Satsuki was completing the last of her early morning tai chi forms when she received the message. The customized alert tone identified it as coming from one REVOCS Research & Development departmental head Inumuta Hōka: she briskly verified that her late-morning time slot was, in fact, free before accepting his meeting request. One brief shower later, she made her way to her personal side kitchen to prepare for her guest’s arrival.
“Inumuta, may I interest you in some breakfast tea? Soroi was kind enough to bring back some Bettys Special Rare Green tea as a souvenir back from his recent trip to the United Kingdom. I’m growing quite fond of it, myself. I have also taken the liberty of obtaining some of that ‘programmer’s extra caffeinated’ beverage I have observed you consuming all the time. It is in the refrigerator, if you wish to partake.”
Inumuta’s eyes lit up. “Really? You have some ‘Caffeine ++®’ here? Excellent! I didn’t have a chance to get some this morning. You have my sincerest thanks, Lady Satsuki.” He sipped some of the fizzy drink and sighed in content, snorting when he read the yellow fine-print disclaimer on the label: “It’s not Java based!™” He chuckled, murmuring quietly to himself “Heh. Of course not, it actually works!” as the welcome dose of caffeine coursed its way into his system.
Satsuki grinned slightly and stated “Ah, I’m glad I purchased the correct beverage, then. Consider it a token of gratitude for your continued efforts.” He bowed his head in response.
“So, tell me. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit today, Inumuta?” Satsuki asked as she sat down at one of the stools next to the kitchen’s expansive center island, savoring the rich, floral scent of her morning tea.
“I wanted to bring you up to date on my Research and Development Team’s recent progress, and today was a perfect opportunity to present tangible proof of our progress.” At this, he set down a cloth bag and slid a handsome mahogany container out onto the kitchen counter. It was delicately placed in front of Satsuki, and her eyebrows arched ever so slightly with muted surprise.
“This appears to be quite the elegant presentation for simple research samples, if that is indeed what lies within?” she stated, a trace of curiosity present in her otherwise businesslike demeanor. Inumuta’s fingertips outlined the edges of the lid, coming to rest upon an ornate latch. “Ah, yes…but it is also more. Therein lies a proof-of-concept example of a most promising breakthrough in cutting-edge material repair. This particular object, however, serves a dual purpose in that regard.”
He gently released the container’s gold latch, then backed away as he stood up ramrod-straight and gestured smartly with an outstretched hand. “Lady Satsuki, if you would please do the honors.”
Satsuki briefly probed Hōka’s demure expression for clues as to his slightly peculiar behavior. Detecting none, she sighed and proceeded to open the box, looking inside the velvet-lined interior for answers. Her eyes examined the mound of tissue paper within, covering a naggingly familiar yet out-of-place shape. Satsuki plucked away the paper and then froze, her mind easily identifying the object as a simple porcelain tea cup, yet not comprehending the subtle sensation of déjà vu that prickled her senses.
“It is a…tea cup. Well…it certainly is quite lovely, Hōka. Is this your subtle way of convincing me to approve next quarter’s R & D budget? I’m not so easily bribed, you must know…” she prodded, smirking gently as she watched Inumuta flinch at such an insidious accusation.
“N-no, my Lady! I could never employ such deception towards one such as yourself!” He nervously readjusted his glasses, flustered at having such an unexpected comment leveled towards himself. “I-I implore you to look closer. I believe you will find yourself pleasantly delighted at such a welcome…reunion.”
Satsuki fixed him with a hard stare, a single raised eyebrow denoting her slight irritation at what was appearing to be some sort of a game to her company’s head of research. “Reunion? What on Earth are you insinuating? Yes, I will admit, this does appear to be the type and style of tea cup I am rather fond of, and have been since I was but a child. But I fail to see exactly what…this-“
Déjà vu renewed its assault, causing a chill to shudder throughout her being. The young Kiryuin cocked her head slightly as she muttered to herself “Why is this cup so damningly familiar? It seems so much like my…no! It looks exactly like my…this simply cannot be? Hōka, you must explain! Where did you obtain this cup? It looks to be an exact replica of my favorite tea cup, but how did this come to be? How did you replicate such a precisely detailed version of that treasured heirloom?”
Surreptitiously monitoring the secret video capture of the project’s unveiling on his tablet, Inumuta’s emerald eyes darted up to meet her perplexed gaze. Such delightful uncertainty was quite rare to observe from the ‘Steel Queen’, and he silently prayed that his evisceration would not be the end result for daring to record such a sensitive and vulnerable moment in Satsuki’s life. ‘Eh. I can arrange to access this feed later from a hospital bed. Statistically, an exceedingly rare opportunity: the risk was calculated beforehand and deemed to be worth it.’ he internally mulled as careful words of reassurance proceeded to issue forth from his mouth.
“Lady Satsuki, I assure you, this is not a replica. It is the very same cup you have treasured for most of your life, resurrected by our revolutionary new material reconfiguration technique that we at the lab are perfecting as we speak!” Inumuta’s chest swelled with pride as he basked in the glow of his scientific proficiency. He took the liberty of loosening his zippered collar at this point: he anticipated a slew of detailed explanations in the very near future, and practicality was key for the moment.
Satsuki was stunned. Her jaw agape, she unblinkingly caressed the handle, confirming the feel of its every miniscule bump and unique imperfection…yet still not comprehending it all the same. She quietly whispered “No, this is not possible. I…acted rather rashly and broke that cup. Destroyed it. It’s been gone for quite some time, as I recall.”
Inumuta cheerfully exclaimed “Not quite, my Lady! Actually, Soroi saved all those broken pieces that day, thinking that he could perhaps salvage or repair it for you. It was your favorite cup, after all. He just never discovered a satisfactory method of repair that was befitting your expectations of absolute quality.”
“So, here’s the interesting thing. This cup was flawlessly resurrected from the original parts using some new techniques born from our research into hardened life fiber manipulation. Thanks to Matoi Ryuko’s kind, ah…patience and generosity, our understanding of exactly how her father created these forms is increasing exponentially.” Inumuta absentmindedly adjusted his glasses once more as he leaned over the table, using a pen’s tip to point out the finer details of the cup’s features as he illustrated his thought processes.
“What’s revolutionary about this method is that there are no signs of repair work, down to the individual atoms. This porcelain cup is essentially the exact same object as it was before it was shattered. Porcelain, and all ceramic by nature is extraordinarily difficult, if not impossible, to repair perfectly. You normally need to use bonding materials such as glue or epoxy to repair such things…and of course, trace cracks will be evident, regardless of the skill involved. Yet this is what we have done here: absolutely flawless repair, using only the original materials. Reshaped, reordered on a molecular level.”
His eyes alight with the excitement that accompanied technical achievement, Inumuta glanced up at Satsuki’s transfixed expression. Expecting to perhaps observe his leader’s usual staid, cool gaze, he was surprised to see something else entirely. Her eyes had taken on a cloudy, unfocused glaze as she reminisced of ordeals long gone by, memories of solace sometimes only being found in the warm comfort of this very same vessel in her once-small hands.
“Hōka, I…don’t know what to say. This is truly unbelievable. That you could even accomplish such a feat is one thing. But the fact that you did this…for me? I have not earned such…gratitude?” Satsuki’s breath imperceptibly hitched, and she found herself involuntarily raising a hand to staunch the threat of tears, concealing this motion by pinching the bridge of her nose in feigned distress.
Satsuki focused, an imperceptible, controlled rush of air venting from her nose as she zeroed out her thoughts back into a semblance of order. She was becoming less successful in taming these recent emotional surges: phenomena such as tears were barging in unannounced, muddy footprints callously tracked across her mental command center. Such weakness…making itself at home in her pristine, orderly mind? Quite vexing, to say the least.
“I beg to differ, my Lady. You are owed a great deal of respect from a vast number of individuals, for your lifetime of dedication to the greater good.” Inumuta bowed low, expressing his deep respect for all she did, had done and would continue to do for all those around her. “We all wished for this event to be of great and meaningful significance to you. So, yes…I chose this cup as the trial run for our new method. Personally, I believe I am merely acting as an agent of karma. Observe.”
