White Sakura Foundation Interlude - by Melissa Koh: safyre@jade-court.darkgod.net - - website: http://safyre.tsx.org - ---------- It's not what others do to you; it's what _you_ do to others that counts. ---------- Part Three: Disaster The day was perfect. Too perfect to be real. Too perfect to be the usual, insane White Sakura Foundation. Ryuu no Fujin suppressed a yawn. This was boring. Ever since her fellow administrator, the Man, left for his vacation, she had been a stand-in assistant, secretary and official tea server for the two Department Heads. Added on to her job as a home agent of WSF, of course. Not that she did much; most of the time, she took the shortcut, i.e. throwing the official White Sakura Foundation Manual at the new recruit. She paused. Or an agent, depending on how much she liked the newcomer. Though usually, she couldn't care less. Unless they tried something funny, like chatting up to her darling husband, Ryuu. But they knew better, the newcomers. It never took long for them to realise that Ryuu was hers and hers alone. No one may take him away unless they suddenly had a death wish. Which was often not the case. Besides, the Department Heads had assured her Ryuu was safe. Absolutely. Nevertheless, she was still bored. Bored out of her wits by this perfect day. There weren't any new agents who needed a briefing; all the reports had been reviewed and filed away alphabetically in the library; and considering that the entire foundation was having a break---the Department Heads had decided to grant a week's holiday to every agent who had completed their previous mission---she had nothing to do. Even though she was working, technically speaking. Not even a telephone call from agents who were still in the middle of their missions. Which was rare. Especially since one of the targets assigned to the Social Department proved to be unmanageable. Ryuu no Fujin was inclined to give the target credit; so far, he had successfully traumatised each Social Agent who crossed his path, to the extent that none of them were willing to step into that reality again. "Never again," they had said to the Department Heads with tears streaming down in an endless flood. She sighed. If it weren't for the fact that she was already married and quitted field work last year, she would have entered the reality and throttled some sense into that maniac of a target with Astraia. She wouldn't have caused much harm; they were professionals. The very best. Not a single failed mission. A clean record. Too bad Astraia's new partner didn't have the same professionalism to accomplish their missions without a hitch. Ryuu no Fujin had lost count of how many failed missions they had ever since the Department Heads paired them up a year ago. "Oi! Ryuu-chan! WSF to Ryuu-chan!" teased a silver-haired girl, appearing at the receptionist counter with a bright smile. Ryuu no Fujin started, then grinned back. "Shouldn't it be Astraia instead?" asked the taller girl. Astraia shrugged. "Who cares? I don't and that's good enough for me." She settled comfortably on the counter and swung her dangling legs. "What are you doing here anyway? I thought we were all home-free." "You'd wish," said Ryuu no Fujin dryly. "I'm an administrator, remember? You agents profit from our work. When you're having your vacations, we poor admins are glued to our seats trying to solve every sticky situation coming our way." "Well, it's not as though you have to go into different realities and attempt to right the wrongs, you know. Technically speaking, you're sitting down here, relaxing and sunbathing at the same time, occasionally inconvenienced by a new agent or two, but nothing you can't handle. Unlike me," Astraia pointed out indiscreetly. Her friend frowned unhappily. "You could become a home agent like me, serving in the foundation grounds." Astraia gave her a rude snort. "No thank you. I like inter-reality travelling, even if the problems presented tend to be sticky at times, and unlike you, I've not found my life-partner." She glanced slyly at Ryuu no Fujin, who nodded vigorously. "You're right. Ryuu-kun is just wonderful," she sighed blissfully and launched into a speech of her wonderful Ryuu-kun, incidentally missing Astraia rolling her eyes. As much as Astraia adored Ryuu, she wasn't ready to listen to Ryuu no Fujin's incessant preaching of his goodness and charm. She had enough of that back then when they were partners. Besides, she only adored him for Ryuu no Fujin's sake. Nothing more, nothing less. She spotted him down the hallway, impeccably dressed in the official White Sakura Foundation uniform as usual. He glanced around furtively, before locking eyes with Astraia. She nodded in acknowledgement, not