2026-01-03: Questions Without Answers
- Cutscene: Questions Without Answers
- Cast: Miho Ijuuin, Tomoki Hasegawa, Eiko Ikeda
- Where: Crysanthemum Hall, Rengedai Ward / Miho's Penthouse, Aoba Ward, Sumaru City
- OOC Date: January 3, 2026
- IC Date: Tuesday, September 04, 2012
- Summary: Miho, after a long day at the wedding and reception, is taken home. She has a delicate talk with her maid. TW: Paranoia.
"Sahashi-san. I will not require your services tonight." Miho speaks into her phone, still dressed in her black-and-patterend furisode, still at Crysanthemum Hall, though now outside it. Her attire remains perfect, an ideal shape and an ideal figure in the kimono. Her green hair didn't even need to be done up, short as it is, though there is a proper pin in it. The Three Friends of Winter adorn her, pine bamboo and plum...
And her driver's voice replies crisply over the phone. "Very well, Ijuuin-sama. Should I remain on standby in case that changes?"
"No," Miho says into her phone, "That won't be necessary. Hasegawa-san will see me home. Take the rest of the night off."
"Very good. Take care, Ijuuin-sama. I will be available tomorrow." The line disconnects, and Miho lowers her phone, flipping it closed again. Hasegawa-san, as it happens, is standing beside her. His own kimono is dark green, his haori indigo. It's very fancy, but doesn't pretend at high social rank, deftly appropriate for his status... or so Miho imagines. Maybe he had someone else choose it for him.
Regardless, Tomoki Hasegawa is here, and he smiles at Miho when she hangs up. "Thanks," he says. "I appreciate you trusting me to see you home. It's a nice way to end the evening."
"So I'm doing you a favor?" Miho lifts an eyebrow. ...But her expression is more amused than repraochful. Unfortunately, it's also partly put-on, but it's relatively easy to fake it around a charming man like Tomoki. "Hmmm..."
"Of course," he answers. "You could've gone on your own; you certainly thought about it. But instead, I get to finish my story from earlier."
"...You noticed," she reflects. It's the opposite of a denial. "I suppose, yes. But I am interested in what you were saying. You've been quite charming. ...It's your job, isn't it?"
"Ha! I'm wounded," Tomoki answers, and tilts his head to the side, suggesting that they walk towards the car. "Nah, it's fine. I am supposed to be good at talking to people, and that's probably why your sister recommended me. But you've been good company yourself. I can't laugh at my own jokes."
Miho comes along, walking with her hands in front of her as she looks to the man even taller than she is. He's older than her, too. "You could," she points out. "If you were brave enough."
"Brave, or foolish?" he quips back. "I think the latter. Or at least, it always made me look foolish in school. It's an old habit I had to break."
"Hmm. So you're telling me your flaws. I'll keep that in mind."
"Sharp as ever, swordswoman. It's a good thing I wasn't planning to duel you."
"I'd have let you live," Miho allows generously.
Tomoki laughs. Perhaps he assumes she was kidding. Maybe he knows she wasn't.
Regardless, as Miho reaches the car, Tomoki unlocks it with a button press, and moves to open her door on the left side. "Here you are."
"Thank you," she murmurs, and takes a seat inside. He goes around to his side, and settles into the driver's seat. It's a very nice car; a convertible, though the top is up. Being a movie star allows /some/ luxuries.
"All right, let's see.. Aoba, right?" He brings up the map on the console, and gets her address.
"Right," Miho says. " It's..."
She knows this is partly an excuse for him to know where she lives; thanks to the water her would-be father-in-law had her drink, she is not so paranoid that she thinks more of that. It's not unusual, for a date to be amorous.
So, address input, they pull out of the parking lot, and start for the road.
When Miho feels the car come to a stop, she is struck less by the fact he doesn't stop the car and more by the fact that a part of her is tempted to ask him to. ...She ignores that part; it's just sour grapes over Yua marrying her cousin. ...And that's not Yua's fault in the least.
It's hers.
"Thank you," she asys to Tomoki. "...I'll say goodnight here."
"Oh? Well, all right." He'd have been willing to walk her to the door, presumably. But he's not going to push; he is apparently more of a gentleman than that. "Goodnight, Ijuuin-san."
Miho steps out of the car after opening the door, stands up. "Goodnight, Hasegawa-san."
She starts towards the apartment building next, and notes that he doesn't actually move to /leave/ until he sees her walk inside.
"I'm home." Miho speaks the words though Yua is not here this time to hear them, stepping out of her wooden sandals now that she's made it inside the house.
"Welcome home, Ijuuin-sama." Eiko Ikeda, however, is still there. She bows, greeting her friend and mistress just like any other day. Much shorter than Miho, Eiko rises to her height of 5'3" again and says, "Please, let me help you undress."
Miho, in her very fancy and very heavy kimono, inclines her head. "I would appreciate that, Ikeda-san." She is formal with her--but it's not because of a lack of regard. In point of fact, they were friends before Miho offered her the job... and Miho would do a great deal for Eiko.
But right now, Eiko is doing that job, as her maid, and Miho will not insult her by refusing it.
With another bow, Eiko waits, and then follows Miho into her bedroom.
