Chapter Text
The house was cold, stiff, and formal. The rooms were drafty and the floor hard beneath their feet. Cast in muted tones—grays and blacks, dark reds like spilled blood or French wine—the house lacked cheerful color and any gaudy display of wealth. Gold fixtures and lush rugs were not needed to showcase the family’s status. Rather, the wealth dripped off the refined furniture, the antique tapestries. The family’s power resonated through the long, dark corridors. It towered overhead like the grand archways expertly crafted from imported mahogany which smelled faintly of earth—a trait reminiscent of the tree’s past life, bringing the eerily quiet feeling of a deep forest to the halls of the Momobami manor.
Ririka didn’t mind the harsh environment, though she did wish for something soft to hold every once in a while. This was her life, her upbringing. Life was a fight to survive—as much in the human world as it was in the wild. What brought one individual above another was their ability to adapt. The Momobami clan were the best at surviving. So good, in fact, that they were able to do so with elegance and poise. Masters of survival, they developed ways to pull at the strings of their very ecosystem, warping and bending reality around them. Ririka was just as adaptive. She found solace in the frigid environment she lived in because the cold kept her vigilant, always on her toes. She found solace in the mask that covered her face. It kept her emotions at bay and it allowed her to analyze people. She saw them, but they didn’t see her. She found solace in the way she could mimic her sister’s mannerisms with ease—it meant she wasn’t alone, it meant they were each other's strongest asset in the fight to survive.
She stood now, fighting with all her might to keep from anxiously shuffling her feet, her hands already losing that battle as they fidgeted behind her back. She felt out of place and vulnerable standing at the entryway of Mary’s house. It was quite the opposite from her family’s estate. The building was small and quaint. The atmosphere was bright with subtle tones of yellow and green. Kirari would say it was a peasant house, and Ririka would agree with her twin. There was nothing ornate about the home at all and the warmth that radiated inside the room only worsened the blush that rose steadily to her cheeks. It was so much easier to appear stoic when the environment was just as icy. However, Ririka still found the home pleasant. This was where Mary lived, that alone made it all so much more special.
“Why don’t you invite your friend in? I can make some tea and we have some cakes and—”
“I told you, mom. We are just stopping by because I forgot my wallet,” Mary growled in that brusque sort of way she always did. Mary disappeared down the hallway, most likely heading to her room. Ririka had offered to cover Mary’s bills had she wanted to buy anything on their shopping exertion, but Mary—unwilling to ever be indebted to anyone—declined. Thus, their evening out took a slight detour because her girlfriend was so stubborn.
Ririka felt the urge to giggle. The title was still so new. Girlfriend. They were girlfriends, on a date. They were on a date and Ririka was standing in Mary’s house. It was all so exciting. Despite the misconception that twins could read each other's mind, Ririka was sure that if Kirari could see her now she would know exactly what she was thinking—and her eyes would shine in that amused sort of way.
“I do not understand this infatuation you have with Saotome Mary.”
Ririka smiled, undoing her sister’s braids. Kirari was a brilliant girl, but Ririka was well-aware that her sister understood people more as pawns and fish in a tank than she did as actual humans. It was where their personalities diverged. Kirari would move the pawn to a space that was under attack because she wanted to watch what the opponent would do, she wanted to see what the pawn would do. She did not care if the pawn was taken out of the game. Ririka would move the pawn to a space that was under attack because she knew that that single move would be the key to her victory. She did not care if the pawn was taken because it was a necessary sacrifice.
“I actually do not understand anyone’s infatuation with Saotome Mary. She seems to have a lot of… followers.”
Ririka picked up a brush and dragged it through her sister’s hair. Mary did seem to garner a lot of attention despite her scowls. She attracted girls like moths to a flame. Like that Yumeko. She was always clinging to Mary.
“I see that Mary’s friends frustrate you, however, I would appreciate it if you didn’t take your frustrations out on my hair.”
Her hands stilled. She took a deep, calming breath and returned to caring for her sister's hair with gentle strokes.
“What do you gain from your relationship with Mary?”
