Kazumi's Code- #FF1493
Natsuo's Code- #0000CD

Kazumi's Code- #FF1493

~*.*~*.*~*.*~*.*~*.*~

"If you want a~'.'~'.'~'.'~"No one is sent
Fair and just world~'.'~'.'~'.'~By accident"
Go find a different one."~'.'~'.'~'.'~to anyone."

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Natsuo's Code- #0000CD

Kazumi's Code- #FF1493

"I don't think it's funny at all."

Reiya’s head snapped up at the sudden voice, her expression going still. The cold air slapped at her wet cheeks, and it was only then that she realized how chilly it had gotten to be outside. In fact, she could feel the coolness in her bones, which ached slightly in protest to her remaining out in that temperament. It wasn’t like she was really dressed for it, and despite her love for snow, winter, and really all things that were on the frigid side of the climate, she was definitely beginning to feel as though she were freezing.

None of that mattered, though; instead she could feel embarrassment welling up within her. The last thing that she had expected was for the pervert from the day before to be nearby, and she hadn’t really wanted anyone to see her crying, so to say that she was mortified would have been an understatement.

"I...I too know what it's like to lose someone you care about. To lose someone that makes you feel like you belong. I may not know you very well, nor what it is that pains you so, and it may not be my place to say, but it will get better. It may not seem like it now, but pain is temporary. It always hurts before it gets better, that is how you heal is it not?" Reiya bit the inside of her cheek, refusing to look up at the boy who stood before her. It made her uncomfortable for anyone to see her lose her normally cool exterior, and a stranger nonetheless! However, she hesitated as he spoke. What he said made sense, at least to some extent, but it didn’t change her mindset on the view of an omnipotent being controlling the events in their world. While she has always remained open minded when it came to the thought of those types of beings existing, seeing as she was an intellectual first, she couldn’t wrap her head around nor fathom the idea of such a creature existing and yet still allowing such sorrowful occurrences to arise.

It just didn’t make sense.

"It's easy to think of pain and hurt as something bad, and that shouldn't exist, but where would mankind be without pain? Think of all the art, music, and literature that wouldn't even exist without it. And how could you appreciate joy without experiencing sorrow? When bad things happen people are so quick to forget the beauty in the world, and yet focus on the bad, but I think both are needed to make it complete." Reiya tightened her arms around her legs for a moment before abruptly relaxing what was almost a death grip, her watery eyes focused on Ryou’s shoes.

”It … Would be foolish of me to argue with such sound reasoning,” she mumbled. After a moment, almost as though she were gathering herself, she finally turned her gaze up to meet his dazzling golden orbs. ”But that doesn’t change the fact that a good portion of the suffering and loss that occur in the world are without both reason or necessity. It isn’t an equal balance, at least in my own personal opinion - you can very easily look throughout the history of humankind and see far more destruction and misery than there is happiness and joy, and that is something that is inexcusable to me,” she finished quietly, averting her gaze slightly. It jerked back to him when a pale hand moved into her line of sight, almost an extension of himself.

"Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. You should get off the ground, you may catch a cold.”

Her heart stuttered, almost in the exact way that her voice often did when she was nervous. What was this feeling?

”This is my home, would you like to come inside for something to eat or drink Miss Himura?"

Hesitation very clearly flew across her features. She didn’t know this boy, just his name, so why would she trust him enough to enter his home? Finally, after mulling it over, she reached out and accepted his hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet. She stumbled a bit, his pull a lot stronger than she expected it to be, and was forced to steady herself on his arm. Their immediate close proximity caused her heart to once more stammer, and a slight flush rose to her cheeks. Her eyes slowly raised to meet his, and after a solid five seconds of holding his gaze, she stepped back quickly, her focus moving to her feet.

It didn’t take Velonix long to reach Lio’s street, and by the time she did she had more than recovered from her ‘interaction’ with Takeo. Mio and Dusk had branched off from her walk, telling her that they were going to explore, so she was on her own for the time being. As she grew closer to Lio’s small cabin of a home, she noticed two figures standing on the sidewalk before it, one she knew and one she was a stranger to - a small girl with a cute, peach bob of hair. Stifling her mild confusion, Velonix quickened her pace, throwing up her arm and waving happily at her younger brother.

