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Ryou Orako 2

"I'll do my best to be someone you can depend on!"

0 · 898 views · located in Higashi-Naruse, Akita

a character in “Akita's Seasons”, as played by CutUp

Description

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"I just want to be strong enough to protect those who are precious to me."


Guren Theme ~ Naruto Shippuden Hello, World! ~ Y. Chang
It's Like a Tiny Bit of Light ~ Dima Lancaster ft. Hikaru Station River Flows In You ~ Lindsey Stirling



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❈Human Name❈
Ryou Orako
涌 - cool, refreshing

❈Nicknames and Aliases❈
Lio ~ A cut off of his real name, usually used affectionately by his siblings.
Elly ~ A cut off of his real name, usually used teasingly by his siblings.
TBA

❈Gender❈
Male

❈Age❈
Sixteen || 16

❈Birthday❈
January 12th


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❈Season❈
Winter

❈Real Name❈
Ellyion

❈Pet❈
Yuo is a Meadow Jumping Mouse of an unusually white color. She's a bit fussy and comes and goes as she pleases.

❈Enhancement❈
Increased Smell ~ You might as well compare Ryou's sense of smell to that of a blood hound. He can easily track down objects and people by smell alone, and can even detect the smell of poison or toxins.

❈Music Type❈
Strings ~ Ryou's favorite instrument is the guitar, his second being the harp. He's talented with any string instrument, though, and even if he's never played a specific instrument before, he learns very quickly.

❈Compatible People❈
Sweet People ~ Ryou has difficulties understanding sarcasm and dealing with confrontation, so he's most comfortable around people who are genuinely kind and thoughtful.

❈Abilities❈
Water Manipulation ~ Ryou cannot create water from nothing, but as long as there is some form of liquid present, he'll be able to manipulate that liquid freely. Even the humidity in the air, the sweat from someone's body, or even saliva can be manipulated. However, it must be a clear liquid with water as its main base. Ryou cannot control liquid that has been weighed down by syrups, sugar, oil, or any other additive as it is too heavy for him.
Body Temperature ~ With a single touch, Ryou can lower the body temperature of any living thing as drastically or as lightly as he wishes. He could even go so far as to cause death, but that idea has never crossed his mind.
Ice ~ While he can't manipulate tampered liquids, he can freeze any form of liquid that he wants. All he has to do is freeze the water. However, he's currently unable to manipulate a liquid once it's been solidified.
Weather ~ Naturally, Ryou possesses the ability to control any form of weather that's related to his season. This includes causing thick clouds to form that bring snow as well as lowering the temperature of the area. Solid ice is too difficult for him to control, but snowflakes are within his range as long as he focuses.


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❈Sexual Orientation❈
Pansexual

❈Scent❈
Peppermint is often associated with his natural scent. However, this seems to be the only smell that that remarkable nose of his can't seem to pick up.

❈Accent❈
Ryou has a slight Norwegian accent.

❈Nationality❈
Unknown

❈Romantic Interest❈
Ryou's not put much thought into romance. He's a little embarrassed by the subject, prompting his siblings to occasionally tease him about it.

❈Ethnicity❈
His fake Japanese name would have people thinking he is Japanese, but his accent and pure white hair may confuse that assumption.

❈Social Class❈
In Earthly terms, he'd probably be considered lower-middle class simply based off his choice of food, occupation, and attire. However the house that he lives in along with his siblings would easily place him in the upper-class level.

❈Occupation❈
Street Musician

❈Place of Residence❈
Ryou shares a house with his siblings, but he's chosen himself a humble little studio cabin in the winter portion of Akita. A futon, small bed, and kitchen are located in the main room while a washroom equipped with a bath is located in another compact room. His room at the shared house has a minimalist set up, with only a nightstand, small chair, and a somewhat larger bed.


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❈Oddities❈
Formality ~ Ryou has a very formal way of speaking and rarely uses casual terms, even with his siblings. He uses old words and always sounds incredibly polite when he talks, usually resulting in the younger people of Earth to end up with an odd impression of him.
Like a Bird ~ Food is not really an essential for Ryou and he doesn't care for eating luxury cuisine. In fact, he hardly eats more than maybe two bowls of rice a day and he avoids grease and meat. He also very rarely consumes any sort of liquid, maybe only a few sips of water every other day.
Minimalist ~ One look at his room and it's not hard to tell that Ryou is not one for clutter or unnecessary items. He never collects anything or bothers with decoration, and he doesn't find any pleasure in dressing up so he's the proud owner of only a few simple outfits. The only time he puts effort into wearing anything just remotely showy is when he'll be in the presence of his father.


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❈Hair Color❈
Snow White

❈Hair Style/Length❈
Ryou has medium-short hair that feathers outwards at the ends. His bangs are often falling over his eyes and brushing against his cheeks.

❈Skin Tone❈
Ivory

❈Complexion❈
Pale

❈Eye Color❈
Amber Gold

❈Height❈
5'11"

❈Weight❈
133lbs

❈Body Type/Build❈
Slim and lanky

❈Tattoo(s)/Piercing(s)s❈
None

❈Birthmarks/Scars❈
A marking of his winter season, Ryou was born with a pale blue snowflake located on his chest, just above his heart. It's odd color makes it easily mistakable as a tattoo. It's difficult to see against his pale complexion, but the mark emits a faint, blue light any time Ryou is using his winter abilities.


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❈Personality❈
Thoughtful ~ Secluded ~ Humble ~ Selfless ~ Melancholic
The best view to observe the world from is at a distance. Ryou is usually one who prefers spending his time in solitude, sitting alone simply to watch his father take rest as his mother's light shines against the night sky. He rarely interferes directly with others, finding enough enjoyment in just following along from behind. He is always respectful of the emotions and thoughts of others, never one to put his own needs before another.

While Ryou is more than happy to play his music for a crowd, it would be heavily out of character for him to accept praise with arrogance. The way he sees it, there is always room for improvement, and he's not shy to remind himself so. Ryou's humble nature is often what others like about him, but that humbleness is almost purely a result of his lack of confidence. It's as if he's constantly unsure of himself, delving deep into his thoughts for long periods of time whenever he's faced with a predicament.

His siblings are one of his only sources of inner strength, and even then, his first course of action would be to shoulder their pain or sadness himself. While he could certainty be a threatening force to be reckoned with if he honed his abilities, he's just not much of a fighter. Yet somewhere in his heart he wishes he could be more powerful and assertive, partly for the sake of properly gaining his father's approval, but mostly to be positive that he could defend his precious family if he had to. Right now, however, he knows he has a lot of improving to do as both a brother and son as well as to fulfill his role as the winter season.


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❈Morals❈
~ Be grateful for what you have ~
~ Clean table manners are important ~
~ Show empathy ~

❈Likes❈
Yuo ~ His pet mouse might have a big attitude, but he still cares for her very much and is always happy to see her.
His Siblings ~ He can't help but feel happy whenever he gets to see them.
Simplicity ~ The less of a hassle it is the better, be it his meal, choice of attire, or room design.

❈Dislikes❈
Clutter ~ Ryou doesn't see a point in leaving useless things just lay around.
The Heat ~ He's is the winter season, after all. Needless to say, he still cares for his summer brother.
Spiders ~ He doesn't hate them or anything. He just respects their power and prefers to stay as clear of them as possible.