Ririka set the brush aside, shifting on her sister’s bed so they sat side by side. “She makes me… happy.”
“Happiness. So it’s a selfish endeavor?”
The question wasn’t meant to be rude or harsh. Ririka knew exactly what her sister meant. Happiness was a luxury—as was comfort. Both sister’s knew this well. It was a lesson taught to them by their parents. Relationships were a tool to gain power and nothing more. Happiness was a fool’s wish, an admittance of defeat in the climb to success.
“Incredibly selfish, yes.”
Ririka trusted her sister. She did not worry that Kirari would use her breach of family tradition against her. They were each other’s rock in the cold, rolling sea they lived in. Ririka also supposed, in a way, Kirari enjoyed watching the secret relationship play out. It was exciting to her, just another game to keep her from her boredom.
“Intriguing. I will brush your hair now.”
Ririka drifted back to the present as Mary’s mother continued to prattle on about tea and cakes.
“But it’s so chilly out today!” Mary’s mother said, “wouldn’t a cup of tea be perfect to keep the body warm?” The older woman had bags under her eyes, yet they were kind and her smile seemed genuine. She had the countenance of a woman who was used to hard, manual work. Ririka could see that through a quick glance at her weathered hands. Mary’s parents were not rich by any means and Mary’s admission to Hyakkaou academy was a feat of Mary’s own cunning intellect. Her girlfriend really was quite smart and as hard a worker as her mother seemed to be. It was times like these that Ririka questioned her own upbringing. Did the Saotome family’s inability to acquire wealth really make them so disgraceful?
“We don’t want tea,” Mary said, brushing past her mother, wallet in hand. “We are leaving now.”
“Is that true dear?” Mrs. Saotome’s eyes settled on Ririka. “Don’t you want tea?”
Ririka was nervous. She wanted to be a polite guest, even if she was only standing at the door. Should she remove her shoes? No, she wasn’t coming inside and Mary said they were leaving. And worst of all, she didn’t have a gift to offer Mrs. Saotome for letting her enter her home. Her cheeks grew redder and redder. She could feel Mary’s eyes on her. The stress was building up. As swift as a snap of the fingers, Ririka pushed aside her emotions and regarded the older woman with unfeeling eyes.
“I do not wish for any tea. Though I thank you for your hospitality. Perhaps another time.”
“O-oh, okay,” Mrs. Saotome said, her smile faltering. “Certainly, another time then.”
Ririka inclined her head as Mary’s hand closed around her wrist, manhandling her out the door. It was abrupt, to say the least, but Ririka followed Mary.
“She’s so pushy sometimes,” Mary said, still tugging on Ririka’s arm a bit too harshly as they walked down the street.
Ririka picked up her pace, scampering along beside Mary and adjusting her hand so their fingers linked together. “I thought it was sweet.”
Mary glanced down at their joined hands, thankfully slowing her hasty retreat. It was a chilly day but the thick scarf wrapped around Ririka’s neck, hiding the bottom half of her face, kept her cheeks warm.
“Of course you did.”
Ririka wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but Mary’s small smile made Ririka’s heart stutter in her chest. Being with Mary was exciting and unnerving in the best way possible. Mary was the first person to rip the mask off her face. When Ririka watched the room silently, Mary was always the person who stared right back at her. It was still new, being this open with someone who didn’t share her blood and face. But at Mary’s side, Ririka felt safe.
They made their way to the mall, still hand in hand as they wandered through the various stores. Neither seemed to have a direction in mind. They drifted to whatever pulled their attention.
“Who would ever wear this?” Mary said with a snort, holding up a bright sweater that looked like it was stitched together from bits and pieces of other sweaters. It was a garish and loud in the worst way possible.
“Yumemi? Perhaps.”
Mary laughed, putting the sweater back on the rack. She turned towards Ririka, her laugh fading as she bit at the corner of her lip. Mary looked at her with a critical eye. Ririka shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, unsure what caused the sudden change of mood. Mary leaned towards her, reaching a hand out to pull the scarf loose from her face. Ririka yelped, jumping in surprise.
