Yuki Kazikura was used to living a hectic lifestyle. She had taken up wrestling at 16, when she was still in high school, and even if her career had started on the indies, she was still in her senior year when she joined LAW at age 18. She had to adapt to living a life that, on some nights, left her no time to watch TV, play video games, or talk to her friends online - she'd wake up, go to school, then hit the gym to train until late into the evening, and come home and do homework until she passed out on the bed. And that was on the days she didn't have a match - in those cases, she had to do her homework on the train ride to the arena, because usually she would come back at night, after her parents had already fallen asleep, and go straight to bed, hoping she wouldn't be too tired the next morning to do anything productive. Since she had graduated, Yuki had more time to herself...but even that was hard to get used to. When her time had been so strictly rationed before, to suddenly have holes in her schedule left her wondering what to do with them.
Today was a day Yuki didn't have to be anywhere - there were no matches she was booked for, and she'd already finished her morning exercise routine, so she had time to kill. She had told her parents she was heading out to the store to pick up a few groceries, and now, an hour or so later, she was walking back to her house in an unassuming middle-class neighborhood in Yokohama. She was running a little bit behind when she expected she'd get back - she'd run into an old classmate at the supermarket, and the two of them had gotten caught up in a conversation on how they were faring since they last met - but she still felt like it wouldn't be too much of a worry. At last, she found herself coming down her street. With her grocery bags dangling from her hand, Yuki moved to push open the front door to the house... Spoiler
Man. She said this before. But. This country is PACKED.
However, getting somewhere was nice and quick. Felt a little too close to home.
Yokohama, aye. There was more green to go about, not so -- how to word it… Not so much shoulder-touchy and catching a whiff of unbrushed teeth. Here you can feel the air. It WAS still a city, bustling, horrendous for traffic, which, thankfully she had a bike for. Same one from Cecilia Northman. Its agile as fuck and slipped between the cars like vehicular lube. She parked it near the destination, stuffed the keys in her leather jacket, then stretched her hands overhead. Aaaaaagh. Good.
Well.
Off to do somethin.
She drank a cup of black coffee before coming about. It put her in such a spritzy mood that she put an extra swing into her walk, scrolling through her phone, making sure she had the address right from her texts. Her Japanese sharpened to get a grip on reading the street signs. Mostly. Chatting up the locals helped her out a lot. She wished them good day, dipped her head and arigato. Soon enough she found the right door. Hopefully. When someone opened the door, she made sure to show respect with a shallow bow and ask -- “Kazikura residence?”
Hai.
Perfect.
She made up a yarn about coming to meet Yuki today, to talk, maybe go for a run and then hang out. Told them they were buds. Been hanging out for some time at arenas, then sing her praises. That got her inside, where she took off her big boots and spent her piecemeal time greeting what seemed to be the papa and mama -- judging by their age.
How do you know our daughter? They asked.
Well.
She told this story about being that gaijin who came over not so long ago, didn’t know anything, knew little Japanese, little about Tokyo, the business and how the kind and nice Yuki-star of the hour helped a bunch. It worked in a pinch. She was even praised for her Japanese, then she told them about home a little bit until--
Oh. Someone was at the door.
Angelina peeked into the hallway until coming right into the open once she saw the grocery bags. Her grin lit up, pushed her cheeks into dimples -- her eyes closed as she lifted a hand to wave.
The moment Yuki set foot through the door, she froze in her tracks. Her mouth hung open, but she couldn't think of the words - to say anything would require that part of her brain be functioning, and right now, her attention was elsewhere. She did a double-take, silently hoping that when she looked away and looked back, she would find that she'd imagined everything. At the least, that would mean she wouldn't have any awkward questions to answer. But no - when she looked back, the scene was still unmistakable. Right before her was Angelina Tarrant, the same woman who had put her through a harrowing match that she thought she was about to win, only for the redhead to escape at the last moment by a streak of luck, and who had later shown her up in a promo after the fact, leaving just before Yuki could issue the rematch she had been waiting for. And now, here she was, in her kitchen, seated at the table with her parents, and carrying on like there was nothing wrong in the world.
