Disclaimer: The following story is not true, though one two true events are referenced. Daisuke Matsuzaka is property of the Boston Red Sox baseball team. The Tokyo Dome is owned by somebody (don't sue me!), and Childish An Hour is a fictional band that appears in both "To Heart" and "Comic Party". I don't own any of those properties. I do own this story, though. Just thought you should know that. There, now that that's out of the way...
Ikimashou!
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Chapter Two - More Q Than A
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"Come on in, and have a seat. I'll be with you in a moment." Misaki led Alexa past the small vestibule where they left their shoes, and into the house.
"Nice place ya got here, Misaki-chan," Alexa said, her words practically dragging themselves out of her mouth. The place was nice--a western-style living room, complete with sofa and chairs, greeted the two women. A large wall unit held all types of entertainment decks, with a large plasma TV in the center of it all. Another unit held rows of books and magazines. It was very inviting; yet Alexa had no interest in any of it. She just wanted to sleep, and the plush sofa called to her.
"Thanks," Misaki called from another room off to the side. "It was our parents' place, and since I have been here since I was little, I did not have the heart to move from it. It is a handful without Kurumi to help, but I manage." She came in and saw Alexa struggling to take off her coat. "You must be exhausted. Here, let me help you." She watched Alexa drop her arms in frustration, and then calmly undid the buttons and zipper on the long, wrinkled trench coat. "This coat has seen better days, I believe."
"More than I have," Alexa deadpanned. She unwrapped the scarf from around her neck and handed it to Misaki. "Can I trouble you for a glass of water?"
"No problem!" Misaki took off with Alexa's coat and scarf, while Alexa plopped herself down on the sofa. She looked around the room and tried to get a look at a framed photograph which sat on an end table. She leaned to get a closer look, but her head landed on a throw pillow instead. Liking the feel of it, she left it there, and drifted off.
"I did not know if you wanted ice or not, so I--" Misaki entered the room to find Alexa fast asleep on the sofa. "Hmmm...just like Ku-chan." She put down the glass of water and went to get a blanket, nearly tripping over Alexa's shoulder bag. Curiosity got the best of her, so she dared a peek inside. She could make out a camera and a couple of notebooks, but not much else; she didn't want to open it for fear of being caught. "She must be a photographer or something. Her and Ku-chan would make quite a pair. Much better than that stupid boyfriend of hers." She watched Alexa sleep and studied her face. "And she's much prettier than he is, too! Maybe I should keep her for myself!" She laughed quietly to herself, covering her mouth so as not to wake the sleeping redhead. She left to gather the blanket, and placed it gently over her sleeping guest. "Pleasant dreams, Alexa-chan."
"Come here, stupid rabbit!" Alexa mumbled in her sleep. The comment brought a smile to Misaki's face.
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Alexa was awakened by the sound of someone rustling in a kitchen. She raised her sleepy head from the sofa and caught the smell of coffee. She removed the blanket and rose from the sofa, following the scent to its point of origin.
Upon reaching the kitchen, she spotted Misaki busily preparing breakfast for herself. The girl was dressed in a long sleep-shirt, which clung to her soft curves. "Good morning, Misaki-chan," Alexa drawled.
"Oh! You startled me!" Misaki caught the piece of toast she was buttering. "Good afternoon to you!" She pointed to the digital clock on the wall, and to Alexa's surprise, it was well past noon. "I guess not sleeping for two days throws off your body's clock, ne?"
"True," Alexa slumped into a chair as Misaki poured her a cup of coffee. She thanked the girl before taking a sip of the dark elixir.
Misaki let out a giggle. "Just like her. You both are slow starters."
Alexa raised an eyebrow. "By 'her' you mean your sister, right?"
"Hai!" Misaki nodded enthusiastically. "Ku-chan is always running from here to there, gathering stories for the Shinbun. When she comes home--which is rare--she throws herself on the sofa and sleeps until at least noon. Then she yells at me for not waking her up."
"So, she's a reporter?"
"A journalist!" Misaki corrected. "She would say, 'Anyone can report a story; a true journalist puts you at the scene. That's my mission!'" She clenched her fist and looked sternly at nothing in particular before continuing. "'Before I'm through, you'll feel the blood, smell the sweat and cry the tears!' She was always a bit of a drama queen!" Misaki ended her portrayal and went to prepare some toast for Alexa.
