Lost.....so very lost... (Oren)

[areyna]

Huh…wh..what… Areyna lifted her head staring into a never ending horizon of lush green grass. Dazed she wiped a stray piece of grass from her face absentmindedly gazing into the cloudless blue skies. She spotted a yellow blur twisting around with another yellow blur. The butterflies flutter in circles, one landed on her palm when she unconsciously reached her hand out. The insects company brought a smile to her face, she felt such at ease. Whatever this place was, it made her feel so happy. Almost familiar…

“Kiyoko…”

Her eyes snapped up in response to her name landing on a fuzzy figure. Who is that? She opened her mouth to call to the stranger till her world around her began to swirl into nothingness the figure whispered her name once more till he and the sunny skies vanished.

Areyna woke abruptly sliding off the large stone she rested on, painfully attacking the ground with her bottom. She breathed a quiet yelp rubbing her side as she stood.

“Ow. Ow. Ow.”

She watched the active waves climbing the shore and retreating back into the water creating hushing sound in tune with the unsteady waters behind. The further she stared in to horizon the darker the waters seem to be. She wondered how deep the ocean beyond settled and hoped she will never have to find out. A harsh breeze blew by smacking her bangs into her eyes. Areyna held her bangs in both hands looking up to the gray sky. How she wished it were blue like in her dream. Areyna gasped as her dream recovered from her memories that fuzzy figure filling her thoughts consuming her mind’s eye.

“Who was that….” She brooded over out loud “Maybe I just made them up…it was only a dream.”

She plopped on the ground close yet far enough from the water to actually touch her. She wrapped her arms around her legs burying her chin inside. She felt hopeless, she was lost, she had no idea how she got here and she had no clue how to get back. She was scared…so scared. Maybe…..someone will find me…..or maybe…I won’t ever be found... Areyna shook the negative reasoning away convincing herself to be tough yet the tears rolling down her cheeks denying that fact of. Suddenly, a spontaneous change, heavy rain poured rapidly drenching her unsuitable clothes. The cold drops ran down her face merging with her tears which began to flow harder. Areyna continued her miserable gaze toward the dark sea and shivered even after the winds blew. I wonder….if I’ll catch a cold…..

[Ωᴚԑɲ]

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[atrb=background,http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab198/Orenji_Hana/Deviancy/Yama_Back.png] The waves lapped at Yama’s feet, a sorrowful tune echoing in his ears. The harsh cold wind coming in from the sea blew his hair into his face and tugged at his jacket but he didn’t care enough to bother with walking the other direction. This was the way he wanted to go. He didn’t know why, he had simply woken up and started wandering. He hadn’t been up to much lately, and he was probably one of the first to flee the school. He didn’t want any part in any attacks made and he definitely would stay out of group wars. He wasn’t a group person, nor did he fight other’s fights unless he was being given something in return. In the case of the school, there had been nothing in it for him. Except… he had made sure one person got out safe. She… it was amazing the effect she seemed to have on him. Hendrix and he had met the shy phoenix the first time they had traveled to Colleger and then she had led them to the Chimera’s Academy. Hendrix, of course, had planned to have a little fun until he realized there was more bait to be had than one simple girl. That night had definitely been an interesting one… His eyes wandered away from the horizon until they latched onto the water’s edge. The sand was damp and a slight mist covered the shore even though it was near or even past mid-day. This sure was an interesting place to be. The mist never truly left the air and the sea breeze only served to make the place damp and next to freezing. Rain started to splatter on the damp sand, immediately sinking into the thirsty ground. It grew in strength until it was next to impossible to see more than 100 feet ahead. He didn’t care, though. He’d probably catch a cold but he didn’t feel like running for cover. A cropping of rocks caught his eye and he headed toward it. It wasn’t too far from the ocean’s edge but it was better shelter than out in the open. He was a cat, after all, and cats hated water. Being rained on was then on the ‘Dislike’ list. A little bit closer and he could see a figure that wasn’t a rock. It was a person. A girl. Even though he was still a short ways off and the mist and rain obscured his vision, he thought her to be pretty. The very thought would have typically sent a chill down his spine and caused him to worry. Now it only caused him to quicken his pace. There was only one female he knew that he thought was pretty, and he highly doubted that he was about to meet another anytime soon! “Kiyoko!” he called out. He was almost certain that this was her. It had to be! But… what was she doing out here? This place was dangerous, and not only because it was in the middle of nowhere but because it was cold and raining! He should have kept a better eye on her…

