Interlude: Destined for Joy

The young woman walked slowly around Coruscant's highest level, ambling from corridor to corridor, hardly aware of the downpour that had her drenched to the core. In thick, wet streaks, her short brown hair stuck to her forehead, and her makeup was running in black tracks down her cheeks. She seemed to be wandering aimlessly, but she wasn't; her eventual destination was the Jedi Temple, her home. She was not, however, hurrying.

She had gone out with the intention of taking a long, thoughtful walk. The sudden rain had surprised her, but it hadn't changed her mind. Her soaked dress swung heavily around her knees, and her sandals squished with every step. But she wasn't worried about impressing anyone, and the thought of getting a cold never even entered her head.

"I need to talk to you, Chikako."

She looked up, startled at her own name. She hadn't counted on running into anyone she knew, especially not this person who'd dominated her thoughts for most of the morning. She watched as raindrops darkened the boy's tunic, wondering if he'd meant to meet her here. If so, she wasn't sure what the significance of 'here' was: they were standing in a quiet financial corridor outside a trendy herbal drink bar where a few bankers on their lunch breaks had taken shelter from the rain.

The young man, taller than she was, stared down at her expectantly. He didn't seem annoyed at getting wet, just blinked as raindrops dripped down his pale blonde hair and into his vivid green eyes. Chikako knew she had to react, one way or another.

The problem was, she wasn't prepared for this meeting. She didn't know how to react. The last time she'd seen Xanthus was on Myrkr; he'd kissed her and said "see you tomorrow." That night, his Jedi Master, Cyrus, had tried to kill her. He was convinced she'd stolen the glorious inheritance that was rightfully his; since her birth, he'd been bent on vengeance.

Chikako left Myrkr as soon as she could after that distressing revelation. Some weeks had passed, and Cyrus and Xanthus had not returned to the Jedi Temple. She didn't expect Cyrus to, now that his ambition was known, but she'd hoped his padawan would. She'd hoped that once he found out what his master really was, he would leave him and return to the Jedi... she'd hoped he was innocent of everything Cyrus had done, that he'd never deceived her.

"Chikako."

Xanthus was nearly was wet as she was by this point. She peeked around a juice menu in the window of the sophisticated little bar. It looked safe enough. Cyrus was not around; she could tell through the Force. She stepped towards the door, and it slid open. She had to at least hear Xanthus out, she thought, since walking around in the rain wasn't helping her sort out the situation. The boy at the counter was wearing a shirt bearing the logo of Coruscant North University. He stared uninterestedly at Chikako as she approached the bar, and he fixed her hot tea without acknowledging that she'd asked for it.

The small tables were made of a shiny, black plastic. The chairs matched and they were uncomfortable. Kind of like this conversation, Chikako thought, staring into the little bit of tea at the bottom of her cup. She'd just asked Xanthus why he didn't leave Cyrus and return to the Temple. He had yet to answer.

She watched as he carefully stirred his drink, some healthful concoction of various fruit and vegetable juices. On an ordinary day, she would've asked to taste it. He nodded at the girl wiping tables. She was a pretty humanoid with straight, dark blue bangs and a ponytail. Did they know each other? The girl smiled at him and said, "Hey, you." She was wearing tight, low-riding pants under her apron. Were they good friends? Had they dated? Had they -

"If I go back to the Jedi Temple, Cyrus will kill me," Xanthus said, suddenly looking her in the eye. "Believe me, Chikako. He wouldn't think twice."

"Not with - " She lowered her voice and leaned over the table. "Not with me and the other Senshi around, he wouldn't. Not to mention the other Jedi! Nobody's that powerful."

"He would find a way," he muttered, pushing away his juice.

"So? You take a risk. It's the right thing to do. Besides, 'there is no death; there is the Force,' right?"

He glanced at the table-wiper girl, who was now on the other side of the bar. "You make it sound so simple."

"It isn't?"

"What, you want me to risk my life?"

"You know that's not my point."

"It's just not as cut and dry as you think it is," he said gruffly, pulling his juice towards him again. He looked down at it and sighed. His voice was milder when he next spoke. "I understand what you're saying, Chikako. I just need some time."

She stared at him, trying to read what was behind the pensive expression on his face. "Then why did you want to talk to me today?"

"To tell you that, no matter what, I'm on your side."

She looked down at her hands, folded in her wet lap. "Well," she said softly, "forgive me if I don't believe you." She twisted the pinky ring she had on, not venturing to look at even his reflection in the glossy café table. She abruptly stopped fingering her ring upon realizing it had been a birthday gift from Xanthus.

