She kept the blanket pulled up around the entire lower half of her face; it rather red from her comment about the fact that Ryu was still important to her, despite the fact he was confusing the Hell out of her with his lame explanation. Kiku looked up at the man with her deep red eyes, head tilted down ever so slightly. She wasnât lying when she said that he was still important to her. That was something very true indeed, though, Kiku wasnât going to be a fool in love . . . Ryu had changed, a lot. He wasnât the same boy that she remembered from all those years ago, and even though she still barely understood how it was that he was even real, the fact remained that the violet-haired man before her was the person who had made a rather important promise to her.
Oh, he still owes me a proper explanation for this insane situation. But Iâm willing to let all of it go for now, Iâm just happy enough knowing that heâs here. she thought, sighing to herself while shutting her eyes, blanket still covering her whole body. Kiku felt bad, now that she had more or less had managed to come fully out of almost falling to frostbite, the brunette found herself feeling unwell. Her head was starting to hurt some, throat feeling raw, and she wasnât sure, but she thought that her nose just might have been starting to get runny. . . . With an exhale, she adjusted the blankets around herself some more before opening her eyes up and looking at Ryu again.
Is he blushing from what I said? Kiku had to stifle a single laugh that was trying to work its way up and out of her lungs when she realized that she had made him go red in the face. Given the fact that he seemed such a jokester now, it was a bit of a pleasant surprise to know that Ryu was still capable of embarrassment. Thatâs something Iâll have to remember, if I let myself turn into an emotional pile of goo and act all sweet toward him, heâll get flustered. Yes, Kiku was a tsundere, and she hated it when people knew she cared a lot, but she wasnât beyond using her charms and such to get at someone if she felt it were necessary. And given how her âPrinceâ was now, Kiku had a feeling she might have to be doing that an awful lot.
âD-don't be ridiculous." he half mumbled that, trying not to show his embarrassment. Boy oh boy, was Ryu ever the bad actor when it came to hiding how he was really feeling. . . . This caused Kiku to smile smugly underneath the blanket before the man continued to speak, still poorly disguising himself. âYou better get inside and warm before you catch something. You look a bit..." he paused, and looked at her rather intently, as if he was thinking about something other than what he intended on saying, "ill." Ryu finished.
Kiku was planning to say something along the lines of, âIâm feeling fine Ryu.â But the man had already had his hands on her shoulders, turning her around, and guiding/forcing her into his and Nikolasâ apartment without giving her a chance to protest or say anything about maybe just going back into her own home. Okay, so she really wasnât feeling well herself, but it wasnât like she was going actively voice the fact that she was feeling so icky . . . and no, she really didnât want to go back into her own home and be alone again, leaving Ryuâs company after finding out what she had just did. It isnât like I want him to know that now though! she thought, clenching her eyes shut in embarrassment, No, Iâm not in love with him or anything, but the fact that he is him, thatâs enough to get to me.
âĄâĄâĄâĄâĄâĄ
Evande looked at Nikolas when she heard his laugh, one that rang empty, nothing behind it but bitterness it seemed. . . . Her words had drawn it from him, perhaps she had sounded naĂŻve in her musings, she had her moments of naĂŻvetĂ© after all . . . okay, so she had a LOT of them, not just a few moments. Iâm speaking of things I donât understand again, I need to learn when to keep my mouth shut, and to cease talking when it is I am ahead of the game. she told herself, feeling embarrassed, her face went the color of a cherry when she realized that she had sort of just managed to stick her own foot in her mouth again, like she always did. Nikolas was another part of her, she and him were the same age in this lifetime, physically, but spiritually speaking. Evande wasnât sure about that, but she was certain that her soul and his werenât that far apart in age, if even at all. . . . What he had told her about the whole situation that composed the intended circumstances of their existences, well, the exact details of that were still confusing to her.
So, while the otaku was pretty sure that both of their souls were similar in age, she felt like she were nothing more than a immature, little child compared to Nikolas at the moment when she thought about it. He had all these memories of his own previous lives, countless years of recollections and experiences . . . and what did she have? All Evande knew for certain were memories of her own current life, a boring and mundane life spent absorbed in fictional worlds, very little real experience with anything . . . and of course, she also had several memories from Nikolasâ life that were of questionable content, to put it lightly.
