Chapter Text
Ringing sounds emitted from the iPad on the dining table and Ririka prayed to all the gods that she could think of that Kirari would take the call. She had agreed to babysit Kirari and Sayaka’s two children, named Akira and Aurora, during the weekend. In the timespan of half a day the twins had managed to draw all over the wall in permanent marker, kick a football at the chandelier causing parts of it to crash to the floor, get into the liquor cabinet, knock over a standing lamp, flood the bathtub, and shave the cat.
Two five-year-olds were simply too much for Ririka to handle at once. She needed help, badly.
The iPad finally made a bloop noise indicating that Ririka was connected to Kirari on a call. Ririka stood in front of it while sounds of crashing and yelling were audible from different parts of the house.
“Ririka! How’s the babysitting?” Kirari asked and turned on her video. She seemed to be lounging on a pool chair with an expensive-looking cocktail in hand.
Ririka paled. “Just what exactly are you doing?! You’re supposed to be on a business trip!”
“I’m making full use of the amenities at the hotel! Sayaka and I are having a little pick-me-up after all our meetings today,” replied Kirari referring to her wife-slash-secretary. “Why do you have marker all over your face?”
Ririka looked at herself in the small window on the screen that showed her video. Her hair was in disarray. She had jagged lines of lipstick running up and down her face as well as a crude drawing of a mustache over her top lip.
“It’s lipstick actually.”
“You know it’s supposed to go on your lips, right?”
“You think I did this to myself?” Ririka cried. “I mean, do you hear what’s going on presently?” Ririka gestured behind her to the sounds of… was that the sound of an engine?! What were the twins doing now?!
Suddenly, the violet-haired twins rounded the corner on miniature motorbikes and raced through the living room and down the hall.
Ririka’s mouth fell open as she stared in disbelief. “You gave your children motorcycles?!”
“They’re electric-powered motorbikes, perfectly safe for children to use,” Kirari said as if it was the most normal thing in the world and sipped from her drink.
Ririka did a double-take as the kids raced back through the living room with excited peals of laughter.
“I beg your pardon?! Isn’t that dangerous?!”
“Tsk, you sound just like Sayaka,” Kirari admonished. “I rigged the machines to cap at 20 km/h. Like I said, perfectly safe.”
“They’re not even wearing helmets!”
Kirari balked at her. “You let them get on their bikes without helmets?! You’re supposed to be their guardian!”
That’s when Ririka finally snapped, yelling straight at the iPad, “I’ve been running around like a crazy person trying to fix everything they’ve managed to break! Cleaning up every single mess they’ve made! While also trying to make sure that they’re not off in the house somewhere dangling from a window about to break their necks! So, excuse me for not realizing they owned freaking motorbikes! Because had I known you gave your five-year-old children literal motor vehicles, then of course I would have made sure they had their helmets on! Instead, you have raised two demons who don’t know anything about proper behavior! Which is why I have Sayaka’s lipstick all over my face, your good whisky is in the pool, and the chandelier is on the floor!”
Ririka finally took a breath. “As soon as I get one of them under control, the other one runs away and I have to see that they’re not causing trouble and on and on and on. I can’t take it anymore! It hasn’t even been a day! How the hell do you expect anyone to babysit those two children from hell?!”
“They’re perfectly obedient children when Sayaka and I are home! You must be doing something wrong.”
Ririka hated how it sounded like the blame was being pushed on her. “Kirari! Help me! Why are they acting like this?! I’m losing my mind!” A loud crash resounded from the direction of the hallway. “That sounded like a vase.” Ririka dragged a hand down her face. “Do you not care that they’re destroying your house?!”
“Anything they break, we can replace,” Kirari shrugged. She waved her hand, “This sounds like it’s a ‘you’ problem, not a ‘me’ problem.”
“Are you being serious right now?!”
Kirari rolled her eyes. “Fine, listen, just bribe them with something. Candy and a bedtime story always gets them to be quiet.”
“I’ve tried candy. They just threw it at the squirrels outside!”
“Akira only likes jelly beans. You should try that. And get the book that’s sitting on my bedside table. They’ve been enjoying that one recently.”
“Okay, jelly beans and the bedside table book,” Ririka repeated to herself. “Anything else?”
