You Should Be Dancing
October 27 - Saturday evening
“Coming?”
“No.”
“Why not? Don’t you want to?”
Rin applied a bit more paint to a corner of an abstract painting, seemingly at random.
“No.”
“Want to talk about it?”
“No.”
“Fine - not a problem,” Emi replied breezily. “Oh — Tetsu came by, he left this for you,” Emi produced a flat white box from her room and set it on Rin’s bed.
“What is it?”
“You’ll have to open it to find out I guess.”
“Sure ..”
Rin twisted in her seat to open the box with a foot - fortunately one free of paint - to reveal a dress, neatly folded into the box.
Emi stepped over and held it up for Rin to get a good look at it — the body was a rich royal blue, while the skirt was a filmy, diaphanous cloth in multiple layers so as to be opaque. The arms of the body came down about half way, and ended in streamers of gold ribbon.
Rin stared at the dress silently, barely moving.
“It’s a dress.” Rin observed, flatly.
“It’s a costume,” Emi corrected her.
“From Tetsu?”
“Yeah - I think he made it for you in shop class. Left it — said `Rin may find this handy`. Guess he figured you didn’t have one already.”
Misha had probably told him, Rin realized. There was obviously a lot going on here that Rin hadn’t been privy to, which made her slightly uncomfortable.
“I’m going to put my own costume on - let me know if you want a hand putting yours on,” and she laid the dress out on Rin’s bed.
Rin studied the dress — it laid there like an architectural feature, a threshold. “I can’t wear part of a building, can I?”
Emi called from her room - “He’s a romantic you know — do you know what that means?”
Rin nodded. “It means he’ll break my heart. That’s what romantics do - they sweep girls off their feet then abandon them to sell matches on street corners in the dead of winter in Victorian London then they die."
”
Emi stuck her head back in Rin’s door - “I’ve said it before — the inside of your head is an interesting place. I don’t think any of that is in the dictionary under `Romantic`, but Tetsu’s picture certainly is.”
Rin suppressed a desire to ask Emi to show her — Rin felt this was one of those `figures of speech`, that so reliably befuddled her.
“I think it’s supposed to match his costume.”
“What if people start to think we’re a couple?”
“Start?” Thought Emi, but still - this was Rin’s life — Emi couldn’t live it for her.
“What if they do?” Asked Emi. “Isn’t that something you’ve wanted for a long time? Isn’t Tetsu just .. being the kind of person you’ve wanted to meet? That you’ve encouraged him to be? Like, you’ve made out - well, kissed - and gone on dates - you’ve kinda been orbiting each other for months. Is this really such a big deal?
Rin looked down — wasn’t it? “Orbiting each other? Have we?” Shizune certainly seemed to think so, Rin recalled.
Rin, in her head, had no idea what the broader world thought of she and Tetsu. Rin felt they were just insignificant motes in the background of everyone else’s lives, drifting silently along just out of sight. Rin was blissfully unaware that, outside of class or the dorms, people would have been shocked to have ever seen them apart — that they were regularly referred to as `them`; rarely `he` or `she` separately. Or that there was a betting pool amongst the women’s dorm as to when they’d finally hook up properly. For Rin, being blithely unaware of the suspense she was creating was pretty on-brand. Tetsu, for his part, wasn’t so much completely clueless as isolated from the gossip pool — although Emi was pretty sure he was clueless too.
“Rin,” counselled Emi, “Just go with it. It’s a beautiful dress. I’m going to do your makeup and your hair. Go dancing - you like that at least - and if it feels wrong - say so. Tetsu’s not made of glass - and even if he was, you say you’re not a couple so what do you care if his feelings are hurt?” This, Emi knew, was a low blow, but she had to make Rin aware of her own feelings somehow. “Dance with some other people if you want to - heck, dance with Kenji if you want.”
Rin looked aghast — when it came down to it, she really wanted to dance with Tetsu, but she really didn’t want anyone to see. Not that she was ashamed of the fact that she and Tetsu had danced together many times in his room, but it .. was a change, and change, to Rin, was fundamentally threatening; something to be grappled with in a contest of wills and grappling, Rin knew, wasn’t her strong suit. She courted destabilizing situations at the cost of enormous personal stress and, contrary to appearances, cared deeply what people thought of her. Rin, unfortunately, couldn’t see a way out of her predicament and so hung in the balance, unable to make a decision.
“Listen, Rin - tell you what. Wear the dress, go to the dance — we’ll go together. You don’t have to dance with Tetsu - I will. Ever since Hisao and I had our little blow-out last summer I’ve wondered if we’re right for each other. I’ve been thinking, maybe, I might like to `play the field` a little bit and Tetsu might just be the palette cleanser I need, so to speak.”
“This is it,” Emi thought — “Forgive me the white lie — you’ll thank me for it later.”
Rin, for her part, was immediately horrified at the prospect of Emi sweeping in and taking Tetsu away from her. “Fuck no,” was her instinctive thought — “Not after all the work I’ve done!”
Rin seemed to pull herself together — “I’ll be fine - thanks. Let’s get ready - the dance is starting soon.”
—
Emi and Rin entered the cafeteria just as the DJ was warming the room up with something classical — trembling violins, distant horns, the sound of flutes rising to meet them - a deep rolling of drums evoking the wildness and beauty of nature; of mountain streams, sun-kissed forest meadows, sunlight glinting off blue water ..
As chaperones of the dance, two teachers - Nomiya-sensei and Tanaka-sensei, one of the music teachers, stood to the side and mostly tried to keep out of the way.
“Is this what children listen to these days?” Nomiya harrumphed.
“Nomiya, do you really only listen to prog rock? The artist is Strauss — you really need to broaden your musical horizons,” chided Tanaka-sensei gently.
“.. and I do not only listen to Prog Rock — I listen to Elvis too.”
The cafeteria tables had been stacked to the sides and the students stuck to them as if by glue, leaving Emi and Rin to stand out as they came in the main doors; Rin’s ball-gown floating along just above the ground, diaphanous and ethereal, contrasting sharply with Emi’s skin-tight, bright red cosplay suit. Misha, wearing plaid pants, fake tattoos, and a black T-shirt with English lettering, waved them over.
“WAHAHAHA! You made it!”
“That’s a lot of safety pins you’re wearing, Misha - did your clothes tear?” Observed Rin, dryly.
“No - I’m a punk rocker - just like in the song!” Misha proceeded to pogo around which, against the backdrop of `The Blue Danube` wasn’t so much incongruous as deeply weird.
“And who are you coming as?” Asked Misha, coming to a rest.
“Asuka from NGE,” answered Emi.
“You need to go find Suzu - you’ll make a great pair; she’s dressed like Rei. Oh — and Shizune. The two of you need to pose for photos with Shizune.”
“OK - why?”
“Look —” Misha pointed over to the punch table - what looked like a boy in a simple futuristic military-style jacket with gold piping and a red turtleneck was helping himself to a cup. He turned around — he was wearing oval amber glasses and had an Abe Lincoln-ish beard.
“Shizune?”
“Shizune - as Gendo.” Emi facepalmed.
“Where’s Tetsu?” Rin wondered, looking around.
“Don’t tell me Kenji is here as Shinji ..” wondered Emi aloud.
“No chance - look for the camo uniform sneaking in the shadows — I think he thinks he’s GI Joe, but no one’s been able to ask him yet.”
“What’s up all?”
Hisao had sauntered up with a metal funnel strapped to his head and a futuristic-looking shirt of silvery cloth, combined with a pair of old jeans, spray-painted silver. On his chest he had pinned a heart with a bandage on it, and over his shoulder he carried a cardboard axe on a stick.
“Hisao - that costume is sick - you know that?”
“Thank you Misha, I’ll take that as a compliment - I think.”
“Lilly - Hanako! Over here!” Called Emi, spotting them walking not too far away.
Lilly and Hanako approached - Lilly was done up in a gorgeous pink dress with a huge pink crinoline skirt and a crown on her head. At the top of her cane was a star and she held it like a long wand, its handle touching the floor.
“Oh! Oh! Let me guess!” cried Misha — “You’re Glinda, Good Witch of the South!”
“Correct on your first try, Misha. I confess, Akira helped me with the costume - I hope that’s not against the rules.”
“Punks don’t follow rules! WAHAHAHA!” Misha cried as she pogo’d away.
Emerging from behind Lilly / Glinda was a woman with long dark hair in a white blouse, red skirt and red suspenders — and dark mascara around her eyes.
“Ah - haha - Hanako-san — please don’t kill us!” Said Emi nervously.
“Not if someone gets Lilly and I s-some punch.” Intoned Hanako, spookily.
“On it!” Cried out Hisao as he backed away from Hanako at speed.
“I think you and Hisao have more in common than you think,” observed Rin.
Rin looked around — Miki had switched to progressively more energetic music and there were a few students dancing now. The music was good, the costumes were creative, and, despite herself, she was glad she had come — but still no Tetsu.
“Emi .. do you think Tetsu is coming?”
“I’m sure he is, Rin - soon. I’m sure.” “Unless he’s busy shooting himself in the foot, which would be very much him,” Emi thought. “Tetsu and Rin - two porcupines in love.”
--
Two Body Problem (Complete)
-
Asoko_Desu
- Posts: 231
- Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2022 5:30 pm
- Location: L5
Re: Two Body Problem
- Attachments
-
- Shiina is a Punk Rocker.jpg (346.68 KiB) Viewed 4758 times
Last edited by Asoko_Desu on Thu Mar 30, 2023 11:28 pm, edited 10 times in total.
"So much to do, so little time."
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
-
Asoko_Desu
- Posts: 231
- Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2022 5:30 pm
- Location: L5
Re: Two Body Problem
Love Needs No Disguise
October 27 - Saturday evening
The evening progressed and, despite herself, Rin was having a good time of it. Still, it was hot inside - the evening being unseasonably warm, she decided to step outside. There, in the light of the full moon, was a great blue-faced beast in a velvet smoking jacket.
“Tetsu?”
“Rin?”
“Why aren’t you dancing?”
“I’m .. ashamed.”
“Of what?”
“Of making a costume for you, but not of the costume, but because of what you might have thought I meant by it.”
“Wow - you’re deep in a Worry Tree Forest. Have you found your worry tree yet?”
“No — I don’t know what that even means.”
“When I’m worried, I go to my worry tree and tell it my troubles and it listens without judging me.”
“Then - no. Quite the opposite, I think. I’m very much judging myself.”
“That’s what happens when you don’t have a worry tree to tell your worries to.” Rin looked down at her shoes for a minute before continuing. “Will you let me be your worry tree? I have lots of practice talking to worry trees - I think I could do a good job.”
“Are you sure? It sounds difficult.”
“I’ll let you know if it’s too much.”
“OK - what do I do?”
“Sit down and tell me what’s worrying you. I’ll listen.”
Tetsu took a deep breath and exhaled. To an external observer, it would have looked like Beauty and the Beast having a long heart-to-heart discussion under a bright full moon, which, perhaps, is exactly what it was. Time passed —
“.. and that’s why I was afraid to face you at the dance - I’m sorry.”
Tetsu sat with his hands in his lap, head down. Presently he looked up at Rin — “Is there more to this?”
“No - Not if you’re done. I usually thank my worry tree, but they never ask me to — I’m just being polite.”
“Thank you, worry tree.”
“Do you feel better now?”
Tetsu nodded.
“Then you’re done. That’s why I talk to worry trees - so I feel better after. What I’m worried about usually doesn’t seem as scary after I’m done.”
“What do you think?”
“About what?”
“About .. anything I’ve just said,” said Tetsu in some confusion.
“I’m just a worry tree - I don’t have opinions; you can’t talk to trees after all. Or you can, but don’t expect them to talk back.”
“What does Rin think?”
“You’ll have to ask her.”
Tetsu blinked once, slowly.
“Rin .. what do you think?”
“About what?”
“About what I just told my worry tree.”
“Sorry - I wasn’t listening; that was between you and your worry tree. Worry trees are very professional you know - they don’t tell their clients’ secrets to anyone.”
“Ah.”
“I do think you’re lovely though — even if you’re a romantic and are going to break my heart. Emi thinks I’m wrong about you leaving me in the snow to sell matches in Victorian England, but I think I’m right about the rest. Thank you for making the costume for me — no one has ever made me anything since my father carved little animals for me to play with, and I don’t think that counts, so thank you for making something for me for the first time ever.”
Tetsu nodded. “Sounds like the party’s ending — the music is over and we didn’t get to dance.”
“There will be other times. I’m cold — walk me back to my room.”
--
October 27 - Saturday evening
The evening progressed and, despite herself, Rin was having a good time of it. Still, it was hot inside - the evening being unseasonably warm, she decided to step outside. There, in the light of the full moon, was a great blue-faced beast in a velvet smoking jacket.
“Tetsu?”
“Rin?”
“Why aren’t you dancing?”
“I’m .. ashamed.”
“Of what?”
“Of making a costume for you, but not of the costume, but because of what you might have thought I meant by it.”
“Wow - you’re deep in a Worry Tree Forest. Have you found your worry tree yet?”
“No — I don’t know what that even means.”
“When I’m worried, I go to my worry tree and tell it my troubles and it listens without judging me.”
“Then - no. Quite the opposite, I think. I’m very much judging myself.”
“That’s what happens when you don’t have a worry tree to tell your worries to.” Rin looked down at her shoes for a minute before continuing. “Will you let me be your worry tree? I have lots of practice talking to worry trees - I think I could do a good job.”
“Are you sure? It sounds difficult.”
“I’ll let you know if it’s too much.”
“OK - what do I do?”
