The Calm after the Storm

As Megumi shoved her into the car, Talia couldn't help but giggle. Even after all that had happened, the simple action of playfulness was refreshing. Immediately as she sat down next to Chigusa, though, she flinched and crossed her arms over her abdomen. "Ow..." she whispered though she still had a small smile on her face. Talia looked over at Chigusa and nodded. "Yea...I'd want to forget this pain as well." Talia forced another laugh. It had been awhile since she had drank anything. In fact, the last time she did it was with Akashi. And that suddenly made her frown. That wasn't a memory she wanted to stir up. Not now.

But a quick groan of pain as she put her seatbelt on pushed the thought out of her head. "Where do you live" Talia asked suddenly. She didn't mean for it to come off creepy but considering they were heading there it seemed natural to ask. "What do you do to unwind?" She then added on in hopes it sounded better.

Talia had a lot of questions. It was probably because the girl was nervous; she had not had a good introduction to AFW and Japan, and she was probably a lot afraid of the people here. Distrustful at the very least. It manifested now as nervousness. Chigusa just went along with it, knowing that once Talia was feeling more comfortable she would act a lot more natural.

"You'll see in a bit," Chigusa said, "It's a little ways away." She didn't think her apartment was that impressive, but it was considered quite a luxurious suite. Thanks to two idol salaries and a healthy living stipend, they could afford quite a place. But Chigusa never liked bragging about that kind of stuff. Money was nothing compared to talent.

"Oh you want to know how I unwind?" Chigusa said, "Well, I can show you one way right now!" She turned to Megumi. "Did you bring the painkillers?" Megumi nodded, reaching into her purse and pulling out a small ziplock bag. Inside was an expertly rolled joint.

"Now I'm not recommending drugs Talia-chan," Chigusa said as she opened the baggie and pulled the joint out, "But when your life is as hectic as mine, you need concentrated relaxation." She lit the joint and took a quick pull, eyes glazing over slightly. "Ahh... there goes the pain!" She turned to Talia and suddenly got serious. "Now, don't go telling anyone I do this! I don't want a scandal." The seriousness dissolved into giggles though. "Nah, just kidding! I trust you Talia-chan!"

Talia was relieved by how friendly and accommodating Chigusa was. Even her nervous and awkward self felt comfortable with how the idol talked. When the idol brought up her own way of unwinding, Talia got curious. What was all this? When saw the joint, Talia instinctly leaned away. She never smoked before, her morals were against such an activity! But her morals also prohibited her from drinking. And hurting people that hadn't done her wrong. So maybe her morals weren't really morals as she had thought.

When Chigusa told her not to tell anyone, Talia nervously stared back. It was an odd feeling to have such a serious look on her face. When Angel had the mask, she was immune to such states but without she felt threatened by almost anyone. Thankfully Chigusa giggled and was only joking. Talia sighed with relief and giggled with her. "How about this, I'll keep your secret if you keep mine!" She said while putting her scarf and hood back up to hide her face. After dropping the stuff back down, she stared at the joint.

Of course it wasn't her first experience around the drug but it didn't mean she was familiar with it. Everyone always seemed so happy whenever they smoked it so she wanted that feeling. But she also wasn't entirely certain about it. Was it really amoral? "What's that like?" She inadvertently asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"Hehe, of course!" Chigusa said, "You identity is safe with me Dark Angel!" She thumped herself on her chest. Taking the joint, Chigusa lit one end and took a deep pull. She pushed a button, opening the sunroof a tiny sliver so she could breathe the smoke out. This wasn't her car, so she wasn't going to hotbox it. Even still, The driver coughed a little in disapproval. Chigusa let out a small sigh, leaning back into the seat. The idol seemed much less energetic than before.

"Hm? You mean you've never tried it?" Chigusa asked in surprise, "I thought it was easy to get in America." She pondered for a few moments. "I guess... There's a buzzing feeling, and a little bit of lightheadedness. You definitely think slower. But it takes away pain really well. And if you're feeling super anxious, it'll help alleviate that." Chigusa paused for a moment, thinking some more. "Imagine all the negative feelings you have dulled, and all pleasurable things heightened. That's what it's like."

She took another pull, breathing it out slowly. "Do you want some?" Chigusa asked, "It must hurt pretty bad Talia-chan. This'll help!"

As Chigusa described the effects of marijuana to Talia, she seemed to squirm somewhat in her seat. It all sounded so nice, and she even already started to show signs of relaxation. But it was illegal! And they were professional athletes responsible for maintaining their health and being good role models for others. Well...the good people such as Chigusa. Talia didn't really fit into that category anymore. "Yeah but...but I never tried it I guess..." It seemed tempting nevertheless. After all, Chigusa wasn't exactly a bum so all Talia's beliefs of what would happen to her were clearly incorrect.

"I...I guess so...would that be okay?" she asked hesitantly. Talia was still a little bashful about the whole thing. She tilted her head and looked concern. "I mean...I may need to go home sometime tonight...I don't want to be a little umm...unaware while doing that."

"What? Oh you'll be fine," Chigusa said, waving her hand as if to dispel any notions Talia might have, "It's not like drinking, you won't pass out from it. You'll just feel really relaxed and painless." The idol paused to take another quick pull from the joint. It was still 3/4 intact, despite Chigusa's near constant smoking. Megumi rolled it really tightly. Chigusa's eyes were a little glazed over already, and they were starting to turn red. Megumi opened the sunroof to let some of the smoke out.

"We're both gonna be out of commission for a while, so why don't we live it up a little?" Chigusa said, "Heck, I can tell you're in a lot of pain Talia. Here!" She handed the joint to Talia. "Try it out for yourself before making any judgements."