Yuki had many questions. How did Angelina know where she lived? Why did her parents let her in? And more importantly...what were her motives? Was she trying to set up an ambush? The dark-haired girl sucked down a gulp, rooted to the ground. It seemed as though disaster could befall not just her but the rest of her family at any moment. Not even her own home was safe. She was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"Ah, Yuki! There you are!" Yuki's mother, Kanae Kazikura, sat up straighter in her seat, waving her daughter into the room. It was only then that Yuki realized how long she had been standing here in shocked silence - a thought that caused her to blush at the obvious gaffe she'd made. Still, who would blame her, when one of her most frightening foes had found her way to her house? "Did you make out all right at the store?"
"Er...yeah, mom, I'm fine," Yuki muttered. She stepped through the door, heading to the refrigerator to put the groceries away - but her eyes followed Angelina the whole time. She sucked in a breath, her eye twitching nervously. It seemed like at any minute, the Marauder could strike. And she still could only fathom what she would have in store.
"Your friend here was kind enough to drop by for a talk," said Yuki's father, Jiro Kazikura. That did little to ease her concerns.
"My...friend. Okay, yeah..." Again, her gaze flit between the groceries she was putting away and Angelina. She didn't want to let her eyes off her for long. Just what had she said?
"Come, now, have a seat," Kanae cut in again. "I'll get some tea made for you."
Now Yuki sucked in a gulp. What was she to say to that? It would be rude to refuse. And Angelina hadn't done anything so far...though Yuki had her doubts as to if she had her best intentions in mind. She didn't want to say no to her mother. And she made her way to the table, taking her place at an empty spot and clearing her throat. "That...that sounds good, mom. Thanks."
"Of course." Kanae got up to put the tea on - and Yuki immediately shot a look back in Angelina's direction. She said nothing, but the questioning, confusion, and the silent, barely restrained frustration on her face told all there was to say. Yuki was baffled. But the fact that Angelina would invade the sanctity of her home was a step further than even what she'd come to expect from her.
The life of the party is here!
Angelina soaked up that ghost-look like a sip from a fine wine. That stare in her eyes. Hanging mouth. Oh, just what kind of thoughts are up there now? Surely, it’s all the right kind. The type that resembles bubbles and needle pins popping each one. Angelina had a way of dyeing her feelings in different colours. A grin that looked around the room, to Kanae who summoned Yuki in, and Yuki again who still seemed glued to the door. To buy some casual time, Angelina sunk into her seat, pulled out her phone and began surfing her phone gallery, though she pretended to do more as her phone was tucked to her lap underneath the table, chin against her collar as Yuki unpacked the groceries.
“I hope ya don’t mind, but, I kind of got ‘em caught up on us. Seriously, though -- ya parents were super nice to let me in. Thank ya, Kazikura-san.” She addressed Yuki's parents, dipping her head a tad to Jiro.
Once Yuki sat down, she put her forearms on the table, leaned in and switched her gaze between Yuki, her mom and dad. The smile she had was like a cat. “Ey, Yooks. Have I shown ya folks the new rabbit I got? His name’s Thistlebro. Here. Look.”
She slid her phone across the table. The touch-screen had the white puffball sitting on her lap during a selfie. More photos were there if Yuki swiped. Images of Thistle on a longboard, others of him dressing up like a ballerina. Suit and tie. Even some videos of him propped on her shoulder, on her gut while laying down, getting a kiss on the head, meeting some strangers in public and even backstage at LAW.
“Sweetest little mista’ I eva’ met, yo.” She sat upright, “Anyways. Anythin’ new with ya? Ya look a little…” Her lips pushed together, tilting her head back and forth for a moment.
