She woke up as she almost always did, her internal clock rousing
her exactly on time. May smiled, stretching out her body, her long brown
hair falling messily down her back. She got up from her bed, her
nightgown swirling around her as she walked to the kitchen for some
coffee.
Drinking a cup of coffee was a ritual that May enjoyed, even
though she didn't really need to eat anything at all. As a Cyberdoll she
merely had to plug in to recharge herself, but the flavor and scent of
coffee was a comforting familiarity. She gazed out the window and
smiled, the concrete buildings all around her.
Living in old-Tokyo was an interesting mix of contradictions.
Like the rest of the city it was a patchwork of buildings from different
eras, but here it was even more pronounced. Historical preservation
created a crazy mix of wood, concrete, steel and other materials, all
laughingly based around a arbitrarily determined city center.
A few of her friends had commented she was crazy to live in this
part of town when she could easily afford to live anywhere, but May
rather liked it. The place was a vibrant mix of old and new, unlike the
more recent additions. Also, it was conveniently nearby Arisugawa's
Locket, her home away from home and source of employment.
The old-fashioned calendar hanging on the wall caught her eye,
and May smiled to herself wryly. It was February fourteenth by the old
calendar, Valentines Day. Despite going through several shifts over the
centuries the holiday remained, a time to cherish the one that you
loved. 'Like Keiko and I once did,' May mused.
"Which reminds me," May murmured to herself aloud. She walked
over to her front door and opened it up, somehow not surprised to see
the gift sitting there. Every year for the past few years a gift had
been left as her door, and each time the card was unsigned.
The box of chocolates sitting there was an expensive brand, as
well as very good quality, but she ignored that. May flipped up the tag,
her eyes narrowing slightly as she read the simple inscription, 'Looking
forward to seeing you today. Happy Valentines Day.'
May sighed softly, "Still no signature." She carried the gift
inside, sitting back down at the table to look at it thoughtfully.
Normally her admirer just wrote 'Happy Valentine's Day' on the card, but
the other writing didn't really help her much in identifying who sent
it. Arisugawa's Locket would be packed tonight, that was certain.
'Wonder if it could be one of the staff?' May mused as she
walked to her bedroom. She slid her gown off, pausing before her closet
to consider what to wear. The dress she picked was fine, a soft rose
that went well with her brown hair.
'No, I don't think so,' May considered as she combed her hair
out in the bathroom, tying a single lock into a simple braid. 'There's
no way we could know each other as long for as we have and not say
anything,' she finally decided. 'Which means it's a customer or friend.'
May made her way through the comfortable suite, picking up her
breakfast things and stowing them all away. She grabbed her keys and put
them in her purse, then pulled her coat down from the rack by her front
door before pulling it on. House slippers were taken off, she slipped
her shoes on and then headed out.
'So who could it be?' May mused as she headed for the lift. She
eliminated most of the committed couples immediately, of course. There
was a moments hesitation as she hit Mara and Sylia, but while they might
another into their relationship, neither would be interested in
something as drawn out as this.
The sun shone brightly as May reached the street level and she
set off down the street. There were more than a few close friends she
had over the years, but she had a hard time imagining one of them being
in love with her. 'Leave it alone,' she thought, 'it's a beautiful day.
Just enjoy it.'
The streets had a mix of people moving along, some familiar
faces, some not. It was harder than ever to tell those of human or alien
descent, there had been so much interbreeding. Hair colors and clothes
ran a wide spectrum of colors, along with style and manner. She received
many smiles and nods, recognized as the manager of Arisugawa's Locket.
May felt herself smile as she reached the converted warehouse,
her palm print opening up the front door. As she did so, just above the
door an hologram of a locket opening up to reveal a pretty girl
activated, and just above it the words, Arisugawa's Locket lit up.
The main lights keyed on automatically as she walked down the
hall into the Locket itself, taking a moment to breath deep the scent of
the place. She stood on the edge of a large dance floor, and over to one
side was a generously stocked bar. Over on the other side dining tables
were set up, and up against the back wall on that side was a fair sized
library. Am old fashioned kareoke stage was set up near the stairs that
lead to the upstairs bedrooms and her office.
"May-sama!" the familiar and very happy voice squealed as she
was hit from behind by a young woman.
"Oof," May nearly fell over before recovering to shout, "Excel!"
"Hey, boss," Excel slid down from May's back, the blonde
beaming. Beside her Hyatt offered a languid wave, her face oddly green.
"Happy Valentine's Day, you two," May found it hard to stay
irritable with the two of them. She grinned, "We'd better get going on
set up."
"Hai," Mahoro came up the hallway, the black haired android
smiling. Her maid's uniform looked lovely on her, and she seemed
especially happy.
"Hi, Mahoro," May nodded, studying the woman thoughtfully. The
former combat android had joined the staff not long after the Locket had
opened, and she had been a strong and capable employee. Not to mention
someone good to have at your back when trouble came.
"Am I cooking today," Mahoro asked curiously, "or tending bar?"
"We aren't offering a full meat today," May said, "I'll prepare
most of the dishes so that they can be kept warm. Shouldn't be a
problem."
