As he folded down his bike and locked it in place, a morning greeting went unnoticed again.
"Good...Good morning..O-Ojun-O-O..."
Before the greeter could finish, Kajai was already inside the school building.
"Ah..."
He forgot to change into his school shoes.
After he entered the classroom, he realized he had forgotten his backpack downstairs.
After he retrieved it, Kajai willed himself to calm down. The humid air and light rain did nothing to relax him. He tried to channel out the extra energy by tapping his foot against the floor. There was just too much to process. Himiko was real. And in his house. And wrapped in his bed sheet.
What could possibly happen next?
"Ojunko-kun."
Kajai looked up.
A elderly man in spectacles hovered over his desk. In his musing, Kajai had forgotten to take out his notebook, and furthermore had turned his body to face the window. Usually he was more discreet when ignoring authority figures. He winced as the teacher tapped his head with a paperback textbook. "Pay attention, Ojunko-kun." The man's voice was low yet firm.
Kajai rubbed his head, mumbling a 'yes, sensei', as the man returned to the front of the room. He pulled the proper books out of his bag, giving a sideways glance to a girl two seats over.
Yumekoji had a decent sized population, but it was also small enough that three generations of a family could be seen in one day. The girl paying full attention two seats away was the niece of their teacher, who was the brother of the owner of the cafe near the bay, whose wife ran the flower shop.
Kajai wondered what it was like to have your whole family so close like that. Was a stop in the cafe like visiting a second home? Did the smell of flowers bring up memories of family gatherings? He turned his attention back to his notebook, looking away from the girl. If you couldn't find the solution, would your teacher/uncle help you figure out the answer after school? Would you pop by his desk in the teacher's office, or stop by his house for afternoon tea?
By the end of the day, the heavens were pouring down heavy rain. Students huddled by the entrance. Some were trying to wait the water out, while others valiantly ran with only their bag to protect them.
"O-Ojunko-kun..."
Kajai checked his shoebox. During the rainy season, he usually kept a small umbrella just in case, but had left it at home after the last storm.
"I...have...an um..."
A friendly voice was lost to the sound of heavy drops.
He sighed. What was he hesitating for? It was rain. Water. He shouldered past the boy and girl stiffly agreeing to share an umbrella, and retrieved his collapsible bike from the rack. His shirt was already soaked by the time he exited the school gate, but it felt calming, freeing. He considered putting in his earphones for a split second, but water and old MP3 players did not mix well, so he opted for humming as he walked in the rain.
Kajai sniffled as he walked through the front door twenty minutes later than usual. He shuffled out of his soaked shoes, and was about to remove his clothes when he heard a voice coming from the living room.
"Kajai? Is that you?"
Kajai's hands dropped to his sides, face red with embarrassment. "Ah, y-yes!" Having company meant not undressing at the door. Living alone had given Kajai lax views on modesty. If no one was around, pants were optional in his home.
Himiko appeared at the door. This time instead of the bedsheet, she had slipped into one of Kajai's possessions-- a worn, grey zippered jacket. As they were about the same size, the jacket stopped just after her hips, like a tailored dress.
"That's my favorite hoodie..." Kajai murmured, his voice barely audible.
Sharing was another concept he rarely practiced as of late.
"You're soaking wet..." It appeared Himiko had not heard him. "Why didn't you...Oh, I guess you can't deflect the rain." Her facial expression changed, as she pondered aloud. "What is it like to be hit with rain without a choice? I wonder if it's frustrating or soothing...."
Petalbroom hovered close by. "I can only imagine, milady."
Kajai crossed his arms over his chest. "Soothing at first, until you realize you can get a summer cold. Excuse me..." He walked past them. "I'm going to go take a bath."
Himiko stood there a moment longer, still considering the effects of being pelted with rain. As Kajai headed upstairs, she called after him. "But wait! Where does the hot water come from? Why didn't you have an umbrella? Hey! Kajai!"
For some reason, Kajai wasn't up for another round of 20 questions. It wasn't until he removed his uniform that he realized why. 'She didn't even say 'welcome back'...' He pulled his hair out of its foxtail. 'Why that bothers me so much, I'm not even sure...' Kajai continued to remove his clothes. 'I guess I was looking forward to that.' He turned on the faucet and stuck his hand in the hot water. 'That's stupid.' Kajai retrieved the soap and shampoo from the cabinet. 'People who live together...They probably don't always greet each other.'
He placed a towel in his lap.
"Stupid..." He said aloud.
At the sound of a soft giggle, he turned his head towards the door. 'I was a little rude just now, but I guess that didn't bother her.'
He lathered up with soap and placed the lilypad-shaped protector on his head, funneling his hair through the slot. He appraised his reflection in the now foggy mirror. 'I look like a shrunken Kappa...'Still occupied with his self loathing, Kajai sat down on the small four-legged stool next to the tub and rubbed shampoo into his hair. It gave off a smell of sandalwood, very different from the scent of lavender and vanilla.
He sighed.
'Aren't you grateful that she's real?' He thought.
'Of course.' He answered himself.
'Then shut up already.'
He sighed again.
"Hoooooo..."
Kajai rubbed the shampoo into his hair. The lilypad-shaped protector prevented it from getting into his eyes ''The tv is loud."
"Heeeee...."
Water splashed in the tub, spilling over to the floor.
