(5 days earlier)
(After Red leaves Gabby to find Humility)
Gabby felt stiffly seated beside her. She seems nice, but she was still new to her eyes and somehow she still feels frightened.
Tanken was aware of her feelings, but she needs to drag her somewhere else to execute her plan, but executing it without putting the blame on her could be quite hard. She needs to do it somewhere far from humans. Where creatures like her exist.
A thought came to her mind but as she was about to speak, a blonde girl with blue eyes, and red fitted dress, approached them.
TIWARI: Gurl, who is she? And why are you here, without me?
Gabby smiles excitedly and even stood up, hugging the girl.
Tanken felt irritated the moment she saw such act. Gabby seems to know the blonde well.
GABBY: She's Tanken. Some friend I met while I'm shopping. She's nice, so we decided to hang out.
Tiwari showed a surprised expression then she nodded, her face then confused and doubtful.
TIWARI: Tanken? Your...your friend's name is...Dagger? Wow girl, your parents are kinda hardcore.
Gabby then realized what Tanken meant, and she feels embarrassed. Truly her real name seems unusual to humans.
TANKEN: Yuki.
TIWARI: You were talking?
TANKEN: Yuki is my name. Tanken is just an nickname from my friends. Because my tongue can be quite sharp.
TIWARI: Sure. I mean...snow fits you more than dagger to be honest. You're as pretty as snow.
Tanken felt disgusted at the cringy compliment. Or maybe she was just feeling this way because this blonde is ruining her plans. Maybe a bit of both.
TIWARI: But snow doesn't have any facial features.
Tiwari felt quite surprised.
Then she leaned to Gabby and whispers in a hush soft tone.
TIWARI: You know what? Tanken fits her more. She's kinda sassy.
Tanken gave a face of disgust, then stands to hold Gabby's hand.
TANKEN: Can we go somewhere else?
Gabby was kind of unsure. I mean...where else does she want to go? Without Red, she feels vulnerable to any danger. Tiwari felt the pressure and holds Gabby's other hand.
TIWARI: Maybe I can join too! After all, I have nothing else to do. And ice cream here is the only thing I came for, and then...I'm back to doing nothing.
GABBY: Yeah, I'd love you to join!
TANKEN: No.
The two girls felt shocked by the sudden reply. Why no?
Tanken realized her mistake, and her evil schemes might be more recognized if she didn't have enough patience.
TANKEN: I mean...no hang out is complete without a third person! I'd love to hang out with you too...beautiful blonde.
TIWARI: Aww, Tiwari.
TANKEN: What word is that?
TIWARI: I mean Tiwari is my name.
TANKEN: Oww...I see. Then it's nice meeting you, Tiwari.
She extends her hand to properly greet her.
Tiwari accepts without bathing an eye. And when their hands touched, she felt unusually cold.
The three girls strolled the park, shopped for clothes, and ate other food present on the streets. Tanken however, unlike the two, was having no fun or fulfillment. She just feels like she's there, but relating to them felt hard. She can't even talk alone with Gabby. And that's what pissed her the most.
Tiwari sneezes and cough from time to time, a result from having been passed the temporary curse from Tanken.
Gabby realizes that her friend seems sick.
GABBY: Did you eat too much ice cream?
Her friend quickly shooks her head.
TIWARI: I don't think it was ice cream.
GABBY: Then I feel even more worried.
TIWARI: Winter doesn't make me sick, I've been immune to this thing for like...years. How dare it ruin our day...
GABBY: Hey, it's okay, it's okay.
Tanken smirks to herself, realizing that her cold spell worked. That moment they touched hands, she transferred a spell that would make her temporarily sick. She then pretends to be worried as well, assisting Tiwari here and there, and even having the face of concern, which she rarely shows to anyone.
TANKEN: I think you should go home.
TIWARI: Really?
TANKEN: Yeah, I understand fully, and I really don't think you can make it through the night. You're really pale and cold.
TIWARI: Oh.
TANKEN: Don't worry, me and Gabby will still enjoy the-
GABBY: Actually, I'm going with her.
TANKEN: What?!
GABBY: What what? She's my friend.
