Volume 17 - Like Family, Chapter 127 - Little Things That Matter
Hakuto had been quiet all afternoon, to the point that her friends were a little worried. She assured them she was fine, but she didn't have the words to describe how she really felt. The closest words she could find were 'ecstatic', 'thrilled', and 'dumbstruck'.
Now that shrine guest hours were over, she could finally take action. It had taken all her willpower to wait as long as she already had.
She carefully cradled the cause of her overwhelming happiness in her large furry paws. It was a small black rock, its surface rough from bubbles that had been trapped inside cooling magma. There was also a single cherry blossom petal attached to it by supernatural means.
The stone had been forged deep inside the volcanic chambers of Mt Fuji and the petal came from a cherry tree on its surface, but Hakuto could sense that both originated from the same source: Konohanasakuya-hime, the blossom princess, protector of Mt Fuji and goddess of all volcanoes.
Hakuto still couldn't quite believe that the Sakuya-hime had visited her little shrine and left an offering. Sakuya was arguably the strongest mountain spirit on Earth, and an undeniable pillar of the Shinto faith. To say that Hakuto looked up to Sakuya would be an egregious understatement. She outright idolized her.
Hakuto hurried inside with her treasure. She knew exactly where she'd put it: on her dresser, next to her other prized possessions. Ooh, maybe surrounded by my prayer beads? That would look nice, but the beads are Buddhist and Sakuya-hime is a Shinto god…
Her bedroom door was just across the hall from the back door, so she crossed the distance in a single bounding stride. She zipped into her room and went straight for the dresser. Then she froze.
The top of the dresser was bare. Her treasures were not there. Her prayer beads were not there.
Those prayer beads were her oldest and most important possession. She couldn't even fathom life without them. She unceremoniously set Sakuya-hime's offering on the dresser and focused on the much more urgent issue at hand.
"Where are they?" she said aloud, unable to keep the question in. She started searching the room.
"Where are they?" she asked more urgently when she couldn't find them on the floor or behind the dresser.
"Where… are… they?" she cried after she had turned the entire room upside down without finding them.
Devastated, she slumped to the floor. Tears poured from her eyes and ran down her face, but she made no effort to wipe them away.
Then the bedroom door opened and a small figure in a maid outfit pushed its way inside. It was carrying a small tray over its head.
"Oh, sorry to intrude, Hakuto, I didn't realize you were back," Rem said, not yet noticing Hakuto's distraught state. "I'll just finish my last bit of cleaning and be out of your hare." Then she giggled and added, "'Hare', like 'rabbit'. What a terrible pun. Mara's really rubbing off on me."
Then Rem finally heard Hakuto's sobbing. "Whoa! What's wrong?" she asked as she set her tray aside. She approached and put a tiny hand on Hakuto's lower back.
Hakuto pulled in a wet, pitiful breath, then answered, "My prayer beads… are gone." Saying it aloud like that made it feel real, and she broke into tears again.
Rem stepped back, her eyes wide. "Wait, do you mean these things?" she said as she started back toward the tray she had set down a few feet away.
She never reached it, because Hakuto scrambled right over her trying to get to it. Rem dodged before being crushed by Hakuto's knees, then just stood aside, stunned at the sudden change in Hakuto's attitude.
Hakuto grabbed the string of wooden beads, then held them to her cheek and rocked back and forth muttering, "Oh thank goodness."
Then she turned her head slowly until her eyes locked onto Rem. They were wet from crying, but there was a deeper emotion in her vivid red eyes: anger. "Why did you have them?!" she hissed.
Immediately after, a crash of thunder echoed through the house from a nearby lightning strike. The weather had been calm earlier, but dark storm clouds had gathered over the mountain. Hakuto's mood was inadvertently influencing the weather.
Rem waved her hands defensively in front of herself and backpedaled, at least until she hit the dresser and had nowhere else to go. "I put all your trinkets on that tray for safekeeping while I was polishing the dresser. I wanted them far away from the wood polish, so I couldn't spill it on them." She took a quick breath and added, "I was just about to return them. I promise they're all there and unharmed."
