The awkward discomfort froze time, her mind overloading with a stream, no a delta of thought.
What was there to do? There was Sakura. She clung to Kate, but that could mean anything.
Firstly it could mean… Sakura was offering herself up for adventure. And it was up to Kate, the damn new girl, to lead! Sakura understood Kate was new, it had been double confirmed. So no. That could not be it.
Mom thought Kate could just handle it. But how? How did smooth, interesting people do it? Kate had no idea.
The second reason behind Sakura's the clinging was direct attraction.
With Tiffany, yes. There was direct attraction and by God, did Tiff know it. And used it against Kate as easily as breathing. It was a weakness Kate never knew she had.
Kate's hackles rose, she didn't like the idea of being the one who cared less, but at the same time. Could Kate judge? She had been the one putting herself out there every time. And it had never worked. It was almost unfair how well it was working for them against Kate. Being anyone's love target had not been a dream less than ten hours ago. Maybe she was doing being wanted wrong.
But maybe that wasn't it. Maybe Sakura wanted something else.
The third and most logical reason that Sakura held on.
Sakura was pissing on her leg, marking her territory. It made a disgusting amount of sense.
And, rather unfairly, it burned Kate's gut, filling her with acid. She'd grabbed hold of Kate, why? Because of a dress she'd managed to identify?
Yes.
It happened in a flash, and Sakura backed it up with research. But the value would mean little for a daughter of an Exec. There was, of course, the novelty of the dress. Fair. Kate didn't hate the idea that Sakura just wanted the dress.
But it wasn't the best answer.
Okay Kate, dummy, say the thing… came the voice she'd tried to run from.
The hunt for The Zenith.
The kids of the city were a bunch of travellers looking for the incredible, and couldn't be done alone. Kate didn't know what any of the Zenith or Hunting actually looked like, but she could imagine a blizzard and trying to walk it, barefoot.
Perhaps Kate was a cast member in the story of Sakura, and the search of a partner. And she'd handed Kate the lead role based the moment she'd entered the limo. Then came the Jackie situation. And to confirm it, had Mr Giant and Sakura even spoken that whole time? Hell, had Mr Giant been there the entire time? Yes! He had. Like a documentary crew, keeping his distance. Until they made eye contact. Kate put in the work to turn away from and linger on Sakura's eyes.
"You've marked your territory Sakura, so what happens now?" Kate asked.
Sakura, who'd simply been holding her, turned, brows up high.
"Eh?"
Kate sighed, dramatic and indulgent. Why? Because that's what felt right.
"Nothing in mind? Done with impressing me? Alright. I'm off to find Tiffany."
Sakura was stricken. Great to see, but what exactly did it mean? Sakura had been dead eyed when Kate named The Triplets. But Tiff brought fear? Whatever the game was, Ms waitress was a big player.
"Come ahn, you just got back from wherevah." Sakura said, clearly stalling, distracting from Kate's question by say something so vague.
"We went Oddy hunting. They got cages here."
"Elric!" Sakura called.
A shadow fell over them.
"Sorry, I was just unzipping to mark my territory too."
The sense of him, when he got close, overwhelmed! It simply detonated when the monster sniffed her shoulder and the back of her neck. The press of his nose somehow magnifying and sliced right through the layers of her outfits.
"I don' smell Tiffany on you jus' yet." He said with a chuckle.
She turned to him smiling and he grinned clearly having 'survived' an endeavour.
He was quite the joker, when not perpetually mortified or walking a tight rope, one they shared. But his time being slick was running out because what confidence had been there faltered. It was surreal to watch. Suddenly Kate was engulfed in his woody musk, it transported her into a forest of trees, trees that produced strawberries. Arms around the both of them, and he walked them against the grain of the crowd.
"So Elric? Are you one of them, those looking for the Zenith?"
"Don' let how Sa- Kuu Rah- tawks, git yha mixed. Ets Eric."
"Apologies Eric. Didn't mean any harm." Kate said.
"None taken."
Was he stalling? At first it felt like stalling, presently, it felt like kidnapping. They were moving in a whole new direction, away from the beach and the Cherry blossoms to a sandy patch that almost looked like a rocky outcrop between the trees. They were at the base of the rise when Eric went from pushing to taking off his shoes, passing them to a drone and offering a hand.
Sakura didn't hesitate, letting go for the first time for since they'd bumped into each other. It was time for mother's 'look', the look of polite crushing judgement of: "Would you look at that" The artistic skill started by looking at her own hand. It ensured that Sakura's act of letting go had been noticed. Kate went as far as to trace the warmth that had been there before with a finger. A delicate touch, being slow meant being effective. Then she looked back at the confused pairing of Sakura and Eric.
Guilt Tripping 101.
They had abandoned poor Kate. The beasts!
Peak drama would have involved a lingering gaze before running away, tripping neatly, maybe even a splat for bonus points before disappearing into the crowds.
But no, too bold. She didn't have the talent to star in an amazing Korean drama.
Kate dropped and took off her shoes before waving the couple along.
She'd follow Mother's classic: 'I'll have to do what you didn't offer help with'
It worked.
Eric had been shooed, and he was shooing. She'd won!