New Beginnings (Chapter 2)
Hello all! Chapter 2 is up of the Blood+ fic, New Beginnings. I hope you enjoy it!! Chapter 3 will be up in the next few days, and we'll start getting somewhere with the plot! (really, I promise!) Review!! (Or else...*cue lightning* I'll turn this into a kaixsayaxhaji love triangle of fluffiness!! Mwahahahah...)
New Beginnings (Chapter 2)
After taking a quick look in the mirror, Saya turned back to the saleswoman who had been helping them.
"I'll take it." She watched as Haji handed the woman a single bill and waved away any change.
"Really Haji, I don't know where you got all that, but you needn't spend it so...so..." Pausing, she watched the woman stumble into the trash bin across the room, clutching a nearby counter and the money with equal ferocity.
"That poor woman," Saya said with a look of mock horror. "I'll bet twice that amount she leaves work early today."
Haji remained silent throughout, only speaking once they had left the store. "Why only white, Saya?" He motioned towards her new dress, then to the bag she insisted upon carrying. Saya saw his eyes linger on the bag, and moved it to her opposite hand.
"Nuh-Uh, Haji. You bought them, I'll carry them." She eyed him meaningfully before continuing, "And I thought...as far as the white thing goes...well, that now was the time, you know?" She stopped walking now, tilting her head upwards towards the cloudless sky. "I always liked white. It's...pure. Pretty, even. But last time I felt that it was an impossible color for me to wear. For so many reasons. Least of which was that when there's a fight behind every corner how can you wear something that would so easily show the evidence of every cut? My blood or theirs, white was impossible."
She turned her head towards Haji now. "I guess you could say these clothes symbolize my hope. Hope that these next few years will bring only peace. Is that...silly of me? Of someone like me?" She knew how Haji would answer, he would say no, that it wasn't silly, and that it was a good reason. Or something. Then they would keep walking; she chagrined herself for even asking.
She was surprised by his silence.
"Haji?" Nervous now, she stepped in front of him.
"Haji?"
_____________________
"Do ya think they noticed us?" the taller man asked, concern in his voice. "Dey stopped walkin'--what would happun if dey noticed us? Crap! They're not evun talkin'. How good's der hearin'? We're far enough aw-" Eyes widening, he leaned his head towards the older man in the passenger seat. "Ah. False alarm, I guess." He laughed nervously as he watched the couple pull apart from a chaste kiss. "Duh girl has a look uf somen' who's never been kissed in public before, boss. Is dat the kinda stuff you want me to be lookin' fer? I thought ya said dey were dangerous? Don't look it ta me." He huffed, pausing to take a drag off his cigarrette.
"I'm tailin' a bunch a newlyweds. What's the world come ta?" Shaking his head in a way reminiscent of someone watching a game of tennis, he continued talking to himself even as he pressed the car's ignition key.
_____________________
“Someone’s at the door!” Two voices chimed in unison. The sound of running water ceased, and sure enough a series of light knocks followed. Kai Miyagusuku quickly dried his hands with a paper towel, disposing of it on his way towards the shop door.
“Did uncle Kai just do what I think he did?” piped a voice from the next room, causing Kai to slow. “Why, I think he did!” came another voice, similar to the first.
“What are you two going on about?” growled Kai, nerves on end after hearing the news. Saya was awake. He knew this would be the first place she would come.
“Uncle Kai just dried his hands with a towel.”
“No.” A tone of utter disbelief colored her words. “Not his jeans?”
“Would you believe he’s not even wearing jeans? He’s wearing black pants!”
“Nice pants?”
“His best.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Oohmagosh. Does Uncle Kai have a hot date?”
Unstoppable laughter erupted in the next room, peppered with “Yeahs" and "Rights.” Kai reached to open the door, ignoring them the best he could. Maybe it was...
“Delivery, sir. Sign here.”
A balding man in his mid 50’s held out a clipboard. From his accent, Kai guessed he was French. Not that it mattered, half the town seemed to be made up of foreigners. Exhaling loudly, he scribbled his name and handed the sheet back.
“Here you go sir, have a nice day.”
Kai turned around after closing the door to examine the package. It was from A.D. Pharmaceutical Company. Huh. Something for the girls? Did I forget something Julia told me...? He wondered over the package’s contents as he walked towards the shop kitchen for some scissors, fighting the urge to shake it like a Christmas present. Just as he arrived however, the background laughter of his nieces morphed into the announcement of yet another visitor. Setting the parcel behind the counter for later, Kai smoothed out his slacks and headed for the door again. Maybe this time...?
Kai opened the door with his best ‘welcome’ smile, only to be greeted by a small group of tourists, Americans, by the look of it.
“Oh! Are you open today?” they asked excitedly, not a foot from the store’s large, ‘Closed on Sundays’ sign.
“I’m sorry, no. It’s Sunday.” His expression was point blank. At least he was able to keep his words polite.
“Oh. You’re not open then?” One of the men had taken it upon himself to be a human broken record, Kai decided.
Two could play at that game.
“I’m sorry, no. It. Is. Sunday.” His nerves were about shot for the day. Catching onto his mood, the group soon departed, but not before asking if he would be open later that day. Kai was fairly certain he’d never see those potential customers again. Ah well.