[areyna]

The horrible down pour of water from the heavens almost seemed surreal in its never ending fall. She felt so cold, her soaked clothing sticking to her skin holding no protection from the freezing bite of the wind. Her teeth chattered uncontrollably as her edgy, uneven breathing heaved hard from her chest stinging just a little. Her body refused to budge in even the slightest inch, locked tight into place. Not even the icy white foamed waves lapping over her feet and climbing up her legs convinced movement while she suffered from such trembling one would think she fell under a crazy convulsion. Her stares were blank now, her mind wandered far from this world envisioning a hot sun, perfectly clouded sky, her beloved friends gathered around her forcing breath-taking laughs from her. Areyna’s so called “happy place” as others might name it. Whatever brought a smile upon her face or seized her from becoming engulfed and tangled between the clutches of depression, she clung on to.

Areyna closed her eyes ready to once again depart from this terrible place when her name shouted through the rain. Areyna tensed snapping her fixated stare in the direction to which her named was summoned. At first, she saw nothing, only wet lines impairing her sight until a hazy figure emerged from afar. Her mouthed gaped faintly, blue eyes growing bigger as the figure drew closer. Her dream…..an exact reenactment of her dream! The mysterious figure…the mysterious figure that knew her real name. Who were they? Only her closest friends knew her real name. Did they find me? Skyler? Areon? Is that you? Areyna placed her hands on the ground with difficulty she hosted herself onto her feet quickly loosing balance targeting the damp sand. Again she struggled to retain balance taking a couple steps before repeating the same wipe out. She groaned in frustration attempting yet failing to walk de too her weakened muscles and lack of energy. In sheer desperation she resorted to crawling ignoring that self conscience voice telling her how pitiful she looked. Her friends….she just wanted to reach her friend…

A foot appeared in front of her as she hung her head to face the ground. Blinking a couple times mostly to relieve the drops from her eyes Areyna hauled her head up slowly into an unexpected face staring with eyes that seemed to be filled with worry. Who…? Areyna lurched back from the stranger blushing with embarrassment accompanied with a pang of disappointment and shattered hope yet relief as well. She was found… A fresh stream of tears dribbled from her eyes although she doubted her mysterious savoir could notice. Glancing despondently into the strangers face his features began to become less and less unknown. Even though his wet messy hair clamped to his face she somehow felt like she’s seen him before. His presence seemed so familiar but who? Realization hit her stirring frantic memories with his face plastered everywhere. That man…..the one who…..the one that was with…

“Y…you….” Is all she could muster.

[Ωᴚԑɲ]

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[atrb=background,http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab198/Orenji_Hana/Deviancy/Yama_Back.png] Yama looked at Areyna’s frightened face and saw the relief fall from it. She was still frightened of him. But that was okay. She’d learn that he meant her no harm. He almost regretted meeting her when Hendrix was around. He had such a better first impression when the maniac wasn’t with him. Before meeting her he hadn’t cared, but now… Things had changed. He had a reason to be better than he was. She didn’t know it, she definitely didn’t know it, and he wasn’t sure how she had come to mean something to him. She definitely didn’t mean a lot (yet), but more than anyone else he knew. Everyone else was worthless as far as he was concerned. She was the only one worth saving, the only one worth his time. Seeing her scared face looking up at him didn’t move him, didn’t bother him. He didn’t even care that the person she was afraid of was him. No, her fright of him wasn’t the important thing here. Her condition was what he was focused on. She was drenched, shivering, covered in sand, and looked terribly lost. She looked pitiful and the only thing he could think was that she needed his help. He wasn’t sure if she’d accept it but in that moment he decided to give it no matter what. If she wouldn’t come with him he’d take her. Sometimes, especially with shy people, you had to force them to do the things that were good for them. In this case, it was her coming with him. “Hey, hey, it’s okay!” His voice was raised above the wind and rain, but it still carried softness, a gentle persuasion. “I want to help. You’re lost, right? I can take you back!” He leaned down and extended his hand. “I can take you to people you know!” The last part was an added thought. Knowing that she didn’t trust him, he wanted to reassure her. He wasn’t an evil man, and he wouldn’t even say that he was a bad man, he simply knew how to work the system called life.

