The Crimson Files: Chapter 18b - Other Shizuru
After a final awkward intrusion into a Coral's room - according to Mai, Natsuki had to check even if there was no response, in case someone was incapacitated - Natsuki was finished with checking all the Coral rooms for anyone in trouble, without any results to show for it. She headed back to the common room, where she'd arranged with Mai to meet. Both Mai and Shizuru were already there, and Natsuki could tell from their expressions that they hadn't found anything amiss either.
"Haa... I'm sorry," Natsuki said, giving a wry grin. "I guess I overreacted to that note."
Mai shook her head. "No, I think you did the right thing. When Miss Maria was briefing me on the responsibilities of being class head, she brought up a case like this as an example of an emergency that would require using the master keys. I'll have to report this to Miss Maria tomorrow, but I'm sure she'll agree with me."
"Hrm," Natsuki said. She fingered the note in her pocket. "What could it be about, then? Just a prank?"
"That would be quite a serious matter if it's the case," Shizuru said, "but I don't think it will be possible to inquire with the sender of the note to find out what her intentions are. After all of this, I sincerely doubt anyone would be willing to take responsibility for it."
"Can we just assume Nao did it?" Natsuki said. "I can't think of anyone else who'd try to pull a prank like this on me." She didn't truly think it was Nao - at least, not unless she was acting as the Crimson Maiden - but Natsuki wanted to at least help cut the tension a bit. Judging by the chuckle that Shizuru gave her in response, it seemed to work.
"I'm afraid not, Natsuki," Shizuru said, smiling softly at Natsuki.
X-X-X
"You seem distracted," Shizuru's voice said.
Natsuki opened her eyes. How had Shizuru gotten into her bedroom? But as she blinked and tried to focus, she realized that something seemed a bit off. She was dreaming right now. Rather than get out of bed to greet her dream Shizuru, Natsuki reached out to grab Shizuru's wrist, and she pulled her into bed with her. With a chuckle, Shizuru cuddled up next to Natsuki, and Natsuki wrapped her arms around the image of her girlfriend.
It was a while before Natsuki said anything, but Shizuru didn't press her. "I was worried today," Natsuki confessed at last. "When I thought Shizuru might have been hurt... I couldn't think straight."
"Mm. I know how that feels," Shizuru said. "Though perhaps not quite in the same way. There was a time when I thought I might never see Natsuki - any Natsuki - ever again. Once I found my Natsuki, I swore that I would do whatever it took to make sure we could be together."
Natsuki pulled back a bit. She reached a hand up to Shizuru's cheek, brushing a lock of hair away from her face. "If you'd come to see me last night, I probably would have asked you to back off. Having two Shizurus in my life is pretty confusing. I'm really not sure if it counts as cheating or not. But tonight... I just don't think I can bear to ask you to leave."
Shizuru's eyes met Natsuki's. "I wouldn't worry, Natsuki. I may have a complicated history, but the only reason I can appear to you at all is because you feel something for Shizuru. If you prefer, you can think of me as a representation of your own feelings, mixed with the memories of a stray spirit."
"Is that the truth?" Natsuki said, raising an eyebrow.
"It's close enough," Shizuru said. "I don't think there are words to describe what it actually is, but that explanation isn't far off."
"Hrm," Natsuki said. "Alright. You win. It's not cheating. Besides, Shizuru's done much more with the image of me in her dreams... so she says."
"She has?" Shizuru said, her eyes darkening. "It would seem my own Natsuki has some explaining to do."
"Wha-? I thought you said it didn't count as cheating?"
Shizuru's face immediately softened. "Just kidding," she said. It took a moment for her to process this, but Natsuki soon let out a low growl. Even in her dreams, she couldn't escape the teases. But when Shizuru gave her a pair of big, puppy-dog eyes, Natsuki's growl lost its strength. "Forgive me?" Shizuru said.
"Haa... fine," Natsuki said. She placed a hand on Shizuru's side and idly trailed her fingers along it. "But you have to help me out."
"Of course," Shizuru said. "What can I do?"
"I need to figure out who sent this note I got, and why," Natsuki said. "Is there any special spirit thing you can do to figure it out?"
"I'm afraid not," Shizuru said. "I'm not native to this universe, so I can't interact with the world the way other spirits can. You're pretty much the only thing here I can connect with."
"Hrm, okay," Natsuki said. It was a long shot, but she'd had to ask. "I'll have to figure it out myself then... Why would anyone send a message that was nothing but a drop of blood?"
Shizuru was silent for a bit. "People often write obscure messages when they want to make sure only the right person will understand it... Perhaps whoever sent this was worried that someone else might see it?"
"Doubtful," Natsuki said. "It arrived when I was... er, well, it wasn't a time when I was likely to have guests," she said, trying not to think about that too much.
"Perhaps someone was watching when she sent it then?" Shizuru said.
"Hrm," Natsuki said. She couldn't really rule that out, but she wasn't sure where it got her. "But then, what am I supposed to take from this? What could a drop of blood mean?"
Shizuru shook her head slowly. "I'm afraid I don't know..." She was silent for a bit. "Maybe it's not a message. Could it be part of some sort of magic spell? I remember hearing rumors about magic that used blood, but it's been so long... And that's a different universe, in any case."
Natsuki furrowed her brow as she thought about this. "I've heard that too, but I don't think it's been done recently. I think it was only before we had Shinso that witches needed to use blood in their spells. And it was a lot more limited back then, I think. But maybe it could still be used for something..."
"Hmm..." Shizuru said. After a moment, she let out a sigh. "I don't think I'll be much help here. When you wake up, you'd best do some research on this."
