Because She Would Ask Me Why I Love Her, Part II

[herr_bookman]

[ Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V ]

I spent Halloween with Miss Kuriyama this year. Bar dressed her as a mummy and me as a vampire, with real, pointed fangs. They gave me a lisp. I apologized for how I acted while I was tipsy, and she said it was all right. She also said that she knows it's frustrating that my efforts don't work, but that she does notice them. She then said that I am welcome to do whatever I find pleasant! Huh!

We ordered eggplant lasagna and salad and soup, with hazelnut gelato. Then we shared a booth and watched MST3K's Monster-A -Go-Go, which was awful. There was a joke about pink early on, which she didn't seem to find funny. In the middle of the movie, she pointed out that I always offer her food, and wanted to know if it was enough that all it was fixing was her hunger. I told her that I can't hope to fix everything, but that I could offer her that at least.

Miss Kuriyama then pointed out that I am being a friend like Rae was to me, and that's about right. She watched the beginning of Tormented and then fell asleep in the booth.

---

Later, Miss Kuriyama woke up startled in the booth, in her normal clothes. Apparently she saw Yui, the girl she had to kill, in her dreams. She rested her head on my knees and wept.

Miss Kuryiama said that it should have been her, and it occurred to me that she thinks she deserves to die. That she wants to. We had tea, and I told her that she has time to figure out what she wants to do.

We washed our faces separately and then reconvened to glide around on the carpet for a little while, doing nothing, before returning to the bar to retrieve her glasses. She said she was used to being trapped, because she spent all of her time in one room, and Yui was the one who saw her most.

"Autor-sempai?" she said. "Thank you for letting me do nothing."

I don't know how to help her. I don't know what to do. The whole thing makes me want to cry.

---

I brought that stray kitten from home into Milliways, and saw Miss Kuriyama. She smiled! It was a small one, but I'll take it. She seems to be doing all right today, which is good because that means the rats weren't lying to me. We talked about job and apartment hunting, but the conversation was fairly one-sided, as she doesn't know how to approach her situation at home. I get the impression that she doesn't much care right now, either, which is all right, I guess.

We ate fries and a burger for her and strawberry milkshakes, and played with the kitten. Then I warned her about Dr. Lecter. She told me that she'd already informed Guppy and a vampire--probably Eric Northman--about her blood, and then said that I know everything there is to know. Really? Wow.

She suggested Spinning a Story to make anything about the art forbidden, so that no one could say anything about it. I told her I want to be able to explain it to my future children, and then she said she doesn't know if she wants any, given her situation, which is understandable.

Then she asked what a record is, and we talked a bit more about the capabilities of her phone. It's an amazing device. I encouraged her to pick up a T-Minus. I wonder what her name would be?

---

We bartended together! I gave her tea and croissants, and we talked about why I keep saying she's not unpleasant. She smiled at me! I told her how cute she is and why, and I thought my heart was going to beat right out of my chest, it was going so fast. I also found out that she likes apricots. Thrilling!

And then she called William unpleasant for presuming that we were together because we were tending together. Ahaha.

Yugo only mentioned flowers once, thankfully, otherwise he may have given away the fact that I asked him to get some for me to give to her. Miss Kuriyama brightened, and showed him her bonsai and the skeleton flowers on her phone. She was really cute to see. And then they called me a geek, nerd, and dork, and she apologized for laughing at me. Hm. Then she told Yugo about her blood--wait, really?--and called me not unpleasant! Success!

Then of course Hannibal Lecter showed up. Miss Kuriyama deemed him unpleasant right off the bat, for calling her charming. He embarrassed me with nasty comments, as is his wont, and then called her Little Miss Negativity! He implied that Rae hates her and is pretending not to, and then told her that I have a crush on her! Augh!

Thankfully Joly arrived next, with kittens. Apparently Miss Kuriyama knows and likes him--which only makes sense, he's very likable. Noriko, Diaval, and Enzo also arrived and took tea, and I believe Enzo at the very least has cottoned on to my feelings for Miss Kuriyama.

Does everyone know?

---

During the pox, I rhymed up a storm with Rae, and basically confessed to my adoration of Miss Kuriyama. Ahaha.

---

I met Miss Kuriyama downstairs after the pox, and introduced her to Bavarian and French cuisine. She received a text from the Nase family, a powerful group in her society in charge of the Spirit World Warriors. And, apparently, the people who deal with her, whatever that means.

Also, her favorite food is squid! I jumped and managed to put my foot in my mouth about it, and she pointed out that I jump now, but not when she was telling me about her blood! Whoops!

She nearly cried, which twisted my heart in my chest. She wanted to know why she couldn't have a normal conversation, so I tried to have one with her, about anything and everything under the sun, but mostly food. She wanted to know why I insisted on talking to her after she messed up, and I said that was because she is my friend, and I'm counting on her not to hurt me, which she appeared to accept.

We spoke a little on Dr. Lecter and tried the brie en croute. Then... I explained more about my past cruelties. She accepted my state and told me she was glad I was the first person she met here. That's better than I could have hoped.

She asked about my mother and sister, and I told her, keeping in mind that she has no family of her own. I invited her to meet them, and to the Fire Festival, and she agreed! After that we had gyoza, which were really quite nice.

---

Gredya took a picture of me, and the act reminded me of the fact that before now, only Miss Kuriyama had ever taken a picture of me. There's a myth that says cameras steal your soul--does that mean she owns mine? The thought should be more disquieting than it is.