Hungry Like the Wolf ----- Natsuki was bored. Natsuki was very bored. She had no mission now that First District was gone, which meant she had nothing to occupy her time. She’d become friends with the others during their little adventure, at least loosely, but they were hardly suitable replacements. Never the less, her boredom forced her into their social circle. She didn’t complain much. They weren’t all that bad – just different and still somewhat foreign. She didn’t bond to people easily. She tagged along on various outings to keep herself occupied after school. She went to the movies with Mai, Reito, Tate and Mikoto. Mai had said they were going to a recently released action film, but to the horror of both the men and Natsuki, it turned out to be the most torturous form of 'entertainment' known to mankind. As they entered a theater marked with a poster that did not correlate with the action film, Natsuki shot Mai a glare, realizing the mistake she made allowing the redhead to buy tickets. "Tokiha, you manipulative witch," Natsuki hissed. Mai patted her on the shoulder in what was meant to be a comforting manner. "Don't overreact, now. This will actually be good for you, Natsuki. You've already mastered how to blow up things and shoot a gun. You can't learn anything more from those action movies. It's time you learn about the better aspects of life." Like hell she couldn't learn anything from action movies. Just the other week she'd learned how to stab someone in the eye with a makeshift knife created by binding a paper clip to a handle of candle wax. There were plenty of wonderful things an action movie could teach someone. This... this was not good at all! "I'm going home." Reito held up a hand and gave her that sickening gentle smile he gave most people of the female persuasion. "Now, now, Natsuki, perhaps Mai is right. It may be uninteresting, but the emotional impact of such films can leave you enlightened concerning your real world relationships. Mikoto could especially benefit watching human interaction on such levels." The only half-way domesticated woman paused at her brother's statement. "What?" "Ah, I mean, you can learn about how most people act around one another," Reito explained. "That way you know how to react to certain things." Mikoto seemed to nod sagely, but Natsuki would have none of it. She gritted her teeth and practically hissed out a response, not falling for what superficial charm Reito had. "I've lived out my life quite contently without having to watch this melodramatic crap. The real world isn't like these movies at all. These are all sapped up for romantic fools, and I... am going home. That or I'm going to go buy a ticket for a real movie." Tate seemed to concur, hands in his pockets, a look of imminent doom on his face. "I'm with Kuga." Mai... did not agree. Before either knew it, Natsuki and Tate were shoved into the theater, almost wailing at the fact that they would have to endure the entire length of a horrendous chick flick, of all things. Mai slammed herself down in a chair in the middle of the center isle, and seemed to almost guilt the others into following her. Mikoto followed along willingly, like a cub following its mother. Reito was next, sitting alongside his sister, Mikoto quite pleased to sit in between her mother and father figures. Tate, begrudgingly, sat on Mai's other side, leaving Natsuki to find a seat. She selected the one on the far side of Tate, never caring much for Reito. She look was as sullen as Tate's as she sat down, immediately crossing her arms and fixing her gaze on the floor. During the course of the film, she'd entertained herself by mentally making fun of the characters and their situations (she had begun with verbally pointing her thoughts out, but was hushed by Mai and the girly girl who'd eventually taken a seat on Natsuki's left). Honestly, what kind of idiots did the writers take the audience for? It was so overly dramatic and drawn out that she nearly gagged as she watched it. Mai watched movie after movie of these endless cat and mouse type chases. The film's plot began, as most chick flick plots did, with a delightfully ignorant and air headed woman who was torn between a dashing clod and her dear friend who so clearly loved her but had not the courage to say so. What kind of moron would be so dimwitted as to miss something so terribly obviou-- Huh. Natsuki blinked. No, no, that was entirely different. Entirely and completely. Shizuru was... well, Shizuru was a girl! The indications would have been almost impossible to detect. Now if Shizuru were a man, that would be different. Men and women, were, as another chick flick had so honestly pointed out, unable to be simply friends without any kind of impure thoughts. Natsuki happened to believe that. Natsuki was then, also, horrified by the thought process that followed 'if Shizuru were a man.' A waif boy with ash brown hair in a skirt, drinking tea. Oh, good god. Bad. Bad thoughts! She put a hand to her forehead and focused on the ground until the mental image was gone. