Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Sentium ❯ Frame 03 ( Chapter 3 )

Sentium

Carpetfibers

Frame 03: Partners

Dedicatum: my Grandfather's last Christmas

This deafening quiet,

This roaring silence.

It serves to mute even my screams.

I seek the broken glass,

And the shattered pieces

If only to bring solace

And silence no more.

Shout to me,

Cry to me,

Whisper even my name,

And all is yours.

_________________

Tohru woke with a start, her hands just barely stopping her from falling face first into the room and out of her cubbyhole. Just two hours before, after leaving the tea house, she had backtracked and waited until the tea house's office had grown dark. She had nimbly scaled the wall, the many cracks and ledges giving ample support, and then slipped in by the window. Unfortunately, Kumi had chosen just that moment to come back in and Tohru had been forced to wedge herself into the wall's corner cabinet. Through a small peephole, she had watched the chubby woman open her safe and slip in some money.

It was then that Kumi decided to take a nap, sprawling out on a worn looking futon, causing Tohru to curse inwardly, and a swirl of dust to fill her nostrils. In her cramped space she sat waiting, waiting and cursing every second of it. She must have fallen asleep eventually because it was then that the door closed loudly and she woke.

Thankfully, the door's closing had been Kumi leaving. Tohru pulled herself from the cabinet, her legs and arms all pins and needles. She rubbed at them gingerly, trying to get her circulation going. Finally, she refocused on the safe hidden in the room's antique desk. A shallow light came in from the street through a small round window, a mixture of the green and blue neons from outside.

The desk was somewhat atypical of what she would have expected- it was richly made, the mahogany of the best quality. It reminded her of her father's desk. She had never known him, but that desk had said worlds of enough. Everything was kept as he had left it the morning he went to work and never came back. Her mother had always made sure to spend Saturday morning polishing the wood, sharpening the pencils, and putting fresh paper in the folders.

But that was then; this was now, and now she needed to get whatever documents were in that safe. If anything, Kumi's sudden entrance earlier had given her the combination. Not too original in her opinion- 7, then 61, then 3, or 7613, the Sakura Tea House's street address. The steel door opened with a soft click and Tohru sucked in her breath. Pile after pile of money was stacked on the lower shelves, and on closer examination, the bills were not low denominations. She held in a low whistle- either the prostitutes that worked here were the most expensive skin to be bought or the tea house was just a front. Tohru was laying her money, meager as it was, on the latter.

She put her penlight in her mouth and grabbed the pile of papers. Some held figures, and as usual not a single name, just more numbers. The last five papers looked like faxes, and one had signatures, but all of them were in German. Tohru folded all of the documents tightly and stuffed them into the waist of her jeans. The safe door was closed and the dial spun. She moved onto the contents of the desk itself. One locked drawer held envelopes with specific names on them. She recognized a few: the mayor's son, a local judge, and- this time an actual whistle escaped- the newly appointed priest who was overseeing the city's religious festival that was scheduled for the next month.

The religious festival was huge- more business, and the scrutiny of the public eye on every detail. If it was found out that the man overseeing all of the festival's affairs was dillydallying in the trenches of Chiyo's skin market, then, well, it wouldn't be good for anyone, but mostly not for the mayor. He had received a good deal of public contention from his appointment of the young man.

This was pay dirt on many levels, yet nothing she found gave any information into the Sohmas' involvement in the runaway kidnappings. The other drawer was filled was hard liquor. She pulled out a bottle and read the label. With a small smile on her face, she slipped it back in and closed the drawer.

The dim light switched entirely to blue at the green sign switched off. It was a warning of the incoming of daylight. She hadn't realized that so much time had passed; and she had yet to even get any sleep. Tohru crossed the room to the door and peaked out into the hallway. Not a door was opened and the only sounds came from the soft talking downstairs. The window at the other end of the hall was cracked open, some of the blue light drifting in.

