Embellished Containers

The wind that blew through the streets became still at the entrance to the graveyard. As she rounded the corner, she took some effort to pat her hair down and straighten her shirt, removing a flower from her pocket. Her feet echoed on the stone slabs, and birds sang softly from the trees than swayed in and out of the boundary between life and death. Following the path that lingered in her memory, she found one of the secondary dirt paths that led between the winding gaps that separated the pillared monuments.

She came to a stop at a gravestone. It was an expensive grave, amongst a few others that were toward the front of the graveyard, and every family member's name was engraved individually, either on the primary gravestone or on the smaller stones in front. The area ahead of the grave, and the offering containers surrounding the main unit, were brimming with business cards and incense, as well as some cups of green tea. The stonework of the grave itself was masterful, as far as she could tell, well-polished, perfectly angled and engraved. The deep, gold letters in the centre of the tall pillar couldn't be ignored.

Tsukumo Family
九十九家

She crouched in front of the withered old slab of a grave, and she brushed her hand over a smaller stone in front to remove some of the grime, but what remained there was too deep-seated to be removed with just a brush. 

The name engraved there haunted her again. She could only force herself to look at it for a minute before she had to pull herself away.

Eri

Laying the solitary flower, a red spider lily, in front of the grave, she stood, sliding her hands into her pockets, breathing in a single breath, and waited. Drooping in the shadow behind the red spider lily was another flower, more wilted and drained of life, the husk of a chrysanthemum that clung to the fading nutrients inside it.

She whispered a silent song to herself, the words of which mingled with the wind, almost carried away if not for the branches of the nearby trees reaching out fingers to pluck them from the air.

"See out at the back,

Three pears, three cedars,

Six trees in all,

Crows nest below,

Sparrows nest above

And what if they are singing?

hakamairi itcho itcho ya"

---

"Eri, I-"

"..."

"I'll come back again. Wait for me."

Unable to muster any more words, Eri lowered her head and slunk out of the graveyard.

---

I knew it. It was only a matter of time.

I suppose I have no choice but to accept my fate...

I really was out of options.

I'd...

eaten the last cup noodle.

Not so long after the mission in Odaiba, everyone had started to settle back into a routine on the island. But for me, that routine was about to come to an end. No longer could I slink into the kitchen, boil the kettle, fill the cup, stir, huff on it a bit to cool it down, and return to my room undetected. I had no choice but to... ask someone about where I could get more food.

After I closed the cupboard doors, Eri's face appeared from behind them. I was startled for a second, but after collecting myself, I pinched my temples, finding it silly that Eri could spook me like that. She was still wearing her sailor uniform, the one that she always wore when not wearing her Anahata uniform. It was a common white and blue set, the blue being mild and dark, with short, rolled sleeves and a red neckerchief. The skirt she wore with it was a matching shade of blue.

"Beryl."

"Um, yes, Eri?"

"She wants you to go to the restaurant."

"She...?"

"...Hoshizuna."

"There's... a restaurant on the island?"

"...Yeah. Nothing special, just a small place."

She pressed her hands on the countertop and hoisted herself onto it, taking a seat.

"I'm... going too. But only because she said that food is on the house today. So I guess I could... show you where it is since we're both going the same way."

"That would be pretty helpful. I... uh, thanks Eri."

"I'm not doing you a favour, it just makes sense. Show your appreciation to someone else, like her."

"Right..."

"Also, you ate one of my cup noodles."

Agh.

"Sorry... which one was it? I'd buy you one but... I... don't know where from."

"Seaf-"

She caught herself, a twinge of blush appearing on her cheeks.

"Uh, Hot and Spicy Shrimp."

I don't even remember having that one.

"The shop is in the same area as the restaurant. I'll point it out when I get there. But I'll get the noodles myself, I don't need you to do that for me. I needed some more things anyway."

She hopped down off the counter and walked over to the porch, slipping on some shoes. She paused for a moment before looking back at me.

"You are coming, right?"

"Oh, mhm, I'll get ready too."

I clasped my hand against my ribs. I think I could manage this.

---

The sun was hanging at a low angle in the sky, not quite approaching the horizon, but it had fallen long past its apex. Under this early evening glow, Eri walked ahead of me, not because she was going particularly fast, but because I couldn't bring myself to catch up to her. There was an invisible wall between us that I didn't have the strength to break.

Instead of getting any closer, I decided to at least ask her something.

"Um, Eri."

"Mh, what is it?"

"Are you... afraid of Leviathans?"

"Afraid...?"

She stopped walking for a moment, so I did the same. Our long shadows stretched out along the path to the side of us.

