[FIC] First Impressions (part 3)
Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 7:54 pm
Sunlight reflected off of the large plate glass window being lowered by a series of ropes and pulleys.
For a moment, Sousuke squinted, wondering what Wraith must be thinking as he watched the Mithril-employed glazier work to repair Kaname’s window.
The crew had gotten there quickly, as their secret benefactors tended to pay very well for their expertise, and penchant for not asking questions. Likewise, Sousuke’s back-up team in Tokyo had been close to arriving when they received his cancellation signal. No doubt they would get a kick out of things when they heard what had happened.
For the young soldier, this was anything but a laughing matter. Kaname and her father were by no means in any mood for humor either. The only one having a good time was Ayame, who felt as if she had died and gone to Heaven. She was gathering up enough things to tease Kaname about until the day they were both in wheelchairs.
The young girl had almost fallen off of the couch when Kaname described the occurrence at school that morning. It was all so sublime! Her father’s face had gone through the full spectrum of contortions associated with shock, disbelief, embarrassment, and anger.
‘So what was that question again,’ Shunya had asked.
The reporter said ‘So, she cooks for you? That is very nice. And you spend a great deal of time together.’
‘How did that lead to….” Shunya grimaced, then looked over at Sousuke, skewering him the way a hobbyist pins a butterfly to a corkboard. “Just what did you say?” He couldn’t believe that he was sitting and conversing with a boy who had come crashing through a window. “And how often does she cook for you?” He also couldn’t believe that Kaname had gone against his wishes in the dating department.
‘My response was accurate and low key,’ Sousuke had said. ‘My words were as follows. ‘Yes, I had two fine breasts last night.’ Nothing less and nothing more.’ He began sweating heavily. Numerous people had explained how his wording had been taken.
‘Guh!’ Shunya had began choking.
Ayame had looked over at Kaname and gave her a look that needed no explanation.
‘But Daddy, he meant….’ Kaname had given her sister a scowl that clearly said ‘I don’t get mad…… I get even…..’
‘KANAME!’
Her fathers deep and loud voice had caused her mouth to automatically close like a trap. She rubbed her fingers together, anxious and concerned. The window would soon be fixed. Her father wasn’t seriously injured. But, who knows what her father might insist, especially given his intentions when his plane touched ground in Japan.
‘Young man, I would be interested in an honest answer. Can you give me one?’ Shunya’s face had looked as if it had been carved from stone.
‘Affirmative,’ Sousuke had said.
‘Just what kind of reference was that?’ The eldest Chidori clasped his hands together in his lap, looking falsely composed. One learns a skill or two about appearances while working in the United nations.
‘Boobs?’ Ayame had put in, her eyes bright. ‘Knockers?’ She was exposed to a lot of slangs thanks to satellite TV. "Hooters?"
‘Ssssss-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s….’ The strange sound that Shunya made was akin to air being bled from the stem valve on a tire. The look he turned on his youngest daughter had Ayame grabbing hold of Sousuke’s arm. The subsequent look had her moving over to a chair.
‘I was referring to the meal that Kaname had cooked me the evening before. It had been chicken. White meat. Extremely well prepared.” Sousuke had nodded to Kaname. “Your daughter is an excellent cook. She cooks for me a number of nights each week, usually on weeks that we do schoolwork together.’
‘What does she give you for desert?’ Ayame had asked, trying to cause trouble, and wanting to seem as if she could talk about the mature subjects the girls at her school whispered and gossiped about. And television was rife with innuendo even a young girl could figure out.
Shunya had opened his mouth up to scold he troublesome young woman. Sousuke had spoken first, amazing Kaname in the process. For someone so clueless, he certainly had his moments of insight.
‘I suppose it is not unusual for young women to wish attention. I believe that many of Kaname’s violent or demonstrative acts were once prompted by just such a desire.’ His insights were often mixed with less advisable observations. ‘And, I suppose that siblings often have a need to compete, just as my too older associates often do in their relationship.’
That had Kaname smiling, and actually caused Shunya to nod his head. Unfortunately, the young soldier knew nothing about the psychology of young girls. Ayame had chosen to lay low for a while, but she was not reformed by any means.
‘OK, I suppose that much is harmless.’ Kaname’s father had rubbed his chin, but was used to asking follow-up questions, to see if his verbal opponent would slip up in any manner. ‘What was said after that?’
‘Kaname correctly informed the camera crew that ‘It’s…… it’s not what it sounds like….’ She realized my mistake before I did.’ Sousuke had swallowed hard. Someone had explained what the next words he had spoken that morning sounded like. ‘I am certain that the television channel would not air such commentary, as it is not illustrative of their stated purpose.’
Ayame had just sat and smiled. She could picture just such a comedic situation being televised as an example of teenage shenanigans. She crossed her fingers.
‘Hmmmmpppppffff!’ That noise had been something else that Kaname had picked up honestly. ‘I should hope not.’ There had been an implied sense of doom in Shunya’s exclamation. ‘So, Kaname…… what did your rather articulate young…… friend…… say to the camera after that?’
‘He…… ummm…’ Kaname had tried to force herself to look nonchalant. She was not the only one with Great White-like talents. Carcharodon carcharias was an amateur compared to her father. ‘He m-m-merely went on to describe how well I had cooked dinner.’
Shunya had taken off his glasses and sat a while, breathing on them and then polishing them to a smear less finish. Looking over at Sousuke, he had put them back on and spoke very casually. ‘What words did you use, young man?’
Ayame had sat at the very edge of her chair. She was not clairvoyant, but somehow knew that something choice was about to happen.
‘Uhhh….’ Sousuke had looked over at Kaname, blinking when sweat rolled down into his eyes.
‘Hmmmm…… Sousuke?’ Shunya had looked down at his fingernails, making certain they looked clean.