Hakuto looked back to the small wooden tray and saw her other possessions, all unharmed as Rem had said. Then she looked down at the beads in her paws, safe and sound and just as weathered and worn as always.
"Oh, okay," she said. Then she kneeled and bowed until her forehead touched the floor. Her voice was a bit muffled by the carpet as she said, "I am sorry for lashing out at you, Rem. You were just doing your job and I freaked out."
Rem took a deep breath and felt her pulse slowing down. "No, it's my fault. I shouldn't have moved your stuff without asking." She fidgeted with the sleeve of her tiny maid outfit and her ears wiggled for a moment, then her curiosity got the better of her. She said, "Uh, if you don't mind my asking, why are those so important to you?"
Rem knew just enough about religion to know that prayer beads were a Buddhist thing and that Hakuto was a Shinto mountain god. They were separate religions, so Rem didn't understand why Hakuto even had the beads.
Hakuto stood up and started to return her possessions to the top of the dresser, arranging each one carefully. Just when it seemed like Hakuto wasn't going to answer Rem's question, she said, "It was over 500 years ago and in another life, but I still remember it well. I was a normal rabbit, kept as a pet by a young girl. I never knew her name, but she was good to me, and she brought me everywhere with her."
After placing the other little objects on the dresser, Hakuto carried her beads to her bed and sat down. She continued, "One night, she got lost in the mountains behind her home. It was winter and the rain was bitterly cold. She sheltered me, up until her final moment. Then she gave me the prayer beads she wore as a bracelet, and she died."
Rem hopped onto the bed and sat cross-legged next to the much larger woman. She said nothing and waited for Hakuto to continue.
"I was just a simple rabbit, but I somehow knew I should keep those beads. I carried them with me, trying to find her home and her parents. But I never made it. The wet winter chill had soaked through my fur and sapped my strength. But I refused to give up. Maybe because of that determination, my spirit stayed on Earth as an Inaba Hare."
"From that moment until I got stuck on this mountain, I dedicated myself to helping lost travelers. So no one else would have to die the way she had." She smiled and tugged at her sleeve. "That's actually how I got this outfit. I guided a shrine maiden home, and she insisted on making me my own miko outfit, customized for my legs."
Rem said, "Thank you for sharing that. I understand now why those beads are so precious to you." Rem knew well how to respond in this situation because she'd been through therapeutic conversations before, but usually with the roles reversed.
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Hakuto shook her head. "Actually, now that I think about it, the item isn't what's important. It's the memories. Those are what I should cherish, not these old beads."
Rem stood up and hugged Hakuto's big, warm paw that was holding the prayer beads. Her arms could barely reach all the way around Hakuto's fist. "No, you can cherish the beads too, since they help keep that memory strong." Then she peered up at Hakuto and said, "I've got to get back to work, but I'll make sure to ask permission before moving your stuff in the future."
Hakuto chuckled. "That'd be nice."
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Rem finished out her day's maid work then slipped into the boiler room. She climbed up to the home she and Mara had nicknamed 'Gremlin Manor Mk II' and got changed out of her work clothes. Standing naked in her bedroom, she debated what to wear that night.
Hmm, I could go classy, since I don't get to wear nice dresses often… Or I can just be comfy in some PJs. It's not like Mara and Tsuen are going to be dressing up. We're just gonna watch a movie at home.
After nearly fifteen minutes of deliberation, she decided on some soft pink pajamas. She put on the light flannel pants and shirt before she realized that she'd entirely forgotten underwear. She briefly considered leaving it like that, but it felt too indecent for a simple night of movies. But that makes it sound like there could be a night when it wouldn't be too indecent…
Blushing at that thought, she stripped again and threw on a baby-blue bra and panty set, then put her PJs back on, along with some tiny socks. Fully dressed for a relaxing night with her best friends, she zipped down her rope ladder and pushed the boiler room door open.
