“There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build…”

Sofia sat with her head tilted slightly to the side, her hands clasped gently within the folds of her black, laced dress. Made for only one disheartening reason, it was the second time Sofia had used this dress in the last month. Understandably, she had grown to despise it. Her right shoulder was wrapped in a dark bandage which had kept the entirety of her right arm immobile throughout the ceremony. Beside her, also dressed in black, sat her eldest brother, Takatori Hirofumi. Beside him, Persia.

“What now is has already been; what is to be, already is; and God restores what would otherwise be displaced. And still, under the sun, in the judgment place I saw wickedness, and in the seat of justice, iniquity.”

The church had been picked out by Hirofumi, so had the ministers, and the text used by the priest. He had insisted that Sofia walk on his arm through the church during the opening ceremony. He had organized where the film crew would sit during the service, where the reporters would sit, when and how long they would be able to talk afterward. The music, hymens, and flowers used had all been his decision as well. Sofia, on the other hand, had been pushed out of the preparations. Hirofumi had even written the eulogy, of which lay curled up between her cupped hands, that she would present later. Hirofumi had taken it upon himself to exclude her in everything. He thought it was the brotherly thing to do.

At that moment, as Sofia sat front row center at her father’s funeral, she had been reduced to nothing but an empty shell. Her hair was pinned and twisted up perfectly, her dress pressed and cleaned. She looked beautifully sad, poignantly wistful. The paparazzi would have a field day with her later on.

“And I said to myself, both the just and the wicked God will judge, since there is a time for every affair and on every work a judgment. I said to myself: As for the children of men, it is God's way of testing them and of showing that they are in themselves like beasts.”

The cathedral Hirofumi picked was lovely. Despite her upbringing, Sofia never saw herself as particularly religious, but she was happy that Hiro had opted for a Christian service. Though a far cry from the ornate, largely elaborate nave of Saint Peters Cathedral, the Tokyo Union Church, with its detailed stained-glass windows and granite carvings, seemed quaint and charming enough to host her father’s memorial service.

Though, if at all possible, Sofia would have longed for his funeral to be in the Vatican like her mother’s.

Below, the center carpet held urns of vined orchids against each pew. Sofia even had some buds clipped within her hair. Further up, heightened by the stage, lay the closed casket of Reiji Takatori, it’s wooden face made up with vases of violet Belladonna and Myrtle.

Much to Hirofumi’s dismay, the casket had remained closed. Apparently, the damage to Reiji’s face had been extensive. So much so that an open-lid presentation was pungently refused.

“For the lot of man and of beast is one lot; the one dies as well as the other. Both have the same life-breath, and man has no advantage over the beast; but all is vanity. Both go to the same place; both were made from the dust, and to the dust they both return.”

Mozart’s Requiem was being orchestrated in the organ loft near the back. The chancel, dressed in rich, satin robes with gold tassels, softly sang the Latin verses while the priest continued his sermon. Sofia, through much of the service, had kept her head down, lips tightly pressed together. She looked up only when the empty chair beside her had been filled and then, only for a few seconds. Brad Crawford had glanced over at her, the smell of pine and cologne on his body, and nodded politely.

She simply ignored it.

“And I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to rejoice in his work; for this is his lot. Who will let him see what is to come after him?”

A hand reached over and gently touched Sofia’s arm. With a soft rub, it let go, and Sofia watched her brother stand and near the plinth. He looked like a younger version of her father as he cleared his throat and adjusted his tie. With both hands patting the wooden podium, he sighed and spoke.

“I,” Here’s the pause for effect, and Sofia couldn’t help but narrow her eyes. “Stand before you today as the representative of a family in grief. We are all united not only in our desire to pay our respects to my father but rather in our need to do so…”

Sofia, quite bored at hearing this distinct speech again, slowly glanced over to her left. Something had caught her eye, or rather, her nose. Crawford sat beside her, his arms folded loosely across his chest. Black hair hung over his eyes and the shadow caste reached down towards the edge of his lips. A bible lay in his lap, unopened, untouched. Slowly, Sofia leaned towards him, her chin tilted up. There it was. Beneath the sensual aroma of cologne and evergreen was the faint, metallic smell of…

“Daijobu, Takatori-san?”

