Adoration, Part 14
Utena protested almost violently that she knew nothing about Anthy’s condition. It wasn’t that Miki didn’t believe her, but it was just hard to believe that she didn’t know…that no one had thought to let her know. But, maybe it was for the best? Anthy was all right at the moment though from what he had studied Himemiya might very well try again…weren’t they supposed to have her under some sort of watch?
"I didn’t think she would be like Saionji but now I wonder.”
Those words broke into his thoughts and he glanced at the blue-eyed girl, his eyes slightly narrowed. Juri was nothing like that maniac. She would never do the things to Himemiya that Saionji had…at least…he didn’t think so. He half listened to Utena’s musings about trying harder.
“…and she just dragged her off like it was nothing. But Anthy didn’t seem to want me to know or stop her or anything. If she were really hurting don’t you think she’d say something? To me, at least…”
Miki sighed, looking off in the direction that they had gone in. “I don’t know…I honestly don’t. She never says anything to anyone about the other duelists for the most part from what I can tell…unless directly asked,” He rubbed a spot under his eye, “I seem to remember…when Saionji had her…right before you challenged him, Touga had seen him hit her, we all pretty much knew what was going on. Touga called a meeting about it…she never said anything, just told us she would do whatever he told her and that she was his….the same thing she always says,” he sighed, “and likely the same thing she would say now.”
He shook his head, disgust on his face. “I don’t know why she did it. Sempaii…she said she saw Himemiya cry and none of us have seen that before. It can’t be anything that she did to her directly…it has to be deeper then that…” They began to walk with no direct route, “I don’t know what to think about it. It bothers me.” He truly didn’t know if Himemiya would have done that if Utena had won her back. As much as he would like to see Juri win in some ways, he also wondered if this was the best way if there truly was a life at stake.
***
Miki didn’t know the answer either? One of the elite of the Council? Well, probably no way she would know then. Except she thought she knew Anthy. Maybe she held that belief because Anthy thought she wanted it, though.
“I seem to remember…when Saionji had her…right before you challenged him, Touga had seen him hit her, “ So had she. She had been watching from the upper story window, and then Wakaba came a long and explained who everyone was. Although no one knew who Utena was yet, back then. It seemed so long ago. “We all pretty much knew what was going on. “ Utena frowned. They just let him abuse her like that? “Touga called a meeting about it…she never said anything, just told us she would do whatever he told her and that she was his….the same thing she always says.” And it was something Utena always disliked about her. She never stood up for herself, no matter how much Utena wanted her to. “And likely the same thing she would say now.”
Miki didn’t understand Juri-sempai’s actions anymore than Utena did. It was weird, she always seemed humane. Cold but not cruel necessarily. “Sempaii…she said she saw Himemiya cry” Utena’s frown deepened. She never cried when she was with her! “and none of us have seen that before. It can’t be anything that she did to her directly…it has to be deeper then that…” But why hadn’t Anthy opened up to her then if it was deeper? Why had she revealed herself to such an aloof person? “I don’t know what to think about it. It bothers me.”
“Before, you knew Saionji was beating Anthy and you let it go on? How long was she being beaten before you decided to act on it?” stormed Utena, still upset. Miki looked a little sheepish. “I mean…it doesn’t excuse sempai’s actions, but is it so strange that she treats Anthy like she does? After the examples she has to go from? It looks like you Council members don’t even see Anthy as a person. Are you so shocked that she cried, that she has human emotions?” Although it still did sting that Utena hadn’t been the one to see that. They seemed so close.” All of you must have been laughing behind my back that I was Victor, treating Anthy like an equal.\ You all seem to treat her like, I don’t know, like she’s a piece of property! Given the way all of you act about the duels and passing her around no wonder sempai thinks she can do what she wants! It seems everyone else did.” Except for her. She treated Anthy like she was a real human being. And she appreciated it, she was happier. For a time. If only that could have lasted.
***
Miki had rather hoped that that would be the end of it, he was certain that he had missed the duel by that time but perhaps it didn’t matter, it was only Saionji after all and he had full confidence that his sensei could easily defeat the lunatic and he would likely hear about it either from her or from whomever had been watching, likely Touga.
