Yuri Worlds
[26] Delight
“Where’s your sister?” Yuka asked with her arms folded.
By this point, all the blackout curtains were down and folded up on the nearest cabinets. This made the room strikingly bright, with an artistic bloom saturated by fine motes of dust. Several rows of shelves lined one end of the room. Even more metal cabinets occupied the other side. A pair of sinks with faucets stuck out from the walls. It appeared as though they hadn’t been turned on in a long time. A modest bamboo plant in a brown pot rested on a corner table. A round red bowl with something steaming and brown occupied a spot not far from Bianka, who kept checking on it. It looked like curry.
Bianka gently cleared her throat and responded, “I don’t know. She’s around somewhere. Why? Oh! She dressed up like a secret agent today.” The blonde girl motioned with her hands, like holding an invisible gun with the barrel up in the air. Yuka heaved a sigh of resignation and didn’t bother correcting her. Misaki wondered what a secret agent might look like in this world compared to her perspective. Suits existed, but they had an old-fashioned feel. Perhaps the equivalent would be more like pantaloons and cowboy get-ups for her?
Why were skirts and dresses more modern? Their respective histories had to be so strikingly different that she couldn’t even imagine what factors might guide an all-girl social structure. She recognized some of the hallmarks of a matriarchy with how much influence Miss Okura wielded as an elder. Also, mothers appeared to be distinguished as the younger one and the older one. The same was the case for sisters. But considering these age distinctions, she found it strange that Yuka hadn’t brought up her age. Whatever it technically is now.
Did she need to bring it up? If all of this was tied in with some new social cue, then she was once again a failure at recognizing it. Yuka dodged around the issue of what Kosame was wearing and instead pressed Bianka on where her sister had gone and when she would be back. Bianka vaguely alluded to a special operation, which turned out to be club registration paperwork and matters relating to the senior school trip. Before Bianka could weave an elaborate tale about an assassination vacation, the door behind them started to rattle and click open.
Gradually, a girl stepped through. She paused at the threshold, peering and squinting in anticipation. Her massive blue eyes flicked around the room, carefully parsing what she was seeing compared to what she must have expected. It took her a few moments.
“Sis? Oh! Hey, Yuka. And who is your delightful guest? Bonjour, mon amie. It is a joy to greet you with all my senses.”
The girl stepped through, revealing herself with a bundle of icy, frosted cans clutched in her arms against her chest. She fumbled to find a place for the cold drinks before extending a bold, strikingly long hand towards Misaki, whose first instinct was towards a polite and formal handshake. But the girl clung to her hand and applied a firm, lingering kiss to the top of it, like some debonair gentleman of old. This gave Misaki a strange feeling.
It resembled being drunk and giddy. This girl treated her like a lady at a fancy event. If she still had her dress on, then she might even look the part. But it had been swapped out for what they were able to find in the old shack. Her current clothes were ghostly white, and she only lacked long, spooky hair to complete a spectral impression. The dress went back with Haruka to the Sasaki home. It needed to be laundered. If she was totally honest, the clothes she was wearing also needed that. They would suffice for now and for cleaning up. But this occasion made her wish for something nicer.
Which completely bewildered her. She had no idea what to do with attention. First, there was clear flirting from that clerk when they arrived in the city. Then, basically, a date with Yuka. And now, one of Yuka’s classmates was acting like Pepé Le Pew. Part of her wanted to respond and cozy up like some cool and confident girl, and the rest wanted to see what game Bianka briefly mentioned.
All she could manage to get out was a meek, “Uh, thanks. My name?” The question of what her name could possibly be loomed like a complicated quandary. Takano. Takano Misaki. It meant 'beautiful blossom' along with a huge variety of other things, depending on how you wrote it. Threefold blossom. That’s why her moms chose it. To leave her with the thought and immersion of a multitude of beautiful possibilities so that when she decided on her adult name… she… would…what?