“That’s better. Stop covering your face like that when you’re around me.”
Ririka nodded, blushing hard as she looked around the store. She hardly ever went out in public so exposed. She found herself gravitating to Mary’s side a bit more, clinging to her arm a little tighter. Mary seemed to take it all in stride, her shoulders straightening and her chin raised a little higher as they carried on. Perhaps Mary enjoyed feeling important and needed—Ririka filed the information away. She found she didn't mind having her face uncovered in public if it meant Mary would be standing by her side glaring at everyone who looked her way, her hand placed protectively on Ririka’s lower back. It made Ririka swoon. She wondered if this was how Kirari felt in Sayaka’s presence—feeling the sheer willpower of a person who would do anything for you—it was addicting.
“Can we get crepes?” Ririka asked, looking up at her girlfriend with big eyes when she noticed the sweets shop.
Mary raised an eyebrow. “What flavor would you get?”
“Strawberry,” Ririka said, her brow furrowed as she thought.
“Good. We can get crepes if you give me some of yours. I’m going to get chocolate.”
Ririka grinned, readily agreeing to the terms. Would Mary have said no had she mentioned any other flavor? The thought was intriguing. Like a gamble, it felt like Ririka had made the correct move. She was practically humming with happiness as Mary ordered their treats.
They sat at a table, overlooking the bustle of the mall as they ate. The couple stared out over the expanse of people, both pairs of eyes analytical and curious. Occasionally, Mary would reach out and steal a strawberry, but Ririka was too nervous to try a bite of her girlfriend’s chocolate crepe.
“That man is cheating on his wife. He came here to meet up with his lover, but for unforeseen reasons his wife joined him on the trip.”
Ririka looked over at the man and woman that Mary gestured to with her chin. The woman was young, her hair dyed blonde and lips dark red with lipstick. The man was tall and lanky, his demeanor antsy while his wife talked with a big smile.
“She doesn’t know anything is out of the ordinary. She thought her caring husband was just going out on a standard shopping trip,” Ririka mused. She scanned the crowd until she found a woman on her phone, typing up a frenzy. She sat alone on the edge of the fountain. “There is the lover.”
“Men are trash,” Mary said with a shake of her head. She held out her crepe. “You haven’t tried any of mine.”
Ririka’s eyes widened. “M-may I?”
Mary pushed the crepe closer to Ririka’s face. She squeaked, leaning forward to take a bite under Mary’s watchful gaze. It was delicious—rich chocolate danced across her tongue, mingling with the tang of strawberry from her own crepe.
“It’s delicious!”
Mary nodded, leaning back in her chair and going back to people watching.
“What store do you want to go in now?” Mary asked as Ririka collected their trash.
“I’m okay just following you.”
Mary crossed her arms, her eyebrows drawing down over her yes. “No. You decide.”
Ririka froze, slowly looking around at the stores in their vicinity. “That one?”
Mary looked at the toy store. “Really?”
Ririka blushed, frantically shaking her head. “If you don’t want to we don’t have to and—”
“No, no. You want to go in there. So we are going,” Mary said, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the store.
The walls were decorated in bright colors. Really, there was too much color. The visual was a slap to the face. There were toy robots, puzzles, dolls, and stuffed animals. Mary dug through a bin of flavored lip glass. She picked out a blue tube, squinting at the label before tossing it back into the bin and walking off towards a wall of stuffed animals. Ririka turned towards the puzzles, brain teasers, and Lego sets. She had a few wooden brain teasers in her room, but they weren’t very difficult. A little boy was standing in front of the shelf, struggling to put the pieces of a wooden star together. Ririka reached over him, taking the pieces from his hands and fitting them together until they were whole. The boy stared at her with wide eyes.
“It’s easy,” Ririka said.
“Wow! Show me how you did that! Can I hold it?”
Ririka looked down at the puzzle, twisting a piece and letting it fall apart in her hands. “That is how fleeting life can be. It is better to struggle and fit the pieces together yourself than to rely on another person to do it for you.” The boy’s lip quivered, his eyes filling with tears as he ran away. Ririka was confused at the reaction. It was an important life lesson?