“Ree-you!” she sang out, drawing out his Earth name dramatically. “I brought your lunch!” she practically shouted, running over to side. She fished through her bag for a moment before drawing out the box and thrusting it in his face, beaming up at him. “I made one of your favorites - deviled eggs and crepes!” she beamed, obviously quite proud of herself.

Reiya’s attention jerked away from Jack Frost lookalike that stood before her, her startled gaze settling on the moving burst of orange that practically threw herself at Ryou.

”M-mobile cinnamon roll?” she exclaimed in surprise, stumbling backwards a step. The movement pulled the other girl’s attention away from Ryou and her intense gaze focused instantly on Reiya, who felt herself hesitate. She could feel her cheeks warming and a ball of anxiety curled within her. The girl was ethereally gorgeous, and exactly on par with Ryou. Was this his girlfriend?

It wouldn’t surprise her. Of course someone as attractive as he was would have an equally beautiful girl to stand at his side. But if she wasn’t surprised, than why was it that she felt a small pang of jealousy deep within her? It wasn’t as though she knew him, nor did she want to.

So why?

Ryou looked over curiously at Reiya as he notice the change of skin tone in her cheeks. She was letting a peculiar scent. He tends to find that humans release different pheromones that gives away some of their emotions, and with his advanced sense of smell he can get a fairly accurate sense on what someone is feeling. From what he could tell she was nervous, embarrassed, and with a slight dash of fear, and antagonistic from her scent. Along with something he's never quite smelled before. Hmm, how odd? Is she starting to come down with a cold?’

Velonix leaned in, peering down at the girl who was only an inch or two shorter than herself. She studied her cherub features, her eyes narrowed in thought. A mixture of purples, blues, and whites swirled around her, cool and yet incredibly warm at the same time, and the only thing that caught Vel off guard was the random darts of black streaks throughout it, that disappeared almost as quickly as they appeared. When she finally leaned back, she beamed a smile at the young girl, throwing up a hand to wave at her excitedly, a bright smile on her face.

“Hello there! I am Velonix Orako, Ryou’s older sister! It’s so nice to meet you!” she said happily. Turning her head, she lightly punched Ryou in his shoulder, despite their drastic height difference. “Ryou, you did not tell me that you had such a cute girlfriend!” she teased, a toying grin on her lips. Immediately Reiya’s face turned a bright, crimson red. ”“N-n-n-no, y-y-y-you have th-the wrong i-i-idea! U-Um, di-did you know that humans share about 50% of their DNA with bananas!?” she stammered out, mentally cursing her stutter and her inability to filter her words. Velonix raised her brow in confusion, her lips twitching in humor at the random fact.

”Ohhhh….uh-uh she's just a friend! W-w-who h-h-happens to be a girl….B-but just in the friend way! T-t-though not because you’re u-u-unattractive or anything! I-I’m sure you must have a-a boyfriend or far better suitors than I!” Ryou stammered out. ”Umm…..Miss Himura rescued Yuo from a Fox, and nursed her back to health. W-w-which thank you again, I'm extremely grateful for…. without Yuo around I'd feel a little…..um nevermind.” Ryou stopped himself from saying anymore. He probably embarrassed himself enough as it is. Velonix quirked up a brow at her brother’s response, which was extremely unlike his normally composed self, even when being teased by their siblings or herself. He usually responded quite coolly, without very much emotion, so to see him embarrassed was a slight surprise. Her stare moved between him and the blushing Miss Himura, her other brow quirking up suddenly as though she realized something. A slightly mischievous grin curled up her lips, and she narrowed her eyes a bit. ”Oh-ho-ho, I see how it is,” she giggled out. Adjusting her grip on her bag, she slowly began to make a backwards retreat away from the two. ”Do not mind my interruption - please proceed as you were! It was very nice to meet you, Miss Himura, and I hope very much to see you again sometime soon. Please, take good care of my brother while you are in his company!” And with that, Reiya watched as the moving cinnamon roll disappeared around the corner at almost a run. She slowly turned her attention back to Mister Frost, her eyes wide with surprise as she attempted to recover and gather back her wits.

