Entry :: #42
Title :: "The Sun Sets Red With Rage"
Song :: “Buried in Blue” by Harry Connick, Jr.
Note :: Reaction to Rehoming of Vyn & the Passing of Gage [
link]
Natsuki received a letter from the office of Dr. Kyou via Lazarus. Knowing how busy the good doctor and his colleagues were, she was certain the letter was official business.
“Oh Vyn…” she sighed, looking at the familiar red waves and haunting beauty of Shuura’s Frei.
Her mouth hung open, lips parted slightly, breathless. Her former employee had returned to school, leaving the cafe short one fantastic employee… and Vyn behind! Natsuki’s heart lurched, and she placed a steady hand over it. Shock fought its way into her soul, but she kept it at bay. The cafe owner had worried when Shuura vanished after work on her last day without a trace. No messy good-byes. Just like the raven haired college student. She stayed true to herself until the very end.
Without Vyn’s delightful attention, the roses in her cafe struggled. Recalling how the visually intense shadow damsel softened when tending to the flowers, Natsuki felt a tear streak down her cheek.
“At least, Vyn would have a new place to flourish and bloom.”The Shadow Rose has been reassigned to a local named Ethan Blake, age 52. Her eyes widened in uneasy suspicion. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t pin point it precisely. Dropping her eyes to the newspaper folded on the table beside her breakfast, it hit her. A maelstrom flared in her eyes, when a picture from the business page started back. Classic. One of the area’s most prominent business men and apparent ‘most eligible bachelors’ was charged with one of the more ‘developed’ female raevans. Naturally some hot shot with money to burn, would manage to wriggle his slimy corporate money into the pot.
“Whomever said money doesn’t get you anywhere, is full of s…”“Full of what, Natchi?” a melodic voice chimed behind her, followed by a pair of cocoa brown arms wrapping themselves over her shoulders.
“F-full of s—-surprises!” the cafe owner squeaked, luckily stopping the expletive from slipping out form her lips. She heaved a relieved sigh. The last thing she needed was to be swearing like a sailor in front of an extremely impressionable young lady.
“Surprises? Really? I thought you were going to say he was fulla shi—”“SA’IDA MARAM YANAGITANI!! WHERE DID YOU LEARN THAT WORD!?” Natsuki gasped, whipping her hair around, staring at the little seemingly innocent Frei in horror!! Sa’i cringed. The Three Name Call. She was totally toast, but she simply smiled.
“Wait for it. Three… two… one…” Sa’ida counted down musically on her fingertips, emphatically tapping Natsuki on the nose as she reached ‘zero’.
“When I get my hands on We’rika, I’m gonna…”“Gonna what?” the rainbowed djinniyeh mused, finding her guardian’s irritation amusing. Her unfinished ribbon curled and swished around the table
“… I’m gonna… invite him and Sevilin to have tea and cake with us!” the red head gritted, feeling her hand subconsciously around the newspaper, rolling it single-handedly. She intended on giving her Huichol partner in crime a lecture he would soon not forget, and then she intended on smacking him into next week with the newspaper.
‘Nah,’ she dismissed, releasing her iron clad grip on her copy of
The Gambino Grapevine.
‘He’d probably enjoy that… too much.’“YAY! Partypartypartyparty! PAR-TAY TAY!!” Sa’ida rejoiced, throwing her hands above her head and dancing on the spot. Colors whirled past Natsuki’s eyes at a dizzying speed. Very few could out dance the Fine Arts grad, but her young charge made it appear like Natsuki had two left feet— and Frei don’t have hips let alone feet!
“DJ Natchichi and Sa’i Sa’i in the hizz-ouse!!”An orange-red eyebrow quirked up and her eyes narrowed playfully. Parental locks were going on several of the television channels— if not most of them- at least until Sa’i hits puberty. The last thing she needed was Sa’i turning out to be vapid and static like the broadcast signal color pattern. Though, it was better than the salt-and-pepper snow. The guardian needed to act fast and intervene or her young Frei could end up a juvenile delinquent, running around with shirtless thugs and hoochie mamas, as a mini-thuglet.
Shaking her head (and the disturbing gang banger genie from her thoughts), she chuckled, humoring her rainbowed friend by ‘raising the roof’ while sipping a cup of coffee. Sa’ida laughed her signature laugh, like pieces of crystal dangling from a wind chime. Clearly, the new self-proclaimed Dancing Queen approved over her late twenty-something guardian. Having worn out the victory dance, Sa’ida fluttered over to the chair opposite Natsuki, turning her attention to the comics section. Moments like this truly made the redhead thankful for her time as Sa’ida’s guardian.
Setting her mug back on the table, Natsuki resumed reading the notice. On the opposite page, was a pair of photographs— one of Gage and another of Julian.
