āIt's hard to trust when all you have from the past is evidence of why you shouldn't."
~Unknown
Speech Code ~ #8A0808| Thought Code ~ #045FB4
It was only when the person began to speak that Iphignea realized who she had actually grabbed onto. With an internal groan, she slowly raised her eyes to meet those stormy gray orbs that already had left such an odd impression on her. Unable to stop herself, she found his gaze to be hypnotic - otherworldly - and was rooted in her spot, barely registering when his sister cheerfully piped in with, ā"Sure thing Iphi! Why don't you show Natsuo where the best place to eat is hmm?" Her name brought her to reality, however, and internally shaking off whatever that had been, she turned and gave Kazumi a grateful smile - genuine. At least she seems to have a brain. Women have to look out for each other. Maybe she isnāt so stuck-up? She booted the thoughts from her mind; either way, she had promised her parents - they were really her adoptive parents but who really cared at this point? - that she would try to make friends, just as she had her doctor, so it didnāt really matter if the woman had intelligence, so long as she wasnāt a bad person.
Before she could respond, Kazumi was already walking away to speak to apparently Mafuyu - Since when were they friends? - leaving her alone with Natsuo. Alone with Natsuo. Iphi swatted away the thought; just why would it matter that they were alone together or not? A bittersweet laugh escaped her as she exhaled. Even if she wanted to ābe aloneā with Natsuo, she had already made a promise to herself to not become involved with anyone, at least until after she had graduated. It was just too much work, too much time, and too much heartache that she simply couldnāt deal with when already juggling school and work. Still, a thought bothered her a bit; just what was Kazumi talking to Blueberry for?
"Come on, let's get out of here,"
Jolted from her thoughts, Iphignea jumped a little, almost guiltily. Here they were helping her get away from that disgusting reptile, and she was thinking poorly of them both. I suppose that says a lot about my own character, she thought bitterly. Her parents and doctors were right; she really did need to open herself a bit and try to make friends. She couldnāt stay bitter towards everyone. Not every single person was out to get her, and unfortunately she had to consciously remind herself of this fact. Despite this, she couldnāt help the words that bounced around in her head, telling her that the only reason anyone would want to be close to her is with a goal in mind.
Turning a somewhat strained smile his way, Iphi managed to squeeze out a quick, āIām in your care!ā before Natsuo was walking away. To make sure she kept up with him she immediately took off as well, clutching her backpack straps uncertainly as they passed a heated Haruto. His expression of anger didnāt last long, though, before he went white as a sheet and took a step back from the pair. She couldnāt tell from the angle that she was at, but somehow she knew that Natsuo was responsible for this abnormal reaction from the man. At least it was enough to keep him from saying anything to or following them, and only once they were out of the room and finally out of his sight did she relax. She couldnāt quite ditch Natsuo, seeing as he had just helped her. Hah, wouldnāt that be super fucked up? She almost snorted a bit at the thought and barely contained the sound. Gods, she was a terrible person, really.
So absorbed in her thoughts was she that she almost didnāt register Natsuo stopping in his tracks. She barely stopped herself from slamming into him - she really needed to start paying attention more - and glanced around their immediate area. It was outside which was nice, and in a fairly secluded area that most of the campus goers didnāt visit, and she could feel the warm rays of the sun kissing her skin. Winter would undoubtedly be back before too long, so she would much rather enjoy the outdoors while she still could before it got to be miserably cold.
A small ping echoed from her pocket, prompting her to remove her phone and swipe it open. It was a message from Reiya, one of her very few friends, and as she skimmed the words her expression began to harden with each sentence.
Iphi, I hope classes are going smoothly for you. I have been trying to hang out with Kazutora more and Kenji keeps harassing him. Today I ate with him and two new students, their names are Velonix and Kazuyuki Orako. They are . . . really something. Anyway, just now Kenji bothered Kazutora again. I was able to get the tail end of their conversation after Kazutora pushed Kenji to the ground and basically told him to leave him alone and wait until after school. I worry Kenji may do just that. What should I do? I know I promised to keep an on eye on Kazutora, but if I tell a teacher, he might get in trouble. I know I keep saying this, but I do wish I was as strong and brave as you Iphi. Anyway, I need to get to class.
