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Friday the Thirteenth by AngelMoon Girl

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~Friday the Thirteenth~
Chapter 5: "Monikers and Murderers"

"Sooo... here we are," Usagi palliated nervously, reaching up to innocently wind a loose strand of hair around her index finger. Innocently, because Mamoru seemed to be glaring daggers at her as if he would like nothing better than to wrap his fingers around her neck and squeeze.

"Yes, here we are," the man repeated sardonically, and not without a subtle hint of sarcasm lacing his tone. "*What*, may I ask, was the point of our earlier introduction? Might I remind you, Odango Atama, that you have been the bane of my existence for a few months now?"

Usagi made a face at her nemesis, reaching down to pick up Kotono. "I'm sorry! I froze up when Fumara-san asked if we knew each other, and then, well... you can see how I dug a grave for myself after that, right? It was an accident!"

Mamoru just grunted in acquiescence, clearly not in the mood to argue. After all, they had most of the night to do so, which was just... lovely. Really. He was so ecstatic he could hardly stand it.

"Hey, Mamo-chan," Usagi said, and aforementioned college student started from unpleasant brooding to an even more unpleasant moniker.

"*What* did you just call me?"

"Why... Mamo-chan, of course," Usagi smirked, devil waving merrily at Mamoru from her cerulean depths. "It's a very cute nickname. Screams manliness and all that."

Mamoru frowned. "I'd prefer 'baka' any day, thank you very much. We have never been and never will be friends."

"Youch... then Mamo-baka it is!" the blonde chirped, unworried by his promise as she carried Kotono back into the living room. Mamoru followed rather reluctantly.

"Just what do you plan to do now, Odango?"

"Play with Koto-chan, oh ye of little faith," Usagi snapped irately at her pestiferous shadow, traipsing over to the spherical crimson rug and setting the child down on it. "I know it's not exactly befitting of your 'coolness'-"

"I play with children," Mamoru grumbled in reply. "And I'm probably a lot more fun than you are, too!"

"Uh huh..."

"Fine. I'll go get her toy-box and *then* we'll see who's the better playmate!"

"You're on!"

And so, the war with no point began. Until almost six thirty, Usagi and Mamoru tried to one-up the other with board games and activities alike. Kotono seemed to care less, happy to be at the center of attention as her caregivers lavished all manner of dolls and singing teddy bears into her eager fingers. Mamoru, on the other hand, looked rather weary after fifteen minutes straight of Barbies. Usagi took great delight in this rare picture of Mamoru surrounded by pink doll accessories, dearly wishing she'd brought a camera. Ah, regret.

But when six forty-five rolled around, Kotono began getting cranky. Mamoru chocked it up to boredom, passionately protesting their most recent endeavor to play "fashion show" with the dress-up costumes. Usagi nailed fatigue as the source of Kotono's haggard disposition, but the child herself claimed hunger. Of course, the two-year-old won the argument.

And that was how, ten minutes later, Mamoru found himself the unwilling chauffeur to Perhoff's Ice Cream Parlor, Usagi humming loudly in the passenger seat. He sighed, unable to muster up the right amount of courage to drown her out with the radio. After all, it was Odango's fault they were making this stupid excursion anyway. *He'd* wanted to give Kotono curry leftovers, but noooo- Usagi had jumped at the bait like a starving child herself, pleading until blue in the face for an ice cream trip.

It was obvious who emerged the triumphant.

And yet, Mamoru let the girl hum. Grudgingly, he admitted to himself that she was not half-bad. And it was keeping Kotono quiet, too.

Perhoff's Ice Cream Parlor loomed into propinquity of the Ferrari, and Usagi seemed the most excited of the three as she fidgeted and bounced in her seat. Mamoru grunted a threat, something to do with a rope and gag, but the blonde paid him no mind. 'Ice cream, ice cream, ice cream!' Usagi swore to hug Fumara for her wonderful insight upon the woman's return. The frozen treat had cheered the fourteen-year-old right up... who cared if Mamoru was such a stick in the mud? That was his problem.

Mamoru pulled up in front of the brightly-lit building, glimpsing into the backseat and chuckling. "Nice, Odango. I guess it really is possible to send a person to sleep when forced to listen to your voice for seven minutes nonstop."

Usagi scowled, but it was shortlived. A warm smile overtook her features as she watched Kotono snooze blissfully in her booster seat. "Watch it, Mamo-baka. And who was right about her being tired, huh? Huh??"

"Fine. You called it. But now *you* get to stay in the car with her," Mamoru reasoned, making to exit the vehicle. Usagi gaped and nearly lunged to slam the driver's door shut, barely missing the man's pinkie.

"You can't leave me alone out here! It's getting *dark*!" the teen hollered, and Kotono twitched at the decibel-climbing noise. Mamoru threw Usagi a glare, then answered faux-patiently,

"Odango, you will not be alone. Koto-chan is here."

