sweetness of your true nature, regardless of the source of your so-called ‘pollen sniffles’! Nonetheless, I’d ask that you at least consider my offer? I have many difficult hurdles to overcome with my foundation, and any assistance you could proffer would be quite appreciated, especially at this troublesome point in time.”

Ryuko’s red-faced defensive sputtering turned into earnest concern in a single eye blink. “Troublesome? Why, what’s wrong, Satsuki? I thought it was all settled and stuff?”

Satsuki paused, a cloud of bitterness darkening her mood. “Well, I’ll absolutely need to secure more funding, for starters. Leaving REVOCS has diminished my financial power: I earned quite a fair share from the proceeds of the sale, but there isn’t nearly enough left over for what I have in mind. It was necessary to more or less buy my freedom in the form of hefty legal fines, penalties and various fees during that hellish debacle…all fallout from her damned legacy! Everyone now wants revenge for what Ragyo did in her time, and even though I was legally cleared of most of the serious charges leveled against the corporation, I’m still associated by name with her reign of terror. Understandable, of course: the Kiryuin name marks me as a public enemy of sorts, it now being synonymous with evil. The lawyers eventually cleared me of being found culpable, but that cost me dearly as well.”

“Yer name, huh? Okaaaay…so change it.”

“It’s not that simple!”

“Mmkay, whatever you say. Seems simple to me, but what do I know...” 

“Hush, child. Pay attention, please! Now I have recently been courting a small investment group, made up of those few individuals that are still sympathetic to my own personal cause…but most of them probably won’t invest if a person who they perceive to be ‘uneducated’ is in charge of the center, anyways. Not that this has much to really do with the very idea of my current establishment, but it is the cold reality of the situation! Takarada, of course, cannot provide me with any financial backing. His empire is still reeling from the events of the past. Ryuko, I don’t know who to rely on for this! I need this foundation to be a success. I’m just working with so much less than I had originally anticipated. It’s most vexing to me!”

“Aw, come on. What if I promise to fund it instead? All that money just sits in the bank anyways. Inumuta was nice enough to show me how to set it up, so that I could just live off the interest or whatever. There’s all kinds of investments and portfolio crap, it boggles my mind to even look at it. I’m afraid to touch it, really. I mean, I’ve seen how out of control people can become with that kind of wealth, ya know? It’s a good cause, so it would be money well spent. Shit, all that monetary power and all of this physical power, deep within me? Turns out I don’t even want it, either of ‘em! How funny is that? Right, Sats?”

Kiryuin Satsuki reached out to caress twin fists of frustration, a fierce smile of overwhelming pride split across her face. Ryuko was unconsciously shaking her fists out in front of herself in a vain attempt to underline the concept of how terrific the strain such power could be upon a mere mortal such as herself, and Satsuki moved to quell the anxious young firebrand. “No! It’s not funny. It’s the best thing that could possibly happen, that you might have the temptation of power and yet resist the urge to misuse it! That is true strength, Ryuko-san! It makes me ever so proud of you, of your immense depth of character. You are a true hero, in every sense of the word! I could not be more proud of you!”

Ryuko locked eyes with Satsuki, who witnessed the abrupt transformation of anguish into tranquil melancholy. “So, yeah. I have to ask. You won’t…think less of me being all uneducated and stuff if I take that job instead of going to college? I know how much that means to you.” Quietly pleading eyes sought out for a soothing of traitorous, nagging doubts, and in this Satsuki was as supreme as she was confident in her response.

“Nonsense! You are my partner in this, and in everything! You’ve always been there for me, no matter the difficulty it has brought you. How could I ever think less of you, when you’ve proven yourself to be the greater of the two of us? You have, through your example, taught me the value of caring and mercy, of passion and compassion. I owe you the world, Ryuko-san. I truly do! I could not have even dared to become a better person if you were not present in my life to guide me. You have been my lighthouse in this stormy life of mine…I want-no, I need you to know that. Thank you for supporting me in this project, and in everything else, too! I would surely crumble if not for your loving presence!”

Ryuko smile beamed out a flare of pure gratitude, and she was surprised to discover that her voice was strangely inoperable. Choked up from the heartfelt moment, she shrugged and continued to grin like she was drunk from these draughts of pure adulation. In fact, that was exactly what it was, and she didn’t mind a bit. Playing the hero angle was never her primary goal, but…warm adulation like this had its moments, for sure.

Satsuki patted her sibling’s hands once more, gently placed a single peck upon her heated red cheek, and then commenced the task of sweeping up the crumbled bits of plastic that littered the silken battlefield of their bed. She had resisted the compulsive temptation of cleaning up the mess long enough, and now she sought to soothe the clamor of her inner neat freak once more.

