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The sky was dark, crowded with ice-laden clouds. They had been building and building, growing taller and heavier all day. It was only now that the still air seemed to start to stir with the threat of its wintry burden. It was supposed to be the storm of the century - it had been the only story in the news for days. Unfortunately, despite the early warning, the city had been unable to ready itself for the weather. The grocery stores had been all but stripped of their stock. The shelves were bare with only a few cans of the more undesireable products left in the dusty corners. Despite that, her efforts had not been fruitless. She clutched a sizable bag of essentials at her side. They had been incredibly difficult to find and even harder to keep safe from the greedy hands of other shoppers. Fortunately, she always carried her taser with her - she would never be caught without it.
It would have been nice to stay home, tucked up on the windowsill with a steaming cup of tea and a book. She would have sipped at a warm bowl of soup before moving onto her mother’s wonderful steamed buns which had been sent to her through the mail for the holidays. Sayaka had even bought green tea ice cream to delight in later that night, something she rarely did. Alas, that was never meant to be. She should have known.
The President had taken to staring out the council room’s large windows with a look of wistfulness on her fair features. It would always be the place of leaders to stand high above the world so they could gaze down upon it, but the President only ever had eyes for the heavens as she called them. The scuttling of earthbound creatures and their desires held no interest for her.. So, she was ecstatic when news of the storm came. Since then, her mind had been elsewhere, and so it had fallen to Sayaka to ensure the twins were prepared for what was to come. So here she was, trudging through a thin layer of snow back towards the academy. The flurries were becoming heavier but Sayaka could still see the storm's dark sky through the white flakes. She took a moment to set her burden down to stare up at its heaving form. If she didn’t know better, she would think there was a wild beast above the city. She took a deep breath of brisk air and felt fresh warmth return to her face and hands. The peacefulness of the moment gave her pause. She could stay there forever, reveling in the silence. No cars, buses, no wailing children, or adults yelling into their phones. And yet, with only the sounds of her footfalls for company, Sayaka continued on into a storm much fiercer than the one brewing above. Afterall, Kirari Momobami could only be described as a tempest - powerful and mercurial in nature.
Sayaka shivered as she stood in front of the door to the President’s cottage. A small but luxurious red brick building with a thatch roof tucked away at the back of the campus. Sayaka ran a gloved hand down the wooden lattice by the door, Its withered vines catching on the wool. Kirari built the tower, Ririka built this. She based it off the quaint European cottages of England - a design far flung from the architecture of the twin’s traditional Japanese estate. Sayaka supposed it was just one way the Vice-President sought to escape the suffocating weight of the responsibilities she bore along with her sister… at least temporarily. It wasn't Sayaka’s place to draw conclusions about the inner thoughts of the heirs though, so she exhaled to calm her nerves and pushed the doorbell before she could change her mind.
“Sayaka?!” The Vice President stood at the door, shocked by the secretaries' surprise appearance. “What are you doing here? You shouldn’t be outside.”
Sayaka, a little taken aback by the Vice-President’s show of emotion, held her shopping bags in front of her like a shield. “I’ve brought supplies for you and President. The usual services are unavailable so I had to fill in some gaps…”
“Sayaka… You shouldn’t have - we would have been fine.”
The Vice-President seemed genuine enough, but It was still difficult not to show skepticism. As the President’s secretary, Sayaka knew they had no food of substance in their pantry and she doubted either one of them would be much good in the power outage that was sure to come.
“Ririka, who is that? Shut the door, it’s freezing.”
The voice from inside brought new warmth to Sayaka’s cheeks. It was surreal to hear it during the winter break but she was glad as it invited her in.
The inside of the cottage had everything one would expect from a Momobami home. Hardwood floors, handmade furniture made from the most expensive materials, and modern appliances - but it was still cozy. The walls of the cottage were a warm off-white and lined with paintings and sketches. They were mostly common garden animals, all with personalities beyond wild animals. They were good. Below them, there were simple wooden shelves adorned with succulents and other beautiful houseplants. The cottage was Ririka’s inside and out - there was no sign of Kirari’s personality amongst the decorations - but there she sat, at-ease among Ririka’ comforts. She motioned towards her secretary.
“Sayaka? We weren’t expecting you, come in and make yourself at home. You mustn’t go back outside until the storm has passed.”
