Chapter Text
Kafka couldn’t wait for this day to be over with.
It was a slow and steady Friday afternoon where most of the fanfare of a whole week was already starting to die down, but of course the world still had to be moving at a mile a minute for her. It wasn’t her fault though. As a band manager, she was simply the receiving party for all chaotic current developments pertaining to her girls’ band, the Stellaron Hunters, while still being the owner of her own bar; her life was chaotic, albeit more like a controlled form of chaos that she thrived on. Most times.
It was the supposed end of the week, though it was just the start of her more busy days of running a bar during the weekend. At least she had Bladie to work the long hours away with her. The girls were still as much help as they always had been on weekends, good enough on free nights and moderate assistance on nights they performed at best. But that lack of help was a good thing at the end of the day, it meant the girls were busy keeping up with themselves.
Kafka let a mixed wave of pride and exhaustion sweep over her with that.
If only she could go back in time one week, last weekend, her graciously needed time off for one weekend.
With it being a relatively slower season, inching toward early winter in this college town of a city, the girls and Bladie all agreed Kafka needed the weekend off then - per their collective suggestion to Kafka. She was opposed at first, since there were important things scheduled that week, but the wife agreed they needed some time to relax just the two of them; well, maybe three in total if they were counting the whole family. But Kafka couldn’t protest then, especially not against Himeko’s wishes, so she wound up having a nice and restful weekend at home for once - after taking one very important call at the time she was continually dealing with the details of even now - but it was a nice weekend. One she wished she definitely could go back to, because all of her responsibilities continually hung heavy in the front of her mind.
Another weekend of keeping the bar open, triple checking everything regarding the schedule for the girls’ upcoming smaller tour, keeping said girls in line while they worked, and putting them up as normal for a Saturday night performance tomorrow; one of their last at Elio’s before their upcoming smaller regional tour. The thought of it all exhausted Kafka, generally in a very productive form.
Kafka sighed to her phone screen as she sifted through emails thinking of it all as she walked the floors of this university academic hall she knew the details of flawlessly at a late, empty hour. She sent her final email off for the day, corresponding to her new close contact she was seemingly stuck with - ‘Lady Goldweaver, Aglaea’, (a pretentious name if she had anything to say about it) regarding the proposition of a joint large scale tour between the two bands they each managed; a prospect that was becoming more likely by the week.
Calamity Sky was the other band’s name, another three man group of rocker girls of similar ages with a slightly more edgier sound compared to the Stellaron Hunter’s indie rock vibe. But their images held a lot of overlap, and both bands were rising in popularity at a similar rate, thanks to this summer’s past music festival putting the Stellaron Hunters on a wider scale map. Both band managers, Aglaea and Kafka alike, saw the benefit to this strategy, and correspondence began.
The girls seemed more excited about taking their careers together more seriously of late too, and while the thought of that tugged a small smile against Kafka’s lips, that reality was still a ways off. The Stellaron Hunters had their smaller, regional tour coming up during the break between semesters in a couple weeks; a spread of six shows over a two week’s length between here and two other cities in a drivable distance. Achieving that benchmark came first, even if the tickets for the whole tour were close to sold out for every modest venue they booked. Besides, Kafka still had to warm the idea to the girls that their first potential large-scale tour might just be a joint operation with another band.
She sent them a reminder text about her ongoing conversation with the other band’s manager and their mutual discussion to hold another virtual meeting between the bands to chat.
And of course, the one she suspected the most immediately replied first.
Elio’s Staff
Stelle: “Man, why do I gotta keep meeting up with these people and pretend we’re best buds? The one time we had a video call already that catgirl drummer was a real pain in the ass to me specifically. Can’t we just take a pic or something of us with Robin when she’s back in town and call it a day for promo with that?”
Firefly: “no.”
Wolfie: “It’s your own fault for feeding into her teasing comments, dumbass. Cipher’s pretty normal, maybe you’re just too easy of a target.”
Stelle: “Aw, Firefly’s mad I dare even suggested we take advantage of her famous gf’s clout once she’s back in town, how possessive!”