missing the frantic look in his eyes ebbing away as he approached them. Astraia leapt off the counter and tapped Ryuu no Fujin's shoulder. The latter was in ecstasy, her hands clasped together tightly, eyes starry as she thought of her Ryuu-kun. So engrossed she was in her reverie that she felt nothing. Astraia waited for fifteen seconds before tapping again. Ryuu no Fujin slipped back to reality and turned, scowling at Astraia. "What was that for?! I was---" Astraia gestured before her. "Your husband is looking for you." But it was wasted on Ryuu no Fujin. The moment she set eyes on him, she blanked out entirely. "Ryuu-kun!" she squealed. Ryuu came running over, hardly winded despite the fact that he had walked down from the thirtieth floor. Of course it wasn't as tough as climbing up sixty flights of stairs, but still, the thought of climbing down was enough to set Astraia shuddering for the next couple of weeks. Ryuu might have to energy to spare, but not her. She would rather take the elevator with the push button. "Astraia-san---" began Ryuu. Astraia heaved an exasperated breath. "It's just Astraia, okay?" The youth grinned sheepishly. "Gomen ne, Astraia." The girl nodded approvingly. "That's so much better, don't you think?" "Don't seduce my Ryuu-kun," Ryuu no Fujin pouted. If it weren't for the very physical obstacle of the counter, she would have clung onto him without a second thought. Instead, she went around the counter, planting herself beside her husband like a dutiful wife. "Won't even dream of it, Ryuu-chan." Astraia winked at the couple. "After all, you two are _married_. Even the Department Heads can't dispute that." Ryuu had the decency to blush. Ryuu no Fujin, however, was not as conservative, or that discreet of her fondness. "Let them," she said, clinging onto his arm possessively, "and I'll make sure they live to regret it." Ryuu's face flamed into deep scarlet. Astraia chuckled. Those two lovebirds were way impossible on her list. Whoever thought that Ryuu no Fujin, one of WSF's most senior agents---like Astraia, she was directly under the Department Heads---could be so attached to her beloved. One who was so...sane, compared to the rest of the foundation. "Ryuu-chan..." Determined silver eyes stared at Ryuu. "Why?" challenged the owner. "It's true." Astraia raised an eyebrow, privately congratulating herself that they weren't doing the extremes. Not yet, anyway, and hopefully, never. She doubted that she would be able to stand around them for more them five seconds if the mushiness continued. Goosebumps were beginning to form on her skin, even in the unexposed areas. And she was dead certain that they weren't caused by cold winds. What winds? There wasn't even a cool breeze anywhere. She rubbed her arms subconsciously. "I don't think Astraia-chan would be able to take it..." said Ryuu delicately. Astraia sniffed. "Don't mind me. I'm just an innocent bystander who knows nothing but that her stomach's growling." It was, a low rumble that demanded only one thing: food. Ryuu no Fujin sighed. Her friend simply didn't understand the concept of romance. She needed a love life. She needed a real life. She needed a vacation away from WSF. Ryuu no Fujin supposed she _could_ talk to the Department Heads, but it would mean that she would have to bribe them first. With what? The usual, she guessed, caught whether to wrinkle her nose in disgust or to get on with her cooking. While she was on it, why not have a picnic as well? There was nothing to do on such a boring day anyway. A slow grin made itself at home on her face. Astraia studied her suspiciously, as if sensing her thoughts. Brightly, Ryuu no Fujin announced with flourish, "I want to hold a picnic. A private picnic using my latest recipes." There was an undertone of trumpets and horns following the announcement. Astraia stared at her. "You've got to be joking," she said blatantly. "No I'm not. I'm perfectly serious. I want to hold a picnic in the Department Heads' office." "Provided they agree. They can object to this, you know," reminded Astraia. Ryuu smiled. "I'll talk to them into it. After all, it's been a year since Ryuu-chan last held a picnic." His wife clung onto him and grinned in Astraia's direction. "See, even Ryuu-kun agreed! The DH won't object." Her eyes gleamed dangerously, promising untold horror to anyone who attempted to cross her. Astraia shook her head. "Fine, do what you what, but remember, I'm absolutely innocent." "No you aren't," objected Ryuu no Fujin, linking her arm through Astraia's firmly. "You're coming along as well." The silver-haired girl cast a bored look at Ryuu no Fujin, hardly fazed by the relevation. Why should she? After all, she wasn't the one getting the brunt of