Bits and pieces of her former lives were lodged in her head, but she couldnât access them or anything, she just knew they were there. Compiling the situation together, Evande only had nineteen years of memory in her own head while Nikolas probably had hundreds of years, probably more.
"It's not that bad, being a living puppet. You get a lot of time to ...think and stuff." Nikolas said, sounding rather indifferent upon the matter. Sounding like he didnât care. This made Evande bite down on the inside of her lower lip, she felt herself getting tense for some reason, very uncomfortable.
He was just . . . before, he was so agitated about what he was relaying. And now heâs. . . ? Evande found herself questioning. R-Right, she started again, I donât know him, heâs another part of me, but I donât know anything about him. Who am I to question him. . . ? To assume anything? she swallowed, though her throat was dry from how she was feeling. I shouldnât assume a thing, yet . . . I have this sensation that heâs lying to me again.
"Until you can't work out whether you're actually there or not. That's when you have to think about things a lot more and keep all your memories in check." The bespectacled woman felt a hand on her head, but she didnât move, or do a thing to show that she was even aware of it, she just remained immobile, her arms around Nikolas, her face blank. She was lost in her own head. Thinking about the fact that she sounded like an idiot with what she had said earlier. Everything about that last line of hers just screamed stupidity, and it made her sound like she really were a child. . . . Then there was the fact that she wasnât sure if she should trust the feeling she got about Nikolas lying to her again, hiding the truth about the situation. The fact he seemed so damn casual. . . ! The pink-haired woman didnât know what to think at all.
When she heard Ryu suddenly shout, âGet a room!" at her and Nikolas, jokingly of course, Evande looked up at the tall man, seeing him holding onto Kikuâs shoulders, a mischievous smile on his face. Without a word, Evande withdrew her arms from around her alter, and hid her hands under the surface of the kotatsu, clasping her hands together upon the tops of her bare legs. And while Ryu and Nikolas spoke of something to do with their past lives, Kiku herself had her eyes upon the otaku âfreak.â The lower half of her face remained hidden to the world with that blanket of hers.
While her thoughts concerning Ryu were still the forefront thing on her mind, the little woman couldnât help but observe her neighbourâs strangely still and sullen appearance, well, at least she wasnât unconscious this time! Hmph, it looks like Sterling there is regressing back into her shell for some reason. she thought, keeping her eyes on the tall woman.
Realizing she was being stared at, Evande looked up suddenly with a questioning look upon her face, her brown eyes slightly wide. Yet, when she realized that Kiku was the one staring at her, she merely shut her slightly open mouth and looked back down and away from her; just staring at the surface of the kotatsu, her face looking as though it were holding nothing but doubt in it. I donât know what I should do. she thought with a heavy sigh.
Kiku found herself tensing up at this, getting irked at the womanâs insecurities. Damn it, the Otakuâs going to make me get mad isnât she?! Acting like an uncertain little child like this, gah! she huffed in annoyance, a look of the same sentiment overcoming the little tsundereâs face as she let the blanket drop back down around her head, revealing her pale features in full. What reason did Evande have to act like such an insecure thing?! She was tall, imposing, and had a pretty good body! I really donât feel like acting like a bitch right now, but if she doesnât freaking snap out of this in a minute, Iâll give her a damn earful. . . . With this set in her head, Kiku walked on over to the couch, and sat herself upon it, blanket still held around her shoulders tightly, a look of determination and certainty upon her flesh.
"Niko... What have you done to your room...?" At hearing this though, both Kiku and in the direction of the violet-haired manâs voice, of course, Evande knew full well what had happened to Nikolasâ room, she had seen the condition he had put it in without even realizing it. The pink-haired woman though sighed, hearing the forming lividness in Ryuâs voice. Yeah, anger, thatâs just what they needed right now.