She obeyed of course. She placed her shopping bags onto the granite top of the kitchen’s island counter and got straight to work taking out the items that would need to be refrigerated. The Vice-President sidled up beside her, taking the items handed to her and placing them where they ought to go. It was mostly essentials - eggs, milk, bread, bottled water, and produce. Ririka wondered if Sayaka knew how to cook. She had always wanted to learn, but anything she and Kirari had ever tried had been disastrous. Had Sayaka ever cooked for her sister before? Ririka was broken out of her thoughts as something frozen was passed to her.
As Sayaka placed a small carton of ice cream into the Vice-President’s hand, she heard a soft squeak of excitement. The noise made her pause and glance at the older girl. The face she made while holding the carton up to read the flavor was cute. Her cheeks were pink from answering the door with only a t-shirt and pair of shorts. The shirt was beige, sporting a print of a little rabbit wearing a jacket holding a basket of carrots. The shorts were white and looked comfortable, but perhaps not warm enough for this weather. The President eyed their interaction from the sofa, eyes dancing with mirth. Sayaka wished she wouldn’t stare.
“How thoughtful of you Sayaka. How did you know?” The Vice-Preident’s voice was soft.
“Your eyes always light up when the cafeteria offers that flavor. Even with your mask on, it’s easy to tell when you want food, Vice-President.”
Ririka’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. Had she really always been that obvious? “Oh…
Well thank you, this is very kind.”
Sayaka would have never spoken so boldly with the Vice-President before, but they had become closer over time. It was inevitable after all the years of working for her sister. “Vice-President, if you eat it now, you won’t be hungry for dinner later.”
“Sayaka, we’ve told you to call us by our names when we’re not in school. Besides, sugar expands the stomach so there’s more room for the main course.”
Sayaka scowled, trying to remember if that was true or not.
“Ririka, sister, take mercy on my dear secretary.” Kirari came around the counter to shut the drawer Rirka was taking a spoon out of. “Whatever Sayaka cooks will be delicious and should not be ruined by a stomach full of ice cream.” She winked in Sayaka’s direction.
The President's confidence in her cooking skills made Sayaka nervous, but it only meant she would have to try her best, it needed to be perfect. That shouldn’t be too difficult with the Momobami’s state of the art appliances though. She waved her hand over the sensor on the stove to light it before placing a kettle over the flames. They flickered and wavered as they were fed by the gas line… and then they went out. Sayaka waved her hand over the sensor again but nothing happened. The wind whistled and wailed outside as she troubleshooted with the stoves manual. The weather had really picked up since she had come in. Kirari leaned over her shoulder scanning the pages with her - the warmth of the president’s body behind her was nice and it was hard to resist leaning back into it. “Sayaka, I think you’re in the wrong section.” Kirari reached around to turn the pages, effectively trapping her secretary between her body and the counter. Sayaka’s heart began to pound but she dutifully continued to scan the pages for an answer.
The crack of thunder sounded outside and delicate tremors traveled through the cottage's foundation. The snow fell heavier and in clumps so it could be heard hitting the windows and the timbers moaned under the weight of the ice. The air was heavy with the suspense of the building storm and became heavier still as the lights imitating the flames flickered and died. Sayaka turned quickly towards the President who shrugged. “This was bound to happen. The Academy is still in the process of transferring to a private power grid afterall.”
Sayaka sighed and fumbled around for the lantern she had brought with her from home. It shed a warm orange glow over the twins - Kirari looked as if she was thoroughly enjoying herself while Ririka stood still and wide-eyed. “I suppose we’ll have to make due with a cold dinner…”
Ririka’s expression turned gloomy at Sayaka’s words, so she looked around hopelessly trying to find a solution. There was a solution for everything - wasn't there? The edge of the glow of the light fell upon a fireplace in the living area. She pointed to it. “Is that real?” Ririka nodded. “Do you have the supplies for it?” Another nod and Ririka went to the door. She slid her arms through the sleeves of a white fur coat and offered another to Sayaka who accepted it gratefully. “This might be a bit big for you, since it’s Kirari’s, but it should do for a simple chore.”
“Ririka, I couldn’t possibly use the President’s coat to carry wood back and forth, it’ll be destroyed.”