"But it's scary..." Usagi whined, peering out into the gloom beyond the Parlor's outdoor lamps. Mamoru rolled his eyes.

"Come inside if you *really* need me, but otherwise, I don't want a wailing toddler at our heels. Let the child sleep, and lock the doors," were the college student's last words, then he fairly fled into the little shop. Usagi whimpered, wringing her hands anxiously as she imagined shadows morphing into human form in the abyss. Desperately, she clambered into the backseat to sit beside her young, slumbering charge, reaching out to lock the car in one mighty swoop.

There. That precaution made her feel a little safer, at least.

Usagi cracked the window for air, then closed her eyes and prayed for Mamoru's speedy finish. For a long moment, Kotono's heavy breathing was the only sound filling the red Ferrari.

Then, horror of all horrors-

"Hello, miss."

Usagi started violently, stifling a scream at the surprise greeting. She arched to hide Kotono and put some distance between her and the stranger standing beside the tinted window.

"I'm sorry to have frightened you," the man, a brunette with graying hair, apologized. Upon further appraisal, he looked in be in his mid-forties, but Usagi couldn't tell. Shadows obscured most of his countenance, though he appeared clean-shaven and friendly. 'He's not homeless', Usagi surmised. 'But...'

"My family and I got lost heading to Osatu Inn and Suites; we've been driving around for hours... you wouldn't happen to know the way, would you?"

"I- I- I can't say I do..." Usagi responded nervously, still shielding Kotono from view and not entirely swayed by this alibi. She tried to disguise the trembling in her hands for an insatiable desire to scratch at an itch, cursing the betraying hot flush on her cheeks. This was the first time she'd ever felt so tense around a stranger, but the girl knew her fear was most likely derived from a combination of the Enigma story she'd heard earlier and the fact that she was in a car at night. Alone. With a mysterious man at the window.

"Oh." The man looked visibly disappointed and started to turn away. His face caught the light for a brief second, and Usagi noticed a strange, jagged white scar on the fellow's left cheek. She sympathized at how painful a wound he must have incurred to receive such a harshly carved mark, having had her fair share of injuries during battle. But then he paused, pivoted, and came back to the window... to the blonde's dismay. She pursed her lips, and he intoned with a voice cracking in misery, "I don't mean to bother you again, but my children... my poor children are hungry; we haven't eaten since I spent the last of our money on gas.... times are- are tough. We came to Tokyo for a fresh start; I got accepted at Osatu Inn and Suites as a bellhop. You wouldn't happen to have any snacks lying around for them to nibble on, would you? At least until we get to Osatu?"

"N-no..."

"Not even a rice cracker for your little daughter? Or perhaps a bag of chips?"

"My...? No, she- she already ate; I'm sorry," Usagi stammered, willing herself not to blink too frequently. She was *such* a terrible liar; it was really quite pitiful... But this man- something about him- just gave her the creeps!

"Any money? Just some change, even?"

"My f-friend took the last of our money to get some ice cream for our- our, um, little girl... and he, well, he'll have spent it all. I'm afraid we can't help; he'll be out any second now."

"All right then. I do apologize for taking up your time; perhaps someone else can be of service," the middle-aged stranger said, bowing and then wandering off into the darkness. Usagi gulped, waiting a few minutes until she was sure he wasn't lurking out of sight before hurriedly unbuckling Kotono. The child started crying vociferously at being jarred awake, howling for her mother, but Usagi shushed the little one gently. She gathered up Kotono and unlocked the car, still shaking from head to toe. With the bravery of a terrified field mouse, the blonde scuttled from the Ferrari's backseat with Kotono and ran pell-mell into Perhoff's. She spotted a flash of ebony hair in the very last aisle, deliberating over two boxes of ice cream. A gigantic, relieved sigh and more sprinting later, Usagi had come up behind her partner. Mamoru turned at the familiar sniffling of Kotono, a much aggrieved expression in place.

"Odango, I thought I said-"

"I *know* what you *said*, but there's a dodgy man out there!" Usagi defended of herself. Mamoru instantly perked up, and concern flared briefly in his eyes.

"A dodgy man?"

"Yeah, and I certainly wasn't going to leave Koto-chan and I to his serial killer whims-"

"Serial killer?" Mamoru repeated, cocking his brow. The corners of the college student's mouth twitched upward. "Odango, I highly doubt a *serial killer* would be seen haunting the parking lot of an *ice cream parlor*. That just... doesn't happen in real life, alright? Stop being such a scaredy-cat."

"I'm NOT being a scaredy-cat! He... he was asking me creepy questions!" Usagi exclaimed, affronted.

"Okay, try me. What was so creepy about this guy?" Mamoru inquired, folding his arms in wait for this magnificent revelation.

"I... I had a feeling-"

"You had a... 'feeling'?" Mamoru inserted doubtfully. Usagi glared, but the superhero didn't flinch. "...Go on..."

