Chapter 7: Getting Things Right
Freya shook her head, looking at Haruka. “She’s gonna drive you mad.”
Haruka shrugged as she started to follow Isabella. “There are worse ways to go.”
IXH
Haruka moved carefully; quietly. She wasn’t used to having to do so, sharing a bed with someone was still new, but she didn’t want her unrest to wake her… girlfriend? Would that be the term? She paused as she pulled on her longcoat over her shirt, trying to describe what, exactly, they were. Could you have a girlfriend you’d only known for about a week and had just kissed the night before, was that normal? Haruka didn’t know, she’d never had one. They weren’t normal in any other way, though, so why should this be? She glanced at Isabella as she slipped out the door, making sure she was still asleep; she needed it.
The monk slipped her hands into the pockets of her coat as she walked out onto the ship’s deck. It was early, very early; by her accounts she had about an hour before sunrise. She nodded to the pirates that were on duty tonight as they greeted her. The early morning air was cool, joined by a wind that blew over the ocean. Haruka had learned that it was often windy around morning and evening on the ocean, something about temperature changes and moving weather. She didn’t pretend to understand it; she was just happy the waves were calm and slow, allowing her to sit in a spot on the deck without worry of slipping or falling. The ship’s massive size was a true blessing for a private person like Haruka, allowing her to find a place even on the deck where she wouldn’t be bothered by others.
She bent her knees and yawned, folding her arms atop her knees and setting her chin on her arm. Since they were sailing south there was always a good view of the sunrise over the ocean, a good enough reason to be up at this time by itself, but it wasn’t why Haruka was awake this morning. Her mind was working too much to sleep, and her stomach was in that annoying state of almost-nausea, like that which preceded embarrassing moments or going into dangerous situations. She watched the waves through half-lidded eyes that had adjusted to the darkness hours ago while staring at the ceiling of her cabin. As much as she’d reassured Isabella, this whole situation truly bothered her.
She wasn’t reconsidering her decision. Illness couldn’t get her to leave Bella any more than her father or Hell itself could, or even the god worshipped by most of the Empire, Sanctus. Still, she found herself wondering why it seemed like so much had gone wrong on both sides of the coin that was their relationship; it was like the world itself was against it. Isabella’s past had left her emotionally and mentally scarred; her own past had left her emotionally and mentally closed-off. She was being pursued by the Black Sun, who wanted to take her away; Isabella was losing to some sort of illness that would take her away too soon. Idly, Haruka wondered if things could have been different. She wondered if she could have met Bella when all of their parents were still alive, before anything went wrong. She wondered if they could have been together for centuries by now.
Haruka sighed, knowing that wasn’t a good path to go down but unable to avoid at least giving it a glance. Everything was wrong, and this is what they had; terrible pasts, mental scars, emotional gaps, pursuing enemies and an unknown time limit that meant they may only have a few months or years. Isabella was terrified by her sickness, that much was obvious, but who could blame her? She’d probably been prepared to die for a long time, and now, when so near the end, she was suddenly shown what she could have if she wasn’t going to die. She’d gone without happiness for over a century only to be given a glimpse of it at the very end, unable to even fully grasp it before it would be gone. It seemed too cruel. ‘Unfair’ was the word Haruka always wanted to use, but Bella would just tell her it was ‘as fair as it gets’.
The knight blamed herself too much. She believed she was only getting what she deserved, when that couldn’t be further from the truth. Haruka thought she’d already paid enough, but then she hadn’t been there for the dark times, had she? She couldn’t speak from experience, all she could say was that she didn’t blame her. And all of that was only on Bella’s side; whoever was punishing her, whatever deity or Fate, did they think Haruka deserved this, too? She’d lived a life without any emotional investment, without anything to care about, and suddenly she was given someone to truly care about… for a short time before they disappeared. The monk grunted, narrowing her eyes at the water. The whole situation was terrible, just… completely… terrible…
Wasn’t it? As if in answer, she heard the soft steps behind her. She recognized them; nervous, unsure. Hesitation and guilt turned them back and forward again, as if the woman couldn’t decide if she should approach or leave her alone. To make it easier Haruka leaned back and patted the deck beside her. Isabella sat down a few seconds later, giving her sideways glances. Haruka shook her head, looking at her through a few loose brown bangs. “In this together,” she said, setting a hand on Isabella’s. “Both victims.”
