Fujishima's Maiden 7: Don’t Like This…

Mikage

Mikage was totally glad that she met Sally and managed to talk to her like any typical conversation but there was indeed something about Sally that she could not pinpoint what was. Sally might be wearing pure midnight black clothing with a hood that her face was being covered but seeing as Mikage and the other family members that seen her half-cat mask, she could tell that it was sealing something in Sally. The more Mikage thought of Sally, she found herself analyzing their visitor ever since she saw her without her hood. Sally’s hair where being tied in a high ponytail and the color of it was ash-grey hair then her eyes beneath her half-mask were indeed dull dead-fish or lazy dark moonlight orbs. But every time their eyes met, she wanted to make them happy. Odd it may seem but that’s how Mikage felt around those gazes. Even though they were having a height difference since Sally has a couple of inches taller than her, Mikage knew that Sally has a pull around her as she need and want to be with her – if can, twenty-four-seven but that was too much. Anyway, Mikage released a heavy sigh and just went back into her training since Sally went back into doing her rounds around the estate even though she already did some with Mikage’s father. But due to her mind and heart elsewhere, Mikage was having a hard time in her rehearsal there was something began to stir somewhere that was making her uneasy and her mother, Sawako took notice and began to worry about her sudden change of mood.

“Honey, are you okay?” Sawako carefully asked her daughter who suddenly stopped in the middle of her practice and Mikage was catching her breath as she was looking serious. Sawako wondered what her daughter was thinking.

“I’m fine, Mom…” Mikage just answered but honestly, she was not feeling fully fine because there was something making her uneasy and worried. She was worried about a certain person who just met and she does not know why Sally has that kind of effect on her. She might try to ignore it and just focus on her rehearsal but it was getting too much to ignore.

Mikage started to groan and be pissed off to which she almost loses her balance not until there was some ruckus among the servants and Sally’s team. Mikage did not get it much as she tried her best to focus on her rehearsal but it was totally getting into her and alarmed Mikage to the core. Sawako might have wanted her daughter to continue but with one click from Mikage’s tongue; she quickly dashed off from the rehearsal room. She does not know where she was going but the speed of her feet was totally leading her into some place she was not sure about. She just kept running toward a place that was somewhat familiar to her but only remains in the back of her mind. She did not even care if some of the servants and Sally’s team went after her when she just suddenly dashed off from her own rehearsal. Mikage just felt that she needs to go there and it was a certain spot where it was rarely visited.

“Don’t like this…” Mikage might have thought of it but not about going to the old small shrine that they built for remembering their great-grandmother.

Mikage halted in her tracks since she was already at their old shrine which her grandfather, the family head was trying to open but could not. It was stuck which pisses Mikage off as she really does not know what to do because she was totally worried and getting weak from it. But at the same time, she needed to be strong and when she was about to come close, the door suddenly opened on its own.

Before the others and particularly the family head could even ask Sally, Mikage suddenly dashed to where she was and just engulfed her arms around her which made Sally fall down onto her butt. Sally just wondered what had suddenly gotten into Mikage from doing such a gesture to her. But Mikage could not hold up her tears anymore and began to fall down from her eyes. She does not like it but she could not hold it any longer – Sally made her worried too much.

“Mikage?” Sally tried to ask Mikage what’s the reason for her tears but she could not speak up for the moment. Sally released a sigh and even though she was used to whatever Mikage was doing to her, she just held her reassuringly.

“Mikage, tell me what’s bothering you. I’m all ears.” Sally whispered only for Mikage’s ears to hear.

“I-I don’t like this…d-don’t make me worry…” Mikage stuttered as she answered while she tried her best to control her tears and straddled over Sally’s lap. Sally felt warm that someone was totally genuinely worried about her and she only could feel them to Mikage. Sally sigh and made her cupped Mikage’s face so Mikage could look deeply into her dark moonlight orbs.

“I sincerely apologized for making you worried. But you’re great-grandmother just wanted to talk and sort of locked me up here just for that.” She told her the reason why she was there and it literally happened to her.

“Still, don’t make me worry!” Mikage sounded like a whining kid that made confused everyone since she did not just whine but also hit Sally’s chest Sally was totally speechless since nobody dared to hit her unless it was in the middle of the case that her team was dealing with. They were wondering why all of the sudden she was acting like that around Sally. Mikage wasn’t like that at all.

Sally just let Mikage cry and pulled her into her arms until she finally relaxed; Mikage looked deeply into her orbs where she took notice that it was turning like shining moonlight when it was being stared at before she released a relaxed sigh. She got up from straddling Sally’s lap before she looked around the small and old shrine to which Mikage saw a glimpse of her great-grandmother's spirit partially taking off her mask just to show her genuine smile before vanishing. Mikage immediately bowed respectfully to the small altar before grabbing Sally’s wrist and dragging her into some place that seriously made everyone wonder what was suddenly going onto Mikage.