"Ikeda-san," Miho begins. By this point, Eiko is turned around to tend to the outer layer of the kimono for storage, and Miho has finished undressing and is now picking up the silk robe Eiko left out for her. As she slips it on she continues, "...Did I do the wrong thing, going to Father?"
"I wouldn't know," Eiko says at first--but then turns, to look at Miho again. "...Is what I should say."
"Don't worry about 'should'," Miho says, closing her robe and tying the thin belt. "...I value your honest input. This is one of the times I need it."
Eiko turns from where she's put away the kimono nicely and folds her hands, looking up at Miho's face. "Then..." She takes a breath. "No." Pause. "/But/."
"But?" Miho wonders.
"But..." Eiko's uniform (a black skirt and blouse with a white apron) is still perfect, somehow, much like her expression--her gray eyes are sharp, her blue hair perectly in place. "I think that's partly because you couldn't really have done otherwise. You value your father's opinion greatly, and Ooshiro-sama wanted to formalize your relationship further."
"So," Miho reflects, walking towards the window, "It's because of Father's choices."
"I wouldn't be so blunt," Eiko says delicately.
"Of course," Miho answers. Eiko wouldn't; she wouldn't say a thing against the Ijuuin family that's done so much for her... but she could imply it, for Miho's sake. Miho, for her part, sighs and parts the curtains, looking down over Aoba's surrounds. "I will not go back on my word," she says. "And it is too late for that in any case. ...But," she admits, "I... question, this one. Is it meant to teach me I should do otherwise...?"
"I don't know," Eiko says more plainly. "Lesson or not, it means Ooshiro-sama isn't here tonight. ...I'll support you whatever you do, o course," she says. "But... If I may be so bold..."
"Yes?" Miho says, turning back towards Eiko.
"I would like to see her again sooner than later."
"...Me, too," Miho says. "I feel the same way." She looks down to her left hand--and the Mark there. ...More importantly, she looks at the ring that isn't there. "..."
"I'll draw your bath, Ijuuin-sama." Eiko bows again and turns towards the large bathroom near Miho's bedroom.
"I didn't ask," Miho says, lifting her eyebrow.
"You didn't have to," Eiko answers with a quirk of a smile. "You usually want one after you've been in formalwear all day. And I thought you especially might today."
"All right," Miho answers. "That's true. Thank you, Ikeda-san."
With another sigh, Miho leans back against the edge of the large tub. Her green hair is still wet from the shower she took before her soak, and her eyes close slowly. "Ikeda-san," she says, knowing Eiko will still be nearby.
"Ijuuin-sama?"
"That will be all for tonight. Thank you for your hard work."
"Very well, Ijuuin-sama. Good night." She pauses, and does something less professional. She adds, "I will awaken early to prepare for Ooshiro-sama's return."
"Good," Miho answers. "I appreciate it."
"Very good. I've also left your medicine safe on your bedside table." Eiko bows and departs.
"Thank you." Miho thinks she'll have to arrange a vacation for her sometime. ...But not immediately; she feels fatigue, not just because of the long day but because of the alcohol's mix with her medications.
Miho soaks for a while. At length, she opens her eyes, lifting her left arm to regard the Mark there again. She watches its sinuous curves on her arm, the thing many might assume is a tattoo. It may as well be. "The world that Must Be," she murmurs, and curls her fingers, stretching out her wrist and looking at it from a few angles. "Is this, too, a part of our destiny...? Or is it just a distraction?"
No answer is forthcoming; the man in her dreams answers only /in/ her dreams, after all. Miho slowly rests her hand along the tub's edge again, and looks into nothing in particular.
Eventually, her phone nearby buzzes. Miho shakes her head, and recognizes when she opens it that time has passed, some thirty minutes that she hadn't even noticed going by. There are messages. They are of course from Yua; Miho flips through with her thumb until she can see them, and reads.
> We got home safe! Kimi-san gave me my own room, so I don't need to worry about sleeping in his after tonight... it bothers me, but I guess it's tradition.
> He's already going to sleep, so I guess I had better sleep soon too...
> I miss you so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so much!
> I'm sorry I couldn't be with you tonight. I really wanted to. This is so awkward and bad... but it's not his fault, or anything. He's been very nice to me.
> Try not to work too late tomorrow? I'll make it up to you!
"After tonight," Miho reflects. That suggests that tonight, she did need to. What does that mean? She can't say. But Yua misses her...
Miho taps out a reply:
> I love you.
Then, another:
> I'll do my best to be home on time. Don't worry about that.
Miho looks at the messages for a little longer, and then sets her phone aside.
She is done with the bath in short order.
In her room, Miho has brought a glass of water, which she sets on the side table wnext to a small safe. She reaches down, and taps in a combination. Within is the medication box she prepared at the beginning of the week; a week's full of antipsychotics. She downs tonight's pills with the water, closes up the case, and returns it to the safe.
She makes a point of wiping down the safe with a cloth to remove any fingerprints that might give someone clues as to the combination.
Discarding her robe, Miho looks at her phone one last time--and then gets into bed.
She will dream again tonight.
Miho often dreams on nights like this.
Fire in the skies, and a world that now perhaps never was...