“Before, you knew Saionji was beating Anthy and you let it go on?” Utena asked him. What? He paled a little at her stern look. That…wasn’t exactly…. “How long was she being beaten before you decided to act on it?” It wasn’t like that! They had suspected but…certainly she knew how many people had it out for Himemiya, and bruises can be hidden…they never had proof that Saionji was the one doing it until Touga and they couldn’t call Saionji in on suspicion alone.
“I mean…” she continued irately, “it doesn’t excuse sempai’s actions, but is it so strange that she treats Anthy like she does? After the examples she has to go from? It looks like you Council members don’t even see Anthy as a person.” Now wait a minute! Miki began to build defenses in his mind. “Are you so shocked that she cried, that she has human emotions?” Well…yes! As badly as he wanted to believe she was normal…she…A sword came out of her chest for god’s sake! What were they supposed to think?!
“All of you must have been laughing behind my back that I was Victor, treating Anthy like an equal,” well…that was partly true he had to admit, “You all seem to treat her like, I don’t know, like she’s a piece of property! Given the way all of you act about the duels and passing her around no wonder sempai thinks she can do what she wants! It seems everyone else did.”
“Now wait a minute,” Miki said cutting her off before she could continue. “You don’t even know anything of what it was like before you got involved, nor do you know what we were told…constantly told mind you…from even her own lips. The Rose Bride is a soulless doll…” Utena seemed to get more enraged at this and Miki held his hand up, “Now listen. None of us really believed that…Saionji did whatever he wanted because he had some deluded notion that he was in love with her and that she loved him back…Rose Bride or no if he were obsessed with someone who acted as Himemiya did to him then he would do the same thing I think. As for knowing about what he did we only had suspicion…it wasn’t until Touga actually caught him that we could do anything about it.” He took a breath, calming a bit. MAkio rolled over on the bed and stretched, lounging like a wild cat in its den. He stared out contemplatively at the Arena through slitted eyes, watching his sister and her Victor leave the defeated Saionji behind. “So she wins again. This grows more and more interesting,” he mused to his red-haired companion, who was aesthetically posing himself among the sheets. The first time could have been a fluke, the second could have been a shortcoming on Utena’s part. However… “This third win against a different duelist confirms her place as a true contender. Or a true threat, depending on your point of view.” Idly Akio began gathering his hair into its usual ponytail. Time to be somewhat businesslike. He knew Kiryuu still desired to be the one to reach the duel of Revolution. The president had been his second choice for Victor, but he had been groomed specifically to test Utena. Now that she had fallen short of his expectations, what was he to do with the runner up? Should he treat him as the second choice still, or back him more fully? At the moment he wasn’t sure which council member to support, still feeling somewhat lost after Utena failed. How could have been so off target? . “She has her weaknesses-“ as did all of them. “- but for the most part they seem to be fading.” He had Tsuchiya to thank for that. If he’d know it was going to turn out this way he would have never allowed the man back. Although now it did create a situation he could exploit, dueling to save her dying sensei. But that was information Akio did not want to part with quite yet. It would be best to see what Touga could come up with before giving away anything he didn’t have to. “And she isn’t one to play the role of the noble prince, and I don’t think she looks for anyone to rescue her.” The others fell into nice, neat categories. Prince or princess, and Akio decided on the obstacles they would meet in the duels based on that division. And she didn’t fit particularly well in to either, in fact she seemed to defy the entire concept of the dichotomy quite well.
“We haven’t had much time to discuss this before now, but my sister has been monopolizing most of my attention these past few days.” What with the wrist cutting and all. How dare she try that? He still wasn’t over it fully. “But now that we have a little time I would be curious to hear your opinions on the matter. You’re still my first choice in this, after all.” A convenient lie. He’d bought it with Utena, no reason he shouldn’t swallow it now as well.