When she heard Angelina's explanation, Yuki was only left with more questions. The color drained away from her face, and she could feel a cold sweat starting to form on the back of her neck. Just what had Angelina told her parents? If they were willing to let her in, the Marauder must have let on that the two of them had a history. But Yuki doubted they would have been so willing to entertain Angelina's requests if they knew who she was - as supportive as they might have been, they were worried about how Yuki was throwing herself into the line of danger in match after match, and somehow, Yuki was convinced they wouldn't be so forgiving of Angelina if they knew she had tried to strangle her in the middle of the ring. And yet, here they were, laughing and joking and carrying on a nice conversation over tea as though nothing was wrong. But to Yuki, the fact that the woman sitting next to her was Angelina Tarrant set off warning sirens in her head.
"Oh, it's quite all right. It's been a pleasure to meet you," Jiro said, before he started to get up. Yuki opened her mouth, prepared to say something - she didn't know what, but she felt the need to at least make something clear about how this wasn't quite right. But she stalled when it came to actually thinking through the words - and by the time she could say anything, her father had already cut her off. "Can I get you more tea, Angelina?"
Yuki shot a side-eye at Angelina - she wanted her to know that she was watching her for anything funny, and she wasn't going to tolerate any assaults on the sanctity of her home. But then...if it came to that, what could she do? Starting a fight now would be incredibly untoward when Angelina was acting the part of a pleasant houseguest. Trying to insist on her true nature would only make her look like she was out of her mind. She bit her lip, trying to steady the tension rising through her body. But at any moment, she feared, everything could spiral out of control.
She didn't even know what to think as Angelina passed her her phone. She hesitated to swipe on the image, not knowing what might await her on the next one. Was this some disguised way of delivering a threat? No - still just more pictures of the rabbit. They weren't even that bad - they were cute, even - but Yuki couldn't think of that when she was expecting Angelina to spring a trap at any moment. Clenching her teeth, her eyes darted back and forth between the phone and its owner. But nothing came.
Her mother was decidedly more relaxed about the situation - she was just bringing Yuki her cup of tea when she peered over and saw Angelina's photos out of the corner of her eye, and she grinned wide. "Oh, isn't he the cutest thing!~ You must be so excited. It seems like he's been quite popular."
"Mom, I-" Again, Yuki tried to interrupt, but it was as though no one could hear her. Angelina interjected again - and when she did, she leaned in closer to eye Yuki, looking her over from all angles. Maybe she was trying to plan her attack! Yuki leaned back from her, trying to veer away, as her own eyes widened and stared back blank and glassy at Angelina's. And then, Jiro took note of what Angelina had to say next. Something that shook Yuki to the core - now, her parents had picked up on how nervous she was. And questioning was sure to follow. Questioning that threatened to make everything take a turn for the worse.
"Hmm...you're right," he said with a nod. "Yuki...you've been feeling all right, haven't you-?"
"Fine!! I'm fine!" Yuki blurted the words out without a second thought, only stopping to clear her throat. She sucked in a breath through her teeth - she was all too aware how conspicuous she must have looked. She wouldn't like it, but it would seem she would have to play along with Angelina's game for now if she wanted to get closer to the truth. It was...time to try and blend in. If Angelina was going to pretend to be her friend, Yuki would have to act the part too.
"Soooo..." She turned back to face Angelina. "Er, what have you been up to lately?" She doubted that anything the redhead would say would get her closer to the truth. But at least it was something.
Last edited by CaptainL on Thu Feb 23, 2023 10:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
“Yes, please.” Angelina replied with a nod. Her look had a way of looking comfortable. How her posture had this slouch. She tapped on the table idly, relaxing with this constant smile, sparking up all the talk she could to keep things moving and Yuki stuttering to find a footing here. The biggest gamble was her after all. Girl could’ve swung the moment they met eyes at the door. Start a fight, sound an alarm, maybe cue something over to her parents that puts them off. Anything like that can make this ten times more ugly. But it’s that outcome she banked on being her shield. Would Yuki Kazikura REALLY want to bring trouble to her family? Her bets said no.