[areyna]

Yama’s loud voice startled her as it triumphed over the deafening wind ringing in her ears his offer of assistance. She looked at him wearily again. He wanted to help her? But why….? Why would he want to help a stranger like her? She still considered herself a stranger to him even after a single encounter. Those same thoughts filled her mind as it did when they first met. A sense a déjà vu clung as her memory became more define. Can I trust him?

She remembered pondering over such a question and she pondered over it once more. His voice, those words he spoke seemed so warm and comforting tempting her to irrationally accept his offer then and there. Yet, why not, why not accept? Can I really trust this mysterious man? “Never talk to strangers.” She defied that saying once and to her consequence her careless actions brought forth a punishment. She was reluctant to commit the exact mistake as she had before. Can I trust him? She longed to, she severely long to place her utmost trust in him but….trust is fragile and she felt it inconsiderate to simply give it away so easily.

She clutched her head in her hands cringing at the sudden pain emitting from her scalp as if her brain were on fire. Her battle over coherent reasoning sent her mind off edge due to her weaken tiresome state. She whimpered in frustration pounding the soaked sand with her fists. She glanced at Yama with defeated eyes and an almost blank expression while traveling slowly on her knees closing the gap she created between them. Grabbing a fistful of his jacket, filling both palms, she tugged herself with great difficulty on her feet swaying a smidge as she fought for control over balance.

“C-c-c-c” Her teeth chattered distorting her speech. “C-c-can you r-r-really take me to someone I k-k-know?” she was deperate now, desperate for anything. She merely wanted her friends. Rocking from the push of the strong wind Areyna grasped harder to Yama’s sleeve pulling him forward slightly. She laid her head on his chest the weight beginning to feel too heavy for her neck to support. “Please….save me….” She begged in a whisper. “Please…….thank….you….”

Her lungs heaved unevenly producing a raspy sound leaving her throat as she breathed. The hush of the rain began to fade, the water beyond blurred and deformed, her grasp loosened and her consciousness slipped away till her mind finally shut to sleep.

[Ωᴚԑɲ]

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[atrb=background,http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab198/Orenji_Hana/Deviancy/Yama_Back.png] After a second of hesitation Areyna began crawling back towards him. She had initially recoiled and he couldn’t say that he blamed her. They had met under the worst circumstances ever possible! At least that’s what he thought. Her first impression of him was some older man creeping around the town with an eccentric friend. Truth to be told, ever since Hendrix and Yama had appeared at the academy they had spent less and less time around each other. He couldn’t even remember what they had said to each other the last time they had hung out. He wasn’t even sure if they had said anything at all. Their relationship was nothing now, and it still tainted the relationship he wanted to have with this girl. Wait… what? Relationship with… her? That… was that what it was? That’s what it was called? A relationship… with a girl… was more than a relationship, though. Right? It was more like… commitment. The though almost made Yama pull back. Commitment… to… a person, to… a living being, it was… hard to imagine. But that’s what he wanted, all the same. At the very least it was the only way he could think of describing it. As Areyna spoke he helped her up. He could barely make out the words her teeth were chattering so hard. The only thing he could really understand was “save me”, but that was enough. She was nearly frozen and needed shelter and warmth so that’s exactly what he’d give her! He just wasn’t expecting her to collapse. Her eyes closed and her body became deadweight. He caught her, of course, but he wasn’t sure exactly what he was supposed to do. She couldn’t stand if she was unconscious, but he couldn’t wake her, either. That meant he’d have to carry her. He could feel his heart in his ears as he scooped her up in his arms. She was a good deal lighter than he had expected and a lot smaller too. He had never really realized just how young she really was. He began walking, trying to be careful. She coughed and he realized that she really needed to get inside. But her couldn’t run with her like this… With a sigh he set her feet on the soaked sand to stand her up. It was difficult but he finally managed to get her on his back. Now he could run. In only a few seconds he was running, the phoenix safely on his back.