The sounds of cheerful voices and clinking dishes greeted her. The door opened right into the kitchen and it was dinner time. Rem shivered and thought, Yeah, I'm glad I changed. It'd be super awkward to go commando through a big family dinner.
"Hello everyone!" she called out. She was in the habit of announcing her presence, lest she get forgotten or stepped on.
"Hey hey, Rem," Mara called back. She was sitting at the kitchen table, using a stool as her chair since chair backs were a pain in the spider-butt. "Still on for movies? I reserved the living room. I just had to promise Yui that I wouldn't mack on Tsuen out there."
To Mara's right side, Tsuen went red and looked away. Though to be honest, Tsuen was usually the guilty party when it came to getting frisky in the common spaces, at least if alcohol was involved.
"Yui?" Rem asked, her catlike ears twitching at the unfamiliar name.
"Oh, that's just an old nickname I have for Yuisu. It's pretty cute, if I do say so myself."
Haru sat down at the far end of the table and said, "And Yuisu seems to like it better than Yuri-su."
At the stove, Yuisu let out an exaggerated sigh. "Must you tell everyone that nickname? It's just some old thing from high school."
Haru chuckled. "I think it's still pretty accurate, babe."
Mara nodded enthusiastically. "Yep. She's still that awesome pervert lesbian we all know and love."
Hakuto sat quietly through the whole conversation, unable to relate to the sexual concepts involved. She was also too new to the group to feel comfortable with joining in on their friendly teasing.
Wearing fuzzy white slippers, Chione shuffled in, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "What's this about Yuri-su?" she mumbled.
Yuisu slumped in defeat. The nickname seemed to be here to stay. Then she stood up straight and announced, "Alright girls, the dinner buffet is ready. Grab a plate and start on the left side."
"Where's Aluru at?" Tsuen asked as she stood from her kneeling position next to Mara.
"Oh, she's got a new girl who apparently has a car. They're visiting town," Yuisu said. Then she answered a question no one had asked, "It's okay because the girl is a exchange program graduate."
There was actually a different question on everyone's mind. Mara, who never had much of a filter, asked it. "You mean she's going on an actual date instead of just getting it on?"
Haru grinned. "Or she's just looking for some variety in her sex locations."
"Um, excuse me?" Rem said, her tone serious and out of place against the mischievous gossip of the rest of the conversation. "Can someone help me with the buffet?" Human sized serving utensils and dishes were not ideal for the little gremlin.
"Of course!" Tsuen said with a wide smile. "Hop on my shoulder and I'll load a plate for you."
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Rem always managed to surprise the other girls with how much food she could put away in that tiny body. It took her a while because of her slow eating pace, but she eventually ate a child-size portion. She was still nibbling away when Mara skated off to get the living room ready.
Mara fired up the living room computer. It was her old gaming PC, repurposed to be a media server and streaming machine. Then she pushed the couch out of the way, since Tsuen was the only couch Mara needed. Rem was always welcome in their little cuddle-pile too.
Once Tsuen and Rem finished eating, they all curled up together on the soft shag carpet of the living room. Tsuen laid with her lower body sideways and Mara wriggled up against Tsuen's belly. Rem sprawled out across the warm fur of Tsuen's back, able to see the screen over Mara's head.
Then they had to decide on a movie to watch. Mara wanted to watch an action movie but Tsuen voted for a drama. They looked to Rem to break the tie. To their surprise, she wanted a romance.
"Oh, that sounds nice," Tsuen said. "I'd thought about offering that but I didn't want you to feel left out."
"Left out?" Rem asked.
Mara answered, "You know, because you're single."
"Am I?" Rem asked, pondering the question aloud. "I mean, I've got you two and there isn't really anything else I'm looking for in a relationship right now."
Tsuen blinked. She thought, Uh, I wasn't just talking about friendship, but she decided not to say anything.
Out of all the romance movies available to stream, they picked a cutesy romance movie that ended up having a lesbian relationship. It was pretty good, but also slow and calming. By the end of the film, all three women were too sleepy and comfortable to relocate so they just slept right there in the living room.