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the idiot girl jumped into the arms of her man friend, and they made sweet, sweet love, signaling the end of her torment. She and Tate both sprang from their seats and headed out into the hall, the rest of them catching up after a few moments. Mikoto shook her head. "That was... how people act around each other?" "Don't listen to that girly crap, Mikoto," Tate warned. "They're just trying to turn you into a sap." "They want to turn me into tree juice?" Mikoto asked, mouth wide open. Tate paused and shook his head. "N-no, that's not what I--" "Leave her alone, she's learning wonderful things. Mikoto, pay no attention to this unemotional fool," Mai taunted, Tate shooting her a look. The redhead approached a pained Natsuki and gave her a sickeningly sweet smile. Natsuki wanted to punch it off. "Did you learn anything of value, my little social corpse?" Of course, Mai did not know that Shizuru had any feelings for Natsuki, nor was she aware of what the former woman had done during the Carnival that made their friendship so complicated. Only Haruka and Yukino knew that, and they had not said a word to anyone, perhaps fearing some violent reaction on Shizuru's part after what she had done to Yukino's child. It was refreshing that a rumor would not spread around school, but still... it was odd for Haruka not to go around shouting it to the world. The biker was not going to egg her on, that was for certain. Natsuki's love life was no one's business, and the last thing she needed was romantic fools like Mai trying to impart any wisdom to help her along with something that Natsuki did not want to deal with. She grimaced and looked away. "I hate you, Tokiha. You stole two hours of my life." "Yes, two precious hours that you would have wasted on video games," Mai countered. "A tragic loss." Natsuki was on her bike and back to her apartment in ten minutes. She declined a dinner invitation. No more of that crap. She did get a mild sense of satisfaction at seeing Tate trapped with his girlfriend, who seemed content on talking all about the movie. At least she had that. The biker nestled her vehicle away in its usual safe place and headed back up to her home, tossing her helmet on the couch and leaving her coat on a nearby chair, too lazy to properly pick anything up. She plopped down on the floor and switched on her television, not even really watching it. She crossed her arms, staring at the guide channel, of all things, as the introvert found herself lost in thought once again. The movie... was not a reflection of real life at all. - - - It was their last day in Moscow. The trip had been marvelous, actually, and Shizuru felt that it had done her a world of good. It was a bit moving, in all honesty, to be so close to a part of her family that she had never truly had the chance to see before. She had no memory of her mother at all, and seeing her kin gave her mild insight as to what she herself had been like. The Dragunov family members were all quite light hearted. They were perverse. They were silly. They were, above all else, a stark contrast to the harsh and emotionless Fujino family of Kyoto. Her father's family had given her manners and taught her proper etiquette. They had also, however, attempted to make Shizuru into something she was not. She was graceful, but she did not ever want to be a part of their jaded social circle. They were full of themselves. That was why Shizuru had always hated her father's family. Her father was the odd one in that bunch, actually. Fujino Shin had been a fairly upbeat and doting individual, at least in comparison to his relatives. He chose to love Milena Dragunova, despite her background and despite his family absolutely loathing her for her imperfect manners. Their relationship was tragically cut short by Shizuru's birth. Milena did not survive labor, and her father became a broken man. He drank heavily, and Shizuru spent quite a bit of time around his parents rather than him. But when he did care for her... he always made sure that he sobered up and looking like a proper happy father. She believed the facade until his death several years ago. It was only after that she realized what pain he'd gone through; all of which he'd gone through alone. His family, still bitter about his choice in wives and wanting nothing to do with that half breed daughter of his, virtually ignored him. Shizuru's eyes were glued to photographs on the wall of the Dragunov home. Milena, Mikhail and Tanya as children, playing in the snow. Mikhail getting tossed into a pool by her aunt. Her mother, then a teenager, smiling into the camera, staring back at Shizuru with a pair of identical eyes. She found herself fixed on them for several long moments, pondering silently just what kind of person she had been. Tanya seldom spoke of her, actually, and Shizuru had always been too afraid to ask. She feared that the memories were painful for Tanya, and she feared... well, the unknown in general. "After I took that photo, she turned around and dumped the ice in her drink down Tanya's shirt." Grandmother Nadia appeared behind her as