“Sit down and tell me what’s worrying you. I’ll listen.”
Tetsu took a deep breath and exhaled. To an external observer, it would have looked like Beauty and the Beast having a long heart-to-heart discussion under a bright full moon, which, perhaps, is exactly what it was. Time passed —
“.. and that’s why I was afraid to face you at the dance - I’m sorry.”
Tetsu sat with his hands in his lap, head down. Presently he looked up at Rin — “Is there more to this?”
“No - Not if you’re done. I usually thank my worry tree, but they never ask me to — I’m just being polite.”
“Thank you, worry tree.”
“Do you feel better now?”
Tetsu nodded.
“Then you’re done. That’s why I talk to worry trees - so I feel better after. What I’m worried about usually doesn’t seem as scary after I’m done.”
“What do you think?”
“About what?”
“About .. anything I’ve just said,” said Tetsu in some confusion.
“I’m just a worry tree - I don’t have opinions; you can’t talk to trees after all. Or you can, but don’t expect them to talk back.”
“What does Rin think?”
“You’ll have to ask her.”
Tetsu blinked once, slowly.
“Rin .. what do you think?”
“About what?”
“About what I just told my worry tree.”
“Sorry - I wasn’t listening; that was between you and your worry tree. Worry trees are very professional you know - they don’t tell their clients’ secrets to anyone.”
“Ah.”
“I do think you’re lovely though — even if you’re a romantic and are going to break my heart. Emi thinks I’m wrong about you leaving me in the snow to sell matches in Victorian England, but I think I’m right about the rest. Thank you for making the costume for me — no one has ever made me anything since my father carved little animals for me to play with, and I don’t think that counts, so thank you for making something for me for the first time ever.”
Tetsu nodded. “Sounds like the party’s ending — the music is over and we didn’t get to dance.”
“There will be other times. I’m cold — walk me back to my room.”
--
Last edited by Asoko_Desu on Sat Apr 01, 2023 5:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"So much to do, so little time."
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
-
Asoko_Desu
- Posts: 231
- Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2022 5:30 pm
- Location: L5
Re: Two Body Problem
Apres Dance
October 27 - Saturday night
Rin and Tetsu walked along the path beside the buildings - students were returning to their dorms singly and in groups. Going in via the side door - which had conveniently been left propped open - and equally conveniently being out of sight of the proctors, they climbed the back stairs and came out next to Rin’s room.
Rin went in, leading Tetsu - she turned around to close the door behind them.
“It’s getting late ..”
“Help me out of my costume — I want to keep it.”
Tetsu gently tugged at the skin-tight dress as Rin held her arms up to facilitate his peeling it off of her; the seams had left red marks all along her torso and arms where it had held tightly to her.
Rin sat down on her bed - wrapping a leg around Tetsu’s waist she pulled him close to her. With her other foot she pushed the jacket off of his shoulders and it fell to the ground.
“You can sleep over in my room for a change - I think we’re at the point where that would be ok. More than ok. You just have to leave early before the staff come in.”
“That’s f-fine - I-I’m usually up early to go to t-the gym to use the weights.”
“Funny - you sounded like Hanako for a moment; I wonder if she stutters because she’s aroused too.”
“I - what? How ..”
“We were pretty close when I held you” Rin said with a shy, alluring smile “A girl can tell when a boy has certain .. feelings for her.” She wrapped both legs about his hips and pulled him close; he could feel her pressing against him.
Tetsu blushed madly.
“Does this feel like what just friends do? I don’t know,” said Rin.
“Would you like to see how not `like what just friends do` this can feel?” Asked Tetsu, with unaccustomed boldness.
Rin looked demure, but her voice was clear — “Yes.”
Tetsu bent forward to kiss Rin’s lips, then her neck — Tetsu backed off to look into Rin’s eyes, who had been following his progress.
“Yes.”
Tetsu kissed her along her collarbone and down one arm; he raised his head — “I don’t think we’re just friends any more.”
Rin rolled her eyes forward from the back of her eyelids where they’d been residing and looked at him — “A girlfriend is someone who you do these things with - someone who loves you and you love them back. Do you love me Tetsu?”
“I’ve never loved anyone before so I wouldn't know, but I want to spend all my time with you. When I don’t spend time with you, I write notes to you in secret alphabets I make up for myself so I can write down important things without people reading them and making fun of me. Is that love?”
“People don’t do that unless they’re in love with someone I’m pretty sure,” replied Rin. “I draw little sketches of you on scraps of paper when Nomiya isn’t looking, and I hide them places where I’ll find them later so they’ll surprise me and make me happy. I think you should call me your girlfriend now. If you do, I’ll call you my boyfriend.”
“I .. think I’d like that.”
“Also - I love you,” said Rin with firm certainty.
“Me too. You. Love. Augh.” Tetsu paused and verbally backed up —
“I love you too.”
Rin sat up and buried her face in the side of Tetsu’s neck — “You smell good,” she said, biting him gently.
Morning, fortunately, was far off.
--
October 27 - Saturday night
Rin and Tetsu walked along the path beside the buildings - students were returning to their dorms singly and in groups. Going in via the side door - which had conveniently been left propped open - and equally conveniently being out of sight of the proctors, they climbed the back stairs and came out next to Rin’s room.
Rin went in, leading Tetsu - she turned around to close the door behind them.
“It’s getting late ..”
“Help me out of my costume — I want to keep it.”
Tetsu gently tugged at the skin-tight dress as Rin held her arms up to facilitate his peeling it off of her; the seams had left red marks all along her torso and arms where it had held tightly to her.
Rin sat down on her bed - wrapping a leg around Tetsu’s waist she pulled him close to her. With her other foot she pushed the jacket off of his shoulders and it fell to the ground.
“You can sleep over in my room for a change - I think we’re at the point where that would be ok. More than ok. You just have to leave early before the staff come in.”
“That’s f-fine - I-I’m usually up early to go to t-the gym to use the weights.”
“Funny - you sounded like Hanako for a moment; I wonder if she stutters because she’s aroused too.”
“I - what? How ..”
“We were pretty close when I held you” Rin said with a shy, alluring smile “A girl can tell when a boy has certain .. feelings for her.” She wrapped both legs about his hips and pulled him close; he could feel her pressing against him.
Tetsu blushed madly.
“Does this feel like what just friends do? I don’t know,” said Rin.
“Would you like to see how not `like what just friends do` this can feel?” Asked Tetsu, with unaccustomed boldness.
Rin looked demure, but her voice was clear — “Yes.”
Tetsu bent forward to kiss Rin’s lips, then her neck — Tetsu backed off to look into Rin’s eyes, who had been following his progress.
“Yes.”
Tetsu kissed her along her collarbone and down one arm; he raised his head — “I don’t think we’re just friends any more.”
Rin rolled her eyes forward from the back of her eyelids where they’d been residing and looked at him — “A girlfriend is someone who you do these things with - someone who loves you and you love them back. Do you love me Tetsu?”
“I’ve never loved anyone before so I wouldn't know, but I want to spend all my time with you. When I don’t spend time with you, I write notes to you in secret alphabets I make up for myself so I can write down important things without people reading them and making fun of me. Is that love?”
“People don’t do that unless they’re in love with someone I’m pretty sure,” replied Rin. “I draw little sketches of you on scraps of paper when Nomiya isn’t looking, and I hide them places where I’ll find them later so they’ll surprise me and make me happy. I think you should call me your girlfriend now. If you do, I’ll call you my boyfriend.”
“I .. think I’d like that.”
“Also - I love you,” said Rin with firm certainty.
“Me too. You. Love. Augh.” Tetsu paused and verbally backed up —
“I love you too.”
Rin sat up and buried her face in the side of Tetsu’s neck — “You smell good,” she said, biting him gently.
Morning, fortunately, was far off.
--
Last edited by Asoko_Desu on Sat Jul 01, 2023 11:48 pm, edited 4 times in total.
"So much to do, so little time."
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
-
Asoko_Desu
- Posts: 231
- Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2022 5:30 pm
- Location: L5
Re: Two Body Problem
Roses are Red
October 28 - Sunday Morning
The sun spilled into Rin’s room, illuminating two human-sized lumps under a comforter — one bigger than the other.
Rin rolled over and nudged Tetsu with her head — “Breakfast now - I’m hungry.”
Tetsu shook his head then looked thoughtful for a second and spoke —
“In games as in life
We roll the dice
Though chances are slim
Sometimes the odd numbers win”
Rin looked at Tetsu, confused — “In Japanese, please?”
Tetsu signed what he had said to her, as he was still more confident in sign than Japanese.
“Why did you say that?” Asked Rin; she thought — “How the hell did he do that? That thing with the words - is that a power the Oni have? I need to look that up.”
Tetsu shrugged — “Why do you paint?”
“I.. some things.. feelings — I can’t communicate any other way.”
“Exactly.”
Rin looked frustrated. “It’s so much easier being obtuse than figuring out someone else’s obtuseness,” she thought. “Poetic justice I guess - ha ha - is he saying that he does poetry because just one word isn’t enough to describe his emotions? Can’t think of another interpretation for this laconic exchange. If I’m right - if we’re actually understanding each other this well - I swear I’ll bite the nose off the face of anyone who gets between us. Should I talk in reverse? Would he understand me? Reply? We’re so close; let’s not push our luck - today.”
“Also, Tetsu - you’re pronouncing my name wrong — it’s ‘Rin’”
“`Rin`”
“No, it’s ‘Rin’ - you said `Rin`”
“Got it - `Rin`”
“Oh .. never mind”
“Let’s pick this up after breakfast - I’m hungry too, OK?”
“OK.”
--
October 28 - Sunday Morning
The sun spilled into Rin’s room, illuminating two human-sized lumps under a comforter — one bigger than the other.
Rin rolled over and nudged Tetsu with her head — “Breakfast now - I’m hungry.”
Tetsu shook his head then looked thoughtful for a second and spoke —
“In games as in life
We roll the dice
Though chances are slim
Sometimes the odd numbers win”
Rin looked at Tetsu, confused — “In Japanese, please?”
Tetsu signed what he had said to her, as he was still more confident in sign than Japanese.
“Why did you say that?” Asked Rin; she thought — “How the hell did he do that? That thing with the words - is that a power the Oni have? I need to look that up.”
Tetsu shrugged — “Why do you paint?”
“I.. some things.. feelings — I can’t communicate any other way.”
“Exactly.”
Rin looked frustrated. “It’s so much easier being obtuse than figuring out someone else’s obtuseness,” she thought. “Poetic justice I guess - ha ha - is he saying that he does poetry because just one word isn’t enough to describe his emotions? Can’t think of another interpretation for this laconic exchange. If I’m right - if we’re actually understanding each other this well - I swear I’ll bite the nose off the face of anyone who gets between us. Should I talk in reverse? Would he understand me? Reply? We’re so close; let’s not push our luck - today.”
“Also, Tetsu - you’re pronouncing my name wrong — it’s ‘Rin’”
“`Rin`”
“No, it’s ‘Rin’ - you said `Rin`”
“Got it - `Rin`”
“Oh .. never mind”
“Let’s pick this up after breakfast - I’m hungry too, OK?”
“OK.”
--
"So much to do, so little time."
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
-
Asoko_Desu
- Posts: 231
- Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2022 5:30 pm
- Location: L5
Re: Two Body Problem
First Monday of the Rest of Our Lives
October 29 - Monday morning
“`morning Miki!”
“Morning Tetsu - give me the regular spot? It’s chest day today - and no smart comments!” Tetsu looked rather sleep-deprived but happy, thought Miki.
Miki strapped on her lifting prosthesis over her bandages - the bandages keeping them from rubbing her arm raw; the lifting end of the arm having a clamp sized perfectly for holding onto an Olympic bar.
Miki looked up .. “Hmm - that’s new. I guess he and Rin are getting on — I do love Tetsu like a brother, but forgive me - I am going to fuck with him today; I think he can finally handle it.”
“You’re in a good mood today - who is it?”
“Huh?”
“The only time a boy looks as happy as you do is when he’s got a steady .. plus you’ve got a hickey on your neck.”
Tetsu blushed a furious red.
“Let’s see - don’t tell me; Miki’s good at guessing. Emi’s taken and Hisao isn’t the type to share even if Emi might be (Tetsu blushed harder, if that was possible). Lilly’s not the type to mark her territory like that - nor is Hanako; I do but it wasn’t me I’m pretty sure. Suzu’s not your type, nor is Saki. You’re not Misha’s type.. could be Shizune - you do know sign, but I’d expect rope burns on your wrists .. Fuck — it’s Rin, isn’t it - it has to be! You and Rin finally got together!”
“Shhh - keep it down.”
“Hah - you admitted it! Don’t worry - your secret’s safe with me. Mostly.”
Miki’s promise to Tetsu lasted until noon when the betting pool closed and money changed hands.
--
October 29 - Monday morning
“`morning Miki!”
“Morning Tetsu - give me the regular spot? It’s chest day today - and no smart comments!” Tetsu looked rather sleep-deprived but happy, thought Miki.
Miki strapped on her lifting prosthesis over her bandages - the bandages keeping them from rubbing her arm raw; the lifting end of the arm having a clamp sized perfectly for holding onto an Olympic bar.
Miki looked up .. “Hmm - that’s new. I guess he and Rin are getting on — I do love Tetsu like a brother, but forgive me - I am going to fuck with him today; I think he can finally handle it.”
“You’re in a good mood today - who is it?”
“Huh?”
“The only time a boy looks as happy as you do is when he’s got a steady .. plus you’ve got a hickey on your neck.”
Tetsu blushed a furious red.