“I don’t like how she is treated any more then you do…but…she’s a key to so much for us all…even you. She’s…she’s like a key to the door that hides the missing piece of our own souls…that doesn’t mean it’s right that she should be treated like an object…I agree with you on that, I wouldn’t dare to treat her poorly,” he still tended to blush in her presence… “she…” he sighed, “I don’t know why Juri-sempaii is acting like she is. I know that she is angry with her, but she’s never liked Himemiya-san. The truth is that none of us know how to treat her…even if we try to treat her like you do we get nothing from her. I don’t know about when she’s in the champions possession, I’ve never been in that position,” everyone had but him…it was frustrating, if anything he was the joke of them in his failure, “I want to see her freed from this as much as you do but you know it must be hard when she doesn’t cooperate…and if she does…its only until she goes to someone else. She herself seems to care so little about it that it is easy to stop caring as well…”
***
Miki seemed awfully quick to run to the defense of the Council. So what if she didn’t know what was going on! They had no right to treat a human being like that, didn’t it just make sense? “The Rose Bride is a soulless doll…” What! Did they really think that? Utena’s hands clenched into fists, from Miki even! She thought he was different than the rest of them! Of course she thought Juri-sempai would be too. So much for that idea. “Now listen. None of us really believed that…Saionji did whatever he wanted because he had some deluded notion that he was in love with her and that she loved him back…” Utena made a face. How could he fool himself that anyone loved him? Well okay there was Wakaba but he was cruel to her as well. He just didn’t treat girls well. “Rose Bride or no if he were obsessed with someone who acted as Himemiya did to him then he would do the same thing I think.” Utena’s frown faded a little. That was true. “As for knowing about what he did we only had suspicion…it wasn’t until Touga actually caught him that we could do anything about it.” So they just stood around and did nothing? Turned the other cheek?
Miki didn’t like it so he claimed but he seemed to support the system still. A key to their souls? Utena struggled not to laugh. He was so earnest about it too. That was too much. They were making so much out of this.
“I don’t know why Juri-sempaii is acting like she is. I know that she is angry with her, but she’s never liked Himemiya-san. The truth is that none of us know how to treat her…even if we try to treat her like you do we get nothing from her.” Utena doubted that. Everyone responded to simple human kindness, and really that was all she had shown Anthy. Why would it be different for anyone else? “I don’t know about when she’s in the champions possession, I’ve never been in that position. I want to see her freed from this as much as you do but you know it must be hard when she doesn’t cooperate…and if she does…its only until she goes to someone else. She herself seems to care so little about it that it is easy to stop caring as well…” The more and more she listened, the more worked up she got about the whole thing.
“But you shouldn’t!” insisted Utena. “If she doesn’t care that’s all the more reason why you should care! Himemiya I know isn’t very good at taking care of herself, so whoever looks out for her has to compensate for that. And will you all quit using her as some sort of scapegoat and solution for all your problems! She’s not a—“ what was it Miki had called her? “—a key to your souls or whatever! She’s a girl, she’s just a girl with a lot of problems who somehow got caught up in this mess. If Duelists are supposed to have a code and all you should realize you can’t use her as some sort of..” what was the word “catharsis” maybe that wasn’t quite it but it was close “-for all your problems! It really makes me mad you use her like that… if you are missing a part of your soul then find it yourself, don’t expect Anthy to be it for you. And if you want her freed so much, why are you standing here trying to justify what Juri-sempai and the rest of them are doing?” Logic boy just couldn’t pass down an argument. “You’re on the Council, aren’t you? Stop being so hypocritical and do something about it!”
***
Utena protested harder this time. That they shouldn’t stop caring, and…he didn’t want to but there was little he could do, especially when he was not the champion. The Rose Bride….Anthy was the responsibility of her victor.
“If she doesn’t care that’s all the more reason why you should care! Himemiya I know isn’t very good at taking care of herself,” Miki wondered if she even care, the very fact that she attempted suicide…didn’t that mean that she didn’t care about death? “so whoever looks out for her has to compensate for that. And will you all quit using her as some sort of scapegoat and solution for all your problems! She’s not a—a key to your souls or whatever!” Miki looked away at this. But she was…the closer he was to her…the more he thought he could see everything fitting together, everything with Kozue…somehow with her…he could reconcile the past…
“She’s a girl, she’s just a girl with a lot of problems who somehow got caught up in this mess.” No…didn’t she know? Didn’t she know about the dean? Even after living with him? Had he never told her he was the Ends of the World? If he wasn’t normal then Anthy wasn’t either…it was different, there was something more to this. How could she not see?