"Well, you can't fault her for being passionate about her job. As long as it doesn't get her killed."
"It almost has, a couple of times." Misaki sat at the table and placed the toast before a grateful Alexa. "Once, she went to cover the tsunami in Indonesia, and she got attacked by some of the locals who wanted to steal her food. She gave it to them, but they were so delirious they still tried to attack her."
"Talk about being part of the story..."Alexa mused. "How did she get out of that?"
"She was lucky an American reporter was there to rescue her. They are dating now." Misaki's voice trailed off and she stared deeply into her coffee.
"You don't seem too happy about the relationship."
"This is true, I will not lie." Misaki said sadly. "He's not exactly what you could call a nice guy. Not quite good looking, either. He gets by, I guess, by just being pushy and loud. I do not know what Ku-chan sees in him."
"Maybe she likes the rowdy type. Some girls do, some don't." Alexa noticed an odd look cross Misaki's face.
"And how about you, Alexa-chan? What type do you like?" Misaki gave her a sideways grin. As many times as Alexa's seen that very grin on people, it never ceased to make her nervous.
"Well, if you must know, I like the quiet type. I've given up on the rowdy types. You can't fix them no matter how hard you try. I like girls who are shy and play-"
"Girls, huh?" Misaki picked out the one word in Alexa's answer the redhead manage to let slip. "This is a good thing!"
"Why's that?" Alexa waited for an answer, but Misaki contentedly sipped her coffee and smiled, savoring the flavor.
"Are you still going to Nagasaki today?"
"No," replied Alexa, still trying to read the girl's expression. "I really don't have to go there for awhile. I just wanted to get it out of the way before the crowds swarmed there and Hiroshima in August."
"Good, then you are not in a hurry?" Misaki finished her coffee and gazed hopefully at Alexa, making the redhead blush.
"Um...no, not really. What do you have in mind?"
"You will see! Now, finish your breakfast and take a shower. You can borrow some of Ku-chan's clothes, although..." Misaki sized up Alexa's bust line. 'You might have to use your own bra. Ku-chan is not as . . . 'gifted' . . . as you are," she finished with a blush.
"Thank you..." The words slid out of Alexa mouth as she tried to gauge where this was all leading to. 'Okay, so she's hitting on me! The sister of the woman who holds the key to ending my curse is hitting on me! When I catch that stupid rabbit I'll--'
"Alexa-chan? Is something wrong?" Misaki drew Alexa from her thoughts, waving a hand in front of her face.
"Oh...nothing. I was just thinking about something."
"Me, perhaps?" The girl giggled and started to clear the table. "Come on, it is already late in the day!"
Alexa just stared at her. "Riiight..."
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The offices of the Tokyo Shinbun were abuzz with activity. In one cubicle, a wavy-haired brunette was frantically trying to set up an interview with the Prime Minister and failing miserably.
"All I want to do is ask him a couple of questions about the death of one of his aides, that's all! It'll only take five minutes!" The woman waited for a few seconds and then stared at the phone in disbelief. "Clearance? I'm a journalist! I have credentials! What, do I have to be a member of the Diet just to talk to Abe-san now? Hello? Hello??" She banged the receiver on the desk before slamming it down on the cradle. "Arrrgh!! Things were so much better when Koizumi was running the country!"
"That's 'cause Koizumi always made time for beautiful women!", a raspy voice sounded from behind one of the cubicle walls.
"Paul!" the woman shrieked happily. "When did you get here?"
The tall blonde man entered the cubicle, placing a kiss on the woman's cheek. "Hiya, Kurumi! I just got in last night. I went straight to your house, but your sis said you were out. She walked me to the train and I spent the night in a hotel not far from here."
"And you didn't call me...why?", a visibly upset Kurumi asked.
"And spoil the surprise? Nah, not my style!" He waved his hand dismissively, then reached into his coat pocket, producing an envelope. "If you're not busy this evening, I thought we'd take in a show. Childish An Hour is playing at The Big Egg. Wanna go?"
Kurumi practically jumped over her desk to reach for the tickets. "I love those guys! How did you...oh, never mind!"
"See," Paul said smugly, "It does pay to have connections! So, are we on?"
"Sure!" Kurumi received the tickets from her boyfriend and stared at them as if they were gold.