"I don't think so. I've discovered there are much worse things than Leviathans. It's not like I could afford to be scared of them even if I was. All I have to do is beat them. It's all I can do. It's what my bat is for. It's what I'm for."

She started walking again after that.

"Why'd you ask anyway? I don't look afraid... do I?"

"No. I guess that's why I asked, actually."

"Leviathans could be anything. Tentacle aliens from outer space, a giant lion, one of those dinosaurs with wings. I don't really care. As long as I keep doing my job, then there won't be any problems. That's why I'm not afraid. I just look right through them."

"I see..."

Flashes of the first time I saw Eri, as a distant silhouette jumping through the air to deliver a blow to the Leviathan, appeared in my mind. As I reminisced, my experience with Leviathans deeper than it was then, my thoughts started to wander. Just... how high up with Eri when she did that? She had no protection, and only an ineffective melee weapon, a bat, at her disposal, something much less specialised for the job than Morpho's spear. She flung herself from that building without a second thought. At the time, I thought it was her being a model for the selflessness and high expectations that awaited me as a member of Anahata.

But then I remembered her eyes. Empty, drained. Despite her victory. Despite surviving.

I didn't want Eri to think I was sizing her up or anything. So I decided to lighten the mood. Something that was admittedly not my strong suit.

"Do you... have a favourite song?"

"What is this, Super Time Shock? Is there a timer I should know about when answering these? With Sada away, I thought I was free from being pestered."

As I expected, that was as far as I was going to get.

After we stayed in silence for the rest of the walk, we eventually arrived at a series of buildings that resembled an old shopping district. Eri lead me over to the restaurant, which was marked by a selection of well-trimmed shrubs, and a drape hanging from an awning over the doorway which presumably had the name of the establishment written on it. The building had a rustic style to it, with a wooden exterior and a porch with a charcoal-coloured, slanted roof. Eri nodded her head to the side as she held the drape up, motioning me to come inside.

Sliding the door open, a warm breeze carrying the alluring scent of hearty broths and steamed rice floated to our noses.

"Irrashaimase! Wait, oh, Beryl and Eri, you made it!"

Behind the counter in the kitchen area was Hoshizuna, who was wearing a bandana cap around her head. Despite the intended purpose of it, she still kept her bangs over one eye, which made me wonder why she even bothered wearing something to keep her hair out of her face when the rest of her hair was already tied up.

"Welcome to Fujitaka Nasu. The best restaurant on the island."

"The only restaurant on the island", Eri chided.

"That still makes it the best. If nobody else wants to open up any competition then that's on them."

"This isn't exactly a place for restauranteurs..."

"Anyway, Beryl, come take a seat. I've got something real good for us to eat."

I wandered into the establishment, the interior soaked in a strangely nostalgic atmosphere, the sounds of steaming pans and sizzling grills filtering in from the back. As I progressed further in, at one of the tables toward the right corner, I spotted a couple of other people.

The first person that caught my eye was Sadamune, who waved cheekily and grinned, although I could tell from Eri's despondent reaction that this was aimed more at her.

"I spoke too soon..."

"Yo, Jou-chan, Beryl...-chan, nice to see you here. What a coincidence, right?"

Resorting to a slumped stance, Eri had given up.

"You definitely knew we were coming..."

"Okay, maybe I did ask Hoshizuna-san over here who else would be coming along tonight. But let's not dwell on that. Let's sit back and make the most of the free grub."

Eri sighed and dragged herself over to the table with Sadamune, taking a seat beside him. Across from them, we were joined by Morpho and Rinko. While Morpho sat with an upright, dignified posture, Rinko's elbows were resting on the table, and I saw a glass of beer in her hands already. Waving her arms around, I could tell she was mid-conversation.

"You saw that, right? I totally clutched! I lifted that cannon like a champ and then... pow!"

"Ogawa-san, none of us were with you at the time."

"...Huh, really? That sucks."

She took another swig of her beer, and then caught sight of me.

"Ohh, Beryl! You were there! Tell everyone about what happened!"

Oh god...

"Uh, I was actually just inside the car, so I didn't really see anything... But I did hear it, I suppose."

"Did it sound good, at least?"

"The cannon was fired and we completed the mission. That sounds a lot better than the alternative..."

"See? We didn't die. Wait, is that even a compliment? You make it sound like we barely scraped by."

I wouldn't be far wrong.

Hoshizuna came by from the kitchen, rescuing me from the conversation. She placed a bowl of edamame beans and a side of salt onto the table for us. She shuffled beside me and spoke to me in a low voice.

"I don't blame you for not noticing Beryl, but if you look to your left you might spot someone."

