RE: [IC][Story][Arc 1] Learning to Be Yourself
09-13-2020, 03:44 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-13-2020, 04:21 PM by robkelk.)
09-13-2020, 03:44 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-13-2020, 04:21 PM by robkelk.)
OSA-P, Ottawa, ON, Canada
January 20, 2017
6:55 PM
"That's ... quite the story," Mayumi finally said.
"I don't know if I believe it," added Naru. "You're only one week old, and there's two of you?"
"If this were play'd upon a stage now, I would condemn it as improbable fiction."
"Who said that?" Usagi asked.
"Mimi did." Usagi shot a dirty look Rob's way. "If you studied English more, you'd know she was quoting a play by Shakespeare."
"I know of Shakespeare, but he didn't write The Tale of Genji, did he?"
Rob chuckled. "Point taken."
"How can you two make jokes right now?" Naru asked, astonished at her best friend's actions.
Usagi smiled slightly, and almost sadly. "We're used to strange things happening to us."
"True," Rob replied, "but the jokes don't help Mimi, do they?"
"You made the first one," muttered Usagi.
"Another point taken." He turned to look directly at Mimi. "In all seriousness, the longer you wait to get your abilities under control, the harder it will be to get them under control, I think. And definitely there'll be a larger chance that you might hurt somebody the longer your power isn't under your control."
Mimi thought for a moment. "You're right. But I just started work here."
"The first few weeks after Christmas are busy, but then business drops off. It's a quiet time in retail right now," Mayumi pointed out. "Give it another week and we'll start getting the Valentine's Day customers in, but we're quiet right now. I can let you work half of next week, then after Valentine's Day you can work half-weeks for a few months."
"Valentine's Day? Not White Day?"
Rob shook his head. "White Day isn't a thing in North America. Valentine's Day is the big romantic day; I expect OSA-P will be selling more engagement rings than usual in the first two weeks of February."
"And then taking some of those rings back the week after," added Mayumi. "Hopefully, not too many."
Rob nodded in understanding as he turned to Mimi. "Since you're only going to be working part-time, I'll keep your rent low. You'll be on the student rate, like Mii-san and Ami-san."
"Thank you," Mimi whispered.
"But in exchange, you have to be a student for the half-weeks that you aren't working. And that means we need to find you a teacher."
"Maybe Rhodes-san might be able to teach me..."
Rob caught the subtext and did what he could to nip it in the bud. "Maybe one of the girls who's sweet on him might. Or he might know of somebody else. But why not ask around the apartment when you get home tonight, before asking somebody from out of town for help?"
Mimi thought about that and didn't reply immediately. But she resolved to call San Antonio as soon as she was home.
And in the back room, two black birds watched intently and kept quiet. Now was not the right time. But soon, they resolved, soon.
Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada
January 20, 2017
7:17 PM
Makoto had saved dinner for Usagi and Rob, which they were eating while discussing what had just happened. "Rob, what did you mean by what you said when you collapsed?"
He looked confused at Usagi's question. "I don't remember saying anything after I took the Charm Buster aimed at Naru, until you brought me around again. What did I say?"
"Something about a big black bird that wanted to eat your heart."
He thought for a moment. "I have no idea why I'd say that."
Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada / Westwoods Apartments, San Antonio, TX, USA
January 20, 2017
9:24 PM ET / 8:24 PM CT
O brave new world, that has such people in't Mimi thought as she looked at Ben on her computer screen. And that has such devices in it, too, she added while looking at the flat-screen monitor with the built-in camera - easily two decades in advance of the systems she was used to - while she told Ben what had happened earlier that day.
"... and then Donaldson-san - Mr. Donaldson - suggested I find somebody to ask about this. And, well, I thought of you, and that offer you made while we were skating together."
Ben didn't expect Mimi to take him up on his offer in this way, but who knew what life threw people's way? And he knew she needed a friend right now. "Alright, Mimi. This isn't going to be an interrogation," he said gently, entering that 'Loving Older Brother' mode that he seemed to be so good at. "You know I'm not here to hurt you, okay?"
Mimi nodded quietly at that.
"Good. Now, just think back to the moment right before you used your magic. What was on your mind just then? What were you thinking?"
She thought for a quick moment. "The first time?" He nodded. "There was a threat, and I had to do something or Naru-san would get hurt. Or worse."