“Let’s see - don’t tell me; Miki’s good at guessing. Emi’s taken and Hisao isn’t the type to share even if Emi might be (Tetsu blushed harder, if that was possible). Lilly’s not the type to mark her territory like that - nor is Hanako; I do but it wasn’t me I’m pretty sure. Suzu’s not your type, nor is Saki. You’re not Misha’s type.. could be Shizune - you do know sign, but I’d expect rope burns on your wrists .. Fuck — it’s Rin, isn’t it - it has to be! You and Rin finally got together!”
“Shhh - keep it down.”
“Hah - you admitted it! Don’t worry - your secret’s safe with me. Mostly.”
Miki’s promise to Tetsu lasted until noon when the betting pool closed and money changed hands.
--
- Attachments
-
- The First Monday of the Rest of Our Lives.jpg (352.1 KiB) Viewed 4775 times
Last edited by Asoko_Desu on Sat Jul 01, 2023 11:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"So much to do, so little time."
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
-
Asoko_Desu
- Posts: 231
- Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2022 5:30 pm
- Location: L5
Re: Two Body Problem
Tea for We
November 02 - Friday, Tea Time
“Hi Lilly, Hanako - I brought a friend for tea. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. Who is your friend, Tetsu?”
“H-hello Rin,” said Hanako, for Lilly’s benefit.
“Oh - Rin .. hello?” Lilly looked distinctly uncomfortable - her face a blend of emotions that came off mostly as one of forced politeness.
“I .. appreciated our last conversation ..”
Lilly obviously was unwilling - or unable - to directly lie and say she `enjoyed` the conversation outside of the Shanghai where she, Hisao, and Tetsu encountered Rin on a late-night excursion, and had a very awkward conversation whilst walking back to school.
Rin appeared not to notice Lilly’s discomfort. “Hi Lilly - Tetsu tells me you make very good tea. May I have some?”
“Of .. course; certainly. If you don’t mind my saying, you’re .. rather more direct today than when we .. spoke previously - before the festival.”
Lilly didn’t seem to trust that Rin would recall the occasion; evidently Lilly had been left with the opinion that Rin was somewhat .. lacking in her ability to reason and communicate.
“Tetsu’s been rubbing off on me I guess. Also I was - what was the phrase you used, Tetsu - taking the piss that night. Tetsu’s been teaching me English idiom. How did I do?”
Lilly’s normally rather light complexion had turned an interesting shade of red. “Tetsu - did you have to start with that particular turn of phrase?” Lilly asked.
“Oh, he didn’t start with that one - I just thought it fit,” shared Rin.
“Anyhow - I was pressed for time and needed to get back to school to finish the mural, but Hisao was being a prat and didn’t trust me get back on my own so I thought I’d fuck with him.”
“Tetsu!” Lilly exclaimed.
“Hey - I didn’t teach her that one!”
“What? Fuck? Oh no - I’ve known `fuck` since forever, though I’ve been hoping Tetsu would show me how.”
Hanako covered her mouth with her hand and made a choking sound - her tea having gone down the wrong way.
“This *hick* is why *hick* I t-try *hick* to never l-leave *hick* m-my room”, her words devolving into giggling punctuated with hiccups.
“Now see what you’ve done to poor Hanako. Rin, those aren’t particularly lady-like idioms,” chided Lilly, her neck muscles visibly tight.
“What does a lady like?”
“Well — a lady likes keeping her powder dry, so to speak.”
“Bit late for that.”
Lilly coloured further and clasped and unclasped her hands in agitation. Rin, while certainly more direct was no less awkward to have a conversation with than before - maybe more so. Perhaps uncharitably, Lilly hoped Tetsu wouldn’t bring Rin around often.
Tetsu was glad Hanako was preoccupied trying to keep her hiccups under control so that she couldn’t see the battle being waged on his face over whether to break down laughing or not.
“Lilly,” offered Tetsu, in a masterful exercise of self control, “I think what you wish to do is cup your palms and put them to your face, then tilt your head forward a fraction.”
“Like this?” said Lilly, somewhat muffled.
“Perfect. That’s what’s called a `double facepalm` — it’s a demonstration of mortification that - no offence - sighted people will immediately recognize. You can do it with just one hand, but it’s only half as mortified and you seemed to not have any mortification left to spare.”
“No offence taken — and no, nary a drop left.” Lilly sighed, slightly muffled behind her hands.
Hanako kept her hand firmly to her mouth, hiccups and giggles continuing.
“When should I lower my hands?”
“When the mortification has passed.”
“Then I may keep them here all day; potentially forever.”
“It’s inadvisable to walk or eat whilst doing so.”
“Duly noted. Anyhow, so, Rin, you and Tetsu ..”
“.. are lovers,”
Mentally, Tetsu kicked a table leg - hard - with his big toe; a trick Rin had taught him to keep the expression of his emotions under control.
Lilly sighed and thought to herself “.. or ever - please don’t ever bring her back,” but more graciously, she lowered her hands and said —
“`An Item` is the phrase you want to use, Rin. It’s polite to leave the .. degree .. of your relationship open to your audience’s interpretation.”
“Why?”
“I.. don’t know. It just is.”
“OK — yes, Tetsu and I are `An Item`. Oh I get it - an `item`, singular, because when two people ..”
Lilly interjected, erring on the side of forcefulness - “Quite. Well, ah, congratulations you two.”
“Y-yes - c-c-congratulations!” Hanako chimed in, smiling - her hiccups mostly under control.
“Speaking of which, Tetsu, we need to drop by Nurse’s office later - we need to pick up a couple of boxes of condoms.”
Lilly put her hands firmly back to her face — it looked like they were going to be there for quite some time.
—
Later, once they’d finished their business and Nurse had cheerfully sent them on their way, Tetsu had questions ..
“Rin?”
“Mm?”
“Rin?”
“Mm-hm.”
“Do you know what a `bitch` is?”
“The English word for a female dog?”
“That. But also the word for a person who’d mercilessly troll the ever-so proper Lilly with a stone-cold straight face.”
“Me?”
“Don’t give me that - I almost unmanned myself trying not to laugh.”
“Hanako seemed to quite enjoy the play,” said Rin, a sly smile creeping across her face.
“So you were trolling Lilly!”
“I admit nothing,” Rin declared, smiling broadly and leaning forward onto Tetsu so he could feel her breasts pressed against him.
“Besides -” she said, looking up at him, “- you yourself said you were trying not to laugh so you’re as bad as me, assuming that’s what I was doing. Even worse - I could have been totally innocent and your horrible nature made you want to laugh. You’ve hurt me, Tetsu.”
Rin pouted - a much better pout than she’d previously done, having practiced it regularly with Emi’s coaching. She tilted her head down and looked up at Tetsu with Emi-brand puppy dog eyes, but she neglected to separate herself from him - if anything, she wiggled in a little bit closer.
“Quit that - I know Emi eyes when I see them. You’re a complete bitch, but the best kind.”
“I may be a bitch, but you’re mine.”
“Ah.. I didn't teach you that one - have you been studying English idiom on your own?”
“May-be?” And she stood up on tip-toes to nibble his neck, effectively cutting the conversation short as they moved onto other matters.
--
November 02 - Friday, Tea Time
“Hi Lilly, Hanako - I brought a friend for tea. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. Who is your friend, Tetsu?”
“H-hello Rin,” said Hanako, for Lilly’s benefit.
“Oh - Rin .. hello?” Lilly looked distinctly uncomfortable - her face a blend of emotions that came off mostly as one of forced politeness.
“I .. appreciated our last conversation ..”
Lilly obviously was unwilling - or unable - to directly lie and say she `enjoyed` the conversation outside of the Shanghai where she, Hisao, and Tetsu encountered Rin on a late-night excursion, and had a very awkward conversation whilst walking back to school.
Rin appeared not to notice Lilly’s discomfort. “Hi Lilly - Tetsu tells me you make very good tea. May I have some?”
“Of .. course; certainly. If you don’t mind my saying, you’re .. rather more direct today than when we .. spoke previously - before the festival.”
Lilly didn’t seem to trust that Rin would recall the occasion; evidently Lilly had been left with the opinion that Rin was somewhat .. lacking in her ability to reason and communicate.
“Tetsu’s been rubbing off on me I guess. Also I was - what was the phrase you used, Tetsu - taking the piss that night. Tetsu’s been teaching me English idiom. How did I do?”
Lilly’s normally rather light complexion had turned an interesting shade of red. “Tetsu - did you have to start with that particular turn of phrase?” Lilly asked.
“Oh, he didn’t start with that one - I just thought it fit,” shared Rin.
“Anyhow - I was pressed for time and needed to get back to school to finish the mural, but Hisao was being a prat and didn’t trust me get back on my own so I thought I’d fuck with him.”
“Tetsu!” Lilly exclaimed.
“Hey - I didn’t teach her that one!”
“What? Fuck? Oh no - I’ve known `fuck` since forever, though I’ve been hoping Tetsu would show me how.”
Hanako covered her mouth with her hand and made a choking sound - her tea having gone down the wrong way.
“This *hick* is why *hick* I t-try *hick* to never l-leave *hick* m-my room”, her words devolving into giggling punctuated with hiccups.
“Now see what you’ve done to poor Hanako. Rin, those aren’t particularly lady-like idioms,” chided Lilly, her neck muscles visibly tight.
“What does a lady like?”
“Well — a lady likes keeping her powder dry, so to speak.”
“Bit late for that.”
Lilly coloured further and clasped and unclasped her hands in agitation. Rin, while certainly more direct was no less awkward to have a conversation with than before - maybe more so. Perhaps uncharitably, Lilly hoped Tetsu wouldn’t bring Rin around often.
Tetsu was glad Hanako was preoccupied trying to keep her hiccups under control so that she couldn’t see the battle being waged on his face over whether to break down laughing or not.
“Lilly,” offered Tetsu, in a masterful exercise of self control, “I think what you wish to do is cup your palms and put them to your face, then tilt your head forward a fraction.”
“Like this?” said Lilly, somewhat muffled.
“Perfect. That’s what’s called a `double facepalm` — it’s a demonstration of mortification that - no offence - sighted people will immediately recognize. You can do it with just one hand, but it’s only half as mortified and you seemed to not have any mortification left to spare.”
“No offence taken — and no, nary a drop left.” Lilly sighed, slightly muffled behind her hands.
Hanako kept her hand firmly to her mouth, hiccups and giggles continuing.
“When should I lower my hands?”
“When the mortification has passed.”
“Then I may keep them here all day; potentially forever.”
“It’s inadvisable to walk or eat whilst doing so.”
“Duly noted. Anyhow, so, Rin, you and Tetsu ..”
“.. are lovers,”
Mentally, Tetsu kicked a table leg - hard - with his big toe; a trick Rin had taught him to keep the expression of his emotions under control.
Lilly sighed and thought to herself “.. or ever - please don’t ever bring her back,” but more graciously, she lowered her hands and said —
“`An Item` is the phrase you want to use, Rin. It’s polite to leave the .. degree .. of your relationship open to your audience’s interpretation.”
“Why?”
“I.. don’t know. It just is.”
“OK — yes, Tetsu and I are `An Item`. Oh I get it - an `item`, singular, because when two people ..”
Lilly interjected, erring on the side of forcefulness - “Quite. Well, ah, congratulations you two.”
“Y-yes - c-c-congratulations!” Hanako chimed in, smiling - her hiccups mostly under control.
“Speaking of which, Tetsu, we need to drop by Nurse’s office later - we need to pick up a couple of boxes of condoms.”
Lilly put her hands firmly back to her face — it looked like they were going to be there for quite some time.
—
Later, once they’d finished their business and Nurse had cheerfully sent them on their way, Tetsu had questions ..
“Rin?”
“Mm?”
“Rin?”
“Mm-hm.”
“Do you know what a `bitch` is?”
“The English word for a female dog?”
“That. But also the word for a person who’d mercilessly troll the ever-so proper Lilly with a stone-cold straight face.”
“Me?”
“Don’t give me that - I almost unmanned myself trying not to laugh.”
“Hanako seemed to quite enjoy the play,” said Rin, a sly smile creeping across her face.
“So you were trolling Lilly!”
“I admit nothing,” Rin declared, smiling broadly and leaning forward onto Tetsu so he could feel her breasts pressed against him.
“Besides -” she said, looking up at him, “- you yourself said you were trying not to laugh so you’re as bad as me, assuming that’s what I was doing. Even worse - I could have been totally innocent and your horrible nature made you want to laugh. You’ve hurt me, Tetsu.”
Rin pouted - a much better pout than she’d previously done, having practiced it regularly with Emi’s coaching. She tilted her head down and looked up at Tetsu with Emi-brand puppy dog eyes, but she neglected to separate herself from him - if anything, she wiggled in a little bit closer.
“Quit that - I know Emi eyes when I see them. You’re a complete bitch, but the best kind.”
“I may be a bitch, but you’re mine.”
“Ah.. I didn't teach you that one - have you been studying English idiom on your own?”
“May-be?” And she stood up on tip-toes to nibble his neck, effectively cutting the conversation short as they moved onto other matters.
--
Last edited by Asoko_Desu on Sun Jul 02, 2023 12:04 am, edited 3 times in total.
"So much to do, so little time."
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
-
Asoko_Desu
- Posts: 231
- Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2022 5:30 pm
- Location: L5
Re: Two Body Problem
At the Feeling Wall
November 03 - Saturday afternoon
Rin and Tetsu took a walk with precisely no destination in mind and arrived in front of the mural. They walked its length, taking their time, pausing here and there to examine fine details. They’d come by many times since it was painted and Tetsu felt as if seeing it again was like seeing it with new eyes every time - always there was something new that he’d overlooked; the exercise cast him in a contemplative air.
