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What's love got to do with it? » Places

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Rillia

12 posts · 3 characters present · last post 2014-06-05 04:41:38 »

         
Akari

His reactions to what she did to him were expected, but it still gave her a few jolts. She coughed lightly, watching his facial features twist into resentment. “Why, you ask? This is why! I knew you would make a fuss, and this is not worth worrying about.” Akari let out an exasperated sigh, followed by a tired eye rub. “Fine, sleep on the floor if you want. The bed will be empty in that case, because I am fine with my current sleeping arrangements. You will not win this one, so just stay on the bed.” So much for not fighting over it. Akari crossed her arms, staring him down for a few moments and sizing him up.

Suddenly, a devious idea popped into her head, which she honestly considered acting upon, but soon decided against it. With a roll of her eyes, she leaned further a bit more before speaking. “I would happily sleep in a tree for all I care, especially since there’s more than one of them, but honestly, you underestimate my prowess. And what exhaustion does to me.” She gracefully turned away from him and crawled to the head of the bed. “Fine, sleep on the floor for all I care.” And with that, she put the matter to rest. As soon as he thought he was good and was beginning to settle down, Akari picked up one of the pillows and chucked it right at his head. Now, she of course took into consideration his reflexes, so as soon as that one came sailing, the other was tailing right after it. One of them was bound to hit, and she simply laid down with an uninterested smirk.

She quickly gave into the screaming of her aching muscles, relaxing and closing her eyes. Sleep came quickly for her.



Ikaru

To Ikaru’s relief, Akari did not continue arguing, but instead gave in and crawled into bed. She really did seem tired. An odd sense of indignation welled up in him. He could not believe that none of the people he had spoken to over the course of the past couple days knew anything about them or about Rillia. It was frustrating to be treated like a commoner, but he could get by. Nevertheless, if he could help it, he wanted to spare Akari from having to work herself this hard. This was purely because it was not proper for a woman of her station, of course. He denied that it could be anything else because his feelings embarrassed him. Why they embarrassed him, he could not say.

Realizing he was still standing awkwardly with his back against the wall, Ikaru quickly cleared his throat and adjusted his shirt, sweeping his eyes across the opposite side of the room in order to compose himself. He proceeded to get ready for bed, and soon adjusted his blankets and began to settle down. Somewhat uncomfortable with the silence that usually came after an argument, he opened his mouth to say a quick ‘goodnight.’

As he turned to look toward Akari, however, a tossed pillow interrupted his words. He clumsily batted it away from his face, but before he had a chance to say anything more, Akari threw another. This time, he was unable to dodge, and the pillow hit him flat on the face with a dull thump. It rested there for a moment, molded to the contours of his face, before falling to the ground.
Words bubbled up in Ikaru’s mind, arguments, scoldings and the like, but he realized Akari was no longer paying attention. Instead, he removed his glasses and settled down, murmuring only one word. “Childish.”

He rolled over and made himself mostly comfortable, though comfortable was not quite the right word for what he felt. However, his stubbornness made it impossible for him to admit he even wanted to sleep on the bed. He would not complain. He soon drifted into a fitful sleep, often shifting in a futile attempt to find a better position.


Akari

As Akari awoke, her muscles whined out at her, begging her to go back to sleep and rebuke the need to work for food. She shivered even under her blankets; did someone leave the window open last night? She cracked one eye open, and then the other and focused up at the window. A bit of frost lined the panes, and she pulled the blankets closer to her body. But she knew it was futile. She had to get up and get to work. It wasn’t that she thought work was below her, far be it, but working under Ulna was positively madness. With a soft inhale, she shifted on the bed, propping herself up into a sitting position, and the cold invaded the now revealed flank of her body. She took a few moments to think, and she suddenly had an idea.

Akari peered over the side of the bed to look down at Ikaru, and found him to still be more or less asleep. “Ikaru,” She spoke out, waiting a few moments before trying again. “Ikaru!” A bit more forcefully this time, and she watched as he stirred. “We should move on to the next town.”



Ikaru

Within what seemed only a few moments, Ikaru found himself slowly waking. The night had hardly been restful, but it was at least somewhat better than the last night had been. He lay on the floor, half awake but not ready to open his eyes yet. Thoughts of what they would do filled his mind. What should their next step be? He felt as though they were no closer to getting back home than they were when still the bandit’s captives.

Of course, that was a foolish thought. They were free and able to go where they wanted. They were no longer being dragged around, bound, gagged, and helpless. They even had some money now because of the Lenmer. However, they still had no idea where home was, or even if they were still in Rillia, and no one seemed willing or able to help. They would have to do it completely on their own. The thought was discouraging, but Ikaru quickly diverted his mind with thoughts of home, of his family. He wondered what his parent thought of Akari’s and his disappearance. Would they be anxious about what had happened, or would they just be disappointed that they missed an easy opportunity to pay off their debts?

He shied away from this thought as well, instead thinking about his brothers. They would probably laugh at him if they knew where he was now. Not in any real danger, but lost with Akari in tow. Out of all of them, he had the worst sense of direction, and it was a constant source of amusement for his siblings. What were they thinking now?

He had not realized he had fallen back asleep until he heard a woman’s voice calling his name. He awoke slowly, thoroughly confused and not quite sure where he was. He reluctantly opened his eyes and tried to find the source of the disruption to his sleep. Finally, he found Akari’s face, and his half awake mind suddenly understood where he was. Where they both were. They were hundreds of miles from home, or maybe even more.

“What is it?” He mumbled in response to Akari calling his name. “We should move on to the next town.” He was puzzled for a moment, not quite absorbing what Akari said. A moment later, his tired brain grasped the implications. He sat up suddenly, wincing and gasping softly as his ribs gave a sharp ache. He ignored the throbbing of his ribs and turned to look at her. “Why?” he said, pausing a moment before realizing how juvenile his question sounded. “I mean, what is the hurry? Why now?” He shifted to a more comfortable position as he waited for her response.


Akari


She gazed down at him patiently, though her fingers spoke otherwise as they tapped along the end of the mattress. With his sudden display of discomfort, her fingers paused and her gaze was focused on him completely for a few moments before her thoughts shifted gears to other things.