Ryuko kneeled upon the edge of the bed, precariously balancing herself on her knees as she enjoyed the precise and orderly fashion that her ever-so-slightly OCD sister employed so very effectively. She found it strangely fascinating to observe, how machine-like Satsuki operated in her quest for structural peace. Talented hands darted out, deftly picking up random plastic debris like a seasoned conjurer would move around shells during a magic performance.

Ryuko may also have been somewhat enchanted by the fact that the woman was still quite nude, her curvaceous hips and breasts swaying to and fro as she worked diligently to secure organized peace. The young Matoi’s roaming fingers nonchalantly made their way to the tingling cleft of her now-soaked-and-still-a-bit-sore labia, teasing herself gently as she watched the Kiryuin woman vigorously toil away before her in the buff. Her palm rested innocently upon the neatly trimmed tuft of her pubic landing strip as she diligently studied Satsuki’s methods in great depth.

Satsuki carefully smoothed over the bed’s silken folds while Ryuko covertly smoothed out her own as well. ‘Hmm. Ahn. Uh. Mmhmmm. Oh, nice. No shame, eh Satsy? Well, who am I to stand in the way of your gorgeous-*BZZzzzZZZzzzT*‘

Ryuko’s phone vibrated on her nightstand just then, an angry hornet buzz of incoming communication that always creeped her out when it took her unawares. Goosebumps still prickling her forearms, she hastily grabbed the phone and checked for the most inopportune caller’s identity. A cartoon coconut, googly eyes bulging out in true Tex Avery style, was wiggling back and forth across the screen. Ryuko quickly swiped the call icon over to green: it was rare that Mankanshoku Mako called this late on a weekday evening, and it was quarter to eleven now.

“Mako! Hi! Is everything okay, you never call this…uh-huh? Uh-huh? Okay? Sure, I guess. I mean, if it’s that important, of course!”

Satsuki looked up briefly from her intense seek-and-destroy-all-clutter mission, whereupon Ryuko motioned with a wave that it was all right, that a real emergency was not actually manifesting itself that evening (probably). Satsuki nodded briefly before returning to her task, once-worried eyebrows unknitting themselves back into a calmer plateau of modest determination instead.

“Okay, Mako. Ask away!” Ryuko’s face went from vague concern to wide-eyed disbelief as she processed the firehose of words that now assaulted her eardrums. A loving smirk crept across her face as she struggled to prevent rude giggles from bursting forth from her throat. Her abdomen buckled and complained from the mighty effort it required for this feat.  

“Okay, so let me get this straight. You absolutely need to know at this very moment what kind of music…bunnies like? You need to know what they would dance to while you’re counting them to go to sleep. Right, okay. Lemme just think about that for a minute…”

The mute button was briefly deployed as a most powerful chuckle slipped past Ryuko’s defenses. Satsuki paused long enough to regard the odd scene before her: that of Ryuko Matoi, one paw gripping her sides as she shook her head vigorously, then taking a deep breath as she bravely powered back into the surreal conversation. The slightest of head shakes, then Satsuki was back to her cleaning. A vacuum could certainly perform this task more effectively, but Satsuki did not want to be so rude as to interrupt their conversation.

“So, yeah. I would say that bunnies like pop music? Yeah, like the really auto-tuned, super chipper kind of dance stuff. No, no rock or metal. It would totally scare them! Right…” Ryuko took the opportunity to reach out and caress Satsuki’s delicate jawline, one fingertip outlining the firm sculpted cheek as it brushed by a famously sensitive earlobe. Satsuki responded by quickly shaking her head, as if some minor annoyance had just dared to distract her from participating in the holy war on disorder that was occurring in the bedroom just now.

Quietly snickering, Ryuko then grazed a solitary fingernail against one bare hip, eyes glittering with mischief as she regarded the majestic, unclad woman now before her. Satsuki struck out with one palm, efficiently swatting away the offending digit with a well-placed smack.

Ryuko bit her lower lip as she continued to offer her insight regarding the insomnia-afflicted Mankanshoku’s philosophical plight. “No, they wouldn’t really like opera. Yes, I have seen that cartoon. We watched it together, Mako…remember? Well, come on. It’s just a cartoon! That ain’t real life! Nope, bunnies would dig pop music, like for real. Trust me on this! Well, no…I would absolutely not call Jakuzure right now! Well, mainly because she’s in a totally different time zone right now? Look, if you wanna disrupt her sleep schedule, be my guest. You are all alone on that one! Just warnin’ ya, even I ain’t that brave! Jet lag will piss her off enough, I don’t wanna see her with-yes, good. Well, ask her when ya see her tomorrow, then! But fer now, I’d go with pop music…”

Ryuko leaned down to brush her lips past the outstretched neck of a certain Kiryuin warlord, who was herself kneeled over to retrieve a rather evasive metal spring upon the floor. She froze just then, calculating the proper response to such inconsiderate tomfoolery. Her mental defense catalogue seized up during processing, the gentle sensation of said lips lulling her into a peaceful, surprisingly anger-free moment. A brief exhalation of exasperated air escaped her nose, tickling the sneaky Matoi into a momentary retreat.