“The mural — it makes me feel something I don’t quite have words for.”
“Same — That may be why I painted it. I know it’s a mural about a mural but — I’ve never been satisfied with that explanation. This mural has feelings - I’m just not sure what they are.”
“If it came with feelings that means you had the feeling before you painted it.”
“Yes.”
“And I feel it after.”
“Does it make you feel the same way as I felt?”
“I don’t know - I don’t know how I would know. I know I like how it makes me feel now though.”
“How does it make you make you feel?”
“How could I tell you?”
Rin stood still, staring at her feet and thought - “Well, that just shot that theory all to hell. I was hoping I could share my feelings with people through my art .. but I’ll only know how it made them feel if they paint me a picture back and .. I have no idea how their paintings make their artists feel. Fuck.”
“Tetsu - how do people talk about feelings?”
“With words.”
“Yes, but no. How are people able to use words to talk about feelings and be understood is what I mean.”
Tetsu spoke slowly, choosing his words with care, he felt he was entering deep waters —
“Feelings are like colours - there are basic ones, but infinite shades and you can blend them. Some mix well — some awfully..” Tetsu paused before continuing —
“When I say `blue` you know what I’m talking about, generally. When I say ‘sky blue’ you know more specifically because you’ve seen the sky. If I say `I’m unhappy`, you’ve been unhappy before and you remember that feeling and you know where I’m coming from. If you want to really know, you might ask me how unhappy I am. If I say `I’m as unhappy as the time I stubbed my toe on a rock`, and if you’ve stubbed your toe on a rock before, you’ll understand (Rin winced). Talking about emotions is talking about shared experiences I guess.”
“I .. need to think about this. It makes sense, but .. I don’t understand it. Does that make sense?”
“Maybe. Talk to me about it when you’ve thought about it. I’d like to hear what conclusions you come to.”
“I’m not sure there is a conclusion.”
“I’d like to hear that too if that’s what you decide.”
Rin turned to look at Tetsu directly — “I’m not making sense; even I know that. Why doesn’t it upset you? It upsets me.”
“You’re smart - talking to smart people is fun. You’re solving a puzzle - solving puzzles is fun, and it’s fun to watch people solve puzzles - that makes you fun to be around. And I disagree - I think you are making sense - you are thinking about a problem and you admit there may be no solution to it. Not all problems are solvable.”
Rin thought on this and, despite her inner turmoil, the fact that Tetsu enjoyed being with her was comforting - it was like having a portable worry tree in some ways — she could tell him what was on her mind and he didn’t judge her. Actually, he didn’t judge her negatively - he often judged her positively, and told her so. “I guess he’s not really a worry tree .. what should I call him then? What drawer do I put him in? Oh right — the one labelled `boyfriend`. A boyfriend is someone who listens to you and doesn’t judge you harshly and who supports you.” Rin turned this idea over in her head a few times and it seemed to fit perfectly into the boyfriend-shaped hole in her universe - that space that was defined by everything she’d experienced up to now that wasn’t a boyfriend.
“Why should I paint then? If people won’t understand how I felt when I made the painting I mean. Why bother?” she asked.
“Why not? Does it make you happy to paint?”
“Yes .. I think so ..”
“Would it make you unhappy if you were forced to stop?”
Tetsu had this habit of turning questions around to attack a problem from an unguarded side - an interesting approach, Rin thought; something Shizune might appreciate.
“It wouldn’t mind if I chose to, but if I didn’t have a choice it would upset me.”
“Does it make other people happy?”
“I guess? I think? I don’t know ..”
“Do they tell you? It makes me happy to see your paintings. Art makes people feel - you can’t control what they feel, but because of you, they do feel and that’s amazing.”
“So we do communicate our feelings .. sort of. It’s there, it’s good - it’s just not perfect,” Rin mused, after giving it some thought.
“Just like us.” Tetsu hugged her.
“Why?”
“Why did I hug you or why is it good?”
“Yes.”
“Because I love you - is that ok?”
“More than ok — I think it’s all I’ve ever wanted to hear from you.”
“You’ll hear it as often as you want - I promise.”
Rin put her face to Tetsu’s chest; her voice muffled by his shirt - “I love you too”
Tetsu hugged her; Rin thought to herself - “Do not cry in public, do not be a baby,” and she failed utterly.
--
November 03 - Saturday afternoon
Rin and Tetsu took a walk with precisely no destination in mind and arrived in front of the mural. They walked its length, taking their time, pausing here and there to examine fine details. They’d come by many times since it was painted and Tetsu felt as if seeing it again was like seeing it with new eyes every time - always there was something new that he’d overlooked; the exercise cast him in a contemplative air.
“The mural — it makes me feel something I don’t quite have words for.”
“Same — That may be why I painted it. I know it’s a mural about a mural but — I’ve never been satisfied with that explanation. This mural has feelings - I’m just not sure what they are.”
“If it came with feelings that means you had the feeling before you painted it.”
“Yes.”
“And I feel it after.”
“Does it make you feel the same way as I felt?”
“I don’t know - I don’t know how I would know. I know I like how it makes me feel now though.”
“How does it make you make you feel?”
“How could I tell you?”
Rin stood still, staring at her feet and thought - “Well, that just shot that theory all to hell. I was hoping I could share my feelings with people through my art .. but I’ll only know how it made them feel if they paint me a picture back and .. I have no idea how their paintings make their artists feel. Fuck.”
“Tetsu - how do people talk about feelings?”
“With words.”
“Yes, but no. How are people able to use words to talk about feelings and be understood is what I mean.”
Tetsu spoke slowly, choosing his words with care, he felt he was entering deep waters —
“Feelings are like colours - there are basic ones, but infinite shades and you can blend them. Some mix well — some awfully..” Tetsu paused before continuing —
“When I say `blue` you know what I’m talking about, generally. When I say ‘sky blue’ you know more specifically because you’ve seen the sky. If I say `I’m unhappy`, you’ve been unhappy before and you remember that feeling and you know where I’m coming from. If you want to really know, you might ask me how unhappy I am. If I say `I’m as unhappy as the time I stubbed my toe on a rock`, and if you’ve stubbed your toe on a rock before, you’ll understand (Rin winced). Talking about emotions is talking about shared experiences I guess.”
“I .. need to think about this. It makes sense, but .. I don’t understand it. Does that make sense?”
“Maybe. Talk to me about it when you’ve thought about it. I’d like to hear what conclusions you come to.”
“I’m not sure there is a conclusion.”
“I’d like to hear that too if that’s what you decide.”
Rin turned to look at Tetsu directly — “I’m not making sense; even I know that. Why doesn’t it upset you? It upsets me.”
“You’re smart - talking to smart people is fun. You’re solving a puzzle - solving puzzles is fun, and it’s fun to watch people solve puzzles - that makes you fun to be around. And I disagree - I think you are making sense - you are thinking about a problem and you admit there may be no solution to it. Not all problems are solvable.”
Rin thought on this and, despite her inner turmoil, the fact that Tetsu enjoyed being with her was comforting - it was like having a portable worry tree in some ways — she could tell him what was on her mind and he didn’t judge her. Actually, he didn’t judge her negatively - he often judged her positively, and told her so. “I guess he’s not really a worry tree .. what should I call him then? What drawer do I put him in? Oh right — the one labelled `boyfriend`. A boyfriend is someone who listens to you and doesn’t judge you harshly and who supports you.” Rin turned this idea over in her head a few times and it seemed to fit perfectly into the boyfriend-shaped hole in her universe - that space that was defined by everything she’d experienced up to now that wasn’t a boyfriend.
“Why should I paint then? If people won’t understand how I felt when I made the painting I mean. Why bother?” she asked.
“Why not? Does it make you happy to paint?”
“Yes .. I think so ..”
“Would it make you unhappy if you were forced to stop?”
Tetsu had this habit of turning questions around to attack a problem from an unguarded side - an interesting approach, Rin thought; something Shizune might appreciate.
“It wouldn’t mind if I chose to, but if I didn’t have a choice it would upset me.”
“Does it make other people happy?”
“I guess? I think? I don’t know ..”
“Do they tell you? It makes me happy to see your paintings. Art makes people feel - you can’t control what they feel, but because of you, they do feel and that’s amazing.”
“So we do communicate our feelings .. sort of. It’s there, it’s good - it’s just not perfect,” Rin mused, after giving it some thought.
“Just like us.” Tetsu hugged her.
“Why?”
“Why did I hug you or why is it good?”
“Yes.”
“Because I love you - is that ok?”
“More than ok — I think it’s all I’ve ever wanted to hear from you.”
“You’ll hear it as often as you want - I promise.”
Rin put her face to Tetsu’s chest; her voice muffled by his shirt - “I love you too”
Tetsu hugged her; Rin thought to herself - “Do not cry in public, do not be a baby,” and she failed utterly.
--
"So much to do, so little time."
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
-
Asoko_Desu
- Posts: 231
- Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2022 5:30 pm
- Location: L5
Re: Two Body Problem
Stealing for Home
November 03 - Saturday evening
In Rin’s room -
“Is the door locked?”
Tetsu reached over to check the latch.
“It is now.”
“Good. Come to me - I’m not a prude. Emi told me to say that, and it feels like I ought to say that right now.”
“OK ..”
Tetsu stepped over to Rin who was sitting on the edge of her bed, and hugged her awkwardly around her shoulders - her hair and skin didn't smell like much, but at the same time smelled fantastically good.
“I miss my home and I miss my old friends” he thought “But maybe new friends can be good too” as Rin wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled close to him.
“I used to think that there wasn’t much difference between friends and boyfriends, but .. this is different.” Rin thought to herself — “I used to say that - did I really believe it? Or was I just trying to get away from the thought I might never have a boyfriend?”
“Have you ever had a boyfriend before?” Tetsu asked.
“No - you?”
“No. Nor a girlfriend.”
Rin nodded sagely. “No wonder we’re both so bad at this. Maybe next time will be easier .. please, please, promise me there won’t be a next time.”
“I promise.”
“Good,” she said, and she smiled as bright as sunlight, resting the side of her head against his chest.
“Are we engaged now? I think maybe we are ..” she wondered to herself.
Rin held him tight with her legs and raised herself up to kiss his neck and his face, working her way to kiss him on the lips.
“You taste .. like Tetsu.”
“How does a Tetsu taste?”
“Like when your mother surprises you with your favourite meal for your birthday - sweet and savoury and all the umami. And all mine.”
“You taste like Rin.”
“How does a Rin taste”
“Like a birthday cake with extra strawberries.”
Rin decided she could live with this — if it meant Tetsu would keep nibbling on her, that is.
--
November 03 - Saturday evening
In Rin’s room -
“Is the door locked?”
Tetsu reached over to check the latch.
“It is now.”
“Good. Come to me - I’m not a prude. Emi told me to say that, and it feels like I ought to say that right now.”
“OK ..”
Tetsu stepped over to Rin who was sitting on the edge of her bed, and hugged her awkwardly around her shoulders - her hair and skin didn't smell like much, but at the same time smelled fantastically good.
“I miss my home and I miss my old friends” he thought “But maybe new friends can be good too” as Rin wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled close to him.
“I used to think that there wasn’t much difference between friends and boyfriends, but .. this is different.” Rin thought to herself — “I used to say that - did I really believe it? Or was I just trying to get away from the thought I might never have a boyfriend?”
“Have you ever had a boyfriend before?” Tetsu asked.
“No - you?”
“No. Nor a girlfriend.”
Rin nodded sagely. “No wonder we’re both so bad at this. Maybe next time will be easier .. please, please, promise me there won’t be a next time.”
“I promise.”
“Good,” she said, and she smiled as bright as sunlight, resting the side of her head against his chest.
“Are we engaged now? I think maybe we are ..” she wondered to herself.
Rin held him tight with her legs and raised herself up to kiss his neck and his face, working her way to kiss him on the lips.
“You taste .. like Tetsu.”
“How does a Tetsu taste?”
“Like when your mother surprises you with your favourite meal for your birthday - sweet and savoury and all the umami. And all mine.”
“You taste like Rin.”
“How does a Rin taste”
“Like a birthday cake with extra strawberries.”
Rin decided she could live with this — if it meant Tetsu would keep nibbling on her, that is.
--
Last edited by Asoko_Desu on Sun Jul 02, 2023 12:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
"So much to do, so little time."
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
-
Asoko_Desu
- Posts: 231
- Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2022 5:30 pm
- Location: L5
Re: Two Body Problem
How Can We Understand Us?
November 10 - Saturday
Rin thought it was a nice day - quiet, sunny; sun laying low on the horizon as it did in the fall. A perfect day to stop by Tetsu’s room and see what he was up to.
All the doors on Tetsu’s floor were closed - was he he out? No - his door was open - just a crack. Perhaps it had been closed earlier, but not enough for the latch to hold and it had, unnoticed, popped open a fraction. This happened to things warmed by the sun Rin had noticed - as if the sun had an invisible hand, opening doors and windows just a bit, and pushing clouds about.
She rarely intended to be stealthy — she just was. She had an odd sort of grace that was by turns awkward and efficient, not expending energy on mis-steps or noisy walking - which is how she came to Tetsu’s door without making a sound. She nudged the door open gently with her head and peeked in.
The sun streamed in Tetsu’s window, bathing the room in golden late-day light. Tetsu, himself, was at his desk - arms crossed and head-down upon them. Rin thought he might be sleeping, and thought she might surprise him by waking him up gently until she saw he shoulders shake.