He gently lifted the cup and pointed out the delicate manufacturing stamp on the bottom. Using his pen to draw Satsuki’s eyes to the intricate blue design, he traced the endless knot symbol imprinted in the cup’s bottom. A single eyebrow flitted up in curious surprise. She had not noted the significance of this karmic symbol until just now.
“You deserve this, Lady Satsuki. For all you have done, your selfless sacrifice. This, I believe, was meant to be!” Inumuta now handed Satsuki the cup, cradling it gently as he placed the precious memento in her outstretched palms.
She gazed fondly upon its gleaming surface, fingertips slowly tracing the cup’s edge as the memory of every microscopic imperfection flooded once more into her senses. A chill swept through her being as a whisper of goosebumps shivered across her flesh. It really was the exact cup she had cherished for most of her life, brought back in perfect, exquisite form.
“It was the height of foolishness for me to destroy this in the first place. I suppose even I am not immune to foolhardy impulse, yes?” she mused to herself, a sudden yin-yang image of herself and her sister emerging in her thoughts. She smirked wryly, noting that any such foolish actions would certainly be attributable to Ryuko’s realm of chaotic influence.
Satsuki’s finger tapped the table’s surface repeatedly, thrumming out a Morse code of complex thoughts. “Inumuta, I have a question. How did this particular project end up being related to the ongoing life fiber research you are overseeing? Is there some material connection I am not perceiving…?”
Inumuta’s hand rose up, index finger pointing to the ceiling as if to declare that lecture hall was now in session. “Ah! Most observant of you. In fact, there is a great deal of similarity between manipulated life fibers and modern ceramics. Our current working theory is that the technique your father employed to weaponize these fibers allowed him to create a material that has properties similar to…well, certain bioceramics, metals, graphite and perhaps even a form of nanotechnology.”
Now both eyebrows formed a quizzical arc over her placid blue eyes. “Consider my curiosity piqued, Inumuta. How do you mean, ‘nanotechnology’? I was under the impression that life fibers are for the most part…alive, albeit obviously alien in nature?”
He tapped furiously onto his tablet, drawing up various charts and schematics to illustrate the concepts as they had been formulated so far. Laying the tablet out onto the table, he gestured through several slides as he continued the impromptu lecture.
“A wise man once said ‘Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.’ This applies here, as the fundamental concept as to what life fibers actually are is rather difficult to encapsulate into currently understood human scientific terms.”
“Much of our recent data has been enhanced by the fortuitous discovery of Professor Matoi’s research backup system. We discovered it upon reexamination of Ryuko’s former homestead’s lower level.”
He smirked faintly. “It was most fortunate that she was kind enough to grant us permission to search the area again for clues. Ground-penetrating radar sweeps pinpointed the backup system embedded under the foundation…it was rather cleverly hidden.”
Inumuta’s hand motions became grandiose, caught up in the excitement of technological passion. His pen rapidly gestured with all the passionate energy of Jakazure Nonon’s baton conducting her beloved Mozart.
“In fact, the backup device itself was an ingenious design! It was encased in an environmentally hardened capsule, and the backup data stream was continuously transmitted to it in real time wirelessly! The fact that he was able to overcome the signal attenuation through all that rebar and concrete and maintain such rapid, sustained data transfer speeds is nothing short of a miracle! Why, I can’t wait to reverse engineer the—“
Satsuki’s countenance hardened, and she cleared her throat as a minute but clear message. “Hōka, please focus on the task at hand. I truly appreciate your enthusiasm, but…” she prodded softly, and he stopped at once, sputtering out a profuse string of apologies. His zeal for technology was often the only thing that escaped his otherwise calculated, icy disposition…and the potential ramifications of these recent laboratory discoveries were difficult to process, even for him.
Satsuki’s fingers pressed briefly onto his, immediately stilling his flustered mind. Such uncharacteristic gentleness from her was somewhat unsettling to him. ‘Hmm.Changes in her mannerisms: unmistakable’ Inumuta mused silently, updating his ever-present behavioral observations. ‘Ryuko’s continued presence is having quite the profound effect on our illustrious leader’s persona. Intriguing. Must remember to note this fact in personal logs.’
His focus thrown off-kilter by her uncharacteristically soft demeanor, Hōka closed his eyes and bowed to her. “Forgive me for allowing myself to be…distracted!” the tech genius sheepishly mumbled. “It won’t happen again, milady.” Satsuki motioned for him to continue and he did so, if in a somewhat more controlled manner.
“Ah…yes. So! Life fibers. When properly manipulated into hardened forms such as Matoi’s scissor blades or your own Bakuzan sword: harder than rhenium diboride. Tensile strength estimated to be greater than graphene by a factor of nearly two. They show signs of possibly being a theoretical allotrope of carbon or possibly boron, tentatively hinting at a new type of element that simply does not normally exist in this part of the galaxy.”
Inumuta continued on breathlessly, excitement causing his neck to flush. “In general, fibers can be woven into an incredibly advanced type of nanomesh that can be manipulated on-the-fly to form complex shapes, armored fabrics, jet propulsion engines…even fully functional human clones…eh, of a sort. Hints of quantum entanglement manipulation capabilities exist as well, such as those observed by -ah- Nui’s observed physics-defying abilities. Comprehending this level of functionality is somewhat akin to an ant trying to understand the inner workings of a computer processor. So, to us mere primates, it’s…”
“…magic.” Satsuki murmured, index finger pressed upon her cheek in thought. “So what does all this mean? Life fibers are merely…a highly advanced form of technology? Tools? Or are they living creatures?”
Inumuta’s eyes wide open, he could barely contain his excitement “It means that, as far as our current theories can estimate, life fibers are a sort of…well, ‘stem cell’ element that is endlessly configurable into just about any type of shape, device or cloth…provided one has the ability to ‘order’ it to do so. Your father was able to develop a method for forging them into cloth or weapons, ‘commanding’ them to do as he saw fit.”
He sat down then, shoulders drooping as his tone changed. “What we don’t know at this point, is the exact methodology behind this ‘command’ interface. I personally believe – and this is purely conjecture on my part, of course – is that it is a ‘language barrier’ of sorts, for lack of a better term. Dr. Matoi certainly learned some choice phrases that had the desired effect…but he didn’t really decipher their language, per se.
“However, certain entities can interface directly with them and issue these commands as easily as one would motion with a mouse cursor. Nui could, of course…as she was once observed to be able to easily reconfigure one of the scissor blades into a scythe at will. Your sister could certainly shrink and enlarge those very same blades on demand, as well”
Taking off his blue-tinted glasses and using a small cloth to rub them, Inumuta hesitated to continue. “Ah, as to if…they are actually, truly alive in a biological sense as we perceive it? I can no longer say. This definition of ‘life’ is a…difficult one to grasp. They could be just some kind of extraordinarily advanced example of technology, perhaps created and programmed as an ideal form to travel efficiently throughout the universe…purely organic creatures simply would not fare well against hard radiation, gamma rays, solar winds…ah, I simply cannot find the words. I apologize, Lady Satsuki.”
He replaced his glasses, framing his somewhat worrisome visage. He was obviously grappling with philosophical ponderings that could not be expressed in a simple fashion, and it displeased him greatly to encounter data so defiant of categorization.
“It’s not like you to be at a loss for words, Hōka. Are you unwell?” Satsuki finally put forth, noting that his flood of words had abruptly ceased. “I…would rather focus upon the facts that are known at this point, if such a thing pleases you, my Lady.” One firm nod from his erstwhile commander later, he continued explaining what was known so far.
“That they can be classified as a form of nanotechnology, I can be fairly certain. I had noted something curious upon reviewing my collected data of your documented battles with the transf-ahem, your…sister, Ryuko: large quantities of superheated steam were emitted during times of great exertion, from both her kamui as well as your own. Have you ever wondered why?”
Satsuki paused, considering his query carefully before proffering her own observation. “As I recall, those were times where an extraordinary amount of heat was generated by the power we were wielding. I had assumed that it perhaps was some form of…well, sweating on Junketsu’s part? We did push our respective uniforms to the very limit; our fights were…rather demanding, of course.”
Satsuki tried to quell the emotional maelstrom that threatened to betray her illusory composure as best she could: lingering echoes of horrifying pain, soul-draining exertion, bitter guilt stemming from the potential sororicide of her sweet, lovely Ryuko in the heat of battle (a since-averted risk that nonetheless was personally unforgivable!)…and piercing through all this static was the innocuous phrase ‘my collected data’.