He stood slowly, setting something on the table as he left. She waited until she heard the door slide open and closed again, and felt his shadow darken the windows slightly as he walked away in the direction she had come. Finally, she lifted her tired blue eyes to see what he'd left her.

"Oh, you poor thing!" Annika squealed, running towards Chikako with a big pink towel. "Why didn't you take an umbrella? Don't you check the weather?" She threw her arms around the shivering girl, wrapping her in an embrace and a towel at the same time.

"I don't really mind the rain," Chikako uttered, though she was grateful for the towel.

"Oh, I love it!" Annika said, guiding her to the nearest couch and urging her down into a faded cushion. Koumi and Yoshiko sat nearby, smiling down at a datapad they were sharing. "But I hate being sick, and - oh no, you're shivering! Yoshiko, go get her some hot chocolate!"

"Yes, your highness," Yoshiko said meekly, jumping out of her seat and even throwing in an exaggerated curtsey. The sarcasm was either lost on or ignored by the Bakuran princess, who'd become quite busy with a blow dryer. Koumi, silently watching the clamor over the wet Senshi, smiled.

"It's okay, Annika," Chikako laughed, trying to regain possession of her hair. "I'm going to go take a hot shower to warm up, anyway. I'll just get it all wet again!"

"Okay... Are you sure?" Annika asked over the sound of the blow dryer, though she'd pretty much relented. Yoshiko returned with the hot chocolate, curtseying every few steps and calling everyone 'milady.' Chikako, wrapped tightly in Annika's fluffy towel, thanked her and took the cup up to her room.

She's not doing so well today, Koumi said through the Force.

"No," Annika sighed, turning off her blow dryer and flopping onto the couch Chikako had just vacated. "Maybe somebody should go talk to her."

Koumi nodded. "Let's give her a minute, then we'll go up together."

Chikako slid open her bedroom door and suddenly remembered she had a roommate. Lily - strangely enigmatic, yet friendly as could be - had shown up on her doorstep as a stranger asking for a ride to Myrkr a few weeks earlier, and she'd been staying in her room since their recent return. As far as she knew, no one had learned anything concrete about where the girl came from or how she'd ended up on Coruscant, though she seemed to be acquainted with nearly everyone living in the Room Behind the Waterfall. The mysterious blonde had a way of making people forget those kinds of questions when she was with them.

As much as she liked Lily, she was glad the only indication of her existence was a shopping bag on the floor and a sweater strewn on the bed. Chikako locked the door behind her and, not even taking time to change her dripping clothes, took out the item Xanthus had left on the table. It was a crystalline flower petal, violet in color, shimmering slightly in the soft light of the overhead glowpanel.

Was it really what it seemed to be? Did Xanthus know what this would do, how it would make her more powerful? He had picked up her locket when she left it at the café months ago... Maybe he'd looked inside and seen the empty spaces in the flower pattern; perhaps he correctly assumed it had something to do with her being a Senshi. But she couldn't imagine Cyrus literally handing power to his archenemy, so perhaps Xanthus was acting on his own. If so... maybe he was on her side.

Chikako clenched her hand over the petal. No. Not until he returned to the Jedi would she even think of trusting him.

"He does not love me," she said aloud, quoting Nom.

>But... She relaxed her fingers. If this petal belonged in her locket, it would be foolish to hesitate. The tiny messenger who'd shown up with the last petal had told her she needed to find all seven petals in order to complete her power and become ready for the "bad things" ahead. Those bad things could probably happen any moment, she realized, and she needed to be prepared.

A fluttery beep told her someone was at the door. "Who is it?" she asked.

"Annika," sang a familiar voice. "And Koumi. Annika and Koumi."

"Come in," Chikako said, using the Force to unlock the door.

"Hey, I thought you were gonna take a shower?" Annika said as she stepped in. Koumi slid the door closed behind them.

"I was about to... in a few minutes."

Koumi peered at her through bright blue eyes, tilting her head slightly. How was your walk this morning?

"Good," she said instantly, knowing full well that Koumi's specialty as a Jedi was mind reading. Chikako she could especially see through, as Koumi herself had provided most of her Jedi training. She surrendered, sinking into the edge of her bed, and opened her hand to hold out the flower petal. "What do you think this is?"

"It looks like one of your flower petals!" Annika said, leaning down over Chikako's hand. "Isn't it?"

