Aberration

Chapter 6: Izanagi's Tear

Rain began to fall in crystalline showers. The nozzle from Heaven was turned completely to the left, releasing everything short of a tsunami. The roads were slick, warm water rolling down the sloping hills and mountainous turns that made even Arash hesitant to ride the treacherous road on his motorbike. {Should have bought a dirt bike... I could have cut through the forest or something. But I guess there aren't any forests in the city.} he thought, driving slowly as the raindrops caught in his hair and splashed in his face, every breath inviting more water to flood his nostrils. If it weren't for his visors, it would have been impossible to see not just the road ahead, but anything as a whole. The summer rain drenched his clothes, soaking down into his skin and made him sneeze with a cold shiver. He sighed in defeat against Nature herself, a cruel and unbeatable foe.

•••

Arash shambled in through the front door, tossing his keys onto the counter aside the door. A girl with long bangs that covered one eye wearing a pink sundress raised her hand and waved him in, "I know this is your house, but could you please get a towel? You're dripping everywhere." The soaked Arash lumbered around the apartment, finding that a large towel was patiently waiting for him on the same counter. It was neatly folded, and wasn't present before he'd left home. "Thanks." He said beneath his breath. Covering his head with the towel, he moved towards the kitchen, frivolously scavenging the refrigerator. "I see you bought more than dinner. That cupboard used to be empty. Now all your snacks are in here."

"Yeah. Sorry." She began, feeling her stutter begin to catch in her throat, "I snack a lot... is that a problem?"

"Not really, I guess. Mi casa es su casa." He groaned into the open fridge, shrugging his shoulders. He sniffled and rubbed his nose with his index finger only to flinch "Achoo..."

"You should take a shower before you catch a cold."

"I'm just gonna change and head to bed, actually. I'm pretty tired."

"Well, I already ran you a bath though." Arash's eyes peeked out from above the fridge door, fluttering in bewilderment. "You ran my bathwater?"

"Yeah. Is that weird? I figured you'd be tired after work."

"Huh... thanks. And what about dinner? Did you get yourself something?"

"Just TV dinners. It's what I usually eat."

"What's the nutritional value in that? It just sounds like empty calories. I'll cook us somethin' later." As he passed Ami, still curled up on the couch, a stray hand grabbed his wrist and held him in place. "Hey... your clothes are ripped. Are you okay?" Arash shrugged with a grin, even after acknowledging the girl's genuine concern for him etched across her face "Yeah. Just kinda sore." He explained with a smile only to pull away from her, hiding his hands in his pockets again to vanish in the shadow of his hallway. She wasn't quite certain, but something about the way he walked made her concerned, almost like he staggered as he turned the corner.

"Hey, Mr. Shang?"

"Yo." Ami could hear the muffled sound of wet fabric sliding against wet skin accompanied by the heavy plop of a few wet rags. Because the bathroom was directly behind the TV, they could still continue a conversation with a similar volume. "I've been meaning to ask you... what is Izanagi's Tear?" She asked innocently, truly oblivious to the contents of her question. "I don't know what that is." His words trailed so quickly behind Ami's that they nearly collided with hers. His tone made her feel almost like a child asking about an inappropriate word she heard at school, so she quickly decided just to drop the subject even if it made her more curious.

"Do you know what god The Church worships?"

"Not specifically, no. My parents typically abstained from religion."