Post by Oni Kymiku on Sept 14, 2014 8:24:22 GMT -5
As I walked through the empty rooms of my new apartment, listening to the echoes of my footsteps, I couldn’t help but to feel that this place was the perfect metaphor for my life. I felt just like this place…empty and dark. I had brought what little I had with me after leaving my sister’s apartment, but it hardly filled a corner of this place. For a time, I had considered something much larger…money would be no problem if I truly desired it, but I had vowed not to call on those connections ever again. This was a new life…and I had to learn to live it like ordinary people…
…not even ordinary people live in squalor like this, you are the daughter of Boss Shinsuzuki, you should have more respect for yourself…
My inner-self exaggerated. This place was far from squalor…though not very far. It would do nicely for now…at least until I had worked through my…issues. I stopped walking as I stepped out onto the terrace. I breathed in the cool night air and looked out over the city. Lights shined brightly and people moved too and fro in all directions. The sights and sounds were many…and in a way, I found it soothing. The loneliness and silence inside the apartment was deafening to me. I had…
“OUCH!”
I grabbed my shoulder as I felt something hit me. It didn’t hurt, but it had startled me all the same. I glanced down and found a small pebble at my feet. A moment later, a second one came sailing by, bouncing off my wall. I looked down and several floors below, Uzai stood with another pebble in hand, ready to launch it at me…presumably to get my attention.
I hurled the rock down at him, hitting him squarely on top of his head. He hit the ground, and flopped there like a fish drowning on dry land. The sight nearly made me laugh out loud, then I immediately regretted striking him. Once he finally recovered, I waved for him to come up, then headed to the door to buzz him through the gate...
A Few Minutes Later…
After giving him the guided tour of my apartment and all of its amenities…which lasted all of a minute and a half, we settled in my tiny kitchen, perching ourselves on the counter. We ate left over takeout as we caught up with one another. “So, what mischief have you been involved in lately? I haven’t seen you since the last LAW show.”
Uzai attempted to look shocked and innocent, neither of which he did particularly well. “Me? Nothing Mistress Oni…I’ve been well. Very well, in fact.”
Inside, I cringed as he called me ‘Mistress.’ That was a moniker that I could now readily do without. “Oni is fine.”
He nodded slowly, but I could see in his eyes that this would take some getting use to on his part. I changed the subject to give him something else to think about. “So…I heard that you paid Serizawa a visit during her match.” I captured an enormous prawn with my chopsticks and stuffed it into my mouth with a generous portion of noodles. “She’s very pretty…is that why you’re stalking her?”
He lowered his eyes and shook his head, “Of course not Mist…Oni. My interests were purely professional.” He finally looked back up, capturing my gaze. “She is quite talented. Did you see her match?”
I had seen her match, though there was something about the girl that I found slightly disturbing. Her nickname…Sukeban…that certainly didn’t help. Anyone who went around calling themselves by that name had issues…
…no more than anyone calling herself a demon…
Touché inner voice…touché! However, that didn’t change my point. My nickname had been earned a hundred times over, bathed red in the blood of friend and foe alike. I kept the name to remind me where I had come from…where I never wanted to return to…and how far I still had to go. I had little doubt that Sukeban was a name more than well earned as well. Before, I would have been intrigued…now I was more than a little concerned.
“I did see her…she was very impressive” I finally answered. “That doesn’t explain your presence at her match.”
Uzai’s dark eyes focused sharply on mine and I could see myself reflected there for a moment. I knew that I was no longer the same woman he had once worshiped, and that pained him. He spoke, “As I found her intriguing…I knew that you would as well. I had hoped to get a closer look at her. She is, after all, an Asian sister to us.”
“Yes…indeed she is.” He did speak the truth in this. Though my methods had changed, I still found it hard not to support my Asian sisters and their struggle for acceptance in the West. “However, I don’t think she is particularly interested in fellowship.”
Uzai finished his food and sucked down his drink as he added. “Perhaps…but one never knows. I mean, I wonder if LAW management will try to take advantage of her, because of the language barrier.”
“She has a translator…Aki I believe?” I said questioningly, knowing full well that I knew much more about the pair than I wanted to let on. Uzai was right, I had found them much more than intriguing, but it was like a moth to the flame. I had no intention of getting too close to Sukeban…the temptation of returning to my old ways was too great. “I am sure that Aki will look after her interests.”
Uzai nodded, then hopped down off the counter. “I’m sure that you are right…Oni.” His long pause punctuating the fact that he really had trouble calling me anything but ‘Mistress.’ He straightened, “I suppose I’ll be leaving now.”
“Where are you going?” I asked him, knowing that he had no place to go. When he shrugged, I hopped down off the counter. “I suppose you should just stay here for now. This place is big enough…” I looked around, “…especially since I have nothing in it.”
“Mis…Oni, are you sure that I wouldn’t be imposing?” he asked, though I could clearly see that he was only asking to be polite. He was overjoyed that I had asked him to stay.
“It’s fine…I’ll get you some bedding.” As I walked over to find a blanket for him, I knew that bringing him here was a mistake. He was a tie to my former life…and that equaled trouble. Still…if I turned him away, how could I live with myself? Uzai was the way he was because of me…my negative influence. Maybe I could salvage him…put him back on the proper path now that my eyes were open.