Ben nodded before saying, "I thought as much. Mimi, you don't need to be afraid of yourself. What you did was a very natural reaction. The Witch, Mimete, is gone now. All there is left is Mimi Hanyu. Granted, in a sense, you're back to square one, right before you became one of the Witches Five, which means the darkness inside of you that was used against you is still there. But this is fine. What is really important is what you choose to do. You chose to stop two armed robbers who may have hurt poor Naru-chan, and no more than that. You did it without leaving any lasting harm."
The tears started to well up in Mimi's eyes again. "But if I have that Darkness inside of me... And I do - the second time, I was upset that Naru-san wasn't believing what I was saying... What do I do!? I don't want to let it take over again!"
"You won't," said Ben in a blunt, but not unkind manner. "You have friends now - actual friends that care about you. They miiiiiight care a little too much, but that's just fear doing its thing - which is its own kind of darkness. You see, that's the thing, Mimi. There is darkness in all things. It's unavoidable because true purity is impossible." He then rolled his eyes and said, as an aside, "Really, I had this discussion before with Sakura and Shaorin a little while ago - maybe I ought to start a class or something." Despite herself, Mimi giggled at how Ben said that in such a self-deprecating manner.
Ben smiled and then went on, "But of course, that's no excuse to simply allow yourself to succumb. Instead, what you need to do is meditate on this. And I mean that literally. Do whatever it is that sets your mind at ease and relaxes you enough that you can let your mind wander. Dwell on the negative things in your life with the aim of understanding what it is about them that makes them negative. Think about the things that make you have thoughts that you know are bad. Come to understand yourself.
"Keep in mind, this isn't to purge evil from your soul or anything as silly as that. These are things that are a part of you, and that you will never really understand until you come to accept them as being part of you. Learn who Mimi Hanyu really is. Once you do that, everything becomes so much easier to understand. By knowing what fuels your ostensibly evil thoughts, you can disarm them with rationality and logic. What's more, you may even discover what it is that you truly want that gives rise to these thoughts. And believe me, knowing what you want? That's something not very many people understand about themselves."
Mimi eyed Ben curiously at that. "What about you? What do you want?"
"Family," he said. "The chance to prove that I am nothing at all like my step-father. That I am not what he said I was. That my true nature can be a path of success, even if it takes a while. But most of all? Just family. Because having someone in my life who thinks that I am worthwhile enough for that? That will go a long ways towards vindicating myself."
"Jeeeeze. I am so envious of those two!"
Ben chuckled, knowing exactly what she was talking about. "Give it time, Mimi. Later on, we'll probably both be a lot healthier, and then we can decide if we want a deeper relationship or not."
Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada
January 21, 2017
8:19 AM
As the ending credits of the first episode of the second season of A Certain Magical Index began to play, Touma pressed the "eject" button on the DVD player.
Mimi looked slightly ill. "Did he survive?"
"Yeah, we got him to a hospital in time," Touma replied as he put the disc back in its case.
Index nodded. "He knew what he was doing, he took all the precautions he could, and he still ended up like that after using only one of the Librorum Prohibitorum. Do you still want to learn the 103,000 Librorum Prohibitorum that I memorized?"
After a moment, Mimi shook her head. "Not if that's the price I'd have to pay. That price is too high. How do you cope with knowing all of those grimoires?"
"I never use them. Ever."
"Want to get breakfast?"
Mimi looked at Touma as if he'd grown a second head. "I think I lost my appetite. Besides, I have to go to work now." If only to have an excuse to not have to watch more of that show, she added to herself. But it explains a lot about Touma and Index.
It wasn't until she was at the door to OSA-P that she realized "Index" wasn't her neighbour's name; it was her job description. Mimi resolved to apologize the next time she saw Index... or whatever her name really is.
The Jack's Tower, Ottawa, ON, Canada
January 21, 2017
2:25 PM
"Is this really a tower?" Mimi asked as she looked at the three-storey building nestled amongst other three-storey buildings facing Brewer Park, a few hundred yards from Carleton University.
Mii smiled. "It's a magic thing. Have you ever read a book called 'The Last Continent'?"
"I've never heard of it," Mimi replied as Mii rang the doorbell.