“If Duelists are supposed to have a code and all you should realize you can’t use her as some sort of..” she floundered for a moment and Miki pondered finding her a thesaurus, “catharsis --for all your problems! It really makes me mad you use her like that… if you are missing a part of your soul then find it yourself, don’t expect Anthy to be it for you.” But…
“And if you want her freed so much, why are you standing here trying to justify what Juri-sempai and the rest of them are doing? You’re on the Council, aren’t you? Stop being so hypocritical and do something about it!”
Miki pressed his thinned lips together, frustrated by it all. “I did try to free her, but you beat me,” he commented almost dryly. He knew that he would have to challenge Juri too…it would come in a letter that he would have to…he didn’t want to but at the same time it felt like he had to. Already he was gathering reasons in his mind why he should. Obviously Juri didn’t want her around. He did…
He sighed, “You wouldn’t understand,” stony blue eyes met fierce blue, “You’re different, we all know you’re different. Just as you’re different…so is Himemiya. I cannot rationally explain why she is different but she is. She isn’t like you say…even if she isn’t a soulless doll…” he shook his head, “She’s not normal. You’re blinding yourself…you want so much for her to be normal…you’re doing the same thing you accuse us of! You want her to be something you want…but no one knows what she wants. You insist that she’s normal but that’s what you want to believe and so of course she’s going to agree with you. But, ask her now, she won’t give you the answer you want…and it still might not be the truth. I asked her once….if she would stop playing the piano if you ordered her to…and without hesitation, and with a smile…she said yes. That isn’t normal. It…it’s not even human.”
***
Miki seemed offended or something. At least maybe he’d see her point anyway. “I did try to free her, but you beat me.” Yeah but he wouldn’t have freed her anyway. Before Utena thought maybe he could have. But the way he talked he wasn’t any different from the rest of the Council. She was different, at least she had fought to truly free Anthy. That was all she had ever wanted.
“You wouldn’t understand,” Utena frowned, oh wouldn’t she? What was there to understand about enslaving a girl to these duels? “You’re different, we all know you’re different.” Yeah, different because they never told her anything. And that she didn’t have the advantage of training in one style, her swordwork was just a hodge podge really.
“Just as you’re different…so is Himemiya. I cannot rationally explain why she is different but she is. She isn’t like you say…even if she isn’t a soulless doll…She’s not normal. You’re blinding yourself…you want so much for her to be normal…you’re doing the same thing you accuse us of!” How? She wasn’t trying to treat her as though she were less than human. “You want her to be something you want…but no one knows what she wants. You insist that she’s normal but that’s what you want to believe and so of course she’s going to agree with you. But, ask her now, she won’t give you the answer you want…and it still might not be the truth. I asked her once….if she would stop playing the piano if you ordered her to…and without hesitation, and with a smile…she said yes. That isn’t normal. It…it’s not even human.”
Utena shivered, sobering suddenly. “Yeah it’s not normal. I know…I know she has problems. A lot of them.” The life of the Rose Bride couldn’t be an easy thing. “But I thought I could help her get past that. She can’t enjoy what she goes through now – I mean obviously she doesn’t, with trying to kill herself. I thought I could get her away from all that…” Utena trailed off. But she had failed. Twice. “Maybe I do want her normal but who wouldn’t? If you see someone starving, don’t you want to help them so they’re nourished and normal? Well Himemiya is starved for..” what was it she needed so much? “..love I guess. No one really cares for her the way she gets passed around between all of you. “ Even Miki wanted her help with something, he didn’t treasure her for what she was, just by herself. She was his shinning thing, not Anthy.
“ I lost to Touga and Juri-sempai, it’s not that I’m infallible or something. And you know what makes me different? I don’t care what problems she can solve for me, or what she can do for my soul, or about revolutionizing the world. I really care about Anthy. Not the Rose Bride. Anthy.” Tears started to well in her eyes. She was the only one who cared and now she couldn’t do anything! It was so frustrating. She wouldn’t cry, not in front of Miki. Although he was better than some of the others. “I had wanted to get her past that….” She looked away for a moment until she could look her usual self.