“It looks like they’re teaming up to overpower you. Between Sayaka and me, there are two of us. You should call for reinforcements.”
“It’s nearly 8pm on a Saturday. Everybody I know likely has plans right now.”
“Maybe if you ask them really nicely,” Kirari supplied.
Ririka thought and thought. Yumeko was out of the question, as she definitely had a shift tonight at the bar they both were bartenders at. Ryota was working tonight with her so he was a no-go too. Itsuki said she had a romantic date planned with Kaede. And Midari likely wouldn’t answer her texts. That just left…
“Um, I could try asking Mary…” Ririka thought out loud.
“Mary? Mary ?” Kirari’s face suddenly broke into a wide, knowing smirk. “Is this the same ‘Mary’ that you’ve been talking about non-stop?”
Ririka suddenly blushed, the red lines on her face accentuating her red cheeks.
“She’s just a friend from work!” Ririka argued. “She has today off, so she could be available.”
“Oh, so you know her schedule, do you?” Kirari simpered.
“No! I- We just work the same days!”
Kirari teased, “So, it’s just you and her, together in that tight space behind the bar for hours on end on a daily basis?”
“Kirari! S-stop! Mary is just someone I work with,” Ririka said sheepishly, knowing fully well that was a lie.
Ririka had definitely noticed how attractive Mary was. How attractive she looked when she would flip her hair out of her face while scribbling down orders. Or how hot Mary was whenever she kicked out rude, sexist patrons at the bar. And maybe once or twice Ririka had messed up the odd drink or two because she had been longingly staring at her blonde-haired co-worker instead of getting her alcohol ratios right.
“There’s nothing going on between me and Mary!” Ririka exclaimed with a sense of finality.
And it was true. In all the ways she had taken note of Mary, she was sure there was no way that Mary felt how she did. Sure, Mary treated her well. They had inside jokes. They were into the same books and shows. But always, there was the ever-present feeling that Mary just didn’t see Ririka that way. From the way Mary called her ‘dude’ to get her attention. To the way she would punch Ririka on the shoulder a bit too hard like she was one of her ‘pals’ and not someone she sought after romantically. How Mary treated her was kindly but also unmistakably free of any 'sensual' desire.
Ririka was totally in the friend zone.
“If you pick up that phone,” said Kirari, “and call Mary and ask her to help you babysit two children on a Saturday night and she actually says yes… then there very well may be something going on that you’re completely oblivious to.” Kirari smirked.
“She’s just a nice person… And she might totally say no which is absolutely fine too.” Ririka crossed her arms. There was no way that her sister could objectively say she knew better than her. She had never even met Mary!
Another crash was heard from behind Ririka.
Kirari laughed. “Better call her fast.”
“I’m going to do it right away. Any chance you’re coming back early tomorrow?”
“No chance,” Kirari chuckled. “Good luck~” She said in a singsong voice and then disconnected the call.
Ririka groaned. Her sister had been practically no help. She put away the iPad, lest the two kids who could aptly be named Pain and Panic got their hands on it. She took out her phone and opened her chat with Mary. The last thing they had talked about was a playlist Mary had made and sent her called ‘night vibes- listen in the dark.’
Ririka debated if she should text or call her. But then she figured a call was more likely to get Mary’s immediate attention and, boy, did she need it.
Gathering the last bit of courage she possessed, Ririka pressed the call button.
“Hey. What’s up?” the blonde answered almost instantly.
“Oh, hey-” Ririka said surprised. “For some reason, I wasn’t expecting you to pick up.”
“And why’s that?”
“I don’t know. It’s the weekend. Don’t you have plans?”
“Not really. I spend the whole week on my feet, so I tend to stay in when I don’t have to go to work. The last thing I need is getting dragged across town again only to get wasted and wake up with a missing shoe.”
Ririka internally chastised herself. Of course, Mary was tired from working all week! There was no way she could ask her to sacrifice her time off now!
“Thank god Itsuki has that date tonight or else I would have been deflecting calls from her instead of taking them from you,” Mary said with what sounded like a smile. “Is everything okay?” Mary asked when Ririka didn’t respond immediately.
“Oh, yeah! Sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you!”