She stepped tentatively into the hall, and shut the door, careful to not make any sudden sounds. Once again she checked the doors down the hallway. All were dark. It must have been closer to dawn then she had thought if the prostitutes were already getting their sleep. She tiptoed past the beginning of the stair case and then sped up. It was only when she had her hand firmly on the window's clasp that she let herself breathe freely.

"Hey you…"

Tohru froze. Someone had seen her! Slowly she turned around, bracing herself for possible attack. Before her stood a red haired man, close to her age. He wasn't overly muscular but had the look of someone who was strong. Athletic- that was the word. She counted steadily to ten in her head, desperately trying to think up an excuse of why she was standing in the Sakura Tea House hallway at five in the morning.

"I've never seen you before. What are you doing?" he asked, a frown on his tan face. Tohru avoided his amber eyes before answering quickly,

"I'm new. I was just getting some fresh air." She pointed to the window, hoping the excuse would pan out. If he was a customer then he probably wouldn't probe any farther.

"So then you're free. That's fine. Kumi told me to find someone and to just use her office. You'll do, even if you're dressed like that."

The man took her hand and dragged her across the hallway, back to the room she had just left. Tohru was too surprised to even react at first. He thought she was a prostitute? So then he probably wanted her to…hell no! A bright blush came to her cheeks, and she inwardly scolded herself for having such a school girl reaction. She wasn't twelve years old anymore. Sex was a part of life, even if she was still a virgin. Not that she was thinking about it or anything…

He opened the door in one smooth movement and pulled her in. Behind his back, he locked the door.

"So no one will disturb us," he explained, the frown still not leaving his face.

"Uh, listen, I just got off duty…" Tohru smacked herself mentally. Off duty? It made her sound like some factory worker. "I can go get another girl."

She made as if to leave, but his hand stopped her.

"Won't take too long. Just sit down over there."

"I'm not even dressed right. Really, I can very easily go get someone else-"

Her words were cut off by his hand closing over her mouth. A slight smile crossed his thin lips and his entire face changed in the movement. He looked…so sad with that smile. It silenced her more than his hand.

"I just want to talk."

Tohru nodded mutely, not entirely trusting his statement. But after all, what choice did she have? She sat down on the edge on the edge of the futon and stared at the floor. She'd just have to sit and listen to his rambling or whatever until he got tired and left. The light outside the window was growing steadily lighter. She bit back the sigh that threatened to escape- there'd definitely be no sleep had tonight.

The young man sat next to her and then stretched out to lie down. He tucked his arms behind his head and sighed. Tohru stiffened at his nearness and tried to edge away, but his hand took hers into his and he began to speak.

"I was given the chance to get my freedom early today. He took us to one of his restaurants as usual. A fancy place with little noise and excellent food. And as usual, he offered me wine. I never drink alcohol- I have no tolerance to it."

He laced his fingers into hers; pulling her back until finally Tohru had to lie down next to him.

"He made me sign a contract agreeing that if I completed his task, I'd be free. I could leave and never have to come back. I'd be able to leave behind all of this."

"Why can't you leave?" Tohru surprised herself by asking.

He sighed again and pushed himself up on his elbows to look at her. His red eyes were bittersweet, as were his words. "I have obligations."

Obligations? What kind of obligations kept a grown man from leaving a city? But these were not things to concern her. She broke off eye contact and sat up as well, pulling her and away from his.

"I understand you're a customer, but I'm tired. If all you want to do is talk, then keep it short."

Her clipped words brought another half smile to his lips, and he lied back down against the blue blankets that covered the futon.

"The man at the restaurant- he's my boss, you could say. I messed up on a job the other night and so now I get to make up for it by guarding one of our new warehouses. Naturally he gives that guy the easy jobs, jobs that only involve thinking and talking to people. He leaves everything physical to me. It's like I'm some kind of hired muscle. Just because I do as he says doesn't mean I always agree. But I'm sure you're used to doing things that you don't always agree with."

"What?" she replied, surprised.

"Doing things you don't want to. In your line of work that is."