Oh. Yes. That ever-present ‘data’ collection, and its far-reaching consequences. Lady Satsuki Kiryuin marshaled her indomitable concentration, her face a mask of pure professional calmness as she turned to face her former Information and Strategy Committee Chairman.
“Speaking of data collection, Hōka…please do forgive me for not bringing this up earlier, but I was just reminded of something. Something that came to my attention recently and I must discuss it with you. It is of greatest importance.”
Inumuta pushed up his glasses, scanning his former Student Council President’s demeanor for any hints of what her mood might have been…and what tactic he might prepare in case it involved some of his more…unsavory predilections. “Of course, my Lady. What subject do you wish to discuss?” he stated evenly, employing the most neutral expression he could project.
Satsuki pressed forward, wanting to get this conversation out of the way as diplomatically as possible. Yet she could not prevent a tiny fragment of disappointment from coloring her speech as she made her feelings known.
“We have discussed this activity before, Inumuta…the overall reach of your data collection habits. I understand that, as the one responsible for the academy’s strategic assessment, you were always with your proverbial ‘ears to the ground’, as it were. I have always been appreciative of your performance as such and I could not be more grateful for your service to my cause.”
She leaned forward, her outward appearance as calm as a summer’s morning. The increasing gravity of the situation not lost to the uncannily perceptive blue-haired man, however.
“Please do not get the wrong impression…but there are some boundaries that simply should not be breached, as a matter of professional courtesy. Boundaries that, it should be obvious, would not yield any useful data that would be considered…tactically advantageous.”
Hōka chose to gamble just then, a risky venture that nonetheless pushed the very boundaries of what he considered sane given the circumstances: he dared to interrupt Lady Satsuki during one of her stern lectures.
“This is about Ryuko, isn’t it?” he stated pointedly, letting the comment fly to become the catalyst for…what exactly? He would soon find out if his educated guesstimate was ‘tactically advantageous’, he surmised…whether it would be from that aforementioned hospital bed or not? That was a rather belated thought that crystallized at the last microsecond.
“R-Ryuko is…not the subject at hand here, Inumuta.” The slightest of pauses betrayed her focus: the subtle biting of her lower lip, in combination with her eyebrows colluding to furrow upon her tremulous forehead was enough to show her hand.
Inumuta carefully gathered his wits, deciding to strike now with what he prayed was the most heartfelt apology to ever pass from his lips…the exact details of which he was going to just have to creatively ad-lib as he went along if he were to survive this encounter.
A horrid, squealing commotion broke through the atmosphere of the potential Mexican standoff building in Satsuki’s kitchen. The briefest of blurs whooshed by the door as they both turned to the hallway, faces frozen in a simultaneous expression of incredulousness as a cacophony of muffled thuds and curses exploded from the hall. The kitchen door suddenly gave way to a Ryuko-shaped streak, sneakers chirping a rapid chatter of basketball-court-worthy squeaks as rubber protested against newly-waxed floor.
“Nee-SAAAAN!” Ryuko’s war cry echoed as she pounced upon her hapless sister, any sense of decorum promptly tossed aside for the impending garage sale of Lady Satsuki’s dignity. The shock-and-awe campaign a resounding success, Satsuki could only sit, frozen at stiff attention as her overly excited sister planted a wet, sloppy kiss on her cheek.
“Now I ask ya, Sats? Who the hell keeps waxing these damned hallways? Like, is it really that important to have shiny floors all the time? ‘Cause it sure is wreakin’ havoc on my cornering ability!“ She snorted and smooched her sister’s flustered face again, sniggering as she opened her eyes and suddenly took in Inumuta’s now-zippered form.
“Ah…hey there, nerd. Didn’t see ya lurking there, being all positively sneaky and stuff as usual.” She withdrew her red-cheeked face from her sister’s stone expression as he calmly took in this latest spectacle.
“Greetings, Matoi! Truly, a pleasure to see you again.” he uttered cheerfully, secretly relieved that the Kiryuin Reaper’s blade had fallen just short of his zippered neck…this time.
“Ryuko, dear. Was there -ahem- something you required? I was in the middle of an important…meeting.” Satsuki said, her sweet voice refusing to reveal the tiniest shred of the frustration at her darling little sibling’s unthinkably inopportune interruption.
“Ooh, that’s gonna be tough to get out. I thing I mmmight have maybe burned a little streak or two in yer hallway, Sis…? S-sorry ‘bout that? Eh-heh-heh-heh… heh?” Ryuko mumbled nervously, sniffing out into the hall to place the source of the burning wood and rubber odors that were just now wafting in.
“Ah, yes. Of course. Again. How lovely, imouto.” Satsuki intoned, eyes dulled to the situation at hand. Her chastisement of Inumuta’s disrespectful actions could not proceed as planned; the fearsome, authoritative aura she normally projected having apparently just been relegated to that of a fluffy kitten, Ryuko scratching her head affectionately as she murmured a litany of apologies about the scorch marks still smoldering on the floor.
“We shall convene at a later date, Inumuta, to continue our conversation, yes?” Satsuki mumbled, half-heartedly trying to project the adamantine image of ‘Lady Kiryuin Satsuki – Supreme Overlord’ while knowing deep down that her currency was now relegated to the level of ‘Satsy - The Big Sister Who Lived to be Embarrassed’.
Inumuta bowed slightly, perfectly aware of the touchy situation yet unwilling to risk poking fun at the Kiryuin hornets’ nest just yet…at least, not here, of course. “I extend to you my own humble invitation to visit our laboratory; you simply must see this process in action. It is quite fascinating to witness!” he gushed, gesturing at the teacup in Satsuki’s hands as his eyes sparkled with anticipation.
“Oi. Wha’cha doin’, Sats?” Ryuko exclaimed, wrapping her arms playfully around her big sister’s arm as she rolled a curious eye towards the kitchen counter. “Is it more techy work crap bein’ brought here to bore us all again?”
Satsuki regarded Ryuko with all the enthusiasm of an interrupted priest at a sermon. “Quite the opposite, dear sister. Inumuta was kind enough to present a most thoughtful gift. This happens to be a most preciou-“she stated before being suddenly cut off by the exaggerated squeal of her hyperactive teen sibling.
“Gasp! Why, it’s a…TEACUP! I can’t believe he would do such a thing! Hōka, how did you KNOW she would like such an original gift! You are so clever!” the fiery haired girl crowed, smirking with glee as Inumuta and Satsuki exchanged sullen glances and then proceeded to synchronize eyerolls.
“It’s more than just that, you bubbleheaded twit!” Satsuki spat out, annoyed at her kin’s perpetual lack of decorum. Ryuko paused, and her lower lip jutted out as she faux-sniffled and dolefully murmured “Okay…okay, I’m sorry about the floor thing, sis. Jeez. Here, I’ll make it up to you! Ryuko’s super speedy tea service: go-go-GO!”
She hastily snatched the prized cup from Satsuki’s palms and turned to bolt towards the stove when Satsuki lashed out, gripping her sister’s wrist with cobra-esque quickness. “Dammit to hell, Ryuko! You need to be careful! That cup is not just—you don’t understand!“ Satsuki blurted, panic rising in her voice.
“Fuckin’ hell, sis! I know how to make tea too, ya know! I’m not that incompetent! Rrrrrrr-let go, ya’ flippin’ control freak!” Ryuko snarled, straining mightily against her sister’s trembling white-knuckle grasp.
Inumuta gasped, standing up while trying to calculate the best method for defusing the potential disaster looming before him. “Transf-MATOI! Please, just stop! That, that…” he sputtered, earning a sharp rebuke from Ryuko’s gritted teeth. “Shaddap, ya geek! Transfer Student Matoi don’t need your stinkin’ ‘help’ either!”
“Matoi Ryuko! Give me that cup at once! I command it!” Lady Satsuki barked, wavering between steaming rage and frosty fear at the prospect of her recently resurrected heirloom being crushed once more.
Ryuko bristled at the harshness of the order, and yanked hard as her anger flared and boiled over. “Command? Why, I’ll give you a command, you…tea-addicted-HA-HA!” she triumphantly shouted as her hand slipped from Satsuki’s desperate clutches…and three pairs of eyes watched helplessly the cup sailed from her fingers and straight out the kitchen door.