❈Talents❈
Ice Sculpting ~ By manipulating water into complex shapes and then freezing it, Ryou can create extravagant sculptures of sparkling ice. He usually only makes sculptures as gifts for his mother or to shelter animals from the cold.
Grace ~ As tall and thin as he is, you'd think he'd have trouble keeping his balance. To one's surprise, that's not the case at all for Ryou. He's actually incredibly graceful and swift on his feet.
Stringed Instruments ~ It all started with the guitar, then the violin, then the harp, and so on. He's had lots of time to practice and his music has a beautifully calming, almost sad vibe to it.

❈Flaws❈
Low Self-esteem ~ He's always looking up to his older siblings, impressed by their abilities and strength that he believes far outshine his own. This leads to him feeling jealous at times, which only makes him feel even more disappointed in himself.
Detached ~ He doesn't really understand the point in hanging on to worldly objects of sentimental value and has difficulty relating to those who collect or keep things that they've been given or found.

❈Weaknesses❈
His Siblings ~ If he had to give his life for anything in the universe, it would be for his siblings.
Dry/Hot Temperatures ~ Warm weather can make Ryou feel ill on different levels depending on the temperature/humidity. In warm and humid areas, Ryou will be uncomfortable but can chill the air around him be cooling the water in the air. In hot, dry areas, Ryou can become ill to the point of losing consciousness.

❈Hobbies❈
Stargazing ~ He'd never known what the stars looked like from Earth before. Now any time Ryou is outside he can't resist staring up at the night sky.
Street Playing ~ Once he discovered how cheerful his music made the humans on Earth, he started playing his guitar on the street almost every night.
People-watching ~ There is so much life and energy on Earth, and Ryou finds a peaceful enjoyment in observing the humans on Earth go about their daily lives.


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❈History❈
The second son, and last born child of the sun and moon. Before he had even learned to speak, which he rarely did once he was old enough to mutter a few words, Ellyion was of a shy nature. The small boy would seemingly always be seen clinging to his mothers clothes, following her wherever she went and cowering behind her at the slightest noises. He didn't have the energy his older siblings sported, exerting himself quickly and almost always dealing with symptoms similar to anemia. This lead to his mother, kind and caring as she was, to spend an extra amount of time on him and earning Ellyion's father a scold any time the sun god would attempt to strengthen him up. It was only natural that the extra attention would result in some jealously from his older siblings, save for his sister Harmonix who was nearly as doting and caring toward him and their mother.

When Ellyion's powers began to surface, he had a great deal of trouble controlling them. He'd cover the floor in patches of ice just by walking, and he had to be extra careful not to touch his siblings for the risk of him affecting their body temperatures and making them ill. He would purposely avoid them, even Harmonix whom he'd grown the closest to due to her nurturing attitude. It seemed his siblings had all taken to their abilities like they had had them forever, while Ellyion was unwillingly chilling the air around him and freezing objects he'd mistakenly bump into. His seclusion from his siblings and lack of control prompted concern from both his parents, and the moon finally let her protective nature be put aside for the sun to step in.

The training was no walk in the park, especially for Ellyion who was weak in both body and resolve. Over time, however, the motivation his father gave him and the encouragement from his mother helped him take control of his abilities. He was able to interact with his siblings again without the fear of harming them. This newfound relief made it much easier for him to become friends with them, though he still got along best with his Autumn sister.

It wasn't until the accident that Ellyion learned of the place called Earth. The sibling that he called his best friend had suddenly forgotten everything about him but his name. He tried his best to stick by her, but she'd changed into something he couldn't recognize, angry and short-fused and nothing like the dear older sister who would cheer him up whenever he felt unsure. His presence alone, along with that of his siblings, were all it took to set her off and he began to see less and less of his dear friend. Seeing Harmonix in such a state while there was nothing he could do to help her crushed his heart, but it just became natural not to see her for days after a while. It saddened him, and made it difficult for him to focus on his training. He'd lost his motivation and the progress he was making on honing his abilities quickly plummeted.

Though Harmonix was finally retrieved from Earth and had been given a fresh mind, the negative effect of the accident still bothered Ellyion greatly. He'd lost his connection with his Autumn sister, and once again had distanced himself from his older siblings. He wanted to make sure that nothing like that would ever happen to Harmonix, or any of his siblings for that matter, again. The emotional trauma had taken effect on him already, though, and he'd fallen far behind on studying his powers. While he cares deeply for all of his siblings, because of the accident he's still careful with his words when he speaks around them, especially Harmonix. He's decided that he shouldn't be allowed to interact with them like he used to when they were children until he's confident enough that he'll be able to keep them all safe. Along with that, he wants to be as powerful and as influential as his father. Of course, when his siblings started talking of sneaking away to Earth, the very place that caused such harm to their sister, Ellyion didn't hesitate for a second to go with them so he could keep watch over them.

❈Other❈
~ Ryou has a lower body temperature than humans do, and as such is cold to the touch.
~ Ryou can only freeze large amounts of liquid with physical contact. The liquid would have to be the size of a raindrop for him to freeze it without touching it.
~Ryou cannot eat hot food or drink hot liquids, as they make him sick. He has to cool it down before consuming something.


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FC: Isana Yashiro ~ K
Character originally created by LuLuLucid

So begins...

Ryou Orako 2's Story

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kazumi Orako Character Portrait: Natsuo Orako Character Portrait: Azusa Yamanouchi Character Portrait: Ryou Orako 2
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Kazumi's Code-#FF1493
Natsuo's Code-#0000CD


For the first time in Natsuo's life, he was dumbstruck. His smirk quickly turned into an open mouth and it looked like his eyes would pop out of his head. Turn him over her knee? Did she mean to 'spank' him? In all of his years of life, he never been spanked. Oh sure, he'd been punished, but never like that. And this young lady just threaten to do that to him. He didn't know what to think or say. He barely registered her next words before she left him to do her other duties. He stood there for a good two minutes before shaking his head and leaving the grounds.

Shadow flew and landed on his shoulder, being concerned for his master. Natsuo found his smile.

"I am all right Shadow. Never met a human with a tongue so sharp, that's all. I just may check out a few of these other shrines at some other point. This mortal has me intrigue and definitely won't keep me bored. Funny, I never got her name. Will have to remember that next time. Now what shall we do now? There's plenty of time to kill."

~Maybe get something for Harmony? Get into her good graces?~ Shadow suggested.

Even though Natsuo couldn't communicate to all animals like Kazumi could still speak to birds.

"Good idea Shadow. I know where to go too." Natsuo agreed.

Knowing his sister's love of sweets, Natsuo went to a confectionery shop in the Summer section of the city that he came across. Wanting to make it up to Velonix, he ended up getting a big bag of different types of sweets, from chocolate bon bons to the Japanese sweet, wagashi, making the workers of the store's day.

The sun was just going down when Natsuo returned to their place of residence. He saw his sisters' notes and decided to not worry about them. Much like Kazumi, his thoughts went to his brother, Ryou. He hadn't seen him all day. If something was wrong though, Natsuo was sure his brother would contact him. Deciding to let the matter drop for now, Natsuo placed the sweets in the fridge to keep them cool. He would present them to his sister in person when he got the chance. He decided to eat something for now. He only made enough for himself and ate. It was really strange for him to eat by himself and a bit unnerving. Deciding to read up on the local 'religion' he just experienced, Natsuo went to the library of the house. He got so caught up in reading that he lost track of time. It was dark when he came back into the living room and saw Velonix lying on the couch along with her cats. As carefully as he could, he took off her shoes and placed a blanket on top. As he did that, he saw Kazumi come through the door with Eos and Dawn. Natsuo quickly puts a finger to his lips for her stay silent. Kazumi nods and they exit the room into the kitchen where Kazumi placed her flowers in vases.