If I could save Uzai…maybe then I would have no reason to be disconcerted by the presence of Sukeban. This wasn’t something I wanted to do…it was something that I needed to do. I would find a way to make up for the sins of my past…and I would start with Uzai.
…not even ordinary people live in squalor like this, you are the daughter of Boss Shinsuzuki, you should have more respect for yourself…
My inner-self exaggerated. This place was far from squalor…though not very far. It would do nicely for now…at least until I had worked through my…issues. I stopped walking as I stepped out onto the terrace. I breathed in the cool night air and looked out over the city. Lights shined brightly and people moved too and fro in all directions. The sights and sounds were many…and in a way, I found it soothing. The loneliness and silence inside the apartment was deafening to me. I had…
“OUCH!”
I grabbed my shoulder as I felt something hit me. It didn’t hurt, but it had startled me all the same. I glanced down and found a small pebble at my feet. A moment later, a second one came sailing by, bouncing off my wall. I looked down and several floors below, Uzai stood with another pebble in hand, ready to launch it at me…presumably to get my attention.
I hurled the rock down at him, hitting him squarely on top of his head. He hit the ground, and flopped there like a fish drowning on dry land. The sight nearly made me laugh out loud, then I immediately regretted striking him. Once he finally recovered, I waved for him to come up, then headed to the door to buzz him through the gate...
A Few Minutes Later…
After giving him the guided tour of my apartment and all of its amenities…which lasted all of a minute and a half, we settled in my tiny kitchen, perching ourselves on the counter. We ate left over takeout as we caught up with one another. “So, what mischief have you been involved in lately? I haven’t seen you since the last LAW show.”
Uzai attempted to look shocked and innocent, neither of which he did particularly well. “Me? Nothing Mistress Oni…I’ve been well. Very well, in fact.”
Inside, I cringed as he called me ‘Mistress.’ That was a moniker that I could now readily do without. “Oni is fine.”
He nodded slowly, but I could see in his eyes that this would take some getting use to on his part. I changed the subject to give him something else to think about. “So…I heard that you paid Serizawa a visit during her match.” I captured an enormous prawn with my chopsticks and stuffed it into my mouth with a generous portion of noodles. “She’s very pretty…is that why you’re stalking her?”
He lowered his eyes and shook his head, “Of course not Mist…Oni. My interests were purely professional.” He finally looked back up, capturing my gaze. “She is quite talented. Did you see her match?”
I had seen her match, though there was something about the girl that I found slightly disturbing. Her nickname…Sukeban…that certainly didn’t help. Anyone who went around calling themselves by that name had issues…
…no more than anyone calling herself a demon…
Touché inner voice…touché! However, that didn’t change my point. My nickname had been earned a hundred times over, bathed red in the blood of friend and foe alike. I kept the name to remind me where I had come from…where I never wanted to return to…and how far I still had to go. I had little doubt that Sukeban was a name more than well earned as well. Before, I would have been intrigued…now I was more than a little concerned.
“I did see her…she was very impressive” I finally answered. “That doesn’t explain your presence at her match.”
Uzai’s dark eyes focused sharply on mine and I could see myself reflected there for a moment. I knew that I was no longer the same woman he had once worshiped, and that pained him. He spoke, “As I found her intriguing…I knew that you would as well. I had hoped to get a closer look at her. She is, after all, an Asian sister to us.”
“Yes…indeed she is.” He did speak the truth in this. Though my methods had changed, I still found it hard not to support my Asian sisters and their struggle for acceptance in the West. “However, I don’t think she is particularly interested in fellowship.”
Uzai finished his food and sucked down his drink as he added. “Perhaps…but one never knows. I mean, I wonder if LAW management will try to take advantage of her, because of the language barrier.”
“She has a translator…Aki I believe?” I said questioningly, knowing full well that I knew much more about the pair than I wanted to let on. Uzai was right, I had found them much more than intriguing, but it was like a moth to the flame. I had no intention of getting too close to Sukeban…the temptation of returning to my old ways was too great. “I am sure that Aki will look after her interests.”
Uzai nodded, then hopped down off the counter. “I’m sure that you are right…Oni.” His long pause punctuating the fact that he really had trouble calling me anything but ‘Mistress.’ He straightened, “I suppose I’ll be leaving now.”
“Where are you going?” I asked him, knowing that he had no place to go. When he shrugged, I hopped down off the counter. “I suppose you should just stay here for now. This place is big enough…” I looked around, “…especially since I have nothing in it.”
“Mis…Oni, are you sure that I wouldn’t be imposing?” he asked, though I could clearly see that he was only asking to be polite. He was overjoyed that I had asked him to stay.
“It’s fine…I’ll get you some bedding.” As I walked over to find a blanket for him, I knew that bringing him here was a mistake. He was a tie to my former life…and that equaled trouble. Still…if I turned him away, how could I live with myself? Uzai was the way he was because of me…my negative influence. Maybe I could salvage him…put him back on the proper path now that my eyes were open.
If I could save Uzai…maybe then I would have no reason to be disconcerted by the presence of Sukeban. This wasn’t something I wanted to do…it was something that I needed to do. I would find a way to make up for the sins of my past…and I would start with Uzai.