Having given Yuki her phone, rabbit pictures and all, Angelina shuffled her chair over to bring them close. This WAS her phone. So they might as well surf the images together. Angelina did look back to Yuki’s mom, nodding before getting back to Yuki. Of course she heard her try to pipe up. Now it was time to sink in her knife a little more. Question her health. Bring all eyes to what Angelina saw. Someone flinchy and looking so tense, she could plank over an open gap.
Naturally, Yuki bounced back. Loudly at first, faster than expected, making Angelina raise her brows and straighten, giving a glance to Jiro to see if he caught it too. Her jumpiness. Angelina bit her cheek to keep from laughing. She puffed out her nose and put her hands on the table, soon taking a sip of tea to wash down the smugness.
“Lately, hm.” Angelina trailed off, looking into the cup. Her head nudged to the phone Yuki still had. “Well, ya lookin’ at the big thing. Fella used to be a magician’s assistant, did I mention that? Ownah gave him up, so I adopted the little guy. Ever since, we have been glued togethah. I take him literally everywhere. Here, look.”
Angelina pinched her phone from Yuki, then switched up albums to something more recent. First few images she showed off were at the gym. Rabbit on a bench press, a short video of him hopping around and meeting some powerlifters and being their spotter. However, following that came some photos of Yuki herself from across the gym. “We hit up the gym. Well, I kinda snuck him in. Wasn’t my best idea but I didn’t want to leave him at home, ya know? Oh, yeah! We also hit up some arcades. You’d absolutely LOVE this place. They got everything.” Angelina swiped quickly through some more photos, mostly scenery shots from rooftops and other random things until they reached the arcade shots. Bustling and loads of dark patterned carpet, with neon bars like wall trim and splashes of colours as art from arcade machines, the lights of ongoing games, pinball machines, stand-up shooters and racing simulators. She showed Yuki the few at a vehicle simulator, with some curious profile shots that had Yuki playing another game in the background. Of course, Angelina moved on. A place much more bright, with white, yellow, pink and rainbow. These giant Hello Kitty statues outside the front, where she bought a bag of stuffed characters.
“Sanrio store. I got him like his own private militia of henchmen. The Thistlecorps.”
Some of these shots also showed Yuki at the same store. Mostly from afar -- but a couple while inside, down the aisles. Her and another brunette. Angelina assumed it might’ve been a friend. But. She continued, each following the same key centre piece of Yuki herself. “Manga store. Then just out and about across the place. We’ve just been explorin’ -- ya know.” And it ended up near Yuki’s neighbourhood. A shot of an address plate for Yuki’s block with red horns peeping into the shot.
After that. Well. She just returned the question. “And now, it’s your turn. What’s new and great with my bestie?”
Even after the conversation drifted elsewhere, Yuki remained on edge. Now, her father had confirmed what she had been worried about. She was nervous - just being in Angelina's presence left her anticipating an ambush at any moment, and it made her feel like not even her own home was safe. And everyone around her noticed it. In the ring, Yuki tried to stay collected and calm, not wanting to betray any sign of weakness. Whenever she let her guard down, it tended to go poorly for her. But now, she wasn't even in a match, and that facade was beginning to wear thin - and everyone could see it. How long would it take before she broke? How could she bounce back if she did?
Fortunately for Yuki, it seemed as though her parents were too fascinated by Angelina's story to read too much into their daughter's anxiety, even when she leaned closer over the table, her eyes darting back and forth. Kanae smiled wider when she described how she'd acquired the rabbit - or at least, at Angelina's account of said events. "A magician's assistant, you say? Sounds like you've got a talented rabbit!" she said with a laugh. Jiro, meanwhile, nodded to the redhead with a warm smile on his face. "That's very kind of you to give him a good home. I'm sure he appreciates it, too."