Satsuki watched the tea cup arc over and out the door and into the hallway in agonizingly slow motion, frenzied shouts and clamoring shushed to a dull background static. Had she a kamui to enhance her pitifully slow human reaction times, she would willingly strain her flesh to the breaking point to stop this. Instead, she mentally prepared a verbal guillotine, atom-thin sharp for the wretched neck of one Matoi Ryuko, vagabond drifter and careless destroyer of precious heirlooms.
Something was amiss. Everyone in the room was unconsciously aware of it, but no one was willing to examine the evidence in greater detail. Inumuta Hōka: raving and gesticulating madly, his triumphant handiwork lost to an immature gutter spawn’s moment of callous recklessness. Kiryuin Satsuki: silently fuming, the arc of her frown turned down so frighteningly far it mirrored her eyebrows’ dense anger-induced concavity. Matoi Ryuko: caught in the crossfire of varying accusations, shouts, obscene gestures and that Kiryuin Stare of Death™, wallowing in confusion as she tried in vain to connect just how her playful, silly actions led to this level of derision.
Satsuki steeled herself, preparing to launch her first devastating admonishment salvo upon her sister’s fortified position when a horrifyingly loud, piercing whistle jarred everyone into clapping hands over their suddenly-stinging ears. Wincing gingerly, all three verbal combatants slowly turned to the door.
Tea cup swirling lazily by the handle around a diminutive pink-nailed finger, Jakuzure Nonon withdrew her other fingers from around her tongue, smirking merrily whenever she had a chance to unleash her famous ‘Noisy Band Trip Eardrum Buster (騒々しいバンドトリップ鼓膜バスター)’ sonic attack.
“Ah, you know…I don’t get a chance to use a C# 7 note much in everyday life, ladies and gentleman. So I’m obliged. My sincere apologies if it was a bit loud, Lady Satsuki…Dog…transfer student. That being said…what the hell are you people doing?!” Nonon shouted nasally as she sauntered into the kitchen.
“I had hoped we were still on for lunch today, Lady Satsuki…but if you wanted me to make your tea, you just have to give me more notice than this.” she snidely remarked as the precious cup was placed once more into Satsuki’s imperceptibly shaking hands.
“Ah. Of course. A breaking sound! That’s what was missing…” Inumuta quietly mumbled, mostly to himself as he tapped a brief note into his tablet. Ryuko stood off to one side, absentmindedly rubbing the back of her neck as she tried to stay still enough to maybe…disappear for causing such an embarrassing ruckus? ‘I was just playing around, dammit. What the heck kind of snooty high-society rule did I break now?’ she grumpily pondered, watching in muted fascination as Satsuki’s mien transformed from murderous to joyful before her very eyes.
“Nonon! You have…no idea what you just saved—“ Satsuki breathlessly choked as she rushed forward, enveloping her old friend in a warm, heartfelt embrace. Nonon was taken aback by such uncharacteristically friendly behavior, shooting suspicious glares at Inumuta and Ryuko as she warily patted Satsuki on the back.
“What did you miscreants do to put her in such a state? I swear, did..did she get into the wine again? I thought we had an agreement, guys? Don’t worry, Lady Satsuki, I’ll handle these two irresponsible slackers!” Jakuzure hissed venomously as Inumuta straightened up to address the perceived insult.
“Listen ‘Honey, I Shrunk the Conductor’, such a scenario was not the case!” Hōka spat, firmly pressing his glasses up as he addressed the caustic bandleader. “I was merely presenting a heartfelt tribute to our most esteemed eminence…when the impetuous actions of this…‘abandoned child’ nearly ruined it all!” he volunteered, extending an outstretched palm towards Ryuko.
“Hey! I…what are--I didn’t mean to…how dare you…you silicon suck-up! I’mma make you eat that fucking tablet!” she bellowed, simultaneously stung by his accusation and deeply offended by the snide reference to her name’s hidden, alternate meaning. “I’ll show you the real meaning of ‘meteor child’, you insensitive prick!”, her fists shaking with naked rage.
“Enough.”
The word hung there, message trapped in crystal cold intonation. Satsuki straightened herself, brushed off her sleeves and affixed Nonon with a gentle gaze. Placing both hands upon Jakuzure’s arms, she allowed a warm smile to spread across her face as she explained. “I owe you, dear friend. You have managed to save my most favorite tea cup from another imminent destruction.”
“Nani sore? Another...what? How many favorite tea cups did you have, anyways?” she squawked, indignant that she could not quite connect the dots.
Satsuki held the tea cup aloft, turning it gently in her fingers as she proudly addressed the room. “This…is the original, perfectly resurrected in a most remarkable manner by Hōka’s research team. Words cannot describe how proud I am of your achievements, all of you. I mean this both in light of these events, and in reference to our time working together for the good of humanity. Truly, I could not possibly be more blessed to have by my side such honorable and noble comrades…such…dear friends.”
The sentiment of her words was weightier than expected, and its recipients were unsure exactly what to think. Ryuko rocked back and forth on her bald sneakers, awkwardly staring intently at every single object in the room except for anyone else’s face. Inumuta held his breath, daring not to even enter his thoughts into his tablet for fear of tripping an unseen emotional claymore. Nonon cocked her head slightly, regarding Satsuki’s beaming visage with a small, nervous chuckle.
“You sure you haven’t had any late morning wine there, my Lady? You’re sounding positively…oh, I don’t know…sentimental? But maybe it’s just from where my eyes are, way down here. I could be wrong.” Nonon reached over and plucked the cup from the young Kiryuin’s hands and placed it upon the table, still not entirely convinced that alcohol wasn’t somehow the impetus for such a speech.
A laugh-shout erupted from within Satsuki’s chest, startling everyone, and she sighed, a relaxed smile blooming on her face. “Oh, fuck it.” she stated in a low voice as she grabbed Nonon and squeezed, powerful arms hoisting the pink-haired terror up to her level.
“You are my oldest, dearest friend, and I owe you so much! Nonon, please don’t call me ‘Lady’ anymore. Just Satsuki. Please? That goes for both of you. I am your commander no longer, so please retire such honorifics.”
Known moments when the angry pink tornado known as Jazukure Nonon was verified to be truly speechless could have been counted on the fingers of dead witnesses. The number of living witnesses, however, just increased by three as her mouth tried to form words and instead projected a passable impression of a candy-colored fish, gasping for last breaths.
Satsuki gave her a brief, final hug and set her down. She extended her hand to Inumuta, as she patted Nonon on the back, coaxing her gently out of dazed shock. “Inumuta…Hōka, please accept my deepest thanks. For everything. I am truly indebted to you for all your dedication and ingenuity.”
He cautiously offered his hand, a nervous smile briefly flashing as a mumbled “O-of course. It was, and is, my honor to serve. With you and for you, Lad-er–ahem- S-Satsuki.” She took his hand and gripped it firmly, shaking his hand as she murmured “Thank you, my friend.”
Ryuko quietly coughed, hands both crammed deep within her jacket’s pockets as she leaned into the kitchen’s corner. Feigning intense interest in the stove’s knobs, she muttered to herself as she checked over the range’s surface for any specks she might busy herself with cleaning. Finding none, she briefly wondered if it would be possible to see herself out of the room undetected during such a nauseatingly sentimental moment, and idly searched for a large cardboard box to attempt such a feat of stealth.
“Ryuko! Do I not recall that you had a favor to ask of Nonon?” Satsuki’s voice boomed out, and she winced as she turned to the three figures, barely squeaking a reply to the affirmative. ‘A glowing neon exclamation point just appeared over my head! Fuck!’ Ryuko thought idly to herself as she mumbled a response.
“Um…I think so? I guess…maybe I wanted to ask for some…uh…help with some guitar stuff. I mean…I guess I did say that, at one point?” the young girl stuttered, heat from her blast-furnace face certain to trigger the kitchen’s fire suppression system at any moment. ‘That would be a heck of a diversion, yeah?’ Ryuko thought to herself as the pint-sized musician strutted over to confront her.
“What do you want from me now, lazy ass? Did you forget how to tune to dropped-D again?” she snorted, thoroughly enjoying the sight of a squirming, flustered Ryuko before her.