I did as she said, and on the other side of the room was Emil. Up until then, he'd been side-eyeing us, but as soon as I took a glance at him, he switched back to using his laptop as if nothing had happened.

"He actually asked if you'd be coming. Interesting, huh? He never usually shows up to gatherings. At least, he hasn't for a while. Not since he was with his last partner."

She faced the others, raising her voice to address them.

"The food will be ready in a moment, so I brought snacks to tide you over. Don't fill up on it though."

"Thank you, Hoshizuna-san", replied Morpho.

Rinko joined in, pulling her head up off the table. Morpho's glare expressed his distaste for her manners, but he held it in.

"Yeah, thanks Chef. The beer and edamame beans are giving this place a real izakaya feel."

"Oh wow, you're welcome. I'm not used to that sort of treatment."

"You better believe I'm grateful for the food too. I'm just holding off until I can taste the final product. Eri doesn't have an excuse, though", Sadamune interjected.

Eri scrunched her lips together and squinted her eyes.

"Th...

Thanks, I guess."

"Alright Sadamune, no need to torture her. Even if it does prove what an adorable little gremlin she is."

"Sh-Shut up..."

Hoshizuna made her way back behind the counter, preparing the food. There was already another blush creeping up Eri's cheeks, which she attempted to hide by breaking into the edamame beans, squeezing a pod open between her teeth. She picked up the salt, but after giving it a glance, she didn't add any to the bowl.

The salt in Eri's hand disappeared into thin air, switching places with a bottle of soy sauce on the counter across from us. Unlike my curious surprise at seeing this for the first time, Hoshizuna's reaction took issue with something else.

"You're really going to use your Pulse for things like that?"

"Why the hell not? If they're going to cram their expensive little machine inside me, I might as well make use of it."

"That'd make a bit more sense if you made more use of it in general."

Hoshizuna leaned over the counter to pick up the freshly teleported salt and inspected it. 

"How does that work, anyway? Do salt and soy sauce really have the same value?"

"As a condiment, I guess."

"So you're saying it's subjective?"

"It'd be a lot less useful if it wasn't."

"I'm more so surprised that you eat edamame with soy sauce..."

Hoshizuna told us that she'd already blanched the beans in salty brine when preparing them, so she left the salt on the counter if we wanted to add any more. I twisted mine around between my fingers, never having been a fan of beans. Rinko took notice of this.

"Go on, Beryl, they're good, I promise. They're nice and salty so they'll go down easy."

I decided not to splash any more salt on it, and, following what I'd see Eri do, pinched the pod in my teeth, which was oddly furry. The beans inside fired into my mouth, and once I'd pulled the pod from my mouth I started to chew. Unexpectedly, I took quite well to them, even if I needed some time to overcome the grainy texture. The salt, as Rinko said, really did help.

Eventually, the bowl of edamame beans became filled with their lifeless shells, their valuable cores sucked dry from their insides. Hoshizuna returned to the table, her hands filled with crockery.

"Here it is, guys. Bon Appetit."

Hoshizuna presented to us some bowls of rice topped with chicken and egg. My eyes and nose were overwhelmed by fresh, hunger-stirring flavours, the yellow glow of the food mixing with the dim yet homely lighting of the establishment.

And... it's not from a cup...

I feel blessed...

Rink was also staring down her food with a hungry glint in her eyes.

"Oyakodon? That smells so damn good. Are you going to join us, Hoshizuna?"

"Yeah, sure I can-"

A buzz reverberated through her pocket and, fishing underneath her apron, she picked out her phone. As her eyes scrolled down the screen, her expression darkened.

"Actually, I... have something important to do tonight. I just remembered. You guys enjoy it without me."

"Are you going right now?"

"...Yeah."

She unwrapped the bandana from her head and pulled her apron off, quickly storing them in a room next to the kitchen. She reentered the room, the uniform that she still wore underneath them no longer disguised. Without another word, Hoshizuna left the building, clattering the sliding door behind her. The signs of that aura I'd seen in the middle of the night that one time flickered from her as she passed by.

"Thank you for the food."

Morpho's words broke us out of our distraction, and we all followed suit, digging into the meal laid out before us.

---

Sadamune threw us a wave as he headed out for the night, tipping his fedora. Eri strolled past me toward the door as well.

"You remember the way back from when we came here, right?"

"I think so."

"Okay, got it."

Rinko, sporting a grin that only alcohol could provide, leaned on my shoulder with her arm. I attempted to shuffle away, but her weight pinned me there.

"I'll take her back if she needs it, Eri."

"Aren't you drunk? But whatever."

I'll probably end up being the one having to escort her, instead.

With that, she stopped short of the door, as if she was going to say something else, but instead continued out into the night.

