Chapter Text
A low thud came with each time the knife lowered into the cutting board. Mortis had never learned how to cook. Luckily, Sakiko was a good teacher.
"When you're done with that, we can add it to the pan."
"Okay!" Mortis continued her work. She heeded both Sakiko and Mutsumi's warnings to watch her fingers.
Their shared kitchen was a little small. Cozy, Sakiko called it. And it was, in a way. Quiet, classical music played from Sakiko's phone, nearly drowned out by the sizzling of onions in the pan. With Sakiko at her back, Mortis worked on chopping the rest of the vegetables.
Nights like these were common for them now. With their high school days behind them, Mortis was happy to finally be out of the Wakaba house. The air was lighter here. She felt like she could finally breathe.
With one last thunk of the knife, Mortis completed her task. She set the knife aside and moved to the pan. Mortis dropped the vegetables into the pan in one big heap. She gasped as oil popped up out of the pan.
Sakiko stuck a protective arm out in front of her. Mortis was pushed out of the way of danger. She let out a little shaky breathe.
"Careful," Sakiko said. She looked over her shoulder. "The oil's still hot." Her normally so warm eyes had a coldness to them that Mortis didn't recognize. And that voice… It was quieter and lower than she usually sounded.
Mortis peered at her a little closer. "You're like me, aren't you?"
Sakiko blinked. She turned back to the stove and stirred the vegetables. "I don't know what you mean."
"Uh huh." Gingerly, she touched Sakiko's wrist. "And you're hurt…"
Tiny dots marred her skin where the oil had gotten her. Somehow, Sakiko didn't seem to feel it. Mortis led her to the sink. There, she ran cool water over the little burns on her arm. Mortis dabbed Sakiko's skin dry again.
"There," Mortis said, letting out a breath. She felt a little guilty for hurting Sakiko. If this even was Sakiko.
"Thank you, Mortis."Sakiko's voice was still in that cool, low tone.
She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Mortis had only heard that tone of voice when they were on stage. No, this wasn't Sakiko. "You are like me!"
With a little shake of her head, Sakiko turned back to the stove. "Believe what you will."
Mortis giggled. She latched onto this. "So what should I call you?"
She stirred the vegetables silently.
"Hm…" Mortis peered around Sakiko's shoulder. "Do you have a name?"
When she finally spoke again, it was with great hesitation. "Sakiko… calls me Oblivionis."
"Aw! We match!" Mortis wrapped her arms around Oblivionis's shoulders. She leaned in to kiss her cheek before pausing. "…Can I kiss you?"
Oblivionis's cheeks flushed. "Yes. That's fine."
She quickly pecked Oblivionis's cheek before backing off. Better not to overwhelm her. "Okay! Let's finish dinner!"
Sakiko awoke in her bedroom. Through the crack in the door, she could see a dark hallway leading to a heavy door. She walked toward it without fear. After all, she knew exactly who was on the other side.
Through the door, Sakiko could hear the notes of a piano playing. It wasn't a piece she recognized. Something original. Low and moody. A sole pianist unaccompanied by other instruments or players. How lonely.
Slowly, she opened the door. A figure sat at the piano, fingers dancing across the keys. Sakiko knew that hair, that outfit, even the mask. Oblivionis. She didn't say anything as Sakiko moved closer.
When Sakiko was right behind her, Oblivionis scooted to the side of the bench. Sakiko sat next to her.
Oblivionis began to play a new song. The lower part of a four hand piece. Sakiko smiled. She played this song with her mother when she was a child. She'd recognize it anywhere. Sakiko jumped in after only a few notes. Together, the two of them played the piece. Music filled the room, drowning out the moody notes Oblivionis had been playing earlier.
"I think you're a little better than me," Oblivionis said.
Sakiko smiled. "Nonsense. You only missed a few notes."
"Yes, but you didn't miss any." Oblivionis returned her smile. "Welcome back, Sakiko."