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Alexa had just come out of the shower and entered Kurumi's room, dressed in a damp towel. Just as she sat on the vanity chair, a familiar pain shot through her eyes. "Oh no...not here!", she pleaded! "Not now!"
Misaki heard Alexa enter the room adjacent to hers, and so she thought she'd offer some help. What she found surprised her: Alexa was sitting up staring into the vanity mirror, her green eyes wide and glowing eerily, her hands gripping the edges of the vanity. "Alexa-chan!! What's happening?? Alexa-chan!" She tried to pry Alexa's hands off of the vanity, but the redhead held on for dear life. "Alexa-chan!! Speak to me! Let me help you!!"
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Kurumi handed the tickets back to a smiling Paul. "I'm sure you're gonna want something for pulling this off, but I don't care! Meet me downstairs after work, okay?"
"Sure thing. For now, I gotta get back to the Asahi Post. Matsuzaka's going to Boston, and I'm doing his last English-language interview here tomorrow.. Gotta set things up. See you tonight!" He kissed Kurumi on the cheek and strolled out, leaving a happy journalist sitting behind her desk.
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Alexa's eyes dimmed, and she finally let go of the vanity. She was surprised to see Misaki holding her shoulders. "Are you alright, Alexa-chan? Your eyes...they were, well...and I could not reach you..."
Alexa caught her breath and tried to clear her head. "My bag...please, bring my bag up here." Misaki nodded and ran out of the room. 'What the hell! Nothing was supposed to happen until mid-February! And I never get one with this short a warning!'
Misaki rumbled up the stairs and gave Alexa her bag. The redhead dug inside and fished out two notebooks, one with a blue cover, the other red. Both had hand-written Greek lettering on them, which Misaki thought was a bit odd. What got her attention more was the book Alexa was leafing through. It was the blue one, which also had a drawing of a burning tree on the cover. Whatever was in those books, they must have been very important.
"I was right!" Alexa shouted to herself, forgetting Misaki was in the room. "This isn't on the schedule! Damn him!! What does he think he's doing?"
"What are you talking about, Alexa-chan? And who is doing what?" Misaki's face was full of confusion. Alexa knew she had to say something, but she wasn't ready to let her new friend in on the more secretive parts of her life. Not just yet.
"Misaki-chan," she began slowly, taking the girl's hands in hers. "You're not going to believe what I'm about to tell you. Heck, you might not even be able to understand me during this. If by some miracle you do, you must--MUST--call your sister and tell her not to go to Tokyo Dome tonight! She has tickets for a big concert, but there will be a terrible stampede and...and...just tell her not to go!"
"Is it really going to be that bad, Alexa-chan?" Misaki's voice was like that of a frightened child. "Please tell me!"
"I'm sorry, Misaki-chan, it's true. I've never been wrong and--" Suddenly Alexa's brain hit the brakes. "WHAT? You heard me? You actually heard me?"
"Unfortunately, I did, Alexa-chan. Please tell me this isn't true!"
"But...but how??? Nobody's heard me explain a vision--and actually believed it--in..." Alexa stopped before giving away her true age, which probably would've confused her frightened friend more than she already was. "That's not important. You have to call Kurumi and tell her not to go. Make up some excuse, lie, whatever--she cannot go to that concert!"
"But Alexa-chan! How can you know this? How can this be true? And even if I did call her, she won't believe me without some kind of proof!" Misaki went from confused to scared, her eyes wide and full of tears.
Alexa tried to calm the girl down. "I don't have time to explain, and we won't get there in time, unless . . . " She paused, knowing there was one way to get there--her usual means of travel. But she wasn't ready to expose Misaki to that yet, even if it meant saving the brunette's sister. Then she got an idea.
"Misaki-chan, tell her not to go. If she asks any questions, tell her that Paul won't be able to interview Daisuke-san tomorrow if you go. That should confuse her enough. Do you understand?"
Misaki saw the urgency in Alexa's face and knew the redhead wasn't lying, but how could she possibly know such things? She slowly nodded and let go of Alexa's hands. "I do not fully understand, Alexa-chan, but I will warn her. I'll do my best." She stood up, walked over to the nightstand by Kurumi's bed and put in the call to her sister.
Alexa didn't understand it all, either. Too many questions swirled around in her head. Most importantly, how could Misaki hear her, when no one in over two millennia could? What was happening here?
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End of Chapter Two
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