Chapter Text
Ryo
Ew ew ew ew. Wet wet wet. I stand in the sand beside Nijika, I am t posing because she pushed me into the sea. Now my soaked clothes feel disgusting against my skin.
“I hate you Nijika.”
“Dry you’re eyes,” she says arms folded.
“You pushed me! I am fully allowed to be furious.”
“I was joking,” she laughs.
“Let me push you back.”
“No way!”
“It’s only fair.” I shoot back grabbing her by the hand and pulling her towards the water.
“No! No you will not! Bad Ryo!” She shouts turning and trying to run back up the sand.
“Dry your eyes.”
I grab her around the middle and we both topple backwards into the shallow water.
“Shit!” she shouts siting up quickly and shaking out her hair like a wet dog. “You are one petty person!” she can’t help but laugh. How very unconvincing.
“I got you,” I tease leaning forward so i’m right up in her face.
She pushes me away blushing slightly. Why I don’t know, we’ve always been close friends and well used to each others personal spaces. “Idiot,” she says.
“That would be me.”
“Haha. Now what happened to whining about being wet, you just gonna be annoying instead?”
“Oh woe is me! I’m soaked to the bone and ever so cold! Oh won’t you save me my knight in shinning armour!” I flop back in the water an arm raised above my head.
“Bye damsel. Little busy for chivalry.” She gets up dusting off and stretching, “come on yoyo, up you get.”
“Nijika-chan?”
“Yup?”
“Pull me up, pleaseee!”
She reaches down cheeks lips tinted blue from the frigid sea and hair a tangled mess. She pulls me into her arms, as surprisingly strong as ever, and baby carries me back to the car.
“What happened to no chivalry?”
“You complain less this way, don’t flatter yourself now.”
“Whatever you say.”
She opens the boot and unceremoniously dumps me down on a towel, uncomfortably close to the camera. Although tucked into its box I steal fear breaking it. They’ll make my pay for it like last time. It was so expensive. I could have bought at least one guitar with that money.
Witches the lot of them.
“Get dressed.”
“Here?” I peer past her watching for people.
“I don’t really have anything better. Sorry Ryo-chan.”
“At least move the camera.”
“Yeah, i’m doing it.”
“Uh Nijika?” I ask a minute or two later.
“Yeah yoyo?”
“I can’t get my trousers off. They’re too wet.”
“It can’t be that hard,” she says climbing into the boot alongside me. After some rather embarrassing attempts to remove the garment. I am close to crashing out. “I don’t like it! Get it off! It feels gross Nijika.” I scratch at the fabric desperately.
“Hey Ryo, calm down. It’s only genes.” She grabs the very bottom and tugs hard slowly pulling them off my feet.
“It’s working!”
“I’m just magic.”
“All hail.”
“Why thank you- ah!” They finally come free with one final pull that sends Nijika thumping against the other side of the cramped space. “Ow my head! I blame you for that.”
“I would never hurt you, the nerve!”
“Very funny sweetheart.”
Nijika
We’re back home lounging around. There are two bedrooms, mine and Ryo’s and Kita and Bocchi’s. Me and Ryo are snuggling on her bed watching The Good Place on my laptop. I haven’t bothered to check the footage yet. Bocchi got scared it would be terrible and is refusing to let me near the camera, so I haven’t forced her.
My phone rings in my pocket and half asleep Ryo makes a mewling sound like a baby or a kitten or something. I pause it, pushing myself up to sitting and they reposition themselves so their head is resting on my stomach.
I answer the video call, using my spare hand to stroke Ryo’s hair. It’s Seika my sister.
“Hey kid.” She says giving me a small wave and smiling. She’s sat in Starry alone, a mask looped around her wrist.
“Seika!”
“You doing ok? And is Ryo?” She gives a slightly worried look at the blue creature on my lap.
“Ryo’s sleeping, I wore them out.”
“And you doofus?”
“Yeah, i’m all good.”
“You sure? Not bored out your mind or like homesick?” she asks trying to pretend she doesn’t care.
I want to hug her and assure her i’m ok, that I don’t need her to hold my hand or tie my hair anymore.
“I miss it a little, Japan’s culture is quite different to over here. I miss how normal home felt… if that makes sense.” I stare at Ryo’s hair not wanting to look at my sister.
“I’m sorry you got stuck. It sucks.”
“Yeah.” I whisper still staring at Ryo’s blue hair, i’ve even started braiding it. It’s so soft, mostly because I made her wash it as soon as we got back. Which was a few hours ago now.
“Don’t waste your time though Nijika. I expect a full album done before you get home. At least, as I don’t know when that will be. I know you can do it. I expect new music videos, and more content for fans be it merch or I don’t know youtube videos. This time of boredom for people is a great time to gain followers and be a source of fun.” Seika explains distracting me from the braid.
“That’s not too big of an ask, we were planning that already.”
“Yeah but it’s motivating to know i’ll shout at you if you don’t.” She smiles and I can’t help but laugh.
“Now call me Friday, I need to know you’re ok and that. But it’s best to leave it here before I wake Ryo and ruin your day.”
“You make it sound like she’s a toddler who’ll bring the house down if disturbed.” I laugh trying not to be too loud.
“Isn’t she?”
“Well… we don’t insult her like that to their face.”
“You know from experience?”
“Neither confirming nor denying.”