it. She smiled quietly to herself, already planning to invite certain people to this picnic. Besides, the venue was just perfect; she had to hand in a report to the Department Heads anyway. Arm in arm with Ryuu, Ryuu no Fujin advanced purposefully in the direction of the kitchens, where she could finally display her talent for the world to share. Astraia watched them leave, before wheeling around and walking to the elevator. She whistled under her breath, something that vaguely resembled an upbeat and not-offkey version of 'Joy to the World'. The day was becoming perfect for White Sakura Foundation. "Where _is_ the Man when you need him?" muttered Jennifier under her breath as she scribbled some notes in the account book, then referred to the calculator again. Hypertia slid a glance in her direction once, breaking her concentration from her typing, but otherwise, ignored that Jennifier was in the office. The office was ghostly silent. Except for the sounds of rapid, but halting typing in the background. Hypertia was devotedly bent over her computer, her typing harsh compared to Jennifier's quieter typing. It wasn't much, but it marked a distinct difference between the two girls, even if they were good friends. Jennifier suddenly sat up and announced triumphly, "I've done it! It's done!" Hypertia looked up from the computer. Silently, she watched as her friend did a little gig, jumped about a little, hands waving wildly before resuming her normal stance. A long moment of silence. Then--- "What did you just do?" asked Hypertia, abandoning the computer for a little while and leaning against her seat. The dark-haired girl grinned widely. "The accounts! I've just completed the accounts!" "Oh." As if it was an everyday occurrence. "What?!" demanded Jennifier. "Nothing." "What?!" Her voice rose a little shriller. "_Nothing_," repeated Hypertia. Jennifier narrowed her eyes. "Hypertia..." she said warningly. "I said _nothing_." She resumed her typing, ignoring the fact that someone was talking to her. Jennifier scowled. "Hn." "I thought that was my line," said Hypertia without looking up. "_Whatever_. Where did you send the Man to?" asked Jennifier, opting to change focus since Hypertia was _obviously_ not going to answer her. Either that or she had totally forgotten what she had wanted to say. It had to be either. Jennifier should know; she suffered the same problem as well. "Hmmm?" Hypertia did not hear her. "Where did you send the Man to?" Jennifier's patience was beginning to run thin, and very soon, she was going to start screaming blue murder. Hypertia paused, then stared at her friend. Very slowly, she said, "Where...did I send...the Man to...?" "Like I'll know, right?" spat Jennifier. "You didn't tell me anything!" "Neechan," said Hypertia in a patronising tone, "what on earth are you talking about?!" Jennifier groaned. This was getting nowhere. "Hypertia, where is the Man now?" Hypertia blinked, the earlier glazed look clearing to an understanding. "Oh! The _Man_. I was wondering what you were talking about." "What? Who did you think I was talking about?" snapped Jennifier. "How the freaking hell should _I_ know?! It's not like you specified!" "Neechan, how many 'the Man' are there in the world?!" "How should _I_ know? I wasn't exactly paying a lot of attention either." "Forget it," said Jennifier abruptly. "Just tell me where the Man is." Hypertia glared at her. "Ranma's reality. He's visiting the cursed springs." "I wonder if he's enjoying himself," mused Jennifier. "Definitely more than us. It's a tourist attraction after all." A wicked light entered Hypertia's dark-brown, almost black irises. "Wonder if he'll fall into one of them." ""Don't," said Jennifer warningly, "even _think_ about it." The door creaked open. Hypertia started and privately swore to oil the door as soon as she found the time. Which would probably be sometime next year. Or maybe the year after the next. Or maybe the Man would oil it before she lifted a finger. Astraia waltzed in, her face strangely bland as she placed a white file on Hypertia's desk. "That's the report of the last mission." Jennifier snickered. "I don't have to do them until next week," she gloated. Hypertia glared at her, then shifted her line of vision to the stack of files sitting on the floor beside her desk. Her lips compressed into a thin line as she tried to repress a grimace. She hated going through reports and that most of them were regarding Heero Yuy was making her stomach sick. _Very_ sick. "By the way," Astraia continued indifferently, "Ryuu-chan is having an indoor picnic and we're using your office for it." Hypertia reacted first, with an ear-piercing shriek. "What?!" She leapt to her feet, her chair sent flying