She looked up into Crawford’s ocher eyes and quickly leaned back in her seat. Shaking her head, she fixed her stare on her brother, only to realize he was motioning towards her. Clutching the paper within her free hand, Sofia stood and, as with only the style and grace of one who has lost so much could, took the stand in place of her brother. For a moment, she looked out among the mass of attendees and realized that amid the hundreds, she knew but a few. Hirofumi’s dark eyes caught hers suddenly, she nodded gently and unraveled the script.

It has been said that the loss of a parent is one of life's most traumatic events. I now know the truth of that very statement. As the youngest of his three children, I have grown up with a father whose mind and heart have always been dedicated to his family. The love he’s shown me, the care and affection that he had always blessed me --

Lies, She suddenly thought , her hands trembling, None of this is true.

“It has been said that…” She started as she leaned her weight uncomfortably on one leg. Hirofumi turned his head up towards her, nodding. “the loss of a parent is one of life’s most traumatic events.”

She could hear the faint, wispy sound of sniffling throughout the church every time the speakers cut the echo of her voice.

Who would ever cry?

She abruptly decided that she would not lie for her brother. Her father, though dear to her in some warped, callous way, did not deserve the praise he had been getting this evening.

“I now know the truth of that very statement.” Her courage rose; her voice strengthened. The sheet was pushed to the side; She barely glanced down at it. “As the youngest of his three children, I have…

She would find a perfect moment and change her eulogy--

The congregation had thought the young, heartbroken young woman up on stage had stopped because of the overwhelming emotion coursing through her. Many lowered their heads further, patting away the tears they had been trying to suppress. It was a shame really, seeing such a beautiful child falter at her father’s funeral.

You’ll grow up brilliantly strong, and one day you’ll have to protect him from the mistakes of his past.

Sofia’s breath caught in her throat. She stood there, silent, and watched the dozen of faces glance up at her in empathy. Even her brother, who, deep down, cared not about any misery that had been bestowed upon her these last few days, tried to comfort her with a reassuring nod.

You will have to protect your father. Lie for him…

“I..I have grown up with a father whose mind and heart have always been dedicated to his family.” She pushed herself forward, even though tears threatened to slip down her cheeks. She no longer cared that she was lying. This eulogy was not for her father anymore… “The love he’s shown me, the care and affection that he had always blessed me with has helped me grow up stronger, smarter, better...”

“Set us straight, Takatori Hirofumi-sama, is it true that you will take over Takatori Incorporated now that your father is deceased?”

A camera bulb flashed.

“Yes, that rumor is correct. The family business has been handed down to me by his last Will and Testament. The rebuilding of the collapsed tower will begin soon…”

The sun that morning was uncommonly bright. Sofia stood beside her brother and the American, one hand gently touching her wounded arm as she tried to wince away the sunshine. The squinting worked, of course, but she had a sneaking suspicion that in each picture taken, she would appear wretched and grouch-like.

“Sofia-sama, now that your father is gone, what will you do?”

A crowd of those leaving and those blocking the way had accumulated on the church grounds. The brunette found herself behind pushed backward by the crowd as they hurried past. She felt a hand touch her shoulder, holding her still as she replied.

“I will help out whenever Hirofumi-oniisan needs me,” This answer, she knew, had been rehearsed beforehand. “But at the moment, my real wish is to get married.”

A wall of light hit her then. She realized that the smile she just flashed, however fake it was, had riled up the press’s appetite for information.

“Is there anyone special in your life that you have in mind, Sofia-sama?”

“Well--,” She was accidentally shoved forward again, this time with her wounded shoulder taking the impact. She winced and felt a wave of adrenaline surge through her limbs. They buckled slightly but, once again, she was supported by someone behind her. “No, no one at this time. I leave that decision up to my brother.”

“And who do you think he’ll cho--”

“I’m sorry, but Sofia-sama is very weak from her injuries.” Crawford appeared behind her, his hand the one placed protectively around her shoulders. “That will be all for now.

