Extremist and Kosher's Lilly/Shizune goodness

[Extremist_Line]

Yeah, it's not a very creative title. Bite me.

Anyways, back on the "Two Favorite Girls" someone brought up the discussion of yuri, which led to discussion on Lilly/Shizune, which led to this image being posted

[shimmie]913[/shimmie]

This image inspired me and kosherbacon to write a Lilly/Shizune fic each. So, here are the fruits of our labor. I'm posting mine first, since it's shorter, and kosher will post his later.

My version used only the above image as a guide.

Oh, and it's worth noting that this doesn't take place in the 'Fisher Universe' and is not canon to it. It's just a little side project.

******************************************************
Beyond the Impossible

Shizune glanced down at her watch as it slowly ticked closer and closer to 3:00 PM. Time seemed to drag on so slowly...

She wasn't even paying attention to the writing on the blackboard, nor her companion's signing to her. She had her mind on something else...

Eventually, the bell rang to signal the end of class. Finally.

As Shizune was packing up her books, she kept an eye on the library girl as she talked with Hisao. Perhaps today would be the day...

But she began to feel a heavy tapping on her shoulder, and was pulled to face her companion.

'Sicchan, I've been trying to ask you, are we going to work on those reports today?' She signed to her

'Sorry Shiina, I've got some private personal business to take care of. Could you go ahead and start and I'll meet you later?'

'Oh...ok Sicchan. I'll see you later then.' She replied as she gathered her things together and left, a little disappointed.

Shizune felt a little bad about ditching her friend, but if she could pull this off, it would all be worth it, and she would make it up to Shiina someway.

She went back to watching Hisao and the library girl. Sure enough, like she had hoped, Hisao was taking her out for the day. As they left the room, Shizune grabbed her things as well and made her way out the door and down the stairs to the second floor.

Soon enough, she reached 'no-man's land'. Despite how calm and composed she always seemed to everyone else, she was extremely nervous about this. She swallowed and gently opened up the door and peeked inside. Sure enough, only she was there.

And she had heard the door open and glanced up from her cup of tea.

"Hello, is someone there?" It was a waste of breath, as her visitor couldn't hear her. Not that she could know that though.

Silently sighing to herself, Shizune forced herself through the doorway and shut it behind her. She then slowly made her way over to the table and grabbed the chair next to her, pulling it out from under the table and taking a seat in it.

"Who is it?" Again, she spoke in vain.

Going back over the motions in her head, Shizune gently reached over and took the girl's hand, causing her to gasp. Nervously, she began to tap into her palm.

'Lilly, it's Shizune.'

Shizune knew that Lilly had to learn this form of communication when she transferred to Yamaku. It was her only means of communicating with deaf students, of which Yamaku had several. Shizune had to learn it as well. Normally she simply had Shiina help her when she needed to contact Lilly.

But, Shiina couldn't be here. This was something Shizune had to do by herself.

'Oh, hello Miss Hakamichi,' she tapped back into her Shizune's palm. 'Would you like some tea?'

''Shizune' is fine, and yes, I wouldn't mind some.'

Shizune then let go of Lilly's hand as she got up and went about making some tea. How she was able to do it without a human's most precious sense still amazed Shizune.

After she finished making the tea, Lilly sat back down and handed Shizune the tea. She took a sip with one hand and extended he other to Lilly, who took hold of it and tapped to her:

'So, how can I help you? You don't normally come into this room to see me, so I assume this is important.'

Shizune sat down her cup and tapped back: 'Well, yes, this is...somewhat important.'

She took a deep breath and continued. 'Lilly, there's something I've been wanting to let you know for a while, I just never got the chance to tell you for one reason or another... She paused for a second, then continued. I...just want you to know that...I don't really hate you. I know we fight a lot, and you might think I hate you, but I don't. There's a reason that I'm always angry...'

'And what reason is that?'

'There's...something I've always wanted to tell you since the first time I met you. I always wanted to say it, but never could because it's something I wanted to tell you when I was alone, without Shiina...'