if from nowhere. Shizuru only tensed slightly, not one to really jump at such things. She slowly turned around, staring back at the elder woman. "That was taken on Women's Day, I believe. She was probably seventeen at the time. Tanya was about thirteen." "They fought quite a bit, then?" Shizuru asked. Her grandmother shrugged. "No more than most sisters. They were quite close, actually; so close that Tanya even followed Milena to Japan. Bickering is a form of love... as you can certainly see between your grandfather and I." "Don't worry, I've noticed," Shizuru replied with a small laugh. She was finally feeling a bit comfortable with the Russian language. Her face became neutral again, then, her usual enigmatic expression taking over as she pushed forward. "I've wondered for a long time whether I was anything like her. I never acted much like the rest of my father's family. Things feel more proper around this side, however, so perhaps my curiosity has gotten the better of me." Nadia paused for a moment, as if sizing Shizuru up. It was an unfair question, really. Nadia knew very little about her to judge what her personality was like, especially when she was around new people in a foreign land. "I think you are, yes. You seem to exhibit much of your father's upbringing, since it's what you know, but I see much of her in you – not just in appearance, but in various parts of body language and behavior. Small things that only a trained and familiar eye could detect. Your smile and the way you walk, for example. That's all her." "I see." Nadia felt that her explanation was too shallow. Shizuru had obviously been leaning to a different kind of question. "Milena was the kind of person who could make anyone laugh and feel at ease. She was always joking around, usually with some lighthearted sarcastic remarks I failed to reprimand her about because I found them amusing. She was usually quite passive unless it came to someone she cared about. She guarded the people she was close to with a fierce sense of loyalty and devotion. She was sent to detention once when she was ten for beating up a younger student who'd been bullying Mikhail, for example. Otherwise, she was... very private, but very intelligent. She was one of the top students in her class." Perhaps that was where Shizuru had got it, then – that fanatical sense of loyalty that kept her bound to only a select few. A select one. "She and Tanya loved to go hiking and camping during the warmer months of the year," Nadia continued. "They were both the adventurous type. Something that runs in the family, I guess. She also read quite a bit, and I have some of her books on the shelf if you'd like them, although they're in Cyrillic. Come to think of it, I'm sure I have a collection of photographs you can have. It would be a shame for you to return to Japan with nothing of hers." "If they're precious to you, then you should keep them," Shizuru replied in her generally polite tone of voice. She really did want them, but it was rude to impose. Nadia waved a hand. "Please, this is the digital age. I'm old, but not so old I don't know how to go to go make copies." The woman disappeared into her bedroom for a few minutes before returning with an old box that looked to be from the 1940's or before, given it's decoration and craftsmanship. Nadia opened it up, and took out a batch of photos. They were all focused on Milena, siblings sometimes included, no doubt a collection that Nadia had made after her daughter's passing. Nadia flipped through each one, giving Shizuru a narration. Milena's baby photographs, her first day at school, camping when she had been about seven, the siblings in the crowd at a hockey game, class photos, graduation photos... pictures of the wedding between Milena and Shin, and even one of a glowing and pregnant Milena, just before Shizuru killed h-- just before she died. She held her gaze on that last photo longest of all. Nadia then shoved the box into Shizuru's hands after putting the pictures back inside, attempting to change subjects before Shizuru could think of crying. "They're yours now, darling. Though, those graduation pictures reminded me of something. You're of university age. What do you intend to major in?" She hadn't really thought of it. "I'm not sure. I... well, I'm good at talking with people and as the president of my student body, I was actually asked by the headmaster to negotiate several business deals. So, business negotiation, I suppose. There's an industrial boom in Japan now, especially in the military now that America has lifted our restrictions, so perhaps I could land a job with one of the heavy industry companies involved with that. I don't know." Nadia tapped Shizuru on the nose. "You will transfer to Moscow State and then go on to work for Sukhoi, if that's your line of thinking!" The Russian aviation company. Of course the ex-Night Witch pilot would have thought of something like that. Russia was finally getting out of an economic slump, fortunately for them, in part due to their sale of advanced equipment to South Korea and Japan in response to the