Satsuki looked up at her invader. Blue met blue as they regarded each other’s eyes, sizing up each other’s intentions. Satsuki discovered that her aggravation had mysteriously evaporated, giving way to a softer cloud of sheer tranquility. There was no way she could lash out at that honest face, those loving eyes. She grew still, eyes closing and head lowering slightly as she demurely surrendered to Ryuko’s machinations.

Surprise overwhelmed Ryuko more effectively than any offensive maneuver could have possibly hoped to achieve. Her vision swam as Satsuki’s scent overrode her perceptions for the time being. This moment, crystallized in that briefest sliver of time, suspended the young Matoi in a hypnotic swell. Satsuki had never failed to preemptively mount an enthusiastic counterattack against her ever-invading paws, and this complete and entirely uncharacteristic lack of defense left her own invasion tactics soundly neutralized. Never had she been so effectively disarmed by…absolutely nothing at all?

 “…eh? What? Oh, no! Sorry about that, Mako! I kinda…zoned out there. It’s late, I guess I’m more tired than I thought. Yeah, totally! Pop music is the soundtrack, so think of that while the bunnies in your head are partying. All right? Yeah, I love you too, Mako. Get some sleep, okay? Yeah, you totally will need all your energy for Nonon’s welcome home bash tomorrow night! Yup, you too! G’night!”

She absentmindedly ended the call, ears still ringing from Mako’s verbal blitzkrieg. Ryuko didn’t notice. She was utterly entranced with witnessing the dawn of Satsuki’s calmest aura, the terms of her beautiful and unexpected surrender.

“I trust all is well, Ryuko-san?” she murmured, the sudden silence conjuring a wall of unknown ether between them.

“Golden. I think? Is everything all right?”

“Mmm. Quite. Why do you ask?”

“You just…stopped. Like you just surrendered or something.”

“Ah, that I did.”

“…why?”

Satsuki’s cobalt eyes fluttered open, a radiant sparkle evident within them. Her warm smile sought to immediately reassure the worried visage of the crimson-tinged, raven-tressed beauty who now crouched down before her. It was the most sincere smile that she had ever formed, and it was all due to the efforts of this girl who was now taking up the entirety of her vision. It was crystal clear now, that it was time to pay all debts, even all balances. Karma demanded it.

“Why? Because I haven’t a reason to do otherwise. I trust you, Ryuko. I trust you utterly and completely. I just happened to realize that fact, just now. It’s absurd to try to defend myself from that which is not an attack, but is actually just love in its purest form. I love you, down to the very core of my being! This I will welcome with all my heart and soul. Mark this day, Matoi Ryuko! For it is the day you finally conquered Kiryuin Satsuki. To you I surrender…I surrender my fragile heart. To you I surrender, now and forever!”

Ryuko chose to accept these terms of surrender as they were laid out before her…and enthusiastically accepted them again the next morning, as well.

-

The upscale restaurant has its private back room rented out for the entire afternoon. Satsuki was, as always, keen upon securing absolute privacy, and it was here that two old friends met up and connected again after an extended period of separation. Here a diminutive, pink-shocked woman found herself latched tightly around the neck of a tall, slender lady of onyx shoulder-length coiffure.

Neither girl spoke: it was enough to hug, as it was just as effective as a blurted rush of words would have been at such a moment. Satsuki was mildly surprised to discover trace amounts of moisture clinging to the corners of her eyelids, and she shrugged and proceeded to ignore it for the time being. This brave, new Satsuki wasn’t concerned with sending out such an emotive declaration. It was an earnest reaction: she had missed her dearest friend tremendously, and intercontinental video chats simply couldn’t offer salve for this kind of personal connective void.

A tremendous rush of language then flowed from the tiny jet-lagged performer, and it was all Satsuki could do to not point out how very similar Nonon’s string of excited verbiage was to Mako’s standard ‘Hallelujah’ moments. Nonon breathlessly spewed out a litany of caffeine-fueled observations about her months-long world tour, and Lady Kiryuin could only stand back and observe as Mount Jakuzure proceeded to vent before her.