Morpho, who had been waiting patiently behind us, took his turn to leave. He gave me a polite nod.

"Goodnight, Beryl-san, Ogawa-san. See you again soon."

And that left Rinko and me in the restaurant. I had also been thinking of leaving, but there was a question I'd been wanting to ask Rinko ever since she'd offered to share information with me.

"Rinko... can I ask you something?"

"Mhm?"

"I don't suppose you've ever seen anyone with a Pulse that has anything to do with... butterflies?"

"Butterflies? Hahah, okay, that was a good one. Trying to take advantage of my gullibility when I've been drinking?"

I continued looking at her, a little embarrassed by how silly it had ended up sounding, but I was still eager for an answer.

"What, oh, you're serious? In that case, let me think..."

"It doesn't have to be a Pulse, necessarily. Just anything that you've seen that might have something to do with butterflies."

"Hmmm... Hmmmm... Hmmmm.

You know... I do remember seeing them at some point. But when it comes to them being attached to someone, I'm coming up blank. I know pretty much everyone's Pulse, and none of them use butterflies. I'm kind of curious, why do you want to know?"

"It's... just something to do with how I died."

"Oh damn. Well, a journalist knows when to not pry any further. But if you find anything else out, run it by me."

Departing from the empty restaurant, Rinko continued to chatter at me as I did my best to make my way to the dorm based on my memory of the path I'd taken to get there. Unbeknownst to me, around the corner of the restaurant, Morpho had been waiting, listening in from outside the door.

---

As I slept, I once again awoke.

"Welcome back."

It was her. Her flowing white locks defied gravity and her blank stare suggested that she was acknowledging nobody in particular, her irises floating aimlessly in stillness.

"I never thought I'd come back here..."

"Is that so? How unusual... You requested it yourself."

"I did?"

"Yes. You may be unaware but we share a contract. Your visits here are by request. You come her because you choose to, and leave for the same reason. You may deny it consciously, but this place works by the whims of your subconscious mind."

"This place... is different from last time."

Unlike the vast, empty expanse that it was before, there was solid ground below me, a glassy room hovering in the dusk-painted sky, dotted with the same clouds.

"It always changes. It is reflective."

"So it means something. In that case, I wonder what it taking the form of a library could mean..."

"It must mean that we are getting closer."

I wandered along the winding bookshelves, dragging my finger along the spines and feeling the bumps between each volume. When I lifted my finger off, I inspected the dust that had built up.

"These books..."

"They are yours."

"I had a feeling but... these are all mine? Well, at least the books here are organised a lot more tidily than the ones in my room were..."

"Take one from the shelf and see for yourself."

I picked one out, pressing on the top corner and slipping it out from its tight confines amongst the others. Turning it over, I read the cover.

'The Faraway Saviour'

Hm? What's this one about?

Its cover was a soft, brown leather, and there were swirling, red patterns made from a gem-like glass inlaid into it. Shimmering blue specks were visible when I tilted the book against the light. I thought it was strange because not many of the other books besides it had such elaborate designs, and it was the reason I took the decision to remove it from the shelf.

"These books contain my thoughts and memories if I'm right in assuming that?"

The girl lingered, leaving my question unanswered.

Guess I have to read it to find out.

The book cracked open, and I leafed my way through the first few pages. As my hand rested on the outer face of the open cover, I wasn't able to determine whether the book was dusty or clean, I couldn't tell if I was tricking myself into believing the texture of dust was on my fingers or whether it was really there. For all the other books, they were caked in dust, so it was obvious. But for this book in particular...

Then, the contents of the book hit me.

And I slammed it shut.

"Many of these books have remained here for a long time. Remained unread. Even now, you refuse to read one?"

"This book... it's about the person that saved me. The information inside, it must only be based on the little that I know but... I still don't want to risk it. I don't deserve to know."

I returned the book to its place on the shelf. As I slid it between the other books, I noticed that a lock had materialised across the pages.

"I'm not worthy. The most I can do is speculate. I have no right to go any further than that."

"This is your world. The decision is yours to make."

"I can't accept that. Even if all of these books are mine, what good does it do reading my own memories and thoughts."

Again, she stayed silent. As I strained to hold on to the unconscious reality around her, my eyes latched on to the same orb that she had shown me the first time we met, its fathomless darkness surrounded by fleeting specks of light. I reached out toward it without thinking. But still, it levitated motionless above her hand, far away from me, a distance that only seemed to grow with any attempt to get closer. My fingers began to disappear.

My hand and the orb were both closed behind my eyelids as I slipped away. I heard the directionless voice of the girl one final time.

"You run from the truth that is already here, Beryl. One day, you will find it. You must find it."