Second Korean War. It was a dangerous time, but also a profitable one for many countries. Death and money often went hand in hand. Sukhoi was out of the question, however. Her Kyoto-ben charms didn't carry over effectively in Russian, despite her grandfather pointing out her 'nifty little accent.' "Ara, I don't know enough Russian for that," Shizuru replied after finding the words to do so. "Who needs words? All you need for negotiations is a nice bottle of vodka and the papers for them to sign after they get properly hammered," Nadia said. "That's how I always got what I wanted from the Red Army." Shizuru found herself lightly chuckling after a moment. Yes, this family, via Tanya, was where she certainly got most of her happy-go-lucky behavior from. The previously mentioned aunt walked by them, heading from a back room towards the living area. "Mother, stop trying to teach her naughty things. She's lewd enough as it is." "Ara!" "Don't 'ara' me, missy. My predictions were entirely correct when it came to trying to show you landmarks. I take you to Red Square, and you fix your gaze on the nearest miniskirt. I take you to the Kremlin and you stare like a lovesick fool at anything with breasts. Then you just go start talking to some girl while I was showing you the Bolshoi. 'Ballerinas are limber!' you reasoned. Not lewd at all." They were all vicious lies (except for maybe that last one)! How dare Tanya say something like that in front of her grandmother of all people? Then again, Nadia just seemed to be laughing at the minor scuffle between the niece and aunt. Okay, open minded, then. That was good, if still a bit disturbing. Shizuru sighed and seemingly gave up, Tanya walking away to continue packing up some of her things for the trip back to Fuuka. Shizuru looked to her own bag. Perhaps it was time for her to get started on that as well. They were catching a flight in time to make it back to Fuuka by evening. After that, Tanya still had a long drive to Kyoto. Kyoto. Shizuru would no doubt be going back there soon as well. School and all. She was doing her first semester courses online, to put off moving back for as long as possible. Dorms were full anyway. "Not lewd at all. A simple statement backed up by fact," Shizuru countered. "I'm sure you test your theories out as often as possible, don't you?" Tanya gave her a smirk as she packed her back. No, not really. Shizuru was a shameless flirt, but wasn't much of an actual player. Shizuru headed back to gather her own things, box of photographs in hand. "Ara, that's not for you to know." - - - It was always some god awful rap or hip hop song from the west. She watched Nao's body contort and twist in time with the music, but Natsuki was not foolhardy enough to go out on the dance floor herself. She looked stupid when she tried to dance, and had no desire to show that to the public. Nao had, somewhat surprisingly, invited her to a party hosted by some of her delinquent friends. They were the rotted sort: druggies, outlaws and degenerates. That was okay, it wasn't as if Natsuki hadn't spent time around that scene. The biker had been mildly surprised by the invitation. Perhaps it was Nao's way of paying her back for saving her life. She sat at the bar, abstaining from drinks, as she was driving home, and watched the rest of them jump around like mad. Still hung up on her freak epiphany that day, Natsuki leaned back and scientifically began to debate whether she found herself more amused by the men or the women. She did have a sex drive, buried somewhere under the anger and the grumpiness, or so she assumed. Nothing like your best friend falling in love with you to spark a debate over your own sexuality. It wasn't really getting her anywhere. With a sigh, she gave up and went back to ignoring it. Being fiercely opposed to relationships was far easier. Asexuality was simple. She and Nao eventually retreated to the roof with a cooler. She sufficiently forgot all about her troubles by hurling water balloons down on innocent people and passing vehicles. "Feeling like a delinquent today, are we?" Nao inquired as she dropped another over the side. "I have nothing better to do," Natsuki said. She took a look at the cooler. "Six left. Take three. We'll see who has the better accuracy. Moving cars only." Nao was never one to back down from a challenge. Especially not from Natsuki. The redhead picked up on and then chose a target: an incoming van. She hurled the balloon over the side and it impacted with the truck's windshield. She pumped a fist into the air to celebrate her perfect shot. "Beat that, Kuga." "Full of yourself already," she commented. Natsuki tossed a balloon at a passing economy car and hit the hood with little difficulty. Yes. Delinquency was a nice way to pass the time and do away with some of her endless boredom. School and homework only took someone so far. Not that she wasted much time on homework, despite her vow to make up for lost scholastic time. Homework was still so damn boring. Nao fired again. She hit. Natsuki threw her second balloon and hit as well, car breaks screeching