She started gently tracing her finger around in Lilly's palm, causing her to shiver and blush a little. Then she finished her confession:

'Lilly...I love you.'

Her confession immediately caused Shizune to start blushing. Lilly covered her mouth in shock. She took a hold of Shizune's hand and tapped to her:

'Shizune...I had no idea...'

'I always wanted to tell you that, but I never could because...there was no way we could communicate. But now that I've finally told you, I feel so much better. I just want to ask one more thing: how do you feel about me?'

Rather than replying, Lilly felt her way up Shizune's arm, to her shoulder, and up to her face. She slipped her hand behind Shizune's head and gently pulled it closer to her own slowly approaching face.

"Yes Shizune...I love you too." Lilly replied aloud, just before touching lips with Shizune. It was a gentle, but passionate kiss.

Time seemed to stand still during this moment...but it really didn't...

"...Hey Satou, have you seen Sicchan? I need help wi..."

Lilly immediately broke the kiss and looked at the direction of the voice. Shizune did the same, and was shocked to see her companion in the doorway with her jaw wide open.

"Oh, Shiina! Um..."

'God-damnit Shiina! Get out of here!'

Misha slowly backed out and closed the door with her. Shizune took a hold of Lilly's hand and tapped to her:

'I'm very sorry about that...I don't know what to do with that girl sometimes.'

Lilly replied by pulling Shizune back into a kiss.

Shizune had done it. She had gone beyond the impossible and forged a relationship with a girl that nature seemed to be doing everything it could to keep away from her.

Screw nature. Right now, all she cared about was being in her new girlfriend's arms.
*********************************************************************

[Wren]

An image in this case a drawing is worth a thousand words. Very good read

[Smoku]

I hope kosher posts his image inspirations too. they're awesome.
And good job with the fic

[Csihar]

I, er, uh... excuse me. *locks self in bathroom*

[kosherbacon]

I, er, uh... excuse me. *locks self in bathroom*

I better get back to work!

eat kosher bacon: hay is there a eyphemism[sic] for the mons pubis
Gromit****: I don't know...
eat kosher bacon: i call it the kittywad but there's gotta be something more elegant than that

[Csihar]

eat kosher bacon: hay is there a eyphemism[sic] for the mons pubis
Gromit****: I don't know...
eat kosher bacon: i call it the kittywad but there's gotta be something more elegant than that

[kosherbacon]

thank you! Mound it is.

[Extremist_Line]

eat kosher bacon: hay is there a eyphemism[sic] for the mons pubis
Gromit****: I don't know...
eat kosher bacon: i call it the kittywad but there's gotta be something more elegant than that

thank you! Mound it is.

Oh boy, not sure I'm liking the way this is headed...

[Esa94]

OH GOD YURI.

THIS IS AWESOME.

[kosherbacon]

Well, while I try resolving my writer's block with the third and final part, I shall start posting mine up. Enjoy!

I drew inspiration from the following Shimmie images:
[shimmie]1498[/shimmie]
[shimmie]178[/shimmie]
[shimmie]661[/shimmie]
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With Apologies to Ms. Anne Sullivan
================================================================================================================================



-The Untouchable-


Hisao and Hanako watched with curiosity as Lilly opened her mystery birthday present.

"S-So, what is it?"

"It's... A book,"

Lilly paused for a moment as she read the embossed cover with her fingers.

"No. Wait, it's two books. This volume contains The Story of My Life by Helen Keller and the script for the stage adaptation of The Miracle Worker."

"Have you read them before?"

"I might have read one of these in elementary school, but I'm not sure which. It IS a nice gift, though. Are you sure that neither of you would like to admit to this?"

“Nope.”

“I-It wasn't me.”

...

Exercise for section four-four: This woman will say a full paragraph. Can you understand her? Type your answer and click on “Next” to see if it is correct.

Shizune attentively watched the close-up of the woman's mouth on her computer screen. Her own lips moved as she followed the words on the screen.