“Don’t be ridiculous Sayaka, your own coat is far too thin for this weather. Besides, if it gets ruined we’ll just buy another one.” With that, Ririka took her hand dragging her outside and together they managed to bring enough firewood back in for the night. They piled the icy wood by the hearth and tore newspaper and cardboard into shreds for tinder. It took a few tries, but Sayaka managed to get the first log to light. The small flames provided little warmth, but they would grow. Ririka moved the furniture closer towards the fire while Sayaka set a large cast iron pot on the flames. She was surprised the twins had one, but she supposed it went with Ririka’s cozy theme. The ingredients she’d bought weren’t meant for stew and she had no idea how to cook on an actual fire, but they would have to make due. She gathered what she could find and they ended up with an assortment of carrots, potatoes, turnips, and a small amount of meat. They also had some bread, a packet of gummy worms, some mints, and a carton of orange juice. Ririka helped her cut the root vegetables on a large board she set up in front of the fire. It was relaxing thoughtless work and it kept her warm as she strained to cut through some of the larger potatoes. Ririka had a tougher time - her turnips ending up in an assortment of triangles and many more sided polygons. She seemed to grow frustrated, a light dusting of pink appearing on her cheeks as she brought the knife up higher to bring down on what she must have thought was a particularly insolent specimen. Sayaka laughed as an errant chunk of vegetable bounced off her forehead from the aggressive cut. Ririka looked horrified. “I’m sorry! I didn’t know it would…would get launched like that.” Sayaka clutched her sides as Ririka’s choice of words brought on an extra bout of laughter. To her joy she found the offending piece and launched it back at Ririka who fell back, shielding her face. They both ended up lying on the floor gasping for breath between fits of chortling.
Ririka wiped a tear from her eye. “I’ll have you know it’s considered a high crime to assault a Momobami in their own home.”
“I would be worried, my lady” Sayaka gave a sarcastic bow, “if only anyone would believe the assailant was a turnip.”
Ririka smiled warmly at her, eyes bright in the light of the fire. “I suppose I shall spare you then… if only for my sister’s sake. Everyone knows she would be useless without you.”
“Hmm?” Kirari tore her gaze away from the window, remembering she wasn’t alone.
“Are you alright, President? You seem distracted.”
“I’m quite alright, Sayaka. Please continue - don’t let me disrupt whatever it is you and my sister are doing.”
Ririka crossed her arms. “We’re cooking your dinner Kirari. Maybe you’d care to help?”
“Oh! We’re nearly done anyway… we just need to put everything in the pot now.” Sayaka quickly started dumping the mismatched vegetables into the steaming water. The ratio of water to everything else didn’t look quite right, but given enough time a lot of it would evaporate anyway. With Ririka’s help, they made quick work of it and sat back to admire their hard work.
While the pot simmered, Sayaka fetched the blanket she had brought with her. It was purple of course - stitched together with quilted squares. There were extra patches where it had torn and Sayaka had sewn it back together. She approached the couch shyly where the President was sitting staring into the flames as they danced to and fro, licking the sides of the iron. As beautiful as they were, they did not compare to the one studying them - especially as their golden hue melted the icy blues of her eyes. Sayaka could get lost in those eyes - she often did.
Ririka averted her gaze from the scene which felt private somehow. They were both so content staring off into their own worlds. Kirari who knows where and Sayaka by her side wherever that might be. Kirari may seem indifferent towards her secretary to outsiders, but that Sayaka was permitted to enter Kirari’s world at all spoke volumes of her sister’s feelings towards the younger girl. That would remain a secret though - one Kirari would never share, one Ririka would never reveal she knew, and one Sayaka would have to find out herself.
“Did you bring this from home, Sayaka?” Kirari gave the blanket a few gentle tugs.
“Yes, President… I didn’t want you to get cold.”
Kirari smiled at this, tilting her head, trying to follow Sayaka’s train of thought. “You thought Ririka and I wouldn’t have any blankets?”
“No! I just thought you might not have anything… cozy. But I see now that you’re adequately supplied.” Sayaka gestured sheepishly towards the cottage's quaint decorations.
Kirari left her corner on the couch to stand in front of the large frosted window that had captured her attention for most of the evening. She beckoned Sayaka over with an expectant glance. “This is your first time here, were you surprised by the decor?” Sayaka nodded, noticing with some apprehension the draft coming through the window despite it being shut. She gave an involuntary shiver. The President must have noticed because she took the blanket from Sayaka’s hands and wrapped it around herself before silently offering a spot beneath the purple fabric. Any nervousness Sayaka may have felt about being so close to the President disappeared as the cold made the decision for her. She quickly ducked under the blanket, welcoming the warmth as Kirari gathered her in her arms.