"She must of had a busy afternoon." whispers Kazumi.

"I just hope she's feeling better. I was reading and just came in here. How are you?" Natsuo asks.

"Better myself. Have you heard from Ryou?"

"Afraid not. I'll text him really quick. Cells phones are actually pretty handing here."

After saying that, he sent a text to Ryou.

~Hey just wondering where you were. You coming here or to your private home. Talk to you soon.~

"Well, I am going to my room. Night, Pheobus." Kazumi says before leaving.

"Night, Aurora."

With that, the two older siblings went to their rooms for the rest of the night.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Reiya Himura Character Portrait: Natsuo Orako Character Portrait: Ryou Orako 2
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#, as written by CutUp
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Ryou's days on earth have been usually rather uneventful. His days he would spend quietly observing humans from afar, watching as they went about their daily lives. To him their lives were infinitely more interesting than his own. Sure, most would argue that being a literal God would be far more interesting than being some ordinary human, but to him the uniqueness of humanity was the most interesting thing in existence. They lived such short lives, but yet they manage to accomplish such amazing feats in such a short time. Art, music, culture, and all of it was so unique just like they were.

For Ryou the best way to spend his time on Earth was by playing his music out on the street, and today was no different for him. For today he was playing his favorite, his acoustic guitar. He would rotate the instrument that he played, between his guitar, harp, and violin. He plucked at the strings, letting out a sort of soft, dreamy folk melody. As people passed by some would drop some change in his guitar case, and others would stop and simply listen. He gave all that dropped money in his case a polite nod. Though it wasn't that he needed their money, or really even wanted it. But it seemed impolite to not accept it.

His eyes were focused on the people passing by, not even paying attention to the strings of his guitar. He often enjoyed making up various stories for them as he wondered what it was they were going to. What were their lives like? So many different people, so many different lives.

After several hours of playing music Ryou decided it was time for a break. "Wow you're really good!" As soon as he stopped he was approached by several people, all looking to praise him for his musical prowess. His normally pale features began to turn slightly pink, praise was not something that he felt he deserved. "Oh no! I-I'm not that good....but...um thank you, but I must be going now." He gave an overly formal bow to his 'fans', and quickly gathered up his things, and left as fast as he could. Once he was away from them he let out a loud sigh. As much as he enjoyed observing humans he had difficulty interacting with them.

After some time of aimlessly walking around he was struck by a sudden wave of intense fear, causing him to stop in his tracks, and drop his guitar case. He felt a sharp pain on his side, causing him to immediately double over in pain. What was happening? Something wasn't right, but it wasn't with him. "Yuo." He muttered to himself. It had to be. He grabbed his guitar, and sniffed the air. He knew her scent down pat, and could track her easily with his incredible sense of smell.

He ran through the streets, stopping periodically to sniff the air. He was in a state of complete panic, something almost never seen from the normally cool, and calm season, which caused him to lose focus, and get distracted by the various smells of the town, and soon he was completely lost. His fear began to overtake him, he stopped in his tracks, paralyzed. His mind raced with various worse case scenarios, as he could only imagine what was happening to her. And yet he was too scared to even move.

'Why am I so useless?'

He clinched his fists tightly, with tears threatening to come out. And then a sudden feeling of ease began to swell up inside him, causing him to relax a little. Ryou let out a relieved sigh. He didn't know how, or why, but he just knew that she was safe for the moment. He inhaled deeply, and exhaled in a rhythmic fashion to calm himself down so he could think clearly, and focus on finding Yuo. Once he regained his composure he managed to catch her scent. "I'm coming Yuo."

Once he regained his focus it was a simple thing to track down Yuo. Her scent led him to a park, and then eventually a veterinary clinic. He let out a relieved sigh, he was sure that she was in good hands now.




Collab between me and Kura Ravengade
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"He who sows~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~”A smooth sea
kindness will reap~'.'~'.'~'.'~never makes
the reward of friendship."~'.'~'.'~'.'~for a skillful sailor."




Jerking her head up, Reiya turned her gaze in the direction of the entrance as the door opened. A snow white head peeked inside, followed by the tall, willowy frame of a boy who looked to be about her age carrying a guitar case. His pretty eyes quickly scanned the room before landing on her and then keying in on the box. In an instant he was across the room and standing directly before her, his much larger frame intimidating.

Reika narrowed her gaze, curling further in on the box, almost as though to protect it from him.

Too close. He's way too close.

A look of alarm crossed the beautiful boy’s features, and he came even more uncomfortably close to her, leaning in so that he could see into the box. His unusually cool breath brushed her cheek, ruffling her messy hair and soothing the lacerations that marred her skin.

“Please, tell me that she is going to be okay.”

Turning her head slightly, she was met with those gold orbs directly before hers. He was so close that their noses bumped, and the proximity caused her breath to hitch. It was hard to not stop breathing when a guy who resembled one of the Grecian Gods stood that close to a girl.

Jesus, had the guy not heard of personal space?

Pulling away slightly, she gripped the box tighter.

“She’ll be fine. She’s just resting right now, no thanks to you,” she snapped, uncharacteristically off-putting. She didn’t know why she was acting so protectively aggressive, but she wasn’t about to let someone she didn’t know just intrude on the small creature that had entrusted her with its life. “She had a deep wound on her side, but I managed to cleanse and mend it just in time to save her. She’ll live, but she’s going to be sore for a while, and it’ll be a bit of a trek along the road to recovery,” she responded, the only reason her doing so stemming from the clear concern on the boys face. No one could fake that type of worry, and she took solace in the fact that he honestly did seem to care about the small creature’s life.

Not that she trusted him, though. She didn’t trust anyone; not anymore.

He let out a relieved sigh, and looked down at his companion “That is a relief. See, I told you that you shouldn't go wandering around by yourself.” Ryou reached out his hand, and gently caressed the side of the mouse’s head. “I was so scared.”

Ryou looked up at the girl with a large, and bright smile across his face. “I am so terribly sorry for troubling you. I am in your debt for the care you've shown Yuo.” Ryou stepped back and gave her a deep bow. “Ah! Where are my manners? My name is Ryou Orako. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Why is he talking like that?

“I must repay you for your kindness
.but...um
..what would be appropriate compensation?” Ryou tapped his index finger on his chin as he wondered how he could repay her for her kindness. “Oh! Please forgive me, I have not asked for thy name! Please tell me your name so I may thank you properly.” He asked with a warm smile, and genuine interest.

Reika sat there for a moment, staring up at him unblinkingly with very little to no emotion on her face. Finally, after what seemed like forever, a crease appeared between her brows.

“You're weird and you talk funny. Why would I tell a creep like you my name?”

”Reika! Don't talk to a guest that way! It's rude!” a young male voice exclaimed. Through a doorway that clearly led to the back of the clinic appeared Dr. Rhynes, a brief look of annoyance flashing across his face. When he turned his gaze on Ryou, he offered him a kind smile. ”You must be the owner of this cute little tyke - and by that I mean the mouse, not the human popcorn sitting in front of you.