“Is he snoring?” she wondered - no, too quiet. Rin, bold and blunt, felt no shame at observing Tetsu covertly - just curiosity, shading into concern as it became clear he wasn’t snoring, but rather silently sobbing.
“Fuck.” This was one of those awkward moments where, Rin felt, most people would probably quietly back away before they were noticed - just pretend it never happened and avoid embarrassment. Rin also knew she wasn’t most people.
Rin edged the door open noiselessly - it would have been very unlike Tetsu to have left its hinges un-oiled. She knelt beside Tetsu for a minute, letting him work his upset out a little longer.
“Hey,” she said, softly beside him — “Tetsu. It’s me, Rin.” And she added, although she didn’t know why — “I’m sorry.” She rested her head on the back of his shoulder.
Tetsu, his head still down on arms, nodded, which set off another bout of quiet sobbing. He didn’t start at the sound of her voice — Rin couldn’t ever remember Tetsu acting surprised - by anything. “A man free of expectations is a man free of disappointment,” she’d once heard said.
“I cry too — in my room — so no one will hear,” Emi would sometimes catch her, as Rin wasn't terribly good at ensuring her door was closed, and give her a hug. Rin paused — “Would you like a hug?”
Tetsu nodded and sat up, face red and cheeks wet with tears. He blew his nose in a tissue, sat back and looked at Rin. She got up off the floor, exercising that strange awkward grace that was so uniquely hers. “Like a cheetah, trying not to explode into a burst of speed,” Tetsu thought.
Rin kicked off her sandals, swung one leg over Tetsu’s legs, and sat on his lap, facing him - her bare feet on top of his.
“I can’t hug anyone, but I can do this,” — she put her arms on his shoulders and her head beside his.
“Perfect - it’s perfect,” he whispered.
He dried his eyes — “What do you want to do now?”
“I want you to cry on me and soak my shirt through to my skin like the rain.”
“But when I’m with you I don’t want to cry.”
“Let’s just watch the sun set then.”
--
November 10 - Saturday
Rin thought it was a nice day - quiet, sunny; sun laying low on the horizon as it did in the fall. A perfect day to stop by Tetsu’s room and see what he was up to.
All the doors on Tetsu’s floor were closed - was he he out? No - his door was open - just a crack. Perhaps it had been closed earlier, but not enough for the latch to hold and it had, unnoticed, popped open a fraction. This happened to things warmed by the sun Rin had noticed - as if the sun had an invisible hand, opening doors and windows just a bit, and pushing clouds about.
She rarely intended to be stealthy — she just was. She had an odd sort of grace that was by turns awkward and efficient, not expending energy on mis-steps or noisy walking - which is how she came to Tetsu’s door without making a sound. She nudged the door open gently with her head and peeked in.
The sun streamed in Tetsu’s window, bathing the room in golden late-day light. Tetsu, himself, was at his desk - arms crossed and head-down upon them. Rin thought he might be sleeping, and thought she might surprise him by waking him up gently until she saw he shoulders shake.
“Is he snoring?” she wondered - no, too quiet. Rin, bold and blunt, felt no shame at observing Tetsu covertly - just curiosity, shading into concern as it became clear he wasn’t snoring, but rather silently sobbing.
“Fuck.” This was one of those awkward moments where, Rin felt, most people would probably quietly back away before they were noticed - just pretend it never happened and avoid embarrassment. Rin also knew she wasn’t most people.
Rin edged the door open noiselessly - it would have been very unlike Tetsu to have left its hinges un-oiled. She knelt beside Tetsu for a minute, letting him work his upset out a little longer.
“Hey,” she said, softly beside him — “Tetsu. It’s me, Rin.” And she added, although she didn’t know why — “I’m sorry.” She rested her head on the back of his shoulder.
Tetsu, his head still down on arms, nodded, which set off another bout of quiet sobbing. He didn’t start at the sound of her voice — Rin couldn’t ever remember Tetsu acting surprised - by anything. “A man free of expectations is a man free of disappointment,” she’d once heard said.
“I cry too — in my room — so no one will hear,” Emi would sometimes catch her, as Rin wasn't terribly good at ensuring her door was closed, and give her a hug. Rin paused — “Would you like a hug?”
Tetsu nodded and sat up, face red and cheeks wet with tears. He blew his nose in a tissue, sat back and looked at Rin. She got up off the floor, exercising that strange awkward grace that was so uniquely hers. “Like a cheetah, trying not to explode into a burst of speed,” Tetsu thought.
Rin kicked off her sandals, swung one leg over Tetsu’s legs, and sat on his lap, facing him - her bare feet on top of his.
“I can’t hug anyone, but I can do this,” — she put her arms on his shoulders and her head beside his.
“Perfect - it’s perfect,” he whispered.
He dried his eyes — “What do you want to do now?”
“I want you to cry on me and soak my shirt through to my skin like the rain.”
“But when I’m with you I don’t want to cry.”
“Let’s just watch the sun set then.”
--
- Attachments
-
- Shared Sunset.jpg (541.91 KiB) Viewed 4670 times
Last edited by Asoko_Desu on Sun Apr 02, 2023 4:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"So much to do, so little time."
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
-
Asoko_Desu
- Posts: 231
- Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2022 5:30 pm
- Location: L5
Re: Two Body Problem
The Incredible Vanishing Rin
November 14 - Wednesday
“Tezuka? You mean Kaiyou’s hot girlfriend?”
Rin was, almost by definition, abstracted from external influences. She stood outside in the sun and the rain and the snow to capture a light or a colour or a moment; she sat in class, her internal commentary on art drowning out the teachers’ words - no matter what the lesson. Her social circle basically stopped at Emi and Tetsu, and the chatter of students in the halls was just that - the murmur of too many voices as to be individually distinguishable, but that comment - from one male student to another, said in passing - “Kaiyou’s hot girlfriend” - had jumped out and stayed with her.
Rin was accustomed to hearing herself referred to as `Rin-the artist` or `Rin-the mural painter`, but it was always `Rin-something` - this was new; this was `Rin-the something of someone else` and it created turbulence in her skies. The exact words didn’t matter; it was the feeling of only having worth by virtue of being defined in a context she had no control over. Rin, with so many aspects of her life controlled by others, clung to what control she could exercise like it was a matter of survival — when your only tool is responding to existential threats, every problem becomes one.
Stepping outside, Rin kicked small rocks as she turned this over in her head. Before she knew it, she was at her worry tree.
“Oh. Hello Worry Tree. We don’t have an appointment today — can you see me?”
Hearing nothing to the contrary, Rin leaned up against her tree and shared her worries —
“Am I losing myself? I feel myself, not being drawn into Tetsu, but being drawn into something bigger than the both of us separately and that’s ok. I just want .. I want .. I don’t know what I want. I know I don’t want to be lost forever. Do birds remember their time in the nest? I want to be a bird who remembers her time in the nest before flying away — and who is remembered for having a very nice nest maybe.”
“Worry tree, who am I now? Am I still in my nest or is it too late? Misha said my words are more clear — are they my words, or are they Tetsu’s? Maybe they’re not, but I think something’s happening to me - so what’s happened to past versions of me?”
Her worry tree, true to form, gave her no feedback, which normally wasn’t a problem - it was a tree, after all - but for once her sharing produced no solace.
—
“Tetsu — who are you?”
“Kaiyou, Tetsu. I believe we’ve met?”
“Who else?”
“I am the person who woke up in this room this morning and worked out with Miki in the gym. The person who made out with you last night, who’s angling to do so tonight, and hoping to do so yet again tomorrow night.”
Tetsu rummaged in his bottom drawer —
“This is also me ..” and he produced his passport and opened it for Rin to see.
“That’s a picture of a younger you, I think, but I’m not certain. It could just be someone who looks like you. The name is wrong too — there’s no katakana, but I don’t think that’s how Kaiyou, Tetsu is spelled in English.”
“That’s because it’s not — I changed my name when I came here because my name couldn’t be less pronounceable by a native Japanese speaker if I’d tried. My name’s a hard one; it’s German, actually, although I’m not — it has sounds that don’t even exist in English. My time here was going to be hard enough - why fight a battle I didn’t need to? So I chose a name that could be pronounced locally.”
“`Kaiyou, Tetsu`; you chose that name, like your sign name.. do we get to choose who we are?”
“Sometimes. Sometimes people choose for us — it’s complicated.” Tetsu paused to think before continuing; something he’d read in a geography book seemed to offer a metaphor —
“Everything you’ve ever been is part of you - it doesn’t go away. If we’re oceans, then sediment sinks through the water - dust, leaves, wrecked ships — everything that touches the surface of the ocean becomes part of the ocean floor, eventually. Over time, that floor changes, but the old floor is still there - that’s us, and we can’t change that — the bottom of a vast impenetrable ocean; one we can never reach.”
His explanations, usually comforting, failed to lift her out of her introspection. “What good are past versions of me if I can’t ever reach them?”
“Because they're the foundation of who we are — you can’t see to the centre of the Earth, but it’s there, holding you up when you walk on the Earth’s surface.”
Rin pondered this for a time — “I want to choose.”
“Your name?”
“Everything. I want to choose who I am — who people know I am,” Rin said with finality.
“That’s hard - there are things we’re born with, things we’re assigned, things we experience and that can’t change that make up our identity. Will you still be Tezuka, Rin?”
“I.. I think I’ll choose to keep that. I like the sound of it. But we can change the colour of our hair - we can forget or mis-remember experiences. Everything .."
“And the rest?”
“We’ll see. I read that sometimes the centre of the Earth comes to the surface and makes new land — they’re called volcanoes. Maybe volcanoes are the Earth’s way of starting fresh — `I’m tired of how this land looks so I’ll make a new one.`”
“Volcanoes don’t happen very often.”
“But when they do they’re very effective. Mt. Fuji was a volcano once and people respect it very much.”
“Yes - now; I don’t expect it was much fun to be around though when it was erupting.”
Rin just shrugged, as if to say that wasn’t the volcano’s problem.
--
November 14 - Wednesday
“Tezuka? You mean Kaiyou’s hot girlfriend?”
Rin was, almost by definition, abstracted from external influences. She stood outside in the sun and the rain and the snow to capture a light or a colour or a moment; she sat in class, her internal commentary on art drowning out the teachers’ words - no matter what the lesson. Her social circle basically stopped at Emi and Tetsu, and the chatter of students in the halls was just that - the murmur of too many voices as to be individually distinguishable, but that comment - from one male student to another, said in passing - “Kaiyou’s hot girlfriend” - had jumped out and stayed with her.
Rin was accustomed to hearing herself referred to as `Rin-the artist` or `Rin-the mural painter`, but it was always `Rin-something` - this was new; this was `Rin-the something of someone else` and it created turbulence in her skies. The exact words didn’t matter; it was the feeling of only having worth by virtue of being defined in a context she had no control over. Rin, with so many aspects of her life controlled by others, clung to what control she could exercise like it was a matter of survival — when your only tool is responding to existential threats, every problem becomes one.
Stepping outside, Rin kicked small rocks as she turned this over in her head. Before she knew it, she was at her worry tree.
“Oh. Hello Worry Tree. We don’t have an appointment today — can you see me?”
Hearing nothing to the contrary, Rin leaned up against her tree and shared her worries —
“Am I losing myself? I feel myself, not being drawn into Tetsu, but being drawn into something bigger than the both of us separately and that’s ok. I just want .. I want .. I don’t know what I want. I know I don’t want to be lost forever. Do birds remember their time in the nest? I want to be a bird who remembers her time in the nest before flying away — and who is remembered for having a very nice nest maybe.”
“Worry tree, who am I now? Am I still in my nest or is it too late? Misha said my words are more clear — are they my words, or are they Tetsu’s? Maybe they’re not, but I think something’s happening to me - so what’s happened to past versions of me?”
Her worry tree, true to form, gave her no feedback, which normally wasn’t a problem - it was a tree, after all - but for once her sharing produced no solace.
—
“Tetsu — who are you?”
“Kaiyou, Tetsu. I believe we’ve met?”
“Who else?”
“I am the person who woke up in this room this morning and worked out with Miki in the gym. The person who made out with you last night, who’s angling to do so tonight, and hoping to do so yet again tomorrow night.”
Tetsu rummaged in his bottom drawer —
“This is also me ..” and he produced his passport and opened it for Rin to see.
“That’s a picture of a younger you, I think, but I’m not certain. It could just be someone who looks like you. The name is wrong too — there’s no katakana, but I don’t think that’s how Kaiyou, Tetsu is spelled in English.”
“That’s because it’s not — I changed my name when I came here because my name couldn’t be less pronounceable by a native Japanese speaker if I’d tried. My name’s a hard one; it’s German, actually, although I’m not — it has sounds that don’t even exist in English. My time here was going to be hard enough - why fight a battle I didn’t need to? So I chose a name that could be pronounced locally.”
“`Kaiyou, Tetsu`; you chose that name, like your sign name.. do we get to choose who we are?”
“Sometimes. Sometimes people choose for us — it’s complicated.” Tetsu paused to think before continuing; something he’d read in a geography book seemed to offer a metaphor —
“Everything you’ve ever been is part of you - it doesn’t go away. If we’re oceans, then sediment sinks through the water - dust, leaves, wrecked ships — everything that touches the surface of the ocean becomes part of the ocean floor, eventually. Over time, that floor changes, but the old floor is still there - that’s us, and we can’t change that — the bottom of a vast impenetrable ocean; one we can never reach.”
His explanations, usually comforting, failed to lift her out of her introspection. “What good are past versions of me if I can’t ever reach them?”
