MOCHA // OMEGA: Lavender Kunoichi #1

Chapter 14 // Blood-stained Feet

Chapter 14 // Blood-stained Feet

Tatsuki sat on a chair, Mocha atop a blanket on the ground. Crackling from the fire filled the awkward void between Mocha and Tatsuki. Shouldn't you be asleep? Too aggressive... How are you feeling? Any plans after all this is done? No... Uhh... Thanks for rescuing me? What about... He cleared his throat. "Do you need a glass of water?"

Mocha barely shook her head as she rested her chin on her knee, her feet near the flames. Tatsuki was mesmerized by Mocha's purple eyes; it was like staring into a nebula in deep space. Her gaze caught Tatsuki's. He averted his eyes, aiming back toward the fire. He was ashamed of what he spoke from his journal, remembering her sharp eyebrows after his public reading.

Mocha began to stand with a blanket covering her body, wincing silently as she pushed off the floor. Tatsuki went to give her a hand but she put a palm up, like she was manifesting a barrier that said 'don't touch me'. Yoshi appeared at her side; she clutched the robot and it helped her up. Tatsuki didn't think it was possible to be jealous of a robot, but there he was.

Her legs felt like wet noodles, but at least she was standing. She was recovering at a rapid rate. She wobbled over to the table, Tatsuki watching her every step from afar. He felt terribly rejected, like she did not want him there at all... He couldn't explain it. There was just something in her body language that subtly avoided acknowledging his presence.

Mocha picked up her bag and felt a needle piercing her ribs. She grit her teeth. Yoshi extended another claw and held the bag. She made her way to the latrine while leaning on the bot. It was a miracle she was standing at all; Tatsuki did not understand how she was doing it. Was it those sigils on her feet and underneath her eyes? He remembered the purple flame she manifested in her palm. Magic? No such thing... Technology of some sort, surely...

Mocha disappeared from the hallway as she entered the latrine and shut the door. Tatsuki sat by the fire, a heaviness in his heart...

"Don't worry about her," Mayumi said from her nest. She had a boot crossed over her knee and her hands clasped behind her head. Her eyes did not appear to be open. "She's always like that."

"Like what?"

Mayumi let out a laugh as if it were obvious. "Abrasive? Well... Not always. She's a confusion; a mystery even to me. Just give her some time to warm up to you."

"I think I made her angry... With what I said..."

"Huh? What did you say?" Mayumi opened one eye.

Tatsuki blushed. "You know. When I called her... Beautiful... And stuff..."

"Ohh. Your journal. Yeah. Don't worry about that. The fact she looked angry means your words had an effect. That's an accomplishment in itself! She's not good with that type of stuff. In our village... she's always been treated like an outsider. Despite everything she has done for the community, they act like she's just a combat drone or something. Do this, do that, not even a high-five. Honestly, I feel bad for her. That's why I try to always see what she's up to, 'let's get some ramen', 'I'm busy', she's always busy... She'll usually go with me to the village theater and whenever I invite her to the gym—surprisingly, she's got a mean deadlift. That's why her back is so thick. She used to hang out in the library, but now she just steals the books and reads underneath the sakura tree. Sometimes she'll hide in her house when I come by; I have to force myself inside and make her spend time with me."

Mayumi's 'consoling' merely made Tatsuki more depressed. If Mayumi, who's known her a lot longer than he has, was still having trouble? He had no chance...

"Hey. I saw her while you were reading. Your words touched her. Trust me, I can tell. If she's being extra mean, it's a good sign. Just give her some time," Mayumi finished with a wink. Tatsuki thanked her and sparked a cigarette. Extra mean, a good sign? From his earlier interactions with Mocha, he knew this very well might be true. She could've simply departed from him and left him to figure things out on his own, stay a slave in Omega forever... No... She gave me that grueling talk and gave me a second chance... Look where I am. This bunker, this opportunity...