Chapter 499: Arc 6, - 115: Jaded Eyes
Fumeko and Asobi stood outside the door for a moment longer. The brunette eventually pulled Asobi forward, as if to simulate them walking away.
However, Fumeko snuck back against the wall, towards Morgana’s door and put her ear up to it while leaning over so that her feet were not by the doorframe.
Very faintly, she could hear small breaths; ones she was quite familiar with. ’What did I just do...?’ She stepped back; her heart suddenly sank and her eyes widened. But then she shook it off and turned to walk away.
’...No one knows about what’s going on... Everyone’s in the dark, taking their best guess as to when the next bullet’s gonna fire, but nobody knows till it hits... Nobody has an answer, nobody can give certainty.
No one in this city, no one in this country, fucking hell, no one in this damn world... Not even dad... It doesn’t matter if you’re a parent, a detective, a friend, a hero or even the very best at what you’re supposed to do...
Dad... What the fuck is the truth, dad...’ Her eyes began to water and head sank; her hazy vision tuned out the floor beneath her and the stairs ahead of her. Her foot went forward, but was much too far from the first step down.
For a second, she felt gravity’s pull and her attention was reeled back in.
"Hey!" Asobi’s yelp was only after her hand had caught Fumeko’s shoulder. The elf pulled her back before she could take a fall.
The brunette quickly felt her own breath, wiped her face with an arm.
"What happened?"
"Nothing. I guess we’re going home," Fumeko tried to walk.
Asobi kept a hold on her shoulder, "Wait, you knew about her son before you asked, didn’t you?"
"...I maybe had some evidence, why?" she attempted to free herself.
"Why d’you ask that then? That wasn’t very nice..."
"Whine about it," Fumeko pulled away from her grasp. "I don’t care," she continued down the stairs.
Asobi held her wand in both hands, furrowing her brows at the brunette as she walked away.
Fumeko exited the building and puffed a breath out into the morning. ’...Tired... I wanna do nothing... forever.’ Her curled up fingers violently ruffled her hair, much to the confusion of the people who eyed her whilst walking by.
’EGH! Why hasn’t Jotou just escaped already!? She’s powerful! She’s clever enough! What the hell’s stopping her!? What’s ever stopped her before!? She can shoot herself into the sky for fuck’s sake! Just... get out and make my life easier... please...
You’ve saved me from countless situations... I don’t even think I would’ve been in Kria for long if you weren’t there. And look where I am now.’ Her squinted eyes, looked around to the same view that has been her all morning.
’Back... home. Home? Home...’ Looking at the park ahead, her memories shifted as red strings found similarities that were not there—similarities to Kria Park.
It then slowly shifted, finding lies to fill in gaps and create a façade of the truth in front of her—into the park within Cravolta City.
’I love you...’ Jotou’s words played the same melody as the first time she said it, right back into her ears. ’...Am I just obsessed? Why is it, that I’m always chasing you?
I know my feelings for you. I know them, I know them. But are my feelings correct? Wrong? Ever-changing, but I keep having the same thoughts about you... What’s wrong with me? I can’t find anyone else. Everyone just hates me... and I don’t think the recent days have helped...’
"If we’ve got nothing else to do, let’s check out the park silly!" a hand grabbed her wrist and dragged her forward before she could even blink.
The magician whizzed by and all she saw was raven-black hair and the back of a blazer that moved as she ran across the street, and Fumeko’s feet had no choice but to follow as quickly lest she take a tumble.
_
Fumeko stared at the branches above, where a nest of birds chirped and tweeted. Sunlight scattered over her form, while Asobi plucked grass and sprinkled it over the laid down form.
The brunette stared and stared. The comings and goings of people around her becoming a constant droning that she was able to tune out.
"Is something wrong?" the soft high-pitched voice pierced through the white noise. "You’ve not been very... okay lately."
Fumeko made no effort to turn or scowl, "Jotou and Kineko are prisoners and my dad’s dead Sobi."
"I know that, but... you’re still alive."
"It’ll be a week tomorrow since he died, and I’ve been running around Dolpool, trying to make sense of anything."
"You’ve gotten a lot closer to a lot though. I feel like you’re right on the cusp, and we’re right beside you," she tried to inspire.
"...I’m glad you feel that way," she replied flatly.
Asobi pouted. "About what Stella said about you and Aru."
"What about it?"
"Hotaru cares about you a lot, you know—she gets worried when you don’t get home, she asks me if you said anything to me sometimes. And I know you worry about her too."
"Yeah, Tiffy was wrong, that’s pretty obvious."
Asobi rubbed the blades of grass between her fingers in thought, before she sprinkled them onto Fumeko’s stomach. "I don’t know, maybe she has a point.
We need to be working together, but with Jotou gone, it feels like you’re trying your best to avoid her no matter what."
Fumeko turned her face a little, "I’m not actively trying to... It just... She’s a bit of a liability at the moment. Without my affinity and hers probably weakening, it’s best I handle it."
"My affinity’s still working fine; you haven’t asked me for much help. Are you trying to avoid me too?"
"I haven’t needed your help yet. Besides, you’re here right now, aren’t you?"
"Yeah, but you keep looking at the sky."
"The Burntish Sun’s rare and it’s nice when it shows up."