“Because they're the foundation of who we are — you can’t see to the centre of the Earth, but it’s there, holding you up when you walk on the Earth’s surface.”
Rin pondered this for a time — “I want to choose.”
“Your name?”
“Everything. I want to choose who I am — who people know I am,” Rin said with finality.
“That’s hard - there are things we’re born with, things we’re assigned, things we experience and that can’t change that make up our identity. Will you still be Tezuka, Rin?”
“I.. I think I’ll choose to keep that. I like the sound of it. But we can change the colour of our hair - we can forget or mis-remember experiences. Everything .."
“And the rest?”
“We’ll see. I read that sometimes the centre of the Earth comes to the surface and makes new land — they’re called volcanoes. Maybe volcanoes are the Earth’s way of starting fresh — `I’m tired of how this land looks so I’ll make a new one.`”
“Volcanoes don’t happen very often.”
“But when they do they’re very effective. Mt. Fuji was a volcano once and people respect it very much.”
“Yes - now; I don’t expect it was much fun to be around though when it was erupting.”
Rin just shrugged, as if to say that wasn’t the volcano’s problem.
--
- Attachments
-
- A Fresh Start.jpg (591.02 KiB) Viewed 4663 times
Last edited by Asoko_Desu on Sun Jul 02, 2023 12:27 am, edited 4 times in total.
"So much to do, so little time."
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
-
Asoko_Desu
- Posts: 231
- Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2022 5:30 pm
- Location: L5
Re: Two Body Problem
Afternoons in December
December 08 — Saturday
“Tetsu?”
“Mm?”
“How does your project taste?”
“Taste?”
“You’re sticking your tongue out at it.”
“Oh .. I do that when I’m deep in concentration — sometimes my tongue sticks out a bit.”
Rin nodded “You looked like Emi at her Emiest, but derpier.”
“You’ve used that term before - you mean when she’s really focussed?”
Rin nodded.
“I guess - I can’t see myself when I’m deep into things; everything else just disappears and all I’m left with is what’s right in front of me.”
Rin nodded again - enthusiastically. “That’s how I feel when I paint.”
—
“Time for a break,” said Tetsu, standing up and stretching.
“Let’s do something different — have you ever played role-playing games?” Asked Tetsu.
“Pretty sure no, but tell me how I’d know”
“It’s like acting, but it’s just two or a few people - it can be a ‘murder mystery’ night, or something else fun.”
“Are murders fun?”
“For all but one of the participants, presumably. Murder Mystery parties are more fun - there’s no murder; it’s just a game to solve who did it, with clues provided.”
“That sounds like fun - we should do that, just you and I.”
“That would be a short game.”
“I think I know a role playing game we could play, just you and I.” Rin looked a little sheepish, but also a little hopeful.
“Oh?”
“I’ve never done this, but I’ve heard it described - it sounds like a lot of fun for two people .. we could play `Doctor`”
Tetsu’s voice caught in his throat - not the kind of role playing game he’d been thinking of suggesting, but the prospect, now voiced, was an attractive one - very attractive indeed, if the blush spreading up his neck was any indication - “Ok” he managed to croak.
Rin relaxed back against a pillow with a smile — “You go first.”
--
December 08 — Saturday
“Tetsu?”
“Mm?”
“How does your project taste?”
“Taste?”
“You’re sticking your tongue out at it.”
“Oh .. I do that when I’m deep in concentration — sometimes my tongue sticks out a bit.”
Rin nodded “You looked like Emi at her Emiest, but derpier.”
“You’ve used that term before - you mean when she’s really focussed?”
Rin nodded.
“I guess - I can’t see myself when I’m deep into things; everything else just disappears and all I’m left with is what’s right in front of me.”
Rin nodded again - enthusiastically. “That’s how I feel when I paint.”
—
“Time for a break,” said Tetsu, standing up and stretching.
“Let’s do something different — have you ever played role-playing games?” Asked Tetsu.
“Pretty sure no, but tell me how I’d know”
“It’s like acting, but it’s just two or a few people - it can be a ‘murder mystery’ night, or something else fun.”
“Are murders fun?”
“For all but one of the participants, presumably. Murder Mystery parties are more fun - there’s no murder; it’s just a game to solve who did it, with clues provided.”
“That sounds like fun - we should do that, just you and I.”
“That would be a short game.”
“I think I know a role playing game we could play, just you and I.” Rin looked a little sheepish, but also a little hopeful.
“Oh?”
“I’ve never done this, but I’ve heard it described - it sounds like a lot of fun for two people .. we could play `Doctor`”
Tetsu’s voice caught in his throat - not the kind of role playing game he’d been thinking of suggesting, but the prospect, now voiced, was an attractive one - very attractive indeed, if the blush spreading up his neck was any indication - “Ok” he managed to croak.
Rin relaxed back against a pillow with a smile — “You go first.”
--
Last edited by Asoko_Desu on Sun Jul 02, 2023 11:18 pm, edited 2 times in total.
"So much to do, so little time."
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
-
Asoko_Desu
- Posts: 231
- Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2022 5:30 pm
- Location: L5
Re: Two Body Problem
Me and What Army?
December 10 — Monday
“Miki, am I being an idiot?”
“Probably, but give me a bit more detail.”
Tetsu lay on the bench, 185 resting comfortably on his rib cage as they chatted.
“This thing with Rin - we’re so close now, but how well do I even know her? I feel like I’m in deep - sometimes over my head. I don’t even know myself - what am I doing?”
“Same thing we all do big guy - stumbling in the darkness. It’s how we move forward.”
“Doesn’t sound like a solid strategy.”
“Only one we got. We learn by trying - and failing, and if we’re lucky we get it right the next time or six. I watched my father go through lady friends, girlfriends, whatever, after mom left. It never worked out, but was never entirely his fault no matter how hard he tried to take the blame on himself.”
“You’re not giving me hope here.”
Tetsu pressed the weight four or five times.
“I am giving you honesty though - or a slice of it; everyone’s truth is unique to them. There’s a chance you won’t fuck this up — is that hopeful enough for you?”
Tetsu squeezed off another couple of reps then got up from the bench.
“I guess you have a point - and if I need a guide, my rule is to ask myself what my mother would do - then do the opposite. Hasn’t failed me yet.”
“So you’ve said .. I’d give you a hug if you weren’t all sweaty - besides, Rin would probably bite me if I did.”
Miki and Tetsu stripped a 45 plate off either end of the bar and put the spring clips back on; Miki got under it.
“How will I know if the rule keeps working - how can I tell if the relationship is solid?”
“I haven’t found a way. Isn’t a working relationship just a string of one-day relationships that are more good than bad on average?”
“That’s depressing.”
“That’s life - all you can do is live each day like the good things will last forever and the bad things won’t, and if the weather changes, deal with it then.”
“I still want to know .. something - a test - to know if the weather is changing.”
“You're so .. normal some times it takes me by surprise - you know that? Well if it was me with you, you’d know I was all-in if I spent as much time with you as I could. Guys seem to like that and I’ve always thought you were really hot. If I stopped, it’d be because I no longer thought you were hot, or no longer liked you enough to make you happy. How’s that for a test?”
“Ok - I can actually use that; and we’re good. Wait, did you just say you think I’m hot?”
“Did you just say Rin spends all her free time with you?”
“.. what ever happened to lifting weights?”
“Gonna do one more set on the bench, then we do squats - ok?”
“Done”
“.. You’re one lucky guy, Tetsu, is all I’m going to say - and I think Rin’s pretty lucky too.”
“Thanks.”
Miki did her set and got off the bench.
“Miki - if you always thought I was hot, why did you never make your play?”
Miki sighed, looking sad, and not a little regretful —
“Because you remind me too much of myself; too questioning about yourself and I’ve got enough of that for three people already - I don’t need more in my life. I like my partners hot - but hot and easy, not hot and troubled. Is that the answer you were looking for?”
“I .. I wasn’t looking for any answer in particular, but it’s a good one - thanks. You’re not wrong - about me at least. I think I was just too happy to have finally made a friend to have the courage to think of you in any other way.”
“You’re happier - and we’re better - this way, I think. I’m a bitch in relationships - I take my insecurities out on my partner and because I always choose people who don’t question life, they don’t fight back. That says something about me, I guess, but I’d rather not think about what that is right now.”
Tetsu nodded as Miki did her last set. They stripped the bar, wiped down the bench, and moved on to the squat rack in silence.
“Miki - Am I up to this?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m nearly 19, but am I ready to start taking care of another human being?”
“Who? Rin? Are you kidding me? In case you hadn’t noticed, she looks after herself just fine - she lets you help her out, sure, but that’s because she loves you. Letting people into her orbit is her language of love.”
To be honest, Tetsu hadn’t noticed - he’d assumed, unconsciously, that he was helping Rin out with her personal care and whatever because she needed someone to, but, on reflection, he realized that he couldn’t possibly be there for her all the time - that Emi contributed her time, and Rin must be looking after some things all by herself. It was starting to dawn on Tetsu that he’d not been paying attention and had let his prejudices get the better of him.
It seemed Miki was reading his mind - “She’s not an invalid you know; she’s also further ahead in her career than you are - and you’re needier than she is.”
“Wha?”
“Physically you’re fine - mostly; you have all your parts - but emotionally she’s come to terms with who she is as a person far sooner, and more completely, than you have. Objectively speaking, I’d say you need her more than she needs you.”
Miki continued —
“Hard truths, bro, but who’s going to tell you if I don’t? Not Rin - she loves you too much, and you may have noticed communication isn’t her strong suit. She’ll try and try until she’s burnt out and can’t go on — and then it’ll be over and you’ll have never seen it coming.”
Tetsu was silent as he digested this, the evident truth of Miki’s words sitting in the pit of his stomach like a fistful of chewing gum.
“So, you’re right to ask `are you up to this?`, but for all the wrong reasons. Can you stand on your own two feet and be a partner to her and not a burden?”
Tetsu said nothing, but his face said “Fuck” for him.
“So what do I do?”
“Look after yourself; don’t neglect your happiness to do what you think makes her happy. Don’t guess at what she needs - ask her - and listen when she tells you. Apologize when you fuck up - and you will - and mean it. I know I’ve laid a lot on you, but believe me - you’ve got a good shot at this. I had to learn this shit the hard way - and I’m still learning - but these are the big land mines that I hope you get to avoid because I haven’t.”
Tetsu felt like he was back at square one all over again - all this time he thought he’d known what he was doing, but had it been Rin making the smart moves all along? In retrospect, it certainly seemed so.
“I’ve been stupid. Worse - I’ve been lazy.”
“Stop that - that’s your mother talking. You’ve given this one hundred percent - you’re just not practiced at relationships - yet.”
“This is my first one.”
“You have a huge advantage - Rin wants this too. That woman is focussed — if this falls apart, it won’t be for lack of her trying to keep it together; I've watched her near kill herself in pursuit of something she wanted. All you need to do is figure out how to work as a team - the rest will fall into place.”
Tetsu had never wanted something more - or felt less able to achieve it.
--
December 10 — Monday
“Miki, am I being an idiot?”
“Probably, but give me a bit more detail.”
Tetsu lay on the bench, 185 resting comfortably on his rib cage as they chatted.
“This thing with Rin - we’re so close now, but how well do I even know her? I feel like I’m in deep - sometimes over my head. I don’t even know myself - what am I doing?”
“Same thing we all do big guy - stumbling in the darkness. It’s how we move forward.”
“Doesn’t sound like a solid strategy.”
“Only one we got. We learn by trying - and failing, and if we’re lucky we get it right the next time or six. I watched my father go through lady friends, girlfriends, whatever, after mom left. It never worked out, but was never entirely his fault no matter how hard he tried to take the blame on himself.”
“You’re not giving me hope here.”
Tetsu pressed the weight four or five times.
“I am giving you honesty though - or a slice of it; everyone’s truth is unique to them. There’s a chance you won’t fuck this up — is that hopeful enough for you?”
Tetsu squeezed off another couple of reps then got up from the bench.
“I guess you have a point - and if I need a guide, my rule is to ask myself what my mother would do - then do the opposite. Hasn’t failed me yet.”
“So you’ve said .. I’d give you a hug if you weren’t all sweaty - besides, Rin would probably bite me if I did.”
Miki and Tetsu stripped a 45 plate off either end of the bar and put the spring clips back on; Miki got under it.
“How will I know if the rule keeps working - how can I tell if the relationship is solid?”
“I haven’t found a way. Isn’t a working relationship just a string of one-day relationships that are more good than bad on average?”
“That’s depressing.”
“That’s life - all you can do is live each day like the good things will last forever and the bad things won’t, and if the weather changes, deal with it then.”
“I still want to know .. something - a test - to know if the weather is changing.”
“You're so .. normal some times it takes me by surprise - you know that? Well if it was me with you, you’d know I was all-in if I spent as much time with you as I could. Guys seem to like that and I’ve always thought you were really hot. If I stopped, it’d be because I no longer thought you were hot, or no longer liked you enough to make you happy. How’s that for a test?”
“Ok - I can actually use that; and we’re good. Wait, did you just say you think I’m hot?”
“Did you just say Rin spends all her free time with you?”
“.. what ever happened to lifting weights?”
“Gonna do one more set on the bench, then we do squats - ok?”
“Done”
“.. You’re one lucky guy, Tetsu, is all I’m going to say - and I think Rin’s pretty lucky too.”
“Thanks.”
Miki did her set and got off the bench.
“Miki - if you always thought I was hot, why did you never make your play?”