“And the other thing that makes me different,” she said with a little more liveliness, “is that I never know what’s going on! All of you keep me in the dark with your Council secrets. I think I might run for the Council next year just so I can know what’s happening for a change.” That didn’t seem to sound right coming out of her mouth, although she tried to make it sound cheerful enough. The words tasted fake somehow.
***
Akio rolled over on the bed and stretched, lounging like a wild cat in its den. He stared out contemplatively at the Arena through slitted eyes, watching his sister and her Victor leave the defeated Saionji behind.
“So she wins again. This grows more and more interesting,” he mused to his red-haired companion, who was aesthetically posing himself among the sheets. The first time could have been a fluke, the second could have been a shortcoming on Utena’s part. However…
“This third win against a different duelist confirms her place as a true contender. Or a true threat, depending on your point of view.” Idly Akio began gathering his hair into its usual ponytail. Time to be somewhat businesslike. He knew Kiryuu still desired to be the one to reach the duel of Revolution. The president had been his second choice for Victor, but he had been groomed specifically to test Utena. Now that she had fallen short of his expectations, what was he to do with the runner up? Should he treat him as the second choice still, or back him more fully? At the moment he wasn’t sure which council member to support, still feeling somewhat lost after Utena failed. How could have been so off target?
. “She has her weaknesses-“ as did all of them. “- but for the most part they seem to be fading.” He had Tsuchiya to thank for that. If he’d know it was going to turn out this way he would have never allowed the man back. Although now it did create a situation he could exploit, dueling to save her dying sensei. But that was information Akio did not want to part with quite yet. It would be best to see what Touga could come up with before giving away anything he didn’t have to.
“And she isn’t one to play the role of the noble prince, and I don’t think she looks for anyone to rescue her.” The others fell into nice, neat categories. Prince or princess, and Akio decided on the obstacles they would meet in the duels based on that division. And she didn’t fit particularly well in to either, in fact she seemed to defy the entire concept of the dichotomy quite well.
“We haven’t had much time to discuss this before now, but my sister has been monopolizing most of my attention these past few days.” What with the wrist cutting and all. How dare she try that? He still wasn’t over it fully. “But now that we have a little time I would be curious to hear your opinions on the matter. You’re still my first choice in this, after all.” A convenient lie. He’d bought it with Utena, no reason he shouldn’t swallow it now as well.
***
Touga threaded thin fingers through his red hair. He was disappointed in Saionji’s performance in the duel, Juri had given him a good trouncing actually, though he had noticed she hadn’t gotten away without injuries of her own. Still, I would be a great wound to his friend’s pride, to be constantly defeated in these duels by women…younger women at that, though the Fencing Captain against the Kendo Captain was quite a sight to see. At least it was better then being defeated by Tenjou that time…when she had possessed only a practice sword of all things.
He turned his eyes for a moment from his fallen friend to Akio who was stretching prettily and Touga took a moment to admire the way that the deans body moved, graceful and powerful.
“So she wins again. This grows more and more interesting,” he commented. Indeed it was interesting. Touga wondered if he had wasted time on Tenjou. Oh she was still fiery and a wonderful chase…but she had lost and that was just something he didn’t like to see. Oh he didn’t mind if she lost to him, he would expect that…but to lose to one of the others was just an embarrassment. He thought her motives stronger then that.
Akio began to reorganize himself much to Touga’s disappointment, but with the end of the duel came the end of games for the time being. He languidly began to fasten his jacket though he was in no real hurry, mostly he just listened to Akio muse about Juri, gleaning tid bits of hidden information if he could find it in those words of his…
. “She has her weaknesses-- but for the most part they seem to be fading.”
Touga nodded. Takatsuki was on the fencing team wasn’t she? It didn’t appear to bother Juri any and she so rarely brought her hand to the secret hidden beneath her council jacket…even in habit since the chain no longer existed.