Instantly, there came an uproar of exasperation from the crowd. One reporter reached forward to touch her, another took snapped a picture mere inches from her face. Together with the blazing sun, the pain from her arm, and the stress from being in such close proximity to the paparazzi, Sofia could feel the blood flushing from her face. She quickly reached a hand up to her forehead, covering her eyes as they rolled backwards. When she fell, and, to add, she did try to faint in the most delicate and graceful manner possible, Crawford was there to catch her in his arms. He moved her away from the scene quickly, successfully dodging another group of cameramen on the way to the street. Shielding her presence with the side of his coat, the two neared the sidewalk.

Sofia’s eyes fluttered open at the light smell. She found herself at the edge of the curb, resting against the warm side of a black limousine.

“Ojou-sama?”

“I’m fine.”

“Yokatta.” Crawford said, reaching out a hand to unlatch the car door. It unlocked easily and, as it opened, an inviting breeze of cool air kissed Sofia’s warmed skin. “Well, I guess this is the last time we’ll see each other then.”

Sofia, her eyes narrowed at the American, touched the edge of the door for balance. With her head tilted towards the ground, her eyes fixed on the black shine of his expensive shoe, she spoke.

“Ssank you,” Her America accent was rusty, but she knew enough of the language from Marie to show her appreciation. Perhaps she had been wrong about the American. Perhaps this entire time she had tried to find fault in places where kindness was the only resident. Her bow to him was clumsy and uneven, but it got the message across. “I am very sorry that you lost your job.”

“There are others.” Crawford extended an arm towards the interior of the limo, motioning her in. His voice sounded gentle, almost like he had finished smiling. “If Hirofumi-san ever needs a bodyguard, make sure you put a good word in for me.”

“Is that a joke?” She picked up the helm of her skirt with her hand, and took a step into the backseat. For the first time in a while, she picked her gaze up and studied his face. She could see no underlying plan of destruction, no scheming, nothing devious or underhanded. He was handsome, yet boring, dark featured yet oddly pale. She had figured, in some way, that it was his fault her father was no longer with her. She couldn’t help but quell that feeling. She had seen the face, the eyes, the merciless intentions of Reiji’s murder. There was no way anyone could have saved him. Bodyguard or not. “Are you going back to America?”

“I may stick around Shibuya for a bit.”

“Oh,” She sat and nodded. “I wish you well.”

“I’m very sorry about your father, Ojou-sama.” Crawford replied softly, leaning down to make eye contact with her. He was startled to find another woman seated beside her.

“Arigatou gozaimasu.” She lipped her right leg into the car and rested her extended hand in her lap. “Take care, Mr. Crawford.”

“Genki da.” Crawford nodded and stepped back from the vehicle, shutting the door in the process. Sofia, watching him through the tinted windows, heard him tap on the roof twice and move up onto the sidewalk. The limo’s engine immediately hummed to life and Sofia found herself arching her neck to watch the American shrink into the distance.

“I know I shouldn’t have come,” Said a recognizable voice suddenly, “but I thought you might need some emotional support. I guess I was wrong.”

“In the contract, my father listed me as something that Crawford should protect as well.” Sofia leaned back against the plush seats and closed her eyes. The medication she had taken earlier to quell the pain was not only nauseating, it had exhausted her as well. “It’s his job, Estelle.”

“Sooka.”

The brunette felt a shift in the seat. A warmth touched her entire right side, and she instantly leaned sideways. An arm wrapped behind her neck, the elbow resting gently on the top of her shoulder. Fingers touched the crown of her head and she felt the woman’s chest expand with a sigh.

“First Masafumi, now Reiji,” Estelle hummed and shook her head in dissent. “It seems like an empire has toppled, doesn’t it? Even his secretary died in the fire…”

Sofia’s eyes sprang open.

“Elise was killed?” She asked, lifting her cheek from Estelle’s body. “You know that for a fact?”

“It was on the news a few hours ago.” The blond explained as the limo stopped at an intersection. The soothing vibrations of the car caused Sofia to tilt her head to the side. “They found another body in the stairwell. Elise Karen’s ID card was found near it.”

“Was there a positive identification?” Sofia closed her eyes again, patting her upset stomach with shaking hands.

“The body was too burnt to ID it at the scene, but the police believe its her.”

She’s dead, There was a twisted sadness building within Sofia. She hadn’t gotten a chance to revenge what had happened to her father. The opportunity to stain her hands had been taken away from her. All her anger, all her sadness and fury now had no outlet--

“Sofia?”

