He could see it, the way her jaw was clenched and the way her muscles were tensed. Something was bothering her, and Ayla was too stubborn to admit it. Aram had inquired about it, however; she refused to speak about it, and instead, allowed whatever it was to continue to bother her. He was slightly grateful that, whatever it was, hadn't coaxed anything out, and she was able to keep a lid on her temper. The sound of a grunt caught his attention, and Aram lifted his head to spot Ayla sitting across from him, taking one of the cups and poured tea into it. It was his own blend, a mixture of calming herbs and jasmine to hide the bitter notes. He could see by the strain on her face that it was one she did not particularly like.
"Will you tell me?" it sounded like a simple whisper, however; Ayla flinched beneath the tone. It was a demand, and she knew it. She lifted her gaze towards him, deep blue eyes mixing with pale ones, and released a defeated sigh. Aram smiled gently, knowing he had won the silent battle at last. She remained silent for a few more minutes, contemplating how she would word herself. She knew if she didn't, Aram would take it the wrong way, and he would place the blame on her and scold her for being so careless. Honestly, it wasn't her fault. She was irritable, the ronin came out of nowhere, and just happened to be a the place at the wrong time. But she couldn't exactly say it like that could she?
"Nothing out of the ordinary, I assure you," she began, however; his eyes did not relinquish their hold upon her form, and she gave a defeated sigh, the light anger surfacing forward. "It wasn't my fault, and nothing happened, but that asshole," she continued, her voice carrying off slightly as a slight shift in the air caused Aram to raise a questioning brow. It didn't take much to rile Ayla, for that he knew, but for someone to be on her mind this long, and to have earned such a title, must have been quite an experience for her. He took a sip from his tea, and continued to stare at her, his gaze never leaving her. It caused the tension in her muscles to grow, however; he fixed her with a stare, and she calmed herself.
"You don't understand, Ara, he came out of nowhere," she continued, and a frown marred Aram's face at the word he. He released a sigh as she continued. "He had the nerve to look down on me with his arrogant stature. He was taller, and I had to look up at him, but still. What gave him the right to talk to me like that? That... that asshole," she stated, her teeth grinding together as she continued. Aram let out a startled chuckle, causing her to stop in her ramblings and turned towards him, giving him a "what's so funny" stare. He merely shook his head, and gestured for her to continue. She narrowed her eyes, but hesitantly obliged.
"The bastard called me an old hag," she added, drawing out the last word in an attempt to mimic the way he spoke it.
"Perhaps an unkind way of saying it, but Ayla," he started, however; her gaze fixed on him, harshly, as if daring him to continue that sentence. He sighed in defeat and placed his cup down. "Perhaps if you hadn't addressed the ronin so rudely, things wouldn't have turned out that way for you. You have a temper, Ayla, and you need to control it. It wasn't his fault that he caused you to drop the fruit back into the bin and sca... startled you," he finally spoke, causing the frown on Ayla's face to deepen. She sighed harshly through her nose, and pinched the bridge. With her eyes closed, and brows furrowed, Aram smiled knowingly.
"It wasn't my fault," she continued, straining her voice in the process. "He shouldn't have just strutted in like he owned the place. Plus, how did he know my name!?" she drawled out, a slight hint of panic entering her voice. How did he know her name?
"Didn't you say Reiko sent him?"
"Don't correct me when I'm wrong," she snapped back, immediately recoiling. That's right, he said Reiko sent him. She let out a long sigh and rubbed her hands against her face. "Still doesn't give him the right," she muttered, releasing a defeated breath as she took to her cup again. It still irked her, how he had done that. She wasn't too engrossed in the fruit to have missed him, however; she decided to leave out the fact that he bore a strong similarity to Amon. She glanced towards Aram over the brim of her cup, watching as his eyes closed. She took a moment to enjoy the silence, allowing the serenity to seep into her. It calmed her slightly, and she chuckled lightly to herself.
"You're welcome," he spoke, saying nothing more on the matter. He could see by the way Ayla's eyes were fixed on him, that something else was bothering her too. He quirked a brow in her direction as a sly smirk covered her features. Leaning forward, she placed her hand beneath her chin, and allowed the smirk to continue to grow.
"Correct me if I'm wrong but," she began, slowly leaning closer. "Yu-chan let slip that they were late because someone didn't know how to barter for cabbage. Said she called him kyabetsu-san. Pray tell, dear brother, were you the reason Yu-chan and Rei-chan were late meeting me?" she asked, the sly smile still worming its way upon her face. From the way he bit back a startled choke from his tea, Ayla could only confirm that it was him. Of course, it could have been any other person in the market that day, but it was too much of a coincidence that he actually brought back money from his previous endeavor.
"Well, you see I was just..." he began, stuttering through his sentence. Ayla merely raised a brow as a tint of pink dusted his cheeks.