“Human popcorn!” Reika stammered, her voice impediment showing her shock and offense. Ryou looked at the man, and then back to the girl with a puzzled look, wondering how she was human popcorn.

Harvey waved her off with an eye roll. ”Reika, I love you to pieces, but sometimes your social skills could really use some improvement. You're like a cat; you bristle whenever something's unfamiliar to you or you feel even remotely insulted.” As if on cue, Reika visibly bristled, her face turning red. Harvey, however, continued on without a halt.

”Don't worry about the medical expenses. As childish and annoying as she seems, the girl in front of you - who, by the way, is Reika Himura - is a pretty good person, and a damn good veterinarian. She already covered the costs and since she was the working surgeon, there was no session fee itself.”

“Hey! Don't just be giving out my name to random strangers! For all you know this guy could be some kind of pervert!” She cried, setting the box on the seat beside her and shooting to her feet. She threw her finger in the boy’s direction, her eyes narrowed. “That's it, isn't it! You're just some kind of creepy pervert and that's why you want my name! So you can stalk me, find out where I live, and sit in my bushes while you watch me change!” She shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself, and looked at him with over exaggerated horror. “You creep!”

Ryou blinked several times, confused at her words. Did he do something wrong? Did he insult her in some way? Humans were so strange. “Apologizes, I have offended you in some way. T’was not my intentions. I merely wished to thank you properly for taking care of Yuo.” Ryou stated with a smile. [color=#46BAF5][b]“So, thank you Miss Himura for the care you've shown Yuo. I am forever in your debt.”

“However, I must insist on compensating you in some way.” Ryou rummaged around in his pocket for a moment, and then pulled out a large wad of bills. “Would this be adequate enough? I can get more if you wish.”

A look of cautiousness entered Reika’s features, her expression showing her distrust in the boy. Turning away from him, she huffed slightly, unnaturally riled. She plucked up the box that contained the mouse that she now knew was named Yuo. Without facing him, she responded.

“I don't need your money. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much.”

Finally, she turned, holding the box out to him. Once he held the box, she crossed her arms, her oversized sleeves dangling around her wrists. Blowing a few bangs out of her eyes, she studied him.

“You said Orako?” she questioned, obviously not budging from her stance. After what seemed like ages, she relaxed her shoulders, letting out a sigh. She rubbed at the bridge of her nose, the events of the day taking their toll on her tired brain.

“You must be one of those new kids that moved to town,” she assumed, using the word kids in a way that came off as slightly condescending, but in actuality wasn't in the least. She puffed out a sigh, holding her hand in his direction. “Like my nice boss over there said, my name's Reika. Reika Himura. And you don't need to pay me for it; I'm well enough off that I don't need any money.” Despite what she said, she very clearly gauged the wad in his hand for a moment, before returning her gaze to his and crossing her arms once more. “If you really want to ‘pay me back’, put that money towards something that needs it. There are an orphanage and an animal shelter that are nearby that could use that money far more than I ever could.”

Reika looked over at Harvey, her eyes suddenly hollow and frightening. An evil glint even flashed in one.

“Oh, Harvey 
” She sang out. The man's eyes widened, and he let out an awkward laugh, scratching at the back of his head.

”Haha, well would you look at the time! I'd better get to 
 Uh 
 Checking on the raccoons!” and with that, he fled to the back of the building, proverbial tail between his legs. Reika sighed once more, returning her attention to Ryou.

“If you ever come here again, don't take anything that nut tries to tell you seriously. He's far too nosy for his own good.” She reached out and grabbed her backpack, releasing a shrill whistle as she did so. Immediately Hope and Clarity perked up from where they were sleeping behind the counter, their ears twitching. She let out another, sharper whistle, and instantly the foxes darted over the counter and up her body, curling around her neck and resting on either one of her shoulders. Stuffing her hands in her pockets, she idly reached up and slipped them each a piece of cracker, to which they devoured almost instantaneously. Reika cast a glance over her shoulder at Ryou, pausing at the door.

“Anyway, it was nice meeting you, Ryou.”

With that, she slipped through the door and out into the chilly air. A brisk breeze wrapped around her, and she found herself hugging her elbows closer to her body, a shiver shuddering throughout her.

Why was it so cold?

Ryou gripped the edges of the box tightly, staring at his injured familiar, who was resting inside. He couldn't help but blame himself. His siblings were all so close to their familiars, at times not even being away from their sides, but yet he always allowed Yuo to roam as she saw fit. Pheobus would have never allowed something like this to happen to his companions.

He took in a deep breath, and exhaled a chilling breeze. Ryou took off his jacket and used it to cover the box, and protect Yuo from the cold air. As he stepped through the door he watched as Reika walked away. He still hadn't been able to give her a proper reward.

“Miss Himura wait!” He called out to her as he came towards her. “Here, please take it.” He placed the wad of bills in her hand. “If you don't want it, then you can give it the orphanage or animal shelter yourself. But I cannot allow your kindness to go unrewarded.”

“Well, I shouldn't take anymore of your time.” Ryou said as he turned around and began to walk away. “It was a pleasure meeting you Miss Himura. I hope that we may meet again...but hopefully on better circumstances. Have a pleasant evening.”

Reika held the money in her hand, an expression that was mixed with both annoyance and confusion crossing her features.

“What a pushy guy,” she muttered, staring at his retreating back. After a few moments, she shoved the money into her bag, stifling a sigh. She cast a curious look to her little foxes. “Why would he want to meet me again, anyway? I was rude towards him, and while I know that it's a defense mechanism of my own creation, he doesn't know that. So why?” She focused her gaze once more on Ryou’s back, who at this point was a small figure in the distance.

She had heard from her friends and cousin that the new family that had moved to town was weird, but something was definitely off about that boy. It wasn't just the way that he spoke (his dialect and accent were definitely ones belonging to that of a foreigner, and yet he spoke flawless Japanese), nor was it the way that he threw around his money so flamboyantly. His gentlemanly air was definitely rare to find in a male, especially a teenager, but that wasn't it either.

No, it was something that she couldn't quite put her finger on; almost a sense or a feeling that he gave her. And no, it wasn't because he was cute, even if that was an undeniable fact. He was also too kind, and what she could only name as stoic in the air that he held about himself.

Good.

Reika narrowed her eyes slightly, tapping her chin in thought. The word definitely suited him. He was good, almost too good, in both his presence and his personality. Was it a front for something far darker hidden beneath him? Or was he genuinely just a good person? Whichever one it was, only one fact rang true.

There was something very off about him.

And she intended to find out what that was.

After parting ways with Reika, Ryou peaked underneath his jacket to check on Yuo. 'Let's get you home. I was so scared that I was going to lose you. If I did I don't know what I would have done." His voice was soft and soothing. ~I'm fine.....a little sore, but I'm fine. I had the situation perfectly under control before she arrived.~ Ryou stifled a chuckle, well at least she was acting like herself. "I never doubted it."

~Filthy mongrel fox, thinking that it could snack on me! The gall!~ Before she could continue they were soon interrupted by the sound of him receiving a text from one of his siblings. Ryou slipped the box underneath his arm, and pulled out his cellphone. It wasn't his favorite way to communicate, but there was no denying the convenience of it, even if he didn't understand half of it's functions.