“No, it’s fine! My bad, that probably came out wrong like I didn’t want you to call. I mean, it’s fine that you did. Um,” Mary trailed off for some reason. “I mean, why exactly… What are you up to?” is the question she settled on.
Ririka internally screamed. Could she really ask Mary for help now? She didn’t want the blonde to go out of her way. But her darker side that wanted nothing more than for her crush to rescue her couldn't hang up the phone. Plus, she couldn’t think of any other reason for why she would call Mary randomly!
“So, actually I called to ask you something. For a favor-“ Then a loud bang resounded throughout the room and a yelp. Ririka turned around and saw one of the twins had driven their bike straight into the kitchen counter. "Aurora! Be careful! Are you okay?!”
“I’m good!”
Ririka called out before she could make a getaway, “Put your helmet on! I just spoke with your mother and I do not feel like calling her again! But I promise I will if you won’t do what I say!”
Mary spoke up, “Is everything okay over there? What’s going on?”
Ririka turned her attention back to the call. “I’m babysitting my sister’s kids! They’re super rambunctious and out of control. I called because-“ Ririka pinched the bridge of her nose. It was now or never. “I could really use some help! I can’t take care of them on my own. There are two of them and it's really hard to keep track of them simultaneously and right now I’m not confident everyone is gonna survive the night. Most of all: me!”
“Say no more. Where does your sister live?”
Ririka breathed out a sigh of relief and recited the address, taken aback that Mary said yes so quickly.
“I’m on my way.”
“Thank you! Mary, you are a lifesaver. I’ll repay you in some way for this.”
“I’ll hold you to that!”
…
Thirty minutes later, Ririka had managed to wrangle the twins off the mini bikes and dragged them to the kitchen with the promise of snacks. The drawers were all open and ransacked, cereal boxes were tipped over, and a trail of fruit led towards the door. There was no way Ririka was going to be able to clean this up on her own!
The twins were sat on the floor, each eating a cookie, while Ririka was looking for the jelly beans that Kirari mentioned. She successfully found the small plastic bag hidden behind the plates in a high cabinet, likely put there so that Akira wouldn’t find them on his own.
That’s when the doorbell rang and the twins jumped up excitedly.
“Are our parents back?” asked Aurora, hugging onto Ririka’s legs, looking up at her hopefully.
“No, I think that’s just my friend, Mary.” Ririka held up a finger. “Be nice to her or I’m going to make you clean all of this up without my help.”
Aurora pouted and Akira chimed in, “But we don’t want to clean!”
“That’s what happens when you make a mess!”
When the twins continued to pout, Ririka decided to say, “If you behave for the rest of the night and help me clean tomorrow, you can have the whole bag of jelly beans.” Ririka dangled the plastic bag in their faces.
Akira immediately agreed and Aurora’s joined in too when he nudged her with his elbow.
Then the door rang again, a bit more frantically this time with multiple rings.
“Wait here. Don’t run off again or I’ll throw you both in the pool.”
When the twins nodded, their violet bangs swaying up and down, Ririka went to answer the door.
When she pulled it open, she felt her heart skip a beat. Mary was standing there in jeans, a check coat, and a graphic t-shirt that had a design from the movie, The Shining, on it. Her appearance was a clear change from the usual all-black dress code they had at work and Ririka could admit to herself that she preferred Mary this way.
Not that she wouldn’t take Mary any way, given the chance.
“Hi, um, Mary. Thanks for coming.”
“What is on your face?!”
Ririka put a hand up to her cheek, an expression of shock coloring her features. She had completely forgotten to wash her face! Her hair was still a mess. She could only imagine how deranged she must look currently.
“Oh, well, Aurora decided to use me as a canvas. Ta-da?” She said weakly, dying from embarrassment on the inside.
When the blonde didn’t say anything, just gaping at her, Ririka buried her head in her hands. “I know I look like a crazy person right now,” she wailed. “I wanted to wash it off but I didn’t have a second to spare! It’s embarrassing to be seen like this by you -er- anyone.”
Mary quickly reached out and grabbed Ririka’s wrists, pulling them away from her face.
“Don’t worry about that!” she stuttered uncharacteristically, giving Ririka pause. “You could have called me sooner, you know?! I wouldn’t have said no.”
“Really?” Ririka almost squeaked.