Isabella bit her lip, meeting her eyes. “That’s not… really true,” she said, drawing a curious look from the monk. “It’s my fault.”
Haruka sighed. “Blaming yourself-“
“No, listen,” Bella interrupted, determined not to hide anything anymore, not in the face of what this woman was already willing to do. “My mind is in… a really bad state. I have these… voices.” She played with the hem of her robe, ignoring the very voices that, at this moment, were telling her this level of honesty was a stupid idea. “It’s kind of split… broken. Aspects of my mind in three pieces. I’ve even given the other two names,” she said with a nervous laugh. She looked at Haruka who, surprisingly, was just watching and listening quietly. “I know how crazy this sounds, but that’s the point; I am crazy. And there’s no one to blame for it but me. I was too much of a coward to face my emotions so I shut them away, for decades. I told you that, but what I didn’t tell you was that I didn’t make it through that whole. I snapped. It tore me apart; my mind, spirit and… body.” Isabella sighed. “I did this to myself. My insanity, the pain, and the illness… It’s all because of my actions.”
“Then…” Haruka paused, thinking things over carefully. “You’re still a victim.”
Isabella blinked. “What? No, I’m-“
“Shh,” Haruka said as she cut her off with a look. “My turn. You can’t be blamed for breaking. That’s ridiculous; it’s not your fault. Would you blame anyone else for a mental illness? That kind of thing is beyond your control. You broke even before that; you broke when your parents died, and everything after that was your mind trying to cope in any way it could. It shut out the emotions to prevent them from driving you crazy, but they broke through eventually, doing more damage. It’s separated parts of you to help you deal with it again. The problem is that you keep stacking on guilt and emotional pain, forcing your mind to deal with more and more. You never give yourself a rest or allow yourself to heal; it’s been one long problem for two centuries.”
“Do you really believe that?” Bella asked cautiously.
“I don’t waste so many words on things I don’t believe.”
Isabella looked down, staring at the deck as she contemplated the words. “So it’s… not all my fault?”
Haruka smiled. “Of course not. The only one blaming you is you.”
“I…” The blue-haired monk looked at her. “I believe you. I’ll… Yes. I’ll trust you. It might take some time to really stop blaming myself for everything, but I’ll try.”
Haruka sighed in relief. “That’s all I ask.”
Isabella looked at her. “Are you sure about this decision? I mean, this is just the beginning. I’ll give you so many headaches, be so emotionally draining…”
Haruka shrugged. “Maybe… But those are just the downsides. You didn’t mention any of the benefits.”
Isabella smiled as she leaned in, taking on a more playful tone. “Oh, there are benefits?”
Haruka gave a chuckle. “I can think of a few.”
“I’m sure you can…”
As Isabella kissed her, Haruka had to go back and correct herself; the whole situation wasn’t completely terrible. In fact, as the knight leaned in closer and her tongue teased her lips slightly, Haruka had a lot of difficulty remembering anything terrible at all.
“What’s this, then? Fraternization? On my ship?”
Isabella pulled away slowly, her hands still on Haruka’s shoulder and knee as she smiled at Freya. “I’m sorry, is that against the rules?”
The pirate captain shrugged. “I dunno, I rarely bother readin’ ‘em m’self. This might be a stupid question considerin’ yer current position, but are you two t’gether now?” Isabella and Haruka looked at each other and nodded, causing Freya to throw up her arms. “Thank all th’ gods, that was gettin’ annoyin’.”
Haruka smirked at her. “Yes, that was the reason. Didn’t want to annoy you.”
“Don’t be smart now. Wait, do I get credit?” As they both shook their heads, Freya frowned. “Hey, that ain’t fair! I’m th’ one who complained about it an’ told you ye were both crazy!”
Haruka rolled her eyes and Isabella smiled. “And we’re very grateful for your accusations of insanity, but let’s be honest, it was only a matter of time with or without your help,” she said with a smile at Haruka, who gave a sage nod.
“Yeah, well, maybe it’s only a matter o’ time b’fore you’re swimmin’ south.”
