GOING BOSTAL

4. A Walk in the Dark (part e)

So far, it was another uneventful day at the Bishoujo-a-Go-Go. As usual for this time of day, the place was completely empty – well, except for Hefty Hugh and his pet rabbit, Bubbles. If there was one good thing about the virtual menagerie of animals that Bob kept upstairs on the top floor, it was that Hugh could claim that Bubbles belonged to him, should the issue ever come up with their landlord.

It hadn't yet, though, thankfully. Hugh cradled Bubbles in his arms, stroking her dark grey fur lovingly. She just lay there, apparently docile, with her nose twitching slightly. But she could be a vicious little thing when provoked. That was the mysterious appeal of the female species, Hugh supposed. They were a mess of contradictions and perversities. Not to be understood: merely to be admired, at least from afar. And for those unfortunate souls who couldn't get any closer than afar, there were video parlours like Hugh's, to ease the pain.

Business had been slackening off recently, though; with the fierce competition in the pleasure industry, it was becoming more affordable for Hugh's clientele to rent real girls for an hour, rather than cramming themselves into one of Hugh's private booths. Whores, and slaves rented out by their unscrupulous masters. Sometimes Hugh figured he was in the wrong line of wo—

The bell above the door jingled brightly as two slender slave girls burst inside, panting loudly and laughing between themselves. Hugh blinked, certain that he'd seen them before. The taller one, bent forward with her hands braced on her thighs, and the shorter one, her brown hair thicker and longer than her companion's.

"We made it!" the shorter one giggled, straightening up. "I told you it'd work! 'Oh, Kurai-sama, it's so nice a day; do I really have to walk on this leash?'"

"Well, yes," her friend admitted, "but I feel bad about taking advantage of Kurai-sama's trust like that. He may not be so willing to trust me in future because of this..."

"Oh, it's okay, Kana-chan!" the first girl said, slapping the older girl's elbow lightly. "And it got us here ahead of Oukami-sama and Kurai-sama, didn't it?"

Kana...? Kana... Todo?

Bubbles started to wriggle restlessly in Hugh's arms as his grip on her tightened, unconsciously. He stared at the two slave girls as the vague reports he'd heard over the past two days filtered back into his head. Mister Clancy – found gagged and half-shaved on the Docks. Brink – missing and presumed dead. Nezz – alive, but horribly maimed...

Hugh's nose began to itch and tingle ever so slightly as the two girls drifted up to the counter, the older one keeping an anxious gaze back over her shoulder at the door.

"Hi," the younger one said, conversationally, plopping her elbows down on the counter and looking up at Hugh with mischief in her deep brown eyes. "You remember us, right? I'm Anna, and this is Kana-chan."

"Um, yes," Hugh said, reluctantly, easing his grip on Bubbles, who was still squirming to escape.

"The funniest thing happened to Kana-chan the other day," Anna said, blinking at Hugh innocently. "She was abducted by a slaver. And the slaver just happened to mention your name to her, in passing. Now, Kana-chan thinks it'd be a bad idea to mention this to Kurai-sama or Oukami-sama. They can both get pretty mad, you know, and... ohh! Can I hold your bunny?"

"Anna-chan?" Kana asked, nervously. "What are you—"

"Bunny!" Anna enthused, ducking around behind the counter and scooping Bubbles from Hugh's arms, taking her into her embrace. "Go on, Kana-chan."

"Oh." Kana looked at Hugh, her violet eyes wide and anxious. "My Kurai-sama can get very angry, Mister Hugh," she said, hesitantly. "If he found out what you did, I don't want to imagine what he'd want to do to you."

"Shhwick!" Anna said, gleefully, and Hugh gulped as the younger girl ran the tip of her finger sharply across the base of Bubbles' ear.

"I... I don't want Kurai-sama to have to do that," Kana continued, softly. "He's... he's much happier now, and I like seeing him that way. So..."

"So you're going to give him and Oukami-sama all the free games and DVDs they want!" Anna broke in, as Kana's voice trailed off. "Or we tell them, you lose bits and pieces of your face, and I get to keep your bunny!"

"Anna-chan!" Kana said, sounding scandalised. "That wasn't part of the—"

"But he's so cute!" Anna protested, cuddling Bubbles closer to her chest. "Does he have a name, Mister Hugh?"

"B... Bubbles," Hugh said, weakly. His ear was tingling now, as well as his nose. He was very attached to both of them.

"Bubbles?" Anna looked at him indignantly. "That's a silly name for a boy rabbit."

"She's a... she, actually," Hugh told her, looking back across the counter at the other girl. Her expression was slightly frightened, but the look in her violet eyes was determined. She meant what she was saying.

Anna, on the other hand, didn't seem to be paying attention at all. Instead, she had her face buried contentedly against Bubbles' back. "Wai!" she squealed, looking up. "Kana-chan, his fur is so soft! Come here, you have to feel it!"