After a quick moment, the door opened to reveal Kate Crackernuts, obviously happy to have visitors. "Mii! Hello! Come in! And who's your friend?"
"This is Mimi Hanyu. Mimi, this is Kate, the wise-woman of the local faerie society."
"I'm happy to meet you, Mimi," Kate said as she took and shook Mimi's hand - much to Mimi's surprise. "Jacky isn't here right now," she added to Mii. "The troll that lives under the bridge across the Rideau Canal near Parliament Hill asked her to take a look at something."
Mii nodded. "Jacky's always busy now; we never see her any more. We came to see you today, Kate."
Kate's smile lit up the room. "Oh! Come on in! I'll make some tea."
"Can we have it in the tower?"
Kate's eyebrow went up. She looked at Mimi, then asked, "What has she told you?"
"About the tower? Nothing."
Kate thought for a moment, then replied, "I'll make the tea, then we can take it up to the tower together. Go pick a cup and saucer from the china cabinet." She gestured to a large cabinet in the dining room visible down the hall.
A few minutes later, Mimi still hadn't chosen a cup. "These are all so pretty, I don't think it would be right to drink out of them."
"Rob-san said that they're here to be used, not to be admired from a distance." Seeing Mimi's puzzled look, Mii added, "Kate's original collection of teacups was destroyed by some slaugh a while ago, out of sheer petty malice. These used to belong to Rob's mother, before she passed away a few years ago. They'd just been sitting in storage before he gave them to Kate and Jacky."
"He says he sold them to me," Kate added from the dining room's doorway. "But he only asked me to pay one dollar for them. Which one do you want to use today?" Kate put the tray holding the teapot, a small bowl filled with slices of lemon, and a plate of shortbreads down on the dining room table, walked over to the china cabinet, and chose a cup and saucer with a pink rose pattern for herself. Mii chose a set with a daffodil pattern, and Mimi, after a moment, chose a plain cup and saucer with gold trim. They all put their cups on the tray, then Kate picked it up and lead the way to the stairs.
"I love the view from the tower," Kate said as she climbed the stairs. "But Mii tells me that she doesn't see it."
"I'm an esper, not a mage, remember? All I see out the window is Brewer Park and the Rideau River."
Kate sighed softly. "And that's a shame. You can't even take in the view. Well, here we are," she said while standing in front of a plain door at the top of the stairs. "Mimi, would you be kind enough to open the door for me, please?"
"Certainly," she answered as she did just that - then gasped at the view out the large windows of the small room behind the door.
Kate grinned. "Do you like it?"
"It's like I'm at the top of the Tokyo Tower! I can see the entire city!" She turned around to see more of the city through windows that she was certain she hadn't seen while looking at the building from the outside.
"Lucky you," Mii muttered... but there was a smile on her face.
Kate put the tray down on the only table in the room, nudging a few books to one side as she did so. "Should I get some chairs?"
"Not for me," Mimi replied as she continued to look out the window.
"I'll stand, too," Mii added.
Kate and Mimi enjoyed their tea as they got to know each other. Finally, Kate said, "If this was just a social call, Mii wouldn't have suggested having tea in the tower. What can the local Wise Woman do for you?" Mimi could hear the capital letters as Kate pronounced them.
"Well, I have a problem with magic."
"What sort?"
"I can't control it. And I don't know enough magic to be able to do anything other than attack people."
Kate frowned. "You're a mage?"
"Yes, and thank you for not calling me a witch."
"I hate to disappoint you, but you probably know more magic than I do, Mimi. All I know is how to use some of the magical items that the last mage of the tower left behind before he passed."
"Oh."
Mii sighed. "I thought for sure you'd be able to help us, Kate."
"I'm sorry. But I can help Mimi in other ways, since she can actually see the view from the tower."
Both of Kate's guests looked surprised at that. "What sort of ways?" Mimi asked.
"It's easier to show you than to tell you." And she spent a quarter hour showing off some of the magical items, including her very smart (and jealous) book that answered questions that Kate asked it, the answers appearing in its pages. "I won't ask you the same questions I've already asked, because there are only so many pages bound between your spines," Kate said to the book. "Right now, I'll only open you and show the answers that you've already given me to my new acquaintance, Mimi." And Kate did so, revealing that there wasn't a teacher of magic to be found anywhere within a hundred kilometers of the Tower.