Miki sighed, looking sad, and not a little regretful —
“Because you remind me too much of myself; too questioning about yourself and I’ve got enough of that for three people already - I don’t need more in my life. I like my partners hot - but hot and easy, not hot and troubled. Is that the answer you were looking for?”
“I .. I wasn’t looking for any answer in particular, but it’s a good one - thanks. You’re not wrong - about me at least. I think I was just too happy to have finally made a friend to have the courage to think of you in any other way.”
“You’re happier - and we’re better - this way, I think. I’m a bitch in relationships - I take my insecurities out on my partner and because I always choose people who don’t question life, they don’t fight back. That says something about me, I guess, but I’d rather not think about what that is right now.”
Tetsu nodded as Miki did her last set. They stripped the bar, wiped down the bench, and moved on to the squat rack in silence.
“Miki - Am I up to this?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m nearly 19, but am I ready to start taking care of another human being?”
“Who? Rin? Are you kidding me? In case you hadn’t noticed, she looks after herself just fine - she lets you help her out, sure, but that’s because she loves you. Letting people into her orbit is her language of love.”
To be honest, Tetsu hadn’t noticed - he’d assumed, unconsciously, that he was helping Rin out with her personal care and whatever because she needed someone to, but, on reflection, he realized that he couldn’t possibly be there for her all the time - that Emi contributed her time, and Rin must be looking after some things all by herself. It was starting to dawn on Tetsu that he’d not been paying attention and had let his prejudices get the better of him.
It seemed Miki was reading his mind - “She’s not an invalid you know; she’s also further ahead in her career than you are - and you’re needier than she is.”
“Wha?”
“Physically you’re fine - mostly; you have all your parts - but emotionally she’s come to terms with who she is as a person far sooner, and more completely, than you have. Objectively speaking, I’d say you need her more than she needs you.”
Miki continued —
“Hard truths, bro, but who’s going to tell you if I don’t? Not Rin - she loves you too much, and you may have noticed communication isn’t her strong suit. She’ll try and try until she’s burnt out and can’t go on — and then it’ll be over and you’ll have never seen it coming.”
Tetsu was silent as he digested this, the evident truth of Miki’s words sitting in the pit of his stomach like a fistful of chewing gum.
“So, you’re right to ask `are you up to this?`, but for all the wrong reasons. Can you stand on your own two feet and be a partner to her and not a burden?”
Tetsu said nothing, but his face said “Fuck” for him.
“So what do I do?”
“Look after yourself; don’t neglect your happiness to do what you think makes her happy. Don’t guess at what she needs - ask her - and listen when she tells you. Apologize when you fuck up - and you will - and mean it. I know I’ve laid a lot on you, but believe me - you’ve got a good shot at this. I had to learn this shit the hard way - and I’m still learning - but these are the big land mines that I hope you get to avoid because I haven’t.”
Tetsu felt like he was back at square one all over again - all this time he thought he’d known what he was doing, but had it been Rin making the smart moves all along? In retrospect, it certainly seemed so.
“I’ve been stupid. Worse - I’ve been lazy.”
“Stop that - that’s your mother talking. You’ve given this one hundred percent - you’re just not practiced at relationships - yet.”
“This is my first one.”
“You have a huge advantage - Rin wants this too. That woman is focussed — if this falls apart, it won’t be for lack of her trying to keep it together; I've watched her near kill herself in pursuit of something she wanted. All you need to do is figure out how to work as a team - the rest will fall into place.”
Tetsu had never wanted something more - or felt less able to achieve it.
--
Last edited by Asoko_Desu on Sun Jul 02, 2023 11:22 pm, edited 2 times in total.
"So much to do, so little time."
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
-
Asoko_Desu
- Posts: 231
- Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2022 5:30 pm
- Location: L5
Re: Two Body Problem
Winter Break Away
December 12 — Wednesday
“Hey Rin - I was thinking of renting a cottage for a week over winter break; people will go home for Christmas, but may have a few days here and there to hang out. What do you think?”
“I think it could be expensive.”
“Let me worry about that for now - I’ll tell you why later. Do you like the idea is what I want to know.”
“I .. think I do. I’ve promised my parents we’ll come by and stay for a bit, but staying for more than a few days will just annoy everyone I think.”
“Would you like to help me make the arrangements?”
“Help?”
“Yeah - anything you’d feel comfortable doing.”
“What can I do?”
“Well, for one, invite people - just ask them if they’d like to come.”
Rin thought for a bit — “I could make up nicely written and folded invitations!”
“How long do you think that would take?”
“How many people are we inviting?”
“No more than 10-12 people.”
“An afternoon - if that.”
“OK - perfect; people will love them! Now - who do we want to come?”
“You and me.”
“Yessss - I think that’s reasonable.”
“Emi and Hisao”
“Definitely. Who else?”
Rin thought for a moment — “I don’t really know anyone else well enough to say.”
“Not Miki? You exercise with her.”
“True”
“And how about Misha - you practice sign with her.”
“I think she changed her name to Shiina — it always was Shiina, or it’s just a name she uses with Shizune — I don’t really know, but I’ve heard people call her that now.”
“OK - Shiina then. If Shiina comes, Shizune should too - otherwise she’ll be left without an interpreter.”
“I don’t know her well - she can talk to me, but never has.”
“Well, this could be a chance to get to know her.”
Rin shrugged; that one night at the Shanghai not absent from her memory.
“Hey - if you don’t want her there, we won’t invite her.”
“No - it’s ok; I don’t not want her there - I just can’t think of a reason to have her there - it’s ok.”
“Anyone else? You had - ah - fun talking with Lilly and Hanako. At least, Hanako seemed to enjoy your sense of humour.”
“Oh, I’d have them both there in an instant - whether they’d come or not ..”
“I think Hanako would be in, and if she went Lilly’s going to be all alone here over the holidays so she’d probably tag along too. Even if she doesn’t, this is about who we want there so it can’t hurt to invite her.”
Rin nodded at this - “So you and me, Emi and Hisao, Miki, Shiina, Shizune, Hanako, and Lilly - nine people.”
“And Akira - you’ve never met her, but she’s cool - trust me.”
“Ok - an even ten. Now tell me how we’re going to get a cottage to hold us all.”
"I've got a little money from .. never mind where. But with careful planning I think we can do this."
Rin nodded - “How deep the waters of this ocean," she thought
--
December 12 — Wednesday
“Hey Rin - I was thinking of renting a cottage for a week over winter break; people will go home for Christmas, but may have a few days here and there to hang out. What do you think?”
“I think it could be expensive.”
“Let me worry about that for now - I’ll tell you why later. Do you like the idea is what I want to know.”
“I .. think I do. I’ve promised my parents we’ll come by and stay for a bit, but staying for more than a few days will just annoy everyone I think.”
“Would you like to help me make the arrangements?”
“Help?”
“Yeah - anything you’d feel comfortable doing.”
“What can I do?”
“Well, for one, invite people - just ask them if they’d like to come.”
Rin thought for a bit — “I could make up nicely written and folded invitations!”
“How long do you think that would take?”
“How many people are we inviting?”
“No more than 10-12 people.”
“An afternoon - if that.”
“OK - perfect; people will love them! Now - who do we want to come?”
“You and me.”
“Yessss - I think that’s reasonable.”
“Emi and Hisao”
“Definitely. Who else?”
Rin thought for a moment — “I don’t really know anyone else well enough to say.”
“Not Miki? You exercise with her.”
“True”
“And how about Misha - you practice sign with her.”
“I think she changed her name to Shiina — it always was Shiina, or it’s just a name she uses with Shizune — I don’t really know, but I’ve heard people call her that now.”
“OK - Shiina then. If Shiina comes, Shizune should too - otherwise she’ll be left without an interpreter.”
“I don’t know her well - she can talk to me, but never has.”
“Well, this could be a chance to get to know her.”
Rin shrugged; that one night at the Shanghai not absent from her memory.
“Hey - if you don’t want her there, we won’t invite her.”
“No - it’s ok; I don’t not want her there - I just can’t think of a reason to have her there - it’s ok.”
“Anyone else? You had - ah - fun talking with Lilly and Hanako. At least, Hanako seemed to enjoy your sense of humour.”
“Oh, I’d have them both there in an instant - whether they’d come or not ..”
“I think Hanako would be in, and if she went Lilly’s going to be all alone here over the holidays so she’d probably tag along too. Even if she doesn’t, this is about who we want there so it can’t hurt to invite her.”
Rin nodded at this - “So you and me, Emi and Hisao, Miki, Shiina, Shizune, Hanako, and Lilly - nine people.”
“And Akira - you’ve never met her, but she’s cool - trust me.”
“Ok - an even ten. Now tell me how we’re going to get a cottage to hold us all.”
"I've got a little money from .. never mind where. But with careful planning I think we can do this."
Rin nodded - “How deep the waters of this ocean," she thought
--
Last edited by Asoko_Desu on Sun Jul 02, 2023 11:24 pm, edited 3 times in total.
"So much to do, so little time."
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
-
Asoko_Desu
- Posts: 231
- Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2022 5:30 pm
- Location: L5
Re: Two Body Problem
Home Phone for Sweetie
December 15 — Saturday
Rin’s phone rang - which was surprising in itself, given how few people were likely to want to call her. Even more surprising was that she heard it - Tetsu had cleaned up the pile of dirty laundry under her desk and had found the phone under it. He’d taken it out and put it on the top of her desk and suggested she keep it there.
“But that’s where art goes.”
“What if someone tries to call you?”
“No one calls me.”
“How would you know - your phone was buried under dirty underwear and the ringer was turned off.”
“Oh.” Rin looked blank, which by now Tetsu had learned to read as her `evasive` face - just because she had trouble voicing her emotions didn't mean they weren't there, or that they didn't appear in her face and posture; one just had to take the time to look for them.
”There's someone you don’t want to talk to?”
“Maybe.”
Tetsu sighed. “Not my business, but would it be your parents?”
“.. Maybe .. Yes.”
“I can turn the phone off if you like - they might want to talk to you though.”
“Yes - that would be a reason for them to call.”
Tetsu silently facepalmed in his head - externally he blinked once, slowly.
“You’re facepalming right now.”
“Yes - I suppose I am.”
“You think I should talk to my parents.”
“Only if you want to.”
“I do - it’s just never convenient when they call.”
“When’s a convenient time then?”
“Never.”
“Ah. Does it upset you to talk to them?”
“No - they love me, and I love them - it’s just that I’m usually in the middle of thinking about something when they call.”
“Could you put what you’re thinking about in a drawer and come back to it later?” Rin had told Tetsu about the mind-desk she used to store her thoughts and memories.
“That could work - I will try it.”
“Ok - I’m going to go and do your laundry; think about what you want to have for dinner.”
“Chinese.”
“Ok - we’ll order when I get back.”
That was last week.
—
Rin’s phone rang - it was a big phone with big buttons that she could manipulate with her toes. It had a speaker so she didn’t need to juggle the receiver - she and Tetsu had tested it out to get the volume right by calling her from his phone. A red LED flashed as the phone rang. Rin reached out a big toe to press the button labelled `
`
“Hello?”
“Rin - so nice to hear your voice! It’s been so long!”
“Hi Mom - yes, this is my voice.” Rin mentally tucked the problem of illuminating a cloud from within into a drawer in her mind and closed it.
“How is school? Are you eating well? Are there any nice boys there?”
“Good, yes, and yes - there are many; Emi’s boyfriend Hisao is nice. Tetsu is also nice.”
“Tetsu - you haven’t mentioned him before.”
“He’s not from Japan.”
“Well neither are you.”
“This is true.”
"Tell me more about Tetsu.”
“He’s tall - about a full head taller than me - my head fits under his chin nicely. He’s very strong and he has grey eyes that look like stones in a stream.”
“He sounds handsome - is he handsome?”
“I think so, but I may be biased.”
“Why is that?”
“Because he’s my boyfriend and people tend to think their lovers are physically attractive, or so I’ve heard. Or do they choose attractive people for lovers? I can’t remember which comes first. ”
Rin’s mother paused a moment before responding — even her mother was brought up short on occasion by Rin’s frankness, apparently.
“Rin, you have a boyfriend - that’s wonderful! Do you have any pictures of Tetsu?”
“No, but I can ask Emi to take some of us together - her phone has a camera. Would you like that?”
“Yes, yes - very much! Does he think you’re pretty?”
“Well, we are having sex, so .. yes? It’s hard to know what other people think - it’s easier to know what they do.”
Her mother paused before continuing, to Rin it sounded like her mother was working on controlling her breathing — “Does he tell you you’re pretty?”
“He says `the sunset hides itself every day out of jealousy for my fiery hair,` so .. yes?”
“He also says `there is no green like the green of my eyes in all the emeralds of the world`, which is probably true. But does it mean he thinks I am pretty - I don’t know.”
“I think it does, Rin - it means he thinks you’re more than pretty; when a boy speaks poetry to you like that, he thinks you’re beautiful.”
“Tetsu thinks Rin is beautiful?”
“You should ask him, but I think so.”
“Ok - I’ll do that. Bye mom.”
Rin pressed the `
` button which didn’t actually hang up the phone - it just muted the speaker. Rin’s mom stayed on the line for some minutes afterwards listening to Rin humming happily to herself as she got back to work on painting a cloud illuminated from within. Satisfied all was well with her girl, Rin’s mother finally, and with great reluctance, hung up the phone on her end.
--
December 15 — Saturday
Rin’s phone rang - which was surprising in itself, given how few people were likely to want to call her. Even more surprising was that she heard it - Tetsu had cleaned up the pile of dirty laundry under her desk and had found the phone under it. He’d taken it out and put it on the top of her desk and suggested she keep it there.
