in the ataraxis of aftermath

suizokukan station

Naoko didn't have very many surprises, but she had saved certain places, just in case.

She tried not to let her emotions get the best of her, forcing herself to squash the vague hope that rose up inside. It probably wasn't a big deal. Another day, another place, that was just how it went for them.

And yet.

And yet.

Some tiny voice inside of her made her jitter with anxious emotion. Nerves? Excitement? Who knew? Naoko tried not to dwell on it too much.

But the train's doors puffed open with much effort, and the girls stepped out.

It was harmless enough on the outside, Naoko thought. With its sturdy cement walls. Most of the rolling, decorative blue paint and broad windows on the first floor had been swallowed up by the water, but the second two floors were still intact. The faded blue characters had mostly fallen off, but a few of the strokes still clung to the side.

"Not that way," Naoko chided, gently, as Keyla moved for the large front window.

Keyla gave her a confused look but Naoko pretended not to notice it. Scouring her memory, she recalled taking an entrance to the left side of the building, on one of the windows that were harder to reach. When she had done it by herself, it had taken her nearly thirty minutes to scale the pipe and then ten more to work up the courage to jump to the window ledge.

Now, however, Keyla just boosted Naoko up, then the other girl took maybe two minutes to shimmy up the pipe and jump to the window. Keyla crouched there, on the ledge, head and shoulders inside the building, but Naoko quickly cupped her hands over Keyla's eyes.

"Close your eyes," she said, before Keyla could protest. "Please."

Amazingly, Keyla obeyed without another word. When Naoko tentatively lifted her hands away, she saw that Keyla's eyelids were closed. The bridge across the other girl's cheeks and nose were in shadow as she covered her own eyes with her hands.

Naoko stepped back and Keyla slowly, awkwardly, stepped down from the windowsill.

Uncertain, Naoko nudged Keyla's elbow. The other girl understood, somehow, and shifted one of her hands so it was covering both eyes, offering the other to Naoko.

She hesitated, again, but held onto Keyla's wrist.

That was how they made their way through the rooms, Naoko softly warning Keyla of stairs or sloping ground or any obstacles. Keyla remained patiently silent, but Naoko felt flushed nonetheless.

Then they were there, and still Naoko was nervous. She insisted Keyla be facing a different direction, then carefully (irritatingly) kept adjusting the position, needlessly, until she finally allowed Keyla to open her eyes.

But perhaps it was worth it, Naoko thought, when she saw the look on Keyla's face.

Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped, lips curling. Her arms spread out at her sides, fingertips lifted. Like wings, thought Naoko, like an angel.

"It's beautiful," Keyla said breathlessly, voice barely audible.

It wasn't really that pretty, Naoko thought. But then she turned and looked again, just to check.

The blue curve of the aquarium's glass tunnel swung wide and arced, like a rainbow. Although there were a few stray fingerprints and foggy patches, the majority of the glass was clear. The white light descended, dappled, filtering through the water and across the dark floor. Sea creatures, real, live, soft, sea creatures, drifted lazily above and around. Four-eyed sharks and bright pink rays soared all around them, kicking up pale sand and faded coral.