School Story - 009

Meeting Tayla's friends is somewhat of a big deal, I suppose, given that I want to make the right impression on them.

It wouldn't be good to have them dislike me.

But then again, it can't be as big a deal as meeting the parents, which I've already done. When everything happened with the Mother's Order.

The Mother's Order.

That makes me remember… the strange pair that I met the other. The barefoot woman with the strange name and accent, and the golden-haired man dressed all in white.

The two of them had mentioned something about the Mother's Order, hadn't they?

Her name, what was it again?

It was something strange that sounded more like a string of words than an actual name. A slapped together, makeshift, false name.

For some reason, I can't quite remember it. You'd think it would be distinctive enough, given how unique it was.

"What's wrong? Were you thinking about how you can't resist your urge to kiss me? I know you're a man, and you have frustrations like that, but we can't just do that all the time."

"No, I wasn't. Well, yes, but…"

I remembered. Because of what Tayla said. What that woman's name is.

"Hey, Tayla."

Tayla sighed, "well, if you're that insistent, I guess we can kiss. But you should be ashamed for forcing yourself on a younger girl, even if I'm your girlfriend."

"You're not even a year younger than me! Wait, that wasn't my point… I wanted to ask you something."

"Well I'd rather not, but if you insist on #@**> and //$#^, then I'm fine with it. I knew you were into stuff like that, so I'm prepared."

#@**>!

And //$#^?

"Just what kind of pervert do you think I am?!"

I know Tayla's just playing jokes on me (as usual), but I couldn't help but let it distract me. Her jokes are no mere idle chatter, they're seriously scathing.

"Anyway, I wanted to ask you if you'd ever heard the name Kiss Duskdancer. I think she has something to do with the Mother's Order."

Tayla thought for a moment, "no, I've never heard of her. Why do you ask?"

And so, I retold the tale of my chance encounter with that strange pair.

Kiss Duskdancer, the barefoot dark-haired foreign woman.

And the golden-haired man, who wore white clothes and sunglasses.

The two who had filled me who had given off such an ominous aura when I was in their presence, even when they were just asking for directions to the nearest convenience store.

It sounds silly reflecting back on it, but they really did have an aura like that.

"Well, I'm still not sure who the woman is," Tayla replied, "but if you say that they were involved with the Mother's Order, then there's only one person who the man could be."

"Huh? You know who he is?"

"Yeah. I think your right about the woman being part of the Order too, because he has a similarly strange name. He's called Ray Starcrawler."

"Ray Starcrawler, huh…"

"Yes. He's the head of the Order's operations in Christchurch."

"Huh… wait, doesn't that mean…"

I don't even need to finish my question to know what the answer is, from the look on Tayla's face. The head of the Order in Christchurch.

His son was one of the members who attempted to sexually assault Tayla.

After I saved Tayla, I told her parents about it.

They took it up with the leader.

But then his son was let off.

Which caused Tayla and her family to leave the Order.

Because of that man, Tayla and her family had been done an injustice, and the culprits had gone unpunished.

Ray Starcrawler.

He's the man who let that all happen. No wonder he gave me such an uncomfortable feeling when we met. Both of them, him and the woman, both gave off such an ominous aura. It'd be best if I never got involved with either of them again.

That's all I can say about it now.

Now that Tayla and her family are no longer involved with the Mother's Order, those two have nothing to do with either of us, or anyone that I care about. And that has to be for the best. It wouldn't do any good to go after Ray Starcrawler, would it?

So, the only thing to do now, is simply accept that I won't have anything to do with those two again.