The intimacy of their new position coloured Sayaka's cheeks a rosy red and she suddenly felt overly warm. Kirari pulled her secretary closer, taking full advantage of the new source of heat. “Isn’t the storm beautiful, Sayaka? I’ve barely been able to keep my eyes away from the horizon.”
Sayaka nodded silently, knowing all too well where the President’s attention had been.
Kirari continued. “I heard a man talking to my late grandmother once about thundersnow over the ocean… how I wish to see that someday. He mentioned a castle in the sky that can only be seen in the lightning’s glow. An estate more resplendent than my own, but bastioned by balethunder.” The president’s voice dropped as she continued, a childlike sense of wonder creeping into her words. “I wonder if the balethunder truly is a fortification to keep people out… or if it’s there to keep something in... that’s the trouble with estates with too many walls, don’t you think Sayaka? One never knows if they’re there to keep something out, or to keep something in. It would be an easy enough question to answer though… If I could, I would simply knock on the castle’s door to find out. The storm could kill me before that, of course. Do you believe in stories and the existence of fantastical worlds like that, Sayaka? Do you believe it would ever be possible to escape the world we’re born into? If I could, I would leave in a heartbeat.”
Sayaka listened quietly as the President spoke, noting with some bitterness it had been the most the older girl had spoken in quite a while. She could feel the hum of Kirari’s words against her back, but never before had she sounded so far away. It made Sayaka’s heart ache to know the President thought so little of the world they shared. She wished for just a heartbeat more, the President would hesitate, just for her sake. But that was wishful thinking - selfish even, so she didn’t answer.
If the President minded her silence she didn’t show it. Perhaps she didn’t notice Sayaka’s reticence with her mind so far away. Even the howling wind was better company than the far away President. Sayaka felt guilty as soon as the thought crossed her mind. She subconsciously brought Kiraris hand to her heart as a hushed apology and was answered by a tighter embrace. If Sayaka had looked up, she would have seen blue lips curl into a soft smile.
“Are you two done admiring the scenery? The food is ready.” Ririka was already busy ladling soup into bowls.
Kirari squeezed Sayaka’s hand and then opened the blanket so her secretary could join Ririka by the fire. Sayaka was reluctant to leave, but her stomach was growling and it really had been a long walk from home.
“How does it look? Will it be acceptable?” Sayaka brought the small bread loaf she had managed to purchase over to the makeshift dining area. A dark blue blanket to catch crumbs and a bowl for each of them.
“It smells wonderful. If you hadn’t come, Kirari and I would have ended up skipping dinner. Thank you for thinking of us.”
Sayaka beamed at Ririka’s praise - it was almost enough to forget her earlier melancholy. She accepted a warm bowl of soup gratefully and found that although it smelled quite good, there was hardly any taste. Despite that, the three of them ate in silence, relishing the hot meal and warm fire. Ririka yawned when she was done and found a pillow to curl up on by the flames. Sayaka thought she was cute when she wasn’t playing the role of Vice-President. So different from her sister. She pulled a blanket over and tucked Ririka in - careful to keep the edges of the fabric away from the flames. Was Ririka just as unhappy with the world she lived in as her sister - if she could, would she disappear into her favorite tale? Judging by the cottage's decor, it would be Peter Rabbit or perhaps one of the Redwall books. Ririka would be happy tending to a garden and all its wildlife.
Sayaka leaned against the front of the couch, pulling her knees to her chest with a heavy sigh. She tilted her head so Kirari was in view. The source of both her misery and ecstasy, her anxiety and contentment.
The President’s voice was barely a whisper as she spoke. “I can always tell when you’re watching me, Sayaka.”
“Do you dislike it?”
“I would if it were anyone else.”
Sayaka smiled at this.
Kiraris face was soft in the light of the fire. Her words were softer still. “I would ask you the same question, but I don’t think you’ve been aware enough to notice my attention.”
“President?”
“Come here, let me get a better look at you.”
Sayaka obeyed and made her way over to the fire. Kirari cupped her face with a gentle hand and ran a thumb along the lines beneath her eye. “You work far too hard, Sayaka. Knowing it's for my sake fills me with guilt.” She traced the outside of her ear and ran a finger along her secretary's jawline.