"Oh? So it's like that, is it?" she stated, allowing the teasing tone in her voice to seep through.
"It is not like that, Ayla. She merely helped in acquiring what was needed for you,"
"Uh-huh, whatever you say, dear brother."
He forgot how horrible his sister could be.
"Will you tell me?" it sounded like a simple whisper, however; Ayla flinched beneath the tone. It was a demand, and she knew it. She lifted her gaze towards him, deep blue eyes mixing with pale ones, and released a defeated sigh. Aram smiled gently, knowing he had won the silent battle at last. She remained silent for a few more minutes, contemplating how she would word herself. She knew if she didn't, Aram would take it the wrong way, and he would place the blame on her and scold her for being so careless. Honestly, it wasn't her fault. She was irritable, the ronin came out of nowhere, and just happened to be a the place at the wrong time. But she couldn't exactly say it like that could she?
"Nothing out of the ordinary, I assure you," she began, however; his eyes did not relinquish their hold upon her form, and she gave a defeated sigh, the light anger surfacing forward. "It wasn't my fault, and nothing happened, but that asshole," she continued, her voice carrying off slightly as a slight shift in the air caused Aram to raise a questioning brow. It didn't take much to rile Ayla, for that he knew, but for someone to be on her mind this long, and to have earned such a title, must have been quite an experience for her. He took a sip from his tea, and continued to stare at her, his gaze never leaving her. It caused the tension in her muscles to grow, however; he fixed her with a stare, and she calmed herself.
"You don't understand, Ara, he came out of nowhere," she continued, and a frown marred Aram's face at the word he. He released a sigh as she continued. "He had the nerve to look down on me with his arrogant stature. He was taller, and I had to look up at him, but still. What gave him the right to talk to me like that? That... that asshole," she stated, her teeth grinding together as she continued. Aram let out a startled chuckle, causing her to stop in her ramblings and turned towards him, giving him a "what's so funny" stare. He merely shook his head, and gestured for her to continue. She narrowed her eyes, but hesitantly obliged.
"The bastard called me an old hag," she added, drawing out the last word in an attempt to mimic the way he spoke it.
"Perhaps an unkind way of saying it, but Ayla," he started, however; her gaze fixed on him, harshly, as if daring him to continue that sentence. He sighed in defeat and placed his cup down. "Perhaps if you hadn't addressed the ronin so rudely, things wouldn't have turned out that way for you. You have a temper, Ayla, and you need to control it. It wasn't his fault that he caused you to drop the fruit back into the bin and sca... startled you," he finally spoke, causing the frown on Ayla's face to deepen. She sighed harshly through her nose, and pinched the bridge. With her eyes closed, and brows furrowed, Aram smiled knowingly.
"It wasn't my fault," she continued, straining her voice in the process. "He shouldn't have just strutted in like he owned the place. Plus, how did he know my name!?" she drawled out, a slight hint of panic entering her voice. How did he know her name?
"Didn't you say Reiko sent him?"
"Don't correct me when I'm wrong," she snapped back, immediately recoiling. That's right, he said Reiko sent him. She let out a long sigh and rubbed her hands against her face. "Still doesn't give him the right," she muttered, releasing a defeated breath as she took to her cup again. It still irked her, how he had done that. She wasn't too engrossed in the fruit to have missed him, however; she decided to leave out the fact that he bore a strong similarity to Amon. She glanced towards Aram over the brim of her cup, watching as his eyes closed. She took a moment to enjoy the silence, allowing the serenity to seep into her. It calmed her slightly, and she chuckled lightly to herself.
"You're welcome," he spoke, saying nothing more on the matter. He could see by the way Ayla's eyes were fixed on him, that something else was bothering her too. He quirked a brow in her direction as a sly smirk covered her features. Leaning forward, she placed her hand beneath her chin, and allowed the smirk to continue to grow.
"Correct me if I'm wrong but," she began, slowly leaning closer. "Yu-chan let slip that they were late because someone didn't know how to barter for cabbage. Said she called him kyabetsu-san. Pray tell, dear brother, were you the reason Yu-chan and Rei-chan were late meeting me?" she asked, the sly smile still worming its way upon her face. From the way he bit back a startled choke from his tea, Ayla could only confirm that it was him. Of course, it could have been any other person in the market that day, but it was too much of a coincidence that he actually brought back money from his previous endeavor.
"Well, you see I was just..." he began, stuttering through his sentence. Ayla merely raised a brow as a tint of pink dusted his cheeks.
"Oh? So it's like that, is it?" she stated, allowing the teasing tone in her voice to seep through.
"It is not like that, Ayla. She merely helped in acquiring what was needed for you,"
"Uh-huh, whatever you say, dear brother."
He forgot how horrible his sister could be.