Her name wasn’t Misaki or Takano… That was just the name she assumed for the vacation with her friend and her little sister. No, no, no, not little sister. What was going on? She felt like the same strange blurriness that occupied her dreamscape when she last napped had suddenly risen around her like an obfuscating, steaming mass.
Okay, that wasn’t her name, but what was her name? It shouldn’t have been so difficult for her to even piece together the sound of it. She was absolutely terrified inside, and this girl still had her hand as a gentlemanly gesture.
She could take a stab at this girl‘s name based on what the others had said. Kosame? Step by step, she worked on calming herself down. Side effects. That’s all it was. They should’ve mentioned something to Mari when they had the chance. Later. Deal with that later, and freak out later.
For now, she conducted a little bow of her head and relayed the only name she knew. The other girl released her hand and then gestured to herself. “Miss Takano, it is my sincere pleasure to welcome you to our institution of learning. Do you hail from the area or somewhere far away and exotic?”
Yuka gave an obvious twist to her mouthline but didn’t jump in. Was the girl judging her for some article of body language she unknowingly tilted one way or the other? Could she be jealous? That felt monumentally presumptuous to throw out there, but the avalanche of other worries didn’t allow her deep retrospection.
“We’re visiting the area. Me, and my little sister, and a friend. We’re from another universe. Tourists. On a vacation. Yuka and her family are hosting us for two weeks.” It took more momentum than trying to drive a boulder up the slope that the truck tried to drive down, but Misaki’s words at least got somewhere without a lot of screaming.
Bianka, who had retreated to her laptop between her legs, perked up and raised her cap, as though that might help her hear better.
Kosame was a good head taller than her, comfortably at a very normal height for a boy. She loomed with a presence. Instead of the school uniform, she wore a dark blue suit. Though it had sharp shoulders, the ebbs and flows of the material comfortably traced the girl’s contours. It dipped at her waist and swooped around her hips as though it were meant for her curves. Made for her. Golden accents lined the collar and broad lapel, with the punctuation points of matching buttons below her chest. A sleek white collared shirt showed from underneath, along with a classy crimson tie. It was a rare sight in anime form.
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Despite how neat her clothes appeared, her dark gray hair looked like she’d just woken up a minute ago. Twin hair spikes jutted out from the top like antennas. Jagged locks bunched up and swelled as though someone had just rubbed a balloon against them. Just behind her and through the window above the entrance, Misaki could see the last traces of heavy clouds that had passed through the area. A fragmentary sliver of a rainbow pressed against the glass and anointed Kosame like a broken crown leaking through the storm atop her head.
Misaki found quiet amusement in the color scheme. Chika would have something to say about it. Chika, who was…who…drat. Chika‘s name before also eluded her. Still quite alarming but not as existentially dreadful as completely blanking on her own. Of course, delving deeper than Yamane Namiko was also currently impossible.
She could freak out and lose her mind about all that, but that didn’t seem like it would serve anyone, and none of the girls around her could help or even understand her panic.
Kosame raised a pencil-thin, curious eyebrow. “A vacation. And from another world. That absolutely counts as exotic, Miss Takano. You should let me show you all the illustrious sights that our world and this charming community has to offer. I can contribute quite the personal and emotional touch to glimpse and unravel whatever your heart desires. It is always my pleasure to guide and bring joy to lovely ladies such as yourself.”
Despite how ridiculous all that out of Kosame sounded to her head, the affection and the focused confidence made her swoon. Being considered lovely. Being so focused on. A part of her inside felt like she was being lifted off her feet and tangoed with emotionally. Before she could begin the next round of courting, Yuka cleared her throat with arms folded and eyebrows raised. She didn’t say that the two of them were together, but it didn’t take long for Kosame to take the hint and back off.
Approaching from the side, Yuka gave Misaki a quick peck on the cheek and a cheerful smile. Kosame stuck her hands in her deep pockets and asked, “So, shall we continue with the recitation and analysis of the case from yesterday? I had a thought about how the closing statement could’ve been better worded. I know the others can’t make it this afternoon, but we can gloss over certain points and leave notes for them. And then see if they pick up on the same aspects we do with deeper analysis tomorrow. What do you say, Lady Sasaki?”