“I-I mean yeah! Of course. Also, you don't look that bad. The lipstick has kind of a fluid, artistic thing going on. Very 'abstract expressionist' or whatever it's called."
Mary knew about art? And she was comforting her??
Mary continued, "Where are the kids now?”
Ririka gestured down the hall. “They’re in the kitchen. I finally got them to sit down by bribing them with snacks.” Ririka stepped aside to let Mary into the main foyer. Mary looked up and around, admiring the architecture, the many sculptures, and decor.
“You never mentioned your sister is loaded. Is she a millionaire or something?”
Ririka nervously scratched her arm. “Something like that. My entire family is wealthy.”
Mary turned to her, surprised. “Then why the hell are you a bartender?”
“I needed to do something with my time. I never wanted to be a ‘big wig’ like my sister. I tried out a number of things before I started bartending.”
Mary tilted her head. “What made you decide to stick with that?”
You.
“Just- uhhh,” Ririka searched for a plausible answer. “The late hours. I’m a night owl, so it works out.” Lie. Total lie. Kirari had always been the night owl between them, while Ririka was a staunch morning person. For god’s sake, why couldn’t she think straight around the blonde?
Ririka led Mary down the hall. Mary had been looking at her and was replying when she glanced at the end of the hallway and suddenly jumped back with fright.
“God Damn! Jesus,” Mary held her hand to her chest.
At the end of the hall stood the twins with matching expressions, staring straight forwards at them, not moving a single inch. They were holding hands and had vacant stares.
Mary looked down at her 'The Shining' t-shirt with dread, remembering the creepy twins from the movie, and wondered if maybe she should just turn around and book it back to her car.
“I told you both to wait in the kitchen!” Ririka’s voice broke Mary’s train of thought and she let out a breath she had been holding. "And I told you to be nice to Mary! Stop doing that creepy thing with your eyes!"
As if coming back to life, the twins no longer looked like dolls from a movie, but rather like normal children.
Aurora said, “We just wanted to meet your friend!”
“Yeah! We didn't mean to scare her! Will you give us the jelly beans now? Please?” asked Akira.
“Fine," Ririka said despite not fully believing them. "But don’t eat all of them at once. You get two each, okay? You can have more tomorrow. It’s getting too late to have so much sugar.”
Akira took the bag from Ririka and scrambled away with his sister.
Ririka continued to lead Mary through the house, giving her a mini tour, and explaining why her sister was away.
When they entered the living room, Mary’s mouth dropped.
“It looks like an atomic bomb went off in here.”
“Yup.” Ririka sighed. She moved to open a closet door and took out a broom and a dustpan. “I think I’m gonna make the twins brush their teeth and go to bed first before I tidy up.” She looked around. “They said they would help tomorrow but looking at it now, I’d rather start today. Could you read them a story while I get started on this?”
“What? No, it’s okay! I’ll help you clean! I mean, it's not any worse than the bar is after New Year’s Eve.” Mary shrugged with a light chuckle. “I can do the cleaning while you put them to bed. You deserve a break.”
Ririka protested at once, “I would feel horrible if I asked you to come here only to make you clean up the mess by yourself!”
“Then let’s put them to bed together and then see how far we get with the house afterwards,” Mary offered.
“But-“
“It’s fine!” Mary promised. “Do you hear me complaining?” She crossed her arms.
Ririka looked her up and down skeptically. “…No.”
Mary smiled triumphantly. “Then that’s the plan.”
…
As discussed, Ririka sent the twins to brush their teeth and they changed into their PJs. She finally had the chance to wash her face, relieved when the waxy material of the lipstick was going down the drain. But when she was directing the twins to their bedroom, they both loudly claimed that they always slept between Kirari and Sayaka in the master bedroom in the huge king-sized bed.
“Oh, I didn’t know that. You sure you want to sleep there without your parents?”
The kids both looked at each other and nodded.
“It’s what we’re used to.”
Their small voices made Ririka relent and she tucked them in, in the much-too-large bed.
Ririka got the book of fairytales from the bedside table and sat on the bed beside her niece and nephew. She opened the book at the marked page and saw they were on the story of the princess and the frog.
Mary poked her head in the doorway and upon seeing her Aurora exclaimed, “Mary should be the frog!”