”Ah … Your sister seems … Interesting …” she spoke hesitantly, as if uncertain of if the wording would be taken as an insult or a compliment. She didn’t mean it as either, just as an observation. The other girl shared similar appearances to her, but other than that, there wasn’t very much that they had in common when it came to their personalities, or at least that she could tell from the brief interaction.

Ryou chuckled a bit. Interesting was one word for her. ”Ha, I suppose that’s one word for her. But she means well……...she uh has a habit of ‘mother henning’ around people…..especially when it comes to me and my siblings. We’re uh….” Ryou paused for a moment, thinking of the right word. ”Close family. It’s kinda been just us for awhile…But anyway let’s get inside. You’ll catch a cold. I have a nice fire place you can warm up by.” He awkwardly gestured towards his house. He was confused, why was he so nervous around her? And why was his heart beating faster.

’Umm…..Miss Himura rescued Yuo from a Fox, and nursed her back to health …’

Reiya went still, her fingers tightening around the bottom of her skirt. Ryou had told his sister that she had rescued Yuo from a fox, but from what she could remember, she had never once told him what type of creature had attacked the small mouse. Narrowing her eyes, she turned her gaze up to Ryou, taking a step back and away from him as though to distance them from one another.

”How ... How did you know it was a fox?” she asked, her voice dripping with suspicion and accusation. ”I never once … Said anything about a fox to you.”

Ryou blinked several times. Right, she’s human. He can’t tell her that Yuo told him herself. She’d think he’s crazy, or some kind of freak. He knew he had to do one thing, and that was to lie. ”Oh, I had assumed it was a fox from the wound. I knew it was too big to be a cat, and too small to be a dog. This area has slightly more number of foxes than what she is used too. Yuo was picking at her bandages last night, and I had to redo her bandages, and saw it.

While what Ryou said would make sense to the average person, if there was one thing that anyone could say about Reiya, it was that she was far from average. This meant that although he told her that he had looked at the wound and deciphered it as being from a fox, she could tell that he wasn’t telling the truth. His eyes moved away from her, and his quick shifting of his weight from foot to foot was another key indicator of his discomfort and uneasiness. Add int eh slight hesitation in his fumbled answer, and you had a full fledged lie, one that he said directly to her face. Her expression grew more distrustful and doubtful, filled with immense suspension, as he continued on.

”We were going to my sister’s home when she suddenly ran away from me. I don’t know why she did it. She’s usually well behaved. And I…...lost her. I asked around, and some people told me what happened, and that you saved her, and where you took her. I actually just barely missed you. I…..uh actually was waiting outside the clinic…..I was too scared to go in until you were done…….because I was scared of seeing Yuo hurt…..” He let out a sigh, and kept his gaze to the ground. ”I didn’t realize that her injuries were so severe. You probably think I’m a horrible, cowardly and uncaring person……..I’m sorry….I wouldn’t have been of any use anyways…..”

Stifling an urge to roll her eyes, Reiya flattened her skirt as a sudden breeze threatened to pick it up. Although it was clear that he was lying about where he got the knowledge from, he was obviously genuine in his affection for Yuo and how worried he had been. This pushed her to use one finger to slide her glasses up her nose, fixating a serious, bespeckled gaze on the tall boy.

“The mere fact that you were there and clearly concerned for her well being shows that you aren’t uncaring, Mr. Orako,” she sighed out, crossing her arms in a fluid motion. Hope and Clarity peaked around her legs at him, curiosity evident in their intensely black eyes. “Therefore, you aren’t horrible, and I’ve made the deduction that had you been there when she was attacked, you would have involved yourself just as I did.” She lifted her hand to gingerly touch her scabbing cheeks, which stung slightly in protest to the interaction. “So while you may be a pervert, you definitely aren’t a coward. You shouldn’t look so poorly upon yourself. Everyone has faults, but at least recognize those faults instead of pulling a few random ones out of your ass in a plea for pity. Anyone would have been afraid to enter a building where a loved one was currently fighting for their life - trust me, I would know,” she finished softly, a pang of sorrow resonating throughout her.