“No, of course not! Jeez, I’m not that stupid! I just wanted help with figuring out how to pull off better arpeggios, like that Blackmore guy does in that old Deep Purple song you made me listen to. I can’t get them to sound smooth enough. Th-that’s all!” Ryuko pouted, arms crossed as she rested in defense of the musical cross-examination.
Nonon’s jaw slackened. “B-Better arpeggios? Bullshit, I’ll bet you haven’t gotten past the riff for ‘Smoke on the Water’ yet, you lying slacker! There’s no way you’re doing…you’re seriously playing ‘Highway Star’? The fucking solo part? It’s been, what, not even a week since you kept busting those strings trying to play at all? You want me to believe that? Give me a break, underachiever!”
Ryuko puffed out her chest, stabbing her calloused fingers in front of the bandleader’s doubting gaze. “Hey, short-shit! I’ve been playing my ass off! You said you would only help me if I practiced rock stuff you said was ‘classically inspired’, so I did! Don’t you go back on your promise! I held up my end of the bargain…you do the same!”
Nonon tapped her chin thoughtfully, murmuring “Yeah…hmm, let’s see now…those are rigid arpeggios played across a familiar Bach progression—Dm, Gm, Cmaj, Amaj. Okay. I know of some exercises that can probably make that transition easier. That’s some real upper-level stuff. Huh. I still can’t believe you…okay! Fine. I can stop by tomorrow night…music student Ryuko? Maybe, if you impress me enough, I’ll bring you downtown to Nippon Budokan and show you where Deep Purple played, right here in Japan.”
Arms akimbo, Ryuko blew her red streak up and away from her downturned face as she sized up Nonon’s change in attitude. “I’m not lying, you know. I’m, like, a quick study in certain things. Like, the playing was hard and stuff…but a few days ago, something just…I dunno, clicked in my head and it became a whole lot easier. I mean, it helps that I have such impressive strength in these awesome fists of mine, yeah?”
Ryuko tightened and opened her fist in front of Nonon, and her knuckles popped and groaned from the sheer power coursing through iron fingers.
“Uh…yes, hand strength is certainly important to a guitarist. That is true. Good. Yep!” She observed, perhaps a bit more jauntily than she meant. “But I’ll be looking forward to seeing you actually pull off that level of playing. That really is impressive, you know…pretty advanced stuff. There’s some Kiryuin talent in your blood after all, Ryuko.”
She smartly saluted Ryuko with her ever-present conductor’s baton, sighing quietly to herself as she turned to sit down “Ah well, at least it’s not like it’s the fricking Ramones or anything…”
Nonon was physically jerked up abruptly, a growling steel crane hoisting her back up to Ryuko’s level. “What. Did. You. Just. Say…pipsqueak?” rumbled out of Ryuko’s gritted teeth as her chin jutted out in seething rage.
“Ryuko! Release her this instant!” Satsuki snapped, grimacing as she moved to grab Ryuko’s arm, feeling muscles of solid titanium not budging even one millimeter at her efforts.
“Eh, ah…what, th-the R-Ramones? They wrote some -ah- very catchy tunes…! That’s certainly what I meant…wh-what else could I mean…right, Ryuko?” Nonon sputtered as she swung freely from the fearsome Matoi’s incredible grip.
“Do I shit on your Mozart?” Ryuko queried in a somewhat sinister tone. Pink head twitching back and forth in jerky dismissal, Nonon held her breath as Ryuko snarled “…then don’t shit on my Ramones, ‘kay?” and then gently placed Nonon back on terra firma. Ryuko then leaned over and whispered in Nonon’s ear “…or I might have to beat on the brat. With a baseball bat.”
“Ha! Ha-heh-eh…g-good one, kid” the Jakuzure heiress chirped weakly as Satsuki angrily smacked her younger sibling’s arm. “Matoi! Do not threaten my friends with physical harm in my own abode! You should be ashamed!”
Ryuko robotically looked down at the spot that was struck by her sister, then casually looked straight into her elder’s angry blue eyes as she evenly stated “Then don’t allow your friends to constantly denigrate and disrespect me in my own abode. You should be ashamed.”
A tear snuck its way down Ryuko’s cheek, startling Satsuki into gasping. “Ya think I don’t feel these things? These comments about my birth, my upbringing? Contrary to popular belief, I remember every little jab, and actually do comprehend them. I am aware of the duality inherent in the multiple interpretations of my somewhat unfortunate moniker, given to me when I was…oh, yeah fucking abandoned.”
“Yes, I am aware that I wasn’t the best student. I was too busy getting the unholy shit beaten out of me every fucking day for years to really achieve much…why? For having a red streak in my damned hair. For never being able to prove to anyone that I had a f-father that actually c-cared about me. F-for…”
Ryuko shrugged. “I’m pretty numb to it, ya know. By now, I’d have to be, I guess. I just wish I could live here without having to put up with that elitist sniping shit being constantly slung at me, ya know? Oh wait, you were the Elite Four.’ Better that I never forget that little fact…right, guys?”
The noise of a pin dropping would have shattered the utter silence that now permeated the kitchen. Three bodies, frozen in shock…plus one, seething in perfectly concealed anger. Nonon breathing shallowly, unable to even meet Ryuko’s gaze. Inumuta, eyes cast down at the floor in abject shame. Satsuki, fingers tightly clenched to her chin, tears welling up in her cloudy gaze as she fumbled to discover the words to somehow comfort her dear, sweet imouto-chan.
Ryuko broke the silence, letting out a huff that did nothing to hint at the car-fire intensity of her heart’s aching. She stuck her hands deep into her jacket’s pockets, her shoulder deftly avoiding Satsuki’s outstretched hand.
“Just…don’t, Sats. Not right now.” She moved to the kitchen door, then stopped, her black and crimson mop of hair obscuring all but the outline of her jaw. “Nonon, I’ll see you tomorrow…” she grunted hoarsely, hearing only a quietly squeaked ‘Uh-huh…” as a response.
“Hōka, I’ll catch you next week for that fiber sample harvesting. I didn’t forget. I know it’s important. Tuesday okay for you?” Ryuko casually asked. Inumuta offered a business-like response of “Certainly. I’ll make a note of it”, hoping his voice didn’t sound too thick with guilt.
“Right then, I’m out. Satsuki…onee-san…I’ll be back sometime tonight, probably. Don’t worry about me. I just have to…settle down.” Satsuki rushed over as Ryuko started to move down the hall. “Please, Imouto…wait for just one moment, please!” The earnest urgency of the phrase being the only thing to give Ryuko brief pause, she stopped in her tracks, not turning to face her sister in the hallway.
“I’m…not mad at you. Please believe me, sis. I just…it gets to me sometimes and I gotta…go and punch trees or something. Just let me go do my thing and I’ll be back to being your lovable goofball dope of a sister in no time, o-okay?” Her unstoppable street-tough voice cracking at the last moment, it was no longer a perfect act as Satsuki could hear the sobs quietly burbling inside Ryuko’s chest.
“Ryuko…you are not a goofball or a dope. You are the most beautiful thing that ever happened to me. I love you, and I am so very sorry if you are hurting right now. Please, let me find a way—“
Ryuko spun around, putting her palms up defensively as a clear sign to stay away. “Yeah…and you, Kiryuin Satsuki? You are the m-most beautiful thing that ever happened.” Hands trembling, she backed away as Satsuki started weeping, motioning weakly towards her sibling to come closer, to come back, to not run away. “A-and I love you so much it hurts. B-but I have to blow this off right fucking now. Or I m-might do things that no human could ever love.” Droplets splashing against burned streaks in wood, she let out a strangled snort as she pointed at the hallway’s sneaker-inflicted damage. “I’ll f-fix this. I promise.”
Satsuki gasped as she felt the briefest brush of trembling lips, pressing up against hers. Her hands moved to caress Ryuko’s hair, but found naught but empty air. A whisper of “I love you so much, nee-san” whooshed away from her as the Doppler effect swiftly changed its intonation.
A blurred afterimage of Ryuko sped through the mansion’s front door, the huge fortress door’s loud slam creating an echoing boom throughout the hall. She heard a faint cry just then, muted but clear. “I’ll fix this, I swear!”