"We’re under a tree."
"Can you shut up?"
"I’ve tried to in ages long past."
Fumeko sighed.
...
Asobi quietly stuffed bunches of wildflowers into Fumeko’s boots.
"...Kineko might be the daughter of Ambrose."
"Oh," Asobi’s eyes bubbled. She blinked a few times, "Does that mean she was evil?"
"No...? We just found that evidence yesterday. I figure that’d mean they’re not gonna kill Kineko, but who knows at this point."
"Sooooooo, you’re more worried about Jotou?" Asobi’s eyes circled around.
"I..." ’In a way.’ "I guess."
"Hmmm. Jotou’s been through worse, I’m sure she’ll be okay," Asobi nodded to herself. "This might be the worst of the worse though," she poked her wand into her chin.
"You make me feel so much better Sobi."
"You’re welcome!"
Fumeko exhaled; the wind caught it alongside the rhythm of rustling leaves. ’Does this twit even understand half the things going on around her... or has her moments of, clarity, if it can be called that, just been flukes?’
Eyeing the magician in question to the side, all that she was doing was plucking grass and sprinkling it like confetti. It did not give the brunette’s former theory much merit.
Still, "What do you think of Jotou Sobi?"
Asobi chirped, "She’s amazing!"
"I meant more than that..."
"What else is there to say?"
"I don’t know, you’re the one who kissed her, so tell me," Fumeko’s eyes narrowed.
Asobi’s brows furrowed, "What kiss?"
"Can’t lie forever Asobi; especially not to me."
"I’m not lying though, I don’t know what you’re talking about," her confused expression was faced with a glare that could cut through brick and stone.
Fumeko turned her head slightly.
Asobi fluttered her lashes.
The brunette adjusted her shoulders.
The elf leaned back by a smidgen.
"Sobi..."
Asobi had to look away. "She’s... really special. I mean, she’s pretty strange, and very pretty for that. I don’t know why I did what I did, I was just really happy... and it wasn’t the first time she made me feel butterflies.
I’ve felt a lot of her pain, and ’felt’ who’s she’s become after all her mistakes; all the joy she carries even still. She’s a great friend, even if she doubts it a lot. When she’s around, I feel like smiling more; her spark makes me glow, ever since that moonlit day..."
Fumeko glanced up into the tree, "Is there a single one of us who isn’t infatuated with her..." she rolled her eyes.
"I think there’s a lot of people on that list actually, it just happens so that we all chose to travel together, and Jotou’s a big reason for that. But I’m not infatuated with her...? I think. And it doesn’t mean I don’t care about you two the same way."
’Clarity or a fluke? I’ll never know.’
"You make me bright too! I love the way you watch my magic. I’ll remember your face in the crowd when we first met at my show, forever."
Fumeko blushed and turned away. ’I can’t believe I was ever that excited for a circus show...’
"So, I think she’s amazing in her own way; and you’re all amazing in your own ways and it makes me overjoyed to spend all the time with you, even if you don’t acknowledge me. The star of the show knows when the stage light is on her after all~" she beamed brightly.
Fumeko faced the elf; her grim visage disappeared each second, she stared into those jade-green eyes that glittered with stars of white.
"Why do you think my magic still works silly~ It’s because of all of you—boop!" Asobi tapped the tip of the detective’s nose with a wand.
Fumeko blankly stared... "Don’t ever do that again."
"We shall see dear detective~" she giggled.
"No, we won’t," she pursed her lips. "But a question."
"Mhm?"
"What’s love to you? In the dating-sense. At what point is it healthy or just a crush—or an obsession...? And when that love’s already been taken by someone else?" ’...What am I even saying? Is this really important to me right now?’
"Hm... Hm... I can say a lot of things that I’m thinking, but I think all of them are gonna make you mad at me," she admitted.
"Try me."
Asobi tilted her head, "Try dating you? I guess I wouldn’t mind."
"What-!? No," she squinted to the side. "I meant say what you want to say..." ’...Did she just... You can’t just say shit like that at random...’
The magician poked her wand under her chin, "Well... I don’t think love is that serious. Love is love, and as long as it’s accepted all around, then that’s that; it comes in all sorts of ways. I think love... doesn’t always need to be so, defined?"
Fumeko sat up slowly; she hugged her knees while all the grass fell off of her. "Is that so?" she whispered.
"Phew, I escaped from being stabbed," she flicked away illusory sweat from her forehead.
"Why d’you think that?"
"You always have a murderous glint in your eyes nowadays."
"Do I scare you?"
"I can defeat you pretty easily, so, no?" she pondered.
Fumeko’s eyes glazed over.
Asobi beamed.
The detective continued to watch the jade-green eyes, watching every sparkle and twinkle of the passive illusions that popped up every so often.
"I’m sorry," Fumeko’s voice went soft. "I know I’ve been a lot."
"I don’t think anyone’s blaming you... a loooot’s happened," Asobi replied.
The brunette silently leaned forward, and fell into Asobi, where she gave the lightest embrace.
Asobi gasped and reciprocated it, "A hug!? From Fumeko Namora!?"
Fumeko slanted back, "It never happened."
The elf giggled and put a finger to her own lips and hushed, "It’s a secret."