Lost in her own thoughts, Yuki barely noticed as Angelina swept the phone out of her hands - but as soon as she felt its presence gone, she was on high alert again, leaning closer to Angelina to watch her for any sudden movements. She couldn't help but read the act of taking the phone as a declaration of war - and for that, she needed to be on guard. She leaned over Angelina's shoulders, her eyes trained on the screen. But because of that, she could see what Angelina had to show. And when she saw it...something dropped in the pit of her stomach.
The gym, at least, could have been a coincidence. They were both professional athletes, and when they were in the same line of work it was to be expected they'd stick to similar routines. But when Yuki recognized herself in the background, she grew tense. That meant they were there at the same time. And with the history between Angelina and herself, there was no way this wasn't on purpose - if Angelina knew she was at the same gym, she would have surely confronted her there. Unless she was saving that for later.
Then, the arcade. Something felt familiar about the pictures in a way that made Yuki grow more and more uneasy, the color draining away from her face. She had just been to the arcade herself, on the same day she'd gone to the gym in fact. What were the odds that Angelina's schedule had been the same? And the patterns on the carpet, the games - she could have sworn it was the same arcade. A suspicion that, as soon as Yuki saw herself in one of the photos, was all but confirmed. When Angelina revealed she'd stopped at the Sanrio store - which Yuki, too, had visited with Haruka that same day - it all came together. There was no way this could be a coincidence. If Angelina had stopped at all the same places Yuki had, and gotten her just out of frame at each of them, she was following her. And then, at that last photo, it hit her. Angelina had followed her here. She was there the whole time. And that realization caused a chill to go through Yuki from head to toe when she realized just how vulnerable she truly was.
She shot the Marauder a knowing look - a side-eyed glance that told her she knew exactly what she had been up to. But then, Angelina spoke up again - and when she did, Yuki sat up straighter with a gulp. It was her turn to speak now. What was she supposed to say to this? Confirm that her itinerary had been identical to Angelina's to the last stop? That would surely look suspicious - perhaps, ironically enough, casting more suspicion on Yuki herself than her pursuer. But lest she think she could spin some excuse to get out of this, her mother leaned in closer, all the more interested in her answer. "Oh, yes, of course! What've you been up to, Yuki?"
The dark-haired girl bit her lip, squeezing her hands tightly at her sides. There was no talking herself out of this one. She had to come up with some answer. She glanced over at Angelina for a moment longer, letting her gaze linger - but then, she cleared her throat.
"Ah, well, me? Mostly...I've been training for a big match coming up." It was true. Yuki had been sure she hadn't seen the last of Angelina Tarrant, even before their chance encounter at her home. And she had been training for the inevitable rematch, preparing herself for how she'd adjust to what the Marauder had shown her in their last bout. Nothing was confirmed yet - but Yuki knew she had to be ready. She hoped that reference would be vague enough to keep everyone satisfied without spilling too much.
But those hopes were quickly quashed when her father looked in her direction. "A big match? You didn't tell us anything about that. Who's it with?"
Shit. Now this was going to get awkward. On one hand, she could name Angelina - but then, not only would that give away what the redhead's intentions were, and no doubt shatter the peace, but it would tell Angelina that Yuki was on to her, too. And when she had already shown willingness to stick her nose into Yuki's personal life, if she knew, it could only get worse from there. For a moment, Yuki glanced back and forth, first to Angelina and then to Jiro. But then, she cleared her throat and spoke. "Er, well...nothing's been finalized. I don't know who my next opponent will be. I just...have some theories, you know?"
"Theories? Like who?"
"Like...uh...Shimmerlace Snuggleblossom, maybe. Sanae Saitou. That Collei girl from the Young Lioness Program has been getting a lot of attention..." Of course, Yuki didn't mention the one name she was most concerned about. But the whole time she watched just over her shoulder, just in case she had to be ready to protect herself...