"I don't know," she said. "Xanthus gave it to me. He's still with Cyrus..."

Koumi bit her lip. You think it's a trap of some kind?

"I don't know," Chikako repeated.

"There's only one way to find out," Annika said. "Where's your locket?"

"But -"

"Just take out your locket. I'll show you something." Annika walked over to Chikako's desk, where a large purple flower with seven petals was blooming lavishly in a pink pot. The rare plant had been Annika's birthday gift to her, and it had grown and flourished under Chikako's careful care. The pale-haired princess, who had a love of all living things, winced while pulling a petal off. Chikako, watching curiously, flipped open her henshin locket. "They look the same," Annika said, comparing the two loose petals. "Here, try putting it in your locket."

Chikako took the freshly-plucked petal and pressed it into an empty loop. It fit perfectly. Nothing happened. She looked up at Annika.

"Of course nothing would happen," she said. "They're from different flowers! Yours is the only one that has any power. If the petal Xanthus gave you isn't authentic, it won't do anything more than that one did."

"So you think I should try it?"

Koumi shot her a look, giving her answer.

"Yes!" Annika said. "Do it right now."

Do you want us to stay? Koumi asked.

"Oh. Um... you can if you want to, but you don't have to."

Koumi nodded, hearing everything behind the indecisive words. Come on, Annika.

"Ohh," Annika pouted. "All right." She followed the dark-haired Jedi out of the room and slid the door closed behind them.

Chikako looked down at her locket in one hand and the petal in the other. She blew softly on the locket, sending the ordinary flower petal floating down to her carpet and then pressed the new one into its place.

A silver flash of light, and she was no longer alone.

"Hello," the little girl said, hovering over the bed. She had sun-streaked brown hair in two heart-shaped odango and inquisitive dark eyes. But other than her coloring, she looked exactly like Shinnen; even her clothes were the same. They had to be twins.

"Who are you?" Chikako asked.

"I'm Mikomi. When everything is bad, I am a promise of a future bright and filled with peace."

"Are you?" Chikako asked the toddler, smiling at her unusual self-introduction.

"Yes," Mikomi said matter-of-factly. "Because you are destined for joy."

"Destined for joy," she repeated thoughtfully. She remembered some of Shinnen's words. "Is that a promise?"

"Yes," Mikomi nodded. "One you must not doubt." The little girl concentrated for a moment. "I'm sorry," she said, "I don't have as much to say as my sister did - just that I am a promise of a future bright and filled with peace. But when my other sister comes to you, she will talk very much."

Chikako raised her eyebrow, thinking she heard a hint of sympathy in Mikomi's voice as she said this. "When will your other sister come?"

"I don't know." She looked at the half-completed flower in the silver locket. "It's up to you."

"Oh." She followed Mikomi's gaze. "You wouldn't happen to know where the other petals might be, would you?"

The child shrugged. "I only know what you tell me."

Chikako blinked. What?

"You will not learn a new power today," Mikomi continued, ignoring her confusion. "You will be remembering an old one. Ysalamiri Bubbles -"

"Blast," Chikako finished. Memories returned to her: a small child on Myrkr with two short ponytails - herself as the Small Sailor - using that attack on whoever displeased her. "It can't be very powerful," she mused, remembering her victims rolling their eyes and walking away, telling her she was cute, or sending her to bed early.

"Not at home, of course," Mikomi said. "Elsewhere, it has its uses."

"Home?"

"Myrkr."

"Oh," Chikako said, a little mystified.

"I have to go now."

"Okay."

"Bye-bye!"

"Bye..." The child disappeared in the same flash she'd come with, leaving a fading glow behind in the space above the bed, and leaving Chikako alone, wet, and slightly more powerful.

Kalei frowned down at the whitish cubes on his plate. Gingerly, he tried to slide one onto his fork. It flipped over and wiggled for some time, convincing him to consult the chef before taking his first bite of the mysterious substance.

"Of course it's edible!" Lily exclaimed when he asked, laughing over her shoulder as she poured something from a green bottle in the kitchen. She'd shown up at Kalei's apartment at noon with a bag of groceries, planning to make her father's favorite meal. Apparently, this was the first time he'd ever had it. "Try it; I promise you'll love it."

Kalei took a deep breath and assertively stabbed one of the smaller cubes, hoping it wouldn't burst and get all over him. "Hm," he said, chewing carefully. "Strange texture... but it is pretty tasty."