”If it’s not too much of a bother would you care to look over her dressing? I’m not too used to wrapping bandages myself…..I tried to just copy what you did.” Ryou shifted his puppy dog-like eyes over towards her. ”Besides, I think Yuo likes you……..and I’m sure you, and your companions here would enjoy a nice rest from the weather. It’s a……...um……..’win win’?” He added, with a small smile. He then let out a small laugh. ”It was quite fortuitous timing that you were just…….um what were you doing out here? Do you wish to……..um talk about what’s troubling you? I’m not sure if I’ll be able to help…..but sometimes it nice to have someone to tell your worries to…”

Reiya hesitated, the look he gave her causing her cheeks to turn a slight pink in color, but this time not from the cold air. It would be stupid of her to enter this random person’s home, when no one knew where she was or that she had stopped there other than his sister, who she doubted would suspect him of doing anything perverse towards a young girl such as herself. He could be a crazed maniac simply looking for a new victim to take advantage of - not that she couldn’t defend herself if given the need, though. With that thought in mind, she felt another one flitter through her consciousness.

You also want to spend time with him.

Her eyes widened slightly and she shook her head quickly in an effort to dispel the weird thought. She wanted to spend time with him? Definitely not! She didn’t even know him!

But still … The slight ache inside of her said differently. There was a part of her that was intrigued by the boy with the frosty white hair, and the curious part of her wanted to know what exactly there was for him to lie so profusely about.

In the end, the curious side of her won over - curiosity killed the cat, mind you - and she found herself already walking towards the cabin before she had even responded to his request.

“I’ll come inside long enough for Hope and Clarity to warm themselves, and to check on Yuo’s bandages, but no more than that,” she said, her nose slightly turned up as she made her way up the slight slope that would take her to the porch. When she reached the steps, she paused, looking down at her feet. “I’d rather not talk about my troubles. I just … Not yet,” she said softly. Shaking her head again, she looked up at the front door. “It’s a long and boring story, anyway - nothing that you should trouble yourself over. You’d be bored to death if you tried to listen to it,” she laughed a bit, her chuckle slightly dry and hollow. She approached the door and stopped, never one to just let herself into someone else’s home, and turned her eyes back over to Ryou. “But you’d better not try anything, Mr. Pervert, or I’ll kick you right in the knee - and trust me when I say that you really don’t want me to do that!” Looking over at the door once more, she crossed her arms, almost seeming to hug herself in the action. ”One more thing … I know you don’t know me very well, but please don’t run on the assumption that I’m stupid. I can tell that you’re lying to me, and I hate it when people think that I’m stupid enough to believe them when they lie. If you don’t want to tell me the truth, than all you have to do is say so - I’m content in knowing that there are things that people just don’t want me to know about them. I just hate it when they insinuate that I’m stupid enough to believe their fibs. So above all else, please, don’t lie to me, Ryou,” she said softly, allowing herself to slip and say his name for the first time. It wasn’t a mistake, the slip, but instead was done on purpose, in an effort to get him to understand that she was serious in her fragility when it came to lies. They were the one thing that she couldn’t stand, and would rather be told directly that the subject was something that the person would rather avoid.

Ryou’s face became more stern and serious, his gaze narrowing in on her. ”And I would ask the same thing, Miss Himura. Forgive me Miss Himura, but I am not used to dealing with anyone other than my siblings one on one, that is not to say that I'm a complete shut-in, so I am a little nervous. But that doesn't mean that I don't know when someone lies to me.” He said sharply, his tone cool, and collected. ”And I also would find it much appreciated if you didn't lie to me either. Even if it is a lie to thy own self.” It was clear that something was weighing heavily on her mind. Reiya recoiled slightly, her eyes narrowed. What an outrageous claim! She wasn't lying to anyone, especially not herself. She just … wasn't ready to talk about it, and definitely not to someone who was a complete stranger. And especially not a week before the anniversary of the accident.