"He couldn't find Osatu Inn-"

"My, that's suspicious."

"And he said his family was in some hard times and asked for a little food-"

"Oh gasp, lock him up now! The man is *definitely* a serial killer!"

"WOULD YOU SHUT UP!? I am *attempting* to clarify myself, here! What I'm implying- and what you can't seem to get through that thick skull of yours- was that it was odd that I didn't see any of his aforementioned 'family' around. And he... I don't know, it just seemed like he wanted to lure me out of the car or something..."

Mamoru was silent for a few seconds, staring at his nemesis pensively. Usagi gnawed her lower lip, shyly watching him gaze at her from beneath her lashes. It was a little disconcerting to see anything but hate directed at her in those midnight depths... for some strange reason, he *almost* appeared proud. Almost.

"I'm not lying."

"I know you aren't. I see what you mean, and it was a smart decision to come into a public area with Koto-chan, but I really think this is a classic case of 'mountains out of molehills'. He's gone, isn't he? I think our biggest crisis right now is which ice cream to pick," Mamoru declared, and Usagi gawked. In the space of three sentences, she'd just encountered a complimentary Mamoru and a reasonable Mamoru. Somebody, quick, check for fever! The fourteen-year-old smirked wolfishly at the selection he held, more to bring their conversation back to a territory she understood than anything else.

"Milk Chocolate Swirl and... Forbidden Chocolate?" she giggled. "That's rather redundant."

"For your information, I love chocolate," Mamoru growled, still giving each box a keen and searching eye-sweep.

"Yes, but those flavors are so... *plain*! Try Mint Chocolate Chip, or Cherry Garcia! Yeesh, Chiba Mamoru, you are unbearably boring!"

"I'M NOT BORING!"

"Of course you are! I bet you're the sort of guy who always buys the *same* flavor, over and over and over again... You know, ice cream is like life! You have to spruce it up once in a while, or you'll find yourself growing dull! Where's the excitement? Where's the variety? The *surprise*?"

Mamoru spluttered, but seemed to have no reply to this accusation. Until- "And who's paying for this ice cream, Odango? Why don't you just go wait over at the counter with Koto-chan; you're of no help to me over here with all your meaningless prattle about life being like ice cream."

Usagi pouted, but sidled away miserably. 'Stick in the mud...' Instead of lingering around the cashier, Usagi decided to traverse the other aisles. She set Kotono down and began admiring the frozen delicacies, describing those she'd tasted in detail to the pig-tailed brunette grasping her hand. Kotono vigorously nodded, seemingly in awe with this legendary girl who had consumed so much ice cream over her lifetime. Occasionally she would ask about Mamoru's preferences, but for the most part Kotono was content to listen to Usagi ramble.

When Mamoru went to go pay, a zealously miffed Usagi stalked past him with Kotono and out the door. 'Hmph, how dare he act so condescendingly toward me... I'll show that jerk... '

In all her theatrics, however, Usagi forgot one little thing-

It was scary outside alone, at night.

Murderers stalked pretty girls like her.

Feeling suddenly paranoid, but refusing to show Mamoru cowardice by taking solace inside, Usagi led Kotono back over to the Ferrari. She peered this way and that way, but the gloom revealed no figure of a man with a white scar on his cheekbone. It was as if he had never existed; been merely a figment of the babysitter's imagination. Apprehensively, Usagi staggered back over to the passenger side and practically stuffed Kotono in, then jumped to safety herself. With an enormous sigh, she slammed the door shut and began taking relaxing breaths.

"Usa-chan? What wrong?" Kotono queried innocently.

"Nothing, Koto-chan. I just don't like the dark."

"Me nei'der," the two-year-old admitted, sucking on two of her fingers voraciously.

"But it's okay. Mamo-ba... uh, *Mamo-chan* will be back with the ice cream soon, and then we'll go home," Usagi consoled, all anger she fostered over the jerk's attitude temporarily forgotten.

"Mama home too?"

"After you go to sleep, remember? But we'll have lots of fun until then! Mamo-chan and Usa-chan will be the best babysitters in the *world*!"

"The world?" Kotono repeated with wide eyes. Usagi nodded at the exact instant Mamoru made his reappearance, bag swinging in hand as he whistled cheerily. He slid into the driver's seat as Usagi plopped Kotono onto her booster seat and did up the child's straps.

"Everyone all set?"

"Yep!" Kotono chirped, now hyper as a live wire at the prospect of ice cream. She clapped her hands excitedly as Usagi settled down into the passenger side. The blonde chuckled quietly to herself at this downside to the earlier nap, then asked Mamoru,

"What did you get?"

"Ice cream," the ebony-head drawled sarcastically as they backed out. Usagi clicked her tongue, peeking into the bag interestedly. A soft smile lit up her countenance:

It was Mint Chocolate Chip.

TBC

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~AngelMoon Girl

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