At that point, Mii cleared her throat. "I have to go; I have a class soon, and we didn't bring the car."
"I'll see you later, then! Mimi, do you want to stay and talk some more?"
Mimi shook her head. "I'd love to, but I really should keep looking for a magic teacher. The spells that I know but can't fully control could hurt people. I'd love to come visit again, though, if I may."
"Any friend of Mii's is a friend of mine; you're always welcome to come visit. But if you have to leave, go get your coat and come back up here."
"Why?"
"You'll see," Kate answered with a grin.
Mimi did so, and saw upon her return that Kate was looking at her book that answered questions. "Thank you, my friend." She smiled as Mimi walked back into the room at the top of the Tower. "Mimi, would you mind giving me your cellphone number?" They traded numbers, and Kate continued, "Thanks. Now, where is it that you want to go? Can you see it from here?"
Mimi walked over to the window farthest from the door. "It's right over there," she pointed.
"Over where?" Kate looked over Mimi's shoulder.
"Right there."
"You're sure you know exactly where it is?"
Mimi was starting to get annoyed... but then realized that the view of her destination was getting clearer. "Oh! Yes, I'm positive."
"Good. Come back soon!"
And Kate pushed Mimi through the window.
"Aaaaah!!!" Mimi stopped shouting in fear when she realized she wasn't falling - instead, she was drifting down to a gentle, two-point landing directly in front of Blossom Apartments. Her cellphone rang. "Hello?"
"Sorry about that," Kate's voice came through the phone, "but that's the traditional way to show somebody our way of getting anywhere in the surrounding area quickly. It's a pain to have to walk back, though."
"You could have just told me."
"Would you have believed me?"
"I am a mage."
"That doesn't answer my question, Mimi. Would you have believed me?"
She thought for a moment. "You're right. I would have wanted to see it for myself. But how did you know I wouldn't just fall three floors and split my head open?"
"My friend told me. His answers are always trustworthy."
"Your... oh, right, the book that answers you. I'm sorry that I couldn't stay and help you wash the dishes, but I had to fly." They both giggled. "Later!" And Mimi hung up the phone as she walked into the building.
to be continued...
January 20, 2017
6:55 PM
"That's ... quite the story," Mayumi finally said.
"I don't know if I believe it," added Naru. "You're only one week old, and there's two of you?"
"If this were play'd upon a stage now, I would condemn it as improbable fiction."
"Who said that?" Usagi asked.
"Mimi did." Usagi shot a dirty look Rob's way. "If you studied English more, you'd know she was quoting a play by Shakespeare."
"I know of Shakespeare, but he didn't write The Tale of Genji, did he?"
Rob chuckled. "Point taken."
"How can you two make jokes right now?" Naru asked, astonished at her best friend's actions.
Usagi smiled slightly, and almost sadly. "We're used to strange things happening to us."
"True," Rob replied, "but the jokes don't help Mimi, do they?"
"You made the first one," muttered Usagi.
"Another point taken." He turned to look directly at Mimi. "In all seriousness, the longer you wait to get your abilities under control, the harder it will be to get them under control, I think. And definitely there'll be a larger chance that you might hurt somebody the longer your power isn't under your control."
Mimi thought for a moment. "You're right. But I just started work here."
"The first few weeks after Christmas are busy, but then business drops off. It's a quiet time in retail right now," Mayumi pointed out. "Give it another week and we'll start getting the Valentine's Day customers in, but we're quiet right now. I can let you work half of next week, then after Valentine's Day you can work half-weeks for a few months."
"Valentine's Day? Not White Day?"
Rob shook his head. "White Day isn't a thing in North America. Valentine's Day is the big romantic day; I expect OSA-P will be selling more engagement rings than usual in the first two weeks of February."
"And then taking some of those rings back the week after," added Mayumi. "Hopefully, not too many."
Rob nodded in understanding as he turned to Mimi. "Since you're only going to be working part-time, I'll keep your rent low. You'll be on the student rate, like Mii-san and Ami-san."
"Thank you," Mimi whispered.
"But in exchange, you have to be a student for the half-weeks that you aren't working. And that means we need to find you a teacher."
"Maybe Rhodes-san might be able to teach me..."