“Oh yeah, and I met someone! A guy we picked up while on tour in America. One of our troupe was denied a visa at the last minute or something, and the tour manager landed us this stunning violinist to help out. Good thing too, because even I can’t conduct the show and play violin at the same time, right? He ended up touring with us for the entire American leg, he worked out so very well! He had our routine down cold already; it turns out he’s a huge fan! So things worked out really well there. Really well…”

One eyebrow hovered in silent consideration of this scenario. Satsuki delicately sipped her tea, then nibbled on her scone as she regarded the nervously energetic musician before her. There was an unusual electric current of excitement running under Nonon’s skin; she could feel it from across the table.

“Well now, who wouldn’t be a fan of the very first person listed in Rolling Stone’s ‘10 New Artists You Need toKnow’ category for this month?”

“Oh, you saw that already? Isn’t that just crazy? I’ll tell you that the past few months have been so weird for me and my crew. The music tour, all this attention…our fans…” And yet for all this, Nonon’s mind kept wandering back to her number one fan, overriding everything else in her recent memory.

“Oh, Satsuki-sama. He’s such a wonderful guy! He’s really smart, he can keep up with me on all my music theory and history babbling...in fact, I’ve actually learned a thing or two from him! Imagine that! Oh, and he’s got a really huge...uh...talent. F-for music! So, he’s attending Juilliard, which is one of the world's most prestigious music schools. His violin playing is simply world-class, he can belt out Paganini in his sleep! Yep, he’s that good!”

“Have you a picture of him? I’d like to see this specimen of pure talent. You didn’t mention him before?”

“Of course, I-oh, crap! I left my phone charging in the car this morning, which is...not here, because it’s getting inspected at Ira’s garage. Damn it, damn it, damn it! Ugh, I have to find a way to wake up, and soon! I’m such a mess. Jet lag sucks! All that coffee, and I’m still a damned zombie! Rrrgh!”

“Oh trust me, I know about jet lag. It’s okay. Tell me about him, then.”

“Okay, so his name is Marcus. He’s tall, with long black hair...kind of skinny, but like a runner’s physique, not a stick figure, right? He’s got perfect teeth, all nice and neat, a real killer smile! Oh, and these really gorgeous blue eyes! Really, now that I think of it, he almost looks like a male-“

‘-version of you.’ Nonon floated by her sudden subconscious realization like an iceberg in the night, and it took all her poise to not be done in by it.

“-ahem-...oh, god. A male...god. Um, l-like Adonis, or whatever. He’s...hot, Satsuki-sama! Did I mention how talented he is? Let me tell you, he has some mighty nimble fingers as a classically-trained violinist!”

Satsuki’s eyebrows were arched, and her expression was one of inquisitive surprise. “Your language is so...evocative. How close are you to this person, Nonon?”

Nonon gulped as her heart trip-hammered a flustered drumbeat cadence. “Um, p-pretty close? I am kinda seeing him now, maybe? I mean...um...oh, shit. All right, look. I guess I better let that cat out of the bag. So, one night after a concert, we all went out drinking. I had become pretty friendly with Marcus, and we were in his hometown of Chicago that evening, so he knew of some places that would serve us. He was taking me on a tour of all his old haunts and eventually it was just the two of us, because everyone else wimped out early and went back to the hotel. So we somehow ended up at some tattoo parlor, and he asked me if I had one, which of course I didn’t! But he asked what I would get, hypothetically…so of course I said probably a musical instrument of some sort, because I’m me. He wanted to get a violin with flames on his shoulder, so...so, anyways. Um. Stuff sort of happened. Well...h-here. Uh, don’t freak out.”

Nonon motioned down and discreetly pulled the top of her skirt back, and a flute with flames peeked out from upon her lower hip. Satsuki’s jaw dropped, and the young Jakuzure heiress silently regarded the genuine shock registering upon her face as she herself struggled to not spontaneously combust from a third-degree blush fire.

“You have a tattoo? Nonon, I simply cannot believe this!”

“Yeah, I can’t believe it, either. Pretty soon, I’ll be working for the Yakuza, right? But still, it was a night I won’t ever forget.”

“I see. Nonon-san, what else happened that evening, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“-sigh-...you…you know. I can tell. I can’t hide anything from your perceptive skills, Lady Kiryuin-sama.”

“Not really. I mean, I don’t intend on assuming anything, nor do I mean to pry into your personal matters. Yet the manner in which you are speaking suggests that perhaps-“

“Yeah well, perhaps I also…um…lost my virginity that night, too.”

 “-gasp- Oh my goodness! Jakuzure-san, please do forgive me for saying so, but I was under the impression that you were saving yourself for marriage?”

“Yeah, well who’s to say I won’t marry him? I’m totally in love with him, Satsuki-sama!”

