Orochi and Rui in a cafe (Yamata, 108 gang)

"Orochi feels her head throb. While her regeneration could wane and heal any bodily pain given time, it could not heal the wounds in her mind, or self-perceived hurt like a headache. It was not a real pain, but she felt it there in her pain.

For such a powerful and coveted quirk, regeneration some days was lacking in what it was supposed to do. Orochi knew her cousin would try to work her to the bone to bestow some knowledge he would only learn much later and to get her ready for hero life after… Feral’s incident.

Orochi has to balance her student, hero intern life, and gang leader again. She barely escaped by the skin of her teeth when she came home that day, avoiding her mother and security, but it didn’t mean Orochi could act as she pleased. Balancing the frail line between her lives has been a daunting task lately.

She lacked time left to go to gang reunions and make plans, and it was just the start of the internships, and she felt tired to the bone.

Why the fuck am I tired, weren’t those battles to get myself together? Regain my energy?

She thought bitterly, staring at the window of the cafe Yui works at, and that her gang friends like to frequent. She was waiting for someone, and this time she drank all of her black coffee. “I hope I haven’t left you hanging here. I know your days off are sparse.”

Rui enters the store, and walks to her, sitting right on the seat opposite Orochi’s. “With all of that hero mumbo jumbo, I thought you wouldn’t have time to breathe.” Rui attempts a dry cynical joke, but her point gets too close to home for Orochi.

Maybe she should be like her little sister and learn polyphasic sleep. If she could learn it at all, Kyoko was a natural. “With how things are going, I think I won’t have time even for that,” Orochi speaks sourly, her face expressing sadness in her features as she holds back a grimace.

“Shit,” Rui swears lowly to avoid getting the attention of other clients, holding her temples. “Sorry, Orochi. If I knew, I wouldn’t try to get your schedule messed up.” Rui sounded tired, not a “teenager tired” like herself, but like an adult.

She had some bags under her eyes as well. “Don’t worry. We are both busy. Let’s just try to… unwind. Everything has been tiring lately.”

Rui shakes her head, as the small waitress comes to take her order. “A gelato, please.” The small waitress nods and moves out to get the orders of other clients. Rui returns her stare at Orochi’s eyes. “So how have you been? Your tails are more… exotic.”

The taller and older girl gesticulates at her not-so-little fellows who stare at different locations. One is looking at the glass, its eyes locked on a bird outside. The other one has its tongue outside its mouth, capturing the many smells and tastes in the air.

Her middle tail rests its chin on her shoulder. Orochi shrugged. “They are a little rowdy lately and are rubbing themselves on anything to shed their skin. Just acting like nuisances.” Very childish and curious nuisances. At least they haven’t tried eating anything they shouldn’t… yet.

Rui mumbled something inaudible. “I see. Now, Orochi, how have you been? Despite the hard work you have been putting in. We have much to catch up on yet.” Rui gives Orochi a coy smile, to which the Hydra Girl merely looks down at the table.

“Yeah… we have much to catch up on. How has your life been despite the whole… thing with your family.” Rui smiled wide, extending one hand to ruffle Orochi’s hair, avoiding touching her horns.

“Little Orochi is concerned about my family issues. How cute.” The Hydra girl pouted, a glint of seriousness behind her eyes. Running away from home was a serious business. “Don’t worry, I got my life sorted out. I’m working in a club. It was like breaking free from my shackles.”

Orochi kept her pout, eyes trying to drill a hole in Rui’s head. “Don’t be like that… I’m okay, I swear.” Orochi was not convinced by Rui’s words.

“You have two bags under your eyes. Are you sure everything is okay?” Orochi barely could care about herself, and her tails. Trying to care about someone else was a big stretch of her capacities. Rui breaks off her stare.

“Things are not going well on our side. A rival gang is getting too uppity. We may get into a turf war.” Both Orochi and Rui grimaced at the prospect. She got inside the train while it was moving, so it should be expected problems she was not aware of would come as well.

A turf war was not something to scoff at, much less in Osaka. They have a bomb on their hands. “Forget I said anything. Let’s just enjoy our time here.” Orochi rested her head on the table.

She felt the dismay in her heart growing. ‘I guess things are not easy even if I face my problems head-on.’ Such a shame, really. Not all problems can be punched away, otherwise she and Kaylee would have done it long ago.

“So, did you get any boyfriends in the years we were away?” Orochi scowled. Of all the topics Rui could bring.

“No, I’m still the weird poisonous girl for most guys… there was one but… he got himself a girlfriend.” It was not as if she could be a good partner for him either. He got himself a girl less dangerous, with a better head and intelligence than herself.

Orochi was happy for him, yet it didn’t make the ache in her heart stop. Knowing she only got chocolates from her friends out of pity still leaves a bitter and sour taste in her mouth. “Now that I think about it… in three months will be Valentine's. Damn it.”

“Such a shame. Did you think of going after girls?” Orochi feels the gelato being placed on the table as Rui takes it. She could not see the grin on her best friend’s face, but the Hydra girl felt it. If it was because of the gelato or what she proposed, Orochi had no idea.

“Boys are sturdier and more forgiving than girls. If I couldn’t get with you or Umi, hell, even Sasha, who was the closest to me, why do you think I can get with some other girl who will find me yucky and dangerous?”

Boys were more forgiving, sometimes, regarding things like appearance and personality, but even they did not look at Orochi “that way”. ‘Inigo kinda did, but he is far from a normal guy.’ May the kamis bless him.

Her closest friends who knew her the best also lacked such a flame for her as well, and Orochi too lacked that type of feeling regarding them. “Guess you are going the same route as your sister then,” Rui said in a smug tone, the teasing in her voice so thick it made Orochi physically cringe.

Not only cringe, she growls at the sheer implication. “Akane is single out of option and stubbornness. I am single because I’m flat as a board, and twice as poisonous as your average teen girl.” While it was a pitiful situation, Orochi took the opportunity to make a jest.

Rui giggled. “Well, in the end, both of you will be single. Don’t worry, is not that bad. When you are older, you will have lots of free time.” Orochi looked up to see the smiling face of Rui giving her a wink.

Orochi pouted grumpily. It was not as if she would not like to have time for herself when she was older, but she grew up in a big family. She liked the feeling of having somewhere to belong despite the shortcomings and pains.

One day her parents will die, and Kyoko and Akane will go have their families too.

Would she get stuck here, an eternal cake who can’t land herself a husband like her teacher? Rui snaps her fingers, drawing her attention. “Enough self-pity. You won’t be flat forever, and with those three hefty guys, you will need some back and hip muscle.”

Orochi lets her head hit the table with a small bang. “Don’t remind me of it. I’m having trouble adjusting my center of gravity and needed to change my entire wardrobe because of them.” They were heavy before, but now they are heavier.

She had to work harder on her leg days and squats to keep up with their increased weight. Damned little guys. “Well, see it as training.”

They threw words at the wind, feeling like a teenager and young adult, momentarily forgetting the duties and problems they had for this small fraction of time.

Yet they knew it was only a moment, and after it was done, they would be back to their usual plights and hurt.