“You wouldn’t!” Isabella said with widened eyes. Haruka nudged Bella, nodding towards Freya as she whispered something. “What? No, I’m not as good as…” She paused. “Really? Well, if you say so…” She looked back at Freya, giving her a sad look. “You wouldn’t really throw us off, would you?”
Freya scoffed. “Sorry, I don’t fall fer that kinda thing.”
Isabella hung her head. “You’re right… I’m really terrible at this… I wouldn’t convince my own mother,” she said forlornly
“Well, it wasn’t that bad-“
“No, it was,” Isabella sighed, and Haruka hid a smirk as the blue-haired knight traced a finger along the deck as if she’d decided it wasn’t even worth trying. “I’m just naturally unlikable or something…”
Freya twitched. “Now, that ain’t true… I wouldn’t dare ditch you.”
Isabella looked up with wide, hopeful eyes as Haruka coughed beside her. “Really?” she said in a small voice.
“Really!” Freya nodded. “Now don’t be all mopey, you’re a part o’ this ship!”
Isabella broke into a wide grin and clapped, practically squealing as she hugged Haruka. “You were right!”
Haruka laughed, even moreso at the look on Freya’s face. The pirate sighed and smacked her own face, turning to leave. “I give up. I know when I’m beaten.”
IXH
Far to the north of The Black Wake, the Black Sun Monastery was a tense place. The team that had been sent to retrieve Haruka Saito had not returned, indicating total failure. The halls of the monastery were mostly vacant, as most of the monks there remained in rooms or outside, not wanting to be caught in the halls. The monastery was not as calming as some others; large statues loomed over everyone, more intimidating than inspiring. There were fewer soothing fountains and more depictions of the Black Sun’s most famous kills, in relief, painting and statuary. The main colors were black and green, giving a subtle feeling of a dark forest to the place, especially with the lighting being composed entirely of torches or dim enchantments rather than any electric lighting.
Deep in the center of the monastery there was a large circular chamber with an altar at one end. As with nearly every other room, weapons lined the walls, as every monk trained with numerous weapons regardless of specialty. No one was training in this room, though; at the moment there was only one occupant, and no one was bothering him. He was a man who seemed to be in his fifties, with a strong, solid build comprised nearly entirely of lean muscle. His hair was short, grey and spiked back, and he had a short grey beard that made him look more refined. His face was weathered and scarred, marking a hard life. He sat on his knees in a bow towards the room’s altar, repeating a mantra in a low voice as he touched his forehead to the floor.
He’d been at this for hours, but suddenly his eyes shot open; their brown color was hard, like everything else about the man. He wore clothing similar to the other Black Sun monks, but his outfit was almost entirely dark green with very little black, marking his position, but it seemed his position didn’t need such a reminder – others shot out of his way as he strode through the halls with little patience. He entered a room without any warning, looking around inside; it could be irritating to spot someone in this room with all the semi-transparent curtains of various colors hanging everywhere, giving the room a disorienting and sort of claustrophobic feeling. He noticed the woman getting dressed after a few moments and spoke in a firm voice, “The only reason for the most recent failure has to be this Isabella Enyo. We must learn more of her.”
The woman slowly pulled a gray robe up over her shoulders, looking back at him as she began to wrap one of its many ties. “That would have been a proper course of action earlier, I think,” she said in a teasing tone, a smile touching her black-painted lips. She stepped out as she continued to tie the robe, an odd garment with the texture and appearance of a spider’s web. Her skin was pale and her hair even lighter, a solid white kept waist-length and straight. She tilted her head with an amused look in her purple eyes. “Am I to understand you’re finally seeking my help with your little situation, Kazuki?”
The man grunted, biting back a retort. He hated dealing with this woman, but they needed her. “Yes, Aranea,” he admitted, “and I would appreciate it if you took this more seriously.”
She chuckled, turning away again. “When have I ever taken anything seriously? If you want to learn more about this woman, let me do my work my way.”
“…Very well.”