Talia nodded as Chigusa explained the effects of the drug. She still wasn't entirely sure about it when the idol handed the joint to her. For a moment, she just stared at it. It didn't seem too dangerous, right? What was the harm in smoking a little marijuana? Chigusa was right after all, they were both out of commission thanks to each other's efforts. And she didn't want to seem like she was judging the idol. Talia slowly lifted the joint up to her mouth and breathed in. Completely new to smoking anything, the girl immediately pulled the joint away and coughed a few times. "Oh that's..." Talia started before coughing a couple more times.

"That's good," she lied, not feeling the effects of it just yet. She handed it back over to Chigusa and gestured with her hand that she was good. "Are we almost there?" she then asked suddenly, wanting to change the topic now that it was over...at least she thought.

Chigusa smiled. "Take some more," she said, encouraging Talia. There wasn't that much left in the joint anyways, and Chigusa was feeling a nice buzz. Even if Talia wasn't feeling it quit yet she would be. But when Talia insisted she take it back Chigusa didn't begrudge her, taking it back and finishing off the joint in one pull. She opened the window to let the smoke out, flicking out the butt end of the joint as well. Chigusa sat back in her chair, feeling quite happy now that the pain had faded away and her mind was a bit fuzzy.

"We're almost there," Chigusa said. The car pulled off the freeway into a high-rise neighbourhood. The buildings were fancy condominiums glittering in the sunlight. The car pulled up towards one building that overlooked a park with a large pond. "Here we are," Chigusa said, "Now for the hard part." The driver opened up the door and gently grabbed Chigusa, practically carrying the small idol out of the car while Megumi brought up her crutches. Megumi came back around to help Talia out of the car.

"Let me help you," Megumi said, reaching down to grab Talia and help her out of the car. Both girls were pretty badly wounded, and even if Talia could walk she probably still needed the help.

Talia watched Chigusa finish the joint and seemingly phase out in relaxation. When she announced that they had arrived, she looked out the window at their home. The condominiums nearby looked very fancy and even overlooked quite a park. It all seemed so nice. Talia didn't even have a view in her apartment. But at least for that moment, it didn't bother her. In fact, as she leaned back into the seat when the car stopped, not much was bothering her at all. She felt really chill about being in the car of two (albeit nice) strangers. The sight of Chigusa being carried out of the car made Talia smirk in amusement. She completely forgot that she had been the one to do that to Chigusa. When Megumi opened the door to help Talia out, she instinctively shook her head but accepted the help nonetheless.

The girl groaned a little bit from having to sit up while getting out, but it wasn't nearly as bad as before. "Thank you," she stated simply to Megumi, squeezing the girl's shoulders a little bit in thanks. Immediately, she looked out at the building and sighed in awe. "It looks so beautiful...I'm so jealous!" Talia then started walking towards the condominium building. "Where do you live? Tell me you overlook this pond!" The sudden exuberance was probably a result of being more relaxed. Clearly something she had just done had ironically made her more outgoing, if only because her mind was relaxed.

"We have an amazing view," Chigusa said in response. She came up beside Talia in crutches, hobbling over at a surprisingly fast clip. The idol knew how to get around after being injured. The driver opened the front doors and let them in before bowing and taking his leave. Chigusa and Megumi led Talia through the lobby past a rather surly security guard into the elevators, where Chigusa pressed the 15 button. They weren't all that high up.

The elevator soon arrived, opening up to reveal a quiet hallway. After navigating the narrow halls for a few moments, they arrived at the idol's apartment. It was tucked in at the end of the hall, behind a nondescript door. When Megumi opened the door though, Talia got a good view of the idol's lifestyle. The apartment was enormous by Japanese terms with one of the most amazing views. An entire wall of glass separated the living room from the huge balcony which actually curved around the corner of the building. There was a full set of comfortable couches covered in blankets and pillows, rugs all over the floor, a fancy kitchen with a breakfast bar, a full entertainment system with karaoke, posters and pictures all over the walls, and a mish-mash of furniture of every type and style. Even though the apartment was huge it didn't appear cold and barren, as it reflected the vitality of the two girls who lived here. Chigusa eagerly hobbled inside, setting her crutches against the wall before collapsing on the big couch.

"Ahh... that's better," Chigusa said, "Come in Talia!"

Megumi turned to Talia with a smile. "Shall I give you a quick tour?" she asked, grabbing onto Talia's hand and leading her inside. "This part is our living room. That's the kitchen, and the dining room is right next to it," she said, pointing everything out. "Over here are the bedrooms." They walked through a small hallway that had three doors. Megumi opened one door, revealing a well furnished and tidy room that was brightly lit from the huge wall-window. The bed was massive, suitable for sleeping several people among other things. There was a full make-up table, several dressers full of clothes, and various photos and paintings. "This is my room," Megumi said. She walked over to a second door right by the bed. "This door here leads to Chigusa's room. There's another door out in the hall, so this is just for convenience." Megumi then took Talia to Chigusa's room. It was a little bit larger than Megumi's, with a lot more interesting conversation pieces including a small fountain and a small shrine to baseball. At the center of it was a glass case containing a ball signed by Ichiro Suziki. "Yeah she's kinda a baseball nut," Megumi said, "She was pretty good at it too in high school. But she went with being an idol instead"

"Oh, and here's the bathroom," Megumi said, opening the door. The bathroom itself was pretty standard except for the huge jacuzzi bathtub. Soaking in that would be the most comfortable thing after a hard match or a long day. Megumi led Talia back out to the living room. Chigusa had her legs up on the coffee table, and was busy munching on some potato chips while watching a game show.

"Sit down and relax," Megumi said, gesturing to the couches. "Would you like something to drink Talia-san?"