"Good," Lily said, sitting down with her own plate.

"How's Chikako?" Kalei asked.

"Fine. She's still a little down - understandably - but she'll be all right."

He nodded, taking another bite. He and Chikako had enjoyed peace for a short time; but once they were safe on Priire's ship, heading back to Coruscant, their relationship plummeted back to "normal." But worse: on top of their spats, Chikako now seemed to be purposely distancing herself from him. Lily claimed that Kalei was being paranoid, but nothing changed the fact that Chikako hadn't said a word to him since landing at the capital.

"Why don't you come back to the Temple with me?" Lily said, watching his expressions closely. "Of course she won't talk to you if you're never in the same room, and I doubt you'll ever get her to commute all the way out to this silly apartment."

"You do."

"I have ulterior motives," Lily said, glancing at a shopping bag near the door. "Rukh Itarrie's is as stubborn as you are."

"See? The most renowned department store in the Republic isn't willing to shell out the rent for a more central location, and neither am I."

"Are you coming to the Temple or what?"

"Fine," Kalei said, scraping his last bite off the plate. "But is there any more of this?"

Xanthus leaned against the doorframe, eating a bowl of salad. He had one foot in the kitchen of the tiny apartment, and the other in the bedroom. "I have to go back to the Temple," he said.

Cyrus glanced up at him and then back down at the datapad he was writing on. "They're not going to let you come back to the Temple."

"They would never let you back," he said, "but if they'll believe I didn't know about... everything, and that I left you and returned to them when I found out..."

"Why do you need to go back? What do we gain from them believing you innocent?"

"How else do you plan on getting to Chikako?"

Cyrus laughed shortly. "What makes you think she would have anything to do with you now?"

Xanthus didn't answer and downed a few bites of salad before turning back to him. "Master, I found a flower petal on Myrkr, right before we left."

"What kind of flower petal?"

"The kind she has in her locket."

Cyrus's face suddenly turned from annoyed to grave. "Let me see it."

A wave of dizzy queasiness washed over Xanthus at his master's demand. He saw he was running the risk of making Cyrus very angry, but there was nothing to say but the truth. "I don't have it. She does."

"You saw her?!" Cyrus bellowed, dropping his datapad.

"Yes, Master."

"And you gave her the petal?"

"It seemed like the only way to make her believe I didn't know about... everything."

"And did it work?" Cyrus snapped, raising his clenched fist. When Xanthus hesitated, he sent him a bolt of Force energy, literally flooring him.

Xanthus pulled himself to his knees, hastily recovering his dish. "She won't trust me unless I go back to the Temple, Master," he panted.

Cyrus clamped his teeth and stared at his padawan, who in turn stared into his salad bowl. "I don't know how those petals work, Xanthus, but if you ever find another one -" He put his hand on his chest. "- give it to ME. If your plan doesn't work - and frankly, I doubt it will - we gain nothing by making her more powerful, especially if the power could've been ours."

"Yes, Master."

"And from now on, Xanthus, do nothing without my knowledge and approval. Nothing."

Xanthus nodded, slowly rising to his feet. "Understood, Master."

"Have there been any other events since our return to Coruscant that I should know about?"

"No, sir."

"Anything about our last days on Myrkr that you neglected to tell me?"

"Absolutely not," Xanthus replied instantaneously, shaking his head. "No, sir."

Cyrus narrowed his eyes at him, not removing his gaze until Xanthus fumbled his fork and it clamored to the floor, taking some shreds of lettuce with it.

Chikako stepped out of the shower and pulled on her bathrobe. She could sense Annika and Koumi outside, wondering what had happened with the petal. She slid the door open. "The petal was genuine," she said before they could ask. "I met Mikomi. She said I'm destined for joy."

"Wow! That's great!" Annika exclaimed, stepping in. "Hear that, Koumi?"

Yes. Koumi closed the door.

Annika leaned over to pick up the petal that had come from Chikako's houseplant. It had already gotten flaccid and faded in color, in contrast with the petals of the enchanted flower in Chikako's locket. They remained as vivid as their first day in bloom - centuries ago in the King's garden on Myrkr. "How was your shower?" she asked. "Are you feeling better?"

"Oh yes," Chikako said. She smiled, touching her pink cheeks, flushed warm from the hot chocolate and the tepid shower water. The door beeped its warning before sliding open again.