“Perhaps we’ll even learn just why your daughter chose her over you, hmm?” She glanced back, watching with a smile as his jaw clenched and he shoved the door open, exiting angrily. He was too easy. Aranea Lith moved deeper into her room, looking to the ceiling with a smile as she turned in a circle. “Come, darlings, to Mother Lith, we’ve work to do.” In the very dim light of the room the ceiling seemed to move, but the source became much clearer when dozens of spiders began crawling down the many curtains of the room and over the large, extravagant bed in the back. Aranea took a seat on the bed as the spiders crawled over it, smiling as she let one onto her hand, lifting it up to her face and petting it gently. “Oh, yes, we’ve some fun work to do.”
IXH
“Cullis,” Freya said, naming the coastal town that was now in view.
Isabella blinked, looking over at her. “It’s a port town named Cullis?”
“Cute, huh?” Freya smirked, leaning on the ship’s rail. “Th’ town’s not as bad as its name.”
“Never been,” Haruka admitted from her spot beside Isabella. “Tourist, right?”
“Yep. Lotsa shops and such. We’re adjacent to Imperial lands now; this town’s here t’ capitalize on people headin’ out for vacations. It tries t’be a tourist place. You can decide if they succeed.”
Haruka smirked. “Guessing not.”
Isabella smiled at her. “Hey, don’t judge a book by its cover, even if the cover has a really bad name on it.” As much as Bella had discovered she loved sailing, she was looking forward to getting some time on solid land again. Freya said they were stopping here for supplies, but they’d be spending a day there, as her crew needed time on land as well. Tomorrow they would continue their journey south, but today they would take advantage of this opportunity. This was, after all, the first full day she and Haruka were together, so enjoying it was a priority. Now I just have to hope that nothing goes wrong like it usually does. Wait, no, I didn’t just think that!
Haruka watched her looking around rapidly and raised an eyebrow. “Something wrong?”
Bella looked back to her, blinking and then laughing nervously. “Ahaha, no, nothing, nothing’s wrong!” She gave a sheepish smile. “Truth be told I’m hoping we can go a day without anything bad happening, and now I’m worried I just jinxed us by thinking that. And now again by saying it aloud.”
Haruka chuckled. “You think a god’s listening? Forgot he was gonna curse you, then you reminded him?”
“Maybe,” she replied. “I mean, it sounds stupid when you say it that way.”
“Okay,” Haruka said as she leaned one elbow on the railing, smirking at her. “Say it in a way that doesn’t sound stupid.”
“Well I…” Isabella paused. “Basically, it’s like…” She huffed and put her hands on her hips. “I don’t have to do what you say, you know.”
The monk grinned. “No, you don’t. Or can’t.”
“No, I can, I just… refuse to.”
“Refuse to?”
“On principle,” Bella said with a nod.
“What principle is that?”
“You know what? Just stop asking questions, I don’t have to answer them.”
“Counts as a win for me, then.”
“Does not!”
“Does too.”
“Does not!”
“Does too.”
“Does not!”
“It doesn’t.”
“Yes, it does!”
“Fine, it does,” Haruka said with a shrug.
“That’s right.” Isabella paused, looking over as the monk grinned widely. “Waaaaaiiit a minute…” As Haruka laughed Bella turned around, yelling at Freya, who had gone up into the rigging. “Captain Black, Ruki’s being mean to me!”
“Am not.”
“Are too!”
Freya landed in front of them, straightening and folding her arms. “Don’t make me turn this ship around, girls.”
Haruka grinned at her. “We’ll behave.”
Isabella stuck her tongue out at the monk. “At least I will.”
Freya shook her head. “I’m gonna ‘ave to send you t’ your rooms, ain’t I?”
Isabella clasped her hands behind her back and smiled. “If you sent us to just one room, together, I think we could work it out.”
Haruka snickered and Freya rolled her eyes. “I don’t need ta hear th’ details. Look, we’re pullin’ in.” She pointed as the ship pulled along the extended pier. “Get off my ship.”
“Now you’re being mean,” Bella said with a smile as she skipped towards the lowering plank.
Freya shook her head, looking at Haruka. “She’s gonna drive you mad.”
Haruka shrugged as she started to follow Isabella. “There are worse ways to go.”
As soon as their feet hit the pier Isabella waved to the others, grabbed Haruka’s hand and took off. Haruka’s eyes widened as she was suddenly yanked along behind her excited girlfriend into the town proper. She didn’t even have time to worry about how the people here would stare at her mask or whether someone was waiting for them here or anything like that, and perhaps that was best; with the limited time they had, they couldn’t focus on running and surviving all the time.
