That's all it took. One text, and she instantly knew something was wrong. Lounging around on a beach in Florida, Athena Teracruz knew something was very wrong with her sister, Meta.
Ice cream dripped down her elbow as she stared at the faint glow of the iPhone screen.
Just one text. One was enough, and Athena was absolutely sure that something was up.
I'm fine.
That was all Meta had said, and Athena already knew that Meta was in fact, NOT fine, and in terrible, terrible, stress.
Meta was the most talkative person on the planet. Two words wouldn't have sufficed at all. She would have probably written a long and lengthy essay with a large amount of emoticons about how amazing life was, otherwise, she was not okay.
Athena frowned and checked her Calendar quickly. She didn't have any classes to teach all next week, so that was when she would go to this.. So called Tres Spades Hotel, and figure out what the hell was going on.
...Little Sister...
Meta panicked. Her sister was coming to the Tres Spades Hotel. HER LITTLE SISTER WAS COMING! To Tokyo, from Florida, to come on a friendly visit. In actuality, she had said, 'To figure out what you're hiding from me', which, as blunt as Athena was and as used to Meta was with the bluntness, was a whole other cause for worry. In normal situations, she would be panicking because she would be trying to figure out the best gift to give her when she got here, but right now, it was for a wholly different reason.
The bidding! The auction that had ruined her life and now the Baba that ruled over it had to stay out of Athena's sharp vision. She was the smartest person Meta had ever known, and way more suited for being a detective than Kishi-san.
There was no way that Athena would budge on coming here either, which would make Meta herself seem more suspicious. Hopefully, Baba would consider helping her out in keeping the valuable secret.
She groaned into her sandwich, suddenly overcome with an appetite. Shoveling the bread into her mouth, and then stuffing herself with cookies, she felt her habit of stress-eating coming back.
The cafeteria for the employees in Tres Spades was spacious and meticulously clean, with sparkling white modern seats and charming see-through tables. The floor was a gleaming sky blue, and the window view was excellent. The employees usually had lunch whenever they had a break, and since it was later in the afternoon, there weren't as many people chatting or eating quickly due to time.
An employee, even a female employee hurrying to finish her lunch really wasn't particular at all. But the supernatural amount of cookies coming out of a small lunchbox.. Was.
Chisato, who happened to have the same break time and was eating lunch with her, looked at Meta worriedly, and spoke quietly, "Meta, slow down. What's wrong?"
If Meta could have spilled everything right there and then and told Chisato all of her problems, she would have.
But.. She couldn't. A bird in a cage. No freedom, and with torn wings. I'm getting more poetic as I get more pathetic, Meta thought sarcastically, setting down the cookie she was about to chomp down on with a sigh. Oh well. Things would have to go their own way, and if something went wrong.. Well.. It wouldn't come to that.
Baba would take care of it, right..?
...Little Sister...
The airport was buzzing with people speaking in many different languages overlapping each other. Others murmured quietly in booths at restaurants, while some stared, obviously worried with the time, at the giant clock on the wall.
More than one clock, really. With sings in black flowing script detailing every location, all the clock hands were in different locations. The one in the center was the biggest, with hands of gold. None of the people observed the beautiful work of the clocks, most too caught up in their own schedule to even bother. A girl in jeans, a grey polo, Converse sneakers, and sunglasses took the time to admire the workmanship. Lugging a backpack and a black suitcase, she took off her sunglasses to squint with dark brown orbs at the Tokyo clock. Athena fixed her cap over her brown locks and sighed, snapping the sunglasses closed and then attaching it to her shirt pocket.
The air buzzed with humidity and smelt like gasoline outside of the airport, and she remembered the daily heat of Tokyo, Japan. It was oddly nostalgic, though in reality, she and her sister had only come every summer and stopped after Meta hit her senior year. Athena remembered clearly how to speak Japanese from the constant manga and anime references.
The suitcase rattled over the uneven sidewalk, as Athena wiped sweat off her face and stopped at a vending machine to buy water. Japan was the land of convenience, that was for sure. You could get a train ticket really cheaply and a 7 11 was always around the corner, or at least a vending machine. Plus, the trains could take you places all over the country, including the town right over, and if you had to go to the countryside, the bus would take you far.