“I mean, what is the hurry? Why now?” She gave him a dry look before answering his question, “Well, for one, I think I’ve had enough of these ‘worldly experiences’ and ‘close blows with the devil’ downstairs. Ulna’s working me down to the bones and having been dragged around and running for so long, I don’t know how well my body’s going to take that after a long period of time. Besides, she’d be glad to have us out of her hair. Plus the fact that you’re just wandering around while I’m pulling all the weight over here~” She leaned down on the mattress, holding her head up with her fists as her elbows rested on the bed, all the while flashing him a somewhat annoyed look though her last sentence had been more teasing than irritation. “There’s not much left this town can offer us in all honesty, and we have no idea where we are anyway, and no one here seems willing to help us with our little problem.”

Akari was soon up off of her sleeping space and padding over to the side room to get dressed. She spoke as she changed, “It’s boring here, we’ve seen pretty much everything, and the lodgings here aren’t all that great, and the people don’t seem too friendly at all. We should just keep moving.”



Ikaru

Akari gave Ikaru a scathing look, as if he had asked a stupid question. He returned her look with a short, irritated glance of his own before turning his attention to folding his blankets and starting to get ready for the day as she talked. He chuckled silently as she described her “close blows with the devil.” He still felt guilty that she had needed to work, but now, if he managed the money he had earned, this would be the only time she would need too. So far, she was successfully making him guilty though.

When Akari insinuated that, while she had been working, he had done nothing at all. He put his glasses on and turned to scowl at her, pushing his glasses up his nose. She responded to his irritated glance with one of her own, though he was pretty sure she wasn't serious. He realized he had not informed her of his doings yesterday, but her implication was insulting none the less, she padded off to the side room to change, and he debate how best to reveal just how profitable his “aimless wandering” had been the previous day.

With a smirk, only half listening as Akari continued her explanation, Ikaru retrieved the money pouch from the drawer that held his clothes. As soon as Akari walked out of the side room, Ikaru spoke. “Well, if you want to run from your boredom that badly, at least this will assist us on our way.” He held the bulging purse out so she could see and tossed the bag of coins, the contents jingling in a highly satisfying way as the sack flew through the air.


Akari

Akari yawned just slightly, enjoying the slight stretch of her muscles as she did so. She was just waiting for his blow up after her very well pointed, if she did say so herself, reasoning. She was just slipping her arm into her sleeve when one of her fingers got caught in a loose thread. So distracted was she that she didn't even realize that Ikaru was talking to her. Still trying to get her arm through, Akari walked out of the room when suddenly something slammed right into her face. Her vision sparked and blacked as she stumbled backwards against the wall and the offending item fell heavily down to the floor with a loud clatter and jingle.

Akari’s face was hidden by her bangs and her hand for a moment as she hissed out a loud breath of air. She remained where she was for quite a little while, pressing into the flesh around her eye and trying to fight back natural tears at the invasion of a fragile area.

Gods did it sting like a ravenous bee. Her immediate reaction was to remain quiet and try to escape the area, but instead she remained where she was, though broken pride did linger in her mind. There really was no option, humility was the choice in any outcome.



Ikaru

As soon as his fingers let go of the bag, Ikaru regretted deciding to toss it in the first place. His hand shot out uselessly, already far too late to make a difference. Akari had not even been paying attention, of course. He hoped by some chance she would notice and catch the coin purse, but it never happened. Ikaru gave a wince as the bag hit her directly in the face. He felt a strange desire to rush over and make sure she was all right, but he quickly repressed it. Instead, he covered his face with his hand, unsure of what reaction Akari would give. She almost looked ready to run at first, but seemed to steel herself to stay where she was.

Though initially, Ikaru only felt concern, he very quickly became irritated, though more at himself than anything else. Nevertheless, he did not handle his irritation very well. “Are you hurt?” he said, scanning her face for a moment. He soon continued, “I should have expected you wouldn’t be able to catch it.Of course not.” His irritation showed plainly in his voice. He pushed his glasses up his nose, half covering his mouth as he muttered, “Uncoordinated country bumpkin.” He sat back on the bed, turning his face away from her and internally calling himself stupid.


Akari

“Are you hurt?” Akari remained completely silent, still trying to get the ache down before answering him. However, she didn’t get the chance before he opened that bloody mouth of his again. ”I should have expected you wouldn’t be able to catch it. Of course not.” Anger flared up within her, and the hand that rested against the wall clenched threateningly into a fist. But his final comment was the last straw.

Gritting her teeth, Akari rose up from her position and dropped her hand from her eye to reveal that the skin had already bruised around it. She was done dealing with this buffoon, she probably should have ditched him every chance she had gotten, left him in the dust. He wasn’t very good for anything anyway. Heck, forget the money that they had made, she would work every day for the rest of her life if it meant not having to deal with him all day. Her nostrils flared slightly in her anger, and she then made a very forced response. “I’m fine.” Getting up from her spot she then forced a grin. “Guess that’s how nobles make their money. Doing nothing all day and coming up with a bag of cash.” A sour smirk splayed onto her lips for a wisp of a moment before she grabbed her cloak and practically wrenched the doorknob from its place in the door as she opened it and left the room without another word.



Ikaru

Ikaru gave an exasperated sigh at Akari’s tone. He could not understand why she was so overly dramatic. However, as she lifted her hand, revealing the already blackening bruise underneath, Ikaru’s scowl only grew. ‘I’m a complete imbecile,’ he thought, but he could not force himself to apologize. It was her fault for not listening in the first place. Her tone was full of venom, which only made Ikaru angrier. It was a mere accident; she did not have to act so worked up. Ikaru stood, facing her once more.

“I most certainly worked for—“ Ikaru started, but Akari was already at the door and she flung it open violently. It hit the wall so hard that Ikaru wondered how it did not break. Then, she was gone. Ikaru sat back on the bed, fairly seething with anger. His only compulsion was to throw something, or everything, to blow off steam. Nevertheless, with great effort, he was able to keep himself still. He held the anger for one, all-consuming moment, then turned his mind firmly from the argument to the grain of the wood at his feet. As he let out a long breath, the anger slowly melted away. He continued to breathe until he could convincingly reassume his mask of cocky indifference.

Ikaru had always had a bit of a temper, but he quickly learned at a young age that destroying things made the situation worse. His father had a temper of his own, and had far worse punishments than just slapping Ikaru, and his point always came across. Thus, Ikaru had learned to smother his anger and act in a way that would please his father, but he always looked for a way to express his true feelings. However, that often backfired as well, as with this situation.

