Wine moms

‘‘ Maybe you were… are special to him. So special that he never harmed you.’‘ Beryl spoke softly, almost whispering. For a second she feared she would be sounding envious of Ikuko’s position or heinous intentions behind her words. But her mind was too exhausted all of a sudden to try to find better words.

Beryl took a moment to recompose herself after cleaning her tears. ‘‘ Thank you.’‘ She finally muttered. ‘‘ I think I need that… to let it out like that. I haven’t allowed myself to think about it or to feel anything. All I’ve been doing for so long is repressing any thought and convincing myself that it was in the past. It’s hard to leave it in the past when I sometimes spot his bright hair around the corner on the streets.’’

Ikuko said she saw him and that they talked, and Beryl grew curious. ‘‘ Do you mind if I ask what kind of relationship you two have now?’‘

She looked down at the counter and grabbed one of the lemons. ‘‘ The nightmares not just about her. I dream about my own monsters too and about him.’‘ Beryl took the lemon closer to her face and smelled it’s citrus perfume, finally paying attention to what Ikuko had been doing while she talked about him.

‘‘ These aren’t strawberries.’‘ She said stating the obvious. ‘‘ I thought we were making a strawberry cake, so what are we making?’‘ She said trying to smile and bring back some brightness into their night

“Special...?”

     Genuine confusion was clear in her words, and she glanced off to the side contemplating Beryl’s for a moment. It was by chance that she’d had a run-in with Hawk before, so he wasn’t looking to mess with her again when they re-met. And wasn’t the long-absent Tiger’s Eye deeply, negatively affected by those events, much like Beryl-- what would make Ikuko special? If anything, wasn’t it the opposite...if he didn’t hurt her like that? Any of her pain came from fearing for his life, worrying from his absence, and denying that she’d developed feelings for him.

Beryl’s whispers were understood well enough, but the reasoning for the contents were a bit lost. Ikuko had no answer to her own question.

”Ah.” Her focus quickly return to her friend. Surely, the subject still hurt, but Ikuko let Beryl conduct herself as she saw fit. Of course she wanted to move past the tears. “It’s good to let things like that out, when they weigh so heavily on your heart... Feelings as strong as yours-- nothing good is done for you, repressing all of that.. Maybe, one day, you’ll see more than just a glimpse of his hair. You’ll see him again.”

The redhead’s curiosity was more than welcome. It was something to steer the conversation positively.

“Hm? Our relationship now...?”

She blinked. Moreso than earlier, images of him filled her mind for her to reflect on. And she couldn’t help but smile through her words.

“It’s been a while since we last saw each other, and..he doesn’t exactly remember...me. I suppose you could say we’re acquaintances all over again? But, he doesn’t act any different, it’s almost like he does remember..~ Ah, I’m afraid I can’t properly define it.”

Ikuko gave an attentive nod as Beryl took her turn to speak. Of course, more than just the big boss monster, Beryl had her own to recall in her dreams. But, the dreams about Hawk, were they all negative? It could be a mix of good and bad, but reliving certain feelings in nightmares would make this hard to leave in the past anyway. The effects of it were far from gone...

“!”

She was giggling now, finding it funny how suddenly Beryl noticed what she’d just picked up and smelled wasn’t a particular fruit. Sheepishly, Ikuko brought a hand up to her lips as if it would quiet her giggles.

“That’s right~ I’m sorry, the cake might’ve been the plan at the start, but..-- Well, I thought you might..feel closer to Hawk-kun in a good way if..you made the same thing with me that he did; lemon pies. It’ll be like you made it with him, too..”

Her smile turned sheepish, as well. What if this only made Beryl feel worse? Had the wine clouded her good judgement?

Sweets to the Sweetest ° Ikuko and Kuro

He hid his disappointment behind that same gentle smile, nodding along with Ikuko’s explanation. It was a good reminder to visit his own mother, and soon. Kuro certainly didn’t want her telling his friends he was becoming distant.

“It sounds silly when I say it aloud, but Usagi gave me a gift around the time of the wedding, and I’m afraid I’ve ruined it already,” he began, tugging the handkerchief from his shirt pocket and presenting it to Ikuko. The pink “K” embroidered with such love had begun to fray at the flourishes, and stray threads poked through the fabric. Kuro had the grace to look slightly embarrassed.

“I had hoped she might repair it for me. It’s one of my favorites, which explains why it wore through so quickly.

But if Usagi isn’t here, I’m sure I’ll find her soon. This isn’t an emergency.”

With a tilt of her head, Ikuko watched as a handkerchief was revealed. A delicate thing, and a rather kind gift being both cute and practical. It was considerate of Usagi and, knowing her, a lot of feeling and meaning went into it. Seeing it only brightened her smile.