There might have been an unease at the start. A thousand things can go wrong when you do this sort of thing. You whittled down that number through planning and practice. Run those scenarios through. Rehearse. But even that relied on knowing what they’ll say and betting on what they’ll do.
Seeing how they played into it. With Angelina nodding to Kanae, then Jiro. “Aye. He’s a love bug.” Handling the question, then tossing it back for Yuki to give her a look only they understood. It made her pretty smug. She could do no wrong here. Whatever the case, she was more certain than ever she could get away with almost anything.
And now, with even Yuki’s own mom to assist in pressuring her, she just relaxed. Let her say whatever. A big match, huh. That wasn’t too unexpected with a girl like her. She typically found her next to big names as of late. That’s what gave this gold extra glimmer. But even she was curious to just who’d she name, and quirked a brow. There’s absolutely NO WAY she’d name her here. Shimmer got her brows to pop. It was one of the last names she wanted her to utter, but, with the other two -- she can play it off, and leaned into the table, flashing a brighter grin.
“Yooo, ya for real about Sanae Saitou? Now I’m hella’ jealous. Hm.”
She put her chin between her thumb and index, looked towards a wall as she set her phone down and flipped through a few folders. It came to one pre-made for this whole ordeal. She slid her phone over to Yuki again, glancing at it briefly, then Yuki in the eyes before returning to peer at the wall. The album at hand showed pictures of vandalism. Broken windows. Smashed railings. A door with its lock busted off and spray painted. It had diagrams of a leg fracture, a cervical sprain, dislocated shoulder, bruises and lacerations, then -- an image of a pink bat with razor wire on the floor.
“Shimmahlace Snuggleblossom, though. I don’t know why ya would waste time there. She’s a little small for ya, ain’t she? This Collei gal too. Hey. Ain’t they both Young Lionesses? Ooohhh. I get it.”
She looked back at Yuki, serious-eyed and putting her index over her lips before finishing.
“Ya wanna give them their big match, huh? Show ‘em what it’s like to rumble with a future world champ!”
"Uh. Uhhh..." Yuki might as well have been navigating her way through a minefield. She gulped, her eyes flitting anxiously from one wall to another, but every time she passed by the faces of her parents, leaning in and patiently waiting on her answer to their questions, she was all the more reminded of the pressure that was on her. Trying to distract herself, her feet fidgeted back and forth across the floor, and her fingers squeezed tightly at her own thighs under the table to keep herself from giving too much away. Yuki knew all too well that if she let something slip up here, it would all come crashing down. If she didn't say anything, she would only make herself look like a fool; she couldn't trust that Angelina wasn't recording all of this in the hopes of having material she could blackmail her with, showing how nervous, indecisive, and hopeless she really was. If she spoke up and accused Angelina of foul play, she'd look like a deranged lunatic in front of her family. If she attacked her, seemingly unprovoked, that would be even worse. And if she let her guard down...then she knew all too well that Angelina could strike.
"N-Now, listen," she blurted out half-thinkingly, "I don't know anything one way or the other about Sanae, I just...think it would be a good match..." But in the commotion, Angelina slipped her phone her way. It was a sly, covert movement, one that wouldn't even draw any alarm bells to anyone who wasn't watching it closely. But when the redhead had already used her phone as a way to broadcast her threats, the moment Yuki saw the device pushed her way, she was on high alert, sitting up straighter and going tense. She leaned closer, knowing she'd regret what she saw, but needing to see regardless. And when she saw the photos Angelina had left, the color drained from her face.
All this destruction, all this mayhem...were these things Angelina had done? Things she wanted Yuki to know she was capable of? She leaned in closer, peering at the medical diagrams. She wasn't sure what they were doing there at first, but then it hit her. And when it hit her, it was enough to make Yuki completely lock up for however short a moment. This was what Angelina was going to do to her. All the brutality she'd faced in their last match...it wouldn't even begin to compare to what the Marauder could do to her now.