"I must admit, I didn't expect to see you again."
Oblivionis pursed her lips. Guilt was written all over her face.
"You said once that you weren't afraid of being forgotten. I suppose we both know that was a lie."
"And you said you didn't need me anymore. I'm just a puppet to you."
Sakiko turned to her with an incredulous look."I never said that."
"But—"
"What I said was that you're giving me space to be apart from you now that we're in a safer place. Your protection is no longer needed."
She fell silent. Oblivionis look down at the piano keys.
"Oblivionis…" Sakiko gingerly touched her shoulder. "You know you're more than a puppet to me."
"Am I? I wasn't aware."
Sakiko folded her hands in her lap. "Perhaps I... haven't been so kind to you."
Oblivionis's face was stony as she listened.
"But you're an important part of me. It's because of you that I was able to get this far." Sakiko hesitated before gingerly laying a hand on Oblivionis's arm. She squeezed. "You're stronger than I am."
"Only for your sake," Oblivionis muttered.
"There's so much I have to repay you for. I don't know where to start." She gave a small, encouraging smile. "Why don't you tell me what's bothering you?"
Oblivionis took her arm from Sakiko's grip. Instead, she held Sakiko's hand in hers. "I'm... afraid you won't need me anymore one day. I'm afraid you'll forget me." There was a slight tremor to her voice.
Sakiko laughed not unkindly. "How could I ever forget you? For as long as I live, I'll keep you safe inside my heart."
"Do you promise?"
Sakiko put her free hand over her heart. "No matter what happens in the future, I will never forget you. I swear."
"Sakiko… You take on so many people's pain. Let me take on yours."
Her noble protector had come out of her slumber for her sake. Never a puppet. Never a pawn. Oblivionis was her brave knight who couldn't take not having a role.
"I'm sure Mutsumi and Mortis would love to meet you," Sakiko said.
"Ah… I've already met one of them, actually…"
Sakiko paused. She would have liked to be the one to break the news. Now, she'd have to explain why she had never brought it up before. And after she promised she wouldn't keep anything from Mutsumi…
Oblivionis squeezed Sakiko's hand gently. "Can we play another song?" she asked hopefully.
Sakiko laughed, her worries momentarily forgotten. "Of course! We can play whatever you'd like."
Her hands hovered over the keys as she waited for Oblivionis to begin. Together, their hands moved across the keys in a joyful tune. Oblivionis's finger caught the wrong key. She shot Sakiko a look that seemed to say "See? You're better than me."
But there was no need for perfection now. All they needed was each other in this moment.
"You never told me," Mutsumi said quietly.
Sakiko didn't answer. She kept her gaze fixed on her mug.
A part of her understood intrinsically why Sakiko had kept this secret quiet. If it weren't for her own situation spiraling out of her control, Mutsumi would have liked to tell people on her own terms.
"Sorry," Mortis murmured in her ear.
"It's not your fault."
Because it wasn't. It was Mutsumi's fault she couldn't deal with the weight of all those eyes on her. It was Mutsumi's fault that she never knew the right words to say. CRYCHIC, Ave Mujica, all the pain she caused Sakiko and the others…
"It's not your fault, either."
Maybe the world itself was at fault. After all, a world that forces young girls into the spotlight at such a young age is a world that makes fractured, scared girls who have trouble standing on their own.
"Her name is Oblivionis?" Mutsumi asked.
Sakiko pursed her lips, then gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod.
She touched Sakiko's shoulder, feeling the muscles relax from the contact. If nothing else, she was glad her presence brought Sakiko comfort. "I'm glad you weren't alone."
At that, Sakiko managed a sheepish smile. When no one else was there for her, she still had Oblivionis. She was like Mortis was for Mutsumi. Her other half. The solid foundation she could lean on when she needed it most.
"You make me sound so cool." Mortis giggled.
"I'll let you meet her," Sakiko said. "Next time she's around."
