Snippet #1820118

His own world was much more fun than this one. When Ryu's mind wanders, Nikolas would always say he's 'in his own world', and Ryu always believed that his own world must be a lot more fun than the one he's on at the very moment. He was giggling stupidly to himself as he imagined Kiku prancing around in a clown costume, but the person in question's voice made his imagination dissolve as he turned to look at her. “Even if you said I don’t have to thank you, I do.” Ryu shrugged, sighing. She was smiling, but he wasn't phased. She smiled a lot more as a child.

“I’ll eat in a second, I promise. But first. . . .” Kiku smiled honestly and Ryu had to look away, since he felt his face burning up, if only slightly. But there was sudden movement, and Ryu looked down to see the small girl wrapped around his stomach. His face went so red he wasn't even able to open his mouth and stutter for once. Instead, he just put his arms around the small girl, but he had to stare at the wall stubbornly so as not to see her face. That would probably make him go a brighter colour than he ever had.

“I’m sorry about acting so terribly yesterday night. . . . Considering the fact that you knew who I was, I should have known who you were, even with the fact you have hair such a bright color that it would make a flower envious now.” She said, and Ryu made a sarcastic gasp, taking one hand of the girl and twirling said hair in his fingers happily. Sure, he'd done it drunk, but he'd gotten rather used to the violet colour, and even slightly attached. If his hair went back to it's usual black, he'd have to dye it another crazy colour just to feel normal. Should he get blue hair. . .?

He was twirling his hair around his finger when the girl spoke again. “I kind of think it might suit you now though, even if it is still a little weird. . . .” The girl was holding him tighter and her had was on his side.

Ryu scoffed. "It's not just flowers that are envious of my hair, Kiku," he said proudly. "It's butterflies too." The boy looked overly serious at the fact he'd just stated. Maybe what he was saying was true; butterflies were probably jealous of the vibrant purple, but there wasn't really much to do (or say) about that. Ryu looked from the small girl to the soup, which the steam was reducing. Ryu poked Kiku on the head, a small smile on his face. "You better eat up soon; the soup's cooling down." The boy tightened the hug for a quick moment, before letting her go and putting the soup on her lap.

She has to eat. Ryu told himself. After that, I should go. . . Ah, Evande's still in the apartment, right? So I guess I'll go find some park. The boy nodded to himself, a lazy grin spreading across his face. He chuckled quietly. Nikolas would like a park. He likes screaming in them when he's annoyed, right? Ryu was now giggling quietly, with the imagination of Nikolas punching at a tree in anger. But he looked back at Kiku, a bit of surprise in his eyes. He'd forgotten she was even here, which was ridiculous when he thought about it; this was her apartment.

"I think. . ." Ryu stopped himself, going back to the subject from before. "I think my hair would look pretty weird in blue." he sighed. He did want to try blue, it was getting overly tempting, but no. Pink would be hilarious; it would annoy Kiku so badly that he got the same colour hair as Evande. Maybe he should get pink and something? Like Flick. . . Or Evande. Ryu was getting lost in his own world again, staring off into space with a goofy smile on his face. He used to do that a lot more when Kiku and he were both children, but she probably couldn't even remember. Oh well. A smile spread across his face as he slowly came back to earth, whistling Yankee Doodle. The truth was, the thing Ryu was actually going to talk about how when they were kids, some of the other kids around the area could see him, their wild minds and imaginations somehow allowed them to, so that's probably why she thought he was real. He'd worked out a while after that all the kids who could see him had alters too, but as soon as he disappeared, they forgot about him completely.

What can you do, eh? Ryu looked outside. Wait, is it. . . dark? Already?

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“As it is from the pot is perfectly fine.” Nikolas shrugged as Evande took her tea and started drinking it. The boy himself started pouring milk, adding a few sugars. “Thank you for being concerned.” She looked down at her steaming cup of tea and Nikolas looked at her, sipping his tea carefully. “I guess I got really overwhelmed from seeing what I did in Kassia’s memories, but I think I’m fine now, everything from that . . . lifetime is fitting into where it belongs in my brain.” Nikolas smiled apologetically. He sort of felt it was his fail that Evande was remembering all these memories.