The girl’s chest, immensely modest and slighter even than Chika’s, puffed up ever so slightly as though she were a cock of the walk rooster, which had taken a tumble and was working to reinflate its pride. Yuka wore a quietly thoughtful expression. She gently bumped into Misaki, despite having a lot of space.
“All right, but we also have all the closet junk you promised you would deal with last week. And I wanted to show off a few things to Miss Takano. Still, let’s do it.”
The group juggled a variety of things. Kosame plucked and pontificated at a variety of sports balls and stray musical instruments stashed by other clubs in their space. Those things marked were set aside. She did a quick talk about the nature of being and awareness to a deflated soccer ball.
“There is a girl for every girl when you consider the infinite possibilities of reality. At this moment and at any moment, there are more versions of ourselves than we could ever imagine. And this number grows at an exponential rate, with the bifurcation of possibilities passing every moment. There are girls in other worlds we never dreamed of meeting. With supple lips, soft silken hair, gentle tender busts, quiet laughter, intimate spaces, ticklish thighs, pliable feet, reserved rumps, and playful dimples across their backs. For every thought, dream, and wild desire that sings alone, there is a second part to the harmony that wishes to join in all the brighter. For every girl, there is a girl, even though they’ve never met. A completion and a passion, softly embracing with love everlasting in heart and soul forever.”
Yuka chuckled and responded, “It’s true.” Misaki just caught the end of a glance that Yuka cast in her direction.
Before setting out the court documents they were to review, Kosame welcomed Misaki to sit in a nicely cushioned chair at one end of the room that they typically used for judges. The girl took every opportunity to gently place her arms around Misaki. Her touch didn’t venture anywhere objectionable, but it still felt strange. She definitely took her time scoping out the view from the back.
When it came time to present the aspects of the case, a lot of it went over Misaki‘s head on all the different technicalities of property ownership and accusations of trespassing. Not a violent case. But she was immediately reminded of what Miss Okura said. Yuka pressed her side with sharp enthusiasm. The whole thing took Misaki back to a video game she played ages ago.
The separate presentations they gave were occasionally interrupted by each pointing out certain facts and omissions. Like the fact that a basement was never searched despite claims that certain property was held there more than once. A very technical assertion completely went over Misaki‘s head, but she smiled and nodded as though bits of it were actually getting through.
Bianka did a slow shuffling creep towards where she was sitting, despite not leaving the floor. She didn’t say anything till the simulated court presentation started to wind down.
“I’m sorry…”
It was during a quiet lull as Yuka and Kosame stopped hurling technicalities and pointed questions at one another. Bianka‘s voice was quiet enough that the question of whether anything was said at all lingered for several moments. Misaki glanced over to where she was seated with her legs folded. Bianka looked up and then away before explaining, “I don’t think you’re trying to drain girls. It’s just stuff on the Internet. And the companies and governments. You seem nice, and I’m sure your friends and family are nice too. Sorry.” Her face shifted around, as though she were working up the nerve to say something else, but she ultimately swallowed, gave a polite smile, and returned to her game.
Misaki softly stretched towards an answer. “It’s fine. You seem nice too. And I don’t trust the company either. A lot of questions.” Bianca looked back, and her fingers wiggled like they were anxious to smash a few websites on the keys and detail exactly the worst things about the company. But she left the floor and the conversation to her sister and Yuka.
No clear answers emerged about which side of the case was correct though Misaki felt that Yuka gave the more impassioned and emotional argument, while Kosame’s end was quite articulate and expectedly detailed. Not that they needed an answer; they were just stretching out the proceedings for the other club members. Lengthy notes were taken with the occasional wrist crack from tiredness.
Right as Misaki felt mentally prepared to tackle the question of who the heck she was actually supposed to be, Yuka came over and asked her, “Would you like to see something really special?"