The town of Cullis was about what one would expect from a place that named itself ‘Port Cullis’; it was very touristy, with lots of shops selling useless but kitschy trinkets or souvenirs. Most of the restaurants seemed to follow some theme to an almost stereotypical level. Isabella found the whole place charming, especially the ‘main attraction’ that many signs spoke of, which appeared to be the fact that an old, large home on the edge of the town was heavily haunted. Bella stopped before one of the signs, tilting her head. “Do you think it’s an actual haunting, or are there just people in sheets and silly costumes waiting to jump out?”
Haruka looked around. “With this town… Could be either.”
“You said you’ve never been here before, right?” Bella looked at her. “Haven’t you travelled this way a lot?”
“Yes, but on business,” Haruka replied. “Never taken a vacation, so I never had reason to stop here.”
“So everything’s new? Good! I don’t want to be exactly like the lame friend coming to visit and wanting to go to all the tourist locations you’ve seen a million times.”
Haruka smirked. “You’re kinda like that person anyway.”
“Yes, but not exactly like them,” Bella said with a smile. “Anyway, we are totally going to that haunted house, but you can’t do that during the day, that’s stupid.”
“Yes, that’s what’s stupid.”
“Shush.” Isabella turned around, looking over the town. “What time is it? Noon? Let’s grab a light lunch somewhere first. Somewhere fun.”
“Fun or lame? This town has them mixed up.”
“I don’t think you know what fun is,” Isabella said with a grin, tugging her along. “Sometimes lame is fun. You just have to be in the right mindset.”
“What mindset is that?”
Bella smiled at her. “Childish.”
“Childish, huh?” Haruka suddenly stopped.
Isabella blinked, looking back at her. “What’s up?” she asked, noticing Haruka hadn’t tensed or anything. Haruka just smiled and pointed, and Isabella followed her gesture to see a building that was painted pink and white to look like a cake, which was obviously a bakery judging by the items in the windows. Isabella stared at it. “Wow, that’s, um… Wow.”
Haruka grinned. “In the right mindset?”
“You want to eat lunch in a bakery? Are we going to eat cake for lunch?”
“Yes.”
“Well that’s… That’s just brilliant,” Isabella exclaimed as she headed directly for the building with Haruka.
Inside they discovered that the outside of the building’s look made a bit more sense; the woman inside was dressed in perhaps the frilliest white outfit either of them had ever seen, but judging by the beaming smile she had, it was only fitting. “Hello, hello!” she called out as they entered. The bakery was actually almost completely full of people, with only two empty tables.
Haruka would never have even walked into a place like this on her own, but Bella’s widening smile was reason enough to do so. The blue-haired woman hopped over to the counter, matching the proprietor’s energy. “Hi, hi!” she responded with a grin. She looked around at the place that was absolutely full of all kinds of cakes, pastries, breads and other baked goods. She looked back at Haruka with wide eyes. “One of each?”
Haruka smirked. “If you want to spend the rest of the day sick as a dog, sure.”
“Hmm… You’re probably right,” Isabella said, looking back to the woman behind the counter. “Okay, one slide of caramel cake. And one of that strawberry one. Aaaand chocolate.”
The woman laughed. “Is that all? What about your friend?”
Isabella looked back at Haruka as the monk looked thoughtful. “Just one… Um… Apple iced.”
“Right!”
They sat down after Bella paid, and Haruka watched in amusement as she stacked her three slices atop each other, picked the combination up like a sandwich, and took a bite from all three at once. “You’re a professional,” she said with a chuckle.
Isabella grinned, licking icing from her finger. “I’ve had experience. Eating dessert is a skill like any other.”
“Uh-huh.” Haruka ate hers normally, finding herself truly enjoying the laid-back feel of the day. They had little to worry about; if the Black Sun actually attacked them, they had an entire crew of pirates that would help them fight, most of whom were spread out throughout the town if the two she spotted several tables away were any indication. Isabella was certainly enjoying herself as well, if the fact that she was almost done already meant anything.
Haruka stared at her empty plate and Isabella blinked. “What?”