Satsuki wiped at her tears, letting out a gentle rush of air as she whispered “No, dear. We will fix this. This, I swear.”
-
The Kiryuin heir trudged back into the kitchen, emotionally spent. Head throbbing, she rubbed her temple as her guests moved to assist. Hōka slid a glass of water to Satsuki’s front as Nonon gently eased her into a kitchen chair, then produced two ibuprofen tablets from her pink clamshell purse.
“I am only useful as a warrior.” She bluntly stated to no one in particular. Nonon and Hōka glanced uneasily at one another, the sudden show of Satsuki’s weakness an uncomfortable, alien presence in the room.
Nonon patted her shoulder gently, her arm curled around the tall woman’s neck as she offered her own opinion. “You know that just isn’t true, Satsuki. You are wonderful in everything you do!” Satsuki picked up the ibuprofen pills, swallowed them with a sip of water then turned to look wearily at Nonon.
“I don’t need fucking yes-men right now, Jakuzure. I need help. Honest advice. I cannot foster such an oppressive environment for my sister. She deserves better. She has earned it with her pain, her tears and her blood. I need to be a better…everything for her.”
Nonon winced, stung by the bitter words. “But, I’m not…I truly mean that, Satsuki. For as long as I have known you? I have witnessed you conquer any damned obstacle in your way. You are unbelievably talented, you know? You just need to find out what it is, then master it. It’s what you do.”
Hōka spoke up, inputting his own personal data. “This is true. You have completely conquered so many different things in your life: a multitude of accomplishments that most people couldn’t hope to even aspire to given twice the time. It is your undeniable will, your resolve…this is your path to victory. It always has been!”
Satsuki cradled her head in her upturned hands, staring at an imaginary point many light years away. “I don’t imagine that my resolve will win out, if the battle is an affair of the heart. I have no experience whatsoever in such a domain, and in fact I am convinced that I’m…poisoned against it.”
It was Nonon’s turn to arch a single eyebrow quizzically. Something about Satsuki’s language was…odd. She couldn’t quite perceive it, but there it was, flitting just out of her reach. “Look, Satsuki, your bratty sister will come around. She’s just angry. It’s our fault, really. We just keep needling her about her past, and…well…we are the real assholes here.”
She punctuated her comment by swiftly kicking Inumuta in his shin. “AH! Yes! Thissssonofabitch is true, regrettably. We have been rude and disrespectful towards Matoi. We must learn to accept her and treat her as one of our own.” One of his eyelids twitched involuntarily as he glared silently at the venomous musician. The irritated hacker made a mental note to soon change all of Jakuzure’s online media profile pictures to that of a baboon’s bright red ass, a sparkling pink conductor’s cap jauntily Photoshopped on top.
Satsuki’s weary gaze fell upon his, dark circles under her eyes setting a sinister tone as she murmured “There’s more to it than that…Hōka. You, of all people, should know this.” His pupils’ sudden dilation was the only indicator that her carefully barbed words struck uncomfortably close to home. ‘Oh, I hope they don’t starch the hospital bed’s sheets too much. Ohfuckohfuckohfuck I would hate that’ he frantically thought as Satsuki continued to stare unblinkingly towards his own pale face.
Nonon wrinkled her lips back, squinting at Satsuki, then Hōka and back again. “What’s going on here? Dog, what the fuck did you do? Did you fucking bury your snout where you weren’t welcome again? You shithead!” she spat as her fist drew back, aiming for his pointy nose.
Satsuki’s hand stopped Nonon’s fist from launching, dismissing her friend’s anger with a tired wave. “It’s not his fault. It’s mine. I have acted…rashly. Spurred on in part by information that, while entirely accurate, was nonetheless handled somewhat inappropriately by myself. This situation was caused by my own stupidity, Nonon. I did something without properly considering the ramifications and I…” Satsuki sighed as she raised one weary eyebrow in Hōka’s direction. “You really are too damned good at your job for your own good, Inumuta. You crafty weasel.”
“Th-thank-wait. I have no idea what is going on, now. Someone needs to explain how I was involved in this?” Hōka stumbled over his words; nothing upset him more than being uncertain, with no solid data to dictate his actions. His mind data-crunching at a rapid pace, he still had no conclusive leads as to precisely how this particular puzzle fit together. Something about his data collection…somewhere in there was a clue as to why Satsuki was acting like a…an angst-ridden, love-sick teenager?
‘Oh…shit. It can’t be. Data supports the hypothesis, yet…statistically, the chances were quite low…could it have actually happened?’ Hōka thought to himself as he ventured further into the hazardous jungle, desperate for more data.
“I have been nothing but cooperative with Matoi. Her assistance is crucial to my research work! I assure you, I would not risk offending her…unless I was perhaps pushed into doing so by circumstance. Certainly you understand…?” he groveled, feeling the quicksand slowly reach his zippered neck.
“Assistance…oh, with the aforementioned ’fiber sample harvesting’, you mean? What was that referring to, exactly? I hope that isn’t what it sounds like, Inumuta…” Satsuki intoned sharply, a deadly serious comment that demanded an immediate and accurate response.
Inumuta nervously adjusted his eyeglasses, fidgeting under the baleful glare of two ominously staring (and known to be utterly vicious at times, he reminded himself) young women. “That…is an agreement that was reached between Matoi Ryuko and REVOCS’ own R & D division. We asked, she agreed. I assure you, there is nothing immoral or otherwise deceitful about what we do. She provides minute life fiber samples, and we use them for research. Only research. She is, after all, the only source of active fibers left on this planet. They grow back, and she is well compensated for her time and effort.”
“In fact, she stands to profit quite handsomely from the patent residuals on the technology we are developing from the research she is making possible. Matoi was contractually set up to receive a rather substantial percentage of the profits we--”
Nonon’s foot darted up, stopping within a hair’s breadth of his neck. “How much, you leech?” Hōka grabbed her foot and expertly flung it away, sending her hopping away off-balance while cursing his speed under her breath. “By my projected estimates? Enough. Probably enough to buy out your family’s shipping company via a hostile takeover if she was so inclined…so perhaps you should watch your own self around her, Lady Jakuzure.”
Satsuki turned to Hōka, melancholy making itself plainly clear upon her delicate features. “Why? Why didn’t she ever mention this to us? To me? Care to explain, Hōka?”
He shrugged weakly. “We were under non-disclosure terms as part of the contract…which I just apparently broke, regrettably. She was also quite clear that I was to never personally breathe a word of this to anyone outside the lab. She was very specific. Ryuko, for reasons I can only speculate on, does not want anyone to know that she is already comfortably wealthy…and stands to become exponentially richer in the next few years.”
Troubled blue eyes staring off into space, Satsuki casually shrugged. “Regardless of her reasoning, this has no bearing on what I have done. I must find a way to fix this. But, I have no expertise with this…none! I am incapable of…of…” Tears flowed freely now, indefatigable dictator aura be damned. She was not the ‘Steel Queen’ warrior/general right now, embroiled in a daring gambit to save the planet; she was just a troubled young woman, nursing a hopelessly mangled soul and harboring a sexual deviancy that potentially threatened to destroy her last shred of loving family.
“No, no, Lady Satsuki, please don’t do this…it’s not that bad!” Nonon whined, looking to Hōka for clues, advice, help, hell…anything at this point. She was somewhat chagrined that Hōka was just standing there like a dumb mutt, staring at his tablet like it contained some hint at Satsuki’s salvation.
She whispered angrily “Hōka, what the ever living fuck? Get your nose out of that thing and help me!” Nonon watched as Hōka slowly took off his glasses, a somber expression washing over his face.
He put down his glasses and tablet, tossed aside with uncharacteristic abandon. He stood in front of Satsuki, looking down with a subdued, quiet gaze. Satsuki slowly looked up to meet his glance, and her eyes leaked streams of guilt as Hōka dragged a stool over next to her and gently took one of her limp hands.
Acting with unusual candor, Hōka delicately squeezed her hand as he stated with quiet but certain deliberateness “I…think I may know just what might be going on here. I didn’t see the signs until just now. Satsuki? Please look at me for one moment. I do not wish to upset you, but we need to operate with a full data set if we are to assist you accurately. So please…tell me. When did it happen?”
