Epilogue
#9 of Analgesics
Tokui and Pika are reunited.
Pride-in-Her-Eyes wasn't even upset when her friend showed up ten minutes early, before she'd finished updating her registry. Pika's purple fur shone in the setting sun, well-groomed and perhaps moisturized. Her eyes sparkled, and she stalked down the street with a signature feline grace that almost made Pride jealous. She was wearing a retro sports jacket. A quick sniff told her that it belonged to her Wires. Pika noticed her twitching nose and giggled.
"You know, what I like about you is that you always remind me of the best parts of the past." said Pride with a lopsided grin. Pika threw her head back and laughed.
"I'm glad you think so. I think I'm the worst part of the past."
"You had your moments," said Pride, waving her hand absently. "but Stars and Wires gave me more trouble then you ever did."
"I'm barely surprised."
"I wonder what kind of trouble Wires is giving you now."
"Mostly dishes. And he won't stop buying me stuff." said Pika, covering her face with her hands.
"I love you, you know."
"I love you too."
"Here," said Pika, handing her a small box. "Consider it a token of my appreciation."
Pride reached for it, but Pika pulled it away. "I'd rather not be seen giving this to you. Don't open it until you're not in eyesight of me anymore."
The two of them ordered lunch, and Pika paid their bill. It had started raining outside, and the crack of thunder startled Pika out of her chair. Thoroughly embarrassed, she gave her one last hug and headed off for home. Pride dutifully waited until Pika was no longer in sight, then left the cafe. Two blocks away, she opened the box.
"Of course." she muttered, and she wiped her eyes. "Thank you." Pulling her scarf tighter around her neck, Pride-in-her-Eyes trudged through the rain, and was suddenly reminded in a wave of what she did not like about New York City. The city had an energy, a cardiac rhythm that bounced off of every building. It settled in her ears and made the fur on her body stand on end. There was never a moment where a car wasn't speeding by. Sloshing pawsteps, the hard thumps of horseshoes, the whizzing of a bicycle. A zebra leaned over his desk at a newspaper stand, digging through his merchandise for a pack of Bubble Yum. Pride shook her head, trying to clear the noise out of her ears.
Pride gritted her teeth. Even in this heat, cities were cold, home to thousands of people brushing fur, scales and feathers against each other. Bouncing off each other before disappearing again into nothingness. Streetlights burned holes in the darkness, thousands of bodies shuffled around for purchase. She felt a wave of nausea as she cut through the crowd.
The sun had set awhile ago, but it didn't come with the sense of security she usually felt at night. In Pennsylvania, in the rural town she lived in, the night was a welcome shroud. She felt powerful in it. Here, it felt as if the city's noise was only amplified. There was once a time where she would have been able to block it all out. Either through force of will, or with a set of cherry red headphones that had long since been lost to time. These days, the cheeping of crickets was more familiar than blasting sirens. The howling of animals, the soft sound of Fang's snores. There was a certain personal warmth to it all that she felt lent her a sense of purpose.
She passed the Barnes&Noble on Court, then took a left and crossed the street. She fished in her jacket pocket for a cigarette out of reflex, but came up empty handed. That was right. That time was over. Leaning back against the wall, she realized that it was the Dodge YMCA.
"Of course." she muttered, patting her abdomen.
By the time Fang showed up, she was completely soaked to the skin. He was carrying a bushel of pastel shopping bags and had a wide grin on his face.
"Were you waiting long?" he asked, kissing her on the cheek. Pride shook herself, but didn't reply. "Sorry, babe. Did you have a good time with your friend from school?"
"Pika."
"Yeah! How's Pika?"
"She's fine." said Pride, and she patted the fur above her chest to feel the intricately carved dragon-tooth rune hanging from the string around her neck.