"Stupid Anai, stupid Washimi, stupid- ow!" Gori cried, quickly covering her mouth and ducking behind an object. She had been stalking Anai for a few days now, and he suspected nothing. Probably, Gori couldn't tell. But anyway, Gori watched from behind the trashcan she had darted behind. It was currently night time, so only the street lamps were on as she watched the male from a safe distance. 

Anai was in more casual clothes and stood beneath one of the ahead street lamps. He had stopped walking upon hearing Gori cry out, but not knowing where it had come from, he just stood, listening and looking. Gori just sat behind a bush, not breathing and not moving. 

Anai took in a sharp breath but didn't let it out. He didn't feel...feel what? He glanced around himself again before turning his attention forward. He didn't feel like he was alone. Something-or someone was somewhere out there, watching him. He knew it. For the past few days, he's been hearing things, seeing things-little things, but things nevertheless. He didn't know what to do about it, though. As far as he knew he had no reason to do anything against them. So, although uneasy, he let it be, starting up his walk home again.

Gori, by the time Anai had walked another safe distance away, felt she was going to pass out. Somehow, she managed to not breathe that entire moment Anai was processing his thoughts. Inhaling a large breath Gori held it in for a minute as if tasting the air-savoring it, before exhaling again. "I hate this job..." She mumbled, glancing down the street at that Anai kid. At least she had gathered information. Washimi, although Gori barely knew what her plan was, seemed to be quite grateful for any info she could get her hands on. 

Gori, though, didn't want to kill Anai. She wanted to kill Tadano. But noooo, they had to kill this random guy in Retsuko's office first. Gori didn't see the point in this. They could get Anai at any time, he worked in the same office as them, but they couldn't get Tadano anytime. And in Gori's mind, Tadano was more dangerous anyway. But Washimi always got what she wanted, didn't she?

Gori scowled at the thought of her supposed 'best friend'. 'Best friends would listen to each other's ideas....best friends would care about each other's feelings....' Gori tiptoed after Anai silently, her anger growing just as quietly. 'Washimi doesn't even listen to me anymore. Yeah, we both love Retsuko, but if we intend on sharing her and Washimi acts how she does now to me...' Gori stopped for a minute, ducking behind a large trashcan as Anai stopped walking, waiting for a crossing signal before he crossed the road to his apartment. 

'And if Washimi keeps that up...keeps being in control...' Anai walked across the street at a comfortable pace upon the light changing. Gori followed behind a safe distance as always. 'It won't be long until I'm out of the picture, will it?' Gori stopped after crossing the road, the light turning red behind her as late-night drivers wooshed by. She didn't move, even as Anai walked up to his apartment, even as he entered it, or even as the light behind her turned to the 'walk' signal again. She just stood in the dim lamplight from the street and apartment lights. 

It was silent until the signal turned yet again, allowing cars to pass by as the red sign illuminated Gori's silhouette. "Well then..maybe I should get her out of the picture first." She stated, simply, blankly. Then she walked away, traveling away from Anai's apartment down the sidewalk to her own abode, silent.

~- - - - -~

Resasuke was paranoid. He was paranoid at the hospital, but now he was even more so paranoid. Tadano hadn't made any moves yet, at least none that he noticed, and if he had and he hadn't noticed, well that just made him more paranoid. 

Work, home, the streets, he was paranoid. Even with other people, he felt unsafe. Constantly he would glance over his shoulder, check his surroundings, and tense up. He knew Tadano was smart, and he knew he was coming, but he didn't know when. And that made him even MORE paranoid.  He hated this, which was new because usually, he didn't feel much...feelings. 

But of all the feelings he could feel, he got stuck with the worst ones, which made him feel worse. 'There's no end, is there?' Resasuke sighed as he unlocked his apartment door, quickly flicking on the lights. Nothing. No one. 'Good.' Resasuke then proceeded to set his stuff down and lock the door behind him after entering. Then he proceeded to re-check that he locked the door, and tried the knob twice, to make sure it really was locked. Which, if you were wondering, it was. 