“That was, what, thirty seconds?”
“Don’t be jealous of my skills.”
“Calling it a ‘skill’ is being generous.”
“I learned to eat fast before a food fight started.”
Haruka smirked. “Started by your parents?”
“Who else?” Isabella stood, putting her hands on her hips. “How are you not done yet?” She picked up the third of cake that remained on Haruka’s plate, basically shoving it into the monk’s mouth. Haruka glared at her and Bella beamed. “Now you’re done, let’s go!”
Haruka swallowed it and followed her out. “Annoying.”
“I know.” As soon as they were outside Isabella pushed her against a wall and kissed her for several long moments before pulling back with a smile. “Better?”
Haruka sighed. “Unfair… But… I won’t complain.”
Isabella grabbed her hand, pulling her along again. “You better not.”
After that Haruka found herself visiting shop after shop. Isabella didn’t even seem to be looking for anything specific, she just wanted to look, and the monk had to admit it was fun, although she was certain that was only because it was with Bella. She kept an eye out for an appropriate gift though, as it would probably be nice to get her a present, but she had no experience with that so she didn’t know what to look for. After a couple hours of visiting all kinds of shops they decided to stop in a tavern for a couple drinks before continuing.
Inside Isabella smiled, spinning around. “I love places like this. There’s always a feeling of people from all over the world coming together to share stories.”
Haruka smirked. “You gonna start story time?”
“Hmm… No, I think I’ll pass,” Bella said with a giggle. “I-“
“The Golden Butcher! I don’t believe it…”
Isabella paled, looking over at a haggard man as he stood from his seat. “What… What did you call me?”
“You heard me… I’ll never forget that face,” he said as he stalked over. Haruka watched him carefully but he didn’t even give her a glance, his eyes remaining on Bella. “Isabella of Two Faces. What are you doing here? Was one country not enough for you?”
They were beginning to draw attention from the rest of the patrons, but neither of them seemed to notice. Isabella’s voice was small and full of dread as she said, “You know me…?”
“Know you? Know you?!” He clenched his teeth and fists at the same time, his glare exuding hatred. “You killed my family and you don’t even have the decency to remember?”
Isabella looked down, her face full of sorrow and regret but her voice weak. “I killed a lot of people… I’m sorry, I… I don’t know how I can repay you for such a thing…”
“Sorry?!” The man, understandably, couldn’t accept that apology; he stepped forward and his fist made contact with her jaw, knocking her back into the wall.
Haruka growled and stepped forward, lifting her own hand. “Haruka, stop!” The monk froze and stepped back, looking to Bella. The blue-haired knight stepped away from the wall and the man hit her again. Haruka shook with anger but Isabella just dropped her arms to her sides, looking down and making no move to defend herself or fight back. In his anger the man took advantage of this and continued beating her while she made no move to respond. After a few seconds Haruka caught the man’s wrist as he pulled it back for yet another punch, yanking him away despite Isabella’s lack of resistance.
As she let him go Isabella lowered herself to her hands and knees and bowed her head to him as tears hit the floor beneath her. “I’m sorry,” she repeated in a soft voice, “Forgive me.” The man himself was crying now, but his anger was far stronger; before him was the monster that had slaughtered his family and nearly everyone he knew. The last time he had seen her she’d been covered in their blood, feeling nothing. As she bowed before him he stepped forward and gave her a vicious kick, knocking her back and at least bloodying her own nose.
Haruka, however, was not willing to sit by, and a second after the kick connected her fist hit his chest, sending him flying into a table that he splintered on impact. Isabella stood up, wiping away the blood. “I’m sorry,” she repeated again, leaving the tavern. Haruka paused a moment to give a look to the man as he sat up; hopefully he would take it as a warning not to go after her. Haruka then left as well and caught up to Bella back near the docks. As she approached her Isabella gave a shaky sigh, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. “I was stupid.”
