"C'mon, lighten up." Fumi tried to comfort Tsukiko.

They sat together at Tsuki's home. The cleaner interior meant they could enjoy it to its fullest. The turntable's platter went around and around as the music played through the speakers before them. The TV had been left off, leaving them to entertain each other.

Fumiko's hands hadn't left Tsuki's thigh the entire night, save for the few times she sipped her drink. Tsukiko was a bit stiff. She tried to relax, but her body just wouldn't loosen up.

"I'm tryin'." Tsuki complained. "I've just got a lot on my mind.

Fumi got even closer. "It's our night. Don't let it ruin it for us."

Tsuki sighed. "You're right, you're right..."

"...you need to get it off your chest?"

Tsuki smiled a little. "I always feel better when we talk stuff through."

Fumi wrapped an arm around the Knight. "I'm all ears."

Tsukiko paused to think before speaking. "I don't know why it's bothering me so damn much."

"What do you mean?"

"It's just some stupid gang, right?" Tsuki thought aloud. "Why's it getting under my skin?"

"The Sylvie thing?"

"Even before that." Tsuki looked down at the coffee table before her. "It's like something's fucking with me."

"You're thinking too much." Fumi countered. "Doesn't matter why it bothered you. You're this far already, aren't you?"

The turntable's stylus shifted slightly as the song went silent. A slight scratchy sound played out of the speakers before the next song played. It was a slow, 1980s ballad that Tsukiko knew by heart. The song was carried by the powerful voice of a deeply sorrowful woman, whose fiance had left her for another woman.

"Shizuka always told me I'd get a better sense for all this. Maybe I'm just getting jaded or something." Tsuki muttered. "Y'know, like a cop who's been on the beat for too long."

"More reason for you to relax, right?" Fumiko suggested.

"Good point." Tsuki nodded a bit.

"I poured you a scotch and you haven't even tasted it yet." Fumi pouted. "Liquor loosens you up."

"...and it turns me into an idiot."

"Idiots don't overthink everything." Fumi kissed Tsuki on the cheek. "I'll force it down your throat if I have to."

Tsukiko chuckled. "Alright, alright."

Slowly, she reached down for her glass. Tsuki had a habit of rolling the glass around before taking a sip. Something about the sound of ice moving around made it more satisfying.

The drink reached her lips. She pulled her head back as she drank. Almost half the glass disappeared in a few moments, before she put it back down.

"Better?" Fumi asked.

"Yeah." Tsuki admitted.

"Sit back a bit." Fumiko pulled on her arm.

Tsuki obliged. "I need to talk to the Chief."

"Which one?"

Tsukiko laughed. "Old guy."

"I miss him, a little." Fumi leaned against Tsuki's shoulder.

"Me too... I hope he's okay."

"What do you mean?"

Tsuki frowned. "I think he's involved in something bad."

"How bad?"

"Arms dealing." Tsuki spoke bluntly. "It doesn't sound like him, though."

"Not really." Fumi shook her head. "Not him."

"There's something to this, I know it." Tsukiko grit her teeth. "I know someone's fucking lying to me."

Fumi sighed. "Now you're stressing me out a little too."

"Sorry."

"Nah, don't be. I knew what I was getting into when I got with you." Fumi smiled. "You've always been a fighter."

"Thanks."

Tsukiko pushed herself into Fumi. At first, it was as if she were leaning on the shorter girl. Then, her head went down to Fumiko's lap.

"You really gonna sit like this?" Fumi asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"No reason." Fumi had a weird look.

"It's nice."

Fumiko reached down and pulled Tsukiko's hat off. The Knight tried to protest, but gave up quickly. It ended up sitting on the coffee table.

"Speaking of nice... I still haven't seen you in your uniform." Fumi prodded.

"What uni--"

"The bartender one." Fumiko reminded her.

"Ohhhh, that one... I'll, uhh, call you. Next time I get a shift, I'll call you." Tsuki went a little red.

"Sounds good to me." Fumi started patting Tsuki's head.

"C-c'mon, quit it!" Tsuki protested.

Fumi kept rubbing. "Don't complain, you knew this was coming."

Tsuki was weak to this sort of torture. "I'm serious!"

"You brought this upon yourself." Fumi wouldn't stop.

Finally, Tsuki was able to swat her hand away. "Let me rest, jeez."

Fumi looked down at Tsukiko with narrowed eyes and a big smile. "I love you."

Tsuki looked back up at her. "I love you too."

"I love you." Fumi repeated.

"Huh?"

"I love you."

"Yeah, I--"

"I love you." Fumi repeated one last time.

"I..." Tsuki's chest went tight.

Fumi's other hand reached down for the Knight's jacket, undoing the buttons. Eventually, she freed Tsuki, tossing the garment aside. It had been a while since she'd seen the deep red undershirt.

"Isn't that better?" Fumi asked.

"Y-yeah..."

"Forget about it right now, alright?" Fumi's voice was intoxicating. "Enjoy yourself."

"What's up with you tonight?" Tsuki asked.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Good mood?" Fumi shrugged. "It's just the two of us. I wanna make the most of it."