“Good afternoon. Would you like to join me and my friends for tea? I know of a nice place downtown. The food is good and the prices are decent.”

Click.

Correct! The next section will cover variations in lip movement between different dialects. Are you ready?

”Good morning, Shicchan! You beat me to my wakeup call again.” Misha's words caught Shizune's attention from the corner of her eye. ”Wacha doin?”

Over the years, Misha somehow developed a habit of distorting JSL gestures to use as her own informal dialect whenever she pleased.

”Good morning, Shiina.” Shizune slammed her laptop shut and blushed. Learning how to read lips wasn't exactly taboo, but if Misha found out, she would no doubt probe Shizune for answers she wasn't ready to give.

”I'm just checking my email. You go on ahead of me, okay?”

After Misha went ahead to the showers to get ready for the morning, Shizune gathered her hygiene kit and towel. Before packing up her small hand-mirror, she decided to squeeze in one more lip reading exercise.

Shizune checked her surroundings to make sure she was alone in her room and set out reading her own lips. Of course she couldn't hear whether or not she was doing it correctly, but she had rehearsed her jaw, lip, and tongue movements for this phrase so frequently that it just had to be right.

“I love you, Lilly Satou.”

Immediately, she put a hand up to cover her guilty grin. For the longest time, Shizune hated the universe for the sick joke it played on her and Lilly. To Shizune, Lilly floated around the school like a ghost, unreachable without a spiritual medium. So close to Shizune, yet so far apart. She was almost like a rumor. But soon, she'll be able to reach out and touch the girl from another world.

If Shizune could learn Lilly's words, then some day, Lilly could learn her own. In addition to lip reading, Shizune had learned various forms of tactile sign language, the simplest of which was the deafblind alphabet.

Some day, they would be able to unlock each other's mysteries, one character at a time.

Shizune marched to the showers like a determined soldier. She was going to conquer Lilly, one way or another. This wasn't a battle for pride, it was a battle for love. She saw Misha already at the sink, grooming her eyebrows, and tapped her shoulder lightly to say hi. Further in, she saw that some negligent student without any sense of decency was showering with their stall's curtain open.

Angrily, the Student Body President stomped over towards the open stall and...

There she was.

Shizune caught herself drooling at what she saw. Repeatedly. Shampoo suds flowed down Lilly's back, with streams joining together at the small of her back and flowed down her rear end. In slow motion, the angel turned around to rinse out her hair, knocking years off Shizune's life. They were so big. And supple looking.

After cocking her head sideways to see what she could get a glimpse of downstairs, Shizune started drifting towards Lilly with outstretched arms. Lilly wouldn't know who was touching her, so it was okay, right? She stopped dead in her tracks when Lilly cleared some soap from her face and opened her eyes. Instead of the usual aimless wandering, Lilly's eyes locked right on Shizune.

“Oh my God. She's looking at me. At me!” Shizune thought to herself. “Yes. This is the sign. This is my chance...”

Startled, Lilly grabbed a washcloth from the handrail in the shower and covered up, depriving Shizune of the view.

“I'm sorry.”

”Don't let this happen again, Satou.” Misha was standing next to Shizune, chastising Lilly for exposing herself. “As a class representative, you need to set a good example for your peers.”

“...understand. ...won't happen... ...me.”

After what was probably an in depth apology, Lilly yanked the shower curtain closed. Shizune turned to Misha, secretly wanting to chew her out.

”The nerve of that woman.” Misha said. ”Just because she can't see squat, she thinks we can't either.”

”Yeah,” Shizune gave an uneasy smile. ”Who does she think she is?”

”By the way, Shicchan. Yours are perkier.”

”What?”

”You were comparing yourself to her, right? You were staring for a while.”

”Oh. Yeah. That was it. Who wants to play with udders like those anyway?”

”Besides,” Misha added. ”Neither of you have got anything on me! WAHAHAHAHA~!”