Natsuki shook her head. "No, you've been quite helpful. Thanks, Shizuru," she said, giving the other girl a smile.
Shizuru smiled back. "I'm glad."
"Haa... I'm sorry," Natsuki said, giving a wry grin. "I guess I overreacted to that note."
Mai shook her head. "No, I think you did the right thing. When Miss Maria was briefing me on the responsibilities of being class head, she brought up a case like this as an example of an emergency that would require using the master keys. I'll have to report this to Miss Maria tomorrow, but I'm sure she'll agree with me."
"Hrm," Natsuki said. She fingered the note in her pocket. "What could it be about, then? Just a prank?"
"That would be quite a serious matter if it's the case," Shizuru said, "but I don't think it will be possible to inquire with the sender of the note to find out what her intentions are. After all of this, I sincerely doubt anyone would be willing to take responsibility for it."
"Can we just assume Nao did it?" Natsuki said. "I can't think of anyone else who'd try to pull a prank like this on me." She didn't truly think it was Nao - at least, not unless she was acting as the Crimson Maiden - but Natsuki wanted to at least help cut the tension a bit. Judging by the chuckle that Shizuru gave her in response, it seemed to work.
"I'm afraid not, Natsuki," Shizuru said, smiling softly at Natsuki.
X-X-X
"You seem distracted," Shizuru's voice said.
Natsuki opened her eyes. How had Shizuru gotten into her bedroom? But as she blinked and tried to focus, she realized that something seemed a bit off. She was dreaming right now. Rather than get out of bed to greet her dream Shizuru, Natsuki reached out to grab Shizuru's wrist, and she pulled her into bed with her. With a chuckle, Shizuru cuddled up next to Natsuki, and Natsuki wrapped her arms around the image of her girlfriend.
It was a while before Natsuki said anything, but Shizuru didn't press her. "I was worried today," Natsuki confessed at last. "When I thought Shizuru might have been hurt... I couldn't think straight."
"Mm. I know how that feels," Shizuru said. "Though perhaps not quite in the same way. There was a time when I thought I might never see Natsuki - any Natsuki - ever again. Once I found my Natsuki, I swore that I would do whatever it took to make sure we could be together."
Natsuki pulled back a bit. She reached a hand up to Shizuru's cheek, brushing a lock of hair away from her face. "If you'd come to see me last night, I probably would have asked you to back off. Having two Shizurus in my life is pretty confusing. I'm really not sure if it counts as cheating or not. But tonight... I just don't think I can bear to ask you to leave."
Shizuru's eyes met Natsuki's. "I wouldn't worry, Natsuki. I may have a complicated history, but the only reason I can appear to you at all is because you feel something for Shizuru. If you prefer, you can think of me as a representation of your own feelings, mixed with the memories of a stray spirit."
"Is that the truth?" Natsuki said, raising an eyebrow.
"It's close enough," Shizuru said. "I don't think there are words to describe what it actually is, but that explanation isn't far off."
"Hrm," Natsuki said. "Alright. You win. It's not cheating. Besides, Shizuru's done much more with the image of me in her dreams... so she says."
"She has?" Shizuru said, her eyes darkening. "It would seem my own Natsuki has some explaining to do."
"Wha-? I thought you said it didn't count as cheating?"
Shizuru's face immediately softened. "Just kidding," she said. It took a moment for her to process this, but Natsuki soon let out a low growl. Even in her dreams, she couldn't escape the teases. But when Shizuru gave her a pair of big, puppy-dog eyes, Natsuki's growl lost its strength. "Forgive me?" Shizuru said.
"Haa... fine," Natsuki said. She placed a hand on Shizuru's side and idly trailed her fingers along it. "But you have to help me out."
"Of course," Shizuru said. "What can I do?"
"I need to figure out who sent this note I got, and why," Natsuki said. "Is there any special spirit thing you can do to figure it out?"
"I'm afraid not," Shizuru said. "I'm not native to this universe, so I can't interact with the world the way other spirits can. You're pretty much the only thing here I can connect with."
"Hrm, okay," Natsuki said. It was a long shot, but she'd had to ask. "I'll have to figure it out myself then... Why would anyone send a message that was nothing but a drop of blood?"
Shizuru was silent for a bit. "People often write obscure messages when they want to make sure only the right person will understand it... Perhaps whoever sent this was worried that someone else might see it?"
"Doubtful," Natsuki said. "It arrived when I was... er, well, it wasn't a time when I was likely to have guests," she said, trying not to think about that too much.
"Perhaps someone was watching when she sent it then?" Shizuru said.
"Hrm," Natsuki said. She couldn't really rule that out, but she wasn't sure where it got her. "But then, what am I supposed to take from this? What could a drop of blood mean?"
Shizuru shook her head slowly. "I'm afraid I don't know..." She was silent for a bit. "Maybe it's not a message. Could it be part of some sort of magic spell? I remember hearing rumors about magic that used blood, but it's been so long... And that's a different universe, in any case."
Natsuki furrowed her brow as she thought about this. "I've heard that too, but I don't think it's been done recently. I think it was only before we had Shinso that witches needed to use blood in their spells. And it was a lot more limited back then, I think. But maybe it could still be used for something..."
"Hmm..." Shizuru said. After a moment, she let out a sigh. "I don't think I'll be much help here. When you wake up, you'd best do some research on this."
Natsuki shook her head. "No, you've been quite helpful. Thanks, Shizuru," she said, giving the other girl a smile.
Shizuru smiled back. "I'm glad."