Rob caught the subtext and did what he could to nip it in the bud. "Maybe one of the girls who's sweet on him might. Or he might know of somebody else. But why not ask around the apartment when you get home tonight, before asking somebody from out of town for help?"
Mimi thought about that and didn't reply immediately. But she resolved to call San Antonio as soon as she was home.
And in the back room, two black birds watched intently and kept quiet. Now was not the right time. But soon, they resolved, soon.
Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada
January 20, 2017
7:17 PM
Makoto had saved dinner for Usagi and Rob, which they were eating while discussing what had just happened. "Rob, what did you mean by what you said when you collapsed?"
He looked confused at Usagi's question. "I don't remember saying anything after I took the Charm Buster aimed at Naru, until you brought me around again. What did I say?"
"Something about a big black bird that wanted to eat your heart."
He thought for a moment. "I have no idea why I'd say that."
Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada / Westwoods Apartments, San Antonio, TX, USA
January 20, 2017
9:24 PM ET / 8:24 PM CT
O brave new world, that has such people in't Mimi thought as she looked at Ben on her computer screen. And that has such devices in it, too, she added while looking at the flat-screen monitor with the built-in camera - easily two decades in advance of the systems she was used to - while she told Ben what had happened earlier that day.
"... and then Donaldson-san - Mr. Donaldson - suggested I find somebody to ask about this. And, well, I thought of you, and that offer you made while we were skating together."
Ben didn't expect Mimi to take him up on his offer in this way, but who knew what life threw people's way? And he knew she needed a friend right now. "Alright, Mimi. This isn't going to be an interrogation," he said gently, entering that 'Loving Older Brother' mode that he seemed to be so good at. "You know I'm not here to hurt you, okay?"
Mimi nodded quietly at that.
"Good. Now, just think back to the moment right before you used your magic. What was on your mind just then? What were you thinking?"
She thought for a quick moment. "The first time?" He nodded. "There was a threat, and I had to do something or Naru-san would get hurt. Or worse."
Ben nodded before saying, "I thought as much. Mimi, you don't need to be afraid of yourself. What you did was a very natural reaction. The Witch, Mimete, is gone now. All there is left is Mimi Hanyu. Granted, in a sense, you're back to square one, right before you became one of the Witches Five, which means the darkness inside of you that was used against you is still there. But this is fine. What is really important is what you choose to do. You chose to stop two armed robbers who may have hurt poor Naru-chan, and no more than that. You did it without leaving any lasting harm."
The tears started to well up in Mimi's eyes again. "But if I have that Darkness inside of me... And I do - the second time, I was upset that Naru-san wasn't believing what I was saying... What do I do!? I don't want to let it take over again!"
"You won't," said Ben in a blunt, but not unkind manner. "You have friends now - actual friends that care about you. They miiiiiight care a little too much, but that's just fear doing its thing - which is its own kind of darkness. You see, that's the thing, Mimi. There is darkness in all things. It's unavoidable because true purity is impossible." He then rolled his eyes and said, as an aside, "Really, I had this discussion before with Sakura and Shaorin a little while ago - maybe I ought to start a class or something." Despite herself, Mimi giggled at how Ben said that in such a self-deprecating manner.
Ben smiled and then went on, "But of course, that's no excuse to simply allow yourself to succumb. Instead, what you need to do is meditate on this. And I mean that literally. Do whatever it is that sets your mind at ease and relaxes you enough that you can let your mind wander. Dwell on the negative things in your life with the aim of understanding what it is about them that makes them negative. Think about the things that make you have thoughts that you know are bad. Come to understand yourself.
"Keep in mind, this isn't to purge evil from your soul or anything as silly as that. These are things that are a part of you, and that you will never really understand until you come to accept them as being part of you. Learn who Mimi Hanyu really is. Once you do that, everything becomes so much easier to understand. By knowing what fuels your ostensibly evil thoughts, you can disarm them with rationality and logic. What's more, you may even discover what it is that you truly want that gives rise to these thoughts. And believe me, knowing what you want? That's something not very many people understand about themselves."
Mimi eyed Ben curiously at that. "What about you? What do you want?"
"Family," he said. "The chance to prove that I am nothing at all like my step-father. That I am not what he said I was. That my true nature can be a path of success, even if it takes a while. But most of all? Just family. Because having someone in my life who thinks that I am worthwhile enough for that? That will go a long ways towards vindicating myself."