“I leave you alone for five minutes and you’re making little kids cry.”
Mary walked up, her hands behind her back.
“I don’t know why? I was being kind.”
“Yeah, you’re the cutest thing on this earth, but you can get pretty intense sometimes. You get this look on your face, the boy was probably terrified.”
Cutest thing on this earth. Cutest thing on this earth. Ririka’s reaction was visceral. Her hands shot up to her mouth, a squeak sounding in the back of her throat.
“Um, anyways,” Mary said, clearing her throat. Ririka couldn’t feel any happier. She had reached peak happiness. This date had been the best evening of her life. There was no way it could get any better than this.
“This… reminded me of you,” Mary grumbled. Ririka glanced down at the stuffed panda in Mary’s hands. “Because of the white face and the little black circles around its eyes. It’s like you when you’re wearing that stupid mask.”
She looked back and forth between the adorable bear and the adorable Saotome Mary. She was wrong. The evening could get better—and it just did. Ririka was too busy squealing inside her own head to offer up a timely reply.
“It’s stupid! I know,” Mary made a move to turn away, but Ririka jumped forward, grasping at the hands clinging tightly to the soft animal.
“I love it. I—” Her face felt like it was going to split into two as she grinned. Mary’s eyes linger on her lips. “I think it’s perfect.”
“I’ll get it for you.”
“Oh you don’t have to do that!”
“Shut up.” Mary shifted the bear beneath her arm as she grabbed Ririka’s hand. “You’re my girlfriend, I want to get you things.”
The fact that Mary’s voice cracked at the word ‘girlfriend’ made her declaration all the more cuter. Ririka didn’t bring up that she was so rich her family could buy a real panda to keep in their backyard… if they wanted.
“Thank you, Mary.” Her head felt like sunflowers.
She got a rough grunt in response, which made her giggle.
~~~
They stood, face to face, at the station.
“This was… nice,” Mary said, rubbing at the back of her neck.
Ririka nodded, hugging the shopping back tight against her chest. She could hear the train rumbling in the distance, a reminder that their time together this evening was coming to an end. She would return home to the cold, dark manor—Mary would go back to her warm, cheerful home. Ririka really didn’t want to leave her side. She wanted to stay out in the open, where everybody could see the flush to her cheeks and the adoration in her eyes.
“I’ll miss you,” Ririka said softly, her eyes downcast. She didn’t see the way Mary’s eyes softened in a way they rarely did. Cool fingertips brushed along her jaw, titling her face up. Ririka gasped, finally seeing the warm look on Mary’s face. Soft lips pressed against hers, persistent but gentle—like a whispered promise to never let her go. This kiss ended and Mary pulled the scarf up over Ririka’s nose, her knuckle skimming her cheekbone. The train slid to a stop.
“When you say stuff like that it’s really embarrassing.”
Ririka giggled as Mary stepped back onto the train, still watching Ririka even as the doors closed. Ririka knew Mary, in her own way, would miss her too.
That night, Ririka rolled over in her bed. The mattress was a little too firm, the sheets seemed to prioritize function over comfort, but none of that mattered. She hugged the stuffed panda, burying her face in its soft fur.
~~~
Quiet afternoons spent in the student council room were always some of Ririka’s favorite moments. Kirari sat at the head of the table with Sayaka at her right and Ririka at her left. She languidly sipped her cup of tea. Through the lenses of her mask, Ririka watched Sayaka work her way through a stack of very important looking documents. The three often passed many afternoons in this manner. Conversation was sparse, but the silence was never uncomfortable—they all had a tendency to get lost in their own minds.
“Sayaka?” Kirari asked, her eyes peering at her secretary over the rim of her tea cup. Sayaka set her pen aside.
“Yes, president?”
“Do you like stuffed animals?”
Ririka could see that curious shine in Kirari’s eyes, the look somewhat akin to a child receiving a shiny new toy, or a cat watching a bird from the window. Sayaka faltered, her eyes wide with surprise. Although Kirari was known to ask any number of bizarre questions, this one in particular seemed to be the most surprising—at least to Sayaka. Ririka knew her sister had Yuuna the panda on her mind. Why her sister chose to bring the toy up? Well that was just a part of Kirari’s fun and games.