to accompany the balloon smacking into the windshield. It was now down to their final toss. They both glared at each other as they waited for more vehicles to pass. Beneath it all, the two were still rivals. They knew full well that neither would let the other live it down should they miss. Tension filled the silent air as the next car approached from down the street. It was Nao's turn. She got herself in the proper throwing position and waited for that perfect moment. She threw... ...but the balloon landed on the street next to the car. She's misjudged the speed, dammit! She turned to Natsuki, who held a satisfied smirk on her face. "K-Kuga, don't get cocky, now. You still have to throw. You'll miss. Then we'll be tied." "I'll miss, will I?" Natsuki echoed, the smirk never leaving her face. A truck started roaring towards them, not obeying the speed limit, and Nao smiled. She would never be able to hit that. Natsuki, however, darted her eyes to the vehicle and to the ground, estimating the speed and the perfect time to throw. She tensed her arm up. Any second... now! She hurled the balloon and to her joy and Nao's dismay, it connected with the roof of the truck and splattered. It screeched to a halt and the driver stepped out, Natsuki and Nao ducking down to avoid detection. They snuck back to the entrance to the roof and descended back down the stair, Nao snickering a bit. "What are you laughing about, Yuuki? I won. You lost. Act a bit pissed off for my sake." "Like I want to give you the satisfaction of seeing me bitter and upset over such a petty game," Nao countered. Okay, she felt pissed, but again, she wasn't going to give Kuga the pleasure of seeing that. She continued down the stairs, music from below shaking the stairway with bass. "I'll find a way to get my vengeance, don't you worry." Natsuki checked her watch. One in the morning. "Yeah, well, another day. School tomorrow. I don't want to sleep through homeroom again." "What a good little girl you've turned into," Nao taunted. "Will you be running errands for the teacher next? Perhaps you'll try to run against Yukino in the race for the student president. Kuga the kaichou-sama. I can see it now." The biker cringed as they headed through the mass of dancing fools still writhing to that awful music. Kaichou? God, no. She'd seen the stuff Shizuru had to put up with, not counting the irritating jobs she passed to Haruka. It was something else that only Natsuki really knew about Shizuru. Kaichou hated being kaichou. Shizuru never lamented about the task willingly. It was only after Natsuki had prodded and pried that the other girl had admitted to her lack of enjoyment. She wasn't exactly a source of school spirit. She just did what she had to do. Why she even wanted to be kaichou was beyond Natsuki's reasoning. She'd been a class representative once before, but only because her teacher forced her to. Then again, Shizuru was the kind of girl who didn't move herself to a leadership position unless she felt everyone else was incompetent. Perhaps she just saw Haruka unfit for command. Dammit, she was thinking about her again already, wasn't she? Natsuki sighed as she and Nao exited onto the street, the other woman apparently escorting her to her bike. It was parked down the street. Nao had her hands in her pockets as they walked silently, the brawler looking off to a stand of comics and periodicals. She stared at the titles for a moment before continuing to walk. Natsuki didn't let it go unnoticed. "Aren't you a little old for superheroes?" "I never said I liked to read about superheroes." Nao smirked. "I like to read about super villains, obviously." Natsuki should have expected it. She tossed a glance back to the stand as they continued along to the parking garage. "Okay, I may have a few old issues of Batman lying around. From my childhood, of course." "You're a DC whore, then. Pitiful," Nao commented as they entered the garage. Natsuki fastened her helmet to her head and huffed. "Marvel, then? Whatever floats your boat." She climbed onto her bike and started it up. "I'll see you at school." Nao smiled. "At school? Really? You mean you'll actually show up for once." "My attendance record is perfect so far, thank you," Natsuki commented. Then she paused, making a realization. "Well, I'll be gone for lunch, but will certainly be back before class. Don't narc on me or anything like that." "Too good for cafeteria food, are you?" She was leaning on the side of the bike, and seemed quite content on staying there. Shizuru was back from Moscow by then. Perhaps she'd been back by this evening, but Natsuki didn't want to crash into her apartment while the girl was unpacking or sleeping. "I have to pay a visit to someone. Shizuru's been on holiday for the last two weeks, and so I want to say hello." Nao nodded, but said nothing. She still hadn't really forgiven or forgotten what Shizuru had done. That would take quite a bit of time. Every time she saw or thought about Shizuru, she was just reminded of that empty, zombie like feeling that had taken over her body, and the mental image of her