~Hey just wondering where you were. You coming here or to your private home. Talk to you soon.~

~Sorry, had an emergency. It seems as though a fox tried to make a snack out of Yuo. But don't worry she's fine. She was found by a very nice human who took her to the animal clinic. I will head to my private home. Good night, I will see you tomorrow.~

Once the reply was sent he put his phone back, and headed home. "Let's get you home, and get some rest." He said with a cheerful smile.

~I suppose that would do. That small, and bespectacled human was rather odd. As far as humans go, she wasn't so bad, despite the fleabags that she keeps company with.~

"Yeah, I thought so too. Minus the fleabag part. She was nice, though odd. I wonder if we'll see her again?"

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Velonix Orako Character Portrait: Natsuo Orako Character Portrait: Ryou Orako 2 Character Portrait: Aurora Orako
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”I've spent so long trying to fit in ...
Trying to be someone that I wasn't ...
That I don't even know who I am anymore.
And that scares me more than anything else possibly could.”





”Ha! Look at the giant orange, thinking she can actually climb a tree! Fat oranges are too heavy to climb trees!”

“If you just come down on, we won’t beat you up too hard, you fat, ugly orange!”

“What a silly fat orange! Careful, the tree might break under all of your fatness!”

A string of low snickers spread throughout the boys, who stood down below in a circle around the base of the large oak tree. High above them perched a little girl, who looked no more than seven or eight years old, who clung to the truck of the tree, tears streaming down her rosy cheeks.

“Go away! Leave me alone! My Mama and Papa are going to be really mad at you!” she cried, her voice a slight wail.

More snickers made their ways up to her ears, and one of the boys in particular stepped forward, hands shoved into his pockets. He looked up at her with a dark glint in his eyes, his lips a sneer.

“Why don’t you use your ‘magic powers’ to beat us all up, fatty!” he called, ending on a chortle. The little girl sniffed loudly, more tears streaming down her cheeks, and she curled her fingers into the bark of the tree, looking down at her legs through the stream of warm liquid.

“Stop it! Why are you being so mean to me? I th-th-thought you were my friend!” she sobbed.

The boys lips twisted into an even uglier smile, and he turned towards the group of boys, laughing loudly.

“Hear that guys? She actually thought I was her friend!” After a solid minute or so of laughter, he turned back to face her, the darkness in her aura causing her blood to run cold. “As if I would ever actually want to be friends with a fat, ugly orange like you! You’re even shaped like an orange - fat and round!” Casting a glance over his shoulder at his friends, he jerked his head. “C’mon, let’s throw stuff at her until she has to come down!”

Chatters of agreement rang out, and within moments there was an arch of rocks and tree branches thrown up at the child. A chorus of thwacks echoed off of the tree and the following thud of them making contact with the ground pushed her to grip even more tightly at the trunk. When none of the first wave hit her, the boys rushed to gather their rocks once more, starting the attack anew. She gently pried open her eyes to watch for any rocks that may actually hit her - and at the exact moment that one appeared directly in her line of vision.

She swung her hand quickly in an attempt to block it in some way, not even necessarily with her powers, but just block it, but it was too late.

A splitting pain splintered throughout her head, tracing back to the center of her forehead. Black stars speckled her vision, her fingers slowly lost their grips on the tree trunk, and a second later she felt her body pitch forward and off of the tree. The boys yelled out in a mixture of surprise and alarm, but she very dimly heard it, her half-closed eyes focusing on the ground that was currently flying at her face.





Harmonix shot up, her hand thrown out as though to catch herself, and in the process she threw the blanket on top of her to the side. Mio and Dusk jolted off of her body in surprise, maneuvering easily onto the back of the couch near her head. Her breathing was immensely deep, her chest heaving, and when she placed her hand over her heart, she could feel it thundering powerfully.

Why? Why were the dreams coming more and more frequently?

Casting a glance around the living room, she slowly drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped one arm around it. The hand attached to her other arm pressed against one side of her face as she blinked away what was left of her sleepy state, attempting to gather her wits.

Was it because she had made the decision to come back to Earth?

No. That couldn’t have been it. She had been experiencing them since before she ever even thought of the idea to run away, so to think it was the fault of being on the planet itself wasn’t logical.

Puffing out a breath, she swung her legs over the side of the couch and rose, stretching as she did so and appearing very similar to the animals that followed her everywhere. Once done, she scratched her forearm, making her way out of the room and towards the stairs, her destination very clearly her bedroom. A quick look at the grandfather clock in the hallway told her it was just barely past sunrise, along with the light streaming in through every window that she passed. When she finally reached her room, she quickly crossed it and into her enormous walk-in closet, obviously intent on dressing herself from the coming day.

Her sense of fashion had always been a bit odd, at least by the standards of the current human industry. It was without a doubt that she would be looked at with weird expressions should she wear anything remotely close to what she and her siblings normally wore when living with their parents, but the fact of the matter was that she couldn’t care less. She’d rather wear something that she loved and feel confident, than attempt to fit into society’s standards and wear something dull and uncomfortable. This explained the outfit that she finally decided upon; a beautiful brown and white dressed, embroidered with gold sinews, and adorned with a brown leather pouch that was attached to two straps that attached to the hips of the dress. It was definitely extravagant, and as she tugged it on, she gave herself a soft smile in the mirror.

If she were to look at herself from a human’s perspective, she would look as though she were dressed for one of those conventions that humans dressed so beautifully at, or for their celebrated holiday by the name of ‘Halloween’.

Harmonix couldn’t muster any care for that, though, but instead performed a small twirl in front of her large mirror, the skirt flitting up and around her waist. She blushed slightly, smoothing the material back down and making a mental note to watch out for any stray breezes.

Tying a bow made of matching material into her hair to hold half of it back from her face, she slipped on a pair of brown leather boots that ended at her knees. She gave in and twirled once more, stifling a soft giggle.

You look so pretty, Harmony!

The girl in question turned her gaze downward, beaming at Dusk, who had slipped into the closet to admire her mistress’s outfit choice. Picking her up, Harmony cradled the beautiful cat in her arms, who purred in delight at the affection. It was easy to make her way downstairs while carrying the animal, for she did it often enough to not have to worry about falling.

As she made her way into the kitchen, she paused. The lack of sound throughout the house betrayed the fact that her siblings were still fast asleep. She squinted slightly at the sunlight streaming through the windows and glinting off of the beautiful counters, making her way towards the fridge and allowing Dusk to hop from her arms as she did so.

“Might as well start breakfast, don’t you agree?” she asked, rifling through the fridge and pulling out a horde of ingredients as she did so. By the time that she had finished pulling everything out, there was a vast array of items covering the counter top that she used for all of her ‘prep work’. Harmony snagged one of the many alligator clips that were magnetically attached to the fridge, quickly drew her beautiful locks back into it, and tossed a pretty orange apron over her head, expertly tying it into an intricate bow at her lower back. Immediately she went into motion, her body easily following the rhythmic actions that it had become oh so accustomed to over her years of cooking with her mother.

The saying goes that one should whistle while they work, but in Harmony’s mind, that’s drawing oneself short of their vast capabilities. Why not expand one’s horizons and evolve into the level of singing? Whistling showed restraint, which one should not have when doing anything musically inclined.

Music was freedom.