The thought of such a threat staring her dead in the face had been enough to knock Yuki out of the moment. Her whole body locked up; even the breaths she took were slow and shallow. Could she truly call herself safe anywhere? When could she expect Angelina to show up and unleash whatever it was she had saved up for her? She didn't know, and the uncertainty made it all so much worse. A clammy sensation ran all up and down her skin. She was so lost in her thoughts that she wasn't even aware of the situation unfolding around her...
Up until her mother - apparently, blissfully ignorant to the truth this whole time - nodded her head to Angelina's statements. "Oh! That's wonderful, Yuki! It must make you feel accomplished to be at the point where people are looking up to you, doesn't it? I remember when you were still waiting for your first big match..."
Suddenly, Yuki was shaken back to reality. She wasn't prepared to give an answer, but one way or another, that ball had landed in her court, and she had to say something."Uh...yeah! Yeah, it is-!" Yuki blurted the words out half-thinkingly, and after they had left her mouth, a deep blush made its way across her cheeks. She'd been so caught up in her anxieties that she wasn't even entirely sure what she'd just responded to. Her parents looked on with a smile regardless, not seeming any the wiser. But Yuki felt as though just moving a muscle could put herself in the line of fire, and she sucked down a shudder.
In fact, just now, it seemed that Jiro picked up that something was wrong, as he leaned closer toward his daughter across the table. "Yuki, are you sure you're-"
"Fine-!!" Spurred to action, Yuki jumped back to her feet before he had a chance to finish, in a burst of movement that drew some odd looks. A silence fell over the table. For a moment, Yuki panted for breath, trying to collect herself. This wasn't working. She knew all too well she was too tense, and it was throwing her off. She needed to get out of here and clear her thoughts, before she did something she'd really regret...
"I just...do you mind if I step out to use the bathroom? I, uh, don't want to be rude, but..."
"No, no. Do what you need!" Slowly and shakily, Yuki rose from her seat and moved off, still taking long, deep breaths. She couldn't keep this up for much longer...
This girl just didn’t let ya down. From the ring to how she squirmed across, there’s a straight injection of sugar for your dopamine receptors watching Yuki try to find level ground, then watching her splish-splash to keep pace, a friendly meet up mixed with a schrodinger’s knife. Angelina knew how this noose was tied. It would be a lie to say that she felt anything but pure bliss. The surging glee through her fingertips almost made it impossible to keep her smile normal, and keep those gold-seeking eyes tame, switching to glance at the table, then all around to make her friendly face with Yuki’s folks -- as they too were godsent to applying pressure. Hell -- they were BETTER than she ever expected.
Eventually. It seemed to all come to a boiling point. Yuki moved, suddenly, drawing Angelina’s immediate attention. For a moment, she thought to have pushed too far and was grabbing the head of her seat, with her upper-half turned. She almost expected to be slapped, punched or something drastic -- so she joined Yuki’s parents in giving an odd look. Her heart rate surely spiked ten-fold.
Then she went away. That was it. Tail between her legs to go somewhere. Oh the relief it struck. She was on a knife’s edge, but now came out on the other side unscathed. The need to laugh was intense, so she dug her mouth into a propped up fist, smiled and collected her phone to pretend to peruse her messages, wasting time and burning off that overflowing glee. When she got composed, she took a deep breath herself, then spoke out.
“If ya folks don’t mind, I’m gonna go see if she’s alright.” After that, she got up, did a small bow for respect, then walked on, going beyond the corner. Once she left their view, it was all guess work from there. She walked the halls as quietly as possible, peaked through any small crack to see what’s what, then moved on towards her ultimate goal. If Yuki truly did retreat to the washroom, then it was the ultimate time to peel open the door which Angelina thought to be Yuki’s room, venture in and rummage around for gold.