"Jeeeeze. I am so envious of those two!"
Ben chuckled, knowing exactly what she was talking about. "Give it time, Mimi. Later on, we'll probably both be a lot healthier, and then we can decide if we want a deeper relationship or not."
Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada
January 21, 2017
8:19 AM
As the ending credits of the first episode of the second season of A Certain Magical Index began to play, Touma pressed the "eject" button on the DVD player.
Mimi looked slightly ill. "Did he survive?"
"Yeah, we got him to a hospital in time," Touma replied as he put the disc back in its case.
Index nodded. "He knew what he was doing, he took all the precautions he could, and he still ended up like that after using only one of the Librorum Prohibitorum. Do you still want to learn the 103,000 Librorum Prohibitorum that I memorized?"
After a moment, Mimi shook her head. "Not if that's the price I'd have to pay. That price is too high. How do you cope with knowing all of those grimoires?"
"I never use them. Ever."
"Want to get breakfast?"
Mimi looked at Touma as if he'd grown a second head. "I think I lost my appetite. Besides, I have to go to work now." If only to have an excuse to not have to watch more of that show, she added to herself. But it explains a lot about Touma and Index.
It wasn't until she was at the door to OSA-P that she realized "Index" wasn't her neighbour's name; it was her job description. Mimi resolved to apologize the next time she saw Index... or whatever her name really is.
The Jack's Tower, Ottawa, ON, Canada
January 21, 2017
2:25 PM
"Is this really a tower?" Mimi asked as she looked at the three-storey building nestled amongst other three-storey buildings facing Brewer Park, a few hundred yards from Carleton University.
Mii smiled. "It's a magic thing. Have you ever read a book called 'The Last Continent'?"
"I've never heard of it," Mimi replied as Mii rang the doorbell.
After a quick moment, the door opened to reveal Kate Crackernuts, obviously happy to have visitors. "Mii! Hello! Come in! And who's your friend?"
"This is Mimi Hanyu. Mimi, this is Kate, the wise-woman of the local faerie society."
"I'm happy to meet you, Mimi," Kate said as she took and shook Mimi's hand - much to Mimi's surprise. "Jacky isn't here right now," she added to Mii. "The troll that lives under the bridge across the Rideau Canal near Parliament Hill asked her to take a look at something."
Mii nodded. "Jacky's always busy now; we never see her any more. We came to see you today, Kate."
Kate's smile lit up the room. "Oh! Come on in! I'll make some tea."
"Can we have it in the tower?"
Kate's eyebrow went up. She looked at Mimi, then asked, "What has she told you?"
"About the tower? Nothing."
Kate thought for a moment, then replied, "I'll make the tea, then we can take it up to the tower together. Go pick a cup and saucer from the china cabinet." She gestured to a large cabinet in the dining room visible down the hall.
A few minutes later, Mimi still hadn't chosen a cup. "These are all so pretty, I don't think it would be right to drink out of them."
"Rob-san said that they're here to be used, not to be admired from a distance." Seeing Mimi's puzzled look, Mii added, "Kate's original collection of teacups was destroyed by some slaugh a while ago, out of sheer petty malice. These used to belong to Rob's mother, before she passed away a few years ago. They'd just been sitting in storage before he gave them to Kate and Jacky."
"He says he sold them to me," Kate added from the dining room's doorway. "But he only asked me to pay one dollar for them. Which one do you want to use today?" Kate put the tray holding the teapot, a small bowl filled with slices of lemon, and a plate of shortbreads down on the dining room table, walked over to the china cabinet, and chose a cup and saucer with a pink rose pattern for herself. Mii chose a set with a daffodil pattern, and Mimi, after a moment, chose a plain cup and saucer with gold trim. They all put their cups on the tray, then Kate picked it up and lead the way to the stairs.
"I love the view from the tower," Kate said as she climbed the stairs. "But Mii tells me that she doesn't see it."
"I'm an esper, not a mage, remember? All I see out the window is Brewer Park and the Rideau River."
Kate sighed softly. "And that's a shame. You can't even take in the view. Well, here we are," she said while standing in front of a plain door at the top of the stairs. "Mimi, would you be kind enough to open the door for me, please?"