“Errr….’ Sousuke couldn’t bring himself to lie, despite the pleading looking in his girlfriend’s eyes.
‘SOUSUKE!’
Shunya’s shout had caused Kaname to jump. Sousuke…… preconditioned by Kaname’s vocalizations in the past…… had immediately responded.
‘Sir, I had said ‘You are ashamed, Kaname? Why? They were large and succulent. I doubt that I could have gotten better elsewhere.’ Again, I had been referring to…… ummm…… poultry……uhhh…… not to…… errr….’
Ayame slid off the end of her seat. She couldn’t help but giggle.
Shunya had gone rigid. He looked over at Kaname, an indescribable look on his face. Sighing, he picked lint off of his suit jacket.
Kaname’s hands had been clenched so tight, that she nearly tore the fabric off of the couch arm. Sometimes it was more worrisome when her father was quiet.
‘This was all done in front of your fellow students?’ Shunya had asked. ‘While the camera was rolling?’
‘A-A-Affirmative….’ Sousuke, who had talked down the fearsome General of the Mithril Intelligence Division, felt his knees shake the tiniest bit.
‘I see,’ Shunya had said, taking out a comb and running it through his hair. ‘It could have been worse…… I suppose….’ He had found himself disappointed in a way. If the young man had been speaking in a more vulgar fashion, he would have an easier time making his pronouncement. ‘What happened next? Kaname?’
After that, Kaname described her run in with the people in the cafeteria. Her father remained remarkably calm. Ayame looked the way she did in the past, on Christmas Eve, before she got to open one of her presents early.
But, the fun soon ended.
“I have not been entirely ignorant, you know.” Shunya said, watching the glazier at work. “While most of my contact with your school has been funneled through the Principal…… I assume that she is the one who knows your secret…… I have managed to get a few things out of your teacher…… Miss Kagurazaka." He pushed his glasses further up his nose. “They were vague, and didn’t seem worth much attention. Now I wonder what she was hiding.”
“Daddy, she….” Kaname’s eyes went wide. Her father could be very subtle and disarming. Who knows what her teacher might let slip. And once he had an opening, he would be worse than a pit bull….
Shunya raised his hand. “I intend to find out tomorrow, when I visit your school again. I know another name to mention now….” He frowned, looking at Sousuke. “And I intend to use some political clout, if need be.”
“Then…… if you’re going to do all that…… does that mean that you’ll be letting me finish my undergraduate schooling in Tokyo?” Kaname suddenly saw a possible silver lining.
“No.” Her father’s voice was stern and deep. “I want to know what kind of person my daughter has become. That will help me decide what to do when we all return to the States.”
“But you can’t….” Kaname stood up, suddenly feeling trapped. “My friends…… my school” She knew better than to mention Sousuke. “All of the hard work I put in….” She felt weak in the knees.
“We are not going to discuss this, Kaname!” her father’s voice snapped like a flag in a gusting wind. “And even if we were, it wouldn’t be in front of…… strangers….” He gave Sousuke a very dark look.
“I do not wish to intrude, but….” Sousuke was interrupted.
“Good. Then don’t!” Shunya glared at Sousuke.
Sousuke felt as if he had stepped back in time. He pictured himself back on Merida Island, in the base’s Meeting Room, present before Mithril’s executive officers. With him had been Tessa, Kalinin, and Mardukas.
‘I have never been as angry as I am right now,’ General Amitt had said. The President of the Intelligence Division had gone on to dress Tessa down, since Sousuke was her subordinate, and was opposing his decisions, making threats in the process.
‘I am not threatening anyone, Sir.’ Sousuke had said. ‘What I am proposing is a change in the contract agreement. If this proposal is not agreeable to you, I will pay the fine for breaching my contract and leave the force.’ Most members of Mithril…… save for the free-spirited members of the SRT group…… would have been nervous saying anything to the man, much less something that was essentially an ultimatum of sorts.
After a few more exchanges, the General had said ‘That’s big talk there, Sergeant. Do you think you’ll be able to get what you want by making an enemy out of me….’
‘Then it is as you wish, General, Sir,’ Sousuke had retorted. ‘Does that mean that you don’t think that you can handle me?’ That hadn’t been the end of it, but it was the crux of his stance. He hadn’t been about to back down.
He wasn’t planning on doing that now either, no matter what decision Kaname’s father might make. He would speak up for the woman he cared for.
“You might not like the fact that I care about your daughter,” he said, stepping over to stand in front of Shunya. “That is your right. However, it is my right to care.” He paid no attention to Ayame, who looked like she was about to swoon. He barely heard Kaname’s whispered ‘Sousuke.’
“Your right! I….” It was Shunya’s turn to be cut-off.
“I was not finished, Sir.” Sousuke was not about to be cowed by a bureaucrat. “Because I care, I will speak the simple cold facts. Mithril’s ability to protect your daughter will be diminished in America. This possibility has been discussed in long range strategic planning initiatives. The Atlantic branch of the organization does not have someone who is my equivalent….”
“GOOD!”
Shunya was beginning to grow red in the face. He was not used to being talked to this way. He was not going to let some hair-trigger punk speak to him in this fashion.
“Wrong!” Sousuke’s breathing quickened. He almost felt as if he were fighting for Kaname’s life then and there. “Didn’t you hear a single word that she said? I thought that UN officials would be adept at listening as well as talking.”
Ayame’s mouth fell open. Kaname didn’t know what to feel. Sousuke was being disrespectful to her father, but he was also standing up for her.
“You….” Shunya clenched his fists. “I am not one to be spoken to as if I am one of your deranged playmates.” He tried hard to regain his composure, but failed. “And unless you wish for me to spread word of your Mithril to the appropriate parties in the UN, I suggest you keep your nose out of my family’s business.”
“I see. You are like other men with power. Getting your way takes precedent over everything else.” Sousuke’s anger ebbed. He sounded saddened. “I had hoped for better.”