“And she isn’t one to play the role of the noble prince, and I don’t think she looks for anyone to rescue her.” No, she wasn’t like Tenjou at all in that respect. Tenjou was both, she was the brave Prince who at the same time wanted a shoulder to lean on…wanted to find her prince. Juri…god only knew what Juri wanted but whatever it was he didn’t think the Rose Bride was going to fit into it so well as she did with the others.
“We haven’t had much time to discuss this before now, but my sister has been monopolizing most of my attention these past few days,” Akio commented, almost apologetically and Touga wondered if he heard a bit of bitterness in the Dean’s voice.
“But now that we have a little time I would be curious to hear your opinions on the matter. You’re still my first choice in this, after all.”
Touga smirked, of course. He was Akio’s choice after all, knew things that the others never would…oh he could give them a few secrets here and there but they would never understand, not completely, though he wouldn’t so grossly underestimate them either as Saionji was prone to do. He wouldn’t dismiss them entirely.
“It is understandable of course,” Touga said sympathetically, “What happened was terrible and I only hope that she is doing better.” It wouldn’t do to have an unstable Rose Bride after all. He certainly didn’t want to deal with that sort of thing and he could only imagine what would have happened had it happened when was in possession of the girl. Nanami probably would have gone into hysterics…and that animal of the Brides, it would have been a ghastly scene.
“As for Arisugawa, I agree she doesn’t fit the prince princess criteria…it’s curious. Tenjou, while she was in a way both was at least prone to the shoulder,” or various other parts, “Of a prince…Arisugawa seems to be an entity all in herself, not either prince or princess…” he fastened the collar of his jacket, “I certainly wouldn’t want to be her prince,” he made a bit of a face, cutting his eyes at Akio. “But she is a woman…or at least feminine in her own right…she cannot be completely made of ice, though there is nothing that I could do about that.” He was skilled but he also knew Juri trusted him as far as she could throw him. “The only one that has a chance at that is Tsuchiya but I doubt he is much for romancing now a days.”
***
Touga’s voice was nearly dripping with sympathy. So concerned about the Bride was he? Only because it kept him in Akio’s favor. The dean knew well that he wouldn’t care for his sister at all if it didn’t buy him some sort of favor. He wasn’t like Utena, who cared for Anthy of her own right. As foolish as that was, at least she was genuine. Nothing Touga ever did could be taken at face value. On one hand Akio could admire that; it was so much a part of the way he himself worked and he was glad to have a such a quick student. But it did make him more dangerous than most of the others…it was a delicate balance, giving him enough so he had the illusion of control while still being the puppeteer pulling his strings.
Akio rose from the bed and poured himself a glass of wine, listening to Touga’s thoughts.
“Tenjou, while she was in a way both was at least prone to the shoulder of a prince…” Akio let a smile slide onto his lips. Yes and what prince had she chosen in the end? No matter the outcome, that win over Touga would always give Akio a certain psychological advantage as this game played went on. Utena was the one thing that shook him from his power hungry, playboy ways and made him strive to be something more than his rather sorry self. And he had still lost her.
“Arisugawa seems to be an entity all in herself, not either prince or princess…” Unfortunate that. It gave her a limited number of weaknesses they could exploit.
“I certainly wouldn’t want to be her prince,” Touga accompanied this statement with a very pointed look in Akio’s direction.. She was just too unyielding. “But she is a woman…or at least feminine in her own right…” In a way she was. But it was never a softness that she let anyone near. Always something lost to her past, when she knew how to love before her heart closed to the world with the closing of the locket, her current self left as hard and cold as steel.
“She cannot be completely made of ice, though there is nothing that I could do about that.” But it would be such a stimulating challenge… Akio decided not to press it. “The only one that has a chance at that is Tsuchiya but I doubt he is much for romancing now a days.”
Settling himself into the white cushions of the leather couch, Akio gestured for Touga to sit across from him. It was time to dole out a few scraps of information. “Last time I checked, Tsuchiya seemed to be improving. Not completely well,” of course not, then Arisugawa would loose her reason to duel. Wouldn’t that be a tragedy at this point. “but the nature of his illness is such that he has his stronger times and his weaker times without ever fully recovering.” At least not until Akio was through with him, then nature could take its course for better or for ill and Akio wouldn’t particularly weep either way. But it did make him a convenient piece of bait for the trap of the duels.