"Hi guys!" Lily said, carrying and awkward package in one hand and a Rukh Itarrie's shopping bag in the other. "Annika and Koumi, do you know Kalei?" When they shook their heads, she proceeded with introductions; she then stood back and assessed the situation while they exchanged pleasantries. When they finished, she approached Annika. "Do you think I could talk to you outside for a minute?" she asked in a low voice.

"Sure!" Annika said.

"Great." She dropped her shopping bag and handed the package to Kalei. "Koumi, will you join us?"

The quiet Senshi hesitated, then assented with a short nod and followed the girls out of the room.

Chikako stood confounded, staring at the door Lily had just slid closed. She was suddenly very aware of her bathrobe.

"So how's it going?" Kalei asked, finding lots of interesting things on the floor to stare at.

"Fine," Chikako said. "Will you excuse me for a moment?"

Kalei nodded as she closed herself in the bathroom. Now that he was alone in her room, he looked around freely. Not surprising, all of her décor was tied together by its floral theme, though not a single pattern matched. The ceiling was painted like the sky, and the carpet was grass green, stitched with tiny violets. A beautiful tapestry hung on one wall, and snapshots of her Senshi friends covered another. He noticed a pearly picture frame on her dresser; she and Xanthus grinned at the camera Chikako apparently held. He immediately dropped his eyes to a pink velvet box next to the frame. Glancing at the bathroom door, he flipped it open. What, in the name of the Republic, did any girl need so many barrettes for? He glanced at the bathroom door and flipped open the box next to that: a glossy, beautifully-molded black one. He jumped when a holovid started playing, and the tiny holographs of Koumi and Chikako practiced lightsaber technique inside the box. He let himself watch for just a moment before gently closing it, nervously watching the door.

There were cut flowers - simple daisies, purple and yellow - in a vase on her nightstand; it was otherwise littered with earrings and similar shiny trinkets. A paper journal was open on her pillow. Kalei's conscience wouldn't let him step close enough to see any of the words, but he could make out the lazy doodles of hearts, stars, and flowers that filled the margins.

Chikako's desk was home to several potted plants and more picture frames. The largest was a professional portrait of Maiko in a shimmering dance costume, with a small snapshot of the two girls in berryad uniforms stuck in the frame's edge. There was another holocube nearby, but Kalei didn't dare play it. Happily, though, it was labeled in a bubbly, feminine script he suspected belonged to Maiko: "Mai-Mai's year-end recital, Alderaan United University of Dance. I love you, Chika-chan!"

There was a picture book open on the desk: on the left page was a photograph of a land-speeder fuel station, out of place in a dusty, barren village. The attendant, wearing his full native dress - which included feather-covered boots - stood proudly near one of his fuel pumps. On the opposite page, a woman with matted purple hair and a baby stood naked in a muddy river, staring right into the camera. The pictures were captioned in a language he'd never seen. Kalei lifted the book to peek at the brightly-colored calendar it was laying on; he smiled when he saw that it featured the most intriguing celebrities of Republic pop culture: who else but the elusive Sailor Jedi?

He had just moved towards the bookshelf when the bathroom door creaked open. Chikako emerged, wearing proper clothes, with her wet hair combed straight, except for the ends flipping up as usual. Kalei couldn't help but find it ironic that she seemed so much more comfortable now in a halter top and short skirt than she had in her rather modest bathrobe. "Now that I'm fully dressed," she said, continuing to perplex Kalei, "how are you doing today?"

"All right," he said. She acknowledged his answer and looked at the door, willing Lily, Annika, and Koumi to come back through. "Nice tapestry," he said, fishing for conversation.

"Xarae made it," Chikako said. Her eyes fell on the oblong package in Kalei's arms.

"Oh!" he said suddenly, holding it out to her. "This is for you. Lily picked it out on our way here."

She blinked and took it. Setting it on the bed, she ripped the paper from the bottom up, lifting out a clay pot. The plant had variegated green leaves and several tightly-closed buds, each a different color. "Riosia," she read from the tag stuck in the dirt. "I've never heard of it."

"It's some kind of Nimictian plant," Kalei said. "Lily called it 'Burst-Blossom'."

"Oh!" Chikako exclaimed, immediately finding out why, as a bright yellow bud suddenly exploded into a round, fully-expanded blossom, wearing a crown of petals with a straw-like texture. It looked like a tiny sun and filled the air with its soft, sweet perfume. "Cool!" she said, kneeling down to get a closer look. "It's so pretty!" She smiled up at Kalei.