“I-I’m sorry I woke you up with my crying and all.” The boy stayed silent as he set his tea down. The kotatsu was nice and warm under, but Nikolas' toes were already scorching. So his hands were there instead.

Eyes wandering around the room, they fell back on Evande as she began to talk again. “All of this, everything that’s happened in the last two days . . . it’s bizarre,” Evande looked serious, so Nikolas stopped smiling abruptly. Maybe it would seem rude if he were smiling and seemingly laughing at what she was saying, even though he wasn't. “The efforts of the last six years of my life, not getting attached to others or making friends to try to keep the weird from my life, so everything would be peaceful; it sort of seems like it was all for naught.” She paused, and the boy's eyes filled with fear of losing her, before icing over quickly. “But, even if it seems like I should be angry or upset about that, I’m not, I'm really not." Nikolas sighed in relief, a warm look returning.

"Actually Nikolas, I think I’m both relieved and happy that all of this happened, sure, I don’t know anything about why things are suddenly different in regard to what you told me, yet I don’t really find myself caring right now.” Nikolas stared at her, before tilting his head in the opposite direction from before. He was confused as hell for the billionth time in the last five minutes, but it was as if he suddenly turned into a ninja when Evande started falling back; he grabbed a pillow from the couch and threw it under her head before it even hit base. Nikolas stood up, ran his hand through his hair and found a black box lodged carefully at the very top cupboard. Ryu had obviously tried to hide it, to no avail. I don't want to do this, but. . . The boy felt his old thief traits coming back. Oh, fun can't harm you. He laughed quietly, tiptoeing his way across the hall with his box. Had the girl actually called the locksmith in the whole time she was there?

Nikolas carefully looked at the lock. He hadn't lock picked since. . . well, since the time him and Ryu were together-together. Ryu had convinced him that practically kidnapping him and letting him do whatever he wanted was justified since Nikolas was caught in the act of robbing the purple haired boy's house, whose hair at the time was a chestnut brown. He inserted the torsion-wrench and the half-diamond shaped pick, before fiddling for a couple of seconds, and a click came suddenly. Man, that skill's gotten rusty. The blonde opened the door, before going back to pick up Evande. He left his blanket on her, before placing her down on the couch in her own apartment. He went and grabbed the blanket in her room too, spotting her cat. Fighting the urge to fawn over it as it circled his legs, maybe for food, Nikolas made his was back over to Evande.

He sighed, kissing her on the forehead, before leaving, closing the door behind him. Nikolas took his lock-picking set back to his own apartment, shutting the door. He lay down in exasperation, hitting himself. Nikolas turned over, Panda crawling onto him as he finished his tea, finally. "Hello my little Panda." Nikolas laughed as the cat nuzzled him. "Mommy's a bad boy. He shouldn't get close to the nice lady, but he can't help it because he is very bad." Panda looked over attentively, before head butting him. "What? Is this your way of punishing me? Don't do that again; you might hurt your head." Nikolas looked at the little cat, before standing up.

He threw on his jacket and his sneakers, walking down the stairs slowly, before running back and leaving a note.

Stupid bastard,
Gone out. Call me later if you want to tag along.
Niko

Nikolas looked at it, before adding a 'las' on the end. He went all the way down the stairs this time; leaving the door unlocked was fine if Ryu was in the building, right? When he got to the door, he looked out. "When the hell did it get dark?" he thought, glancing around at the snow covered streets. The floor appeared crystallised almost, and only a few people were walking the streets. What? The boy glanced around, before seeing something following him. Nikolas picked up the black and white cat, putting Panda around his shoulders and she shivered quietly. He sighed. If there was one thing he was going to do tonight, it was getting drunk, if even slightly. And for that, he needed a companion. So he texted Ryu quickly, telling him to meet him soon; and they may buy some hair dye again.