“I…… you….” Shunya sputtered.
“I had not wanted to make an enemy out of you,” Sousuke said. “But, Kaname’s safety is paramount to me. I am a mercenary. A migrant of sorts. Your threats don’t really affect one such as me. But, in threatening Mithril, you may hamper the good that they do for countless people.” He shook his head, then looked Shunya straight in the yes. “There are high-ranking individuals in many nations, and in the United Nations itself, all aware of our existence, supporting us in our actions. No doubt, were you to divulge what you were told in good faith by Kaname, your job would end, and any word from you would be discredited in whatever manner necessary.”
“Don’t think that your threats will frighten me!” Shunya’s eyes flashed. He was breathing heavily, his anger building in waves.
“They are not my threats. I told you, I am merely a mercenary. I pilot Arbalest. I risk my life for my colleagues. I do my best to protect your daughter. Isn’t that last a father’s duty as well?” Sousuke spoke in a disrespectful tone, segueing into the persona he had used in front of general Amitt. “Or am I mistaken?”
“There is nothing that I want to hear from you!” Shunya bit off his words, no longer concerned about his lack of decorum. “You have no idea what it means to be a parent!” he turned an looked over at Kaname. “Do you harbor this same kind of disrespect for me, Kaname?”
“Father, no….” Kaname’s face crumbled. “But Sousuke’s right…… the danger….”
“All you know about the danger is what he and his cronies tell you. For all you know, any or all of the incidents could have been staged for their purposes. You told me about the fake raid on the cruise ship!” He looked over at Sousuke. “I don’t trust a reckless youth with a gun, who seems to be lacking in common sense. I certainly don’t trust some secret organization that is not kept in line by the community of nations.”
“Daddy, please….” Kaname trusted Tessa, Melissa, Kurz, and Kalinin. She knew that Mithril’s needs came before those of one Whispered girl, but they had made efforts on her behalf. She was certain of that. She knew that Sousuke thought the same.
“I don’t want to hear any more from you, Kaname. Not a single word!” Her father narrowed his eyes. “For all I know, you may have been brainwashed. Who’s to say that Mithril hasn’t been taking the Black Technology from you, if such a thing even exists!”
“But…… Captain Testarossa is a Whispered girl my age. I have seen inside her mind. She couldn’t hide that kind of trick from me. I know….” Kaname wanted so badly for her father to believe her.
“Not…… another…… word….” Shunya growled. “Tonight, you will pack up anything you want to take on the plane with you.” He patted the pocket inside his jacket, the one holding three First Class airline tickets. “I will contract with packers to box up the remainder of your personal items and have it shipped. Tomorrow, you may spend one last day in class while I finalize matters with the Jindai officials.”
“No….” Kaname shook her head, tears coming to her eyes. “You can’t……I won’t…..”
“Will you defy me, then?” Her father spoke in a very low voice. “I doubt your mother would have ever predicted such a day. Could you choose your school…… and this boy…… over your family?”
The mention of her mother hit Kaname hard. She knew what her answer had to be. Just the same, she felt like she would be a traitor to Sousuke.
Kaname shook her head. “I love you and Ayame.” She almost said that she loved Sousuke too. “But, it’s not fair…. using that….”
“I know it might seem that way.” Her father looked sad himself for a moment. “And I know what you’ve been through, Kaname. But I only want what’s best for you.” He stood straighter. “This is what’s best for you. For our whole family.” He looked over at Ayame, who no longer saw anything to find fun in. “I had given this a lot of though, before certain circumstances made me even more convinced that I am right….” She didn’t bother to look at Sousuke.
A moment of awkward silence stretched out.
“Sousuke…… I’m sorry….” Kaname’s heart felt as if it were being pulled like taffy.
“You have nothing to be sorry for, Kaname.” Sousuke’s voice was hoarse. “I imagine the love for family must be important above all else. If I ever knew my family, perhaps I would feel the same.” He suddenly felt as if a trapdoor had opened beneath him and he was falling. “We both know the truth. I will speak to Tessa. She will pass word on to the necessary people.” His throat tightened. “They…… I….”
“I know, Sousuke.” Kaname tried to maintain some dignity. “We can talk about things later, and….”
“Ayame and myself are about to head back to our hotel. You will join us there after you are done packing. The young man will not be staying here with you after your sister and I leave.” Shunya’s words carried the finality of a coffin lid nailed shut. “I will want your word on that, Kaname.” Now he did look over at Sousuke. “Yours too, if you are a man of honor.”
“Will you give us the courtesy of saying our goodbyes, then?” Sousuke sounded down, but he was not about to give in on that point. “It seems that you have won what you desired. I hope that it does not turn to ashes in your mouth. The way that my life has….”
“I….” Shunya opened his mouth to take offense, but relented when he saw the look in Kaname’s eyes. “Alright. Ayame, we can use this time to arrange some of Kaname’s things for her in the other room.”
“Yes, Father.” Ayame felt a little bit of her spunk returning. “But, I should stay out here a little longer, to make certain that nothing funny happens.”
“AYAME!”
When her father and sister went to find something to occupy their time, Kaname collapsed in on herself like a house of cards. She was too numb to cry.
“I begin to feel the way I did when Gauron lied to me about your death,” Sousuke ventured when Shunya pulled Ayame from view. “I know that this is not as bad, as you are not dead.” There was an unmistakable sound of worry in his voice when he commented on that. “Although, perhaps you wish that I was, seeing how….” He swept an arm towards the window. The worker, recognizing the two teenagers, waved.
“No, Sousuke…… never….” Kaname tentatively walked over to Sousuke, wanting to throw herself in his arms. Now, it was more important to look up into his face. “This certainly didn’t help; but, my father had this in mind all along. You’ve only strengthened his resolve.” Her eyes watered. “I was proud of you, when you stood up for me.” She tried her best to make a joke. “Before, you would have shot Daddy, or put a grenade down his pants.”