Finally fully calm, both on the outside and the inside, Ikaru gave a heavy sigh and smoothed his hair back, half-heartedly adjusting his glasses. He slowly slipped off the bed and plucked the coin purse from where it had fallen on the floor, bouncing it in his palm and feeling its true weigh. He had not thought it so heavy before, but now he realized what a fool he had been. He set it on the dresser and retrieved his clothes, hastily dressing for the day. He attached the purse to his belt before grabbing his cloak and heading out of the room, gently closing the door behind him. He did not want to leave the money in the room. Though he trusted Ulna, to a point, there was no telling who else may be able to go into the room.

With that, he descended, intending to find Akari and perhaps make amends, maybe even get an apology from her, though he doubted it. Before he took two steps across the dining area, Ulna was upon him. Though the woman could barely reach his chest, her pure fury still made him feel small. “You no good, heartless, lack witted ingrate! If I had my way, you would be seeing the sheriff, you lousy son of a jackal! I should skin you and whip you out of town meself, and don’t you think I wouldn’t! I knew som’thin’ was wrong with ya the first time I laid eyes on ya, and now I was proven right!”

The screeching innkeeper punctuated every statement with a sharp jab to Ikaru’s sore ribs, which made him wince and nearly brought tears to his eyes. He felt his anger rising but quickly quelled it, already tired of arguing that morning. Though he waited for her to run out of steam, she continued hurling insults, telling him what he should do with his worthless self and how he should get there in a profoundly colorful way. He almost worked up an admiration for the creativity of her insults. It only took him a few moments to realize what it was she was so upset about. Realizing she was not going to slow down any time soon, he decided he had better try diplomacy or risk having the whole town in the inn to watch him be berated by the insufferable woman. He held up his hands, a look of surprise still on his face. “Whoa, whoa, let me explain. Please, goodwoman, just a moment. If you do not like what I have to say, then you can kick me out.” About midway through his speaking, she finally began to quiet, her face still dark as a thundercloud as she crossed her arms.

“Well, speak then,” she said, still sounding entirely furious.

Ikaru’s eyes quickly glanced over the generous crowd that had already gathered before he quickly started, “I was trying to show Akari what I earned from the Lenmer, and tossed my coin purse to her, but she wasn’t paying attention. I called her uncoordinated, and she left angry. That was all.” Before he had completed his first sentence, he thought Ulna would interrupt and call him a liar. However, her eyes finally softened, just slightly, and she seemed grudgingly to accept his explanation, at least for the moment. However, the next moment, her eyes lit up with greed. Ikaru wanted to kick himself for mentioning the coin purse at all, but he did not know how he could have explained otherwise.

She began, “Earnings, eh? I suppose that means you’ll be payin’ for—“

He cut her off, “We will be leaving today, if possible, so there should be nothing unpaid for since Akari worked for you, as agreed. Is that not correct?” His tone, for once, did not seem insulting as he played the role of a reasonable diplomat. Ulna glared for a moment, before one of the ever-helpful customers called out, “Ach, give ‘im a break. Ya did agree, after all.”

Finaly, Ulna gave a curt nod, dismissing Ikaru with an irritated shake of her hand. Ikaru let out a short breath and pushed through the already diminishing crowd. He ducked though the doorway and into the already bright morning sun, eyeing the small layer of snow and a rim of threatening, dark clouds to the north. He set his shoulders and determinedly went to find Akari.


Akari


As Akari had passed by the front desk on her way out, she had been stopped by Ulna, who began to question the markings around her eye. She didn’t really give the woman much of an answer, really just wanting to get out on her own to do some thinking. Akari simply said Ikaru’s name before quickly walking out of the inn. She really hadn’t thought about the consequences of her actions in telling Ulna so little, but then again she hardly cared.

Stepping out into the chilly morning sent thick shivers down her spine, and she pulled her cloak closer around herself. A layer of snow blanketed the ground with footprints littered everywhere. The sky did not bode well either, as dark grey crept closer and closer into the cloud cover. She brought her hands to her lips and blew on them lightly for warmth, and then Akari stepped out into the cold, quickly settling her stride into that of another’s footprints.

She walked for quite some time, passing by many questioning looks. If she had a hat or mask or something, she would have covered her face up immediately, but she did not have such pleasures. She glanced down at her feet, pursing her lips together until they were just a thin line. She’d probably overreacted just a bit. But it was just so hard dealing with Ikaru. He was an insolent jerk, and everything that came out of his mouth was offensive and it just pissed her off. But she honestly couldn’t have made it this far and so well off without him, though she probably could have fended for herself in any case. She grumbled to herself, frowning lightly and continuing to trudge through the light layer of snow. She mostly kept her head down, finally getting tired of all the stares she received from onlookers.

She just had to find a sign or something to determine where she’d head off to next. And if Ikaru showed up as he so often did- he was like a parasite or an annoying insect- she’d deal with his company for awhile longer.



Ikaru

Ikaru glanced nervously up and down the crude street. An icy breeze ruffled his cloak and made him shiver slightly. The clouds did not seem to be moving fast, but they would probably be there by nightfall. Ikaru asked a woman nearby if she had seen Akari, but she merely made a disapproving noise at him and walked away. Ikaru looked around and spotted a young boy and girl selling dinner rolls from a wicker basket. He approached and asked them if they had seen a young woman with brown hair pass by. The little boy looked at him wide eyed for a moment while his sister hid behind him. Soon, the boy gave a hesitant nod. “Which way did she go?” Ikaru asked with what he hoped was a reassuring smile, and the boy pointed down the street. Ikaru gave him a coin and the boy reflexively handed him a couple rolls before Ikaru hurried off after Akari.

Ikaru scanned the crude buildings on either side of the street, wondering if she might have entered one of them. He entered a couple of the shops, checking for any sign of Akari and asking the shopkeepers if they had seen her. Most merely shook their heads while others did not have the time to speak before he left. Ikaru soon became rather frustrated. Why were women so touchy anyways? Finally, he came to the end of the main street of the town, if it could be called a street at all. Though there were several tracks and cart ruts on the road into town, Ikaru noticed a solitary set of foot prints branching off through the snow and toward a small copse of trees to the west. He set off at a jog, unsure if Akari would stop or not. She had a considerable head start, and he knew he needed to close that distance or risk having to stay in the town another night.