“I see. You mentioned that you had been drinking, yes? He didn’t...Nonon, did this man take advantage of this opportunity to-“

“Nani-? Oh...no, no way, absolutely not, Satsuki! I swear to you that’s not how it was! If anything, I was the one who made it happen, to be honest. It just happened...you know, I was so damned horn-um...I mean...it was really hard...w-well, anyways, no. He is an absolute gentleman, I assure you! And he was a perfect gentleman for the rest of the tour, too. All eleven stops of it! Oh, my god. I think I might still be sore from New York City...ah, s-sorry, too much information there, I’m sure?”

“Mmm. Do your parents know of this?”

“Oh no! No, no, hell to the no. Are you kidding? My parents would kill me for even being alone in the same room as a boy! Well, that and the tattoo. If I wanted Dad to have a heart attack, that alone would do it. There would be a belt sander involved if he saw this on me, I’m sure of it! See now, here’s the problem I have, Satsuki-sama. My parents decided a long time ago that I was going to be the heiress that takes on the family business. I love my family, Satsuki-sama, I really do...but I’ve always really chafed under that assumption. I mean, music is my life, my true passion! Hell, they’re only letting me tour so I can ‘get it out of my system while I’m young’, so that when Dad retires, I can be there to take over. But I don’t want that. I don’t want to have to sacrifice my happiness just so I can pretend to be the faithful son my father wishes he had! Yeah, I’ll always be living under that specter. Thanks, Dad! But now, I’ve found someone who makes me truly happy...all I’d have to do to achieve true happiness is to turn my back on family tradition and earn their hate and disrespect forever. What kind of a choice is that?”

“I don’t know. I’m so sorry, Nonon-san. I wasn’t aware this was such a serious issue for you. I knew of your family’s expectations, but I had assumed that you were to eventually acquiesce to their wishes. I wasn’t aware you wanted a different future.”

“Yeah, well. It’s more important than ever now, since the Jakuzure Shipping Company doesn’t have the guaranteed Kiryuin contract to cement its future anymore. When REVOCS disintegrated, their ‘iron-clad’ contract went with it. So now Dad is so damned worried about the family’s legacy, he thinks he will go down in history as the man who let the company fail under his watch. Never mind that it had nothing to do with his leadership, really. Circumstances being what they were...although I think that maybe he did get way too complacent with the Kiryuin contract? It made him less aggressive about pursuing other ones, and building up connections like that takes time, you know? Time he no longer has, really. Get this: he actually thinks that having me as the CEO can lead to new inroads with younger executives of other companies, can you believe that crap? My fame as the leader of ‘Pink Domination’...I’ll bet that’s the only reason he let me tour in the first place, to build up a rep so he could then capitalize on it! Satsuki-sama, I’m so sick of being just a pawn in my parents’ schemes!”

Satsuki reached over and pressed her hand upon Nonon’s balled fist. She squeezed gently as they made eye contact. A gentle expression then made itself known upon her face as the young Kiryuin consoled her oldest friend. “You may find this hard to believe, Nonon-san, but I have some experience with that.”

Nonon stared at her for a moment, then let slip a nervous cough from her otherwise agitated expression. “Yes, you do. Gosh, just listen to me squawk and whine about dumb life stuff! How have you been recently? I see that you hand is all better now? I hear that Matoi is more or less back to normal, which means she only aggravates you ten times a day, right?”

“I am well. Getting the foundation up and running has been quite a challenge, but it is far less stressful than before! Ryuko is…well, Ryuko. She is better, for the most part. She has had to cope with a myriad of issues recently, but she is as tough as they come. I’m quite proud of her.”

“Yeah? Well, I’m really glad she’s okay. I mean, don’t tell her I said this, mind you! But I’m actually somewhat fond of that punk. I’ll squeeze a real musician out of her someday, I promise!”

“I’m sure you will, Jakuzure-san. Hmm…you know what, just between you and me? I’ll let you in on a little secret. When I was in the hospital watching over her, I played her MP3 player for her constantly. Music therapy is a recognized form of treatment for coma patients, I found out…and I’m fairly certain that it did help her in some way. Most of it was horrid, noisy screaming and such, but I would estimate that about five percent of her music is comprised of classical artists now. I heard Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Wagner and Chopin in amongst her library’s collection! Those were some nice, welcome surprises to stumble upon during my vigils, I assure you!”

“Really? Huh! Iiiiinteresting. Maybe there’s some hope for her yet!”

“Well, perhaps. But remember, I did say only ‘five percent’…”

“Oh come on, Satsuki-sama! Any music that stimulates one’s creativity is good in my book! Of course, classical is at the very top of the heap, but there’s lots of amazing stuff out there-”

“What, you on top of a heap? You ain’t tryin’ to change a light bulb, are ya there, Shorty?”