Ririka turned her attention to the lovestruck secretary. The girl looked perplexed, her eyes hesitant and somewhat suspicious. Sayaka faltered as she answered the question.
“I—I suppose so?”
Kirari raised a lone eyebrow, a knowing smile playing on her lips. “I am sure you think they don’t serve a great purpose, and thus are a useless object to possess.”
Ririka pouted behind her mask. Stuffed animals were very useful. They were soft and cute and squeezable. She remained silent as Sayaka inclined her head.
Kirari hummed, taking a final sip of her tea before putting it aside. “What if I were to get you a stuffed animal?”
“P-president!” Sayaka exclaimed.
Ririka grinned as the secretary blushed. While she didn’t have her sister’s propensity for boredom, she still found certain human interactions amusing—and Sayaka’s smitten behavior towards Kirari was one of her favorite things to witness. Their relationship hit the ground running from the very second Sayaka entered the student council room and asked to be the president’s personal secretary. Of course, while she had noticed that something was off, Sayaka didn’t really known that it was Ririka sitting in the president's place that day. Kirari was fascinated when Ririka relayed the event, eager to meet the timid girl herself. Ririka knew that her sister was hopelessly tangled up in the bookish girl’s mind and nervous smile from the moment Kirari walked into Sayaka’s classroom. Kirari became obsessed with Sayaka, constantly bringing her up when the twins were alone. Ririka enjoyed her sister’s dependence on Sayaka and she enjoyed Sayaka’s loyalty to Kirari. It pleased her—the relationship was symbiotic and perfectly balanced.
“There is no need to!”
“Alright then. What if I wanted to get you one?”
Sayaka dissolved further into a blushing mess. Ririka watched with interest. She wondered if Sayaka saw a new, brighter side to the world of stuffed animals. If not, how could Ririka manipulate the girl’s regard for the plush toys?
“Oh, but there would be so many variables to consider. What animal do I get you? What size? What texture should the fur be? Should it be realistic or have exaggerated characteristics? What would my dear secretary prefer.”
“I—I…” Sayaka stuttered.
“A dog? You are quite loyal. Perhaps a lion is best, for my strong, fearless companion.” Kirari turned to Ririka. “How did you say Mary chose her gift for you again?”
Ririka traced her fingertips along the eyes of her mask. She grinned just thinking about Mary’s embarrassed face, as she held up the panda bear.
“Oh, right. She said you look like a panda.”
Ririka nodded. Once again her head felt like it was stuffed with flowers as she thought about their date.
“Is that romance?” Kirari asked. She rested her elbow on the table, her chin propped up on her hand in a huff. “If I said ‘Sayaka, you look like a dog’ would you find that… enjoyable?”
Sayaka’s face fell as realization flashed before her eyes. “Oh, I see,” Sayaka said as she shuffled her papers. “Did Mary get Ririka a gift? This is why you are curious about giving gifts.”
Kirari hummed, still lost in thought.
“She got me a stuffed panda,” Ririka said, her voice stiff and robotic as the microphone in her mask distorted her voice. “It’s so soft and cute.”
“I just don’t understand. It’s so impractical. If I were to give Sayaka a gift, I would give her something much more useful. Like an engraved fountain pen. Now that is a practical gift. She could carry it around with her everywhere, she would use it all the time. But a stuffed panda?” Kirari shook her head. “You do know that our family can afford a real live panda, right? Why, we could buy a whole family of pandas.”
“But I can’t cuddle with a live panda. When I hold Yuuna at night, she reminds me of Mary and it makes me happy.”
“Huh,” Kirari said, slowly nodding her head. “It would be difficult to cuddle a fountain pen. Sayaka? Is it true that if I got you a stuffed lion, you hold it at night and think of me?”
Ririka watched a range of emotions flit across the poor secretary’s face. “Yes, president.”
“Intriguing,” Kirari said, sitting back in her chair, sinking once more into her thoughts.