He continued following the footsteps across the field, suddenly panicking as he imagined what could happen to her out in this crazy wilderness all alone. He had to find her. He increased his pace, his breath coming harder now as he breathed in the quickly cooling air. Ikaru thought he saw a shape in the distance and called out a questioning, “Akari?” . Suddenly, there was a large dip in the ground and Ikaru fell face first into the shallow snow. He winced as his ribs were jarred, but that was not as bad as the injury to his pride. As he lay there a second, he could already feel his cheeks flaming with embarrassment. Hoping Akari had not seen, he jumped up, hastily brushed himself off, and continued at a more reasonable pace, paying closer attention to his footing. He thought he had seen Akari go into the forest, but he could no longer make her out, he increased his pace. He soon reached the trees and stumbled into the sudden darkness, calling out again, "Akari?" Suddenly, coming around aa tree, he realize she was right there. He realized he could not stop on the slick ground and crashed into her with a solid thud.


Akari


Akari had succeeded in her search for directions, though not in the way she had planned. Instead of finding a map or a sign, she had asked for the route to the next town. It was a couple of miles to the northwest, and if she wanted to get there before things got bad, she’d have to move at a quick pace. So she had set out immediately with pretty much nothing to her name. Just the clothes on her back and the cloak and gloves on her person. She had split off the main roads in the town and started off in the suggested direction, taking a shortcut through the trees to get to a better patch of travelled ground.

Within the shade of the trees, the air grew sharper in chill and the darker atmosphere didn’t do much to help either. She made her way silently through the snow, the only sound being the crunching beneath her feet and the sound of the light wind that wrapped through the firs and other trees scattered in the forest.

As she walked, she made a sudden pause as she thought she heard something in the distance. She turned her head questioningly, but she couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. She blinked a few times before turning back around and dismissing the noise as the wind or something of the likes. Akari glanced up at the sky through the tree cover, her breath fogging before her to suggest the dropping temperature. It wasn’t too bad, and if the sun could actually manage to peak out through the dense cloud, it might even warm up around noon. Akari slowed her pace once more though, and she pulled her cloak close to herself once more. Maybe this was a bad idea. As much as Ikaru was annoying, it was better than travelling all alone. Besides, he probably wouldn’t be able to survive without her. She smirked at that thought, but blinked a few times. She had come this far, maybe she should just turn back.

Akari came rather quickly to the conclusion that she would just continue on her way to see where the path led, and then come back and get Ikaru if she could convince herself to.

She made a subtle turn in her direction, heading once more on the imaginary trail she had set up before herself. ’I wonder if Jenk came this way.’ At the thought of the boy, her cheeks reddened slightly more than they already were from the cold, and she tapped her gloved fingers against her thigh. Perhaps it would have been a better idea to have gone with him on his trade route up north. He said he had been exchanging furs, and with the thought of the warmth and softness hides provided, a wistful look came upon her features.

However, her musings were suddenly shattered as she heard her name called from right behind her. She didn’t even have a chance to register what was happening or turn around to see where it came from when she was suddenly forced to the ground by something. She had tried to put out her hands to catch her fall, but she didn’t have the time and instead face planted right into the cold snow. The freeze immediately jumped on the chance to invade her warmth, and little ice fragments stuck to her face. She even inhaled a few snowflakes. With a small groan from above her, she immediately knew who had pursued her.

It was none other than the buffoon Ikaru, having crashed into her again. Now she knew how he felt when they had been in the carriage ride the first time. But it was so much worse because it was freezing cold and all his weight lay on top of her. “Augh, for such a wispy individual, you’re bloody heavy.” She wheezed out from underneath him, desperately trying to shift him off and get out from under him.



Ikaru

Ikaru gave a small groan, trying to figure out what he had hit. Suddenly, he felt wriggling under him and realized it was Akari. As quickly as he could, he rolled off of her and onto the snow, taking a few deep breaths before sitting up. He glanced over at Akari momentarily before standing and, as usual, offering a hand to help her up though he didn’t expect she would take it.

“I apologize, it seems like I always do that. Are you alright?” he said, meaning both about the current situation and about what had happened earlier. Though he had said this without looking at her, Ikaru self-consciously glanced over after a moment, sure Akari would be furious. ‘I really am an imbecile
’ he thought with irritation.


Akari

She rolled onto her side and looked up at him, squinting and trying to ignore the cold on her face. At his comment, she simply spoke aloud, “Seems we’re cursed to forever crash into each other.” The smallest of smirks played onto her lips, though hardly noticeable. At his outstretched hand, she actually took hold of it for once, too cold to get up on her own.



Ikaru

Ikaru turned away again as Akari spoke, sure he could hear the annoyance in her voice. Why could she never just accept his apology? Suddenly, he felt Akari’s hand in his. It seemed so small and delicate, already cold in the frigid morning. He was so surprised at the touch that he did not even have time to brace himself when she started to pull herself up. He stumbled, sending Akari tumbling back to the ground, though she hadn’t gotten very far up. He tried to catch his balance with a couple small steps but his foot caught on a snow-covered root. The only thought in his mind as he fell was, ‘Is this always going to happen?’

As Ikaru fell forward, he tried to avoid falling on Akari entirely, but could not manage to dislodge his foot from the root. Nevertheless, he did manage to avoid directly plowing into her. His face ground into the snow as his long legs fell over Akari's, his right foot still caught on the root while his left knee rested heavily on her leg. He was unable to move his arms in time to catch himself and landed face first in the snow. He winced as he felt something on his face pop, but felt too embarrassed to check what he already knew. "Augh, you're kind of hurting me." Ikaru managed to shift the weight from his offending knee when he realized it was digging into Akari's leg. He drew his han up, covering his face as he managed to pull himself to his knees beside Akari. “I assure you, I am not usually this graceless.” He gave a short laugh that was partially muted by the hand still covering his face.


Akari

Akari had just grabbed onto his hand and pulled back when the unexpected happened. Ikaru came down with her. Had he simply gave the gesture as a friendly appearance rather than actually having meant to pull her up? She had gotten up maybe an inch or two from the ground when he came crashing down. His knee came down and made contact just above her own in a harsh manner- he seemed to be placing all of his weight on that one- and his shoulder also caught hers and sent her right back down into the snow. As soon as she had started going backwards she had closed her eyes to brace for the impact. Once her form pushed into the blanket beneath her, the snow once more clung to the back of her cloak, melting a bit from her body heat and dampening the material. She groaned out softly from the high amount of pressure on her own leg. "Augh, you're kind of hurting me."

