Past

Author: Seth

"Reminisce about the past all you want, there's no going back to the way it once was."

Twirling her knife expertly in idle boredom, Kyuusei sectioned what remained of her tuna casserole with an artistic flair derived from simply having nothing better to do. Popping one of the slices into her mouth, the girl rested her chin on the palm of her hand and read the mission briefing, her amethyst-like eyes lazy and half-lidded.

Every mission it was the same song and dance, only it seemed to get longer each time through – she assured herself – no fault of her own.

Sneak into the city; do not rob half of its occupants blind on the way in (She was still pretty proud of that one; she’d rubbed it in Tatsuen’s face for weeks). Skulk around and gather information. Do not get lured into obvious traps (It was a freaking all you can eat buffet at the Ice Shark sushi bar, and there had been blue-fin tuna on the menu; how was she supposed to have argued with that?!), do not deface public property (That statue was ugly in the first place; the monocle and moustache had been improvements), and do hunt down the local magistrate so you can ‘kick his ass’ (She was of the firm belief that the brass was being way too sensitive on this one. Surely Ravage must understand the need to deliver a righteous butt whooping; anyways, the overweight peacock of a man in question had been a prick.), even if he was a prick (Oh). Extract herself from the city; do not rob the other half of its occupants blind on the way out (In her defence, she’d generously decided to leave that beggar by the gate alone). Report back to base in the most efficient and unobtrusive manner possible (Evidently they’d learned their lesson the last time ‘Straight back to base’ had led her through a couple of nicely padded banks.).

Rules, rules, rules, rules! The things seemed to multiply and grow like a fungus, rapidly suffocating their freedom to live their lives as they wished. But then there weren’t alone anymore, were they now? Now their actions reflected on an organization that was thousands strong.

Sighing, Kyuusei crushed her orders with a lethargic vindictiveness that nevertheless failed to truly reach her heart. Sometimes she wished everything could go back to the way it used to be; just her, Tatsuen, and nobody to answer to but themselves. Two twins and the world as their oyster.

Had it really ever been as ideal as all that?

Spearing another section of tuna casserole on her fork, Kyuusei stared at it intensely.

No, she concluded, as she always did whenever this particular bit of nostalgia snuck up on her, it hadn’t. Before, they didn’t have the guarantee of three square meals per day. Before, they were always on the run; never having their own rooms to come back to, night after night. Before, they’d had no company save their own and that of complete strangers.

Smiling, Kyuusei popped the piece of casserole into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. Perhaps, the silvery headed thief mused, under certain circumstances, freedom was overrated.