”Like you said, we do not know each other very well. I don't know you either. It is conceivable for me to assume that you are in fact the….’pervert-stalker’ here. You did after all randomly show up in front of my home after we first met. Perhaps it is me who should be worried.” He pointed out. ”Do not place your assumptions upon me, not until you get to know me. And I will not place my assumptions upon you.” Reiya stared at him, and for a moment, the smallest of grins twitched at the corners of her lips. Touche, Mr. Orako, touche, she thought whimsically.

Ryou stepped up on his porch, gracefully manoeuvering around her to open up the door. His nearness caused goosebumps to speckle across her arms, and although it was only a slight brush, he briefly made contact with her arm. She froze, blinking in a rapid secession. Her breath caught slightly, and she took a staggering step back, her hand clutching at the center of her chest.

”Please come in. Apologies, but I don't have much in the way of entertainment.” As he swung the door open, the two foxes immediately walked in, sniffing around their new environment. ”Yuo, you have visitors!” Ryou looked up at her cardboard castle, with the top of the tower shaking. Ryou peered inside to see Yuo picking at her bandages. Reiya peered inside the doorway cautiously. She had never entered a man’s home before for anything other than something business related. Of course, this could technically be considered to fall under the ‘business’ category in a way. She hesitated again, flicking a glance at the sidewalk. After a moment, she inhaled deeply, puffing it out gently. She slapped her cheeks rapidly, turned determinedly on one heel, and then strode inside the cabin.

It was a quaint little cabin, with just one bedroom, a tiny kitchen that opened into the living room, and an even smaller bathroom. The furniture and belongings that it housed were very minimal, and neatly organized to boot. There were some books stacked neatly on a desk, and a good gathering of them on the bookshelf near it. There was no television, and from what she could see, there wasn’t even a phone, either, nor a radio. The only electronic device seemed to be a clock. The only thing that stood for notice was the immense cardboard castle on the coffee table, and the three beautiful instruments that were set neatly near a wall - a guitar, a violin, and a harpsichord.

The guy definitely lived a minimalist lifestyle.

Ryou stuck his hand into her tower, and gently scoop her up. ”I'm sorry, looks like she did it again. Can't leave her alone for two seconds.”

~Now there, she'll have to believe you now. You are a dreadful liar after all.~ He would have to remember to give her an extra treat later.

Reiya didn’t seem to register that he was speaking. Instead, she found herself drawn to the harpsichord, her feet seeming to move of their own will, and she only managed to stop herself when she was mere inches away from it. Her hand froze, halfway between her and the harp, and after looking down at her curled fingers for a moment, she reached out the rest of the way. One finger slowly plucked the high G, and then moved down to high F, just one step below. It repeated this slow movement back and forth twice more, before dropping down to high D, shooting back up to high G, and then down to high C.

The first measure to A River Flows in You.

A splash of red flew across her vision, tainting the beautiful harp with its color. She recoiled, drawing her hand in on herself and clutching it with her other palm to her chest. She hadn’t touched a harp since before her parents and grandparents deaths, and the instantaneous reminder of them that the glorious instrument gave her was enough to drive anyone insane.

”That was beautiful Miss Himura! I hadn't realized that you were a musician. Please feel free to play more.” Ryou said with a encouraging smile. ”I myself am a amateur street musician. But you were very good. Do you play often?” For some reason he felt a surge of excitement when he realized they both had something, even as trivial as this, in common. ”Do you play other instruments? I myself have the guitar, harp, and violin.”

The grimace on Reiya’s lips tightened at his words. Of course, anyone viewing from the outside would simply see a girl playing a harp and causing beautiful notes to float through the air. Of course he couldn’t see the inner turmoil that wreaked havoc on her insides. Relaxing her mouth, she closed her eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply. Once she had collected herself, she smiled softly and turned away from the harp, instead approaching Ryou so as to see Yuo.