This was her reasoning for why she shouldn’t be ashamed for her vocalization of My Most Precious Treaure; and besides, her voice was her gift. While her siblings were more physically instrumentally inclined, she was gifted in a more inward way - with her vocal chords. Of course, she knew how to play piano, as did all of her siblings, and she had taught herself guitar, but that was the extent of her playing talents. Ryou was the one skilled in the art of string instruments, and while she adored music, she had learned all that she figured she needed to know instrument-wise in order to flawlessly conduct and write music.

The singing made the time practically fly by. In fact, when she next looked up, while she was setting the table for everyone and had already finished the cooking, an hour had already passed. It was the normal time for anyone in their house to rise, and so she sped up her movements, quickly settling the dishes for each of her siblings in their respective spots.

For Phoebus, she had cooked spicy chorizo sausage with potatoes and eggs in a wrap, ensuring that his food with too spicy for her to consider edibles, and so hot that it would burn the tongue to the touch; however, for Aurora, she had prepared a delicious broccoli, cheddar, and spinach frittata, ever careful not to include any type of meat in her food. For Ellyion she placed a plate with three deviled eggs and two large blueberry crepes with powdered sugar and whipped cream before his seat. And for herself? Dark chocolate waffles with ganache, strawberries, powdered sugar, whipped cream, and twinberry syrup coating it.

Footsteps tapped in the hallway just outside the door, so twirling around, Harmony beamed in the direction of whoever was entering the kitchen, wooden spoon held up in greeting. Flour and powdered sugar was dusted across her apron, and a bit of it had formed a line across her cheek without her knowledge, but even if she knew it was there she wouldn’t care. As always, she was forcing herself not to be bothered by anything - forcing herself to push an outward facade of joy and happiness when around others. It grew tiring, but what was even more exhausting than that was dealing with the worry and pity that came along with showing her true emotions.

Besides, if one forces the appearance of everything being okay, and of being in an elated mood, wouldn’t that just force the facade to become a reality?

She didn’t know for sure, but that was her reasoning.

“Good morning!” she sang out.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Reiya Himura Character Portrait: Ryou Orako 2
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“Every day may not be good,
But there’s something good in every day.





“The dahlias are coming in nicely, don’t you think?”

Two sets of black orbs looked over at the small girl, the expressions in them betraying their disinterest in the topic. Reiya smiled despite their obvious boredom, gently poking at the petals of one of the beautiful purple flowers that were scattered in the front area of her small home. Among them were a variety of others: Dianthuses, Petunias, Dusty Millers, Snapdragons, Sweet Alyssums, Geraniums, and even Pansies dusted her front yard, which despite the tiny house that bore the property, was vast. It was clear that the intention of the property wasn’t for a glorious mansion, but instead for the greenery that surrounded it. It wasn’t like Reiya needed the space, anyway, so she might as well devote it to some beauty instead, and seeing as it had begun to grow cold in the area that her house was located within the past couple of weeks, she had transferred all of her former flowers and plants into pots with soil and placed them in the greenhouse behind her home, and had replaced them with ones more suited from the impending, unnatural weather. Her yard wasn’t limited to just flowers, however; she also had planted a Tulip Poplar tree, which was beginning to sprout, and when she had moved in she had specifically chosen the house for the large and impressively glorious weeping willow tree that adorned the backyard, directly beside the greenhouse. Two cherry blossom trees that were already full grown were placed on either side of the beginning of the path that led to her front door, but due to the inclement weather, they had begun to lose their beautiful flowers, which now dusted the ground below them. A path of turned soil rest on the side of her house that was less traveled on, a cute white fence surrounding it, and sprouting from the brown fertilizer within were onions, peas, cabbage, leeks, garlic, grape vines, and blueberry and strawberry bushes.

Pushing herself up, Reiya brushed the dead grass from her knees, taking note of the dusting of frost across the ground. It wouldn’t be long before the plants began to gather it, too, so she would have to be even more diligent in caring for them, along with ensuring the temperature and heat lamps being at the correct setting within the greenhouse.

Drawing her coat more tightly around her body, she cast a glance at the two foxes, who were currently wrestling one another across the lawn. Smiling softly, she hefted up her backpack and tossed it over her shoulders, letting out a gentle whistle as she did so. They ignored her initially, prompting her to repeat the action twice more, before they finally gave in and made their way begrudgingly over to her feet. It was a process, training the baby foxes, but they were slowly but surely learning. Her original plan had been to rehabilitate the little creatures and then release them once more into the wild to survive, but after further inspection of their bodies and the injuries that they had sustained from before their rescue, the hope for that outcome was quickly crushed. Hope was missing her sense of smell, which would make it difficult to hunt, and Clarity was blind in one eye, which would vastly hinder her abilities to both hunt and navigate, along with protect herself from other, larger predators. Reiya wasn’t about to literally throw them to the wolves, and so she had offered to take them off of Harvey’s hands and raise and rehabilitate them herself. Besides - it had gotten to the point where it would be too difficult for them to be separated from her, due to their immediate bonding, and it would be soul crushing for her, too.

The little ones scrambled up her body and settled into their ever-present positions on her shoulders, pawing at one another behind her head. She chose to ignore them as she walked; they were siblings, after all, and although she had none of her own, she did know that they tended to pick on one another and it was completely natural, no matter the creature.

It didn’t take her very long to reach the orphanage. It was usually her first and final stop of the day; in the morning she would help Mrs. Treist with the task of sorting through the applications of adoptions that were increasing in numbers since her contributions to the building had begun to be noticeable, and her nightly stop included going over any funding or necessary purchases that was required. She helped with that partly because she knew that it was a lot of work, and also because, despite the fact that Mrs. Treist was a sweet old woman, she knew how looks could be deceiving and she wasn’t about to be tricked and stolen from, no matter who it was.

The new security measures that she had implemented were very helpful in both containing the children within the property and keeping any unwanted visitors out. Reiya, of course, had a skeleton key to both the gate and the house, so it was a simple twist of a lock to enter the grounds that belonged to Izanagi Orphanage, so correctly named after the Japanese Goddess of both creation and death. Orphanages were homes for the unwanted children - the ones who were created and whose parents undoubtedly condemned them for their mere existence, and wished death upon them, but yet were lucky enough to avoid the fate of an abortion or murder at their parents hands.

Shaking the dark thoughts from her head, she glanced over the vast garden planted near the entrance to the property. It was enclosed with a better fence than the one that she had at her house. This one had higher walls and required a special key to enter it, so as to keep the children out. It was only a matter of time before she had a greenhouse installed for them to grow their own fruits and other vegetables that couldn’t survive the climate that may be existing at the time, and then the orphanage would no longer require the donations of locals to feed the children.

Things were definitely coming along nicely there, as proven by the construction crew that was already hard at work installing a new, larger playground not too far from the building. A blacktop was also being built and would be home to a basketball court, tetherball pole, and even a tennis court. A baseball diamond was already set up beside the place where the playground was being built, and a large shed that held a vast array of equipment was near the back of the property, locked off from access to anyone who didn’t have the authority to enter it.