[areyna]

Kiyoko’s nose twitched from a funny sensation. She moaned scratching the itch away only for it to return again. She pinched her face together slowly opening her eyes. Billon blades of grass swayed in front of her flooding her vision with green.

“Huh…” She turned her head to face the blue sky, the grass tickling her arms and legs as they swayed in the comfortable breeze. “Wha-“

Two yellow butterflies fluttered above swirling merrily around each other. Kiyoko smiled at the delicate creatures but her eyes
widened and she bolted up into a sitting position.

“Wait!” She’d seen those same butterflies a moment ago and the same sea of grass! She grabbed her head digging her fingers through her hair then slid her palms down to hold her cheeks.”I’m dreaming….I’m asleep! Why…am I asleep again?”

Her memory was foggy and scattered but she began to piece together a few details gradually. He eyes squeezed shut as she worked her mind into overtime to remember. She just needed to wake up to find out?

“Wake up.” She pounded and shook her head back and forth. “Come on…wake up…”

She lay back down on the cushioned grass with a sigh. “Why is it so hard to wake up…?”

“It…may because you don’t want to wake.”

Kiyoko twisted onto her stomach staring straight into the face of a stranger. Her eyes grew in size once more at his close proximity. The stranger nose almost touched hers and he looked at her with an expression of disbelief. Kiyoko struggled to understand why he didn’t scare her? Was it because she was dreaming? She studied his features and he seemed to be doing the same. She noticed he was like her in ethnicity or so she believed so. His extremely thin, shoulder length, dark brown hair moved in the direction of the breeze. His hair was so thin the wind seemed capable enough of snatching all the strands with it. She finally perceived the position of how he sat, crouched down with his hands resting on both knees. He leaned forward and Kiyoko reacted by leaning back.

“Wh-why are you looking at me like that?” She asked somehow pulling him out of a daze. “Who are you?”

He finally gave her his full attention smiling broadly. “You will know my i…ide..ide-“

“Identity?” Kiyoko interrupted.

“Ah, yes my iden…ti…ty. You will figure out soon when right time comes.”

“When right time….what? I’m sorry I don’t understand your English very well.”

“Don’t matter. You must wake now. Not to worry I will see you again.”

“Bu-“ She began to plead.

The stranger motioned her to relax on her back and she obeyed. He placed his hand over her eyes forcing them shut. “Ja ne.”

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Kiyoko rubbed her eyes hugging the pillow supporting her head closer to her body. She fidgeted around for a more desirable position watching animated soldiers shooting their enemies to death on a TV. James and his video games……wait… Kiyoko’s muscles tensed. But….James isn’t…alive…. Cautiously and quite freaked out, she glanced over her shoulder and saw him, sitting separately. He held a remote to the video game system with a bored expression as if the game wasn’t enough of a challenge for him. It all came back now, the rain, the beach, how cold she was, him finding her and her asking for help. She gasped as her thoughts stopped abruptly. When she asked for help? She scanned the room wildly finding that she lay on a three seat couch and in fact that she was in a living room. But whose living room? His living room!? O my gosh! She jerked at the thought rolling off the couch and slamming onto the hard floor. Her back stung but only her back. She opened her eyes to an upside down world holding her breath once she caught the eyes of her “savior”. Her face flushed red partially due to the blood rushing to her head.

“Uh……uhhhh…..uhhhhhh……uhhhhh”

She flipped herself upward on her feet, jumped behind the couch and barely peered over the top with only her eyes showing. She was shaking out of what she thought was fear yet the random sneeze indicated that she was actually freezing. Her clothes were still damp, her hair still wet and she was still so cold. She sneezed again but remained behind the couch refusing to take her eyes off of him. She couldn’t believe she was in a stranger’s house!