”You flatter me, Mister Orako. Trust me when I say that I’m really not as good as you seem to think,” she said softly, reaching out and scooping Yuo from his grasp. The momentary brush of their hands caused her heart to quicken, but she spun away before he could see the slight pink on her cheeks. ”I haven’t played in years, so I’m very rusty. I just haven’t had the time.” It wasn’t a complete lie; she had very little free time between overseeing Himura enterprises, along with her various donations, volunteer work, her job at the vet clinic, gardening, and school when it was in session. She did have free time, though; she just had no wish to play something that caused her such immense misery. ”But no, I don’t know how to play any other instruments. Just the one.” She set Yuo down on the coffee table and knelt down beside it, her fingers making quick work of removing the lingering, loose bandages that were basically hanging off of the tiny mouse. ”Hold still now, m’lady, and I’ll be done quickly,” she said with a smile. Meanwhile, Hope and Clarity made their way around the cabin, sniffing different spots curiously, investigating their new surroundings. After they had thoroughly checked out the humble abode - it was very small so it didn’t take them long - they took to wrestling one another, their soft growls the only real background sound to Reiya and Ryou. She made quick work of reapplying the bandages, even adding some antibiotic salvant that she kept handy for occurrences such as this very one, and was finished in record time. Giving the mouse a gentle pat on her tiny head, Reiya, crossed her arms on the coffee table before her, smiling at Yuo. ”See? Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?” she cood, crinkling her nose slightly, almost as though she were teasing the small mammal.

A small smile crossed Ryou’s face as he silently watched Reiya work. ”You're quite good at this Miss Himura. Your work must be very….” He paused for a moment, thinking of the right word. ”Fulfilling. And it seems as though you enjoy it as well. I must admit, a part of me envies that. Being of use to others I mean. I wish I could be that…..dependable….” He sighed slightly, looking over at his instruments. Reiya smiled softly, so small that one could barely see it. ”Trust me, you’re dependable to Yuo. You did come and find her yesterday, after all.”

~Come now, stop your wallowing! You are of plenty use! If you wish to make yourself useful, then go play me some music!~ Yuo demanded, trying to cheer him up in her own way. ”Hmm, since I have heard you play, it would only be fair if you heard me play. Besides, I cannot allow your care to go unrewarded.” Ryou smiled as he approached his instruments, debating which one to play. He reached for his harp, figuring that if she could play it then surely she would enjoy listening to it. It took her a moment to react to his words, and when she finally did, she sat up quickly, her muscles going taut. ”N-N-No, w-wait, do-don’t-!” she breathed out, fear taking away her vocal chords and making the words little more than a squeak.

Ryou’s fingers hovered over the cords, being inches away from touching them. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath in, and exhaled out his nose. After a moment of complete silence he finally began plucking at the strings. Reiya froze, her entire body going cold, as the first note rang throughout the house. He began playing The Nightingale. He kept his eyes closed, completely focusing on the soft melody.

His long, and slender fingers moved gracefully as they plucked the strings, all the while keeping a soft smile on his face. He was completely engrossed in the music, forgetting all about his surroundings. To him it was only him and the music.

Reiya’s heart hammered in her chest, so powerfully that it was painful. Her hands were held up slightly in the air, as though she had intended to stop him, but she was rooted in place. They began a slow tremble, which started in the tips of her fingers and slowly began to make its way down her body. Finally, it wracked her down to her very core, and it was an uncontrollable shake. Tears began to pool in her eyes, which stared seemingly sightless before her, instead seeing only images of a haunted past.

The screams of her parents. The guttural sound of her grandfather as he drowned in his own blood. The disgusting squish as her grandmother was impaled. And the loud crashing melody of the harpsichord in the spacious back of the limousine resounding throughout the entire vehicle. The disgusting smell of gasoline filled her nostrils, and for a few moments, it was just like she was there again, trapped underneath the dead, heavy bodies of her mother and father, pinned beneath the top of the caved in roof, which used her parents’ bodies as a cushion to soften the blow that hit her. She could still hear the sickening crunch of their spines and skulls. Her eyes looked waveringly down at her trembling hands, only to find them coated in blood. Blood that pooled on her skirt and legs, dripping down the sides of her peached skin. She lifted her shaking hands to her face, her palms sliding over her eyes, and she sprawled her fingers messily through her hair, shaking her head in rapid succession.