Akira ecstatically agreed and Mary pointed to herself in question.
Ririka giggled at the thought and gestured for Mary to come in and sit next to her. When she did so, Ririka felt her sit close, their sides pressing together, so that Mary had a clear view of the words on the page. Ririka tried her best not to let her brain spiral into a frenzy, focusing on the kids instead.
The twins were snuggled under the blankets, wide eyes staring at her, ready to hear the story.
“So… This one is called, The Princess and the Frog.”
Once upon a time, there lived a princess who wanted nothing more than to be left alone to play with her sparkling gold ball in the forest. The ball had been a gift from her father and she cherished it greatly because of the way it sparkled in the sunlight just like her crown did. It was a ball fit for a princess.
She threw the ball up and up, catching it in her hands while spinning around in the grass. She threw the ball higher and higher until it grazed the tips of the leaves in the canopy above.
However, one day, the princess threw the ball up so high, she feared it would never come down again. But come down it did with a great plop! as it landed in a pond.
The princess ran to the water’s edge, only to see her golden ball sink deeper into the depths until it was completely gone. Her lip started to quiver and she began to cry, admonishing herself for losing her most prized possession. 'What was she to do now,' she thought helplessly.
A croak startled her and the princess looked up to see a green frog sitting on a lily pad.
“Why are you upset?” asked the frog.
“I lost my most valuable possession. It fell into the pond and I shall never see it again.”
“Ah, a golden, sparkling one, correct? I believe I know where it landed.”
“Really?” asked the princess. “Would you get it for me?”
“What would I get in return?”
“Anything your heart could possibly desire!”
The frog agreed to the princess's offer and leaped into the water.
When he fetched the ball and returned it to the princess, he said, “All my heart desires is a friend. Would you spend the day with me, dear princess?”
“Yes, I will. As a sign of my gratitude.”
The princess walked with the frog along the pond. He hopped up on a stonewall so they could better have a conversation. The frog was able to tell her many stories and jokes, to her surprise.
When it came time for supper, the princess announced she was leaving. The frog’s expression fell into one of sadness.
“But you said you would spend the day with me. The day isn’t over yet.”
The princess had to agree that was true. But she couldn’t be absent for dinner and she surely couldn’t take the frog with her.
“Very well. What is the second-most thing that your heart desires? I will see to it that you receive it.”
“The thing besides friendship that my heart desires most is a kiss,” responded the frog.
“You must be lonely to want both a friend and a kiss above all else. I could give you any amount of riches, jewels, and gold yet you desire nothing more than my company,” the princess stated.
“What could I, as a frog, do with riches and jewels? A friend and even a kiss, on the other hand, I could cherish for a lifetime.”
Moved by his words, the princess leaned forward and kissed the frog.
Suddenly, before her very eyes, the frog transformed into a handsome prince.
“Thank you! I have waited so long to be myself again. An evil witch cursed me and only a kiss could break the spell. You have truly fulfilled my heart’s greatest wish.” He bowed to her in gratitude.
From that day on, the princess and the prince played in the forest together. In just one afternoon, both their lives changed forever. He had his old body back and she found what she hadn’t known she was even missing.
The End.
Ririka and Mary looked up from the last page of the story to the sight of the twins already sleeping soundly, having fallen asleep during the reading. Ririka locked eyes with Mary and pointed at the door. Quietly, they tiptoed out of the room together.
Back in the living room, they started getting to work on the mess. They swept the kitchen including all the cereal on the floor. Ririka scrubbed the new stain out of the rug. Mary gathered all the broken pieces of the chandelier and disposed of them. Ririka put the twins’ bikes back into the garage. Mary fished all the bottles of alcohol out of the pool with a net.
When the house looked somewhat liveable again, the two of them lowered themselves and their aching bodies onto the couch and Ririka let out a big sigh.
“This day has been a nightmare.” She rested her head against the back of the couch.
“I can only imagine,” Mary chuckled. “They’re cute kids though. Even if they’re spoiled beyond belief.”
“Tell me about it.” Ririka rolled her eyes. Then, she glanced at Mary, wondering what else the blonde was thinking. Why had she agreed to any of this? Why was she even still here?