Nonon reflexively bit her lip, seconds away from punching Doggy’s callous head in when she was startled to hear a sniffled response. “It was…a few weeks ago. It just…happened. We were…talking about some p-personal things and she…I mean, it’s complicated…ah…there was perhaps some drinking involved…one thing led to another and w-we…we had sex.”
Nonon’s coiled fist went from barreling into Hōka’s skull and was redirected straight up to her own gasping maw. “You…did what? N-not with…y-you banged Ryuko?” Hōka’s eyes widened as he fired a laser-beamed look of ‘shutthefuckupyouidiot’ towards Nonon.
Satsuki begrudgingly nodded a brief acknowledgement as her heart palpitated painfully in her ribs. This turn of events was completely blowing Nonon’s pink little mind…but she couldn’t help but notice how fucking serene Hōka was acting in the presence of such volatile and carnal knowledge.
Eyes slitted with anger, she stabbed a sharp index fingernail at Hōka. “You…knew about this?” she accused, voice dripping with acid. His free hand raised up slowly, outwardly turned palm making painful contact with the threatening nail.
“You would do well to realize that you are sidewinding through dangerous waters, little snake. You may try to harm me as you wish later, but please defuse yourself now…for her sake. She needs us more than you need to take your misguided anger out on me. Please?” he pleaded gently, withdrawing his hand to offer much-needed comfort for Satsuki’s crumbling psyche.
Nonon looked down at her childhood friend, who was weeping hysterically at this point. “Oh God, Satsuki! It’s okay! It’ll be okay!” she moaned as she knelt down, soothing the young woman’s sob-racked shoulders. “Oh, fuck, Hōka. Fuck! What are we gonna do? How can we help her?”
He fixed Nonon’s panicking expression with a resolute gaze, stating “We shall administer proper amounts of support, friendship and caring…the rest should be easy.”
-
The tearful hurricane subsided, eventually petering out to a series of intermittent sniffles and deep sighs. Nonon hugged Satsuki from the side, stroking her shoulder as the young Kiryuin coughed self-consciously and shakily rose from her stool. “I apologize for my outburst. Please forgive me.” she stated quietly, vacantly staring in the general direction of her cohorts but avoiding direct eye contact all the same.
“Ah…n-no worries, okay? Sometimes you just have to…let it all out, right?” Nonon smirked wryly, gently squeezing the tall woman’s shoulder. Satsuki shrugged, a barely imperceptible jerk mostly hidden under her blouse. “I haven’t a clue. I’ve never really done that before. I just…did not have the wherewithal to control it this time.”
“What do you mean…you’ve never cried before? Oh, come on…” Nonon’s nasal voice lilted in disbelief as her smile first widened, then wilted as Satsuki’s hard stare confirmed the fact wordlessly.
“I have…wept, at times, when the circumstances were in place. Being punched in the nose induces an involuntary response of tears, of course. I have, on rare occasion, been moved to the verge of a somewhat tearful moment or two when perusing some of the finer works in the Louvre. Rembrandt, in particular, instills within me a certain intimacy…paintings in which the artist surveyed himself without vanity and with the utmost sincerity. Something I aspire to, personally. But…no. I have not ever broken down like this. My…mother…would have whipped me mercilessly for behaving like some…shameful, simpering, weak—FOOL!”
Her fist slammed down angrily onto the counter, rattling the various pots and pans hanging from above. Satsuki grimaced and bared her teeth, fists clenching into marble-knuckled clubs.
Inumuta piped up, consulting his tablet as he spoke. “Biologically speaking, crying does serve a number of valuable purposes. It’s a release. There is a buildup of energy with negative feelings, and it is detrimental to keep such energy contained for extended periods of time. On top of that, crying also may have a biochemical purpose. It's believed to release stress hormones or toxins from the body…”
Nonon calmly placed a hand on Satsuki’s balled fist, looking up into her eyes as she gently urged “But…do you feel better now? Now that you have –ahem- released some of that stress? How’s your head?” Satsuki squinted, searching the little pink viper’s face for evidence of hidden taunting, but only observing placid, earnest concern instead.
“My…head? Well, my stress headache has eased up, I suppose. Some of that is certainly attributable to the pain relievers I took earlier, of course...” Nonon rolled her eyes, and said “Ah, yes, of course…but how do you actually feel? Better…here?” She gently tapped the young Kiryuin’s chest, motioning towards an aching heart.
Satsuki sighed ruefully. “Yes, I will admit to feeling better. Relieved, perhaps? It feels as though a great weight has been removed, if only for a short while. I…appreciate you both taking the time to…assist me in my time of abject stupidity.”
Nonon’s face screwed up into a pouting ball of trembling frustration. She stomped through the kitchen, located an oven mitt and proceeded to march up to Satsuki and gently pop her on the head with it. “Wh-what on Earth was that for, Nonon?” Satsuki asked, perplexed by such a silly gesture.
“Well, it’s not like I can haul back and slug you, Satsuki…even though you deserve it!” the small woman shrieked. She grabbed Satsuki’s arms, jostling her slightly as if to punctuate every statement. “This isn’t stupid! You are not stupid! Stop beating yourself up! I’m sick of hearing this misguided self-deprecation! Stupidity is when you are a complete moron, unable to figure out even the simplest of things! What you are is ignorant! You simply do not possess the knowledge to deal with this particular situation! That’s it! I am ignorant when it comes to quantum physics! Dog over here is ignorant when it comes to basic hygiene! You just happen to be ignorant when it comes to…to—“
Nonon paused here, breathing hard after her tinny outburst while trying to carefully select the proper word to cap off her statement. ‘Family? Love? S-sex? Fuck, what is the aim here…?’ she mulled silently, the pause growing uncomfortably longer with each ticking second.
Satsuki gazed down upon her friend’s troubled expression, mildly shocked at being on the first-ever receiving end of the famous ‘Jakuzure Verbal Barrage, Mk. I (蛇崩口頭弾幕マーク1)’ outburst that had been leveled upon others with frightening accuracy. She placed one hand upon Nonon’s arm, squeezing gently as confirmation of a message, successfully received.
“Jakuzure Nonon. You are correct, of course. Your insight is, as always, precise…and delivered with an appropriate dose of venom. I shall not forget.” Satsuki smirked, letting Nonon know that she withstood the tongue lashing, temper intact. “I am truly ignorant in the ways of…love. I have never had a comfortable time with such sentiments, as I’m sure you know.”
Nonon frowned. “Yeah, I do. I always had a vague idea that your home was not exactly the best place to be, but I wish there was more I could have done for you…stuck in that house with that fucking…creature from hell…!”
Satsuki inspected her fingernails over and over, searching absently for distraction in their glossy reflection. “It is in the past, now…and I believe you are sorely underestimating the effect your presence had in my life, dear friend. Your companionship was…most welcome, even if I did not properly acknowledge it.”
Pinkish eyes excitedly darted about the floor, as if they were searching for an imaginary precious jewel. Nonon rocked back and forth on her heels as she soaked up the praise; subtle though it may be, it still warmed her oversized ego.
She slowly stretched her lithe arms behind her, using the conductor baton as an impromptu brace. “Soooo, as your friend, I have to ask…what are you going to do now? I mean…what do you want to do about…y’know. Ryuko and…stuff? I mean, do you really want…ah, is she…does she make you…happy?”
Satsuki’s countenance softened, strained features surrendering to a wistful expression as a halo of calm settled over her. She settled back upon the kitchen stool, mired deep in thought. “What do I…want? Ah. I want…Ryuko to be happy. I want to be happy. I desire…true freedom. I don’t wish to be the ‘Steel Queen’ anymore. That woman’s usefulness is at an end, I fear. Her lifelong mission is over, and she is woefully obsolete in this new age we have ourselves crafted. Regrettably, she cannot cope with this…she does not possess the proper expertise o-or the resolve to…”
The young brunette shivered just then, and both Hōka and Nonon were left with chills as well at the surreal, alien sight of Lady Kiryuin Satsuki’s slowly upturned face…tears slowly leaving wide-open orbs of naked, paralytic fear.
Hands outstretched uselessly in her lap, Satsuki breathlessly quavered “Sh-she’s…so scared. So very scared. Of h-hurting everyone she loves. Hurting is what she knows how to do…it’s all she knows, in fact. She trained herself so very hard, so very well, to be brutally efficient at the act of hurting. Her life’s mission, ambition, obsession…was to hurt. Command. Terrorize. Bully. Dictate. Control. Kill. How is she supposed to know how to…nurture? Care? L-love? Who in their right mind would ever trust her with such precious things?”