Shizune didn't need any indication to tell if Misha was laughing, even though they did come up with a unique sign for it. The gape of her mouth and the heaving of her chest was all she needed to show.

In the shower, Shizune daydreamed a little about what she just saw and bit the bullet. No more lurking around in the shadows. Ready or not, Lilly was going to be hers.

...

“It's blank.” Kenji said as he opened the letter Lilly found in her locker. “You playing some kinda game with me, Satou?”

“No. Are you sure it doesn't say anything? There was nothing in braille.”

“Ugh, you blind people and your secret codes.” Kenji squinted and moved the paper back and forth to find a good focal length. “Oh wait, yeah, there's something on it. It says 'Saturday. Five PM. Front gate.' So the front gate is your staging area, huh...”

“Oh my. No, there's not going to be an invasion this week, I'm afraid.”

“Look, Satou.” Kenji slammed his palms onto his desk and looked Lilly in the eye as if she could look back at him. “This isn't a game. The other Feminists might be trying to bump you off. A coup d'état would be really bad for me right now. I've got years worth of strategy and preparations that count you in as a major factor. The balance of power is at stake here...”

“Okay, okay.” Lilly laughed, “For your sake, I'll be careful. Thank you.”

...

After her Saturday classes, Shizune retreated back to the Student Council room to continue her secret studies. She was forced to ask Lilly out via written letter because she didn't want to leave behind a paper trail by borrowing a braille typewriter from the library. Just to be sure, she watched class 3-2 from just outside their door and ensured that someone read the note to Lilly.

A hand landed on her shoulder and shattered her concentration.

”Checking your email again, Shicchan?” Misha asked.

”Yeah.” Shizune started reciting a prefabricated lie to cover her actions. “I think Muto accidentally put me on his personal mailing list so I get a lot of junk from...”

“AH-HA!” Misha replied with wide eyes. “So you CAN read lips!”

Shizune froze. How could she have been so careless? She knew Misha would take things the wrong way.

”Shicchan...” Misha set her face on “pitiful mode.” ”Are you learning this so you can get rid of me? If I did something wrong, please tell me. I...”

”No, Shiina, that's not it. I was just...”

”Getting ready for a date with Miss Satou?” Misha flipped her switch back to playful mischievousness. ”I was just kidding with you.”

”Don't play around like that. I'd never want to get rid of you. As for Satou. I can explain.”

”No need to explain, Shicchan. You're in love.”

”No I'm not, Shiina. I'm not gay. I just want to understand her as a rival...”

”Shicchan, who are you trying to fool, you or me? Because you're doing a lousy job at either. I know you're jealous of me and Hicchan. And I've seen how you look at her. And it's okay.”

”So you're fine with me being infatuated with Satou?”

”Of course I'm okay with you being a lesbian. As long as you don't have the hots for me. WAHAHAHA~!”

”I told you, Shiina. I'm not gay. The person I like just happens to be a girl.”

”Well, at least you're slowly admitting the truth. Anyways, the reason I'm here is because...”

Misha opened up her backpack and presented a beat-up box that was marked “Property of the Audiovisual Lab.”

”Is that what I think it is?” Shizune looked at the device inside with amazement. It was a text-to speech translator box. Shizune would type in a message using the device's keyboard and with the press of a button, the box would say it for her using a synthesized voice.

”It comes with twelve different voices. You can even sound like that scientist guy in the wheelchair!” Misha excitedly stated.

”Do I want to sound like him?”

”No. I picked out a classy ladylike one for you already. It'll be perfect. With this, you can talk to Lilly all you want!”

”Thank you Shiina,” Shizune gave Misha a tight hug and slowly pulled away. ”For everything.”

”No problem Shicchan. Is there anything else I could do?”

”Actually, Shiina. There is something else. Have you ever kissed before?”

”Of course. Why?”

”With tongue? You know, making out?”

Misha started to see through Shizune's request and nervously backed off.

”Yes. I have.”