Nonon stopped mid-sentence. Only one person could negate her sonics so very effectively: the transfer student had arrived. She turned to see the leering youth, sticking her head into the doorway with a widest grin of purest weaponized annoyance.

“Hey, you rodent. I can’t believe I’m saying these words, but I‘m almost glad to see you.”

“Oi, I didn’t see your pink monster in the parking lot, so I figured you weren’t here yet?”

Nonon shrugged. “I will admit that I let the inspection lapse. I had to renew both it and my driver’s license, since I was away for so long. I’ve never toured the world before, so I think I can be forgiven for such a minor slip-up, thank you very much! Oh, by the way Satsuki-sama, can you drop me off at home after this? I don’t have a ride because of that fact.”

Ryuko blurted out “Aw come on, Pinky! Just drive it anyways! Not like I ever actually got my driver’s license…”

The millisecond those words left her lips, the impetuous youth knew she was in deep trouble. Teeth gritted and with one hand plastered over her impulsive, traitorous mouth, she steeled herself for the incoming bombardment.

Satsuki just glared at her, darkened eyes roiling with acidic venom. Nonon, having witnessed what was about to happen many times in the past, felt a tiny twinge of pity for the former drifter…but an immense surge of schadenfreude drowned out that spark as Satsuki unleashed her fury at someone who had utterly failed her faith in them. The rebuke was surprisingly restrained, however, and Nonon couldn’t tell if it was because they were in public or if Satsuki had softened that much since her Honnōji Academy days.

“Is that so,Matoi Ryuko? Well then, I absolutely forbid you from any further driving until your license has been earned properly, for public safety as well as legal liability reasons. Is this perfectly clear?”

“*sigh* …yesss, onee-sama. I get it.”

“Does this also mean that you do not possess a legitimate motorcycle permit, either?”

“I…uh…I almost got around to taking that exam! I swear! I was just…distracted! You know, life and…stuff…”

“I see.”

Two tiny words had never contained such cold, bitter emotion before. Ryuko detected nearly lethal levels of anger and irritation, but what actually bothered her was the trace amounts of disappointment and hurt that were sensed as well. She had never felt quite as guilty as when she gave her sister a reason to mistrust her. She felt a brief glimmer of hope when she saw Satsuki’s hand reaching out to her, and Ryuko was fully prepared to accept the incoming palm of soothing comfort…until she realized just what the Kiryuin was actually seeking.

Authoritarian digits motioned a single jerk back. Ryuko sighed, shoulders dropping as she slowly forked over her car fob. The palm continued to hover, not yet satisfied with the current status quo. The young hooligan considered growling, but realized that she had nowhere to go, morally speaking. Her precious motorcycle’s key was then unceremoniously plopped onto the waiting palm, whereupon the repossessed keys were swiftly deposited into the cavernous depths of Satsuki’s purse. 

“So, where exactly is the sedan parked right now? Is it nearby?”

“Yeah, I managed to grab a space out front. It wasn’t easy, but I pulled it off. This plaza is kinda small…”

“Very well then, let us move on. I shall be driving us all home, since I actually possess a legal motor vehicle permit!” Ryuko, finding herself thoroughly admonished, proceeded to occupy herself by playing with the lone Sailor Uranus magical wand trinket on her keyring, now that it only had a single house key left on it otherwise. Someday she was going to secretly slip the matching Sailor Neptune bauble upon Satsuki’s own keyring, she was sure of it.

“Matoi. Did you remember to bring it?” Satsuki’s business baritone startled her into looking up. Ryuko flinched, then nodded wordlessly. She jerked a thumb towards the entrance, eager to start building up precious trust again. “I’ll need the f-fob to, uhmm- to open the car door? I can run over and get it, so you don’t hafta get up?”

The heiress tossed the fob into her sister’s paws, nodding as she muttered “Do not run with it. You know better.” Ryuko emphatically nodded, padding away towards the door to fulfil her solemn duty as a dutiful and now-law-abiding citizen.

Nonon’s nose twitched delightfully, as she was thoroughly enjoying the sight of an ever-squirming Matoi Ryuko grovel and whine in front of Lady Kiryuin Satsuki, once again. “Nani sore? Get…it? Exactly what is she getting, Satsuki-sama? Is she fetching a switch so you can beat her underachieving ass with it? Because although it would pain me so much to have to witness such a thing, I’d agree that the brat totally deserves it in this case!”

Arms still crossed as part of her instinctual authoritative form, Kiryuin Satsuki allowed her frown to turn into the slightest of grins. “You shall soon see. I have taken the liberty of obtaining something recently, a gesture of sincerest gratitude. This is a gift from myself, as well as Matoi. In fact, she helped make this possible.” Nonon nervously tapped the table with one pink nail, keeping up with the frenetic beat within her suddenly-tight chest.

