once upon a time...

“Oh, I’m not really headed anywhere in particular right now,” he responded to her question instead, “I actually just woke up here a few hours ago.” Giving a jovial shrug that suggested absolutely no sign of being troubled by such a fact, he continued. “I guess I’m looking for some people, but–”

...And he’s really, really calm when he casually notes he’s a complete newcomer here, which leads to Mary gawking at him even as they both cross the street; she’s darting along like a very antsy bird, all abrupt movements, and there’s maybe something less-than-human about that...

“Um, I was going to see a shop in Sector Four, and um...this is Sector One...I think if I circle backwards through Six and Five, i-it’d be faster than the train, because the train only runs clockwise...!”

Mary flutters her hands as she speaks, eventually realizing--oh. They’re across.

She takes one of his hands in both of hers and bows low in gratitude.

He raised his eyes towards the crosswalk ahead as the signal turned green. Knowing he wasn’t going to make it from this distance anyway, Osomatsu didn’t bother to increase his pace, but something soon caught his notice. A girl, standing on the edge of that crosswalk, seemed hesitant to make her way forward, unlike the rest of the crowd around her. It didn’t seem like she was planning to make it across anytime soon, as the lights began flashing again a few seconds later. His interest piqued, Osomatsu walked up until he was just a few steps away from her, peering at her profile.

Whoa, she’s kind of cute! Osomatsu thought to himself for a moment, but stopped before his thought process could go any further. Nah, she was definitely still a kid. Not someone a twenty-something should be having those kinds of thoughts about. Still, she did look like she needed some help, if her reaction to the cars on the street were anything to go by.

Whatever the case, she picks herself off the ground in embarrassment, realizing that the guy had only been asking her a simple question or two...Ooh this is why she’s always so mortified--why she’d rather stay inside most of the time!

“A-A bit? I mean...” She pressed two fingers together, staring at her feet. “I-It’s really weird here, but I’m only a little lost! I mostly know where I am...”

She watches the ebb and flow of traffic for a second, the light still blood-red, and she clenches her jaw. Right, she promised Haruka she’d be a bit more outgoing.

Aside from effortlessly conveying a  sense of urgency, frantically spoken  phrases accomplish nothing at all as they hold no significance whatsoever. How exceedingly fragile and fleeting  is the bittersweet existence of one  belonging to mankind. Why waste time on negligible issues when there is always an abundance of pleasurable experiences to be pursued? Instead  of bothering to feign concern as an impish puppeteer - one accustomed  to mercilessly toying with the strings of humanity - would surely do, he simply challenges her intellect. 

She has two separate serpents. They coil in her chest, one she was born with, and the other is a gift from her infamous grandmother; both react to the careless voice addressing her, a silent shuffling of spirit that leaves her feeling a bit sick.

Mary only frowns at his question.

“Oh no what? Look glad to see you to. I miss you ever since you disappear on me a couple of month back. How you been short stuff?”

That’s what this is.

While Haruka’s not too sure to say – because not even he can find all the right words – it’s that stray thought of Mary’s that helps him figure it out. He touches the pencil to the edge of his lips, painting silence with the tip. Is that something she needs to apologise for? No.

Is it better if she does? 

　　　　　　　　　　Maybe.

‘… I’m just glad we’re here,’ he admits, in the same tone of voice he’d say I’m glad it’s over. He is, in a sense. And in a sense, he’s not. ‘It’s – better for me that it happened, I think, so…

‘I don’t mind.’

Without all the events that had piled up at their feet, he wouldn’t know Mary. He wouldn’t know any of them. His story would’ve ended in that hospital bed, like it should’ve.

He’d accepted dying during the course of everything, but he’s glad it’s over. He’s happy to be alive, and not so much a burden. He’s glad they’re here.

Haruka leans forward to take a look at Mary’s handiwork, tonguing the inside of his cheek.

Mary smiles at him--beams, more like, practically radiating happiness--gathering up the material in her arms as she does so. It’s only when he points out that she’s started the trimming all wrong that she squeaks out an apology.

“Oh nooo...I’m sorry! Um, I, I think it’s still not too bad...!”

She sounds frantic and certainly looks the part, but the panic doesn’t touch her eyes. Mary’s reasonably confident in her ability to sew and she’s able to fix matters in record time; her enthusiasm leads to a few pricked fingers, though.

She smiles sheepishly.

“Um...” 

The conversation should continue, she thinks, and she’d feel more self-conscious if Haruka was a more high energy guy. But he doesn’t fluster her like Kano does, or Ene, so she just picks a topic at random, ever sincere.

“D-Do you...have a favorite animal? I’ve always liked birds.”

“I think being able to fly would be really lovely! I used to think about that a lot...”