[Ωᴚԑɲ]

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[atrb=background,http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab198/Orenji_Hana/Deviancy/Yama_Back.png] The door flew open as Yama kicked it, the bang against the wall overpowering the sound of pouring rain. Why was it wet here too? The isle had been bad enough but the whole archipelago? It must be one big storm!! His boots clunked across the wood floor as he walked over to the couch and laid the sleeping phoenix down. He’d have to dry out the cushions later… Walking back over to the door, he slipped off his shoes and then socks. Now to get out of these wet clothes, he thought. Disappearing, his clothes dropped to the ground and moments later he walked out of his room in dry clothes and set a small pile of clothes on the counter. Ah, much better! Now to clean up the mess... Fetching a towel from a kitchen draw he dropped it on the floor near the closest wet bootprint. Oh, how he hated this wet! Water got everywhere, and even when you try to wipe it up with a cloth is spreads just as much as it is absorbed! The boot prints up to the couch cleaned, he leaned down and picked the towel up. He sighed as he looked over at the pile of clothes on the floor. Ugh… more wet… why did that girl have to be trapped on a rainy island? Couldn’t she have been stuck in a fire or near an erupting volcano or something? That would have been much better. He didn’t mind fire, and a volcano was just very hot, nothing more. And he could easily escape those environments with a body as small as hers. Rain… rain he hated. He couldn’t escape it and stay outside and it was inevitable that one would get wet if they did stay outside during a storm like the one outside. It was against his grains to not be able to escape. Escaping is what he did for a living; it’s why he got paid. Now what? The mess was clean but surely the girl would want something when she woke up... Oh! Food! She’d definitely be hungry! Wait… what did she like? Was she one of those phoenixes that could only eat veggies? He kicked the bottom of the low cabinets. Darn! Why didn’t he know more about that? Wasn’t it his job to find that out about people? He collapsed into his recliner with a sigh. Why oh why did this girl mess with him so much? He didn’t think like he normally did around her. Was it because she seemed so harmless? Did her exceptional vulnerability throw off his trained sense to be wary? Grabbing the remote to the flat screen TV, almost fiercely, he pressed the little red button. The screen flashed on and he threw the remote back to its place and grabbed the red controller to the PS3. Whatever was up with that girl, he would find out sooner or later. But it didn’t really matter, right? He would ignore her for now. Yes, that’s what he would do. She didn’t even deserve his atten— A soft sigh cause his ears to flick and his head immediately turned toward her. He scowled at himself and he would have turned away but… she was smiling. She was dead asleep still, that was for sure, but she was smiling. He glanced at the war game on the screen and listened to the soft in volume but hard core rock playing. Definitely wasn’t sound stimulated… Maybe she was having a nice dream? His scowl deepened and a heavy feeling settle itself in his chest. What if she was dreaming about one of those guys he’d seen her hang around. That one was her cousin but the others… No! He shouldn’t be thinking like that! He barely knew her, and she was scared to death of him! Why should he care who she was dreaming about? He shouldn’t! He shook his head to clear it, pressed a few buttons on the remote, and the screen moved to a new scenario. He typically wasn’t aware of the sound but after a few seconds of guns blaring and men shouting he reached for the remote and muted the game. A sigh escaped him with the usual annoyance of petty games such as this one. It didn’t help that he’d played this particular game before. He knew how to win and how to win well. A change in Kiyoko’s breathing caused him to glance over at her. She was waking up. He glanced at his watch. It had been three hours. That was a decent nap, he supposed. He continued to play his game while waiting for her to wake up fully and get a hold of her surroundings. He had to use all of his self control to not laugh when she hid behind the couch. Ah, poor girl. She was probably very weary right now. Maybe he should give her a minute more to hide there before he moved from the game. Eh, what the heck. She’d have to get over her fright of him eventually. Standing, he walked over to the set of clothes and threw them at her. ”Put those on. You’ll catch a cold in that.” he said as he nodded at what she was wearing. ”You can change up the stairs in the first room on the right. Grab something from the fridge while you’re up there. If you don’t see anything you like feel free to come get something from the kitchen.” He opened the fridge and grabbed out an apple. He liked apples. They were good, and they cleaned your teeth while you ate them. Two birds with one stone. Though, he didn’t particularly like the taste of birds. More than that, he hated their vulnerability. So fragile and easy to break… the hunt was always fun but in the end there was no struggle. Maybe that was why he was different around her; she was a bird and he had always had a soft spot for the exceptionally fragile creatures. He flexed his finger and took in a deep breath. He wasn’t going to think about that subject, isn’t that what he had decided? Taking a bite out of the apple, he sat down in the recliner again and picked the remote back up. At least this was a distraction.

