literature

XERO Beginnings: A Mother's Concerns

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     Damian leaned forward in his large chair, his sapphire hair falling slightly over his shoulder. Moving his cane to the side, he grabbed two small sugar cubes off the table in front of him and dropped them into the steaming beverage to his right. Picking up the small, silver spoon next to the cup, he mixed them together.
    They had their tea now, so it was as good enough time to talk as any. "So," he started, brushing his long hair out of his face with his free hand, "to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"
    The woman across from him was plainly dressed, her ever-present white walking stick next to her. The tan skin of her exposed face and hands seemed to glow in the light from the setting sun, and her long, wavy, brown hair almost completely obscured her eyes. In most cases, he preferred to see the entire face of the person he was talking to. He always made an exception for her, though.
    "I have never much been one for wakes or memorials," she said in her calm voice. Even with her lack of eyesight, she had no problems finding her own cup. After blowing on it, she sipped it carefully, making sure not to scald her mouth. Plain. Just how she liked it. "I prefer to give my condolences one-on-one."
    "I appreciate that, Sanae."
    "It is never easy to lose a loved one, and it never gets easier. I understand what you are going through."
    "This may sound horrible, but in a way, I suppose I was already prepared for their deaths. Psychologically, at least." He paused, turning the ring on his finger carefully, revealing pale skin sticking out on his already light complexion where it normally rested. Looking to the side, he stole a glance at the photographs on his desk. His parents and brother. His wife and son. All of them in better times. "I have grown quite used to losing my loved ones."
    "It seems to me that you are holding up well - you always have, no matter what - but know that, if you feel the need to talk to someone, you have many here for you. We feel their loss as much as you do. We were all close, practically an extended family, so do not feel as though you are alone." Her thoughts drifted for a moment before continuing. "Families are meant to be there for each other."
    He tapped the arm of his chair, watching the sky outside while letting her words process. 'Family'. Being family with him was dangerous. It was something that only led to tragedy. "How is your daughter doing?" he finally asked, quickly steering the conversation in a different direction. Their associates, the Ayanokoji family, had also lost someone that day. Their eldest daughter, a woman Sanae's youngest was particularly close with. "Is she holding up well?"
    A sad look came over the woman's face. "I am afraid not. We would have preferred not to tell her, but we could not avoid her questions much longer." Her voice became solemn. "Upon hearing the news, her condition regressed by several months. It was as if her heart broke in that instant." She let out a sigh. "We had to place her back on the machines, but honestly, we do not know how long those will last."
    "And she was doing so well." That girl was one of the most powerful Violets he had ever seen, to the point she seemed to go beyond the basic three classes of their people. Her strength reached limits that destroyed all attempts at alleviating the stress that was put onto her small body. Keiko Ayanokoji, his son's fiancé, seemed to be the only one that was able to make any progress with her. It was obvious they were close, but perhaps they had underestimated just how much. "Well, you needn't worry. We'll do whatever we must to keep her with us. We are..." he hesitated at the word "family, after all."
    Sanae turned her face away from him, looking towards the large windows next to their seats. She couldn't see the sunlight, but she was able to feel it. Her daughter had spent the majority of her life in a white, sterile prison, exposed to artificial lights. Only recently had she spent any length of time in the warmth of the sun. It had made her happy... How quickly she had to be placed back. "It is only natural for a parent to wonder what kind of future awaits their child, but to such an extent is almost cruel."
    Damian took another drink of tea. "I suppose."
    "It is quite amazing how fast things can change." She took her walking stick in hand, twirling it back and forth between her thumb and forefinger. "Is it not?"
    He had known her long enough to know that that action meant she had something on her mind. Something besides the topic at hand. "Perhaps it is a test from the gods. In my experience, perseverance through major events such as this can lead to great things. No matter how dire things may seem, know that the gods are always looking out for our well being."
    She remained silent, the stick moving back and forth.
    "But you are a religious woman, so I will spare your the sermon. No use preaching to the choir, as they say." He rested one of his hands on the arm of his chair, raising the other to his chin. "Now, perhaps you will tell me why you are really here."
    "What is the world coming to?" she finally asked, turning back towards him.
    "You have a right to be worried about the state of the world. The radical acts of the Vaeronians. Never ending civil war in Korzheo. The injustices in Qia'an ku..." He saw her tense at the mention of her home country and quickly moved on. "The world is in a bad place, but like I said, the gods-"