“I would.”
Hōka’s words resonated in the room, Satsuki’s eyes widening a fraction more at the earnest nature of such a comment. “I have taken her measure quite carefully, and determined her to be a good person, a decent human being, and a selfless hero. And before anyone objects…no, I do not use that word lightly.” Hands clasped behind him, Hōka squared his shoulders and fixed the frightened Kiryuin with a resolute stare.
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process she does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.” Hōka crouched down and gently took both her hands into his own, squeezing limp fingers to emphasize the profoundness of his speech. “You, Kiryuin Satsuki, have unflinchingly stared into an abyss that would undoubtedly shatter most beings…and have emerged triumphant. Not unscathed, true…but not a monster, either. Of this fact, I am quite certain. I have staked my very life on it.”
Green eyes squinting, he veered straight between a rock and a whirlpool, course purposefully set. “Have you done evil acts? Yes, unquestioningly. Are you evil, though? Your personal sacrifices speak for themselves…there is nothing you have not willingly suffered or endured for the greater good. You have purposely chosen to experience unimaginable punishments so that we all have a chance to live…hell, for us to have life itself as an option at all!”
“You are not ‘weak’. Relying on others is not weakness. It is the very essence of the human condition! ‘No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main’. This ideal of ‘weakness’ that permeates your view is evidence of the poison that Ragyo willingly planted within you; to break you away from the ‘main’ that is the human race.”
Hōka’s voice grew in urgency. “Satsuki, weakness was purged from you long ago. No, you are strong, and growing stronger still. You just need to learn to accept help from others….others that truly care about you and respect you. This is the only part of your life where you will find that you are truly ignorant…that there are so many of us to rely on, yes? And if you choose not to take advantage of these resources, made so willingly available to you? Then you will truly be...stupid.”
Inumuta’s head swiveled casually towards Nonon, slyly murmuring out of the corner of his mouth “Bury me with my tablet. This is my final request.”
Nonon let the tiniest of snorts issue from her nose, then swiftly punched his shoulder as she gleefully blurted “Pfft, oh please, Doggy. It’ll be nothing but melted ashes and slag…why bother, idiot? Also, when did you get so fucking poetic? Don’t tell me you stick your snout in an actual dead-tree book once in a while?”
Hōka sniffed dismissively. “All the world’s masterpieces are available digitally, if you know where to look.”
Satsuki quietly swallowed and cleared her throat, a beaming smile of gratitude cutting luminously through dark storm clouds. “Hōka, thank you so much for your kind words of wisdom. I…I don’t know what to say. Truly, you possess a unique capacity for delving into the heart of any problem and laying out a sensible solution. I am truly honored to have you as a friend.”
He shrugged modestly, deftly producing a handkerchief to allow Satsuki to wipe away her own tears. “A simple formula, really. Dogs are, after all, quite loyal. You, Kiryuin Satsuki, have been most kind and merciful towards my own self. I intend to repay your mercy a thousand-fold, if I am but presented with the opportunity to do so.”
She dabbed away the last traces of moisture clinging to her patrician features. “I know now what I must do. I need to find a way to smooth things over properly with Ryuko if this love will last the test of time. Nonon, will you assist me with formulating a plan for accomplishing this? I would greatly appreciate some female insight into my…predicament.”
Nonon shrugged, her hands nervously smoothing over her ruffled pink-hued skirt. “I-if it would make you..happy, I guess I don’t really see a problem? Well, maybe I do. I mean, it is a bit weird though, you know? Lusting after your own sister…I don’t know if she’s where you should look for love like that?” She glanced over to Inumuta, slyly maneuvering for backup with what could be perceived as somewhat…jealous eyes. “Surely you agree…don’t you, Doggy?”
Inumuta uttered a stern “Hmmf.” He stalked over and stopped before Nonon, standing at full attention as he regarded the tiny musician with a critical eye.
“Here. Please allow me provide a brief glimpse into my own personal background for you to ponder, Lady Jakuzure. I associate with friends that desire to dress up as cartoon animals when they screw. I happen to have colleagues that were once born as male and are now most decidedly female. I work with close associates that yearn to be whipped into intense paroxysms of pain as they make love. You think a trifling detail such as this would somehow offend me?”
Inumuta Hōka lowered his zippered collar with a lightning-quick whiff as he nailed Nonon to the spot with carefully designed words. “I have this friend, you see. She is attempting to heal from terrible injustices that were perpetrated upon her by cruel fate. If she were to possibly find solace in the arms of another wounded soul, kin to her own? If she were to somehow begin the long healing process from this lifetime of unfathomable sacrifices by making love and finding love in her sibling’s arms? A sibling connection that no official law or document trail even acknowledges?”
Hōka leaned in close, deliberately pointing his snout at Nonon’s incredulous expression. “I would be the first to raise a champagne flute to toast the triumph of that love over the hate that waited for us on the other side of Ragyo’s blades.”
Inumuta silently cleaned his eyewear, smartly placing it upon his nose as he waited in tense anticipation of the short girl’s vitriolic (and quite possibly violent) rebuke. He was, however, somewhat unprepared to witness Nonon’s unexpectedly calm surrender instead.
“You’re…right for once, Hōka. The rules don’t apply here. N-not to those that have spent their lives defeating alien parasites and losing damned near their entire family…just to give everyone else the chance to love theirs instead.”
She turned to Satsuki, eyes brimming with watery regret. “Satsuki, I’m so sorry. Please allow me to apologize. I…I need to help you, any way I possibly can. We all need to balance the scales, and I’ll do anything I can to even them out for you. Okay?”
Nonon extended a hand out to her childhood friend, and Satsuki accepted it gratefully. “I, too, apologize. I did not expect this turn of events…but I can no longer deny my true heart’s desire. I do love her so, Nonon.”
Nonon smiled weakly, a sad, wistful expression ghosting over her face. “I gotta warn you, though. Love’s a real bitch, you know? It sneaks up on you, and tricks you, and stabs you, and doesn’t play fair.”
Satsuki let out a quiet laugh. “I am learning that this is quite true. It is an intimidating thing to grapple with…and yet, it feels right. To label it for what it is.”
Absentmindedly embracing herself as she idly looked away, Nonon shrugged and offered her wisdom to Satsuki. “Well…take my word for it. Love isn’t something you can ever conquer or defeat. You just have to…deal with it as it comes. Okay?”
The young brunette nodded slowly, stating plainly “I…have a lot to learn. Thank you for being on my side. I am truly indebted to you, once again.” Satsuki bowed low, her ramrod posture yielding to a giddy swell of hope.
Bolstered by the influx of loving support, the young Kiryuin found herself cheerily sporting a Cheshire grin that simply would not cease. She realized just then that she did not care one iota about what kind of message that it may send, it just felt so damned liberating to wear her heart on her sleeve for once.
The pink haired girl, cheeks now tinged with pink as well, smiled wanly. “We are all indebted to you way more, Lady Satsuki. None of us would be here right now without you. It’s not fair, what you’ve had to deal with. It’s just all so fucked up. You may have been robbed of your childhood, but hey…maybe we can arrange an awesome love life to make up for it, yeah?”
Nonon silently decided that she would be having a good, hearty cry amongst her mountain of stuffed animals later that night to mourn her own quietly breaking heart…but for now, tending to Satsuki’s was far more important. Sacrifice was an important part of love, regardless of the sting it delivered to your soul…she recognized this much, at least.
Satsuki clapped her hands together, excitement peeking out through her steadfast demeanor. “I certainly hope this comes to pass! I will admit, I never once thought I would seek counsel from my very own Elite Four for something as innocuous as dating advice! But it is painfully obvious to me that I am an unskilled No-Star in this particular arena.”
Nonon cracked her knuckles, pushing her own feelings aside to tend to the present situation. “Well then, Satsuki…prepare to get your ass well and truly kicked! As a lowly white belt, you’ll need to brush up on how other chicks think if you hope to survive Matoi Ryuko’s field of emotional landmines! Inumuta! Prepare the tea…we have work to do!”
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