”Kaname! A man would not do such a thing to another man.” Sosuke looked uneasy at the thought. “It would be more effective to put one down his back.”
“Yes, I guess a guy would never want to lose uhhh…… you know…” Kaname sighed. “I doubt my father will ever want me to know that those things even exist, right?” Despite her pain, she grinned, expecting to see Sousuke begin to sweat. She was not disappointed.
“Uhhh….”
“It’s alright, Sousuke.” Kaname put a hand on his cheek. “Although, some day we would have….” She looked down at her feet. “Maybe…… if fate pays us back for this….” She sniffed. There had been days where she had actually sat down and pictured what life might be like with Sousuke and kids. “Maybe we should have…… you know….” She pushed her hair out of her face. “If you got me pregnant, maybe Daddy would….”
The look on Kaname’s face showed that she was only partly joking. That had Sousuke feeling tense. “I…… you…… it….” Sousuke stopped and listened. “Ayame, please rejoin your father.” Kaname’s sister had been listening around the corner. “Your sister is very persistent. I guess that must be a family trait.”
“Yes. But she really misses me. So she’s acting out some.” Kaname sighed. There would be a plus side to things, if she got to see more of her little sister. “And yes, we don’t like to give up.” She finally gave in and wrapped her arms around Sousuke. “That makes this even harder. Maybe…… maybe you can….” She squeezed him as tightly as she could. “If you worked on your English some more…… and Mithril could get you into the same college I attend….”
“Kaname.” Sousuke put his face down on her hair and breathed in, taking note of the familiar scent. Maybe for the last time. “I suppose it is possible. But, it is also unlikely.” He sounded certain. “I could not get in without their help, so my quitting would accomplish nothing. And…… once you are gone and I am pulled back to the TDD-1 or the rebuild project at Merida….” He shook his head.
“You are too important to let go again?” Kaname began crying. “I know that. I feel the same way. This just isn’t fair. We’ve been through so much….”
Sousuke ran his hand over Kaname’s hair. Overcome by emotion, he tipped her chin up and bent over, giving her a light kiss, which she turned into something deeper and long-lasting.
“Somehow…… somehow we can find each other again, right?” Kaname’s eyes were filled with desperation. The full weight of the situation was finally pressing in on her. “If we don’t…… I doubt that I will ever be able to forgive my father.” She dug her nails into his back, not knowing she was doing so.
“Maybe…… if you were to join Mithril….” The idea had hit Sousuke. He remembered something that Tessa had said once. If she herself were killed, Kaname might make a good replacement some day. He sighed. “But, that would not be conducive to much of a family life.”
“I couldn’t do it now, anyway.” Kaname released her grip. “It would alienate my father beyond repair. I don’t even dare stay here, under your charity.” She knew fair well how much money Sousuke had stashed away. SRT soldiers were paid huge salaries. Even if her father ceased paying her rent, the money would come from somewhere. If not, she could imagine her father’s reaction if she moved in with Sousuke.
Sousuke looked over at Kaname, his face looking more like it had in their earliest days together.
“We have both accomplished amazing things.” He said, knowing it was true. He tried to smile but failed. “Before the incident with the camera crew, we had been doing remarkably well.”
“I accomplished that latest change, Sousuke. You were very hard to train. No, you are very hard to train!” Kaname ran her hand over Sousuke’s face, as if to memorize the feel of it. She bowed her head, and then leaned against him. “What…… what will you do without me….” Her voice broke.
“I will live, Kaname. I will live and hope.” Sousuke looked out of the window, remembering that they could be watched like animals in a zoo. The glazier was not paying them any attention.
“Me too,” Kaname’s voice was muffled beyond recognition.
The too stood together for a while, thinking private thoughts. Their moment was interrupted when Shunya walked in on them.
“AHEM!”
Kaname didn’t move away from Sousuke the way she might have done in the past. Instead, she turned her face to look at him, eyes impossibly sad. If the recent window-crashing hadn’t been so fresh in his mind, Shunya would have been moved emotionally.
“We’re not done yet, Father.” Kaname was being factual, not defiant. Still, she felt a need to make a statement the only way she knew how. “I love you, Sousuke Sagara.” She looked into her boyfriend’s eyes, and then closed her own, tears leaking out.
“I love you too, Kaname Chidori.” Sousuke trembled, saying those words. It seemed so unreal. He had proven capable of loving someone. Of course, his life held true to course. That person was being taken from him. “Thank you. To be able to do so, that is a gift that I can never repay….”
Those words had Kaname sobbing again. Ayame felt tears come to her own eyes. She loved her big sister very much. Suddenly, her mischief earlier seemed like a badge of shame.
Shunya opened his mouth. For once, he found himself at a loss for words. Seeing Sousuke’s pistol sitting on the table, he renewed his resolve.
“Ayame, it’s time for us to leave now. The two of us will have a talk when we reach our rooms.” That had Ayame swallowing hard. “Kaname, bring your luggage to school with you tomorrow. We will leave for the airport from there. I know that this will be hard on you; but, it’s best not too delay matters. That would only make things worse.”
“Father….” Kaname’s voice was hollow-sounding.
“I think it best that you leave now, young man.” Shunya gave Sousuke a pointed look. “This will be hard enough on my daughter.”
“Affirmative.” Sousuke kissed Kaname on her forehead. “I will see you at school tomorrow.” His voice held pain, a rarity that Shunya and Ayame Chidori had no way to appreciate.
“Sousuke….” Kaname, however, knew just how much Sousuke must be hurting. In part, that was her fault. She had been the one who helped him get in touch with his emotions. But, given a chance to go back in time, she would do things the same again.
With one final brush of his hand over Kaname’s arm, Sosusuke left.