Firefly: “shut up, you’re obnoxious and annoying. And Wolfy’s right. you’re the pain in the butt, Stelle, working with these girls might not be the worst idea? they have roughly the same scale of a following as us, and they have been nice to talk with so far. I like Hyacine’s voice, she’s way more of a natural vocalist than I am and has a nice attitude. Castorice is a very talented guitarist too and seems funny once she starts talking. All three of them seem like good company and potential friends.”
Stelle: “Whoooa, Wolfy complimenting someone else? Crazy, does she finally have a real crush on a living person??”
…
Stelle: “Hey! I’m not the annoying one, c’mon! Right, Kafka?”
Wolfie: “Wouldn’t that be so convenient for you if I did have a crush you could fantasize about, but no, tough luck for you Stelle. I just know how to call similar talent when I recognize it. Guess you haven’t developed that skill yet? Seems like you’ve still got a ways to go, pal. Also if you paid attention to anything, Stelle, you’d know those three girls are all dating each other anyways, that’s like part of their appeal?”
Firefly: “and for transparency’s sake, I’m not forbidding anyone from talking to Robin once she’s back in town after our upcoming tour, I’m not possessive like that! But it would be unfair to her to expect she works during a supposed fun time off! Can’t you all see where I’m coming from with that?”
Bladie: “Kafka. A vendor stopped by and dropped off a case of their stock, we have plenty of vodka now. I have the invoice for confirmation.”
Stelle: “Okay, whatever, makes sense. Sorry for joking about Robin, ‘fly. And sorry for teasing you, Wolfy. Can we agree I’m not annoying, then, right?”
Kafka took a stabilizing breath and went to type a reply once she reached the closed door of her destination.
Kafka: “Back to the topic at hand, it sounds like we’re fine with continuing this conversation with Calamity Sky? Let’s plan on meeting with them as proposed, on Monday, deal?
Firefly: “yes, that sounds great! Thank you Kafka, as always!”
Wolfie: “yep.”
Stelle: “Sure, but guys, I’m really not annoying, right?”
Kafka closed her phone, stuffing it out of sight and mind in her open peacoat’s pocket, and decided to let it all be, for better or worse. Her next objective lay in her sights, requiring her attention more than whatever nonsensical exchange those girls were engaging with; so, she set eyes on the closed office door, steeling herself to turn its handle to confront Himeko.
Himeko was never in the most favorable mood whenever Kafka barged into her office without much notice, especially when she had it closed off. So she prepared for the worst.
But before Kafka could turn the door herself, it opened from the other side. A surprise for sure, but not so much once she saw the pink-haired and bubbly presence of who came out of the room; March, quietly and without a care with her head turned inward to face the office, as she stepped out into the hallway. Kafka side-stepped her just enough to not be in her way and watched as March carefully shut the door to Himeko’s office behind her. The girl didn’t even notice Kafka until it had firmly shut.
“A-ah..! Ms. Kafka?” March hushed her surprise, and Kafka immediately knew what was going on. She offered March her typical greeting of an unreadable smile, now added with a small shushing gesture that was called for the moment.
“She’s knocked out at her desk again, huh?”
“Uhh, yeah,” March awkwardly laughed, quietly. “I went in a second ago to ask her a question about next month’s publication, but she was already out cold when I came in. I swung the door open loud and everything, so she really must be out of it… sorry.”
Kafka barely held back a small snorting chuckle. “Nothing to apologize for, Marchie, thanks for checking in on her. They’re not working you too hard on that paper, are they? Can’t imagine you easily catch a break as their sole photographer?”
March waved it off as she casually broke a step but genuinely giggled nonetheless. “Nah, it’s okay! I’m pretty much used to it already after a couple years. Plus, the more photo jobs I take on for the Express, the less stories they force me to do too. I don’t mind, especially since there’s only like one more semester of this for me to go, gotta soak up the club activity fun while I can, hah!”
March awkwardly laughed again and Kafka continued her easy smile, feeling a bit of the weight behind what March was saying too. All of these girls had a little over one more semester before they all graduated college. And while Kafka had no plans on quitting her work as the Stellaron Hunters’ band manager, she couldn’t deny that once the girls were done and out of school, everything surrounding their lives would be different in some way. Though, those were sentiments to rationalize deeper at a later time.
“Oh, Marchie?” Kafka remembered to call and catch her attention before the bright young woman darted off. “Just a warning, but if you’re meeting up with Stelle, maybe offer her a little more encouragement than usual? She seemed a little down through text a minute ago.”