    She tapped the floor with her stick hard once. "That is not what I asked, Damian. And you know that." Her voice had become stern. Her eyebrows were angled sharply and if her eyes were open, he imagined they would be in a glare. "I am not someone you hardly know, let alone a stranger. Do not play me for a fool."
    "Then if you have something to say, say it. Do not tread softly around your concerns. I expect you to be honest and straightforward with me about them."
    "Those who are blind are typically the ones that pay the most attention. My husband may not see it, but I do." She twirled her stick three more times before continuing. "What are you and Mr. Paxton planning?"
    He looked at her hard with his deep, blue eyes. Even though she couldn't see him, he knew she could feel him. "That is none of your concern, Sanae." While his voice had been friendly before, it quickly became authoritative. "Whatever you think is going on, forget it."
    "No."
    "No?"
    "That is something that I am simply unable to do, Damian. Whatever agreement the two of you hold to keep from coming to blows is yours and yours alone. But what you have planned for the future, and however it involves my family... My children... Well, it ceased being between the two of you."
    Damian leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. "Are you saying he is threatening your family?"
    "Not directly, no. But he stands at the shoulder of one of your employees, feeding him words of hatred and deceit. You know as well as I do that he knows how to use words just as well as his fists." She took a sip of tea. "And used the right way, words can be more powerful than actions."
    He could see where this was going. "What employee would that be?"
    "One Nathan Harper."
    Damian sighed. Her complaints weren't the first. "I am well aware of the situation. Rest assured that he is being dealt with."
    "I do not believe you understand. The animosity he seems to hold towards my husband extends far past simple harassment. Not a day goes by that he does not confront my husband about some minor slight, regardless of the truth and regardless of who is around."
    "Are you worried about his safety?"
    "Issei is more than capable of taking care of himself, especially against an ordinary individual such as Harper, but I am not particularly fond of my children being exposed to such a person. He seems to have developed a sudden interest in them, which I find worrying. Hiroshi disregards everything he says as the ravings of a mad man, as he should." She paused. "But Nanao...
    "She is sheltered, so she does not fully grasp the situation?"
    "Yes."
    "Sanae, I expect you to bring such concerns to me sooner."
    "Issei was able to keep him in line for some time, but the constant words of Mr. Paxton have made him more brazen. I believe he may do something drastic."
    "Which one?"
    "All three. No matter what happens, I know that there will be deaths. It will do you well to keep him away from my children before my husband catches on."
    Damian tapped the arm of his chair again, thinking.
    "You know the stories. There comes a point where two cease to be friends and the relationship regresses. You would do well to embrace your role as the Blue to his Red."
    "What would you like me to do?"
    "Cease him in exacerbating the situation between my husband and Harper. Do your job as my husband's employer and protect him. Protect his family. Our family. How you do that is up to you."
    "And if I'm incapable of that?"
    Sanae brought her stick down hard, piercing the rug at their feet. Bringing it back up, dust and small bits of tile fell from the tip, covering a small area below her. Such an answer was unacceptable. She had lost family once due to the inaction of a man in a position similar to his. That was a time when she was a slave to archaic laws.
    But she wasn't anymore. This time it would be different. No longer was she a weak child, held back through fear. She had grown considerably over the years. In ability, in her drive, in her beliefs, in her dedication to what is right. Now, only through the loss of her own life would history follow the same path.
    Standing up, she slowly opened her eyes, looking in his direction. Her pupils were small, nearly overtaken by the crimson of her irises. People mistook being blind to the world as being blind to people, but that couldn't be further from the truth. She could see the bio-electric signatures of humans just fine. Damian's was no exception, but something wasn't right about it. Just like Paxton's. There was something more to them, and she didn't like it.
    "Do not make me intervene, Damian. Be the Blue to his Red," she repeated. "Otherwise, I will be forced to be the Red to his Blue."

There are people orchestrating things, there are people that think they know what's going on and then there are those that DO know what's going on.

Some characters you just think are simple and exist merely to make the world feel more real. And then they go and become something you didn't think they were. If I knew that getting to know my characters would be like getting to know people in the real world, I don't know if I would be a writer.

But oh well, here I am.

'XERO', Content (c) Me
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