”Can you show me how?

”No.”

"Please? I don't know who else to ask. Just a little kiss.”

”Oh Jeez. Shicchan. Just once. Be quick.”

Shizune pushed her eyeglasses up to her forehead and slowly approached Misha, who tensely stood there with her eyes squeezed shut. For a split second, their lips made contact.

”There,” Shizune said while backing off. ”That wasn't so bad, was it?”

”No. I guess not. Are you happy now?”

Shizune giggled silently.

”I just realized that I just had my first kiss with a girl. And it was with Misha!”

”So you did.” Misha replied while rolling her eyes.

”Want to do it again?”

”What? No!”

With an artificially sad expression, Shizune placed her hands on Misha's shoulders and silently mouthed her pleas.

“Please. Please. Please.”

”Okay. Fine.”

This time, Shizune closed her eyes and dove into Misha's face. After a series of exploratory pecks, she decisively pressed their lips together and forced Misha's mouth open. When their tongues met, Misha wrapped her arms around Shizune, almost as if she was enjoying it.

Pleased that her practice partner was getting into the mood, Shizune embraced Misha, who didn't seem to mind how low her hands were going.

Truthfully, Shizune didn't really need to practice her technique. She knew that making out was an improvised activity based on mutual rhythm and physical compatibility. What she did need to know was whether or not she would lose her nerve in the act. Sure, she probably too comfortable with Misha to be objective, but she was as good a partner as any.

...

”Not a word of this goes back to Hisao.” Misha pouted as she wiped her face clean. Neither had anticipated how messy practice kissing would be.

”He won't hear a peep from me.”

”I'm serious, Shicchan!”

”I know, I know. I understand.”

Shizune discussed her date plans with Misha some more. Her new voice was sure to simplify things. Excitedly, they left the room so Misha could help Shizune get ready for her big date, bringing her into the line of fire...

“DAMMIT IBARAZAKI!” Misha pounded the top of Emi's head with her fist. “WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT RUNNING IN THE HALLS?”

Shizune scrambled to gather the voice box's pieces together. No amount of panic and desperation was going to fix it.

”Is there another one, Shiina? Please say there is.”

”No, Shicchan. I'm sorry. That's the only one that still works. We can order another one but it will take at least a few weeks.”

“I'm sorry!” Emi cried out, rubbing the top of her head.

”Bill her for it,” Shizune commanded. ”I don't want to waste more Student Council funds on my lovelife.”

”Okay, I'll get the money for a replacement and put Ibarazaki on a reimbursement plan. What do we do about tonight? Do you want me to come with you?”

”No, Shiina. I must do this myself. I was planning to anyway.”

”Good luck, Shicchan.”

[Smoku]

Hell yes

[Wren]

Looking very good so far. Keep it up .

[kosherbacon]

Looks like what we have here is a...


Blind Date.

================================================================================================================================

-The Farthest Possible Distance is Almost Touching-


“How do I look?”

“Y-You look nice.”

That was more or less Hanako's secret code for “you look awful.” Lilly threw off yet another set of clothes and dove into her closet. As best as she could, she tried piecing together a decent outfit, based on peoples' reactions to how she wore them in the past.

“H-Here, let me.”

Hanako browsed through the pile of clothes on Lilly's bed and handed her an outfit to put on. Lilly herself wouldn't have picked those out; she thought that the textures of the different fabrics weren't complimentary. However, as Hanako demonstrated, colors made a world of difference.

“M-Much better,” Hanako gave her stamp of approval while straightening out Lilly's outfit.

She offered to help with makeup but Lilly declined. She was going to go on her date just as herself, nothing more.

“A-Are you sure you d-don't want me to follow you?”

“I'm sure. This person has gone through a lot of trouble to hide their identity from me, so for now I will respect their desire for privacy.”

“B-But what if it's a criminal or s-something?”

“I'll be fine. I have my phone, my whistle, and my pepper spray. And if all else fails, I could fight them off with my cane.”