Kaname stood staring at the door after he left.
For a moment, Sousuke squinted, wondering what Wraith must be thinking as he watched the Mithril-employed glazier work to repair Kaname’s window.
The crew had gotten there quickly, as their secret benefactors tended to pay very well for their expertise, and penchant for not asking questions. Likewise, Sousuke’s back-up team in Tokyo had been close to arriving when they received his cancellation signal. No doubt they would get a kick out of things when they heard what had happened.
For the young soldier, this was anything but a laughing matter. Kaname and her father were by no means in any mood for humor either. The only one having a good time was Ayame, who felt as if she had died and gone to Heaven. She was gathering up enough things to tease Kaname about until the day they were both in wheelchairs.
The young girl had almost fallen off of the couch when Kaname described the occurrence at school that morning. It was all so sublime! Her father’s face had gone through the full spectrum of contortions associated with shock, disbelief, embarrassment, and anger.
‘So what was that question again,’ Shunya had asked.
The reporter said ‘So, she cooks for you? That is very nice. And you spend a great deal of time together.’
‘How did that lead to….” Shunya grimaced, then looked over at Sousuke, skewering him the way a hobbyist pins a butterfly to a corkboard. “Just what did you say?” He couldn’t believe that he was sitting and conversing with a boy who had come crashing through a window. “And how often does she cook for you?” He also couldn’t believe that Kaname had gone against his wishes in the dating department.
‘My response was accurate and low key,’ Sousuke had said. ‘My words were as follows. ‘Yes, I had two fine breasts last night.’ Nothing less and nothing more.’ He began sweating heavily. Numerous people had explained how his wording had been taken.
‘Guh!’ Shunya had began choking.
Ayame had looked over at Kaname and gave her a look that needed no explanation.
‘But Daddy, he meant….’ Kaname had given her sister a scowl that clearly said ‘I don’t get mad…… I get even…..’
‘KANAME!’
Her fathers deep and loud voice had caused her mouth to automatically close like a trap. She rubbed her fingers together, anxious and concerned. The window would soon be fixed. Her father wasn’t seriously injured. But, who knows what her father might insist, especially given his intentions when his plane touched ground in Japan.
‘Young man, I would be interested in an honest answer. Can you give me one?’ Shunya’s face had looked as if it had been carved from stone.
‘Affirmative,’ Sousuke had said.
‘Just what kind of reference was that?’ The eldest Chidori clasped his hands together in his lap, looking falsely composed. One learns a skill or two about appearances while working in the United nations.
‘Boobs?’ Ayame had put in, her eyes bright. ‘Knockers?’ She was exposed to a lot of slangs thanks to satellite TV. "Hooters?"
‘Ssssss-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s….’ The strange sound that Shunya made was akin to air being bled from the stem valve on a tire. The look he turned on his youngest daughter had Ayame grabbing hold of Sousuke’s arm. The subsequent look had her moving over to a chair.
‘I was referring to the meal that Kaname had cooked me the evening before. It had been chicken. White meat. Extremely well prepared.” Sousuke had nodded to Kaname. “Your daughter is an excellent cook. She cooks for me a number of nights each week, usually on weeks that we do schoolwork together.’
‘What does she give you for desert?’ Ayame had asked, trying to cause trouble, and wanting to seem as if she could talk about the mature subjects the girls at her school whispered and gossiped about. And television was rife with innuendo even a young girl could figure out.
Shunya had opened his mouth up to scold he troublesome young woman. Sousuke had spoken first, amazing Kaname in the process. For someone so clueless, he certainly had his moments of insight.
‘I suppose it is not unusual for young women to wish attention. I believe that many of Kaname’s violent or demonstrative acts were once prompted by just such a desire.’ His insights were often mixed with less advisable observations. ‘And, I suppose that siblings often have a need to compete, just as my too older associates often do in their relationship.’
That had Kaname smiling, and actually caused Shunya to nod his head. Unfortunately, the young soldier knew nothing about the psychology of young girls. Ayame had chosen to lay low for a while, but she was not reformed by any means.
‘OK, I suppose that much is harmless.’ Kaname’s father had rubbed his chin, but was used to asking follow-up questions, to see if his verbal opponent would slip up in any manner. ‘What was said after that?’
‘Kaname correctly informed the camera crew that ‘It’s…… it’s not what it sounds like….’ She realized my mistake before I did.’ Sousuke had swallowed hard. Someone had explained what the next words he had spoken that morning sounded like. ‘I am certain that the television channel would not air such commentary, as it is not illustrative of their stated purpose.’
Ayame had just sat and smiled. She could picture just such a comedic situation being televised as an example of teenage shenanigans. She crossed her fingers.
‘Hmmmmpppppffff!’ That noise had been something else that Kaname had picked up honestly. ‘I should hope not.’ There had been an implied sense of doom in Shunya’s exclamation. ‘So, Kaname…… what did your rather articulate young…… friend…… say to the camera after that?’
‘He…… ummm…’ Kaname had tried to force herself to look nonchalant. She was not the only one with Great White-like talents. Carcharodon carcharias was an amateur compared to her father. ‘He m-m-merely went on to describe how well I had cooked dinner.’
Shunya had taken off his glasses and sat a while, breathing on them and then polishing them to a smear less finish. Looking over at Sousuke, he had put them back on and spoke very casually. ‘What words did you use, young man?’
Ayame had sat at the very edge of her chair. She was not clairvoyant, but somehow knew that something choice was about to happen.
‘Uhhh….’ Sousuke had looked over at Kaname, blinking when sweat rolled down into his eyes.
‘Hmmmm…… Sousuke?’ Shunya had looked down at his fingernails, making certain they looked clean.
“Errr….’ Sousuke couldn’t bring himself to lie, despite the pleading looking in his girlfriend’s eyes.