Tohru turned to face the wall; if he saw how much she was blushing, he'd be sure to know. But he must have been suspicious because he took her by the arm and twisted her back around.

"You're the first prostitute I've met who's ever blushed."

She wrenched free and moved to the door, zipping up her jacket as she went. "Like I said; I'm new."

She unlocked the door and stepped into the hallway, but once again his hand was at her own, stopping her.

"What's your name?" he asked quietly. "Tell me your name, and you can go."

"Tohru-" she gasped- she hadn't meant to let it slip out!

"Tohru…and mine is Kyou. Kyou Sohma. Sleep well." He let go of her hand and closed the door behind her. The lock clicked into space and Tohru stood in the hallway for a full thirty seconds, the shock of who it was that she had been with the last hour sinking in.

He was a Sohma? No way! She just had the greatest chance to get information and she completely blew it. Damn it all…

She leaned back against the door, listening to the soft sound of even breathing behind it. He had fallen asleep. And then she was down the hall again, the pale hues of daylight flooding her shadow as she slipped through the window.

______________

Interlude .07: Constancies

It's the vagrancies that drown me,

Half seconds of what ifs,

And could have beens.

These haunting recriminations,

Self doubts,

And the like.

Quick, take a note!

It'll be on the quiz!

Remember,

1: no second chances

2: it's never fair

3: you'll lose eventually

So give up.

It's not the worth the time.

Might as well say,

Fuck this.

Not really angry,

Just truthful.

Ah, so that's the way it goes.

Too bad.

______________________

It struck a chord of irony in the back of her mind- that is, the sidewalk cracks did. Even in the seediest part of town, the ground beneath her feet carried the tale tell signs of asphalt, concrete, and dandelions. Even just meters away from buildings that sold half hours of sex for a few yen, the care free flowers that had decorated her mother's front lawn grew abundantly. Even while trying to make her way back to another set of buildings that held only hopelessness, Tohru couldn't help but mark the irony. She kept her brown eyes trained on the ground beneath her black sneakers. Two steps and another square of sidewalk traversed. Another crack, just weeds there. Ah, another dandelion. And another one, half of the pistils brushed off, probably by a careless pedestrian's shoe.

Dandelions. Her friends used to have dandelions cutting through their apartment's first story balcony as well. Just over two months ago they had sat around Hana's cast iron mosaic table, sipping tea and eating some of the cake Tohru had made. Just ten weeks ago. And now- now her friends were gone.

She raised her eyes from the sidewalk to the sun overhead. Even though winter was just setting in, the sun had yet to fade into the cold recluse it liked to become this time of year. Even as it was rising, its rays warmed her pale cheeks, and reminded her of too much that she needed to put behind her.

The narrow streets of Ishida merged into the wider avenues of the Dayu district. As the streets grew wider, the shops that lined the sides grew in respectability. Tohru could see how people could forget the filth of the Ishida while in Dayu. It was like stepping from night into day in just one step. Store vendors straggled down the sidewalks, some nodding in greeting to her. A little boy followed closely behind a man who must have been his father carrying a worn briefcase, a huge smile plastered on his grubby face. From across the street, she could make out the missing front tooth of the boy.

Despite the sun's warmth, the pleasant surroundings, and all the proverbial 'quaintness' of the scene, a chill crept up her back. Nothing could be close to the sin of Ishida and not be tainted. And then it came. Like a commercial from television, Tohru's too large eyes watched as a girl no older than herself leaned into her reflection on a store window. The girl's perfect blond hair cascaded down her back, merging into the black suede of her jacket. Innocent white knee socks clung to her knees, and the school girl plaid skirt she wore gave the entire frame an image of innocence, of purity.

But then the older man, the man with a grease filled face, and lustful eyes came out from the bakery and handed the childlike girl a pastry. The lecher's fat hand draped itself over the girl's shoulder, sliding downwards to cup the girl's breast in one quick gesture. And Tohru watched as the blond girl's lips dipped downwards and then turned upwards into a laugh.