”No … No, no, no, no, no, no, no!” she finally cried out, tears pooling down her face. ”Please! Stop!” she sobbed, completely caving in on herself. ”Please … Stop playing … I beg you …” she whimpered.

Ryou was brought out of his trance by Reiya’s cries. He abruptly stopped playing, and opened his eyes to see the tears streaming down her face. Ryou’s heart sank, his music had never had that effect on others, and he'd never intended it to. Ryou stood up, and slowly approached Reiya. He wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her in for a tight hug. Using his superior strength he made sure that she couldn't easily get away, or struggle. Nonetheless, she fought against him, pushing at his chest yet not moving even an inch as she wrestled with his unyielding grip. It was weird for her - having someone hug her, especially when she had been crying. It was something that hadn’t happened to her in a very long time, at least since before her parent’s deaths. Having someone hold her in a moment of emotional turmoil showed weakness, and she couldn’t afford to appear as weak. ”Apologies...I didn't mean to upset you. It's ok, just let it out.” When it was clear she wasn’t going anywhere, she slowly stopped, her entire body relaxing in a way that showed that she gave up. The tears had slowed to large blobs of warm liquid, and her sobs had quieted so that all the sound that escaped her was her shaky breath. Ryou then began lightly petting the back of Reiya’s head, trying his best to comfort her. The motion was soothing, and instead of the relaxation of defeat, she shifted ever-so-slightly into an actual relaxed state. His hands were cold. Almost oddly so, and when his fingers made the slightest of brush through her hair and against her skin, it caused a small shiver to assault her. Why was he so cold? ”There's no shame in crying when you are in pain. And there's also no shame in letting others help you.” Her tears trickled to a slow stop until her cheeks were finally void of the drippage.

After keeping her locked in a hug for several minutes Ryou finally released her. ”Do you feel better now Miss Himura?” He asked. Ryou’s face showed genuine concern, not too different from how he looked when he first met her. ”Would you like something to eat or drink? I'm afraid I don't have much in the way of refreshments, but surely I have something to your liking.” Reiya kept her watery gaze down, her eyes focused on his chest for a moment. Finally, she lifted her hands, her long sleeves touching the tips of her fingers, and wiped at her face. As she did so she drew in a long, deep and shaky breath, and let it out at a slow tremble. Once she had composed herself, she removed her glasses and busied herself with wiping the lenses.

Suddenly, she paused in the drying of her eyewear. Her hands fell limply in her lap, her grip on the frames very minimal.

”Why … Why are you being so nice to me, Mister Orako?” she asked softly, her bangs falling to shield her eyes a bit. ”I….I don’t understand the question. Why wouldn't I be nice to you? You've done nothing to deserve mistreatment.” Ryou replied with a smile. She bit her lower lip and slowly looked up at him, their close proximity making her able to clearly see his face despite the fact that she didn’t wear her corrective lenses. Her eyes were tinged with a gentle pink that made her irises look a bit darker and still had the soft sheen of tears across them, and her cheeks were pink from her cries and rubbing at her face. She bit her lower lip once more, a bit roughly, and dropped her head, looking at her legs. ”Do you … Do you have tea?”

”Yes, I have Sencha, Gyokuro, or iced tea. Do you have a preference?” Ryou asked as he stepped into his kitchen, and reached up into one of his cabinets to pull out the packages of tea in anticipation to what she'd want. ”Do you want something to eat as well? I don't have much food here, since I usually eat my meals with my siblings, but I could scrounge something up for you.”

”I'll have iced tea with a lot of sugar, please,” she requested I'm a soft voice, embarrassment over her previous actions welling up inside of her. ”I'm not hungry though; I had breakfast before I went to the orphanage, and the children insisted that I have pancakes with them, too. I walked out feeling like I needed to be rolled away,” she laughed slightly, idly brushing her short hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear. Reiya nudged up her glasses and pressed her lips together for a moment before sighing. “Look, I'm sorry for making a scene. It's just that … The harp reminds
me of some not so fond memories of my family in Germany. They're something that I'm not yet strong enough to face, so I'd rather not talk about them. The experiences were … Very traumatic, you could say,” she explained meekly, her gaze focused on Yuo as she tapped her index fingers together nervously. “And as I said before, I don't know you very well, so please … Don't take offense by my secret. trust me when I say that very few people know about it to begin with.”