‘SOUSUKE!’
Shunya’s shout had caused Kaname to jump. Sousuke…… preconditioned by Kaname’s vocalizations in the past…… had immediately responded.
‘Sir, I had said ‘You are ashamed, Kaname? Why? They were large and succulent. I doubt that I could have gotten better elsewhere.’ Again, I had been referring to…… ummm…… poultry……uhhh…… not to…… errr….’
Ayame slid off the end of her seat. She couldn’t help but giggle.
Shunya had gone rigid. He looked over at Kaname, an indescribable look on his face. Sighing, he picked lint off of his suit jacket.
Kaname’s hands had been clenched so tight, that she nearly tore the fabric off of the couch arm. Sometimes it was more worrisome when her father was quiet.
‘This was all done in front of your fellow students?’ Shunya had asked. ‘While the camera was rolling?’
‘A-A-Affirmative….’ Sousuke, who had talked down the fearsome General of the Mithril Intelligence Division, felt his knees shake the tiniest bit.
‘I see,’ Shunya had said, taking out a comb and running it through his hair. ‘It could have been worse…… I suppose….’ He had found himself disappointed in a way. If the young man had been speaking in a more vulgar fashion, he would have an easier time making his pronouncement. ‘What happened next? Kaname?’
After that, Kaname described her run in with the people in the cafeteria. Her father remained remarkably calm. Ayame looked the way she did in the past, on Christmas Eve, before she got to open one of her presents early.
But, the fun soon ended.
“I have not been entirely ignorant, you know.” Shunya said, watching the glazier at work. “While most of my contact with your school has been funneled through the Principal…… I assume that she is the one who knows your secret…… I have managed to get a few things out of your teacher…… Miss Kagurazaka." He pushed his glasses further up his nose. “They were vague, and didn’t seem worth much attention. Now I wonder what she was hiding.”
“Daddy, she….” Kaname’s eyes went wide. Her father could be very subtle and disarming. Who knows what her teacher might let slip. And once he had an opening, he would be worse than a pit bull….
Shunya raised his hand. “I intend to find out tomorrow, when I visit your school again. I know another name to mention now….” He frowned, looking at Sousuke. “And I intend to use some political clout, if need be.”
“Then…… if you’re going to do all that…… does that mean that you’ll be letting me finish my undergraduate schooling in Tokyo?” Kaname suddenly saw a possible silver lining.
“No.” Her father’s voice was stern and deep. “I want to know what kind of person my daughter has become. That will help me decide what to do when we all return to the States.”
“But you can’t….” Kaname stood up, suddenly feeling trapped. “My friends…… my school” She knew better than to mention Sousuke. “All of the hard work I put in….” She felt weak in the knees.
“We are not going to discuss this, Kaname!” her father’s voice snapped like a flag in a gusting wind. “And even if we were, it wouldn’t be in front of…… strangers….” He gave Sousuke a very dark look.
“I do not wish to intrude, but….” Sousuke was interrupted.
“Good. Then don’t!” Shunya glared at Sousuke.
Sousuke felt as if he had stepped back in time. He pictured himself back on Merida Island, in the base’s Meeting Room, present before Mithril’s executive officers. With him had been Tessa, Kalinin, and Mardukas.
‘I have never been as angry as I am right now,’ General Amitt had said. The President of the Intelligence Division had gone on to dress Tessa down, since Sousuke was her subordinate, and was opposing his decisions, making threats in the process.
‘I am not threatening anyone, Sir.’ Sousuke had said. ‘What I am proposing is a change in the contract agreement. If this proposal is not agreeable to you, I will pay the fine for breaching my contract and leave the force.’ Most members of Mithril…… save for the free-spirited members of the SRT group…… would have been nervous saying anything to the man, much less something that was essentially an ultimatum of sorts.
After a few more exchanges, the General had said ‘That’s big talk there, Sergeant. Do you think you’ll be able to get what you want by making an enemy out of me….’
‘Then it is as you wish, General, Sir,’ Sousuke had retorted. ‘Does that mean that you don’t think that you can handle me?’ That hadn’t been the end of it, but it was the crux of his stance. He hadn’t been about to back down.
He wasn’t planning on doing that now either, no matter what decision Kaname’s father might make. He would speak up for the woman he cared for.
“You might not like the fact that I care about your daughter,” he said, stepping over to stand in front of Shunya. “That is your right. However, it is my right to care.” He paid no attention to Ayame, who looked like she was about to swoon. He barely heard Kaname’s whispered ‘Sousuke.’
“Your right! I….” It was Shunya’s turn to be cut-off.
“I was not finished, Sir.” Sousuke was not about to be cowed by a bureaucrat. “Because I care, I will speak the simple cold facts. Mithril’s ability to protect your daughter will be diminished in America. This possibility has been discussed in long range strategic planning initiatives. The Atlantic branch of the organization does not have someone who is my equivalent….”
“GOOD!”
Shunya was beginning to grow red in the face. He was not used to being talked to this way. He was not going to let some hair-trigger punk speak to him in this fashion.
“Wrong!” Sousuke’s breathing quickened. He almost felt as if he were fighting for Kaname’s life then and there. “Didn’t you hear a single word that she said? I thought that UN officials would be adept at listening as well as talking.”
Ayame’s mouth fell open. Kaname didn’t know what to feel. Sousuke was being disrespectful to her father, but he was also standing up for her.
“You….” Shunya clenched his fists. “I am not one to be spoken to as if I am one of your deranged playmates.” He tried hard to regain his composure, but failed. “And unless you wish for me to spread word of your Mithril to the appropriate parties in the UN, I suggest you keep your nose out of my family’s business.”
“I see. You are like other men with power. Getting your way takes precedent over everything else.” Sousuke’s anger ebbed. He sounded saddened. “I had hoped for better.”
“I…… you….” Shunya sputtered.