"Mister Hugh said she's a she, Anna-chan," Kana said, moving around the counter towards Anna, but keeping her eyes on Hugh. "Do we have... an understanding, Mister Hugh?"

"Yes." Hugh sighed. "Free rentals for Wolf-san and Dark-san for the rest of the day."

"Nuh-uh," Anna said, looking up. "Forever."

"F–forever?" Hugh sputtered. "But... but that's..."

"Uh-huh." Anna nodded vigorously. "Or the bunny gets it!"

"Fine," Hugh said, morosely. "Now, you two girls must remember that the deal is only good so long as you don't tell your— Ah, Dark-san! Wolf-san! How are you this fine day?"

"Whaddya know?" Darkling gasped, doubled over and clutching his side as he peered up at Wolfson, who was standing next to him in the doorway. "They are here."

"I didn't think either of them was just going to run away," Wolfson said, amused. "Not with all we've been through."

"You should never take Anna off her leash," Darkling reminded him. "I've told you that dozens of times. She has the attention span of a goldfish."

"Yes, but she's so pretty and shiny," Wolfson pointed out, walking forward and ignoring Darkling's bemused stare. "What do you have there, Chiisai-chan?"

"This is Mister Hugh's bunny!" Anna said, proudly, holding her up for Wolfson to see. "His name is Bubbles!"

"Her," Kana whispered, but Anna was oblivious. Kana turned to her master, who was looking at her now, slightly puzzled. "I'm sorry we ran off like that, Kurai-sama. Anna was very excited about an idea she'd had, and she wanted to get here quickly."

"That's... that's all right," Darkling said, smiling at her. He reached out to cup her right cheek momentarily, then nodded over toward the games section. "Why don't you go find us a game to play?"

"Oh." Kana looked at him, her eyes widening. "But... but, oniichan..."

"Go on," Darkling said, with a nod at Anna, who was already poring through the shelves, Bubbles slung precariously over one arm. "Find us something fun."

"Hai," she said, with a gentle smile. "I will, oniichan."

"We should enjoy this break while we can," Wolfson said, standing back with Darkling as Kana hurried over to the game shelves. "We have to leave bright and early tomorrow."

"Well, our business here's done anyway," Darkling said, musingly. "Nezz and Brink have gone into retirement, one of them permanently. The Blood Mongrels who ambushed you have learned their lesson. That Ollie's in the hands of the debt collectors now, and they'll make sure they each get their piece of him. The only loose end is... Clancy."

"I'm glad you didn't kill him," Wolfson murmured, putting his hand on Darkling's shoulder. "It... it would have been bad for you."

Darkling just smiled bitterly for a moment, his brow creasing. "I wanted to. I just wanted to tear that bastard to pieces. But... but you're right. And so was Kana. Enough pain. I just... I just have to learn how to let go, sometimes."

"I keep telling you – you need to learn how to meditate," Wolfson teased. Darkling just looked up at his friend, with one eyebrow arched.

"And I keep telling you – the day you catch me chanting 'Mihiroooooo' or 'Azumiiiiiii' is the day you can safely have me committed to a lunatic asylum."

"Have it your way," Wolfson said, agreeably. "Means more idols for me, after all."

Darkling just grinned.

"Hah!" Anna cheered, pulling out a battered box from behind several others. "Oukami-sama! They've got it! Look, look!"

"Huh?" Wolfson asked, turning to look at Anna as she ran over to him, with Bubbles squirming in her overenthusiastic grip.

"Here!" Anna said, proudly, waving the box in front of Wolfson's face. "See?"

"Chiisai-chan, hold it... hold it still, already!" Wolfson laughed, grabbing Anna's wrist as she bounced restlessly from one foot to the other. "Now, let's see what you... Uh..."

"See?" Anna asked, brightly. "Let's play it together, Oukami-sama!"

"Casual Romance Club..." Wolfson said, weakly. "Chiisai-chan, I, uh... I don't know how to break this to you, but Darkling and I played this game already, the last time we were—"

"But I wasn't with you last time," Anna said, hoisting Bubbles higher in her arms and turning her huge wet brown eyes on her master. "And I miss the other girls. Especially Misao. She was always so nice to me."

"You'll see her soon enough..." Wolfson attempted, but Anna wasn't having any of it. She grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the counter.

"Come on, Oukami-sama!" she urged, plopping the rabbit down on the bench. "Let's play my path! It'll be fun! And we can act out the good bits! I'm much better live, you know!"

"Here," Darkling said, tossing his purse over to Wolfson as Hugh hastily retrieved Bubbles, before Anna took it into her head to reclaim her. "Don't spend it all at once."

"No need to worry," Wolfson said, reassuringly. "We won't stay long this time. It shouldn't take more than an hour or so to get through Anna's path."

"Oh, I'm not much fussed." Darkling shrugged. "It's the last chance we'll have for a while, so we might as well take full advantage, right?"

"True enough. And it's not as if..." Wolfson paused as he peered into the coin pouch. "Funny."