“Hai?” Estelle’s hand rested against the side of her head, entangled in ringlets of russet gold.

“How did it go?”

Horrible. Sofia inhaled deeply. The smell of rose wafted towards her nose. I lied for him.

“Good.” She managed to say, her strength quickly leaving her. “You missed one hell of an eulogy.”

“Ah, I’m sorry I missed it, musume.”

“This time, I said exactly what I was told to.”

“That’s not like you.” Estelle abruptly laughed. Gasping, she brought her hand over her mouth, glancing down apologetically. She was surprised to see that Sofia too, had a smile on her face.

“I was going to tell the truth.” The brunette started as she played with the black helm of her dress. “But something my mother said a long time ago forced me not too. The last thing I think she ever wanted to hear was her own daughter badmouthing her husband.”

“She had a lot of pride for the family name?”

“She had dignity.” Sofia couldn’t help but chuckle. “She knew Reiji never loved her, but she supported him as long as she could.”

“I see now where her daughter gets her loyalty from.”

“I can’t picture her anymore.” Sofia’s tone hadn’t saddened, but there was a tangible hint of dismayed nostalgia in her voice. “I can’t hear her either. When I try to remember what she looked like, I see someone else. Whenever I hear her speak, I know that isn’t what she sounded like.”

“Do you at least see someone that you care about when you try to picture her?”

Sofia looked up at Estelle. Her tight curls of white gold hung loosely around her pale face. Two eyes, one the color of the sky, the other of ivy, gently fixed their gaze upon her.

“I do.”

“Arigato.”

As the taxi’s automatic door unlocked, Autumn stepped out onto the concrete sidewalks of Tokyo City. Armed with an oversized handbag, black Nikes and a scheduled prescription pickup for Palladone, the redhead scanned the crowded, noisy streets for something she had undoubtedly misplaced.

“Pacard?”

“Right behind you.” A hand reached out and touched Autumn’s shoulder, shaking it with unbridled enthusiasm. Autumn turned and, upon being pulled in from the curb, looked up into two mercury tinted orbs. Marie smiled down at her, taking her hand earnestly and pulling her along with the crowd.

“Do you even know which way yer goin’”?

“No.”

The sun was shining brilliantly along the Koen Dori. For shade, the two woman would sneak under the various food stands as they passed by, savoring the warm smell of omu rice, gyuudon, and baked manjuu. Together with the hot bursts of spicy steam, the sound of laughter and musical chatter filled the air. The two foreigners, though versed in Japanese culture, walked through the streets leisurely, the evident glances of locals lining their path.

“Like I was saying in the taxi, I wish we had been invited to the funeral.” Marie voiced a few seconds later, her hand patting the hat she had worn that morning to shade her eyes. She smiled at one mother walking past her, only to have that woman lower her head and continue on with her child. “The Takatori’s have a lot of money. I bet it was really fancy.”

“How the fuck would that have helped any?” The redhead replied vehemently. She glanced down at the slip of paper in her hand, then up at the street signs lining the curbs. They had another street to go before they made a left…she guessed. “I bet the press there was insane.”

Marie nodded, a slight supportive hum coming from deep in her throat.

“Besides, the last thing Kritiker needs is for our picture to be taken together with Sofia.” Autumn explained. She took the lead, calling back to Marie when she spoke.

“We couldn’t have just said we were all friends?”

“Its not that simple.” Autumn pointed. “Take this next left.”

“At least her brother was with her in case she collapsed or anything.” The two started down a less crowded, store-lined area of downtown Shibuya. Marie bit the side of her cheeks as she continued. “She’s been doing that a lot lately.”

“It’s the medication she’s taking.” Autumn waved the prescription in front of the brunette’s face. Before she could retract her arm, Marie jokingly snatched it away. “Estelle said that it thinned out her blood too much. That’s why we’re getting a smaller dosage.”

“Twelve milligrams.” Marie nodded her head, flipped the paper over, then flipped it back. She turned around and skipped backward in an attempt to keep eye contact with her the redhead. “How much was she taking before?”

“Twenty-four.”

“Oy.”