Unable to contain herself Iphignea sighed, hand raising to rub at the bridge of her nose. It wasn't the first time and definitely wouldn't be the last that the little shit known as Kenji would try to pick a fight with her precious little Zu-Zu, and every time she'd go and teach him a lesson, but as a wise man once said, 'Stupid is as stupid does. She'd just have to keep beating his dumb ass until she rocked his shit up enough to knock some sense into him. The thought alone caused her hands to clench into fists, nails digging into her palms. Despite her anger, she tapped the open bar and began to type.
We had a couple of new students join us too. Siblings. They seem...decent enough I guess. I'm about to eat with the brother. That blueberry Mafuyu is with the sister. They must be related to your new classmates. They're names are Kazumi and Natsuo Orako. I have an hour after classes until work, so don't worry about Kenji or Zu, I'll take care of the little fucker myself. Thanks for the heads up, wouldn't have known without you. I know he can be a tough nut to crack but I really hope that you can become friends. Just keep on keeping your eye on him for me, please. Thanks so much! You're the best! Have a good rest of your classes!
"I don't think your ex will find us here. The other day when exploring the campus I figured this was one of the places people don't visit much during lunch. Sorry, I guess I should have asked if you brought a lunch with you. I have some here, but it's pretty spicy." Pulled from her phone, she locked it and tucked it back into her pocket. To say that Iphi was surprised was to say the least. She hadnāt even expected him to go along with her words, let alone be willing to sit and share a lunch with her. She glanced around the area again, only then truly registering how secluded it really was. A light flush rose to her cheeks; she would be lying if she said she hadnāt had her own teenage trysts in places just like this. She roughly shook away the thought. Just where was her mind going? Get your freaking head out of the gutter, Iphianassa. What the hell is wrong with you? Stop being so thirsty and go drink some water.
Surprisingly calm, Iphignea approached the tree where Natsuo had chosen to sit. She came to a stop about a foot or so away from the man, dropping her bookbag down to the ground, and then followed after it with her own body. As she sat she tucked her legs underneath her, suddenly conscious of her skirt, and went about rifling through her things to find her rather plain lunchbox. Once located she set it in her lap, found her chopsticks, and broke them apart. āI do have my own lunch, but I appreciate the offer. I doubt you have anything spicier than me, anyway,ā she said, almost teasingly. Was she being ā¦ Playful with him? Something about the man had her oddly relaxed, more willing to be friendly and less guarded, but she still felt her walls holding strong and true nonetheless. It was nice, though, to sit with someone like this other than Reiya and Tora. It had been a long time.
Plucking up a piece of sausage with her chopsticks, she eyed it for a moment, contemplatively. Almost decisively, she held the chopsticks in his direction, offering them to him along with the juicy sausage. āHere, you can try mine. If you like spicy food, then youāll like spetzofai. Itās a traditional Greek recipe with spicy sausage and other seasonings. I may not be a master chef, but I can make this much,ā she shrugged.
After they had been eating in silence for a few minutes - it was surprisingly comfortable and serene to be sitting under a tree in the quiet with this man - Iphignea found herself unable to contain herself. She set her lunchbox down in her lap, open and only half gone, and turned a serious look onto Natsuo.
āI really appreciate your help and your sisterās kindness as well, particularly with getting away from my ex ... But to be completely honest with you, Iām a little confused. Why would you help me? You donāt even know me, and Iāve done nothing but be rude to and glare at you since we met this morning.ā She wasnāt lying; she was baffled over his actions, but not only his but also his sisterās as well. They didn't know and had only just met her, so what was their aim? Almost everyone had a goal in mind. āIf you think that thereās any benefit of being close to me in any way, youād be wrong. Not only am I poor, but I also tend to scare a lot of people off with my resting bitch face." At this, she moved the stick in the direction of her features in question, a skeptical look resting there. "Iām not really the type of person thatāll boost your popularity, if you catch my drift,ā she warned, pointing a chopstick in his direction. āSo whatās your goal here? I donāt have any money, and I donāt own nice things. I donāt have many friends, and itās not like Iām pretty; so whatās your end goal? Huh?ā For extra measure, she jabbed it in his direction, on the second one lightly tapping it into the center of his chest.