"Certainly," she answered as she did just that - then gasped at the view out the large windows of the small room behind the door.
Kate grinned. "Do you like it?"
"It's like I'm at the top of the Tokyo Tower! I can see the entire city!" She turned around to see more of the city through windows that she was certain she hadn't seen while looking at the building from the outside.
"Lucky you," Mii muttered... but there was a smile on her face.
Kate put the tray down on the only table in the room, nudging a few books to one side as she did so. "Should I get some chairs?"
"Not for me," Mimi replied as she continued to look out the window.
"I'll stand, too," Mii added.
Kate and Mimi enjoyed their tea as they got to know each other. Finally, Kate said, "If this was just a social call, Mii wouldn't have suggested having tea in the tower. What can the local Wise Woman do for you?" Mimi could hear the capital letters as Kate pronounced them.
"Well, I have a problem with magic."
"What sort?"
"I can't control it. And I don't know enough magic to be able to do anything other than attack people."
Kate frowned. "You're a mage?"
"Yes, and thank you for not calling me a witch."
"I hate to disappoint you, but you probably know more magic than I do, Mimi. All I know is how to use some of the magical items that the last mage of the tower left behind before he passed."
"Oh."
Mii sighed. "I thought for sure you'd be able to help us, Kate."
"I'm sorry. But I can help Mimi in other ways, since she can actually see the view from the tower."
Both of Kate's guests looked surprised at that. "What sort of ways?" Mimi asked.
"It's easier to show you than to tell you." And she spent a quarter hour showing off some of the magical items, including her very smart (and jealous) book that answered questions that Kate asked it, the answers appearing in its pages. "I won't ask you the same questions I've already asked, because there are only so many pages bound between your spines," Kate said to the book. "Right now, I'll only open you and show the answers that you've already given me to my new acquaintance, Mimi." And Kate did so, revealing that there wasn't a teacher of magic to be found anywhere within a hundred kilometers of the Tower.
At that point, Mii cleared her throat. "I have to go; I have a class soon, and we didn't bring the car."
"I'll see you later, then! Mimi, do you want to stay and talk some more?"
Mimi shook her head. "I'd love to, but I really should keep looking for a magic teacher. The spells that I know but can't fully control could hurt people. I'd love to come visit again, though, if I may."
"Any friend of Mii's is a friend of mine; you're always welcome to come visit. But if you have to leave, go get your coat and come back up here."
"Why?"
"You'll see," Kate answered with a grin.
Mimi did so, and saw upon her return that Kate was looking at her book that answered questions. "Thank you, my friend." She smiled as Mimi walked back into the room at the top of the Tower. "Mimi, would you mind giving me your cellphone number?" They traded numbers, and Kate continued, "Thanks. Now, where is it that you want to go? Can you see it from here?"
Mimi walked over to the window farthest from the door. "It's right over there," she pointed.
"Over where?" Kate looked over Mimi's shoulder.
"Right there."
"You're sure you know exactly where it is?"
Mimi was starting to get annoyed... but then realized that the view of her destination was getting clearer. "Oh! Yes, I'm positive."
"Good. Come back soon!"
And Kate pushed Mimi through the window.
"Aaaaah!!!" Mimi stopped shouting in fear when she realized she wasn't falling - instead, she was drifting down to a gentle, two-point landing directly in front of Blossom Apartments. Her cellphone rang. "Hello?"
"Sorry about that," Kate's voice came through the phone, "but that's the traditional way to show somebody our way of getting anywhere in the surrounding area quickly. It's a pain to have to walk back, though."
"You could have just told me."
"Would you have believed me?"
"I am a mage."
"That doesn't answer my question, Mimi. Would you have believed me?"
She thought for a moment. "You're right. I would have wanted to see it for myself. But how did you know I wouldn't just fall three floors and split my head open?"
"My friend told me. His answers are always trustworthy."
"Your... oh, right, the book that answers you. I'm sorry that I couldn't stay and help you wash the dishes, but I had to fly." They both giggled. "Later!" And Mimi hung up the phone as she walked into the building.
to be continued...
--
Rob Kelk
Sticks and stones can break your bones,
But words can break your heart.
- unknown
Rob Kelk
Sticks and stones can break your bones,
But words can break your heart.
- unknown