It came at that point, with Marie’s blindingly making her way down town and Autumn loudly expressing her opposition to the brunette’s actions, that the two woman unknowingly happened past a small, desolate shop by the name of ‘Koneko no Sumu Ie’. Though they had both walked this road many times in the past, be it to buy groceries, snacks, or the like, neither had particularly paid the shop attention. For one, it specialized solely in flowers, not much else. Of course, it sold a few pieces of pottery and fertilized soil when in stock, but only on particularly profitable days. Flowers were what Koneko no Sumu Ie specialized in. Mostly, typically, generally flowers.

Oh, and for two, well, neither Marie or Autumn had ever really cared to buy any flowers.

“What do you want to do over vacation?” Marie asked, clapping her hands in front of her chest as she continued walking in reverse. “We have a whole month to do what we please, we should make some plans.”

“Lets go to the beach.” Autumn posed, her eyes widening in excitement despite herself. “Even though Sofia may not be able to go into the water because of her cast, she’ll still have fun sunbathing.”

“She’ll be really dark though.” Marie arched her head towards the sky, thinking. “She’ll look like a ganguro.”

“We have sun block.” The redhead replied sarcastically, her fingers shaking before her face. She then crossed her arms and took a deep breath. “We can go see some--”

“Movies!” Marie pressed the tips of her fingers to her mouth, smiling wildly. “When was the last time we actually got to see a movie?”

“Too long ago.”

“The sequal to Azumi is out…”

“With Oguri Shun?”

Once again, with both so deeply into their own world, neither girl noticed the two men standing outside the Koneko no Sumi Ie. Why would they? Both men had their backs towards the street, neither were paying much attention to anything other then work. One, with arms filled with pink alyssum and scarlet celosia, piled the trays against a wide, flat-bedded cart. The other wiped down the exterior windows with a cleaner that left a few too many streaks.

“Shinjuku” Autumn suddenly voiced, her enthusiasm getting away from her. “We definitely have to stop by the bridge this summer.”

“Lets dress up too!” Marie stuck her hands in her jean pockets, shrugging her shoulders up towards her neck as she continued backwards. “I have this little lolita number in my closet that I’ve been meaning to try out.”

“There’s a concert at the end of the month with GacktJOB. I bet Sofia would love to see that.”

“Would she?” The brunette asked, smiling to herself. “It would be nice to see her enjoying herself once in a while.”

“Wanna go on a trip?”

“As in leave Shibuya?”

“Yeah, why not?”

A fine mist of water sprayed onto the street as one of the men started to water a carton of peach geraniums. His partner, visually upset about the streaks coating the store-front window, let the bottle of Windex fall angrily from his hand. He turned, instead, and lifted a container of orange impatiens to load onto the back of the cart. The taller of the two, with a cigarette pressed to his lips, stepped out into the sidewalk to marvel at his packing skills.

“But Estelle might need us here.” Marie said, her lips arching down into a slight frown. A finger tapped against her chin, and she shook her head in disagreement. “I don’t know…”

“She has Persia and Weiß.” The reassuring fact caused Marie to loosen her scowl. Instead, she nodded and scrunched up her nose.

“Yes yes, she had Weiß.” A pause. She stopped walking as fast. “Ya know, we still haven’t met them.”

“Do you really fuckin’ want to?”

“Kinda--”

Marie, at first, thought that she had run into a sapling tree, or one of the various merchandise stands the lined the streets during the mid-evening. And so, when the object buckled under her weight, she winced fervently, her eyes narrowing in embarrassment even before she had a chance to turn around. Autumn, who had seen the impact in her mind seconds before it happened, made a failed attempt to grab the brunette out of the way. That action, and the physics that one would encounter while wearing heels, was a bit too much for Marie. She completely lost her footing, her arm waved out to the side, and she started to tumble backwards.

That sapling, or perhaps one of the various merchandise stands lining the streets, somehow caught her before she hit the ground.

“Sumimasen, miss--”

Marie turned, only to look up into the effervescent eyes of a tall blond. He, too, paused, a smile the only thing that was able to form on his lips.

“Gomen nasai!” Marie immediately pushed away from him and cupped her hands in her lap. She bowed deeply and caught the smell of blue Salvia on her way down. “I should have been watching where I was going.”

“Actually,” The man slowly took the cigarette out from between his lips. “I’m happy you didn’t.”