back, crashing against the wall . Her eyes were intent on murder. Jennifier could smell danger less than a metre away, and if no one did anything fast, they were going to have a major crisis on their hands. "She's trying out her latest recipes." Both Department Heads exchanged meaningful looks and shuddered in unison. Hypertia tilted her head hopefully. "Cheesecake?" She was rewarded with an affirmative nod. She gazed thoughtfully at the ceiling for a while and bit her lip. Jennifier observed her closely. "Well then," said Hypertia, much calmer than she had been initially, "I guess we could accommodate a little indoor picnic." "'Little' would be an understatement, Hypertia," said Astraia mildly. "What is she going to do? Invite the entire foundation?" demanded Jennifier. Astraia shrugged and smiled mysteriously. "You'll never know. She might, for all you know." Jennifier limply fell back against her seat and groaned. "I don't _believe_ this." Then again, there was nothing about WSF that comforted her. Psychos ran about the city without a leash; wards destroyed at regular intervals; agents, psychotic as they were, traumatised by their targets daily. Hourly. "Cheesecake, Jenni," reminded Hypertia, "there's always the cheesecake." thought Jennifier, shoving off the paper clutter on her desk. She prodded him gently, just to see if he was awake. To her complete disgust, he wasn't, but then, he _was_ Gavin. The one and only Gavin of White Sakura Foundation. Her team-mate. Her grief. Her curse. What had she done in her previous incarnation to deserve the tragedy of knowing him? Huffing, she stood up and stared at his prone form. She prodded him again, this time, harder. He shifted slightly, rolling to his side. The magazine that covered his face slid off, landing on the floor with loud smack of the spine, followed by a gentle rustle. His well-defined, feminine face stared at Mitsuru, the Caribbean-blue eyes hidden behind closed eyelids. Mitsuru placed her hands on her hips and pursed her lips. There had to be a way to wake him up; how he even slept through such a perfect day, she did not understand. Not that WSF wasn't always perfect; it was an ideal place to settle, provided if they could handle the various deranged figures who wandered in the foundation like animals in a wildlife reserve. But this was a day worth waking up to and basking in the sun's warmth, or simply sit out and take a deep breath of fresh air. And here, this fool was wasting the day by staying in bed and sleeping. She shook her head once more and proceeded throttle him. "GAVIN ~!" she roared. "Get your ass out of the bed, _now_!" The silver-haired youth stirred a little, but otherwise, his eyes remained closed. He swatted Mitsuru's hands away and burrowed deeper into his blankets, pulling them over his head. Mitsuru gave him a blistering glare. "GAVIN! GET UP!" "Go away," mumbled a voice under the blankets. "G A V I N!" yelled Mitsuru exasperatedly. "Leave me alone. I'm not getting up in the middle of the morning." "You just slept through the morning, you nut!" "Then let me sleep through the rest of the day!" "Lazy pig! Get up!" "Go. Away. Mitsuru," said Gavin pronouncedly, still under the pile of blankets. "I. AM. NOT. GETTING. UP. Stop. Making. Such. A. Fuss. You. Are. Not. My. Mother." Mitsuru decided then and there that throttling him would be more effective than wasting her breath on him. Astraia strummed her fingers rhythmically against the booth, then folded the arm across her chest, as she waited for someone to pick up the line on the other end. Seconds passed and no response. She hung up in frustration, only to pick it up again seconds later, redialling the number. Finally, after the fourth try, there was a reassuring click on the other line. Or perhaps not. There was no greeting, no voice. Nothing except for the sounds of glass shattering, porcelain crashing against the--- floor?---and wood being splintered in the background. Astraia sucked in her cheeks and braced herself for the truth. She didn't have any other choice; it was presented to her on a silver tray, metaphorically speaking. "GAVIN!" "Mitsuru, are you nuts?! That's Astraia's crystal vase!" There was a howl of rage, then the sound of crystal being shattered. "You're in for it now! That was her prized possession, after her manga...drop that book now! It's Astraia's!" screamed Gavin urgently. Astraia's eyebrow twitched, an expressionless mask settling over her face. "Take that, you jerk! How _dare_ you insult my intelligence!" "I didn't. I just told you to leave me alone." "Yes you did, and don't try to deny it!" Astraia wondered if screaming over the receiver now would help, considering how far they were in their private war. Then