When the both of them were already far from the wondering gazes of the others, they stopped somewhere around the estate. It was a part of the estate that was near the pond and the garden of the rehearsal room where Mikage was practicing her own dance. That’s when Sally breaks the silence that was forming between them.

“Alright, everyone was taken back to what was going on with you.” Sally commented as Mikage took her elsewhere within the estate and they were not being followed by anyone since the head of the family knew that Mikage need some time alone with Sally.

“YOU! You happened that’s why.” Mikage was not so sure what was going on inside of her. Her feelings around Sally were not something that she usually feel for anyone she just met. Sally was special to her but she does not know why she felt special.

“Me? What did I do?” Sally did not know what she did to the maiden since she just came there to work and nothing else.

“I don’t know?! You tell me, you can see things, so better tell me what you see around me. I don’t even get myself either why I am acting like this…” Mikage turned to meet Sally’s blank facial reaction but to her, she could see and feel that Sally was worried about what was happening to her.

“There’s something about you that I could not ignore ever since I laid my eyes on you. I just can’t. So tell me, Sally, what can you see in me?” she added in her worried tone since she was not sure what to call over it. All she knew was that Sally was something special to her and what kind of special was it, she doesn’t know yet.

Sally went into her silence for a moment there since she could tell that Mikage was totally needed for her response and it should be an honest one. She took a deep breath and as she was taking the air that was swirling around Mikage, where she started to sense the power that she was emitting. But Sally knew that it was not what Mikage was trying to get some answers. Sally went closer to her and carefully held Mikage’s hands that were on her sides. When Sally did that, Mikage’s heartbeat suddenly escalated and the air around them began to feel serene and the birds began to sing as the leaves around them began dancing as well. Mikage was sure that she did not feel something like this to anyone that she just met. There was something in Sally that calls every bit of her well-being to be with her which made her cry. She knew it was too soon but she finally understand what could it lead to but she did not utter a word about it. She just let the moment be serene and warm in between them. Sally took notice of the sudden tears of Mikage and let go Mikage’s hand to be free and even took the liberty to wipe those tears that suddenly fall down once again from Mikage’s face.

“Mikage, the energy that you’re emitting around me was calling me to be with you. I am not sure why it was like that but it was like cradling mine. Does this happen to anyone who’s having a bond with a shrine maiden?” Sally calmly explained what she could see through Mikage’s spiritual energy and how it reacted around her presence and even asked as well if it happens as well to the other’s shrine maiden.

“Now that you mentioned that, I never heard anyone of us talk about how they found their mates.” Mikage realized that nobody talks a tale about their love lives or how the shrine maidens found their partner in their lives now.

“Then I think that’ll be your assignment then.” Sally flatly told her that made Mikage sigh but there was a slight smile showing on Sally’s lips. Mikage loves it.

“But Sally, I don’t like this feeling…I mean, not in a bad way…” Mikage went on being honest with Sally which she never did to anyone – maybe just a few but to a person who just met a few hours earlier in day one, that’s really something never happened before to Mikage.

“I know. You just don’t understand why it suddenly happened since we’ve just met for a couple of hours already.” Sally slightly smiled at her and Mikage likes to see them more often if may, she hope only to hers.

“It’s strong, Sally, and I can’t even find any words to describe it but I like it.” Mikage reasoned as she was totally being honest with her that she really likes it; she just doesn’t know why all of a sudden and too soon.

“That’s the first time I heard someone say that to me.” Mikage heard a very calm and longing tone from Sally that made her stare at her dearly. She felt like wanting to protect this part of Sally that she felt that nobody dare to get too close to her just to see this.

“What do you mean?” Mikage carefully wondered what Sally was trying to say when she mentioned that.

“Not everyone that I’ve met stayed long. That team we’re just appointed to me whenever I had a job to take. They were assisting me and reporting to me but because I always take things at my own pace, they either leave the team or I’m always left behind in the scene especially when things got escalated. Good thing, I always managed to survive death.” Sally might sound flat and emotionless as she shrugged her shoulders; Mikage still managed to sense from Sally something she longed for. She might not be able to pinpoint what could it be but she was sure to be there to know them.

“Then be with me, don’t be alone anymore. I’ll be here as your home. I’ll be waiting for your return.” Mikage reassured Sally which made her look and smiled. Mikage felt the genuine warmness from those smiles that she could bet that she never let anyone see them.

“Thank you. You better go back to your rehearsal, I’ve got the feeling you’re mother wasn’t a fan of laziness.” Sally stretched out her hand once again which Mikage did not hesitate to take.

“Don’t remind me.” Mikage whined but she chuckled as they both headed back to the rehearsal room where they first met.

“But please consider staying with me.” She added in her low voice but it was clear enough for Sally to hear them. Sally smiled and squeezed the hand that holding Mikage’s hand.

Both of their moods were something that couldn’t be disturbed as if when it was being disturbed, Sally’s nightmare will haunt them. Well, that was the vibe that Mikage could feel around Sally. She felt safe and at ease around the lady huntress that she was walking silently with and that’s where she wanted to stay – she hoped that Sally will stay with and beside her.