TANKEN: No, I mean...what an amazing friend you are. I am so envied by such friendship, ugghhh, you're making me melt by such sweetness.
Tiwari felt unusual by how Tanken was acting. It's almost as if Tanken wants to get rid of her immediately.
Gabby felt the same, and her acting skills weren't even that good. Or could it be...that she was being unfair? Was it because she's suspicious of her intentions? Was it because she have become wary around spirits? Or was it because of jealousy?
The last possibility made her knees kind of jelly. She don't like hating girls just because of jealousy. She hates being jealous.
But she can't help it either.
More so, Tanken seems hateful of her as well. As what she can see from those big blue eyes. They don't seem friendly. And thanks to her common sense, she can tell very well that Tanken wants to be alone with her.
And that realization wasn't so good. Her intentions were kind of blurry, but maybe she wanted to hurt her?
Knowing the possibilities wasn't very helpful either. It makes their moments seemed forced, and somehow rather awkward.
GABBY: Can you go on alone? If it's okay, I mean... I really need to take care of my friend.
TANKEN: I mean, sure, sure. She's a grown woman, but I guess that's fine. I...I'll just keep going. See you around.
The moment she turned to go away, she was so pissed that her chance of getting rid of her immediately disappeared from her fingers.
She walked and walked, murmuring to herself about her frustrations and about how close she was from killing Gabby, if not for that blonde to interfer and take them further to the heart of the lively, light-filled Tokyo. The mark on her neck glows. And Gabby noticed it even if she was already quite far away.
Tiwari felt confused as to why Gabby was narrowing her eyes and still very much focused on Tanken.
TIWARI: You can tell me now.
GABBY: Tell you what?
TIWARI: Who is she?
GABBY: I just told you, haven't I?
TIWARI: That girl is kinda rude, you know? She clearly wants you all for herself. She's being a meany.
GABBY: Ah.
TIWARI: Where did you meet her again? She looks like a rich spoiled brat that buys friends.
GABBY: That's funny, but aren't we getting too far?
TIWARI: Tsk. From what I observed, she hates being around me. I don't know why you liked her. Why are you two even together in the first place?
GABBY: I...I'm not quite sure either. But let's think about that on another time. I'll take you home.
Tiwari smiles and holds her friend's hand. It had been some time since they've been alone like this. She feels simply happy that Gabby still didn't change her caring qualities.
TIWARI: Let's order soup, shall we?
GABBY: But, your house is like full of ingredients to make one.
TIWARI: Hahahha, I know...but as much as I love you, I know your cooking is equal to poison.
GABBY: Wow. That did not just offend me, huh?
TIWARI: I'm just telling the truth, babe.
GABBY: I guess you're right. Damn it, I'm just really not good at cooking.
TIWARI: It's alright, we're all not good at something.
GABBY: Do you think I'll ever learn how to cook?
TIWARI: Hmmmm, no.
GABBY: Oh, come on!
The two broke into laughter, and somehow, Gabby's concerns slipped away. And she felt safe in the hands of her best friend.
...
That night, as she makes sure that her friend is tucked comfortably in her bed, she smiles and stands to close the lights, when she heard something knowing on the glass window.
She came closer, only to see a thick pile of snow blocking it.
Why did it made a knowing sound if it was snow?
She felt unusually creeped out. And didn not investigate any further. Having blessed, or maybe cursed with these spirit seeing eyes, she has no intention of making whoever or whatever it was out there to come out from its hiding. She had seen way too many horrors in years, that her curiosity for them went rather dry.
She felt really sad that every year her eyes becomes stronger. Who knew what she could see in the future? Satan? She laughed at the thought, although it could be real sometime.
Gabby moves the curtains to cover the glass window and prepared herself as well to sleep on the matress placed on the floor. She has no plans on going home tonight. She was alone. And she don't know just what that snow lady could do.
Red...had not yet returned.
And every second she spends alone, and every action she takes, could end her life.
...
Upon the realization that Gabby did not take the bait, Tanken felt pissed. The snow on the window pane drops to the pile of snow on the ground, where it morphs into Tanken's humanoid form. She cursed to herself after, irritated that the blonde had to interfere in the first place.
Until she smells the scent of cinders nearing.