already crippled and comatose mother perishing alone in a cold hospital room. She would have, with any other person, said malicious things about the woman right then and there. She knew better with Natsuki. The biker's sick devotion to that monster of a woman was something she couldn't understand, but she also knew full well that Natsuki would have verbally, or perhaps even physically, assaulted her for any insults. She sighed. "Well, Kuga, I'll call you next time I feel like committing acts of vandalism." "You do that. Now get off my bike." Natsuki smirked under her helmet and backed up after Nao took a step back. Well, it hadn't been all bad. Aside from the music and some of Nao's friends, she had a mildly amusing night out. Perhaps that was just proof that she was indeed capable of having more than one companion in life. Nao, much like Mai, was not horrible to hang out with. That, in itself, was a refreshing notion. - - - As promised, Natsuki vanished during her lunch break. The class before was let out early, too, giving her extra time. The drive over was not long, and within a few minutes of speeding, she parked her bike outside Shizuru's apartment complex, heading up after confirming that the woman was indeed home. She knocked on the door once, and Shizuru opened it a moment later. Natsuki's breath was held somewhat, surprised how nice it was to see Shizuru's face after so long. She braced herself for a hug, but it, surprisingly, never came. Shizuru simply smiled and stepped to the side, allowing Natsuki to enter without incident. "Hey, Shizuru," Natsuki began in a most trite manner. "How was your trip?" Shizuru began walking back towards the couch in her apartment, bags still open on her bed, the woman obviously still in the process of unpacking. She took a seat on the couch and motioned for Natsuki to follow. "My trip was wonderful. Tanya and I had a nice time. It was very... enlightening." Natsuki nodded. Shizuru had never really dealt much with the other side of her family before. Tanya was all she had, so to finally see all those relatives and to learn about where she came from, it must have been overwhelming. Natsuki crashed down on the couch next to Shizuru, devoid of all forms of grace, and rested her arm on the back of the piece of furniture, draped behind Shizuru's head. "What were they like?" "Ara, you heard by grandparents on the phone, did you not?" Shizuru replied. "They were all like that. They were the bickering sort, but in a friendly way. Lots of joking, taunting, and... lots of vodka." "So that's where you get it." The biker found herself smiling a bit. Shizuru smirked. "Get what?" "Your incorrigible behavior. You know what I'm talking about. That incessant need to verbally torment innocent, easily embarrassed individuals." She tossed her eyes to Shizuru's cupboards behind them. "That and your ability to hold insane amounts of alcohol." "Ara, you only say that because you're a lightweight," Shizuru chuckled. "It's cute. It's like a twelve year old is trying to out drink adults but passing out after the second shot." "Shizuru!" Natsuki warned, the tone of voice trailing off, baiting the other girl to continue, only to be punished. She was sensitive about that. The Kyoto woman smiled that genuine smile she only showed for Natsuki. "Shouldn't you be in school, little girl?" "Shouldn't you know when our lunch break is, former kaichou-sama?" Natsuki replied in a similar tone of voice. Upon seeing the expression change on Shizuru's face after the elder girl realized her error, Natsuki inwardly cheered. She, unlike her friend, was not so merciless as to keep harping on it. Instead, she changed the subject to something slightly more serious. "So, did you get to see anything of interest at your grandparents' house? Who all was there?" "My uncle Mikhail and his two sons visited, along with a few other cousins now and again," Shizuru explained. "They were all quite nice, if a bit mischievous. My grandmother sent a collection of photographs home. They're of my mother, with my father and Tanya in a few of them. I think Mikhail was also in a few." Natsuki had only ever seen one picture of Milena Dragunova, and it had belonged to Tanya. It hung in one of the hallways, and Natsuki had never really gotten over how similar the two looked, despite Shizuru's slightly more petite Japanese traits. She'd always been a bit curious about the woman. Neither Shizuru nor Tanya spoke of her much. She hesitated for a moment, not sure if it was polite to ask, but steeled herself. "Can I see them?" Shizuru blinked at the inquiry, not expecting Natsuki to be so straightforward. "Yes, you may, but not right now. There's not much time left of your break. Although that reminds me that Tanya and I bought you something in Moscow. I'll give you that and let you look at the pictures after school. Why don't you come over after school?" Wait, wait, wait. "You bought me something? Shizuru, you know you don't have to go out of your way to get me any-" The Kyoto woman held up her hand. "Ara, did you think I was going to return from a foreign country and