March’s bright and warm exterior slightly soured at the revelation about her girlfriend, and Kafka did her best not to form a curled and amused grin; but it was a warm thought that came to mind acknowledging March’s reaction at the mention of Stelle, it felt familiar to past experiences of her own.
“Oh boy, I can only image what’s wrong with her today… but thanks, Ms. Kafka! Oh, and looking forward to tomorrow’s show, I’m sure it’ll be a memorable one, especially as the last one at Elio’s before the tour, very exciting!! See you tomorrow!”
Kafka nodded toward her with a smile and waved, while March did the same before darting down the hall. Kafka let the last thoughts from her and March’s passing linger as she stood by the closed door to Himeko’s office.
Tomorrow, the last show before the tour. One more semester. Seems like all of this was moving a bit fast for everyone’s liking, huh? Kafka stopped her trailing thoughts and let it rest. For now. Instead, she set her focus on Himeko’s office door. Again.
She slightly laughed at herself with a singular scoff then. “Yikes, getting a little too sentimental for my own good now, are we? Oh well,” Kafka shook her head, talking to herself, before lightly knocking against the office door. “Though, I guess this time of year does tend to do that for us, huh, Himeko?” Kafka carried on her conversation with herself; because, sure as can be, her wife was sound asleep against her desk in the otherwise dimly lit office.
Kafka creaked the old door open and carefully shut it behind her to not disturb the sleeping beauty. Kafka noted the interior: a small bookshelf to one wall with an old globe resting on top, a smaller end table with a coffee pot next to it; a singular fluffy chair with a matching blanket, kindly placed for any guests to sit in; Himeko’s degrees hanging on the back wall next to an even smaller but perfect window that looked out nicely to a well angled look of the campus lawn below. All of it unchanging from the past couple years since Himeko landed this specific job and was gifted the office alongside the position.
It looked the exact same as it did a few days prior when Kafka last stopped by here, including all of the newspaper pages spread across Himeko’s desk in front of her, along with her open laptop. The small blue light made it clear enough to see Himeko’s pretty eyelashes were fluttering asleep while breathing small breaths through her slight open and plush lips, scarlet hair falling in front of her elegant face that rested in her own hands. Kafka smirked, taking in the indulgent sight.
“Really out of it, huh? Can’t say I blame you, though. Busy week all around,” Kafka spoke to her sleeping wife, or maybe herself as well, as she walked in closer to the back of the office. Kafka slid off her dark coat as she softly spoke and carefully slung the garment over Himeko’s back, laying slumped in her desk chair. “Just don’t blame me if your back is killing you when you wake up, okay?” Kafka hummed, pleasantly glancing down at her wife from behind at the back most wall, allowing her a clear view of the room at all the small details it held. Beyond the standard outfitting of an academic office, there were more personal articles spread throughout the room too; predominantly, one that always caught her eye the most. A framed picture from a few years back sitting on Himeko’s desk that Kafka always loved sneaking a glance at, whether the copy here or the one at home.
A standing framed picture of a slightly younger Himeko, Kafka, and baby Elio, their cat.
“Gah, what is it with me getting all sentimental these days? It makes me sick…” Kafka tsked at herself, raising her left hand to rub at her neck as she leaned against the back wall of Himeko’s office behind her, catching a brief look at the small silver band on her ring finger on the same hand in the process. She passed the sleeping Himeko one more side-eyed glance that softened her heart again. Kafka changed her lean into something more relaxed with a cross-armed posture, before tossing another look out the small window to the early winter world around them beyond these walls. “It really must be this time of year, huh, Himeko?”
“Mm, probably,” a sleepy Himeko lightly replied - to Kafka’s slight surprise - raising her head and revealing her pretty amber eyes, though she still clung to Kafka’s coat around her back. An identical silver band on Himeko’s left hand to Kafka's own glimmered as Himeko moved. “But it’s nice to feel sentimental like this on occasion, wouldn’t you agree?”
Himeko almost yawned her reply with a warm greeting that forced all of Kafka’s nonchalant energy to melt with a singular giggle when meeting her gaze.
“Yeah, I guess so,” Kafka’s mumble echoed across the room. “A little sentimentality doesn’t have to be a bad thing.”
_____
(eight years before current time)
_____