“Just like her to give someone else a gift on a day like that~”

She blinked, leaning a bit close to get a better look.

“But, I wouldn’t say it’s ruined. Just a little damaged, a little frayed here and there. I don’t think it’d be too difficult to repair.”

Her gaze returned upward, back to Kuro to give him a bit of hope for his little situation. If help is what the young man needed, the least she could do was offer hers.

“You know, I do have the right color threat to fix this up--”

And she’d gotten better at sewing thanks to the girls at college who wanted to help her be even more of an “adorable mama..”

“-- I’d gladly repair it for you, if you’d like? It may not be an emergency, as you say, but your favorite handkerchief must mean a lot to you.”

🎵 Suggest a theme song for my muse! 🎵

disgustingly cute domestic scenes to imagine your otp in:

by  柄沙

Sweets to the Sweetest ° Ikuko and Kuro

Kuro tried not to look as surprised as he felt upon seeing the woman who was clearly Usagi’s mother. Hair aside, she had the same aura of purity that radiated off her in waves, to say nothing of the adorable button nose they shared. He smiled immediately, fluttering his snowy white eyelashes.

“My name is Kuro Saito, and I’m a friend of your daughter and her husband,” he said, glad he had worn a shirt with a collar today and looked passably decent. Perhaps Jadeite’s fashion sense had worn off on him.

“I’ve been looking for her everywhere today, and this is the last place I can think of. Is she here? I have a favor to ask her.”

“!”

Ikuko, on the other hand, couldn’t mask her surprise. The sudden smile, adding to the charm of his unique appearance; like snow, but also more like cotton? His warmth almost seemed tangible, coupled with that endearing flutter. It’s as if he were smiling at someone he knew. Could he see a resemblance between her and her daughter?

“Ah, Kuro-kun~”

She repeated his name, affirming it in her memory and leaning against the open door. Nowadays, meeting someone mysterious and attractive with a connection to her daughter was more of a relief. How did such good-looking men get acquainted with her daughter? Whether they were human or not.

“I’m sorry, though. Usagi isn’t here, either. The girl’s been a bit distant lately. Can only wonder what she’s occupied with. But, maybe I could help you while you’re here? What was the favor you were going to ask her, Kuro-kun?”

Sweets to the Sweetest ° Ikuko and Kuro

The handkerchief was one of Kuro’s most treasured possessions. Spun from a soft powder pink cotton and embroidered with an elegant, simple “K” it had been his constant companion since Usagi had presented it to him after her wedding. It had been intended for a dead man, and at the time the handkerchief had been a strange reminder of who Kuro was replacing. Nowadays it served as a reminder of the love Usagi poured into every facet of her life, and for Kuro to attempt the same.

A year later, use had worn down the stitches of the monogrammed letter, although Kuro tried his best to preserve each delicate pink strand of thread for as long as possible. Eventually he had no choice but to admit to defeat. The handkerchief had to be mended.

Usagi’s childhood home was impressive. For only four people, it was larger than the home Kuro had grown up in with his three siblings. He hesitated for a moment before knocking, unsure of what posh mother he would find on the other side of the door. Unless Usagi’s family had a maid. Huffing softly, his knuckles made two sharp raps, suddenly hoping no one was home.

In the moments leading up to her break in activity, Ikuko was jotting down some activities in a new planner. Mild housework aside, she had to make plans for once she’d accomplished her studied, and check in on her beloved people to make sure whatever daily struggles occurring weren’t too stressful or that no darkness consuming their souls; that activity would be ongoing..

“Ah?”

There was a knock. Setting the planner and pen down, she jumped up from the couch to approach the front door and give a little glance through the peephole. Ikuko didn’t readily recognize the man, but he was incredibly handsome so she didn’t find him someone to be wary of.

‘Wait a moment..’

Was he at Usagi and Mamoru’s wedding? She was almost sure of it now. In fact, he’d have to know one, both of them, or any of the girls to know where this house was. He wasn’t carrying a product, so he wasn’t a solicitor, for sure. What was she waiting for? She quickly straightened out her peachy, hi-low sundress before opening the door with a smile.

“Hello, there~ I’m Tsukino Ikuko~ Did you need something?”

Voice Ask Meme!

I think hearing people’s voices is really cool, but I haven’t found a voice meme I’m happy with, so I wanted to make my own! 

Here’s how the game is played: If you want to hear me do any of these, just send me the number(s) you want to hear and I’ll make an audio post! Include whatever specifics you’d like to hear me do in the ask - these are more guidelines than actual rules. Basically, it’s just like any other ask meme, only I speak the answers instead of typing them out!

Feel free to reblog so more people can play!