“I-I'm serious. Please be c-careful. I have a b-bad feeling about this.”

If their situations were reversed, Lilly herself would be hovering over Hanako like a mother bear. She would probably also enlist Hisao's help in making sure Hanako's date didn't try anything unsavory. Today, however, was Lilly's turn for an adventure outside the safety of her school sanctuary.

When she arrived at the school's front gate, Lilly heard restless footsteps pacing around, grinding particles of dirt into the pavement. The person suddenly stopped what they were doing, ran up to Lilly, and wrapped their arms around one of hers. Apparently, this was Lilly's date.

“Hello. Have you been waiting long?”

No answer. Instead, the person merely hugged onto Lilly's arm tighter. Through her sleeve, she felt something soft press against her upper arm. Lavender body spray swirled about in the air around them.

A girl? This was certainly unexpected. Lilly was of course expecting a boy to be asking her out, but a date is a date and it would be rude to refuse.

“What's your name?”

Again, no answer. Lilly's date faced her for a moment, silent, and leaned her head against Lilly's shoulder, revealing her height to be a little less than half a head shorter. Was crippling shyness the reason for her silence? It would explain the anonymity of the letter and maybe even why she chose Lilly. Or was it something else?

Lilly held out her date by the shoulders and faced her. Acting on a suspicion, she addressed her slowly.

“Can you speak?”

A few heavy breaths signaled “no.” She took a moment to try and figure out what to do and finally cracked a smile.

“Oh well. I'll just have to find out more about you some other way.”

Lilly presented her hand to the girl with her palm facing down.

“Please be good to me.”

The girl took Lilly into her own nervously moist hand and shared a silent but not awkward walk down the hill into town. The physical contact served as an ice breaker in lieu of an actual conversation. With nothing else linking them, both had their focus devoted to the patch of skin they shared between their hands.

“Do you need headphones, Ma'am?” The man at the theater's box office asked, after Lilly's date selected a movie by tapping her fingers against sheets in a binder that likely listed movie times.

“No, thank you.”

Lilly opened up her wallet and prepared to pay for her ticket with her presorted cash, but her date stopped her hand.

A movie theater was an odd place to take a blind girl for a date, but fortunately the mystery girl picked out a romantic comedy with nonstop dialog and very few discernible scene changes. The movie house near the school also incorporated subtitles into many of their screenings to accommodate for Yamaku students with impaired hearing. Lilly wondered if the movie she was listening to was one of those.

That night, Lilly learned plenty about her date. That is, just about everything but who she was. They never let go of each other's hands during the movie, softly stroking each other's fingers. Lilly got an impression of the girl's sense of humor by listening to sudden increases in audible breathing whenever she “laughed.”

She came to know the girl's taste in food and drinks as well. Lilly's date seemed determined to make herself known, yet not. The restaurant they ate at was an unfamiliar hole in the wall that was well outside of the downtown area she was familiar with. She even seemed to go through the trouble of walking Lilly away from the main drag. Was she trying to avoid striking a conversation with someone she knew?

“Woah... Waaah!” Lilly screamed as she she lost her grip and began tumbling backwards in the park. She had not had the chance to spin around hand-in-hand like that since she was a little girl and she was quickly remembering why. Just when all hope was lost, Lilly's companion jumped behind her and broke her fall, cushioning her against an unseen park bench.

“I'm sorry about that,” she said to her rescuer while being held in her arms. Lilly was just as much apologizing for the loss of her ladylike composure just as much as she was for nearly injuring the girl.

Still being cradled in her arms, Lilly reached up to look at the girl's face. Her hair was relatively short and she wore glasses. That narrowed down the possible identities but not by enough. She was more familiar with voices and personalities than she was with physical descriptions.

Still... short hair, glasses, a height of about about 160 centimeters, mute and possibly deaf... Was Lilly spending her evening with...?

No, it couldn't be. There had to be others who matched that description. Yamaku was a big school, after all.