“I do it of my own free will, President. You don’t need to feel… guilty.” Sayaka rolled the last word around her tongue, testing it, before pushing it into the world. She eyed Kirari, features full of doubt.
The other, eyes full of mirth simply asked, “What is it? Do you think me incapable of feeling such a thing?”
Sayaka bit her tongue, not knowing what to say for the second time that night. She knew what she wanted to say, but instead said what she should . “I could never claim to understand your feelings, President.”
Kirari let out a soft hum. “What a shame.” She twirled Sayaka’s hair around her finger and watched it spin as she let go. “I wonder how much of that is by choice.”
“By choice, President?”
“You have such a wonderful mind, Sayaka. But despite your abilities, I fear that when it comes to me, your powers of deduction can be a little… lacking.”
Sayaka made a face at this, she didn’t know if she should feel offended. She sniffled indignantly. “You’re not the easiest person to read.”
“No, I suppose I’m not.” Kirari looked thoroughly amused by Sayaka’s retort. “But, with all the clues I’ve been dropping, I had hoped…”
Sayaka looked up at her, eyes wide and black, voids ready to receive whatever Kirari would say. Whether those words would meet their mark or simply be lost in inky blackness was anyone’s guess. Kirari sighed. “Are you tired, Sayaka? It goes without saying, but you’ll be staying here tonight. I’ll not have my secretary walk home alone at this hour in the middle of a storm.”
She would have said no, but the soup in her belly and the warmth of the fire made for a powerful sedative. She nodded reluctantly and let herself be led to the couch where pillows and blankets already lay strewn about. She sunk into the soft cushions and pulled a blanket to her chin. The fabric was still cold from disuse so she gave an involuntary shiver before curling into a ball.
“If you curl up like that there won’t be any room for me” Kirari slid underneath the blanket behind her, taking full advantage of what little heat her secretary had managed to generate. Sayaka gave a small squeak as Kirari’s cold legs came into contact with her much warmer ones. She turned around. “Is this appropriate?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
Sayaka pouted at Kirari’s usual non-answer. This seemed to amuse the older girl as she smiled, shifting so Sayaka was trapped underneath her. “Would you rather I sleep on the floor? I had hoped you’d be happy to have the chance to get closer.” As if to make her point clear, Kirari shimmied closer so their noses were touching. Sayaka shifted awkwardly, trying to figure out where to place her arms. “I’m always happy to be close to you… President.”
“Tell me then, where has your mind been? You’ve seemed… discontented.”
Sayaka considered her answer. Should she tell the truth despite how silly it was - or should she come up with something different to avoid seeming weird? Her curiosity made the decision for her. “If it were possible, President, would you really leave this world without a second thought? Leave behind everything you know, your whole life, your sister?”
Blue eyes stared at her silently and Sayaka thought she may have overstepped until Kirari murmured, “My whole life… my sister and you?” Sayaka nodded, feeling the familiar sting of tears at the edges of her eyes. She let them fall, hoping they would go unnoticed. “Sayaka… is that why you’ve been upset? Goodness… you find the silliest things to worry about.” Cold fingers rubbed at the watery trails left on her cheeks. “I would not choose to live in a world without you, Sayaka, not even if a thousand worlds more exciting than this were waiting just for me. So tell me, my darling secretary, would you brave the storm with me?”
At that, tears came streaming down Sayaka’s face, the floodgates opened wide by a mixture of relief and fear of the imaginary unknown; because as silly as it may seem, with Kirari, anything was possible. She knew of course that the only reason she should be fearful of a thought as foolish as exploring dangerous words that didn’t exist was that she would always say yes. Perhaps it was her own blind obsession with being by Kirari’s side that scared her the most. Self awareness wouldn’t change her answer though. “Yes, of course I would. I would follow you anywhere, President.” And one foolish action deserves another, so for the sake of braving her own storm, Sayaka threw away her inhibitions and buried her face into Kirari’s neck while tossing her arms around her. Just for a little while, Sayaka would hang on as tightly as possible to be secure in the knowledge Kirari was right there by her side.
It was difficult to move with Sayaka wrapped so tightly around her, but despite that, Kirari managed to rearrange them both so they’d be comfortable enough to sleep. She nuzzled the top of Sayaka’s head with her nose and breathed deep - settling into a lavender scented bliss.