”You have nothing to apologize for Miss Himura. Tis I who owes you an apology for prying into your personal life.” Ryou said as he poured her a glass of tea. ”I meant no offense by it, as I said I'm not very experienced with people other than my siblings. So please forgive me if I overstep myself again.”

She drew in a deep breath and released it slowly, her eyes glancing at the window which had a soft gathering of snow already accumulating on its outside ledge. A gentle smile crossed her face. “Any who! I'm mildly curious. What is your favorite time of year?” She gripped the iced tea that he had recently handed her between her small hands, taking a small swallow from it. “Personally, I'm very fond of cold weather. Snow is my absolute favorite. It reminds me of home, and it has so many calming qualities to it. Everything just seems to stand still when it snows outside, and it makes me feel at peace with the world. So I would have to say that the winter time is my favorite season.” Reiya appeared thoughtful, and after a few seconds of thought, suddenly spoke again, her voice extremely soft. “Tell me, Mister Orako; when the snow melts, what does it become?”

Ryou blinked several times at her question. What an odd thing to ask. He couldn't help but feel a small tinge of delight at her choosing winter as her favorite season. Of course there was no way for her to know that he was the embodiment of winter, but it still made him feel good to hear that from her. ”When the snow melts it becomes water to be absorbed into the ground, or else it runs off to join larger bodies of water.” Ryou looked out the window, watching as the snow fell. ”In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy. I always enjoyed that quote.”

Reiya puffed up her cheeks and let out a loud sound that resembled a buzzer in a game show. “Wrong!” she exclaimed. She smiled at him and sipped her tea. “Alright, so you aren't entirely wrong. You just thought too literally of the question. You were lacking in creativity, but instead were thinking factually, which isn't necessarily a negative thing.” She waited a moment before turning her gaze up to the window once more, her expression softening. The sweetness of the tea soothed her and she felt her shoulders relax. A small and slightly nostalgic smile crossed her lips, and if one looked closely enough, they could almost see as the memories of her past flitted across her eyes. It was very clear in her expression that the winter time and its weather, most importantly snow, held a lot of meaning to her, which was unsurprising given where she grew up. When she finally spoke again, her voice was hushed, almost wistful in a way. ”Silly ..
When the snow melts, it becomes spring.”

A small chuckle escaped Ryou’s lips. ”Ah, but that's not what you asked Miss Himura. You asked what snow becomes after it melts, not what winter becomes when it passes.” He reminded her. ”After all, there are plenty of places where it doesn't snow during the winter, or where it snows all year round.” Ryou added. ”It seems you weren't thinking geographically.” He chuckled lightly. Reiya rolled her eyes and set her empty glass on the table, giving Yuo a slight pat on the head as she rose to her feet. She adjusted her sweater and grabbed her bag, letting out a slight whistle. The foxes rushed to her side and up to their spots on her shoulders, and she started for the door. ”My statement still stands. You think far too literally of a riddle, when in actuality the answer isn't the most obvious one. You should try to think creatively next time,” she said simply. ”And how often is it that the obvious answer gets overlooked?” He asked rhetorically. ”I really need to get to the clinic. I've already lingered far too long here. Thank you for the tea. I apologize if I intruded somehow.” She paused and turned back, leaning down so that she could look at the mouse in her castle. ”Do take care of your bandages, Miss Yuo. Try not to worry your father too much,” she smiled. ”It was a pleasure having you over Miss Himura, please feel free to stop by anytime. Oh, and do try not to overwork yourself. What is that old saying? The candle that burns twice as bright lasts half as long.” Reiya quirked her brow, nodded slightly, and with that she waved slightly over her shoulder at Ryou and left.

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Natsuo's Code- #0000CD