Wine moms

‘‘ Why didn’t he? Why didn’t he do those things to you?’‘ Beryl said confused. What was so different about her that made him not hurt Ikuko the way she had been hurt. Why did it feel like it was unfair that she had suffered like that? Beryl shook her head, embarrassed by her own selfish thoughts. ‘‘ That’s not true… I knew who he was and I knew what he did to people, how he played with them. But I thought I was different for him, I thought I was special and I believed my fate would be different.’‘

She went silent, as strange mixture of feeling made a knot on her stomach. When she least expected it, Beryl felt those caring arms wrapping around her, making her stand still unsure of what to do. She couldn’t remember a time where she had been hugged like that by a … friend. Not even with Setsuna she had been that close. A moment later, Beryl felt as if her legs had melted and as she could trust her weight on Ikuko’s arms. Those arms that held her with empathy and understanding her pain, wanting to comfort her and make her feel better. Those arms felt warm and safe, and Beryl had never felt something like that.

And as she felt like she lost control of her legs, she suddenly lost control of herself and started crying. She wanted it to stop, but the tears wouldn’t stop and her breathing got hard as she sobbed into Ikuko’s arms. ‘‘ I’m…I’m sorry…’‘ Beryl apologized as she tried to control herself. Beryl pulled back and started cleaning her face with the palm of her hands and then trying to find some napkins. ‘‘ I didn’t mean to ruin our night like this. It’s just that I don’t think I’ve ever talked about it with anyone like this, with someone who understood…who knew him so well… someone with the same nightmares….’‘

She finally found the napkins and used them to clean herself from the tears, thankful for the mundane but magical invention that waterproof mascara was. ‘‘ Can I tell you a secret?’‘ Beryl whispered. ‘‘ When I found he was back, alive… I got so curious and something inside of wanted me to run to find him… But he doesn’t seem to remember anything about me, I saw him around town by accident… Maybe that’s for the better. It seems like I’ll never be able to let it go…’‘

“..That’s the one thing I don’t have an answer for...”

Beryl was confused and Ikuko was only left to wonder for so long herself. Perhaps his first look at her dream mirror was enough for him, and by the time he was aware, he wasn’t going to put Ikuko in a dangerous position again? It was incredibly likely considering he was falling for her back then. But, unless she asked him, she wouldn’t know for sure.

“I guess, even now, we....want to be the women that the bad boy does better for.. No one could blame you for thinking you were different or special. Even knowing what you did, no one could fault you for that.”

Or, at least, Ikuko couldn’t. Beryl was clearly in deeper with one of their mutual connections, but their feelings towards him were similar in this aspect. She couldn’t be anything but understanding, when she knew how Beryl felt...

Ikuko remained firm and caring when Beryl stiffened in her arms, and when the other woman added her weight to the embrace, she would only be held tighter. Determination to hold wasn’t affected by her wine-filled state. Beryl could shed her tears freely, as warm arms would comfort her and caring hands would caress her hair to reassure her. “It’s alright..” Ikuko let Beryl slip away she tried to compose herself, looking on with concern.

“Oh, Beryl, you didn’t ruin our night at all.. I could see this being hard to talk about..especially after going through what you went through.”

She gave a little sigh, watching Beryl drying her eyes.

“The nightmares.. You have them about her, too. I mean, I know she’s gone..but, each dream, she’s there and prepared to take him away again in the worst way possible..”

A secret? Ikuko made no effort to hide her curiosity as she took a step forward.

So, Beryl had seen him since he came back. She didn’t want anyone to know she’d seen him? Of course, it would still be painful to see him, even if she wanted to. With these feelings still floating around inside of her, unresolved, what else was Beryl supposed to feel?

“To my understanding, he doesn’t remember anyone.. But, maybe that’s not permanent..? When he looks at you...it’s like he’s trying to remember. He didn’t remember me at all, either, but...just talking with him was so familiar. Like neither of us missed a beat..”

Closure would be good for Beryl, but she couldn’t very well encourage her friend to seek it out, when it couldn’t be found...

“Maybe you won’t be able to let it go so easily...but, I can’t say you shouldn’t see him. Especially if you want to.. I don’t deny myself seeing him if I can, so maybe you shouldn’t either.”

guys, if i ever end up publishing a crappy reply or one that just doesnt give you enough inspiration

This man..

Eyes that could trap her in more than just a gaze, and a smirk that would have Ikuko asking for things she shouldn’t; she had to protect him and herself.

“Don’t worry about returning the favor~”

Her hand was suddenly blocking his view of her, gently resting over his eyes as she leaned in close.

“It seems I have a habit of doting on you, anyway..’”

Ikuko was standing on her toes, planting a kiss just at the corner of Hayato’s mouth. It was innocent, like a kiss on the cheek.