   "Well, they take after you, I suppose“, Kido said, smiling gently. "Honestly, I am surprised myself, though, it’s been so hot these days…” A quiet groan followed, but Kido was quick to smile again.

   "They’re really pretty, I’m sure he will be happy to see them, too. You’ve been taking good care of them.“

Kido would’ve patted Mary’s head was she next to her, instead she settled on taking a closer look at the flowers.

And these flowers add color, too.

“Ahh, thank you! I’ve had a lot of practice...” If it made anyone in their home happy, that’s good enough for her. She’s already watering the flowers by the time Kido speaks again, and she turns quickly to answer her--

Only to stumble and trip over the tubing of the hose, quite literally spraying herself in the face with water. The way the coils quickly end up entangled around her, she might as well have been wrestling a snake.

But he likes it. He does. He hums a note of recognition that makes clear his approval.

‘Yeah. I did.’ His answer comes right after; it’s not something he needs to think about. He settles back into place, but he doesn’t pick up his own work, not yet. ‘For a really… really… really long time. I know what it’s like.’ And coming to tie everything up is this quiet laugh, a sound that’s not racked with guilt at all. It’s just something you accept. It just is.

And he is just a little different, just a little different from Mary, and that’s how it is.

‘But I wasn’t waiting for anyone. I think? I was waiting for myself.’

His voice promises her way is okay, too. The spin of his pencil echoes the very same.

‘When it stops, it’s a little scary. But I think in the end, you’re – happier. 

She could just ask what he means, but maybe she’ll think on it herself.

“You were waiting for yourself...”

She sighs, eyes slipping closed, but it’s only a temporary lapse.

“Do you mean...the isolation? Or the selfishness?”

She thinks her latter is tied to her former, though Mary doesn’t confess to being an expert on either, despite a century and more of experience.

“I think it’s worth it too.” She nods, not sure which he means if any, but she agree nonetheless--Haruka seems like a pretty sensible person, between Ene’s impishness and Shintaro’s wry complaints. It’s not hard to believe. And his quirks, well...they’re all a little strange.

kano plans his returns in that window gap where everybody has cleared out… everybody had left that morning, at separate times. 

somewhere in the backroom the hatch closed, loudly with no one in the house. curious enough, if everyone had set out like they planned …that would mean a thief be in the house. 

like any smart upstanding no. 3 holding down the house - kano takes a bat with him, trudging quietly down the hall. worst comes to worst, he can ask someone to do the reprimanding of the whole household for him. he doesn’t make those kinds of speeches, and no one will listen because it’s kano. 

–he can always explain later.

tapping the bat on his shoulder, kano gives it a test swing, landing without a sound in his open hand. another thump, another crash. kano taps at the door’s frame impatiently, ready to jump the burglar in mind when –adding to the racket, a sweep of what sounds like immediate downpour,

hundreds of …beads?…  rolling across the floor, passing his feet. 

kano peeks in. sure enough, the craft department pillaged, china cabinet ravished, and… from the telltale corner comes a peep, two …distinct brown boots… waving in the air, huge, full skirts wedged inside a storage chest of what would have otherwise been a spotless getaway.

just –what is she doing?– 

…kano sighs, dragging the wooden bat along on the floor, tracing his path to her. she’s almost got her way out of it, and he lets her because it’s …it’s a common, marry thing, but - kind of a rare sight for him to see. 

it takes forever, but she manages to wriggle herself out the hatch. kano gives her time to sit up, –and not much more. the instant she gathers her bearings, “boo.” 

he sprinkles invisible “dust” in her face, –sending her back, showing off all fingers as he’s got nothing to hide from her. 

“how long’ve you been in there?” he jeers at her, and he would continue to if he could, –but the surprise sent her tipping back. “– n- now, now. don’t have such a scare.”

“it looks like? –just you and me.”

captivelines ✧

At least, until he speaks, and makes himself known.

Marry’s barely pried herself from the interior before she’s spooked into tripping backwards and falling, once more, into it. She makes this long uneasy sound and thinks about turtles caught on their backs--

She’s back on her feet after a while, fixing the culprit with a mild glare and puffed out cheeks; that’s right, she’s going to huff at him, because he probably did it on purpose!

(Maybe, anyway, she’s not very suspicious of people.)

“K-Kano...! You startled me...” Marry smooths down her dress and her hair and she gives him a pouting glare, but it doesn’t last long. “I-I’ve been awake since Seto left for work. B-But not caught in there! I mean...”

She means she doesn’t know how long it’s been, at all.

“I was...” She looks back at the chest, at the untidy supply closet. “I was looking for things to sew with? Haruka and I are making a quilt...!”