He smiled back, delighting in her unguarded joy, and knelt beside her. He delicately touched the new flower. As he pulled his hand away, another flower burst open. "Ahh!" Chikako giggled. "This could entertain me for hours!"

Just then, the door slid open, and Lily led Yukiko in. The blue-eyed Princess of Hoth nodded politely at Kalei before speaking. "Chikako," she said softly. "Xanthus has returned to the Temple."

"He's here?" She used the bed to push herself up, looking eagerly at Yukiko; Kalei steadied the plant before it toppled off the corner of the mattress and spilled all its soil on her carpet.

"He's with Councilor Windu right now."

Chikako nodded, already heading out the door. "I'll wait for him."

Yukiko followed her out, leaving Kalei to gaze after them and then rest his head on the edge of the bed once they'd disappeared down the hallway. Another flower erupted into sudden bloom. Lily watched him from the doorway. She felt ill-equipped to comfort her future father. Koumi stepped back into the room and stood next to Lily, perceiving her feelings. She gave her a faint smile, knowing it'd be infinitely comforting for Lily just to know someone understood her.

Annika, too, slipped in silently, but didn't linger by the door. Instead, she marched over to the bed and sat down. She had no words for Kalei, either; but she did have a soft squeeze for his arm and a kiss for his cheek.

Xanthus's long meeting with Councilor Windu had exhausted him, but he was pleased with the outcome. Though it would be strange without Cyrus, he was happy to be back at the Temple. It had always been his home.

When he reached his quarters, he was surprised and pleased to find Chikako waiting outside his door. She'd been sitting on the floor with her knees drawn up to her chin, but got to her feet as soon as he came into view.

"You're back," she said cautiously.

"Yeah," he said, venturing a smile. "I told you I was on your side."

Chikako nodded her head, staring at his feet. He lightly tipped her chin up so that she'd look into his eyes. She stretched up on her tiptoes, rising the inches it took to meet Xanthus's lips with her own.

Annika took her towel when she left Chikako's room that evening. She knew her too well to think she'd get it back if she didn't take it upon herself to make sure. When she got to her own quarters, she carefully folded it over a silver bar to dry. She pulled her long tresses out of the perpetual odango she kept so tightly wrapped, and as she shook out the silvery pink waves, the ends tickled her feet.

Koumi laid down flat on her back, closing her eyes to the ceiling. She dreamt of visiting a farm that night; her sister led her through the barn out to a vast field of trembling white flowers. "Each one is really a glittering star," Renako whispered in her ear.

After Kalei left, Lily carried the Burst-Blossom plant over to Chikako's desk. She sat down and flipped through the picture book. When she found her favorite photograph, she left it open to that page. A violet-skinned bride in an ornate turquoise gown was laughing as two bridesmaids twisted her hair into dozens of thin braids. A third bridesmaid fed dark red berries to the others as they worked.

Yoshiko fell asleep twenty minutes into a movie about Corellian gangsters trying to make it as Bosses on Coruscant without getting shot by each other's men - or their own. It was Peetie's favorite.

Cyrus vacantly stared at a sock Xanthus had left behind on the floor. He knew it wasn't his; he wasn't the one who had the habit of wearing them inside out, getting both sides dirty. He shifted his gaze to his empty cup and watched as the teabag slowly dried out in the bottom.

Kalei sat down with a blank sheet of paper and a black marker. In large block letters, he printed three words: NABOO; KASHYYYK; YAVIN IV. He capped his marker and neatly folded the paper, pushed it into an envelope, sealed it and addressed it to Chikako. When he went to bed, he turned off all the lights but the dim one in the hallway, and left the letter at the center of his otherwise-empty kitchen table.

Xanthus let his eyes close on the blurred, glowing green digits of his clock, and his consciousness immediately wandered into delirium while sleep took hold of his body. He forced his eyes back open and tried to go over what he was going to do tomorrow, but soon gave up and closed them again, letting the night dreams come. His bed had never seemed so comfortable.

Chikako pulled a soft blanket up to her chin, and realized she was smiling but couldn't remember exactly why. She tried to retrace her thoughts back to the pleasant one. A ventilation fan ticked lightly out in the corridor, muffled by a few thin walls. A man shouted; he was answered by a hearty laugh from the other direction, then their footsteps quickly faded. She idly twirled her necklace around her finger in the dark, counting how many twists she could put in the silver chain before it got too tight and pinched her skin. It was a risky habit if she wanted her necklace to last, but it hadn't broken yet.