However, with the sound of snow crunching beside her, Akari felt a little better. At least she wouldn’t be the only one with a freezing form. It was when she had just opened her eyes to get a better look of Ikaru’s face in the snow when she realized just how awkward the fall had been. He was practically on his hands and knees, though instead of hands it was really his entire arm. That had to be cold. Akari snickered quietly at his odd predicament, though when he propped himself up, a little flash of embarrassment ran through her. As she heard the pop, her eyes sought out their point of occurrence.

It was practically impossible to see as he was angled away from her, though she soon heard his comment. “I assure you, I am not usually this graceless.” She snorted loudly, leaning on her own elbow just slightly to throw a disbelieving glance at him. “Please, I’ve known you for a while now, and name one occurrence when you’ve not screwed everything up.” The challenge was clear in her voice, taunting in that subtle way of hers.



Ikaru

As Akari laughed at him, Ikaru removed his hand and gave her an irritated glare, exposing the now bent frame of his glasses and a slight crack running down the left lens. He groaned at the silliness of her question. Ikaru rarely messed things up, this snow was just making everything slippery. That was hardly his fault, was it? Though, he was going pretty fast running after her on said slick snow, which is why he fell. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind. Maybe that was a mistake, but that was still only a small one. He had also hurt Akari when he threw the coins, but he rationalized that was only one major mess up. He then thought of most of his encounters with Ulna. He always seemed to say the wrong thing and make her angry, but that was hardly his fault, was it? Except for perhaps the first time they had met when she had not known who they were. He could have shown a bit more decorum, but it still worked out in the end. Or the time when he had, yet again, knocked over Akari trying to tell her where he was going the day before. That did not work out very well
. Or perhaps the very fact that Akari had needed to work in the first place. With each thought his face grew darker and his irritation grew.

In his irritation, he turned to Akari and said, “At least I didn't make you sleep on the floor, and kept the Lenmer from killing you when you insisted on coming, and dueled the detching leader of the bandits to get you a coat.” To his surprise, Akari had no snarky comeback. Almost immediately, Ikaru realized how close he was to... her.


Akari

When she saw that his glasses had broken slightly, she felt a twinge of guilt, especially with how he needed them and all. However, the feeling passed rather quickly as she suddenly noticed he was right in her face. He was defending himself and giving a retort to her comment. However, after the first one, she wasn’t really paying attention to a single syllable that passed his lips, suddenly stricken with his features and simply looking at him and the way his jaw moved and how the corners of his mouth shifted. The only reason she realized he stopped talking was when his lips ceased their motion as well, but even then she was still caught off guard.

LIPPSSS! Who wants to color Quasimodo's LIIIPPPSSSSSSS!


Ikaru

As Ikaru paused, unprepared for Akari’s silence, his irritation began to fade to the back of his mind. What they had been arguing about no longer seemed so important anymore. It no longer mattered to him that Akari had been over exaggerating his faults, nor did he feel the need to defend his good decisions. Instead, her deep, dusty blue eyes seemed to draw him in, and he suddenly realized why they attracted his attention so easily. They reminded him of the ocean that he so loved, and feared he would never see again. The pulsing, ever-changing beauty of the ocean. He studied her face for a moment, wondering what she was thinking and he felt himself leaning in, suddenly wanting to kiss her to express his own thoughts.

Suddenly, his attention was distracted by loud, angry chirps. He looked up just in time to see a loud, angry bird dive bombing him. Ikaru threw out his hands to defend himself from the homicidal bird, trying to keep it from pecking him. He was only partially successful before the disgruntled finch flew off, watchful and probably ready to go after him again. Ikaru scrambled to his feet, shouting all the while, “What was that for, you idiotic bird?” He stomped closer to the tree the bird had perched in, and had just ducked down to gather snow to shoo the bird away when it dived at him again. Ikaru let out a startled yelp, stumbling back and flailing his arms around his head to get the bird away from it. Finally, it flew away, getting a bit farther before stopping in a tree.


Akari

Time seemed not to matter as the two stared at one another, and Akari blinked as he seemed to be leaning closer. Though in her sluggish mind, she didn’t even notice what was happening. Her daze, however, was quickly shattered as she heard the furious chirps of a very familiar bird and her mind caught up to real time. As Ikaru got up from the ground, Akari snickered behind him, watching the poor guy get attacked by her bird friend. The entire actions and thoughts from the previous few moments had been shattered when the daze was, and she almost immediately moved on from them.

She rose to her feet, brushing the cold snow off of her form, and then stuffed her hands under her arms for extra warmth. Hikari had fluffed his feathers out and was chirping from his very core at Ikaru, obviously upset about his closeness to Akari. He hopped along the branch, throwing insults at the boy beneath him. Akari simply grinned and watched Ikaru attempted to hit the little bird with a chunk of snow. However, she could already see that he wouldn’t get to it in time as the little bird, as soon as Ikaru’s head was turned, shot straight downwards at him. The flurry of the boy’s limbs only looked ridiculous to her as he attempted to swat the bird away, who simply flew off to another tree to glare at him.

Rolling her eyes, Akari simply walked up behind him and tsked. “Baka,” She smirked at him cheerfully, “We should get going if we want to get to the next town over before nightfall.” She then passed him and continued walking through the snow. Soon Hikari fluttered down to alight on her shoulder and chirp affectionately. She simply chuckled and stroked him on the head as she walked.



Ikaru

Ikaru scowled as Akari showed no sympathy for his plight with the imbecilic bird. She called him a baka, and he inwardly groaned. At least she wasn't mad at him anymore. He glared at the finch up in the tree, who finally seemed to be calming down. His eyes narrowed as he began to wonder if it was the same bird as before, or if it was a different one this time. Akari mentioned getting to the next town, and Ikaru agreed without really paying attention, his mind still focused on the bird. As Akari passed him, the infuriating creature swooped down and settled on her shoulder. So it was the same bird, maybe. Ikaru still was not sure if it was always the same bire hovering around Akari, or if she just attracted little birds wherever she went.

After a moment, he remembered what Akari said about getting to the next town. "Wait, What town?" Ikaru asked, still eyeing the bird warily. "Did you find where a town is, and how long it will take? We are not exactly equiped correctly if the trip lasts more than just today, you know?"


Akari

Akari merely snorted derisively to his obvious lack of attention. “The next town over. I told you already we’d be heading out. I got some directions from a few of the townsfolk, but they didn’t really elaborate much on it. They mostly looked pleased to have us out of their town.”