Kiku herself was eyeing Nikolas a bit, curious herself. She had heard what Ryu had said about that âBlazeâ person, but was the memories associated with him bad enough to have caused the boy without the ability to tell his own shirt size to destroy his own dwellings? So, in her own curiosity, the brunette hopped off the couch and went to join Ryu in viewing what could be deemed a disaster zone. When she poked her head around the doorway and into his room, Kikuâs eyes widened at the sight, and all she could muster up was a simple, âWhoa.â Before she found herself coughing some into her blanket.
Evande herself just exhaled and looked back to Nikolas as he uncomfortably said, "Major freakout..."
The otakuâs eyelids lowered some at hearing the tone in his voice, and seeing the fact that he just looked dead tired in the face. No matter what she thought, no matter if she were inexperienced compared to him . . . Evande couldnât just let herself continuously dwell over things. There would always be things she knew and things she didnât even if those things came from a difference of hundreds of years of experience, so be it. Like Iâve said before, I canât go and just dwell on things, and it isnât like running away is an option either at this point. she thought, looking back to Nikolas. Even if she wasnât sure of what the hell she was doing anymore, or even sure or herself and what experience she had. . . . Lacking as much as she was compared to Nikolas, she only had her current life under her belt for reference, and she was deficient in so much with it. Evande just had to go with her gut instincts, and her feelings, she couldnât doubt herself.
With a sigh, the otaku pushed on the bridge of her glasses again, and a flustered look came over her face, âRyu, I donât think itâs of any use to go and get irate now. . . .â she spoke somewhat timidly, looking down at the surface of the kotatsu with her face going red. She was so not used to doing this. Sure, she was capable of speaking her mind in front of one person, but in front of three . . . it was just not a comfortable situation for her. Evande swallowed back the anxiety, her heart hammering in her chest; she looked back to Nikolas, an apologetic look on her face. âIâm sorry for speaking so haphazardly before, about . . . that.â
She shook her head, âItâs not my place to speak in such a manner, as if I know everything. I only know the most basic parts of this situation, and unlike you, I remember only this current life of mine,â Evande lied a bit there, because she did know more than that, it just wasnât relevant information she felt. âYet, even with my naĂŻvetĂ©, I-I donât think I was wrong about what I said.â Face going redder, she took in a deep breath to calm down some, âAnd . . . part of me feels like you were not only lying to me about that state of living being bearable, but to yourself. . . .â the woman said that last part quietly, just loud enough for Nikolas to hear. And despite the embarrassment she felt, and the uncertainty of speaking up this time, she remained seated where she was, with her face red and a serious look etched upon her features. I feel like such an idiot. Evande just sighed after this though, letting her tense shoulders drop down some, relaxing, and resting her head on Nikolasâ shoulder again. Like him, she was tired. . . .
From the hallway, Kiku had her head poked around the corner, watching both the otaku and Nikolas. She found herself coughing again, but resumed a normal stance with a rather annoyed look upon her features, âYeesh . . . those two really should get a room. . . .â she murmured quietly, shaking her head. Taking in a deep breath though, she did her best to stay calm, keeping her blanket wrapped around her small body loosely. Kiku tilted her head upward, and looked back at Ryu with a slightly coy smile on her face despite feeling bad. He got flustered when I said he was important to me still, she reminded herself. Yeah, she felt like having just a bit of fun with this.
Purposefully, the brunette let out a slightly dramatic sigh before she spoke up, âThose two seem so lovey-dovey all of a sudden donât they?â Kiku asked the man, frowning just a bit in a rather disappointed manner while looking off to the side. âI-I guess I canât expect that out of you, can I? Even with what you promised me when we were kids. . . .â her voice wavered a bit, almost sounding like she was going to cry.
But after a few moments of this, she stared back up at her alter, pulling her blanket up around her mouth with a little timid, but certain, laugh. âOh well, I suppose that just means Iâll have something to look forward to, wonât I Ryu?â Kiku giggled again, before taking in a breath and adding one last bit that was meant to tease the violet-haired man and get him flustered, â. . . .among other things of course~â Yeah, the brunette meant for that to sound like it had a second meaning, and she did one HELL of a job of making herself sound rather eager there. Ryu had teased her before, so it was her turn to repay him, even if he was the boy from her memories.
"Right?" she asked, looking at him with a smile.