"Me too."

Tsuki laid on her back, looking up at Fumi. It wasn't an entirely comfortable position, but it made her feel closer to her partner. Tsuki's height meant that her legs dangled off the end of the couch.

The needle hit the end of the record. It quickly entered a locked groove, leaving only a repeating track of quite hiss and pops. Slowly, Tsuki raised her head and sat back up on the couch.

"You're gonna put on another one?" Fumi watched her get up.

"Yeah." Tsukiko replied. "I think I know which one you'd like."

She stood up and approached the turntable. Tsuki's fingers carefully lifted the black disc off of the platter. The paper sleeve had the woman's portrait printed on with bold, colorful lettering.

"Don't you ever get tired of having to take care of those things so much?" Fumi called out.

"I like it, it's fun. Besides, am I really supposed to throw out my Dad's collection? We practically grew up on this stuff." Tsuki slid the record back into its sleeve.

"Really? Cuz I don't remember that one." Fumi tried to poke fun at her. "Is that what I saw you ordering online last week?"

"So what?" Tsukiko countered.

"I think it's nice. Everyone's got hobbies." Fumi smiled. "It's cute."

"Cute?"

There was a shelf underneath the turntable, where all of Tsukiko's records were stored. She put the record back, making sure to keep it straight and vertical. Her eyes then began to skim the spines of the albums.

"Yeah. It's cute. It reminds me of when we were kids." Fumi chuckled. "Your dad always had the best taste in music."

"I don't even know where he found half of these." Tsuki's finger stopped at a particular album.

"Maybe he--" Fumiko was cut off.

A pounding came from the door. Tsuki turned around and Fumi motioned for her to go answer it. Whatever it was, it sounded quite urgent.

Slowly, Tsukiko turned the doorknob and opened the door. A tall woman stood at the door, in the dark. Her eyes pierced into Tsuki's very soul.

"Hey, what's up?" The woman spoke.

"Shizuka?" Tsuki asked.

"Yeah. You wanna hang out?"

"Oh, uhh..."

Shizuka looked around Tsuki's head. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Who is it?" Fumi shouted.

"It's Shizuka." Tsuki shouted back.

"I have candy." Shizuka raised a plastic bag. "Drinks too."

"Let her in!" Fumi stood up.

Tsuki moved out of the way, and Shizuka stepped inside. She seemed keen on scanning the room, back and forth for something. Her eyes landed on Tsukiko's discarded jacket.

"I really did interrupt something, didn't I?" Shizuka sighed.

"Nah." Fumi laughed. "We're just hanging out. Listening to some vinyl."

"Nice, nice. Shoulda told me, I've got a collection back home." Shizuka sat down on the couch. "Comfy."

Tsukiko sat down next to Shizuka. Fumi sat at the other end of the couch, leaving the First Knight in the middle. It was a bit of a tight squeeze, but they managed.

"So, what's cookin'?" Fumi put an arm around Shizuka.

"Eh, the usual. I'm trying to get out more." Shizuka looked up at the TV.

"You get here okay?" Tsuki asked.

"C'mon, I'm not that bad, am I?" Shizuka chuckled.

She emptied the contents of the plastic bag she was carrying onto the table. Assorted bags of candy and chips fell onto its surface. Fumi's hand reached out for a particular brand of chocolate and swung back quickly.

"Mine!" Fumiko declared.

"I got sodas too." Shizuka raised another bag.

"A lot of sugar, don't you think?" Tsuki remarked.

"Like you've ever cared about anything like that." Shizuka laughed a little under her breath.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tsuki seemed a bit offended.

"No offense, but we Himuras don't know restraint." Shizuka grabbed a glass bottle out of the second bag.

"Huh?" Fumi cocked her head.

"Don't think I'm dumb." Shizuka smiled. "You two were about to go at it, weren't you?"

Tsuki went red. "N-no!"

"Then why's your jacket on the floor?" Shizuka grinned. "Heheheheheh. This ain't my first rodeo."

The First Knight's usually dull eyes had begun to glow once more. Her usual tired demeanor was lessened, but it was still there. Shizuka had a certain eccentricity to her that could never be replaced or removed.

"Don't bully Tsuki so much." Fumi defended her.

"I'm not trying to, honest." Shizuka bowed her head. "I'm glad you two get along so well."

"Thanks." Tsuki lowered her head too.

"Is that a fucking Linn?" Shizuka leaned forward.

"A what?" Fumi raised an eyebrow.

"A Linn!" Shizuka repeated.

"You mean the turntable? Yeah." Tsuki answered. "LP12."

"Holy shit." Shizuka's reaction seemed odd. "How much did you pay for it?"

"Pay?" Tsuki narrowed her eyes. "My dad had that thing for years. Don't you remember? Didn't you see it when you helped install the TV?"

"No. I was too busy helping you." Shizuka sighed. "He always had the best taste."

"He's your brother, right?" Fumi asked.

"Tsuki's dad? Yeah. A bit older than me, though. I was like twelve when Tsuki was born." Shizuka paused to remember. "He must've been in his early-twenties. Your mom had Haruka real young."