"Got it," Mahoro stepped behind the bar, quickly preparing the
mixers for when they would be opening up soon. She looked curious, "You
still getting the Valentine's gifts?"
"Oh, yes," May gave her a look, "you wouldn't know who was
sending them, do you?"
"Sorry," Mahoro shook her head.
There was a sound from the hallway and May turned, her eyes
widening as she called out "Minagi, Sasami!" The two women beamed as she
threw her arms around them both.
"Hey, May," Sasami smiled, her long blue hair flowing in twin
tails down the twenty year olds back. "You look good," she added
admiringly.
"Good to see you, boss," Minagi offered a grin, her own
blue-gray hair flowing in a wild cascade down her back. The space pirate
looked a bit older, but not by much.
"When did you two get to Earth?" May laughed, refusing to let
them go.
"Been a week or so," Sasami admitted. "I had to pass on some
diplomatic messages to Neo-Queen Serenity, as well as to our own
embassy," she shrugged.
"And we got to play in a wargame with Captain Ruri," Minagi
added. She was looking over at the bar, a little smile on her face. "You
mind if I help out behind the bar?" Minagi asked, longing in her voice.
Softly, "It's been a while, but I bet it'll come back to me."
"And I'd love to see what you've done with the kitchen," Sasami
beamed.
May hesitated, "Are you sure you want to?"
Minagi teleported, appearing beside Mahoro behind the bar, the
two working together just like they had centuries before. Sasami laughed
softly before confiding, "I don't get to cook as much as I'd like as a
diplomat, it would be a pleasure."
"All right," May laughed her surrender, "we'd be glad to have
you."
The bar officially opened up not long after, and it was soon
packed with loving couples. Excel and Hyatt were kept busy delivering
food and drinks, the upper floor rooms were rented out regularly, and
the kareoke stage was the host to many romantic songs.
Sakura sighed softly in contentment, her brown hair falling into
her eyes. "You know, I wish I had figured out why you were giving me all
those Valentine's gifts earlier," she sighed, swaying in her lover's
arms.
Tomoyo cradled her close, "I guess you just had to discover it
in your own time." A soft chuckle, "I have some chocolate for you at
home, if Kero hasn't found it yet."
Sakura laughed, "We'll pick up some on the way home, just in
case."
May moved her way through the crowd, smiling and offering
greetings to old friends, making things comfortable for newcomers. "You
really are good at this," a familiar voice said. May turned to see
Arisugawa Juri there, long orange hair braided back neatly. Beside her
Lady Pluto stood, her mane of greenish-black falling around her like a
cape.
"Juri-sama," May hugged her, the two standing there a moment in
silent communication, "it's good to see both of you." She gave them both
a smile, "You look marvelous."
"As do you," Lady Pluto said gravely. She paused before
hesitantly asking, "Have you... found someone, this Valentine's Day?"
"Setsuna," Juri scolded.
"Not yet," May started to answer when she heard a familiar
voice. Turning she saw Ruri up on the kareoke stage, the blue haired
woman looking nervous as she cleared her throat.
"Ever since I first came to the Locket," Ruri said gravely from
up on the stage, "there has been someone whom I've always relied on.
She's kind, gentle, and beautiful, though at times I think she's unaware
of it." A pause, "This is for you, May."
"Come to my window...
crawl inside, wait by the light of the moon,
come to my window, I'll be home soon..."
May stood there in stunned shock as Ruri sang, the gentle beauty
washing over the entire room. Without thinking about it she made her way
through the crowd, and once Ruri was done she gently helped her step
down from the stage. "The Valentine's Day gifts," May said to her
softly, "they were from you?"
Ruri almost looked scared, the confident captain of the Nadesico
gone. "Yes," she admitted, "I couldn't bring myself to tell you, so I
sent the gifts."
"This is... going to take some getting used to," May admitted.
She smiled, a blush to her cheeks, "You startled me."
"Not in a bad way, I hope," Ruri said softly.
May looked down at her, the woman who had been her friend for so
long, the one she trusted more than anyone. "No," she smiled, "not in a
bad way." Before she could stop herself she leaned forward to kiss Ruri
gently on the lips.
To be continued...
Characters in this episode: Cyberdoll May is from Hand Maid May.
Arisugawa Juri and Keiko are from Revolutionary Girl Utena. Mara is from
Oh My Goddess. Sylia is from Bubblegum Crisis 2040. Excel and Hyatt are
from Excel Saga. Mahoro is from Mahoromatic. Minagi and Sasami are from
Tenchi Muyo. Sakura and Tomoyo are from Cardcaptor Sakura. Lady Pluto is
from Sailor Moon. Ruri is from Martian Successor Nadesico.
Author's Notes: The stories that tie in are: BGC 2040: A Goddess comes
to call. May and Keiko's relationship is featured in Arisugawa's Locket,
as is Juri and Pluto's. Sakura and Tomoyo previously appeared in Part
Three of this series. The song that Ruri sings from is 'Come to my
window' by Melissa Ethridge.
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