[areyna]

She held tight to the sofa with shaking arms stifling another series of sneezes. As the man strided across the living room Kiyoko watched him as a lion does their prey, as a spy their target. She tilted her head once he retrieved a pile of clothing and tensed when he came closer. One second he was the only thing in her line of sight then the next all she saw were flying clothes smacking her dead on in the face. Kiyoko yelped stumbling to the ground. She removed what she thought was a shirt from the top off her head staring at the material curiously as the man order her to run upstairs and change. She didn’t miss a blushing beat as she realized they style of closing resembled his. He wanted her to wear HIS clothes! A frantic atmosphere surrounded her until the man noted her soaked clothing. Kiyoko looked down at her damp jeans and was now starting to become immune to her shivering for she hadn’t noticed the shakes continued. She paused, merely staring into the air pushing a soft, uncomfortable moan. Just sitting there wasn’t going to solve anything. With reluctance, Kiyoko stood up heading for the stairs, hiding her face from him as she passed. She about bit her lip to the point of bleeding as she climbed the unknown stairway, to an unknown hallway leading to an unknown room.

She placed her hand on the knob of the door, her heart pounding. She was just going to enter a random stranger’s room, just like that? She took a step back hoping back and forth from foot to foot while complaining to herself. Everything, everything was too awkward and she had no idea how to cope. She stopped pacing in hopeless circles taking a large breath as she opened the door and closed it behind her in one quick movement. She swiftly locked the door and leaded against the wall. She slid to the floor burying her face into her knees. She wanted to go home… Her head snapped up once an obvious realization demanded attention. She fumbled through her pockets recovering her slim purple cell phone. Her face lit up and she scrolled down her contacts list landing on her good friend Skyler. She hit the green button raising the phone to her hear but placed it in front of her face when the call refused to transmit. She observed the “no signal” logo replacing her bars.

Kiyoko muffled a whining outcry with the clothes the stranger gave her. There was no escape… There weren’t even any windows around! She hoisted herself up throwing the clothing on a bed. She paused. Bed….there was a bed in the room. Was she in his…?? This wasn’t…. What did he want from her!? Kiyoko banged her head releasing the thoughts feeding her brain with the fact that this could simply be a quest room. Even if she was lying to herself in the end she felt better…but only a little. She found the fridge in the corner and remembered what he said about food. She placed a hand on her stomach trying to figure out if she was at all hungry. Yet, even if she was hungry she refused to eat anything from this place. That meant she was submitting and she decided to stay strong! She found the perfect spot in the middle of the room evenly spaced from all the items occupying the area. She hugged her cold legs with her cold arms and began to tremble again. Why did she ask for help in the first place? Her head was so clouded, she wasn’t thinking! Maybe, she was just being too stubborn… She gazed at his clothes scattered randomly on the bed sheets then rested her head between her arms. Just who was she dealing with? Why…was he so kind to her? Kiyoko concealed her face searching her mind for a distracting thought to lead her astray from those questions. Her mind guided her towards her dream and the strange man in it.

[Ωᴚԑɲ]