“But that’s where art goes.”
“What if someone tries to call you?”
“No one calls me.”
“How would you know - your phone was buried under dirty underwear and the ringer was turned off.”
“Oh.” Rin looked blank, which by now Tetsu had learned to read as her `evasive` face - just because she had trouble voicing her emotions didn't mean they weren't there, or that they didn't appear in her face and posture; one just had to take the time to look for them.
”There's someone you don’t want to talk to?”
“Maybe.”
Tetsu sighed. “Not my business, but would it be your parents?”
“.. Maybe .. Yes.”
“I can turn the phone off if you like - they might want to talk to you though.”
“Yes - that would be a reason for them to call.”
Tetsu silently facepalmed in his head - externally he blinked once, slowly.
“You’re facepalming right now.”
“Yes - I suppose I am.”
“You think I should talk to my parents.”
“Only if you want to.”
“I do - it’s just never convenient when they call.”
“When’s a convenient time then?”
“Never.”
“Ah. Does it upset you to talk to them?”
“No - they love me, and I love them - it’s just that I’m usually in the middle of thinking about something when they call.”
“Could you put what you’re thinking about in a drawer and come back to it later?” Rin had told Tetsu about the mind-desk she used to store her thoughts and memories.
“That could work - I will try it.”
“Ok - I’m going to go and do your laundry; think about what you want to have for dinner.”
“Chinese.”
“Ok - we’ll order when I get back.”
That was last week.
—
Rin’s phone rang - it was a big phone with big buttons that she could manipulate with her toes. It had a speaker so she didn’t need to juggle the receiver - she and Tetsu had tested it out to get the volume right by calling her from his phone. A red LED flashed as the phone rang. Rin reached out a big toe to press the button labelled `
`“Hello?”
“Rin - so nice to hear your voice! It’s been so long!”
“Hi Mom - yes, this is my voice.” Rin mentally tucked the problem of illuminating a cloud from within into a drawer in her mind and closed it.
“How is school? Are you eating well? Are there any nice boys there?”
“Good, yes, and yes - there are many; Emi’s boyfriend Hisao is nice. Tetsu is also nice.”
“Tetsu - you haven’t mentioned him before.”
“He’s not from Japan.”
“Well neither are you.”
“This is true.”
"Tell me more about Tetsu.”
“He’s tall - about a full head taller than me - my head fits under his chin nicely. He’s very strong and he has grey eyes that look like stones in a stream.”
“He sounds handsome - is he handsome?”
“I think so, but I may be biased.”
“Why is that?”
“Because he’s my boyfriend and people tend to think their lovers are physically attractive, or so I’ve heard. Or do they choose attractive people for lovers? I can’t remember which comes first. ”
Rin’s mother paused a moment before responding — even her mother was brought up short on occasion by Rin’s frankness, apparently.
“Rin, you have a boyfriend - that’s wonderful! Do you have any pictures of Tetsu?”
“No, but I can ask Emi to take some of us together - her phone has a camera. Would you like that?”
“Yes, yes - very much! Does he think you’re pretty?”
“Well, we are having sex, so .. yes? It’s hard to know what other people think - it’s easier to know what they do.”
Her mother paused before continuing, to Rin it sounded like her mother was working on controlling her breathing — “Does he tell you you’re pretty?”
“He says `the sunset hides itself every day out of jealousy for my fiery hair,` so .. yes?”
“He also says `there is no green like the green of my eyes in all the emeralds of the world`, which is probably true. But does it mean he thinks I am pretty - I don’t know.”
“I think it does, Rin - it means he thinks you’re more than pretty; when a boy speaks poetry to you like that, he thinks you’re beautiful.”
“Tetsu thinks Rin is beautiful?”
“You should ask him, but I think so.”
“Ok - I’ll do that. Bye mom.”
Rin pressed the `
` button which didn’t actually hang up the phone - it just muted the speaker. Rin’s mom stayed on the line for some minutes afterwards listening to Rin humming happily to herself as she got back to work on painting a cloud illuminated from within. Satisfied all was well with her girl, Rin’s mother finally, and with great reluctance, hung up the phone on her end.--
Last edited by Asoko_Desu on Wed Sep 13, 2023 2:28 pm, edited 3 times in total.
"So much to do, so little time."
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
-
Asoko_Desu
- Posts: 231
- Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2022 5:30 pm
- Location: L5
Re: Two Body Problem
Sweetie Phones Home
December 16 — Sunday
Rin found herself uncharacteristically at odds in the hour between afternoon and evening. Normally a time of beautiful light, clouds had covered the sky and just turned everything grey for the past couple of days which had exhausted the novelty of the situation.
Tetsu had programmed Rin’s mother’s and Emi’s numbers, and his own into the three programmable buttons on the top of the phone.
Rin looked at her phone and reached a toe towards the first programmed button .. the phone on the other end rang.
“Hello?” an older woman’s voice answered.
“I asked Tetsu if he thought I was beautiful - he held me close and said I was so beautiful it hurt. I told him I didn’t want to hurt him and asked if I should put my clothes back on and he said `no - it’s a good kind of hurt` which doesn’t make sense except when I look at him I feel it too. Am I making sense?”
“Hello dear - so glad you called! It does make sense, it does, and I’m glad you’ve found someone who makes you happy. Do your father and I get to meet Tetsu?”
“I don’t know - do you?”
Rin’s mother paused and oriented her thoughts — “Come home for winter vacation. Bring Tetsu if he doesn’t already have plans; we’ll clean out the spare room and he - you and he I guess, if you’d prefer - can stay there.”
“OK.”
And Rin hung up.
—
“I’m going home to Osaka to see my parents for winter vacation. So are you.”
“Oh - they’ve invited me?”
“Yes - if you don’t have plans.”
“No - no plans.” Tetsu said with an undefinable emotion.
“You’re not happy to not be going home. Shouldn’t you be happy? Your mother isn’t a nice person you said.”
“Rin, sit with me.” Tetsu took his shoes and socks off, and sat on the floor with his back to his bed. This was how they’d sit when they had to talk about something face to face; Tetsu would sit with his back to his bed, Rin with hers to a pillow against the recessed handles of his desk’s drawers.
“I didn’t tell you - I didn’t know how; I still don't and I don’t want to upset you ..” Tetsu held her feet with his. Rin waited patiently for him to continue.
“I had promised my mother I’d write her and let her know how I was doing. Early in the school year my postcards to her started getting returned.” He paused a moment before continuing, having decided there was nothing to be done but rip the bandage off.
“Then I got a letter from her lawyers - she’d died shortly after I left. How doesn’t matter - she’d never even seen one of the post cards I sent her.” Tetsu was obviously saddened, but perhaps not enough to cry. Rin scooted over to his side and put her arms against his back and his chest and squeezed. She rested her head against his shoulder and said “I’m sorry,” in a voice muffled by his shirt.
“It’s ok - you don’t have to be.”
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah. It was back in April - I’m mostly over it, I think.”
“Do you miss her?”
“.. no.”
“You never told me ..”
“You and I weren’t a couple back then, and when we were.. it didn’t matter. There was no funeral - the headmaster offered to let me go if there was one, but there wasn’t - that was her wish. No funeral, no grave, no nothing. The lawyers wrapped it all up neatly so that I could forget it, and her, as if she’d never been. I guess it was her way of showing she loved me — by just letting me be free. I think, on some level, she knew she could have done better.”
“No.”
“No?”
“If she had done differently then you wouldn’t have come here for me and so that wouldn’t have been better - it would have been worse.”
“That’s the wisest thing I’ve ever heard anyone say.”
“Yes. Come with me to Osaka over the holidays; my mother makes very tasty kimchi.”
“Mmm - traditional Christmas kimchi - I’d be a fool to say no.”
“Yes.”
“What’s it like in Osaka in January?”
“Cold, but it rarely freezes.”
“So - T-Shirt weather then.”
Rin knew of Tetsu’s tolerance for cold - and his sense of humour. Yamaku was north of Osaka; Tetsu had been running outside in a shirt and shorts in November with the temperatures in the single digits. If he hadn’t been stared at by the students before, he was now. Still, Rin shot him a look.
“Ok - Ok - I’ll pack a sweater.”
Rin had a thought —
“Also .. your mother - is that where you got the money for the cottage?”
“Yes — she left me something. I think she’d approve of spending some of it on that. You’re all the family I have now ..”
Rin nodded - she felt it was unreasonably generous, but sometimes for family you had to do unreasonable things.
"And your father? Doesn't he want to see you?"
"Maybe? I don't know him - I'll let him come looking for me if he wants — I have my own life to live. Let's think about the future - we have a few weeks off over Christmas and New Years'; we'll spend a week with friends at a cottage then we'll visit your parents - sound like a plan?"
"Yes," said Rin with determination.
--
December 16 — Sunday
Rin found herself uncharacteristically at odds in the hour between afternoon and evening. Normally a time of beautiful light, clouds had covered the sky and just turned everything grey for the past couple of days which had exhausted the novelty of the situation.
Tetsu had programmed Rin’s mother’s and Emi’s numbers, and his own into the three programmable buttons on the top of the phone.
Rin looked at her phone and reached a toe towards the first programmed button .. the phone on the other end rang.
“Hello?” an older woman’s voice answered.
“I asked Tetsu if he thought I was beautiful - he held me close and said I was so beautiful it hurt. I told him I didn’t want to hurt him and asked if I should put my clothes back on and he said `no - it’s a good kind of hurt` which doesn’t make sense except when I look at him I feel it too. Am I making sense?”
“Hello dear - so glad you called! It does make sense, it does, and I’m glad you’ve found someone who makes you happy. Do your father and I get to meet Tetsu?”
“I don’t know - do you?”
Rin’s mother paused and oriented her thoughts — “Come home for winter vacation. Bring Tetsu if he doesn’t already have plans; we’ll clean out the spare room and he - you and he I guess, if you’d prefer - can stay there.”
“OK.”
And Rin hung up.
—
“I’m going home to Osaka to see my parents for winter vacation. So are you.”
“Oh - they’ve invited me?”
“Yes - if you don’t have plans.”
“No - no plans.” Tetsu said with an undefinable emotion.
“You’re not happy to not be going home. Shouldn’t you be happy? Your mother isn’t a nice person you said.”
“Rin, sit with me.” Tetsu took his shoes and socks off, and sat on the floor with his back to his bed. This was how they’d sit when they had to talk about something face to face; Tetsu would sit with his back to his bed, Rin with hers to a pillow against the recessed handles of his desk’s drawers.
“I didn’t tell you - I didn’t know how; I still don't and I don’t want to upset you ..” Tetsu held her feet with his. Rin waited patiently for him to continue.
“I had promised my mother I’d write her and let her know how I was doing. Early in the school year my postcards to her started getting returned.” He paused a moment before continuing, having decided there was nothing to be done but rip the bandage off.
“Then I got a letter from her lawyers - she’d died shortly after I left. How doesn’t matter - she’d never even seen one of the post cards I sent her.” Tetsu was obviously saddened, but perhaps not enough to cry. Rin scooted over to his side and put her arms against his back and his chest and squeezed. She rested her head against his shoulder and said “I’m sorry,” in a voice muffled by his shirt.
“It’s ok - you don’t have to be.”
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah. It was back in April - I’m mostly over it, I think.”
“Do you miss her?”
“.. no.”
“You never told me ..”
“You and I weren’t a couple back then, and when we were.. it didn’t matter. There was no funeral - the headmaster offered to let me go if there was one, but there wasn’t - that was her wish. No funeral, no grave, no nothing. The lawyers wrapped it all up neatly so that I could forget it, and her, as if she’d never been. I guess it was her way of showing she loved me — by just letting me be free. I think, on some level, she knew she could have done better.”
“No.”
“No?”
“If she had done differently then you wouldn’t have come here for me and so that wouldn’t have been better - it would have been worse.”
“That’s the wisest thing I’ve ever heard anyone say.”
“Yes. Come with me to Osaka over the holidays; my mother makes very tasty kimchi.”
“Mmm - traditional Christmas kimchi - I’d be a fool to say no.”
“Yes.”
“What’s it like in Osaka in January?”
“Cold, but it rarely freezes.”
“So - T-Shirt weather then.”
Rin knew of Tetsu’s tolerance for cold - and his sense of humour. Yamaku was north of Osaka; Tetsu had been running outside in a shirt and shorts in November with the temperatures in the single digits. If he hadn’t been stared at by the students before, he was now. Still, Rin shot him a look.
“Ok - Ok - I’ll pack a sweater.”
Rin had a thought —
“Also .. your mother - is that where you got the money for the cottage?”
“Yes — she left me something. I think she’d approve of spending some of it on that. You’re all the family I have now ..”
Rin nodded - she felt it was unreasonably generous, but sometimes for family you had to do unreasonable things.
"And your father? Doesn't he want to see you?"
"Maybe? I don't know him - I'll let him come looking for me if he wants — I have my own life to live. Let's think about the future - we have a few weeks off over Christmas and New Years'; we'll spend a week with friends at a cottage then we'll visit your parents - sound like a plan?"
"Yes," said Rin with determination.
--
Last edited by Asoko_Desu on Tue Jul 25, 2023 12:18 am, edited 4 times in total.
"So much to do, so little time."
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++
Asoko Desu's one-shots and short pieces - and assorted tie-ins.
Two Body Problem - "Adventures in the 'Emiverse'"; Emi’s path from Rin’s perspective ..
The Years That the Locusts Have Eaten - Post-Rin’s good ending - a journey through the 'Rinverse'
+++