“You were a good princess,” said Mary suddenly. “I liked the way you used different voices for the princess and the narrator.”
“Thank you.” Ririka blushed. “You were a good frog-slash-prince,” she answered with a yawn.
“Oh, you must be tired. I should probably-“ Mary was cut off though when Ririka’s head dropped onto her shoulder.
She murmured something unintelligible and before Mary knew it, the woman was asleep.
Mary completely stilled and instead of gingerly getting up and setting Ririka down on the couch like she probably should have, she leaned her head against the platinum-haired woman’s and dozed off too.
.
.
.
Ririka was falling.
Or at least, she felt like she was falling.
She had that feeling that one got during a dream right before waking up because of the imaginary sensation of falling out of bed. That moment of sudden consciousness before being fully awake. That had to be what this was then, right? She was in a dream and about to wake up.
Ririka gasped and opened her eyes. Her irises shined a brilliant blue in the sunlight.
The sunlight that streamed downwards from between the trees overhead.
“What the…”
Ririka sat up and felt the soft earth beneath her hands. The sounds of cicadas and birds filled the air. She peered around and came to the realization that she was in a forest of some kind. And when she looked down at herself, she saw that she was wearing unusual clothes.
Ririka was wearing a white, blouse-y dress with a blue bow around the collar. Over it was a red cloak with a hood. She had knee-high brown boots on and a basket was lying on the ground next to her filled with mushrooms and flowers.
Ririka stood and dusted herself off, still wary of her surroundings. She picked up the basket and looked around again, confused at what to do next.
Then, she looked more closely at the ground in the distance and saw a trail of breadcrumbs go deeper into the forest. Left with no other ideas, Ririka followed the trail.
Ririka had been walking for a few minutes when she heard a rustle of the bushes next to her. She eyed them suspiciously before continuing to walk.
She stopped once more when the throng of bushes rustled again. Could it be an animal? Was it just a squirrel or a bird? Curious, Ririka started to approach the rustling, against her better judgement.
She shrieked when suddenly something jumped out at her from the bush and she saw sharp teeth coming towards her.
“Gah!“ The new figure jumped back at the sight of Ririka and fell to the ground after losing their footing.
Ririka uncovered her eyes, having just been cowering in fear, certain she was about to be killed.
Ririka paused when she saw that familiar head of blonde hair. The other woman- er - person rose to her full height again and Ririka could take her in fully.
Mary’s skin that was otherwise light pink and soft was covered in grey fur! The canines of her teeth were exceptionally sharp, more like a vampire than an animal, Ririka saw as she looked carefully. Mary was dressed in a red plaid shirt and blue jeans. Her bushy fur was spilling out of the ends of her sleeves, out from her collar and her pant legs. The pads of the back of her hands and fingers were similarly furry. She had two wolf ears poking out between blonde locks and a fluffy tail swayed behind her.
Mary cried with clenched fists, “You scared me!”
Ririka exclaimed back, “You're the one to talk! I almost fainted because you attacked me!”
Mary pulled her tail in her hands and held it against her body. “I didn’t mean to! I was just walking by myself trying to get through that bush and then you appeared out of nowhere!”
Ririka’s heart finally slowed down to a normal pace.
“Just…” She almost whined, “Why are you a wolf?!”
“You think I know that?!” Mary yelled. “Look at me, I have a tail! Why do I have a tail?! Where are we?!”
Ririka gestured to the mysterious forest. “It looks like the kids’ storybook, doesn't it? Plus, the way we’re dressed…” Ririka put two and two together. “I’m the Little Red Riding Hood and you’re the Big Bad Wolf!”
Mary let go of her tail and splayed her arms out, looking herself over. She experimentally touched her ears and her eyes widened.
Ririka suddenly had a thought. If she was still attracted to Mary like this, did that make her a furry?!
Ririka shook the thought away. Now was not the time!
Mary continued, “So if you’re here, and I'm here, then where are the kids?”
Ririka turned and pointed to the trail of breadcrumbs she had been following. “My bet is that there’s only one way to find out.”
“That better lead to a way out of this place. I don’t wanna be stuck like this forever!”
Ririka started walking and Mary followed suit.
The twins - er, Hansel and Gretel rather - couldn’t be far…