“I had not wanted to make an enemy out of you,” Sousuke said. “But, Kaname’s safety is paramount to me. I am a mercenary. A migrant of sorts. Your threats don’t really affect one such as me. But, in threatening Mithril, you may hamper the good that they do for countless people.” He shook his head, then looked Shunya straight in the yes. “There are high-ranking individuals in many nations, and in the United Nations itself, all aware of our existence, supporting us in our actions. No doubt, were you to divulge what you were told in good faith by Kaname, your job would end, and any word from you would be discredited in whatever manner necessary.”
“Don’t think that your threats will frighten me!” Shunya’s eyes flashed. He was breathing heavily, his anger building in waves.
“They are not my threats. I told you, I am merely a mercenary. I pilot Arbalest. I risk my life for my colleagues. I do my best to protect your daughter. Isn’t that last a father’s duty as well?” Sousuke spoke in a disrespectful tone, segueing into the persona he had used in front of general Amitt. “Or am I mistaken?”
“There is nothing that I want to hear from you!” Shunya bit off his words, no longer concerned about his lack of decorum. “You have no idea what it means to be a parent!” he turned an looked over at Kaname. “Do you harbor this same kind of disrespect for me, Kaname?”
“Father, no….” Kaname’s face crumbled. “But Sousuke’s right…… the danger….”
“All you know about the danger is what he and his cronies tell you. For all you know, any or all of the incidents could have been staged for their purposes. You told me about the fake raid on the cruise ship!” He looked over at Sousuke. “I don’t trust a reckless youth with a gun, who seems to be lacking in common sense. I certainly don’t trust some secret organization that is not kept in line by the community of nations.”
“Daddy, please….” Kaname trusted Tessa, Melissa, Kurz, and Kalinin. She knew that Mithril’s needs came before those of one Whispered girl, but they had made efforts on her behalf. She was certain of that. She knew that Sousuke thought the same.
“I don’t want to hear any more from you, Kaname. Not a single word!” Her father narrowed his eyes. “For all I know, you may have been brainwashed. Who’s to say that Mithril hasn’t been taking the Black Technology from you, if such a thing even exists!”
“But…… Captain Testarossa is a Whispered girl my age. I have seen inside her mind. She couldn’t hide that kind of trick from me. I know….” Kaname wanted so badly for her father to believe her.
“Not…… another…… word….” Shunya growled. “Tonight, you will pack up anything you want to take on the plane with you.” He patted the pocket inside his jacket, the one holding three First Class airline tickets. “I will contract with packers to box up the remainder of your personal items and have it shipped. Tomorrow, you may spend one last day in class while I finalize matters with the Jindai officials.”
“No….” Kaname shook her head, tears coming to her eyes. “You can’t……I won’t…..”
“Will you defy me, then?” Her father spoke in a very low voice. “I doubt your mother would have ever predicted such a day. Could you choose your school…… and this boy…… over your family?”
The mention of her mother hit Kaname hard. She knew what her answer had to be. Just the same, she felt like she would be a traitor to Sousuke.
Kaname shook her head. “I love you and Ayame.” She almost said that she loved Sousuke too. “But, it’s not fair…. using that….”
“I know it might seem that way.” Her father looked sad himself for a moment. “And I know what you’ve been through, Kaname. But I only want what’s best for you.” He stood straighter. “This is what’s best for you. For our whole family.” He looked over at Ayame, who no longer saw anything to find fun in. “I had given this a lot of though, before certain circumstances made me even more convinced that I am right….” She didn’t bother to look at Sousuke.
A moment of awkward silence stretched out.
“Sousuke…… I’m sorry….” Kaname’s heart felt as if it were being pulled like taffy.
“You have nothing to be sorry for, Kaname.” Sousuke’s voice was hoarse. “I imagine the love for family must be important above all else. If I ever knew my family, perhaps I would feel the same.” He suddenly felt as if a trapdoor had opened beneath him and he was falling. “We both know the truth. I will speak to Tessa. She will pass word on to the necessary people.” His throat tightened. “They…… I….”
“I know, Sousuke.” Kaname tried to maintain some dignity. “We can talk about things later, and….”
“Ayame and myself are about to head back to our hotel. You will join us there after you are done packing. The young man will not be staying here with you after your sister and I leave.” Shunya’s words carried the finality of a coffin lid nailed shut. “I will want your word on that, Kaname.” Now he did look over at Sousuke. “Yours too, if you are a man of honor.”
“Will you give us the courtesy of saying our goodbyes, then?” Sousuke sounded down, but he was not about to give in on that point. “It seems that you have won what you desired. I hope that it does not turn to ashes in your mouth. The way that my life has….”
“I….” Shunya opened his mouth to take offense, but relented when he saw the look in Kaname’s eyes. “Alright. Ayame, we can use this time to arrange some of Kaname’s things for her in the other room.”
“Yes, Father.” Ayame felt a little bit of her spunk returning. “But, I should stay out here a little longer, to make certain that nothing funny happens.”
“AYAME!”
When her father and sister went to find something to occupy their time, Kaname collapsed in on herself like a house of cards. She was too numb to cry.
“I begin to feel the way I did when Gauron lied to me about your death,” Sousuke ventured when Shunya pulled Ayame from view. “I know that this is not as bad, as you are not dead.” There was an unmistakable sound of worry in his voice when he commented on that. “Although, perhaps you wish that I was, seeing how….” He swept an arm towards the window. The worker, recognizing the two teenagers, waved.
“No, Sousuke…… never….” Kaname tentatively walked over to Sousuke, wanting to throw herself in his arms. Now, it was more important to look up into his face. “This certainly didn’t help; but, my father had this in mind all along. You’ve only strengthened his resolve.” Her eyes watered. “I was proud of you, when you stood up for me.” She tried her best to make a joke. “Before, you would have shot Daddy, or put a grenade down his pants.”