She was more than pleased with the renovations, and soon the house itself would be under construction. Currently it held enough bedrooms for the children to sleep in, but there was immense over crowding in comparison to how large the building was. There were many areas of the house that were condemned due to both water and fire damage (the water she understood, but apparently the fire was caused by a child years before and they had never had the funding to fix it), along with mildew infestations and general lack of money to provide proper electricity and heating to those wings. She planned to fix everything and convert the areas into different rooms for the children to explore their interests in. An art room had already been drawn up in the plans, along with a music room, a library, a technology room, and even a gymnasium for when it grew to be too cold to go outside. She planned to expand the bedrooms, also, to allow the children for more privacy in their quarters, her goal being four children to each room as opposed to the eight or more that were squished into each area at the current time. Classrooms weren’t necessary, since the children already attended the public school not too far away, but she did plan to hire tutors to come and assist them in their school work - the tutors being high school students who needed the money in order to attend college.

When Reiya finally pushed open the large doors to the building, she was greeted with the assault of several small, pajama-clad bodies thrown at her, followed by the squeals of joy and a chorus of her name in young, cute voices. She nearly fell under their weight, not being a very large person herself, but somehow managed to hold her ground and instead laugh.

The morning passed in a blur. Four of the six applications that had been submitted since the morning before were approved for a meet and greet between the applicants and the children, the two rejections being towards couples that, after intense background checks, had histories of drugs and alcohol abuse that had continued up until the recent weeks. Phone calls were made, appointments were set up, and before long Reiya found herself heading through the very doors that she felt she had just entered through, this time her direction being the opposite from before. A pair of twins clung to her, one around her leg and the other around her abdomen, fighting with her departure.

After about ten minutes of prying at their vise-like grips, Reiya managed to free herself with promises of treats when she returned that night. The girls giggled and took off to play with each other somewhere else, and that was when Reiya took her chance to escape, practically fleeing down the sidewalk and through the gates, Hope and Clarity on her shoulders.

A quick look at her watch told her she had about an hour still before she was needed at the clinic. Surprisingly, she had forgotten a book at her house that she needed to finish reading before the week’s end, so she decided to take the time to leisurely return home and fetch it. In fact, she veered off of her normal route, ignoring the movements of confusion from the twin foxes perched on top of her.

As she walked, she allowed herself to take in the beauty of her surroundings. She lived on the outskirts of Akita, yet very near not only the orphanage but also the clinic and the animal shelter. It was a lucky spot that she had found when she first moved to the town, and she prided herself on her ability to find a convenient place to live. Plus, it was out of the way and didn’t see much traffic, much to her pleasure. She wasn’t a very big people person; they made her far too nervous for comfort.

Her steps faltered. Off to her left stood a small cabin that she hadn’t seen before, which wasn’t a huge surprise; she had never taken this route home before, seeing as it was a large circle. In truth, she would only around the corner from her own house at this point, but since she never had the need to walk this way, she had yet to. The cabin was a deep brown and adorned with an evergreen colored trim, and two orangish wooden chairs rest on the small porch that extended from it. A large oak tree stood before it, massive and glorious in its full presence, and for a moment Reiya felt herself drawn to the small dwelling. It had a warm, home-like appeal to it, and something tugged in her chest and deep within her. It was a feeling that she hadn’t felt for a very long time, and she found herself confused at the sudden longing for the sense of belonging that the home gave her.

At that precise moment, a cold wetness came into contact with her cheek, and another her glasses. Turning her face up towards the sky, she saw a mass of snow beginning to fall. The sky had become clouded during her walk and she hadn’t noticed due to her absorption in her surroundings, and it was very clear that a snow flurry was going to appear soon. After a few moments of soaking in what was happening, she felt the corners of her lips turn up. While Germany obviously received snow, it seemed somehow different in Japan, halfway across the world. It wasn’t different, of course, but that didn’t change the fact that it felt that way. A soft laugh of glee escaped her, and she held her hands up, level with her chest and palms facing the sky. Her eyes fell closed and she inhaled deeply, simply lavishing in the cold wetness that was so familiar to her.

Memories of when she was little flew across her closed lids. Images of her making snowmen with her grandfather in the front yard of their mansion were present, along with visuals of intense snowball fights with her father. Running up large hills with a sled and her mother, with the following of them sliding down said hill slipped into her brain, and the following sight of her grandmother making her delicious hot chocolate to sip with her by the fire was the breaking point. When Reiya opened her eyes next, the action freed the tears that had begun to well up behind her lids, and they trailed down her cherub cheeks in streaks, hot in contrast with the chilly air that had previously assaulted her skin.

Why was she crying now? True, it was the first snowfall that she had experienced in Japan, so far away from home; up until that day, she had always returned to Germany to run the family business during the winter months, but she had always somehow retained her composure even there. Was it because she was so far away from the home that she had once known?

Rubbing aggressively at her eyes and cheeks with the sleeves of her coat, she felt a fresh wave of the warm liquid assault her eyes and blur her vision.

Why was she crying now? She hadn’t cried since the initial moment of her awakening from the coma that the accident had put her in, so why now, four long years later?

The sudden immense grief that assaulted her chest nearly brought her to her knees, causing her to stumble to the side of the sidewalk and drop down to her bottom. She drew her legs to her chest, wrapping both arms around her knees, and she squeezed them tightly against her, very dimly aware of Hope and Clarity pawing at her sides.

“Why 
 Why did you all have to leave me?” she whispered to herself, her voice cracking a bit. “W-Why did you think 
 That I was strong enough t-to survive this on my own,” she mumbled to herself, her fingers curling in her stockings. They were soaked in the area covering her knees, soaked with her warm tears that were quickly coaling on the material. Tilting her head up slowly, she fixated her broken gaze on the sky, swallowing down a sob.

“It isn’t fair,” she managed to choke out, biting down hard on her trembling lower lip. “I-I can’t 
 I can’t believe that a-a God exists 
 That is malevolent enough t-to steal the only people that have ever m-mattered to me!” she cried, her fingers curling into fists. “I’ve done nothing 
 But try t-to be a good person 
 And this 
 This is how the universe treats me in return 
” Shaking her head, she let out a dry laugh that was completely devoid of any and all humor. “It must be some sort of sick, cruel joke,” she ended on a whisper, once more dropping her forehead to her knees, fresh tears leaking out of her eyes.

“Just a sick, cruel joke 
 Jokes on me, I guess 
 Hah 
 I-It’s so funny, too 
”

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Reiya Himura Character Portrait: Ryou Orako 2
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Ryou's eyes slowly opened as rays of sunlight hit his face. He stretched his arms out as he sat up in his bed. As he got out of bed he made his way over to Yuo's 'castle', a large cardboard structure that took up most of a coffee table that it sat on. Next to it was a plastic exercise wheel, and a wide variety of various toys, and tunnels for her to play with. She was rather spoiled. He peeked into the top of her castle, where her nest of tissues, straw, and pillow stuffing was hidden. She was inside, still resting.

A small smile crossed his face as he watched her sleep. He didn't get much rest during the night, getting up and down to check on her, worrying himself to death over her. Despite her protests that she was fine, he just couldn't help it. He looked over at his refrigerator, internally debating whether he should go ahead and fix himself some breakfast, or wait until he meets up with his siblings. He was sure Harmonix had breakfast already prepared for him, and the others. He finally shrugged his shoulders, well it would be rude not to eat whatever it was Harmonix most likely cooked for him.