Haruka’s expression softened as she stopped. Isabella looked back at her. “I had hoped… It was stupid of me, I know, but… A part of me had always hoped I could be forgiven for what I’ve done, as much as I don’t deserve it.” Her gaze fell to the ground. “But there’s no forgiveness for me, Haru… And nothing I can do to earn it.” Her fingers curled into tight fists. “I’m… stuck…” She looked up at the sky. “Trapped by my past and refused an escape.” Bella shook her head, more tears falling as she sniffed. “And you know the really stupid part?” she said as she looked back at Haruka and gave a humorless smile. “Even now I’m still just a coward. I just want someone to forgive me so I can escape my guilt, and pain. I don’t deserve to escape, but I still want to.”
Haruka was silent; what could she say? Instead of speaking she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the other woman. Bella buried her face in Haruka’s chest, her fingers weakly gripping the material of her green coat. “If it wasn’t for you, Ruki… If you didn’t care, I’d… I’d just take the only escape left to me. That’s how much of a coward I am.”
Haruka ran her fingers through her hair. “Don’t talk like that. He wasn’t angry at you, he was angry at who you were.”
“I can’t just forget what I did, and neither can they.” Isabella stepped back, looking away. “I don’t really feel like visiting any shops or anything… I feel like being alone. I think I’ll just go back to the ship and take a nap.”
“…Alright.” Haruka let her go, watching her leave. This hadn’t turned out as she’d hoped.
IXH
Isabella awoke to the feeling of fingertips brushing her cheek; she opened her eyes to see Haruka’s face close to hers, and the monk was smiling. “Get up; you need to get dressed.”
The knight blinked a few times, sitting up. “What? Haruka, I…” She stopped, staring for a few seconds. “Are you… wearing a dress?”
Haruka straightened, setting a hand on her hip. She was indeed wearing a dark green, sleeveless dress with a high neck and a slit down the side to reveal a leg; it was a very different look, and it surprised Bella how natural she looked in it. “You look surprised,” Haruka said with an amused look. “That’s what I was going for. Now come on, get dressed,” she said, pointing past the knight before leaving the room.
Isabella was confused, that much was certain; even moreso when she stood from the bed and found another dress apparently meant for her. She considered trying to follow Haruka and tell her she didn’t feel like leaving this room, but she was so curious she had to find out where this was going. Apparently Haruka had an eye for sizes, as the garment fit perfectly; it was dark blue (not the same shade as her hair, but complimentary) with short sleeves and a curved neckline, and long enough to reach the floor. It wasn’t one she’d have picked herself, but she found that she liked that.
However, she wasn’t about to sit here and admire it. Her curiosity drove her forward as she stepped from the room minutes later to find Haruka there waiting. The monk’s smile as she looked at her made her blush, and Haruka nodded. “I knew you’d look that good.”
“Thanks,” Bella said in a small voice, utterly bewildered. “Ruki, what’s going on?”
Haruka grinned, grabbing her hand. “Something simple, but we need it.” She led her out onto the deck and towards the pier. It was evening judging by the dark sky; the sun had long since set, leaving the stars once more visible as they were still blessed with clear weather.
As they passed Freya the pirate leaned back against the ship’s railing and folded her arms, grinning as she looked them over. “Guess she was right. You two ‘ave fun; remember, if there’s trouble, give a yell. If I miss it I’ll be mad.”
Isabella looked to her hopefully for answers but Haruka just continued pulling her along, waving to the captain. “Don’t worry, I wouldn’t fight without you.” They entered the town, which was a lot more lively than it had been earlier that day. Apparently the tourist life of Cullis was bigger at night, as people milled about everywhere; some of the same shops they’d visited earlier that day were now full of people. However, Haruka bypassed the shops completely, continuing down a road they hadn’t taken before.
“Haruka, where are we going?” Bella said as she looked around, dodging people as they passed.
“We’re going here,” Haruka answered as she slowed down in front of a fancy, tall building that appeared to be a far more expensive restaurant than Bella would ever dare to stop at.
Isabella blinked, looking up at it. “I can’t… Here? Haruka, neither of us have the money to-“
“Relax,” the monk said as she led them up the steps. She smiled at the person at the door, giving her name, and the woman opened the door for them. As they stepped inside, she looked back at Bella. “I traded something to Freya for the money.”
Isabella looked around in admiration at the restaurant. It was mostly white with extremely tall ceilings, and the carpet and curtains were a deep red. As they continued going up a long staircase, she looked at Haruka. “What did you trade her?”