”We are not exactly equiped correctly if the trip lasts more than just today, you know?" Akari didn’t pause in her step but merely sighed with exaggerated patience, as if she were dealing with some child. “We should get there before nightfall. That is, if there are no more collisions of our schedule.” Hikari chirped loudly, almost as if it shared the girl’s humor, but merely he was picking up on her feelings.



Ikaru

Ikaru ignored Akari’s little jibe about his recent, inexplicable clumsiness, instead giving a groan. “Great,” he said sarcastically, “another puny town so small, it has no proper name. It sounds perfect. Maybe they will want us to catch a troll before we can stay.” The thought of going to another tiny village put him in a rather gloomy mood.

As they walked, Ikaru’s fingers were inexplicably drawn to the coin purse tied to his belt and concealed under his cloak. The coins inside would jingle slightly every few steps as he strode over the uneven ground. Though they were alone at that point, the sound made him nervous. He did not like that it was obvious he had money on him. Of course, he reasoned that the possibility of a cutpurse was not as likely there in the wilderness or in a podunk town in the middle of nowhere as it was in his home city. Nevertheless, he wanted a cloth or something to muffle the clinking.

As he worried about this, he realized he still had the rolls from earlier still stuck in his pocket. He fished them out and found that, though crumpled, they had escaped getting wet. They were no longer warm, but they would still make a better breakfast than nothing. “Here,” he said abruptly, holding one out to Akari, “not much, but
.” He left it off, suddenly feeling almost silly. He covered his nervousness by taking a large bite out of his roll. He was surprised that, though badly abused by his earlier clumsiness, they were still soft and savory. They had a bit of sweetness in them, as though baked with honey. Though it was not much, a bit of breakfast always made him feel less irritable. Perhaps this town would not be so bad.
----------------------------------

‘No, it is still horrid
’ Ikaru though grimly as they finally walked into town late in the evening. He stopped on the edge of town, adjusting his glasses out of disbelief. It was even smaller and grungier than the last town. He did not see a single proper roof. Everything was thatched with hay, and the street looked like a giant mud puddle. There was a single, two-story building that seemed busier than all the rest. Despite the dark exterior, light and noise already streamed from the windows. It seemed crowded and noisy, with people bustling in and out almost constantly.

Finally, the clouds that had been hovering over them since noon sat idle no longer. Large, wet flakes began dropping with an alarming intensity, and another gust of icy wind howled around them again. “We might as well head to the inn. I have a feeling we won’t have much time to do anything productive before this storm gets worse.” He strode toward the inn, uncertain of what sort of people would greet them.



Akari

”Here, not much, but
.” At the sound of Ikaru’s voice, Akari turned her head back to raise an eyebrow suspiciously. However, what met her eyes made her stomach growl softly. She gently took the slightly crushed roll from his palm, soon bringing it up to her lips and biting into it. She turned back to the unseen path that they were following, savoring the subtly sweet taste that filled her mouth from the bread. Hikari chirped quietly, pecking at the bun right next to her lips, but he avoided her skin by a few centimeters, happily picking crumbs and morsels off of the food.


The sun was lowering down on the horizon when the pair finally made it to the next town. As their feet hit the earth of the old road, Akari lifted her hands to her lips and blew lightly on them. Her breath fogged in the rapidly cooling air, and she shivered slightly. She looked around, surveying the small town they had found themselves in. One particular building caught her gaze, as steam rolled from the door and windows, and laughter and loud talk could be heard, even from this far away.

However, while she was looking, she suddenly felt something land very softly on her head, and she quickly reached up to see what it was. Her fingers returned slightly wet, and she frowned subtle. However, it seemed the heavens had open up all at once and completely dumped all of its contents onto the unsuspecting earth. The snowflakes were large, and melted quickly, but with the rate of cold temperature seeming to drop with every passing moment, they probably wouldn’t stay melty for long.

A cold wind raced past, snaking under her coat collar and digging into her skin. With the impact, she shut her eyes tightly, and tried to pull her coat closer around herself. Hibiki ducked down into one of her pockets, trilling nervously as the storm continued to pick up. At Ikaru’s suggestion of the inn, Akari only nodded, quickly jogging to the warm building.

As they pushed through the entrance, warm air rushed straight into their faces, and the smell of fresh bread and meat met their nostrils. The voices around them were very loud, and many men and women were sharing a drink together, and merriment was being had all around.

Akari scanned the establishment for the front desk, and, soon locating it, walked over to the large man who stood behind it. He had a rather round nose and rosy red cheeks, and was obviously well fed. His belly strained against his shirt, but the man didn’t seem to mind. He seemed to have permanent dimples upon his cheeks as he smiled brightly and laughed often. Quite the jolly individual. He was balding slightly at his forehead, and he had a scratchy looking white beard.

“Hello....” Akari tried to speak over the noise that bounded behind them, and the inn keeper looked them over with a huge smile, leaning over and yelling quite loudly, “Speak up, love!” At the sound of the man’s voice, the ruckus behind them seemed to recede enough for a normal conversation to be stricken up. She tried again, “Hi, we’re looking to rent a room for the night, if you have any available?” The man looked down at her with the reddest cheeks she’d ever seen. He seemed to be positively bursting with pleasure and cheer. “Why, of course, darlin’! We just happen to have one room left vacant! But with this storm, you’re probably looking for more than one night. The key should be around here somewhere
.” His fat fingers prodded around behind his desk before he finally managed to pick up the key to their room. “Here you are-“



Ikaru

As they entered the unassuming building, they were met by a sudden surge in temperature. Ikaru’s mouth watered at the smell of savory foods, and suddenly, the small roll he had eaten for breakfast no longer seemed sufficient. He was not sure where all these people came from, since the town was so miniscule and seemed rather out of the way to his eyes. However, Ikaru was most surprised by the appearance of the innkeeper. He seemed not to fit the usual description of those who lived in this aggravating place. He was quite rotund and seemed rather cheery. Ikaru remembered his father always saying that you can trust a fat, happy innkeeper to have two things: good food and a safe place to sleep.

Ikaru approached the man, who was uproariously laughing and adding to the general noise of the establishment. When Akari spoke, even Ikaru had a difficult time hearing her. However, the obnoxious noise finally lessened, and Akari asked after a room before Ikaru could say anything. “Yes, I assure—“Ikaru was cut off as one of the many occupants of the room jostled into him trying to get past. Ikaru glanced toward the offending person, his features turning into a glare until he realize the man was somewhat drunk and paying Ikaru no attention anyway. He sighed and shook his head, returning his attention to the innkeeper, who mentioned having a room vacant. The man groped around his desk, looking for a key and began to hand it over without any question of payment. Ikaru gave a questioning, but uncomplaining look at the red-cheeked man as he reached out for the key. 'No wonder this inn was so popular.