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When Tsuen woke up at 5:30, she saw that Rem had already left. That was typical of the little gremlin, since she didn't seem to need to sleep very much. Mara was still there, sprawled gracelessly on her back with her head resting on Tsuen's front leg.
Tsuen gave Mara a kiss on the forehead, right between her closed eyes. Then she carefully shimmied out from under from the sleeping spider without waking her up, then stood up and started for the kitchen. She wanted to make breakfast for the morning jogging group of Mara, Hakuto, and herself.
She found Rem in the kitchen, slowly nibbling her way through a bowl of cereal.
"Morning, Tsuen," Rem called out cheerfully. She was the only other morning person in the house so they often ran into each other in the mornings.
"Good morning, Rem. That movie was pretty good, wasn't it?"
"Yep, and you make a comfy bed."
Tsuen's long brown ears twitched and her face flushed a little. She'd been complimented on that exact thing before, but only by Mara. She wasn't sure what to think about it coming from Rem.
Then Rem asked, "Oh, I was wondering if I could join you guys on your jog today?"
"Just riding along?" Tsuen assumed, since there was no way Rem's tiny legs could keep up. "I don't see why not."
"Great! Thanks for spending time with me. It really means a lot." What Rem didn't say was that she'd been feeling a bit jealous of Hakuto getting to spend time with Mara and Tsuen alone every morning.
As Tsuen went about making a simple breakfast, she thought aloud, "Where would you sit? I don't want to risk you falling off from that height."
"Hmm. Your sports bras are pretty secure. Maybe I can sit in your cleavage?"
Tsuen's ears went rigid. "Uh… I don't think that's…" She trailed off, unable to finish her declination.
As if summoned by the word 'cleavage', Mara shuffled quickly into the room, still rubbing sleep from her six eyes. She proclaimed, "Denied. Admiring that cleavage is one of the few things that make these infernally early runs worth it. Can't have you covering it."
"Maybe we can make a saddle for me?" Rem suggested.
"Nope. Denied again. That's way too kinky," Mara said calmly as she sat at the table.
Tsuen sighed in relief that Mara had declined for her, but she wished Mara could have done it with more tact. She steeled herself and said, "How about you ride in a backpack?"
"Sure. That works for me," Rem answered.
"I've got one I can wear," Mara offered.
Tsuen tilted her head. "Won't the extra weight make it harder on you? Especially on the return trip uphill."
Mara stood up on her chair and crossed her arms defensively. "I can handle it!"
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Mara could not handle it. Less than a quarter of the way into the uphill climb, Mara's legs gave out. She flopped to the dusty ground, panting.
"I'm dead. It's all over. This is the end for me," Mara grumbled overdramatically.
From the open pocket of her backpack, Rem cheered her on, "Come on, you can do it, Mara!"
"Easy for you to say, stowaway. The extra weight was harder than I thought."
"Hey! Are you calling me fat?" Rem joked. Then she said, "I can get out and walk, but Tsuen and Hakuto might find my pace frustratingly slow."
Tsuen knelt down next to them and said, "Mara, hop on. I've got work today, so there's no time to dawdle."
"Thanks, Tsuey!" With a suspicious burst of energy, Mara leapt onto Tsuen's back. Rem had to hold on tight to the material of the backpack.
Tsuen just rolled her eyes and stood back up. She'd suspected that Mara wasn't as tired as she looked, and that she may have had ulterior motives. Then she started moving at a steady trot with Hakuto following along.
"Hehe, I'm riding you, and Rem's riding me," Mara said cheerfully as she was bounced around by Tsuen's motion.
"Ooh, kinky," Rem added, earning giggles from Mara and an uncomfortable smile from Hakuto. Now that Rem had made major strides in escaping from her unpleasant past, she was able to be her jovial prankster self.
Tsuen steeled herself and focused on running while the two tiny jokers made a few more lewd jokes. Sometimes she worried that Rem and Mara were a little too perfect for each other.