“Gift? You mean like a ‘welcome home’ present or something? Because I think you should maybe save that for tonight’s party? I mean, I’m not dictating to you or anything, Satsuki-sama! I just think it’s odd for you to do this here, it’s a tad bit unusual? I mean-“

“Hush, Nonon-san. No, this is not for your homecoming, although I am quite happy that you returned home safely! No, this can be seen as a reward for serving me so very faithfully, all these years. I have a desire to thank people more for their enduring presence in my life, since I could not have possibly accomplished what I did without my Elite Four…and it is high time I recognized that!”

Ryuko carefully maneuvered through the entrance and made her way back to their table, carrying a large cloth bag with the utmost of protective care. She made a grand show of removing a large box from the cloth sack in a grandiose manner, as if she were a game show hostess awarding the grand prize to a winning contestant. Satsuki rolled her eyes, then cleared her throat in an obvious message to knock it off, which Ryuko promptly did.

“Please, do open the box. I insist.” Satsuki darted her open hand towards the container. Nonon proceeded to lift the lid, and she was greeted by the sight of an obviously antique violin case. She absently ran her fingers over the decorative studs on the worn lid, feeling the old leather’s grain.

“Oh, wow. A…violin case? And an antique, no less! Thank you so much, it’s very pretty! I truly appreciate this gift! I am most honored by-“

Nonon was caught mid-bow, and Satsuki tut tutted the girl as she patted her elbow. “Jakuzure-sama, please wait a moment. While it’s true this case is a part of the gift, the actual present resides within. If you please…?” The young conductor gulped nervously, and now it was Ryuko’s turn to gleefully soak in the sight of a squirming, wordless Nonon. One nod to the affirmative, and she proceeded to gently open the lid.

The hinges creaked ever so slightly as it revealed the instrument encased within. Nonon audibly gasped as she viewed the delicate wood grain, the glowing yellow strings, and the elegant carving embedded within the tailpiece. 

“It has a name and everything!” Ryuko blurted out suddenly, and Nonon’s nostrils flared briefly at such a silly declaration. What did that have to do with anything? Only really expensive violins were ever…actually…named? Oh, fuck.

“N-nani? S-Satsuki-sama? What’s this about a name? Is the rodent right about that? That-that would mean…” Satsuki handed her a small card as she nodded to the affirmative. “Indeed it does. Here. Please read it for yourself.” Nonon took the card and slowly read the words ‘Lady Blunt Stradivarius’ embossed upon the paper’s surface.

The card’s lettering suddenly blurred as tears sprang up to block her vision. She audibly huffed, a burst of endorphins hammering her overwhelmed brain as her chest grew tight and heaved with the shortest of breaths. The vaguest of sensations called to her from afar, barely piercing the whooshing fog that now enveloped her mind. Hands. Those were hands, on her shoulders. Voices…there were voices as well. Kaleidoscope shapes sparkled and flitted about, distorted by a sheen of unexpected tears caught between slitted eyelashes. What the hell did they want? She was busy freaking out right now…they would have to wait their turn.

“Wh-wh-wh-“ was all Nonon could utter, as her lungs were currently paralyzed from all that was transpiring. Satsuki and Ryuko were both patting her on the back, squeezing her shoulders. A litany of concerned queries assaulted her sensitive ears, and it was all she could do to come back to the present. She blinked, then swept one palm across her watery eyes. Her hand was streaked with what was supposed to be waterproof pink mascara. Well, it sure wasn’t tear-proof, now was it? Damned cheap-ass cosmetics!

“Is this for real? I can’t…I can’t accept this, Lady Satsuki-sama! Is this a real S-Stradivarius? I mean, if this is real, th-then this must have cost m-millions!” Her eyes ping-ponged between the twin gazes that now worriedly stared back at her. Ryuko snorted, then mumbled low under her breath“-pfft- Oh, only millions…?” Nonon’s eyebrows created an arc of intense shock, and it was only the kindest gaze from her dear friend Satsuki that managed to spool down her panic at all during that moment.

“Hey, fer me it’s just payback. You don’t gift just anyone a musical instrument, and now, neither do I! Aw, I guess money does have certain perks, Sats! I can’t recall a time when Lil’ Nonners here ever choked up quite this much! Heh heh, now that’s worth the price of admission, right there!”

Satsuki smiled. “Yes, this is true. Ryuko and I split the cost of this, but it was by far more her than me. Her financial clout far outweighs my own, now.” Nonon slow-blinked, unable to process such a concept. Pointing one pink nail at Ryuko’s form, she repeatedly jabbed an unbelieving motion out as she whispered to the tall Kiryuin. “This delinquent is worth more than you? How the hell could that possibly happen?”

