Whenever Haruka and Michiru were in the same bed at the same time, it was pretty much a given that they would be doing one of three things: sleeping (usually cuddling at the same time), having sex (after which they would usually cuddle), or talking to each other as they tried to make sense out of the day’s events (during which they usually cuddling, as the added intimacy tended to result in quieter conversations, which was good for their privacy as well as Hotaru’s sleep patterns). They were currently engaged in the last of these activities.
“Well, today’s certainly been interesting, hasn’t it?”
“Haruka, sometimes you have a flair for understatement.” Michiru couldn’t see her lover’s grin very well in the dark, but she knew it was on Haruka’s face all the same. “But you are right; I must admit that this evening was eventful.”
“Yeah. I mean, I was just amazed while I was watching Ranma and his mother getting to know each other—it’s almost you could feel the love springing to life again.”
This time it was Michiru’s turn to grin. She brought her hand to Haruka’s cheek and playfully admonished, “Please don’t try to be poetic, love. Creating verbal imagery simply isn’t your forte.”
“Well, it’s not like I could describe it without using metaphors.”
“True.”
“But anyway, I’m glad that all worked out so well.”
“As am I, though I had a feeling it would be okay…”
“Why? Did you use the Deep Aqua Mirror?”
“Dear, if the Time Gates can’t handle Ranma, then I highly doubt that my talisman can. This was just a simple gut feeling, with absolutely nothing to support it but wishful thinking.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean… I think…. But enough about that; what did you think of Tissue?”
By now, the lovers’ eyes had adjusted to the darkness well enough that Haruka could barely make out Michiru’s wistful expression. “You mean her ‘arrangement’ with Nodoka?”
“Of course.”
“Well, naturally, it has me thinking… it would be wonderful if the two of us could be married, even if it would only be recognized by a group of people living in central China….”
“Yeah… and it seems like Setsuna already knows quite a bit about them, given the way she brought up that Waterproof Soap thing.”
“I suppose… though it seemed to me like she was genuinely asking if Tissue knew anything about it.”
“Why would she do that?”
“I don’t know… maybe the Time Gates have problems with the area around Tissue’s village. I’d think that if any place would qualify as ‘chaotic,’ it would be a place where people can become cursed to change their physical form with just a splash of water.”
“Maybe… but she obviously had to know that it was more than a folktale, or else she wouldn’t have been willing to put so much money on it so soon. Did you see the look on Tissue’s face when she said she’d be willing to pay for a whole month of the stuff?”
“Yes… she looked rather shocked.”
“Shocked? From that expression, it seems like buying a month’s worth of that Soap so you can become a ‘woman’ is about as common as buying Picassos to use as wallpaper in your living room. And even if it wasn’t that expensive, this is Setsuna we’re talking about. This woman refused to buy a DVD player until 2003 on the grounds that her VCR still worked fine if you didn’t use the fast forward button. For her to plop down any amount of money without hesitation….”
“Well, she is in love.”
“I guess.” The conversation fell silent for a few seconds, then Haruka changed the subject. “I’m not sure what to make of Nodoka, though.”
“She seems nice enough.”
“I’m not debating that. It’s just that…”
“What is it, love?”
“Well, did you notice that look on her face when we told them that we were a couple?”
“No… why? Do you think she doesn’t approve of us?”
“I don’t know… she looked like she was trying to keep herself from showing any reaction.”
“Why would that be?”
“Well, I guess it could be because she didn’t want to appear hypocritical, given her own situation, especially since she was a guest in our home…”
Michiru gave thought to this possibility. “She did go out of her way to make sure we understood that her relationship with Tissue wasn’t physical…” The violinist pondered this in silence for a few seconds, before returning her attention to her lover. “You’ve thought of another possibility, right?”
“Yeah. It sort of came to me after the two of them left. I could be wrong, but I think there’s a chance it might be the other way around.”
“The other way around?”
“Maybe it’s not that she’s trying to hide her disapproval—maybe her problem was that she didn’t disapprove, even though she might have wanted to.”
“I don’t understand what you’re getting at, dear,” Michiru said in a confused tone.
“I know. I’m not quite sure I understand either. It’s just that I think Nodoka Saotome is a lot more complex than she seems.”
“Most people are.”
“I guess. I don’t know, I just have this gut feeling…”
“Based on wishful thinking?”
“I don’t know what it’s based on. I don’t even know what my instincts are telling me.” Haruka would have continued, but at that moment she let forth a large yawn.
Michiru smiled. “I think they’re telling you to get some sleep. You have a lot on your schedule tomorrow.”
It took Haruka a few seconds to figure out what her lover was alluding to. “Oh yeah… the Inners. I still don’t know how to handle that.”
“And thinking about it now is just going to keep you awake.”
Haruka sighed. “I guess you’re right…. Good night, Michiru.”
“Good night, Haruka.”
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(Posted Thu, 27 Apr 2006 22:15)
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