As it happened, that day came later that week. One of Mutsumi's favorite things about living with Sakiko was the sheer intimacy of sharing a space together. Just starting the day basking in each other's warmth was enough to put a smile on her face. This morning, she found herself curled up against Sakiko's side. Strangely, she seemed tense. Every muscle in Sakiko's body was coiled tight like a spring in an effort to keep absolutely still.
"Saki?" Mutsumi mumbled as she lifted her head from Sakiko's shoulder.
Sakiko's gaze was a cool, sharp thing. Her jaw flexed as she clenched it. Every morning, Sakiko greeted her with a warm smile and a kiss to the nearest part of Mutsumi she could get—her cheek, the top of her head, her shoulder. For her to not do that…
"Oh… Good morning."
"Good morning." Oblivionis's voice was a low rumble in her throat. Just a bit deeper than Sakiko normally spoke.
"Do you want me to move?"
"No. It's… pleasant." Oblivionis shifted a little underneath her.
Mutsumi became aware of her arm slung across Oblivionis's body. With Sakiko, that was normal. With Oblivionis, though, she felt a bit more self-conscious. She retracted her arm, only to be caught by a hand on her wrist.
"Really," Oblivionis said, her voice so gentle. "Sakiko and I… share the same feelings for you."
Mutsumi felt warmth creep across her face. It was times like these she wished she had Mortis's confidence. "Oh…"
Oblivionis let go of her. "Ah, sorry. That was quite forward of me, wasn't it?" Her mouth quirked into a little smile. She looked far too handsome for so early in the day.
"Wow… You're dangerous." Mutsumi returned her arm back to its spot draped across Oblivionis's torso.
"Am I?" Oblivionis chuckled. "I'll have to remember that."
It was way too early for flirting. Oblivionis seemed to agree. She pulled Mutsumi back against her side. To Mutsumi's knowledge, this was the first time they were meeting. She normally wasn't too comfortable around strangers. Then again, Oblivionis wasn't really a stranger, was she? Not in the traditional sense. Besides, it was Sakiko's body she was in.
No, Mutsumi corrected herself. They had equal ownership just like her and Mortis. Her head throbbed from all the thinking she'd been doing since she opened her eyes.
"Go back to sleep," Oblivionis rumbled into her ear.
That did sound like a pretty good idea. Especially when she had someone so warm to cuddle up to.
Sakiko gulped as Mutsumi set the plate in front of her. The meal looked completely unappetizing. For one thing, the meat was burnt beyond recognition. Judging by the color, the vegetables weren't cooked fully.
"It's okay," Mutsumi said. "You don't have to eat it."
But her darling girlfriend had cooked it for her. Sakiko shook her head. "It's bad practice to waste food."
As she raised a mouthful of food up, Sakiko took a deep breath.
"Sakiko," Oblivionis called. "Allow me."
The idea that she needed to be protected from Mutsumi's cooking was a ridiculous notion and one Sakiko turned her nose up at. She silently thanked Oblivionis but assured her that her protection was unnecessary.
Sakiko took a bite.
Oblivionis chewed thoughtfully.
"How is it?" Mutsumi asked.
"I can tell it's made with love." And way too much salt. "Although I think your technique needs more practice." She took a few large gulps of water to wash away the flavor.
"…it's bad, isn't it?"
Oblivionis paused. She wondered if it would be better to lie or to come clean.
"Don't lie to her," Sakiko said firmly. "Mutsumi has more than earned the truth from us."
Sakiko so rarely referred to them as an "us." Oblivionis held her chin a little higher. At long last, she'd earned Sakiko's acknowledgement of their unity—or, more than likely, Sakiko was again trying to take on blame that she had no right to. Too many lies. Too many secrets around CRYCHIC and Ave Mujica. They made a promise when they entered this relationship. Only the truth. No matter how hard it may be to swallow.
"It could use improvement," Oblivionis admitted. "But that's just another chance for us to cook together."
Mutsumi offered a smile. "I'll look forward to it."