The tightness returned as it always did, and she knew that even in the sunny streets of Dayu, the filth lived. Nothing could be left untouched. And she knew that soon she too would be tainted. Bile rose up her throat, and she began running, running past the sun glared windows and store vendors, running past all of it. Running away from it, yet running no where.

Panting, she leaned against the brown stained bricks of the alleyway that she had escaped down.

"Damn it. Damn it. Damn it, damn it all…" she whispered at the concrete beneath her shoes.

"Such language. What would your mother say?"

A distinctly masculine voice invaded her reverie. Twice already, she had allowed someone to sneak up on her. Damn it.

Coolly and slowly, giving herself time to compose her face, she straightened her back against the wall, and glared at the intruder. A boy her age faced her, a wry smile on his pale face. Shock white hair interlaced with black framed his too angular face, and his mahogany shaded eyes stared straight back into her glare. He took a step forward, his attire much like hers- dark jeans and a black coat- shifting with the change in weight. He took yet another step, and too late Tohru realized that in her position, she had no way to get past him.

"Excuse my language; if you'll move?" she asked stiffly, hoping he would just let her pass.

He just shook his head, the bi colored hair falling into his face. In one gesture he pushed it back and placed the same hand on the wall beside her face. The other landed opposite to it, and he brought himself yet another step closer, his face just a breath's touch from her cheek. Tohru couldn't even move, she was too frightened. Inwardly, she berated herself. What good was she, if she couldn't even defend herself? What good was she to her friends? She felt his hot breath on her cheek and sucked in a breath noisily.

"Get off of me…" she whispered, the fear coming through.

He brought his lips to her ear, the movement almost a caress. "They're looking for you."

"What?"

"Sohma's lackeys- your burglary was found out."

Her blood ran cold. How did he know? And how did they know it was her?
"Shh…don't be afraid. They don't know its you. But you do look suspicious running down the streets dressed all in black. I spotted one of the hired hands out on the street. And he spotted you." All of this he whispered into her ear, still keeping his body close to hers.

"But how did you-"

"You weren't very careful leaving the tea house. I saw you leave through the window."

If he saw her, then maybe someone else saw her as well. She had been in too much of a haste to leave to think carefully. Her thoughts were going haywire. To almost have been caught- but why was this guy on her like this in the alley?

Almost as if reading those very thoughts, he continued in his low whisper. "From the street, we'd look like lovers sneaking a quickie. Nothing too unusual this close to Ishida. I'm sorry if I've embarrassed you, but this was all I could think up of on the moment. It'll just be a few more minutes."

Tohru just nodded, still in shock. Now that she was in standstill, the adrenaline was fading out. No sleep coupled with having eaten nothing in over twenty hours seeped into the core of her bones, making her want nothing more than to sink into the warmth of the body surrounding her. But that was ridiculous- she didn't even know who this guy was, let alone if he was safe.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally pulled away, the warmth falling from her body instantaneously; for one inconceivable moment, she wished he was embracing her again, but the thought was quickly pushed back.

"My name's Haru," he announced, glancing sharply down the alley at the few feet of visible street. Having satisfied his worry, he resumed his steady stare, his reddish eyes boring into her own. Tohru broke the contact, and stepped away from the wall, and away from him. She thought about replying, but whatever internal warning system she had was screaming to leave, and right away. So instead she nodded, and turned on her heels. She had almost made it to the open street, before he grabbed her around the wrist.

"The normal reply would be to give your name, you know," he said, turning her around to face him.

"So I'm not normal." She snatched back her hand back from his grip, and once more made for the street. This time he just followed her, falling into step, and speaking in a low tone.

"Why'd you break into the tea house? I knew they were involved with the Sohmas somehow, but didn't think it was too important. What did you find?" he asked, keeping those unwavering eyes of his trained on her face. Tohru still avoided his glance.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she feigned ignorance.

"Listen, I think we should work together-" he started.

"I don't," Tohru cut him off abruptly, stopping altogether from her brisk pace. "I think you should turn around, walk down that way, and I'll continue down this way. Pretend you never met me, and I'll do the same."