Maybe I should set up a chair near the door? Get some lemonade... His musings were again cut short by a visitor at his door, though this time they went unannounced by his personal choir. Forgetting to fuss with his appearance, he pulled open the door with a brief ‘hello’.
“He--hello, Kai.”
Saya.
New Beginnings (Chapter 2)
After taking a quick look in the mirror, Saya turned back to the saleswoman who had been helping them.
"I'll take it." She watched as Haji handed the woman a single bill and waved away any change.
"Really Haji, I don't know where you got all that, but you needn't spend it so...so..." Pausing, she watched the woman stumble into the trash bin across the room, clutching a nearby counter and the money with equal ferocity.
"That poor woman," Saya said with a look of mock horror. "I'll bet twice that amount she leaves work early today."
Haji remained silent throughout, only speaking once they had left the store. "Why only white, Saya?" He motioned towards her new dress, then to the bag she insisted upon carrying. Saya saw his eyes linger on the bag, and moved it to her opposite hand.
"Nuh-Uh, Haji. You bought them, I'll carry them." She eyed him meaningfully before continuing, "And I thought...as far as the white thing goes...well, that now was the time, you know?" She stopped walking now, tilting her head upwards towards the cloudless sky. "I always liked white. It's...pure. Pretty, even. But last time I felt that it was an impossible color for me to wear. For so many reasons. Least of which was that when there's a fight behind every corner how can you wear something that would so easily show the evidence of every cut? My blood or theirs, white was impossible."
She turned her head towards Haji now. "I guess you could say these clothes symbolize my hope. Hope that these next few years will bring only peace. Is that...silly of me? Of someone like me?" She knew how Haji would answer, he would say no, that it wasn't silly, and that it was a good reason. Or something. Then they would keep walking; she chagrined herself for even asking.
She was surprised by his silence.
"Haji?" Nervous now, she stepped in front of him.
"Haji?"
_____________________
"Do ya think they noticed us?" the taller man asked, concern in his voice. "Dey stopped walkin'--what would happun if dey noticed us? Crap! They're not evun talkin'. How good's der hearin'? We're far enough aw-" Eyes widening, he leaned his head towards the older man in the passenger seat. "Ah. False alarm, I guess." He laughed nervously as he watched the couple pull apart from a chaste kiss. "Duh girl has a look uf somen' who's never been kissed in public before, boss. Is dat the kinda stuff you want me to be lookin' fer? I thought ya said dey were dangerous? Don't look it ta me." He huffed, pausing to take a drag off his cigarrette.
"I'm tailin' a bunch a newlyweds. What's the world come ta?" Shaking his head in a way reminiscent of someone watching a game of tennis, he continued talking to himself even as he pressed the car's ignition key.
_____________________
“Someone’s at the door!” Two voices chimed in unison. The sound of running water ceased, and sure enough a series of light knocks followed. Kai Miyagusuku quickly dried his hands with a paper towel, disposing of it on his way towards the shop door.
“Did uncle Kai just do what I think he did?” piped a voice from the next room, causing Kai to slow. “Why, I think he did!” came another voice, similar to the first.
“What are you two going on about?” growled Kai, nerves on end after hearing the news. Saya was awake. He knew this would be the first place she would come.
“Uncle Kai just dried his hands with a towel.”
“No.” A tone of utter disbelief colored her words. “Not his jeans?”
“Would you believe he’s not even wearing jeans? He’s wearing black pants!”
“Nice pants?”
“His best.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Oohmagosh. Does Uncle Kai have a hot date?”
Unstoppable laughter erupted in the next room, peppered with “Yeahs" and "Rights.” Kai reached to open the door, ignoring them the best he could. Maybe it was...
“Delivery, sir. Sign here.”
A balding man in his mid 50’s held out a clipboard. From his accent, Kai guessed he was French. Not that it mattered, half the town seemed to be made up of foreigners. Exhaling loudly, he scribbled his name and handed the sheet back.
“Here you go sir, have a nice day.”
Kai turned around after closing the door to examine the package. It was from A.D. Pharmaceutical Company. Huh. Something for the girls? Did I forget something Julia told me...? He wondered over the package’s contents as he walked towards the shop kitchen for some scissors, fighting the urge to shake it like a Christmas present. Just as he arrived however, the background laughter of his nieces morphed into the announcement of yet another visitor. Setting the parcel behind the counter for later, Kai smoothed out his slacks and headed for the door again. Maybe this time...?
Kai opened the door with his best ‘welcome’ smile, only to be greeted by a small group of tourists, Americans, by the look of it.
“Oh! Are you open today?” they asked excitedly, not a foot from the store’s large, ‘Closed on Sundays’ sign.
“I’m sorry, no. It’s Sunday.” His expression was point blank. At least he was able to keep his words polite.
“Oh. You’re not open then?” One of the men had taken it upon himself to be a human broken record, Kai decided.
Two could play at that game.
“I’m sorry, no. It. Is. Sunday.” His nerves were about shot for the day. Catching onto his mood, the group soon departed, but not before asking if he would be open later that day. Kai was fairly certain he’d never see those potential customers again. Ah well.
Maybe I should set up a chair near the door? Get some lemonade... His musings were again cut short by a visitor at his door, though this time they went unannounced by his personal choir. Forgetting to fuss with his appearance, he pulled open the door with a brief ‘hello’.
“He--hello, Kai.”
Saya.