Lilly quit her speculating and just focused on the moment at hand. Was this what being with another girl was like? Although she never firmly denied the possibility of dating one, she never sought out romance with other women. Without any words between them, their date was fueled by unfiltered tenderness and physical affection.

Lilly began to notice that whenever she was in contact with the girl, she began to gain a sense of her emotions, motives, and desires. Were they forming a relationship of implicit understanding based solely on physical intimacy?

After spending a long, sweet moment embracing each other on the grass, the girls headed back to school, spurred on by the cold evening air. Judging by how tightly they held onto each other and how fast their hearts were beating, neither wanted to let go. The prospect of being separated after being in near-constant contact was starting to hurt.

After a solemn walk where they tried to savor every moment with each other, the girls returned to school and reached Lilly's room. With curfew fast approaching, they encountered nothing of the other students aside from footsteps scurrying away in the distance.

“Thank you for a very pleasant evening. We should do this again.” Lilly said to her date, jarringly impersonal after the degree of familiarity they had already experienced. That didn't sit right with Lilly or her date. Wanting to end the night with a far better resolution, Lilly reached out for one last hug before parting ways.

Lilly faced downwards to show a smile to her date. Soon, she began to feel warm, moist breath against her lips. Slowly approaching was the faint scent of chewing gum and the night's dinner, along with she faint crackling sound of saliva bubbles popping from a mouth slowly separating its lips. Behind her back, she felt a pair of small hands gradually lose their vice-like grip and drift downwards.

Was the whole date just a long ploy to seduce her? Lilly was stunned at the revelation that she almost gave herself to someone she knew practically nothing about. Real relationships weren't like this, right? You can't just hold hands and embrace and suddenly be a couple. There had to be more than that...

The moment of truth arrived. The girl's lips were close enough to feel her body heat. It was now or never. Gently, Lilly tried pushing the girl off, only to be grabbed more roughly. In response, she shoved her date away.


“SLAP!”

...

Shizune threw down the compact disc's liner notes and punched the “stop” button on the stereo. Misha told her that the track she was “listening” to was Lilly's favorite song. The lyrics were garbage without any poetic value on their own, and the rhythmic thumping she felt coming from the speakers were meaningless.

She thought she could know Lilly just by being with her but she couldn't. Just like the music she tried digesting, there were just some things about the girl that Shizune could never understand. They literally touched for hours yet never got any closer than they started.

Her eyes swelled even just remembering the events of the evening. Everything was gong so well, so perfect. It was one of those moments when one just KNOWS that a kiss belongs there. Instead, she got a slap to the face and a sternly mouthed “Get out. Please leave.”

Misha and her boyfriend came into the Council room to bring more superfluous paperwork to keep Shizune's mind off her disastrous date the previous night. Hisao visibly expressed displeasure at being forced to help out. Fortunately, Misha knew better than to inform him of what was really going on since he was rather close to Lilly and Hanako. Shizune's inability to completely visually decipher Hisao's mumbling reminded her of just how far she had to go.

”The survey results are in, Shicchan.”

”Uhuh.”

”By popular vote, the theme for the next pep rally will be baseball. Do you approve?”

”Uhuh.”

”The contests we have planned are a three-legged race, pie eating, blindfolded juggling, pistol dueling, and naked sex-lube wrestling. Is that okay with you?”

”Uhuh.”

”Shicchan! Aren't you paying attention?”

”Uhuh.”

”Look, you need to snap out of it. There are plenty of guys and girls in the school itching for you to give them the time of day. Just one girl can't be that devastating.”

”I don't think I could do it anymore Shiina. I was so sure of myself. I was positive that I understood her feelings and that she understood mine. And I was wrong. Am I wrong when it comes to other people as well?”

”That's not true Shicchan. I know you love me and you know I love you. We don't need words to believe it.”

Shizune's self-flagellation continued unabated until the arrival of her heartbreak girl. She was as stoic as ever, as if nothing happened the night before.

“Excuse me for... have... sign... absence... equipment...”