‘Talk about a flash from the past. Oh Julian—’ the cafe manager thought dreamily, taking up her cup and having another sip of coffee with Irish creamer.
“Sweet Jesus!” she exclaimed, coughing and choking her favorite Italian roasted blend right down. Above Gage’s photo a single melancholy word stared back.
DECEASED.
A chill rippled down her spine, causing her hands to visibly shake. Her fingertips stroked the photo of Gage gently, and a single tear streaked down her cheek. The vague nature of the details were unsettling. Perhaps they were too gory and disturbing. Several younger individuals were guardians, as well as a slew of Frei, so Natsuki assumed it was for their safety. There was no mention of Julian’s role or reaction which frightened her. Could he be dead as well? What catastrophe ensued to result in this? Had Julian been alive, surely he would have told someone, right? He wouldn’t just disappear like that, would he?
Possibly.
Deny it as she may, possibility snaked its way into her heart, causing a fissure. There was always something untouchable, unrequited about him. Natsuki cared a great deal for the young scientist, though she was certain it was quite single-sided. Despite her attempts at friendship, Julian always managed to keep her at bay, but wanting desperately to push the envelope. Unlike Dr. Kyou who was tender and sweet, or Dr. Tsu who was rugged and flirtatious, Julian provided a certain flame in her life. Albeit an extremely dangerous one.
Touching her lips lightly, she pressed a kiss onto her fingers, and in turn touched Gage’s photograph a last time.
“Rest in Peace, Gentle Friend,” she whispered. Her fingers lingered before she swept the kiss across the page to Julian as well. Her thoughts lingered on tea time and lemon squares, something she vowed never to make again.
She’d lost three friends— ones she believed would always be a part of her life. Unaware that the genie Frei had long stopped laughing at the comics, several more renegade tears slipped past her thick lashes, streaking down her cheek.
“You’ll see them again,” Sa’ida whispered inaudibly, touching her guardian’s hand gently.
“I feel it.”
* * *
Sa’ida’s Diary
At first, I thought Natchi was keeping secrets from me. She got a letter in the mail today from Dr. Kyoupi’s office. I thought I was in trouble because Dr. Kyoupi is too busy to write often, but that wasn’t it. Not by a long shot. The letter had photos of two raevans I had never seen before. They were pretty. The girl wore all black, but her eyes and hair were so enchanting. Like Princess Briar Rose. I think her name was Vin. The other was a Masked Man like Zorro, but green— and had a horn on his head. His name was Gaje. I thought Natchi was going to tell me a story about them, but she kept it to herself.
She almost said a bad word, too, but I said it, so she wouldn’t be angry at herself. I hope We’rka doesn’t get mad for tattling. Though, Natchi is a smart cookie. She bakes great cookies too! She didn’t have cookies this morning, but she almost spat out her coffee. I think the coffee was bad because it made her so sad that she cried. Even when I danced for her, she faked it. There was a blonde man, too. Next to his picture was the word ‘missing’. I know what that means. I often hear Natchi use it to talk about socks, remote controls, house keys, car keys, and her mind from time to time. I think he was her friend, but I’ve never met him. He is really handsome. I think he knew Gaje.
I want to make Natchi happy. She had those wrinkly, worry lines in her forehead while reading. I think she reads too much. She needs to be careful or those lines will stay. I learned that on tv. I wish the magical box could tell me how to help her. I wish I could help fix everything… Natsuki’s Journal
I can’t even begin to describe the flurry of emotions whipping around in my head. It’s like staring into a twister. Everything is out of focus.
Vyn’s with a stranger.
Shuura’s gone.
Gage has passed on.
Julian is missing.
Who's next? I feel holes in my heart where they once were. Yes, our relationship started by a mutual interest in the raevans, but I desperately want to believe that it was more than that. It was, wasn’t it? It wasn’t just pretend or false pretenses. They were cherished friends of mine.
I think things would be more traumatic had Sa’ida known them. She would have loved each and every one of them. I can’t bring myself to discuss Noor’s death and how Sa’ida’s life was the exchange. Freedom only to be trapped in another body. Is that really freedom at all? Am I fulfilling my promise to Noor by taking care of Sa’ida. How can I explain things like life and death without going into the details.
How can I prevent Sa’ida from meeting a similar fate? As she grows will any unmanageable powers develop, like Gage and his radioactive touch? What can I do to help make growing up memorable and enjoyable? What will happen if others disappear or get sick? Is there something potentially explosive and unstable about the raevan species? I was never a scientist. I simply own a cafe.
So many questions.
Too many questions.
At least, she will meet Vyn one day. I hope.
P.S. I removed lemon tart from the menu this evening. I will never make it again. "Wrap the dead in a pleat of silk... Blue is the color to be buried in"