"Yuo, time to wake up. Let's go to the others for some breakfast." Ryou called out after he threw on his clothes. The white mouse slowly peeked her head out of the top of her castle, almost glaring at him for waking her up. ~Ugh, why do I have to go? I'm tired. Far too tired to deal with those disgusting felines of your sister, and those despicable feathered fiends of your brother!~ "Come now! They've never once harmed you! Besides, I'm not leaving you alone while you're still recovering. And that's that."

~Hmm, look at you being all assertive. How unlike you. Very well, but know that I do so under protest.~

Ryou grabbed an empty box, and placed a pillow inside to carry Yuo. While normally he would simply carry her around in his pocket, but with her injuries he was afraid that it would be too uncomfortable for her. As he prepared it for her a familiar scent crossed his nostrils. 'Vanilla? Where have I smelled this before?' He looked out of his window, and saw the most peculiar of sights, Miss Himura curled up on the ground. And was she crying?

Ryou put down the box, and went outside, slowly approaching her. “I-I can’t 
 I can’t believe that a-a God exists 
 That is malevolent enough t-to steal the only people that have ever m-mattered to me!” she cried, her fingers curling into fists. “I’ve done nothing 
 But try t-to be a good person 
 And this 
 This is how the universe treats me in return 
” Shaking her head, she let out a dry laugh that was completely devoid of any and all humor. “It must be some sort of sick, cruel joke,” she ended on a whisper, once more dropping her forehead to her knees, fresh tears leaking out of her eyes.

“Just a sick, cruel joke 
 Jokes on me, I guess 
 Hah 
 I-It’s so funny, too 
” "I don't think it's funny at all." He said as he approached her. "I...I too know what it's like to lose someone you care about. To lose someone that makes you feel like you belong." He said, while he may have gotten Harmonix back, it still doesn't replace the pain that he felt when she left. "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?"

"It's easy to think of pain and hurt as something bad, and that shouldn't exist, but where would mankind be without pain?" He looked up at the sky, watching as the snow began to float down to the ground. "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."

Ryou looked down at Reiya, and extended his hand to help her up. "Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. You should get off the ground, you may catch a cold." He said with a large smile on his face. "This is my home, would you like to come inside for something to eat or drink Miss Himura?"

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Velonix Orako Character Portrait: Reiya Himura Character Portrait: Natsuo Orako Character Portrait: Ryou Orako 2 Character Portrait: Aurora Orako
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”One day or day one. You decide.”



Velonix felt tears well up in her large eyes as her sister placed the pretty flowers around her neck. Biting her lower lip in an effort to keep it from trembling, she threw her arms around the other girl in a tight embrace. "I love it," she said quietly. It was clear that Aurora was trying to make her feel better, but instead of the action being irritating, it made her spirits lift a bit.

She took a step back, her hand swiping at her wet eyes, and fixated a more genuine smile on Phoebus as he entered the room. A nod of understanding in response, she made quick work of wrapping his food and placing it in the microwave to be reheated later. She also boxed up Ellyion's food, taking special care with the cute white laced bow that she wrapped around the box.

When she stepped away from the counter, a package of sweets were thrust near her face, catching her slightly off guard. She smiled, however, through the surprise and accepted the goodies, going on her toes to peck Phoebus lightly on his warm cheek.

"I cannot wait to eat them! I'll take them with me to work and share them with Mr. Zwemmer!" she exclaimed excitedly, accepting the peace offering with glee. Slipping the package into her bag, she quickly boxed up her own breakfast, having only just noticed the time. "Speaking of, I really need to get going to work. Don't worry about dropping off Lio's food - his little home isn't too far from the bookstore, so I can do it!" She slipped the cute little blue and white box into her bag atop the package of sweets given to her by her elder brother. The two boxes rested beside her large book with its matching ink bottle and quill alongside it. Her wallet lay atop that, alongside some music sheets that she planned to transpose from their current Bb Clarinet status and instead into their Eb Clarinet counterpart. Working at a bookstore was fun, but definitely not eventful. It was a fairly busy shop, due to it being only one of two bookstores in the entire town, but it really didn't see a lot of outstanding action.

With that, she lifted her apron above her head, dropped it onto its peg beside the door, tugged on a gray colored sweater and then flattened it out over her skirt. With a quick wave over her shoulder and a mental word with Dusk and Mio, who scampered down the stairs to meet her, she took off out of the kitchen, quickly slipped her brown boots onto her tiny feet, and was out the door in a matter of moments. As she walked outside, she drew on her ever present brown leather gloves, enjoying the warmth of the sun shining above her. Instead of taking her flashy - she cringed at the thought - car into work with her, she opted to walk, having planned out enough time for her to walk to Lio's private home and then to her work with a leisurely pace in between.

Her movements faltered a bit, however, as she passed by a specific diner that she had been at the night before. As she proceeded by the windows, she couldn’t help her straying gaze. It looked through them, ignoring the slight glare that the morning sunlight made on the panes, and almost instantly locked in on the orange mess of hair that belonged to a certain busboy who was employed there. His back was to her, so she took a moment to pause and look in at him. Dusk and Mio propped themselves up on the outside ledge of the windows, craning their heads to look at Takeo too, obviously curious as to what had gotten their mistress so distracted.

Despite the distance and the separation of windows between them, Velonix was able to make out the slight outlines of muscles underneath his shirt. Her siblings and herself all had enhanced physical abilities, of course - their strength and speed were above that of a human’s, and their stamina and agility were on par with those. Their hearing, sight, taste, smell, and sense of touch were above that of a human’s, also, although her brothers definitely surpassed her by far in her sight and sense of smell, and if her own were phenomenal, she could only imagine how incredible her brother’s were.

She would definitely be lying if she said that the sight of his lined muscles - he had a leaner physique, giving his muscles more definition - didn’t stir something deep inside of her. The sensation of her cheeks growing warm caused her to slap her free hand over one, her eyes growing wide as her breathing hitched slightly. His aura was a perfect match, with its mesmerizing swirls of blue, orange, brown, red, and black. It was one of the most colorful of auras that she had ever seen attached to a single human being, and it had caught her eye instantly. She may be a goddess, but she was far from blind, and to her, the young man standing a mere fifteen feet away was extremely, extremely attractive, in both appearance and aura.

Takeo moved slightly, his motions that of someone lifting an object, and when he turned he was holding a tub filled with dirty dishes, his attention focused over his shoulder as he shouted something indiscernible undoubtedly to Ruri or Yousuke. In that moment, it was almost as though time froze for her. Her heart stopped in her chest and her breath went with it. He looked so ungodly familiar that it almost hurt, and she felt a feeling in her chest that she couldn’t quite place a name on. Was it longing? She couldn’t ever remember feeling the emotion, but it was something that seemed familiar, almost as though she had felt it before, even though she knew that her parents had ensured that she had never wanted for anything growing up.

When she looked up from where her gaze was focused on the center of his abdomen, it was to meet his intensely focused hazel eyes. The darkness in them caused a small well of anxiety to twirl in her stomach, and she quickly looked away. After standing there for a moment longer, she bit her lower lip, fighting off the well of tears that threatened to overflow, and turned away.

Writer’s Note: This post ends rather abruptly and awkwardly because it will be continued in the next post, which will be a slight collaboration between Cutup and myself involving the characters Reiya, Ryou, and Velonix.

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Character Portrait: Velonix Orako Character Portrait: Reiya Himura Character Portrait: Ryou Orako 2
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"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.