The bad part about Japan? The serving sizes are impossibly small. Athena frowned at the sandwich that she had purchased earlier at the airport that was stuffed into her bag. Neatly cut into a triangle, but still small, and she had one hell of an appetite.
For now, though, she headed to the train station to go to Tres Spades. It was such a big hotel that it was a train station, and the train would stop just outside the hotel.
Still far away, though. It was a good thing that she had brought a book!
...Little Sister...
The Tres Spades Hotel Lobby was a gigantic room with multiple large chandeliers on the ceiling and expensive mahogany furniture with red spotless leather and the most intricate golden designs on the carpet.
That wasn't nearly the most important part about it, though. People of all ages, races, and classes gathered in the lobby, some cleaning, some working, some chatting, and some remaining guests from the IVC. Other people could sit down and watch the lobby all day and never get tired.
Since Meta had worked here for so long, she had learned to ignore the crowds of people in the lobby. But right now, she was frantic with worry as she searched the crowd with her stormy blue-grey eyes for the trademark ponytail and flat smile.
Meta had inherited her blue eyes from her all American Dad, and that made her stand out from the crowd, since brown hair and blue eyes was a rare combination. Athena, on the other hand, had quite average brown eyes, that were flat and dull. But up close, her sister's eyes were incredible. Lighter lines streaked across the brown from the black hole to the outside, and it looked like many threads weaved together. In direct light, they would flash a golden-amber that was hauntingly beautiful.
And Athena insisted she was 100% normal and just decent looking, not pretty. Athena, in Meta's eyes, was still an idiot when it came to noticing love directed at her. At others, she was a pro matchmaker, if you could believe it. That trait had died down a little after she grew up, but she was still as dense as a-
"Meta!!!" A shout of her name made Meta shake herself out of her thoughts and look up to see Athena barreling towards her with suitcase in hand. Enveloping Meta in a hug, Athena beamed at her older sister.
Athena seemed oddly quiet and cool to any passerby, or even as a first impression, but in actuality, she was very outgoing and talkative with people she knew, and protective. Though the latter quality sometimes frusturated Meta to no end.
Meta had no idea how much she really missed her sister until they started chatting lively, laughs and giggles filling the air. They talked about everything as they entered the elevator from high school to their parents, to old crushes and current news.
Athena was just about ending her talk about a guy hitting on her on the beach and putting a hand on her and then dumping him off the dock, the pager in Meta's pocket buzzed.
Meta froze. "-and he went right off the dock and did a belly flop into the ocean-"
"Um, Athena? I need to go. My boss is calling me."
Athena looked at her quizzically, then nodded. "Go ahead, I'm good at finding places anyway. I'll get to my room eventually. Find me there when you're done, okay?" Meta, relieved that Athena bought the excuse, hurried off at the next floor.
...Little Sister...
AS IF! Athena snorted, barely keeping her rage in check. Since when do bosses call on your cell phone to go do work? None of it made any sense at all. she was slightly hurt at her sister'a lie. Athena thought they trusted each other better than that.
Meh.. I suppose I would also do the same, depending on te situation, Athena thought as she got off on the nearest floor following. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
She briskly walked across the hallway to the other elevator- and watched the glowing buttons. Meta seemed to be going awfully high up to have to report to her boss. She reached the top floor-and then the number disappeared! What the heck!?
What was above the top floor that only select few had access to in a hotel? Uh.. Athena tapped her foot impatiently and drummed her fingers on her arms crossed, as she struggled to reach the answer.
The penthouse! But why was a low-ranking maid like Meta doing in the penthouse?! Various scenarios played through her head as she chewed on her lip and waited for the elevator to come back down to her level.
The elevator opened and Athena absentmindedly looked up to see another passenger and entered the elevator. When the doors slowly slid shut, She felt strong hands circle around her neck, ready to squeeze.
Panic and readiness flashed through Athena's eyes as the vise like grip tightened, and she brought her arms up...