”Kaname! A man would not do such a thing to another man.” Sosuke looked uneasy at the thought. “It would be more effective to put one down his back.”
“Yes, I guess a guy would never want to lose uhhh…… you know…” Kaname sighed. “I doubt my father will ever want me to know that those things even exist, right?” Despite her pain, she grinned, expecting to see Sousuke begin to sweat. She was not disappointed.
“Uhhh….”
“It’s alright, Sousuke.” Kaname put a hand on his cheek. “Although, some day we would have….” She looked down at her feet. “Maybe…… if fate pays us back for this….” She sniffed. There had been days where she had actually sat down and pictured what life might be like with Sousuke and kids. “Maybe we should have…… you know….” She pushed her hair out of her face. “If you got me pregnant, maybe Daddy would….”
The look on Kaname’s face showed that she was only partly joking. That had Sousuke feeling tense. “I…… you…… it….” Sousuke stopped and listened. “Ayame, please rejoin your father.” Kaname’s sister had been listening around the corner. “Your sister is very persistent. I guess that must be a family trait.”
“Yes. But she really misses me. So she’s acting out some.” Kaname sighed. There would be a plus side to things, if she got to see more of her little sister. “And yes, we don’t like to give up.” She finally gave in and wrapped her arms around Sousuke. “That makes this even harder. Maybe…… maybe you can….” She squeezed him as tightly as she could. “If you worked on your English some more…… and Mithril could get you into the same college I attend….”
“Kaname.” Sousuke put his face down on her hair and breathed in, taking note of the familiar scent. Maybe for the last time. “I suppose it is possible. But, it is also unlikely.” He sounded certain. “I could not get in without their help, so my quitting would accomplish nothing. And…… once you are gone and I am pulled back to the TDD-1 or the rebuild project at Merida….” He shook his head.
“You are too important to let go again?” Kaname began crying. “I know that. I feel the same way. This just isn’t fair. We’ve been through so much….”
Sousuke ran his hand over Kaname’s hair. Overcome by emotion, he tipped her chin up and bent over, giving her a light kiss, which she turned into something deeper and long-lasting.
“Somehow…… somehow we can find each other again, right?” Kaname’s eyes were filled with desperation. The full weight of the situation was finally pressing in on her. “If we don’t…… I doubt that I will ever be able to forgive my father.” She dug her nails into his back, not knowing she was doing so.
“Maybe…… if you were to join Mithril….” The idea had hit Sousuke. He remembered something that Tessa had said once. If she herself were killed, Kaname might make a good replacement some day. He sighed. “But, that would not be conducive to much of a family life.”
“I couldn’t do it now, anyway.” Kaname released her grip. “It would alienate my father beyond repair. I don’t even dare stay here, under your charity.” She knew fair well how much money Sousuke had stashed away. SRT soldiers were paid huge salaries. Even if her father ceased paying her rent, the money would come from somewhere. If not, she could imagine her father’s reaction if she moved in with Sousuke.
Sousuke looked over at Kaname, his face looking more like it had in their earliest days together.
“We have both accomplished amazing things.” He said, knowing it was true. He tried to smile but failed. “Before the incident with the camera crew, we had been doing remarkably well.”
“I accomplished that latest change, Sousuke. You were very hard to train. No, you are very hard to train!” Kaname ran her hand over Sousuke’s face, as if to memorize the feel of it. She bowed her head, and then leaned against him. “What…… what will you do without me….” Her voice broke.
“I will live, Kaname. I will live and hope.” Sousuke looked out of the window, remembering that they could be watched like animals in a zoo. The glazier was not paying them any attention.
“Me too,” Kaname’s voice was muffled beyond recognition.
The too stood together for a while, thinking private thoughts. Their moment was interrupted when Shunya walked in on them.
“AHEM!”
Kaname didn’t move away from Sousuke the way she might have done in the past. Instead, she turned her face to look at him, eyes impossibly sad. If the recent window-crashing hadn’t been so fresh in his mind, Shunya would have been moved emotionally.
“We’re not done yet, Father.” Kaname was being factual, not defiant. Still, she felt a need to make a statement the only way she knew how. “I love you, Sousuke Sagara.” She looked into her boyfriend’s eyes, and then closed her own, tears leaking out.
“I love you too, Kaname Chidori.” Sousuke trembled, saying those words. It seemed so unreal. He had proven capable of loving someone. Of course, his life held true to course. That person was being taken from him. “Thank you. To be able to do so, that is a gift that I can never repay….”
Those words had Kaname sobbing again. Ayame felt tears come to her own eyes. She loved her big sister very much. Suddenly, her mischief earlier seemed like a badge of shame.
Shunya opened his mouth. For once, he found himself at a loss for words. Seeing Sousuke’s pistol sitting on the table, he renewed his resolve.
“Ayame, it’s time for us to leave now. The two of us will have a talk when we reach our rooms.” That had Ayame swallowing hard. “Kaname, bring your luggage to school with you tomorrow. We will leave for the airport from there. I know that this will be hard on you; but, it’s best not too delay matters. That would only make things worse.”
“Father….” Kaname’s voice was hollow-sounding.
“I think it best that you leave now, young man.” Shunya gave Sousuke a pointed look. “This will be hard enough on my daughter.”
“Affirmative.” Sousuke kissed Kaname on her forehead. “I will see you at school tomorrow.” His voice held pain, a rarity that Shunya and Ayame Chidori had no way to appreciate.
“Sousuke….” Kaname, however, knew just how much Sousuke must be hurting. In part, that was her fault. She had been the one who helped him get in touch with his emotions. But, given a chance to go back in time, she would do things the same again.
With one final brush of his hand over Kaname’s arm, Sosusuke left.
Kaname stood staring at the door after he left.
I feel so sorry for Sousuke.