Before Ikaru could lay so much as a finger on the proffered key, a short woman with dark hair and hard bright eyes bustled over and slapped the grinning man’s outstretched hand. “Keil!” she exclaimed in an overly patient voice. “Aren’t you forgettin’ sometin’?” she said, a hint of some accent in her speech, seemingly foreign even to this strange land. “Some days I don’t think you’ve anythin’ goin on in that silly head of yourn!” she scolded, though there was a subtle hint of stern affection in her tone. She turned to address Ikaru and Akari, raising her unwavering voice a bit to be heard over the again rising noise level. “Pardon the nonsense. As Keil so, ah, grundly offered, we do have ah room available, never’less, there is the matter o’ payment. Fifteen coppers per night, if you please,” she said resolutely, clasping her hands and raising one brow expectantly.

As subtly as he could, ever suspicious of the rabble around him, Ikaru reached into the coinpurse hanging at his side near his elbow. He dug out enough coins for the room that night and delivered them to her hand. After an awkward moment, the woman roughly nudged her husband with an elbow to remind him to hand over the key.



Akari

With the jolliness that oozed out of the inn keeper, Akari couldn’t help but let a little grin touch her lips, and her eyes crinkled a bit, enjoying the antics of the man, and catching his happiness. She chuckled quietly as he offered the key to them without any questions of payment, which she would have mentioned anyway- not wanting to take advantage of the man’s good nature- when a short woman suddenly came out of nowhere and slapped his hand, though not in a hateful manner.

She let her eyes wander as the group spoke business, looking at all of the tables and the large hearth fire set against the wall. Candles were glowing cheerfully, spilling wax all over the tabletops, but no one really seemed to mind. Joyous laughter and ruckus teasing filled the air, and she could see all the merry faces- drunk and not- that filled the space of the building. The warmth that surrounded her nostrils drove the chill away like nothing else could, and she eased her stance a bit, closing her eyes and taking in her senses.

However, soon the deal was made between the innkeepers and the two wanderers, and as Ikaru handed over the money, Keil offered them the key with no shame in his face whatsoever towards his mistake. Blinking, Akari leaned into the desk, peering up at the two older people. “Does food come with the room?” Even as she said it, her stomach growled quietly, but not quietly enough to miss Keil’s hearing- which was a feat in itself considering he dealt with the inn’s noises every day.

Keil was about to open his mouth to answer, when his wife broke in. “Ah, no, sorry. Both are separate.” The innkeeper looked to his wife with sad eyes, “Awh, but Erida, look at the poor things. They hardly have any meat on their bones as it is! Come on, please?” His wife, Erida, tried to look sternly at him, but then a smile broke on her face and she relented, and both grabbed each other’s hands and touched noses happily. “Now there’s that beautiful smile O’ yourn.” Akari tried to hide a smile, and moved towards the tables to let the two have their peace.



Ikaru

Ikaru would have thought that the man would be at least somewhat abashed at getting scolded by his wife, but he seemed as chipper as ever. When he handed the key to Ikaru, it was almost like the interruption had not happened at all. Akari, without hesitation, asked about food, and a slight smile played on Ikaru’s lips. He had the same thought, but Akari saved him the trouble of asking. Ikaru was sure that the man, Keil apparently, would readily say yes. His wife on the other hand cut in, immediately exclaiming that the meal and room were separate expenses.

However, after seeing Keil’s puppy-dog-eyed plead, her stern façade turned to a slight smile and she gave in to her generous husband. Ikaru’s own stomach gave a not so subtle rumble, as if in appreciation of the edict. The innkeepers began nuzzling in a way Ikaru thought was awkwardly intimate for the crowded room, and he turned away a bit more quickly than normal while adjusting his glasses.

He let Akari take the lead slightly in picking the table, using the time to observe the loud mass of people around them. Most were men, as would be expected, and many seemed sturdy and strong in the way of farmers and herders. However, there was such a jovial mood that even the more grisly customers at the bar seemed to be in a pleasant mood. With an innkeeper like Keil, Ikaru supposed that was to be expected.

There were no empty tables, of course, but Ikaru and Akari managed to slip into a couple open spots at the end of one of the longer tables. The surface of the table was pitted and slightly messy, but Ikaru reasoned an inn in a town like this could hardly afford fancy furniture, or enough staff to handle such a large crowd without some mess involved. Nevertheless, it was still appropriately bright and cozy, especially when compared to the ever-darkening, cold night outside. Ikaru was surprised at how intense it already looked compared to when they first came inside. The wind had started blowing in earnest and was beginning to howl around the corners of the inn, though the sound was mostly drowned out.

Finally, a young looking waitress with a round face and blushing cheeks came to see what they would like for supper. She seemed slightly breathless, like she had been bustling about all night. After hearing the options, Ikaru settled on the stew and Akari asked for the same. It was not long before two wooden bowls filled with piping hot stew and a large hunk of bread were brought out and set before them, along with spoons and a couple drinks. Ikaru gave the waitress a polite nod before eagerly turning his attention to the food. It smelled delicious, and the roll he had for breakfast suddenly felt far too long ago.

He hurriedly scooped up a spoonful and impatiently blew on it to cool it. That would never have gone without some reprimand at home, but now he hardly gave it a second thought. Despite his precaution, he still burned his tongue slightly in his impatience, but it was good enough that it hardly mattered. Ikaru took a drink, then dipped his bread into the broth. After taking a bite and swallowing, Ikaru turned to Akari. “Not bad, I suppose. What do you think?” he asked, speaking hopefully loud enough to be heard.


Akari

As Ikaru found them a table to squeeze into, Akari began plucking off her gloves and stuffing them into her pockets in order to truly enjoy the warmth that the inn provided. Once they were settled, a young girl made surprising time in coming to greet them and soon after provide a good meal for them. The bread that was presented smelled fresh, and the stew made her stomach growl and gurgle hungrily.