not bring back anything for my Natsuki? Besides, I said Tanya and I bought it. It's not like I lost an arm to retrieve it. Though I would gladly make that sacrifice if you requested it." "Idiot," Natsuki countered gruffly. "With an attitude like that, I just might have to keep the gift for myself. What an ungrateful girl," Shizuru responded, pointing an accusatory finger at her companion. Then, in her typical fashion of topic changing, she thought of something else. "Ara, have you eaten lunch yet?" "I was going to drive through somewhere." A drawn out stare. She knew what that particular gaze meant. She sighed. "And get a salad." The stare persisted. "With no mayonnaise." Shizuru smiled wide. "That sounds absolutely perfect, Natsuki. I would cook you something myself, but it would take too much time to prepare. Perhaps I should start making you lunch boxes?" Natsuki faced a horrid mental image of heart shaped food and love notes. Not to mention that Shizuru was not that great a cook. It would be bad. Very bad. "No, Shizuru. I'm quite capable of finding my own food." She stood up from the couch, as did the other woman, and headed towards the door. She was right. Her lunch break didn't last too terribly long. Shizuru was fortunate to have online classes. Grabbing for her helmet, she soon paused and turned back around. Shizuru gave her a slightly confused glance at Natsuki's prolonged stare, the biker mentally debating whether or not to do or say something. "Ara, I know I'm pretty, but stop staring, it makes me nervous." "Fool," Natsuki grumbled. Without warning, their roles reversed. Natsuki enveloped Shizuru in a fairly firm hug. She'd been expecting it earlier, but Shizuru must not have moved forward to do so given their recent issues. She took matters into her own hands. She was still feeling a bit cautious around Shizuru, but had genuinely missed her. She was never usually so forward. Perhaps she was still lost in that emotional build up from their little near death experience. "I missed having you around, I guess." When she withdrew, Shizuru was blushing. Win. - - - Natsuki managed to endure school, boring as it was, and finish up what pitiful homework she had (mostly during lectures in class, actually). After doing so, she headed over to Shizuru's at about four in the afternoon, making the already familiar trek to her apartment. She'd been mildly interested in Shizuru's gift, but sincerely hoped she hadn't splurged too much. She was more interested in the tales of her family. She knocked, and heard Shizuru inside, shouting at her to come in. Opening the door, Natsuki stepped over the threshold and found Shizuru sitting on (not at) her kitchen counter, munching on a stick of celery while she listened to the radio. Natsuki scrunched up her face, causing the other woman to smile. The biker did not graze well, after all. "You want some, I take it?" Shizuru held up the half-eaten vegetable in offering. Natsuki held up a hand. "No, thanks. I didn't evolve into the ultimate predator just to eat green things." The elder girl chortled and slid off the counter, heading towards a closet. She opened it and began to rummage around a bit, Natsuki watching every move she made. "Ara, well, as promised, I have your gift for you. It isn't too much, but when we spotted it, Tanya and I immediately thought of you and had to get it." She returned with a nondescript white box, about the size of something that would have come from a clothing store. She handed it to Natsuki, who took it gingerly, still feeling a bit guilty that Shizuru had gotten her anything. The store name was in Russian, offering her no clues. She removed the tape from the sides and lifted the lid off, setting it on the counter. Brushing through tissue paper, she uncovered her gift, and paused. Black leather, and in the center was a white circle. A sleek wolf's head was cut out of it, forming the images of a proud pack leader under a full moon. She took the full article out. An amazing leather jacket that once worn would hug her athletic form. Natsuki dropped her jaw, staring back at the other, expectant woman. "S-Shizuru, this must have cost a fortune," Natsuki gasped. "I can't... you... Shizuru, take it back! It's too much." Shizuru answered in deadpan. "Ara, you want me to fly all the way back to Moscow to return it?" "Well, no, but..." Natsuki stammered, and then sighed. There was no sense in arguing. "It's wonderful, Shizuru. But you don't have to buy me such expensive gifts. I don't want anything from you." Shizuru tilted her head to the side. "It was not that expensive, really. Not between Tanya and I. Do not worry yourself over it." She clutched the jacket, smiling despite how hard she was trying not to. "Thank you, Shizuru." The Kyoto woman shrugged. "It should be the right size, though you may want to try it on to make sure. I tested it on myself... although I took into consideration the fact that my chest region is a bit larger than--" "Shut your mouth." She started to put on the jacket, angrily, and found herself being drug by Shizuru towards a mirror on the wall so that