"What's funny, Oukami-sama?" Anna asked, pulling the Casual Romance Club box out from under his arm and slapping it down in front of Hugh, who nodded and started sorting through the games drawer under the counter.

"Well, I was sure Darkling had a Crown in here – part of Mister Clancy's little contribution to our funds," Wolfson said, sounding a little perturbed. "But it doesn't seem to be here."

"Oh, that," Anna said, brightly. "Kurai-sama spent it yesterday, down at the Docks! Didn't you know?"

"You spent it?" Wolfson repeated, turning to his friend incredulously. "An entire Crown? On what?"

Darkling just smiled, to himself more than anyone else. "A ticket home," he said, softly.

"But have no fear, Wolf-san," Hugh interjected, straightening up. "Today is, er, Shilling-a-No-No Day, and you and Dark-san are the lucky winners! Your rentals for today are free of charge!"

"Shhwick!" Anna said, loudly, causing both Wolfson and Darkling to look at her in considerable confusion.

"Well, actually, as a matter of fact," Hugh amended, without skipping a beat, "all your rentals from now on will be free!"

"Isn't that great, Oukami-sama?" Anna asked, beaming up at her master proudly.

Darkling and Wolfson just looked at each other, exchanging bemused glances.

"Well... who's complaining?" Wolfson asked, after a moment.

Darkling shrugged, grinning, catching his purse as Wolfson tossed it back to him. "Not me."

"Two hours," Wolfson said, ducking over to the adult DVD rack and picking out two Mihiro titles. "Maybe three..."

"See you in a little bit, Kurai-sama, Kana-chan!" Anna called to them as she joined Wolfson, heading for the booths. "Wouldn't it be fun if I had my middle school uniform with me, Oukami-sama? You'd like it if I..."

The soundproof door of their booth closed, shutting out Anna's cheerful voice. Tugging the coin pouch closed, Darkling tucked it into his pocket and drifted over to stand near Kana. As Hugh watched them out of the corner of his eye, a technique he'd perfected over years of running establishments just like this one, he saw Darkling slide his arms around Kana's waist, peering over her shoulder as she rummaged through the game shelves.

"Find anything, imouto-chan?" he asked, fondly, his face half-buried in her hair.

The girl just smiled, turning her head sideways and looking up at him. "Hai, oniichan," she said, shyly. "I... I've found a game that I think you might like. Here." Turning around in his embrace, she impulsively went up on tiptoe to kiss the corner of his mouth, then brought the box up between them, looking at him questioningly.

Darkling just smiled. "Hmmm. Yes, Kana. I think this should do just fine."

"So you'll... play with me, oniichan?" she asked, with a hesitant smile.

"Are you sure you're up to it, imouto-chan?" he asked, softly. "It's only been a couple of days, and you're still not entirely..."

"I know," she said, gazing up at him quietly, her violet eyes clear and serene. "I... I want this, though."

"Come on, then." Gently, he took her hand and led her over to the counter, handing the empty box to Hugh. "This one, thanks. If we need anything more, we'll come out and get it."

"Of course, Dark-san," Hugh said, bowing slightly, then backing away as Darkling gingerly slipped his arm around Kana's shoulder, drawing her closer to him. She closed her eyes and hesitantly lifted her chin as his lips drifted closer to hers.

Hugh wasn't a squeamish man by nature, but he had to turn around and duck into the back room before they actually kissed. And, as he rummaged violently through the archive box for the seldom-requested Kana Little Sister CD, he realised again that there were worse things than whores and pleasure slaves, when it came to cutting in on his business.

There was love.

There was love like the kind Hugh could sense between the two standing out there at the counter, even if they weren't aware of it themselves. The sort of love that could be forever if you just believed in it enough. Even if those two still wanted – or needed – to believe that they were just playing games.

The very thought sent a violent shudder of revulsion right through Hugh's stocky frame. Love – true love. Afflicting his customers, here, right in his store. Just his rotten luck.

Still, he forced a smile as he handed the game disc to the two travellers, and watched as they headed for one of the booths. He settled down on his stool behind the counter, stroking Bubbles' fur as she wriggled restlessly in his lap. The booths weren't entirely soundproofed, and Hugh's trained ear could discern the muffled squeals already coming from Wolfson's booth.

And then, softer but no less compelling, a quiet clear voice singing. The melody was familiar to Hugh, even if the actual words weren't. He'd spent enough time playing Kana Little Sister to recognise the sentiments, though:

"I want to know how our future will unfold;
I wish I had a mirror that would show our future days.
My feelings flow,
Coming freely from within my trembling heart.
I am standing here for you, so please—"

Abruptly, the girl's voice was cut off, replaced moments later by soft whimpers of pleasure. Sighing heavily to himself, Hugh turned his back on the booths and continued petting Bubbles, perhaps harder than was really necessary.

True love, like so many other things, was overrated. Or, at least, that was what Hugh tried to convince himself as the afternoon slowly wore on.

f i n .