Swirling the ruby liquid in his glass, a thin smile touched Akio’s lips. “I am sure he would be delighted to be invited back to be able to witness this portion of the game. He would so enjoy seeing her win.” Not that she would but he would want to be near her to support her, the fool, even as he lay dying. “It would not take much to convince him to return if she requires that sort of persuasion. There is still her little friend, for what it is worth. I was thinking of having a conference with her, she seems such a bright girl…” Not necessarily bright so much as crafty but it would work for now. And vulnerable, having been publicly humiliated by her last boyfriend. “Certainly Arisugawa tried shielding her from Tsuchiya. So there are a few paths that can be taken. I am just unsure what sort of thing may appeal to whatever emotional sensibilities she may possess.” Akio avoided sighing by taking a sip of wine. Perhaps he had been spoiled by Tenjou. She was almost too easy to lure. “And I know she does feel very strongly. But which path will forge those emotions into the strongest sword for this Revolution? Before it did not matter so much, she was expected to fall by the way side. But now that she is Victor we must be sure to choose the correct methods.”
***
Akio had since motioned for him to join him at the couches, that meant it was truly time for business, though there was always possibility of more hedonistic pleasure afterwards though he wouldn’t focus on that now, after all there were more important things to deal with.
Akio mentioned the state of Ruka’s health, getting better but hadn’t he been getting better one point before? That didn’t seem to make all that much difference now a days. Still…they were the same age and Touga didn’t particularly want Ruka to die. He didn’t feel badly but it would be a shame if he didn’t get well.
“I am sure he would be delighted to be invited back to be able to witness this portion of the game,” Akio suggested. Touga thought the idea intriguing. He continued to listen to Akio, forming his own thoughts at the same time. How could the information be used, would he have to be the one that invited Tsuchiya back? Not that he minded but he liked to know how he was going to go about these sorts of things.
“There is still her little friend, for what it is worth. I was thinking of having a conference with her, she seems such a bright girl…” Takatsuki? Touga raised an eyebrow. Akio was treading dangerous waters there wasn’t he? He wondered if Juri even felt anything for her still. It had been a while since her forfeit.
He listened carefully. Truly Takatsuki would be easier to lure, easier perhaps to romance…she had been hurt by Tsuchiya but he had been rather cruel about it. Surely she would like the Council presidents shoulder to cry on sometime…and she was pretty enough. That would give him some control over Juri.
“But which path will forge those emotions into the strongest sword for this Revolution? Before it did not matter so much, she was expected to fall by the way side. But now that she is Victor we must be sure to choose the correct methods.”
“Of course,” Touga said, still pondering. “She visits Tsuchiya quite frequently…I think that he weighs more heavily on her mind then the girl, I think that might be where her inspiration lies. But…” he tapped his lips thoughtfully, “if the girl were what she might consider endangered or fallen…she could be something more directly controlled then Tsuchiya.”
*** Touga seemed to think Tsuchiya was more important these days to her, but it would be easier to use Shiori as bait. “she could be something more directly controlled then Tsuchiya.”
Akio smiled slightly. “Perhaps.” Touga didn’t know it was Anthy’s magic still keeping the dying man alive. In that way they controled him much more than they ever could Shiori. One order from Akio and the man would drop dead. “But Tsuchiya owes me a favor, and I think this is time to call it in. Why don’t you speak with your old friend Tsuchiya and see if he would like an opportunity to return? I am sure he would, I am more eager to know the reason why. He may say he only wishes to watch her win but I am curious if he still wishes to win her heart… see what you can find out, that is be very valuable information.” Akio tossed the last sip of the wine down his throat and set the glass down. “Romantic entanglements are the easiest to exploit, and if Tsuchiya doesn’t cooperate we need a backup plan.” Akio glanced across the room at his companion. Wouldn’t she be a challenge…..
Quickly Touga touched the end of nose. “Not me.”
Akio stared at him a moment. “We’ll speak more on this later. See what you can do with Tsuchiya.” And save them both the trouble.
***