she could properly see. It did fit as close to perfect as it would go. She was lucky that Shizuru had such a similar build (aside from that obvious difference, damn her and her not-so-little boobs too). She brushed her hands down the length of the coat, it coming to rest just slightly on her belt. Her anger diminished, and she smiled at the reflection. What was a biker without a leather jacket, anyway? Well, she had her biking outfit, but this would be more than sufficient for every day casual wear. She turned to look at the emblem on the back, her expression becoming that of an excited child receiving a gift from an elder. "Fits perfectly. Thank you very much, Shizuru. It's amazing." Shizuru gave her a toothy smile; the kind only reserved for her. "Yes, you look tough, all right. I'll be sure to tell Tanya that you approve." "I'll give her a call," Natsuki said. Then she remembered why she was really there. "Ah... do you mind showing me those photographs?" "Ara, why are you so interested in them, anyway?" Shizuru couldn't help but ask. Never the less, she headed to another compartment and opened it, pulling out the wooden box that Nadia had given her. She started to head to the couch, Natsuki following along. "I don't know." Natsuki shrugged and then sat down. "I know as much about your family as you do, so I suppose I'm just as equally interested in them as you are. I just want to see." Shizuru looked at her for a long moment, pausing in thought. She opened the box and gathered the pictures in her hand. It was logical enough. Tanya and Shizuru were really the closest thing Natsuki had to family. She was a part of them, no matter what happened. "How heartwarming it is to hear that Natsuki is so interested in my kin." Natsuki suppressed a blush, and took a glance at the first picture. "Is that Tanya and your mother?" "When they were at a school outing, yes," Shizuru replied, looking at the ten year old version of her mother. "They aren't labeled, so hopefully I can remember what my grandmother told me about them." "Her name was Milena, right?" Shizuru made a noise of affirmation and switched to another photo. She went through each one, repeating the stories behind them as best she could, and Natsuki listened attentively, taking in each picture and listening to her friend's words. During some part of the endeavor, the radio captured Shizuru attention for a moment. "...and I'm hungry like the wolf," the song chanted in English. It went on and on, Shizuru smiling a bit as Natsuki absently tapped her fingers in time with the rhythm. It was cheesy music from the 1980's – and pop music, at that. Natsuki listened to rock and metal, not this stuff. But it was the radio announcer that truly shocked her. "That was Duran Duran with their hit 'Hungry Like the Wolf.'" "Ara, you didn't." Natsuki, looking much like a kid caught doing something that was strictly against the rules, bashfully looked back, feigning naivety. "W-what?" Shizuru gave her an accusing glare. "You named your dog and your Child after an 80's pop band, didn't you, Natsuki?" "I..." "You did." Shizuru's gaze was one of disappointment and perhaps even horror. "You present to me this image of a motorcycle racing rocker, listening to nothing but that loud and angry music when I'm around, and the moment I leave you start signing along with pop music." "I think Nagi mentioned one time that Duran's name was Yafusa, but I just had to rename him after my old dog," Natsuki countered. "It was just... it was right! My old man used to listen to that crap, and I don't know... I liked it when I was little. And only when I was little. I... don't look at me that way, Fujino." "You named your...!" "Oi, shut up!" Natsuki shoved the other woman, who fell onto the arm rest, breaking out with laughter at the biker's embarrassment. Shizuru eventually recovered, sitting back up and then getting to her feet. She put the box of photographs on a table and then looked to the door. "Fine, I'll spare you of any more torture for now. You want to go downtown and find some dinner?" She sighed, but the smile tugging at the side of her lips indicated that while the teasing was annoying, it was also a refreshing familiarity. "If I have to." That, of course, meant 'yes' in the Kuga-ben dialect of Japanese. Shizuru grabbed her coat, and Natsuki could swore she saw an almost sinister grin. The Kyoto woman turned away and without warning, she began to twist her body back and forth, and started to sing. "Her name is Rio, and she dances on the sand, just like that river twisting through the dusty land!" Natsuki sighed in absolute frustration. Damn that woman! She grabbed her helmet and hastily shut the door behind her, chasing after her companion. Natsuki couldn't help but smile and then eventually chuckle at her dancing form, the woman entirely pleased with tormenting her. Familiar, indeed. - - - Note: Oh, I thought I was so clever making that Duran Duran connection to the show, but then noooo, I find out that it was already written in some Japanese prequel thing. Tch!
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