again, she had no intention of interrupting the little fight. Oh no, not her, but she _was_ going to do a little more than just something over her ruined books, shattered vase and other destroyed belongings. For one thing, her personal belongings were _not_ war weapons and heavens help those who thought they were. "I'm not doing anything! You're the one who insisted that _I_ wake up. You were the one who _threw_ that crystal vase, along with everything else in this entire room!" Astraia slammed the receiver back to the hook, a grim expression settling over her face as she stalked towards the cluster of buildings, where the apartments were. Where _they_ were. The strawberries were suspended in the pink syrup, whatever drink it was. Hypertia couldn't resist poking them with her straw, wrinkling her nose as the berries whirled around in the solution. Bored, she stirred the drink and leaned over, peering at Jennifier's. It wasn't much different, except that it was violet syrup with black berries. Hypertia pouted. "Why is yours violet, and mine, of all colours, _pink_?" Jennifier gave her a dry look, then stared at her drink, and shuddered. "Like I'll know, right?" "But I _hate_ pink." "Tell her, not me." Astraia entered the office; the doors were wide open for anyone to leave and enter as they wished. Trailing behind her were Gavin and Mitsuru, both looking very much chastened. Astraia wasn't looking anymore uplifting than them, though she seemed to be more livid than depressed. Over something those two did, guessed Hypertia inanely, promptly forgetting that she was whining over her drink. "What happened?" she asked as Astraia sat cross-legged on the floor. "Just a little misunderstanding," mumbled Astraia, deliberately tilting her head and glaring at team-mates. "Oh." Hypertia didn't press further. The spread before them was a feast. Charming to the eye but the effects on the stomach and tongue were undesirable. That was about as much as anyone in WSF knew, even those who had never attended any of Ryuu no Fujin's 'picnics' before. People who did swore to themselves that they would never go again if they could help it. Most. There were exceptions like the Department Heads, Astraia and Ryuu, who lived mostly on Ryuu no Fujin's cheesecake. Gavin lifted the bottom of the omelette-like pancake with a fork, studying the rainbow-coloured specks that decorated the pancake throughout. He blanched and decided to pass, even if the sweet aroma was tickling his senses, urging him to take a bite. He was reassured to know that he wasn't the only one. There were others whose skin paled into green at the sight of eating that. Mitsuru had long bounded to the other side of the office, indulging herself in a conversation with her former team mates and friends. Everyone had at least a slice of cheesecake, since it was probably the only dish Ryuu no Fujin could make without any embellishment of her own. Unlike her other dishes, this was the only dish anyone could take without having to excuse themselves. Ryuu no Fujin appraised the situation, noting that everyone was eating something. She wasn't worried that all the cheesecakes were taken; it was her best dish, after all. What irked her was that her other dishes were relatively untouched. For example, the rainbow pancakes, the orange-and-grape sandwiches, the grapefruit tea, the strawberry bean curd and the special fruit concoction. Pushing her way through the sea of people, she piled portions of her other dishes on their plates, patrolling until she was certain that everyone had at least a taste of her latest creations. Well, almost everyone. She had to exclude Hypertia since the latter was allergic to almost anything in the world. Plants included. She couldn't help wondering how Hypertia could be an Environmental agent in the early days of WSF. Ryuu no Fujin shrugged inwardly; Hypertia probably returned with red blotches all over her skin. Ryuu sat beside his wife, beaming. "It's delicious, Ryuu-chan." Ryuu no Fujin positively glowed. She turned to Hypertia, who was liberally helping herself to another slice of New York cheesecake. The special fruit concoction lay untouched, water droplets trickling down the exterior of the glass. Silver eyes narrowed. "Hypertia," she began softly. "Why haven't you touched your drink?" "It's pink," replied Astraia, seeing that Hypertia was more intent on her cheesecake and the novel on her lap. "And what's wrong with that?" "Hypertia-san doesn't like pink," Gavin put in. Astraia shot him a withering look. He shut his mouth with a snap. Ryuu no Fujin didn't miss much. "What happened?" "They had a fight," said Hypertia without looking up. Ryuu no Fujin rolled her eyes. "That's nothing new." "They shattered