Haruka smirked. “A Black Sun Medallion. They’re extremely rare, perfect for her collection, and I certainly don’t want it.”
“Are you sure you won’t miss it?”
“I almost threw it into the ocean,” she said with a chuckle. “I’m sure.”
Bella smiled as they reached the top of the stairs. The reason for so many steps became obvious then as she looked out tall windows over the rest of the town. Someone met them, taking Haruka’s name before leading them through the busy restaurant to one of the many balconies. Haruka looked at her as she pulled out the chair for her. “I guessed you’d prefer to eat outside.”
“You guessed right,” Bella said with a smile as she took a seat, watching Haruka sit across from her. She looked off the balcony, taking in the night view of the town before looking back to her companion. “Haruka… Why did you decide to do this?”
“I don’t like the way you were thinking earlier,” Haruka answered without hesitation. Her gaze was intense, locking Bella’s eyes on hers, but her lips held a light smile. “What you think you deserve is wrong.” She leaned forward, tapping the table. “For the rest of your life, whenever you think about what you deserve, this is what I want to come to mind. This is what you deserve.” The monk looked around. “Not just the fancy restaurant or the nice dress or the pretty view, but the attention and the effort. You deserve to have someone care enough about you to try to make you happy. And that’s me.”
Isabella looked down, to the side, and then back at her, unable to prevent a smile. “No matter what I say, you just keep believing the same thing. You’re very stubborn.”
Haruka chuckled. “It’s a quality I’ve been known to have.”
“I don’t…” Isabella sighed, smiling as she looked off the balcony. “You’re making it very hard to keep hating myself. Are you trying to make me crazy?”
Haruka leaned forward. “Bella… You’re already crazy.”
Bella laughed. “Crazier? Mad? Insane? Bonkers?” She tilted her head. “I’ve always liked bonkers.”
Haruka smirked. “Apparently, so do I.”
Isabella grinned at her. “Attracted to crazy women? That’s unhealthy, you know.”
“Eh,” Haruka shrugged, “As long as they’re equally hot it’s worth it.”
“Oh, I see.” Isabella rested her chin on her hand as she smiled at her across the table. “So as long as I don’t lose my looks, I’m good?”
“That’s the deal,” Haruka said with a smirk as she sipped her water.
“What if they change?”
“Well from what I’ve seen you look good with blue, black and red hair, so I’m pretty sure you can pull anything off.”
Isabella bit her lip. “Sometimes it’s so hard to resist turning the things you say into innuendo.”
Haruka grinned. “How many things can I possibly say that could be made dirty?”
“Everything. Everything can be made dirty, or at least responded to in such a manner.”
“You must have a dirty mind, then.”
Bella sighed. “You have no idea.”
Haruka raised an eyebrow. “I want to.”
Isabella smiled. “We’ll see. You’re doing pretty good so far.”
After the extravagant dinner they found themselves south of the city, walking along the beach there hand-in-hand. The date was so very normal that it was extremely abnormal to the two of them. “I wonder if they appreciate it this much,” Isabella was saying as they walked, continuing, as she sometimes did, a line of thought into spoken word.
“Who appreciates what now?”
Bella smiled, looking at her. “I wonder if normal people appreciate the normal things they do.”
“Ah.” Haruka looked back at the town, as if judging for herself. “I think people can get used to anything, and eventually it’s no longer special.”
Isabella stopped, catching Haruka’s gaze as she, too, stopped. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this,” the knight said softly. “This has been…” Bella sighed, looking at Haruka as if she was a puzzle to her. “I don’t know how you keep making me feel so lucky. I keep wondering if things are real or if I’ve finally snapped completely and imagined someone perfect to save me.”
Haruka smiled, her arms encircling her waist. “It’s real. That’s why we keep getting interrupted by danger and violence.”
Bella rested her hands on the monk’s shoulders, tilting her head. “Maybe. But I don’t feel interrupted right now.”
“Shh,” Haruka said with a chuckle. “You’re tempting fate.”
Isabella smiled. “I’ll risk it.” She tilted her head up and kissed her, leaning in closer. Haruka returned it, her arms tightening to keep her there. And that was fine with Isabella; she wasn’t planning on going anywhere.