She shrugged. “Ah. You see, she wisely never touched her money once she entered into a multitude of lucrative patent agreements with Isshin Aerospace. Inumuta set her up with some very well-informed investment plans, and that, combined with the impressive inheritance of our father’s own well-informed stock choices? Well…you just so happen to be looking at the wealthiest women in Japan right now.”

“Holy cra-I-I mean…congratulations, Ryu-er…Lady Matoi? I wasn’t aware of that fact at all!”

“Listen, Pinky. I will kick your fuckin’ ass to the moon if I ever catch you treating me differently because of that! You got that, you little pink shrimp roll? I’m the same old Ryuko. I don’t want or need any hypocritical false-faces schmoozing up my life, get it? I don’t care how many numbers are in my fucking bank balance, and I don’t want anyone else caring about that, either!”

“Uh-understood. Sorry, Ryuko-sa-I mean…asshole. It won’t happen again, I promise.”

“Right back at ya, bitch! So, back to the business at hand. I said it before, and I’ll say it again. What a weird-ass name for an instrument!”

“S-shut up, you savage! It’s a thing of pure beauty, it deserves such a name! It’s way better than you naming your guitar ‘Mjolnir’!”

“Hey! Don’t fuck with the god of thunder! I’ll-”

“Matoi! Behave!”

“Urk-sorry, onee-san. I’ll shut up now…I guess.”

“See that you do. Jakuzure-san…please accept this. It would mean so very much to us, to me. I cannot force you, of course! However, I urge you to consider this as my way of balancing the scales. This is something I feel I must do. I need you to know how much your presence has affected me throughout the years.”

Nonon sighed. She couldn’t bear the thought of disappointing Satsuki. That, plus it was a motherfucking Stradivarius. She was wet in several locations right now, only some of which were currently visible in plain sight. Oh, just wait until she told Marcus-sama about this…!

“All right. I accept. Thank you both, this is the most heartfelt thing anyone has ever done for me, truly! I-look, I know I can be somewhat snobby and antagonistic at times, and I-“

“*snort* Oh sure, ‘at times’…”

“Quiet, you rodent! Anyways, I just wanted to say that I am proud to have been able to serve in such a capacity. I always knew the stakes, and I always believed that following you was the right thing to do, and I still do. None of us would be here if it wasn’t for that fact. So, thanks. I am honored.”

Nonon bowed low, a deep respect from within pulling at her heart’s gravity. Satsuki responded with her own deep bow as well, eyes closed in solemn courtesy. Ryuko just nodded her head in deference of the moment. Bowing like that was for wusses, in her esteemed opinion.

Ryuko clapped her hands together, breaking up the stuffy atmosphere with a healthy chuckle. “All right, let’s blow this joint! Shorty, you get to carry your precious violin! Don’t go dropping it or anything!”

“*tsk!* As if!” Nonon muttered, cradling the case as though it were her first born. She murmured under her breath “Don’t worry, my Lady. She won’t get her grubby paws on you anymore!”

Ryuko leaned in close, chuckling low to herself as she whispered to the pint-size musician “Oh, chill out, Pinky. Like I didn’t already finger-fuck her before we came here today.”

“Get away from her, you bitch!” Nonon gasped as she pulled the antique violin case away from the leering Matoi now hovering before her.

“Oh, yeah…the violin. Riiiight. That’s what I meant, sure…” If Nonon had any sort of cardiac issues, she would have found out right then and there as the true meaning of this most vulgar comment suddenly hit home.

“Nonon? Are you unwell?” Satsuki asked, noting the girl’s stunned expression. Nonon shook her head jerkily, shock still muddling her senses as she tried to clear her consciousness of the images now flashing before her: Ryuko’s leering grin had never been a participant in her idle sexy-time daydreams before now. Satsuki’s glare turned angry just then, and she stood up to her full height and pointed at the lurking Matoi who was slinking away towards the entrance.

“MATOI RYUKO!” Satsuki spat out suddenly, and the girl in question froze rigid at the sheer power of this exclamation. Ryuko fumbled, words failing her as she found herself nailed to the spot by the Kiryuin overlord’s searchlight.

“Uh…I can explain!” she sputtered, one panicked eye peeking out from her wild mop of unruly hair. Satsuki extended her hand out, palm facing up. Ryuko looked at the inquisitive fingers as they grabbed slowly at thin air. Something clicked, and Ryuko groaned as she sadly handed over the car’s key fob once more.

“Thank you.” Satsuki primly responded, marching out towards the car as she hooked her arm under Nonon’s limb, sweeping the flush-faced girl out with her. Ryuko tried in vain to hide her evil grin, but she found herself quite powerless to do so. Needling Nonon was becoming one of her favorite hobbies, to say the very least.

-