"Heh?" Kajai looked behind him. Something inklike was spreading through the water. He stared at it, unsure what to do.
Bubbles swarmed around a dark mass, so black it seemed purple. And then he realized it wasn't ink. It was hair. A woman's head was slowly emerging from the water. Long tendrils of hair covered her face, but he could see a smile spread from under her bangs. "Heeeeeee...."
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
At the sound of Kajai's scream, Himiko abandoned the pop music program and ran upstairs. Petalbroom followed after her, littering the steps with fresh petals. She ran straight into the bathroom, stopping the doorway.
"Kajai! What's wrong!?"
Kajai had fallen off the stool, half covered in soap, and sat on the floor with only his washcloth to both cover and defend himself.
The inky-haired woman cackled, Her head still peering from the tub. "Ehhhuu Heeeeeee hee hee ho ha ha ha!"
Himiko was not amused. "Griselda! Knock it off!"
The figure only grinned and Kajai tried to cover himself up. With a rumble, a high volume of water flooded outward from the room's faucets, creating a rising wave. It was sudden, and Kajai had no time to hold his breath as it carried him out of the bathroom. As the water pushed Kajai towards the stairs he latched onto the railing, while the others were carried all the way down to the first floor.
Now soaked, Himiko stood with her hands on her hips, choking on water.
A small tsunami spiraled around the living room, gathered into a small funnel, and then dispersed. A woman appeared from the watery orbs, clad in a purple leather dress. Long dark hair spilled past her thighs. She mirrored Himiko's stance. "Dearest sister of mine, you look like something the cat dragged in."
Angry, Himiko spat the liquid at her sister's face.
Griselda wiped the unwanted liquid from her face. "Now what has become of your manners...Or is that a challenge, dear?"
"Oh, I'm certainly I'm in the mood for a duel now." Himiko glared at her, "Do you have any idea what madness you've caused?"
"No, but I bet it was great." She grinned. "By Loki, I shall be praised."
"Without fail."Himiko's face was tinged with pink.
"Well, if it's a duel you want, it's a duel you will get." With a beckoning motion, Griselda pulled water from the carpet, forming small orbs.
Recognizing the attack, Himiko ran left."Petalbroom!" She hopped onto the familiar, soaring left as liquid tendrils lashed in her direction. Himiko weaved left and right to avoid the watery whips. Water splashed, hitting various fixtures around the room.
Still riding her broom and dodging attacks, Himiko spoke. "Why did you tell Kazuto about the convincing curse!? He chased after me all the way to this old world and pursued me with it for hours!"
"Marvelous!" Griselda grinned. "But do tell, what else has happened? We received a customary notice of your upcoming nuptials...but the name on the announcement was incorrect."
The question was left ignored as Himiko continued to dive and dodge. Upstairs, Kajai was left wet, confused, naked, and spitting water. As if one witch wasn't enough, another had appeared in his house. And from what he had read so far, she was a different breed altogether.
Griselda Tsukihime, older sister to Himiko, had little in common with her sibling. A standard tradition across their realm was to become a follower of one of the old world's gods and perform acts in that deity's name. Most of the Tsukihime family were followers of the goddess Hecate.
Himiko and Griselda's father, who had married into the family, was a follower of Thor. Griselda however, had opted for Loki. Her mischievous nature was present since early childhood, and Kajai could recall many times she had attacked or annoyed her sister for her own amusement. To make matters worse, she had been gifted with the Deus of water control. With all liquid under her command, there was no telling what havoc she would create.
Kajai dressed as quickly as possible and headed downstairs.
He nearly slid into the living room. "Oi!"
Griselda and Himiko both turned his way as he stepped into the living room.
Kajai appraised the damage she had caused. Every surface of the room was dripping wet. Petals littered the carpet, sticking in place.
Kajai appraised the damage she had caused. His eyes fell on his television. "No..." He stalked towards it as if it were a wounded friend. "Not the tv..."
He crossed the wet carpet, and didn't bother checking the cabinet full of DVDs, or the rest of his setup--the damage was done. "It's all...ruined..."
Griselda looked around the waterlogged room. To her, it didn't seem any different from her average act of destruction.
Himiko gasped, her mouth forming a tiny 'o'. "The television!"
Griselda wagged her finger back and forth, and all the water from her earlier assault was pulled from the room, suspended in mid-air. Kajai watched as millions of aqueous orbs floated around them. With their battle now interrupted, Himiko dismounted from the broom. Shaking her head at Griselda she motioned to the glass door leading to the patio then and pushed it open.
With a flick of Griselda's wrist, the orbs of water floated outside and hit the ground with a wet smack, blending in with the rain that continued to pelt the earth outside. Kajai stood gaping for a moment. Himiko shut the patio door.
Griselda held out her hand, and a pointed black hat appeared. She placed it on her head. "Better?"
Kajai ran his hand over the device. It was bone dry, but he was afraid to turn it on. "...." He closed his eyes and began to work on a mental list of things he would need to have checked. His vision blurred, and he could hear Himiko calling his name. The floor looked closer than usual. He slapped his cheeks. Hard.
"Time for tea," Kajai said, his voice shaky.
"Tea?" Griselda gave her sister a quizzical look.
"I think it's his coping mechanism," Himiko replied in a low voice.
As if on auto-pilot Kajai made his way to the kitchen and walked straight to his cabinet of tea leaves. "Chamomile." He muttered, nodding.
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