After his constant re-checks were finished he walked further into his apartment, glancing around cautiously. He turned on every light in the place and speed walked to his bedroom, reaching a hand underneath his pillow. His hand was met with a wooden handle, something thin sharp and metal attached to one of its ends. The knife was still there. No one had taken it. He was okay.

'For now.' Sitting on his bed, he stared into space as he had done so many times before, but this time, he had a knife in his hand, hid underneath the pillow. He wouldn't dare take it out unless he needed to. He didn't want to be a murderer, but if push came to shove, he wouldn't be the one dead on the floor. 

~- - - - -~

Fenneko forgot how long she had been here. All she knew was that her trail was coming up, and she had to leave before then. After her charge was administered, she had almost no chance of getting out of here. Getting out of here to go see Retsuko. She shut her eyes and inhaled a long, slow breath. That's all she wanted. She just wanted to see her again, to speak with her again, to BE with her again. That's all she ever wanted. She wouldn't even be here if Tsunoda hadn't...if she didn't....nevermind that. 

But while Fenneko had forgotten just how long she had been here, she did not let any type of escape plans creep out of her mind. Over the days she had been here, rotting in a cell, she had memorized any guard patterns she could. She started to behave, even taking a shower finally. And since she had just got there, and only resisted in the few first days, the police believed all of it. They thought she had given up and accepted her fate. 

But, as obviously implied, she did not. She was going to escape if it was the last thing she ever did, even if it killed her. Or someone else.

And so Fenneko had it all planned out. Tomorrow, at 1 am (So technically the day after tomorrow), she would escape. And she would go see Retsuko. And nobody could stop her. 

~- - - - -~

Retsuko forgot how long she had been in the bath. A coconut-scented bath. She no longer used the rose smelling items, it brought back memories. Memories that she could never fully decide what emotion they emitted, so it confused her, so she just didn't use them to save the confusion for another day. 

She didn't know what to think anymore. She was sad, but not as sad as before. She was happy but not as happy as she wanted to feel. She felt guilty, for some reason, and she felt like she needed to get out of the bath. But she didn't want to. 

Sinking farther into the bubble coated tub she stirred some of the water with a finger, watching small whirlpools start to form. She had sunk so deep into the bath that only the top half of her head reached above the water, her nose just barely above the steamy coconut water. She inhaled deeply through her nose and let the breath out underwater, small bubbles bubbling up from the exhale. 

'Why did this have to happen to me? Why did this all have to happen anyway?' Her eyes lazily watched the small whirlpools appear and dissipate, her finger still slowly stirring the bathwater. 'And why can't I move on?' One whirlpool stuck around longer than the rest, Retsuko putting her attention solely on that one. 

She didn't like these mixed feelings. But she didn't want to ignore them either. So she sat there in the bath, contemplating everything and anything that came to her mind. Every light in the house was off except for her bathroom light, and nothing else in the house made a sound except for her and a distant wall clock going 'tick tick, tok'. 

The scent of coconuts overwhelmed her sense of smell, helping her forget some of the stress she had. '...But why should I worry about any of that anyway? Fenneko was my friend but...she did this to herself. And Tsunoda...she was a friend but...well, as horrible as it sounds, it's okay that she left.' Retsuko thought to herself in the silence, letting the tropical scent soothe her mind. 'I should just enjoy what's here right now...' She sank farther into the bath, the coconut water consuming her now. 'Yeah....I think I'll do that. That sounds...nice.' The red panda decided, letting her muscles relax as she accepted the bath's relaxing properties.

(And finally, that's chapter ten! Get ready for some action next chapter, which should be out sooner than this one. But, besides all that, does anyone here consider themselves a drawer? Please tell me if you are, I want to see how many there are here before I propose anything major. Well, that's all. Thank you all for being so patient, and please have a good day or night!)