"I think I've heard this one before." Tsuki grabbed her hat off the table.

Shizuka spoke in monotone. "I like remembering things. Makes me feel wise, like an old witch. My memory's my second best feature."

Fumi hesitated to ask. "What's your first?"

Shizuka shrugged. "I dunno."

Tsuki laughed. "How do you know it's second best then?"

Shizuka stopped for a second to think before speaking again. "What do you kids do for fun anyway?"

Fumi shrugged. "Talk?"

"Games." Tsuki responded.

"Oh yeah, Aurelia told me about the bartending gig. How'd that work out for ya?" Shizuka turned to Tsuki.

"It's... uhh... fun. It's fun." Tsuki nodded to reassure herself.

Shizuka laughed with audible shame. "I nearly took her offer when she asked me."

"Why?" Tsuki asked.

"Why not?" Fumi asked.

"...thought it would help me get out of the house. I sorta realized I should try spending more time with you guys before I do anything like that." Shizuka explained.

Tsukiko put an arm around Shizuka. "Thanks."

"Should we at least turn on the TV? Watch a movie, play something, I dunno." Fumi suggested.

"Sure." Tsuki reached for a remote sitting on the coffee table.

She pressed the power button and the TV blinked on and sound escaped the speakers. A news broadcast appeared on the display, apparently live from somewhere in Tokyo, the camera forced on a man standing at a podium in front of a blue backdrop. The words "Tokyo Police Chief Ishikawa" were planted above the bottom ticker.

"Huh?" Shizuka leaned forward a bit.

Ishikawa spoke. "I humbly beg for forgiveness from the citizens of Tokyo and greater Japan. What was done under the eye of my predecessor was shameful. I too, must carry that shame, so that I may never make the same mistake again.

Fumi spoke out to the TV, as if he could hear her. "What mistake?"

Ishikawa straightened himself out and spoke a bit quickly. "For several months leading up to his departure, my predecessor was providing arms and funding to several crime groups within the city."

"What the fuck?" Tsukiko didn't know what else to say.

"It is now up to my administration to deal with the damage that has been done. I am truly, deeply sorry for the failings of the Tokyo Police." Ishikawa bowed his head. "We will work tirelessly to track down these weapons and remove them from public circulation."

A journalist called out. "What do you intend on doing now?"

Ishikawa cleared his throat. "The same thing we always do. We will work on retrieving these weapons, preventing anyone from using them, and swiftly punishing anyone that does."

"What about the Knights Himura? Will you continue your work with them?" A familiar voice shouted.

Ishikawa sighed. "Keep your trust in us. Don't rely on the Knights Himura to solve all your problems."

Dozens of people began shouting questions. Ishikawa simply bowed deeply, then turned away. The sound of his leather shoes stepping away was deafening compared to the shouting match behind the camera. The voices of several journalists screaming questions and doubts was quickly muted and the shot quickly cut to a newscaster with a forced smile.

Tsukiko turned to Shizuka. "What do we do?"

"About?" Shizuka leaned back.

"The old man."

Shizuka sighed. "I dunno."

Fumi scoffed. "That's the first time I've ever heard you say that."

"We could try my last ditch effort. I'll get a snazzy coat and become a criminal mastermind. Tsuki could be our seductress in one of those skin tight black catsuits, predator of men and women alike." Shizuka had a big goofy smile on her face. "I've always got a plan in case things go south. Trust me."

"That does sound pretty cool..." Tsuki blushed a little.

"We'll wander the world as fugitives. Fumi can handle a sword and Haru--"

"Hey, we've got important things to talk about." Fumi groaned. "This isn't some seventies anime."

"If he really did it, then we shouldn't even bother, should we? We can't exactly influence the courts." Shizuka frowned. "I just don't know if the old bastard had it in him or not."

Fumi narrowed her eyes. "Hey, he's a friend of ours. We can't just start doubting him now!"

Tsuki shook her head. "Should we talk to Ishikawa?"

"What would that accomplish?" Shizuka made a dismissive motion. "You know talkin' to cops is like trying to talk to a brick wall."

"Then what do we do?" Fumi asked again.

Shizuka stared at the screen. "Nothing."

"So you think Ishikawa's lying, right?" Fumi looked up at Shizuka.

Shizuka paused to choose her words before speaking. "There was always an ax, it was just a matter of time before it fell on someone's neck."

The stream abruptly cut back to the podium. The camera swiveled back to the audience. Several people in heavy coats swung around chairs and pipes, shouting unintelligible insults. Ishikawa stood at the far end of the conference room, staring.

The stream cut the footage away, but the audio continued for just a second.

"Themis is--"

The audio finally cut out. The newscasters stared at something off screen in silence.

Tsukiko got off the couch and grabbed her jacket. "We've gotta go."

"Go where?" Shizuka looked up at her. "You planning on hitching a ride halfway through Tokyo? Don't get involved."

"What?" Tsuki scoffed. "It's our job!"

"It's our job to get shit done, not get dragged into traps." Shizuka glared. "Don't get involved."

"I'm going."