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Mutsumi had come to terms with the fact that Mortis had started to do new things. It was good for both of them to have their own interests. Mutsumi liked playing guitar while Mortis… Well, lately Mortis had been spending more and more time petting cats with Raana. It wasn't really a hobby, but Mutsumi was happy as long as Mortis was happy.
“Mutsumi-chan should come see the cats sometime!” Mortis said one day.
“Maybe," Mutsumi said noncommittally.
Mutsumi didn’t know Raana like Mortis did, and she’d never been good with people. Raana and Mutsumi had no real connection to each other outside of Mortis. That was fine. Mortis was allowed to have things to herself. Mutsumi encouraged it, actually. She didn't need Raana to like her.
But Mortis wanted to share everything she liked with Mutsumi, Raana included. Mutsumi just wasn't sure Raana had the same feelings. She was a little bit like a cat with someone new in the sense that she just stared at Mutsumi without approaching. If that was what she wanted, Mutsumi was fine with it.
It was a typical morning when Mutsumi opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a face about a foot away. She nearly jumped out of bed before she realized who it was. Surprisingly, this was not one of Mutsumi’s girlfriends or even one of her band members. No, the girl in her bed was Raana, likely invited by Mortis.
They weren’t touching, thank god. Mutsumi wouldn’t be able to handle the embarrassment. Raana was all bundled up in the comforter on her side of the bed while Mutsumi kept to her own.
Mortis’s new relationship had come as a surprise to everyone, Mutsumi included. One day, Mortis was heading off to see her friend. The next, she was coming home with a guitar pick in her hand from a defunct live house.
Mutsumi was still adjusting. Waking up with Nyamu or Umiri was standard. It didn’t happen every day but it was often enough that Mutsumi was never particularly surprised. Raana, though? This was new.
Raana’s sleeping face was peaceful. Her cheek was squished up against the pillow, mouth parted slightly. She looked comfortable.
"Mortis?" Mutsumi whispered. She paused, waiting patiently for an answer that never came.
Mutsumi headed inside to look for Mortis. It was quiet on stage. Where Mortis should be, Mutsumi found a plush doll. She was sleeping, then. Mutsumi crouched down in front of the chair to be at eye level.
"Mortis," Mutsumi said, shaking Mortis’s shoulder.
Of course it didn’t work, but that didn't mean she wouldn't try. With a huff, Mutsumi headed back out. Raana was looking at her. Mutsumi jumped a little.
"Morning," Raana greeted.
"Good morning."
She opened her mouth wide in a yawn. Mutsumi could see the white points of Raana's canines up until she closed her mouth again.
Raana didn't seem particularly bothered that Mutsumi was in bed with her. It also wasn't her bed, but she made herself perfectly at home. She had one of Mutsumi's plushies hugged close to her chest.
The two of them stared at each other. Mutsumi waited to see if Raana was going to say anything. She got the feeling Raana was doing the same.
"...are you hungry?" Mutsumi finally asked.
Raana shook her head.
"Oh."
The air between them was tense, although Mutsumi wasn't sure if Raana could feel it. Maybe it was just all in her head. Maybe it was perfectly normal to wake up in bed with your alter's girlfriend. Maybe Mutsumi was the weird one for finding this so awkward.
"Bored," Raana said. She hopped out of Mutsumi's bed, depositing the plushie—a stuffed doll that bore a striking resemblance to someone Mutsumi knew—back onto the bed.
Mutsumi looked on in disbelief. Before she could even respond, Raana was out the door.
Some of Mortis’s behaviors would probably never make sense to Mutsumi. Why was it that every time Mortis put them to bed, they woke up under one of their partners?
Mutsumi would never understand it, but she did eventually get used to it. That was why when she woke up with a weight on top of her, Mutsumi just buried her nose further into white hair. It was soft against her face and smelled nice.
Wait. Neither Nyamu nor Umiri had white hair. That meant…
Mutsumi scrambled out from under Raana. In her rush to move away, she slipped off the edge of the bed and tumbled to the floor.
From the bed, Raana let out a little groan. She lifted her head and peered over the edge of the bed.
"Hm?"
Mutsumi pulled herself off the floor. She and Raana stared at each other. Evidently, Raana wasn’t planning on saying anything.
“Um… good morning,” Mutsumi greeted.
Raana continued staring. “Mutsumi,” she said after a few more seconds of silence.
Mutsumi straightened up. “Yes?”
Raana seemed satisfied. She pulled the blankets up to her shoulder and settled back down into bed.
Mutsumi sighed. "We need to stop meeting like this."
"It's not so bad."
"But I'm sure you'd prefer Mortis."
Raana poked her head up over the edge of the bed and peered at her curiously. "Why's that?"
"Mortis is the one you're dating. You and I don't know each other."
"I know you play guitar," Raana said with a grin. She sat up abruptly and jumped out of bed.
Mutsumi watched as Raana grabbed her guitar case and opened it up. The old, beat-up look of Raana's guitar had a certain charm to it.
Raana strummed something fast paced. Obviously, her guitar wasn’t plugged in so it didn’t have the same effect it might have otherwise had.
“…do you want to play together?” Mutsumi asked.
Raana said nothing but she had a grin on her face.
Mutsumi led the way down to the studio in the basement. They were both still dressed in pajamas: a nightgown for Mutsumi and a loose shirt and shorts for Raana.
Raana walked in like she owned the place. Mortis must have had her over before because Raana headed straight toward an amp and plugged her guitar in. This time when she strummed, Mutsumi could hear it better. It sounded familiar somehow…
"Oh," Mutsumi said quietly. "You woke me up…"
Back when Mortis didn't know how to get Mutsumi to wake up, Raana had been the one to draw her back out. That was why it sounded so familiar. Mutsumi had heard Raana play something similar to this before.
Raana's eyes shone. She seemed to come alive when her guitar was in her hands. The beat-up old instrument was something beautiful when Raana held it. How many songs had this guitar sung? How many people had felt its music in their bones?
Raana tilted her head slightly. "Mutsumi doesn't want to play?"
Mutsumi blinked. "Right." She reached for her own guitar.
Playing with Raana was nothing like playing with Uika, the only other guitarist Mutsumi had ever accompanied. Uika played like it was being forced out of her body through her soul—like she'd collapse if she couldn't get these notes out. Raana played like she was having fun.
Raana's music was like she was playing a game. She didn't play for anyone but herself. That selfishness was something Mutsumi found fascinating.
When they finally finished, Mutsumi had a smile on her face.
"See?" Raana said. "Mutsumi's fun."
It was the nicest thing Raana had ever said about her. Mutsumi was at a loss for words. She must have taken too long to speak because by the time she gathered her thoughts, Raana was already walking away.
"Um!" Mutsumi started.
Raana paused on the steps out of the basement. She turned her head toward Mutsumi's direction and stared at her.
"If you… want to come over again sometime…" Mutsumi dropped her gaze to the floor.
"Maybe," Raana said. With that, she disappeared upstairs.
That was probably the best Mutsumi could hope for.
Mortis sighed dreamily. "She's so cool, isn't she?"
"She's... something, alright."
But Mutsumi found herself looking forward to the next time Raana would visit. Maybe she'd even go visit the cats like Mortis had suggested…