Haru couldn't very well grab her like he did in the alley while in the middle of the street, and already passing pedestrians were giving them odd looks. Even if his hair wasn't bright white, their clothing and strange behavior would have been reason enough for the stares. So instead, he hooked his arm through hers and plodded forward, speaking angrily in that low undertone.

"I don't think you understood me. We both obviously have the same objective- I'm trying to find out more information on the Sohmas and you wouldn't have any other reason for being at that tea house than for the same."

"How do you know I'm not a prostitute; how do you know I'm not just a local hooker who managed to steal a room for a few hours?" Tohru pulled back her arm, and glanced at him from under her lashes. She wasn't prepared for the smile that crossed his face, or the way he tried to smother it.

"Don't be an idiot- anyone could tell you're still a virgin," he teased.

She stopped dead in her tracks, a walker behind her smacking into her back before passing her with a glare. Strangely enough, she felt insulted while at the same time complimented. Haru stood in front of her, the same wry smile from just minutes earlier on his pale face. Then his lips returned to their blank expression.

"We should work together."

"I work alone."

"We can help each other."

"I work alone, I said. Plus, I don't need your help. I'm fine on my own." They were drawing closer to the tenements. Tohru needed to don her disguise. She pulled out her dull blue cap, and tucked the little left of her hair underneath it. She tugged down her pants a little to straighten out her hips and bloused her jacket. With a sigh she turned to face the boy who still continued to follow her.

"I don't know why you're here- I don't care. I have a job to do, and I can only do it alone. So just go back to your boss or whoever and get someone else to help you. I won't."

Tohru kept her brown eyes concentrated on his face, careful to keep her own void of any feeling. She wanted him to only feel ice- coldness, indifference from her words. Then, if he had half of a brain, he would leave her alone. His expression was blank, but his eyes grew steadily narrower, until his eyebrow twitched and his fist slammed out- landing with a crunch into the wall beside her. Her eyes widened in alarm as blood dripped down his fingers.

"Listen, damn it. I'm not here on some little mission or job," he spat out, venom in every word. "I could care less about you- but I have to find her! I have to get her back, understand? I. Have. To. Get. Her. Back."

With each pronouncement of his last sentence, he drove his hurt fist into the wall yet again. Tohru took a step back; the skin on his knuckles was completely torn off, blood coursing down his hand and onto the gray concrete below. And then that hand was at her cheek, cupping it, smearing it with the scarlet of his blood.

His voice dropped so low, she almost didn't catch his words.

"They took her; they took my sister. They took Kisa…"

And then he let go, and turned around, leaving her behind. Completely drained, Tohru lifted her trembling fingers to her damp cheek, feeling the warmth of his blood and coldness of her tears. And then she too turned around and walked away.

It was like she said; she worked alone. She would find her friends- the little bit of family she had left; she'd save them from the hell they were stuck in. She didn't need him. And she certainly didn't care. Words were nice and all, but even as she repeated those thoughts, more tears fell from her eyes to wash away his blood.

Haru…and his stolen sister. How many others were there? How many like her friends?

The tall spires of the tenements rose before her without warning. The steel reinforced buildings were signature of their builder- cold, severe, and ruthless. Tohru wiped away at her eyes, at her cheeks. The blood left no markable stain on her black sleeves. She'd have to be like those buildings, like their builder. She'd have to be cold, severe, and ruthless. It was the only way.

____________________

Image .08: Dandelion chords

My father once mentioned a fairy land-

Pompoms and princesses,

Pink lace and pillow frills.

He forgot the other land-

The burning fires

And lake of pain.

He forgot to mention the torments,

The self induced tortures,

And the many thousands of moments

Screaming in loneliness.

He forgot to warn me,

That there'd be no rose petals

Or fragrant bubble bathes.

He forgot to mention what life would really be like.

He forgot to mention that it'd be hell.

C'est la vie,

And a je ne sais quoi.

Only laughter will help,

Even when you're burning.

_________________