my crystal vase," Astraia added, sipping at her blue fruit concoction. She gripped the glass tightly. Jennifier laughed. "Great. How are you," she nudged Gavin, "going to fix that?" Gavin coughed. "I'll try using Restoration on it." "Don't be an idiot," Hypertia advised, leaning against an irate Astraia. "The crystal will explode," elaborated Jennifier, poking the other girl. "Get up. She's not your cushion." "Don't. Bug. Me." Hypertia's voice was deadpan. Ryuu no Fujin whacked Gavin on the head. "How could you ruin Astraia's vase, of all things?!" "It wasn't me!" he protested fervently, rubbing the back of his head. "It was Mitsuru!" "I HEARD THAT!" boomed Mitsuru as she stormed over, a black thundercloud hanging over her. "Shut up!" screamed Astraia, on her feet in one fluid motion. Beside her, Hypertia lost her support and toppled backwards, her eyes wide with surprise. She thudded against the marble floor, just as a shriek rang out in the background. "Hypertia!" Astraia's hands flew to her face. "Oops." She bent down, just as a plate of cheesecake flew past her and went splat into Ryuu's startled face. Ryuu no Fujin hastily pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the cream off his face, before shrieking at the now silent office. "Who's that idiot?!" No one was fool enough to admit. Ryuu no Fujin had the look of an executioner on her face, seemingly ready to bring down the axe. "Who?!" she demanded, her voice rising along with her fury. Another plate flew in their direction. Ryuu no Fujin stood there, rooted to the ground, until, in desperation and brute force, Ryuu threw himself on her, hitting the floor with a loud thud. The plate whistled past them like a bullet, before smacking straight into another agent's face. Ryuu shook his head, clearing the brief moment of dizziness that washed over him. "Daijoubu desu ka?" He looked worriedly at Ryuu no Fujin. She nodded her head, before bursting into tears, clinging onto him as though her life depended on it. "They tried to kill Ryuu-kun!" she wailed, sobbing into Ryuu's shoulder as they sat up. "Ryuu-chan! I'm all right," said Ryuu, trying to reassure his hysterical wife. "They tried to kill Ryuu-kun!" "Ryuu, are the two of you safe?" asked Astraia, her voice barely audible above the shrieking and sobbing as plates, cups and other utensils were thrown to-and-fro the office. Ryuu nodded. "E, but Ryuu-chan's not." "I can see that." She ducked a flying sandwich. "And Hypertia's out cold." "Jennifier-san..." Ryuu trailed off as the other Department Head hollered for some scrap of order to be restored. Several of the attacks swerved in her direction. She managed to avoid most, until she slipped on a flattened cheesecake. She landed on the floor with a shriek as her white uniform soaked up a pink puddle. Gavin was bent over Hypertia, waving his hands over her frantically. Ryuu realised belatedly that he was trying to fan her awake. Not a bad idea, but using a tray instead would have been a better choice. Mitsuru wasn't sure whether to defend Hypertia's dignity or to help Jennifier up. She shouldn't have bothered, when a jug flew overhead. Technically, she was safe, but dry she was not. The jug had emptied its contents on her, soaking her from head to toe. That was the last straw; she joined the food fight, abandoning all restraints as she flung cheesecake after cheesecake. Someone shouted, goading them on as each attack became faster and more furious. Hypertia groaned and tenderly rubbed the back of her head, circling the lump. She stared at Gavin with bewildered eyes. "Ouch," she said, rising to her feet slowly. "Matte ne, Hyper---" She whirled around, and much to her chagrin, she met a plate straight on. She sank to the ground, fighting against a wave of darkness. she thought before blacking out again. -------------------- Part Three: Disaster ~ End Author's Notes [Added on 25.01.2000]: This is the first WSF story I wrote, based on an underdeveloped idea with Jennifier Ding. Initially, WSF was anime-based, but as we (Jennifier & I) developed our characters and concepts better, we gradually matured as well. The later versions of WSF, or at least, my version, becomes decidedly less 'animeish', though it holds elements of Terry Pratchett and some of the other published comic fantasy authors. 'Rendezvous' marked a new beginning for White Sakura Foundation, in terms of maturity of the cast and concepts. As a result, I could not bridge the gap between the two stories, the differences being far too vast. Although 'Interlude' _is_ part of the White Sakura Foundation chronology, I would prefer to call it an 'elseworld' version. Completed on: 31.12.1998 - End Story - Copyright (c) Melissa Koh 1998. All Rights Reserved.