Unlike Ikaru, Akari blew patiently on her meal despite her gnawing hunger. However, once she deemed it acceptable- or just couldn’t wait any longer- she quickly dipped her spoon into the broth and brought it to her lips to practically inhale it. The stew was savory and at just the right temperature, and it made her smile despite herself. Once she dipped the bread into the bowl and brought it to her mouth, it seemed to accent the flavors very nicely.

“Not bad, I suppose. What do you think?” She was only half paying attention to where the question came from, more inclined in her quiet moment of food induced bliss, “It’s really, really good.” She smiled happily, exhaling the words from her lips with a gentle smile and cheery eyes. In all honesty, she had forgotten just who it was she was talking to, and the genuine tone of her kind personality showed through.



Ikaru

Ikaru glanced over at Akari in mild surprise upon hearing the happiness in her tone. His spoon paused halfway between the bowl and his mouth. This was the most open she had ever seemed around him. Though they were not exactly talking about a deep subject, it was still an improvement over the usual awkward tension between them. Ikaru was not sure how to respond, though his first reaction was to, of course, bluntly comment on her tone. That is what he would usually do without another thought. However, as he opened his mouth, he reconsidered. After all, this was Akari. She was likely to just get upset and clam up again, and Ikaru wanted to avoid that. Why was she so sensitive anyway?

Ikaru took another bite, considering what to say as he swallowed. He really did not know that much about her, all things considering, other than that she was stubborn, mischievous, and easily offended. He decided to just ask something easy. “It is good that you like it, I guess,” he said awkwardly. “But, if you could eat anything at all, right now, what would you have?”

He tried to look nonchalant, but he was interested to see if her happy mood would disintegrate, as usual, or stay. His eyes flickered to her face as he took a bite of bread.


Akari

After she had swallowed the previous morsel of bread, she blinked as Ikaru’s voice filtered into her ears. “It is good that you like it, I guess,” The tone of voice he said it in had snapped her back into reality, shattering her small moment of bliss. An awkward little cough parted her lips and she blinked a few times, a small bit of irritation flaring up inside her as she realized what had happened. But for once, the idiot sitting next to her didn’t say something completely offensive, which was pretty well a first for him. Nonetheless, she knew, she just knew that he was belittling her again in his mind, and that only worsened her agitation.

“But, if you could eat anything at all, right now, what would you have?” Akari turned her head to look at Ikaru with a raised eyebrow, squinting her eyes ever so subtly as she tried to determine just why he would ask her such a thing. Her immediate assumption was so that he could laugh at her answer and downgrade her once again. She looked at him as if he were acting like a crazy fool before she stilled her facials and actually thought about it. With a nonchalant shrug she answered, “This.”



Ikaru

With her answer, Ikaru’s attention returned to his bowl with something like a scowl. He should have known she would just brush his question aside. It annoyed him that she always pushed him away, but why should he care. His only concern was to get them back home safely, and it would matter little after that. Why should he try to make an effort if she was not going to reciprocate anyways.

After a short moment, he impatiently replied, “Figures. Back home, this is but peasant food, but if that makes you happy...” He wolfed down the rest of his stew, no longer actually tasting it, and pointedly avoiding looking at Akari. Mere moments later, he finished his last bite and shoved the bowl away. He rose from the table, still not looking at Akari as he said, “I am going to bed.”

He soon figured out where the room was, and closed the door behind him, irked when he realized how loud it was even there. If he could, he would have walked outside to work off some steam, but the temperature was dropping fast. Ikaru crossed the tiny room to a small window, rubbing warmth into his arms and dodging around the bed that dominated most of the floor space. He stared out to a monotonous blend of swirling white from the blizzard. It was already in full force, the impressive chill seeping into the room through every miniscule crack. He glared into the whiteness, the heat of his irritation slowly seeping out of him as his thoughts raced without reaching any conclusion about what he felt.


Akari

Akari’s face soured as he did exactly as she expected him to. She merely huffed out a breath of air, watching him out of the corner of her eye as he stormed out. Once he had disappeared, she let out a loud sigh and stabbed her spoon into the spoon angrily. He could be such a child sometimes. Akari rolled her eyes and let out yet another sigh before muffling it with another spoonful of stew. The worst part of it was that she’d have to go up there soon after and then further deal with his insults.

She mulled over the situation for a while as she finished eating. She let out a sigh, it was probably her own fault anyway. She grumbled quietly to herself as she dabbed her lips with a napkin and set it down in her now empty bowl. With a light sigh she too got up and walked the stairs to their room. She rapped lightly on the door before entering the room, immediately regretting it as the chill set in. It was warm with the laughter, heat, and bodies downstairs, but now that they were in a small, lonely room, it was obvious as to just what the degree of the weather was.

Shivering, she rubbed her hands along her arms. “Geeze, it’s bloody cold in here.”



Ikaru


It was not long before Ikaru calmed down a bit. He didn’t know why it had seemed so important for Akari to open up to him. She never had before. In fact, Ikaru wondered if the stubborn girl saw him as anything more than an obstacle to get over, or a nuisance to tolerate. That in itself was enough to make him irritable until he realized he had no real reason to care. All that mattered was to leave this godsforsaken place and get home. He glared at the whirling snow once more, but for a different reason now. Until this storm abated, they could not really continue their journey. But in any case, there was no point just standing there brooding.

Before he could decide what it was he could be doing, there was a knock at the door. He turned toward the door with a rather emotionless look, knowing it was Akari. She looked cold almost instantly after entering the room and Ikaru finally realized just how chilly it was. Now, at least, he had something to do. He turned from the window and strode toward the door, untying his cloak from his shoulders. Ikaru pulled it from around his frame and swung it over Akari before she could react, striding past her to the door.

“I’ll go get some extra blankets then,” he said without inflection, his hand already on the door handle. As soon as he opened the door, however, he realized that the innkeeper’s wife was right outside the door, arm raised as if she was just about to knock. Balanced her other arm was a stack of blankets that she seemed to have been distributing to guests. Ikaru almost tripped right into her, just barely catching himself on the doorframe.

“My, if it isn’t the young couple!” she exclaimed. Her accent seemed stronger in her surprise. She forcefully shoved a few sturdy blankets into Ikaru’s arms. “Well, I’ll let ya two get back to your canoodling then,” she continued, giving them both a knowing look before shutting the door herself, forcing Ikaru to step back.

Ikaru could already feel the blush rising in his cheeks. Instead of turning around and facing Akari after that awkwardness, he simply stood there, stubbornly facing the door and gripping the small stack of rough woolen blankets.

Rillia Owner: slcam

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