Shizune ignored Misha's interpretation and tried reading Lilly on her own. Their “implicit understanding” was fading fast. The previous night, she would've had no problem understanding her.

Misha saw that Shizune was in no condition to conduct any business and filled out Lilly's request form on her own and filed it away.

And there was Lilly's relationship with Shizune summed up. The ease at which Misha dealt with her showed that she wasn't needed at all. As far as Lilly was concerned, Shizune didn't exist.

Shizune saw the book she anonymously gave as a birthday gift several months ago, sticking out of Lilly's bag. At least she was reading it. Those books and the the fond memories of their date were going to be all that was left of what they had. They were two planets crossing orbits in the night sky, sharing each other's light and gravity, only to disappear from view for eons.

As Lilly turned around to leave the room, Shizune filed away her feelings into a box marked “Do not open. Destroy immediately.” With her eyes watering, Shizune said her well-rehearsed line one more time. As her lips moved, her throat quivered and vibrated in unfamiliar ways.

“I love you, Lilly Satou.”

The hustle and bustle of usual Council activities screeched to a halt as if someone just dropped a bomb in the middle of the room. Misha snapped her pencil in half against the paper she was writing on, Hisao choked and spat up his strawberry milk, and Lilly stopped dead in his tracks and turned around.

“Who said that?” Lilly asked, visibly shocked.

”Shicchan, was that you?”

“W-W-Wow.” Hisao's lips muttered with amazement.

Lilly nervously approached the source of everyone's shock. She felt around for a spare chair and planted herself directly ahead of Shizune.

“Are you Shizune?” Her lips asked.

Shizune choked audibly and fidgeted in her seat.

“Talk to me.” Lilly said, as she grabbed Shizune by the wrist after groping around looking for it. Lilly turned Shizune's palm over, facing up and pried her fingers open with her free hand.

”C-A-N Y-O-U U-N-D-E-R-S-T-A-N-D M-E” Lilly signed into Shizune's palm, squeezing her wrist between words. Lilly then presented her open palm for Shizune to respond into.

”Yes, when did you learn this?”

”I studied after reading the book you gave me.”

”How did you know it was from me?”

”I suspected that it was you all along.”

An awkward physical silence filled the tabletop as both girls struggled to find something to say. Shizune took a deep breath and signed away into Lilly's hand.

”I'm sorry about last night. I did not mean to hurt you.”

”No, I'm sorry about hitting you. I was scared.”

”Lilly, after this, can we be friends? I don't want things to go back to the way they were before.”

Another long pause between communiques followed.

”No.”

”I understand.”

”I don't want to be your enemy again.”

”Then what?”

”I don't want to be just friends either.”

Lilly faced where she figured Shizune's head was and smiled.

”Lilly, do you like me?”

”I don't know how I feel about you yet.”

”Oh.”

”But anything is possible. Just so you know, I don't kiss until after a few more dates.”

”Okay.”

”But in your case, you earned one.”

Lilly swung her arms out and together until she found the sides of Shizune's head and leaned over the desk to give her a kiss. With their lips together and tongues intertwined, they quickly regained the physical understanding they had before and then some, their minds and souls resynchronizing for communication without words

Watching Lilly crawl onto Shizune's lap, Misha and Hisao turned to each other in shock.

“What the hell just happened?” Hisao whispered to Misha while shielding his mouth from prying eyes with his hand.

“I do believe they're resolving their differences.” She replied through her clenched teeth.

“Did Shizune really say something?”

“Yes. Yes, she did.”

“What'd she mean by 'Ah noof ooh inny ahdo'?”

“Shut up, Hicchan. You'll spoil the moment.”

[Wren]

Once again, another good entry!

Hisao at the end. Just shut up and let it be, lol.

[SirMax]

beyond the impossible

Looks like what we have here is a...
Blind Date.

Loved the ending though, ahahaha. That's the problem with rehearsing something you can't check yourself and no one else can check for you.