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[atrb=background,http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab198/Orenji_Hana/Deviancy/Yama_Back.png] With a sigh, Yama threw the gaming remote on the ground. What was that girl doing? It did not take that long to get dressed. He massaged his temple. Was she still that frightened of him? He hadn’t done anything to her. Had he…? No, there was no way. He had only really met her once before this, and at that time he had stayed in the shadows. Literally. Jumping up, he tromped up the stairs to his room. He knocked on the door. ”Open the door or I will open it for you.” There was no need to beat around the bush. He wanted the door open and her to come out. Did she not understand that he would take her to her friends as soon as she was in dry clothes? Then again… why had he brought her here in the first place? Would it have not been faster to just take her to Haven? But… he had not wanted to deliver her to her friends hurt or harmed in any way. If she became sick because he did not give her clothes… besides, his house had been closer than Haven. That and he wanted to make a good impression on her friends. If he returned her sick and wet, what would they think of him? He wanted to be resourceful and deserving of their trust, not some random guy that brought their friend home to them soaking wet and weak. That, of all things, would be the worst way to send her back. So she was here, now, but how was he going to get her to her friends? His fingers twitched, a sign that he was annoyed. Why was she still in there? There were no windows so she had not gone anywhere… Calming his urge to break the locked door down, he took the lock pick out of his pocket. Why in the world had he placed locks on the inside doors? And why were there no keys for them, either? Maybe they were still in the package… he’d check for them later. Right now, though, he had to deal with her… The door swung open silently. He leaned against the door frame, staring at the back of the girl curled up on his floor. His annoyance peaked as he saw she had not changed. What was wrong with her? Did she want to be wet? Onnanoko wa baka desu! his thoughts screamed. (Stupid girl) Flexing his fingers, he took a deep breath. ”Do you like being cold and wet or am I missing something?” He wanted to threaten her, say that he would make her change if she didn’t do it herself, but the thought was a little too tempting… and it might scare her. Mostly the former. ”Come on. As soon as you are dressed in something dry I am taking you to Haven.” He began to close the door, then stopped. He couldn’t resist adding, ”Unless, of course, you like it here. Then you can stay. With me.” Now that should get her to change, without freaking her out, too! Hopefully…

[areyna]

Dazed in thought, Kiyoko trailed her finger across the floor. Her hands shook with every passing movement more so from the cold then her troubled nerves. She looked at the dry and warm clothes scattered on the bed almost longingly. She bit her lip as a hint of guilt accumulated within her. Why was she behaving like this? He was a stranger wasn’t he? She couldn’t trust strangers, right? Yet, he went put of his way to save her….was he a good stranger? The longer she thought about him the more she realized how truly kind and polite he was to her. The way he spoke to her full of concern and the way he handled her with care. But why? What was she to him? Why was this stranger so willingly nice to her? She sighed and shivered again. She stared at the bed.

“Where’s……where’s the harm in clothing…” she finally convinced herself to view nothing wrong.

Just as she prepared to move a muscle, the door opened and a voice, though soft, boomed in the silence. Kiyoko flinched and swung around abruptly, wide eyed.

“Do you like being cold and wet or am I missing something?” he said.

Kiyoko lost her words and the fright sent her heart pounding. She frowned pitifully and guilt rose again. She hid her face from him but perked up once he offered to take her to the Haven if she changed clothes. He muffled a few extra words but she pays no attention to them while distracted. Barely a split second after the door shut, Kiyoko dashed for the bed and snatched up the oversized outfit. She undressed, folder her clothes, slipped through the shirt and pulled the pants to her waist. The sleeves from the dark shirt engulfed her hands, hanging a couple inches down. She clutched tightly to the jeans which seemed monstrous to her tiny hips. She searched anxiously for a belt yet came up short. Still gripping a handful of the material she decided to deal with the problem.

Home. Home. Home. Her friend’s faces drove her. Snuggling her damp clothes to her chest, she trotted with caution down the stairway while making sure her jeans stayed at her waist. As she entered the living room her presence alone filled the space. Her “savior” was nowhere to be found. She spun in circles yet all she caught was furniture instead of a living, breathing being. She grew curious though she remembered he skilled in disappearances like the time they first met. She approached the front door planning her escape. She reached for the knob clasping the metal handle but something paralyzed her hand. They refused to turn. That unsettling feeling filled her once more. Guilt… What was she thinking….she could get lost again! No, that wasn’t the reason for the sentiment. She actually planned on ditching him after all he did for her? She felt…ashamed… Turning her back against the door, she crouched into a little ball hugging her knees and waited….impatiently waited.

[Ωᴚԑɲ]

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[atrb=background,http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab198/Orenji_Hana/Deviancy/Yama_Back.png] After shutting the door, he leaned against the wall. This could take a bit, couldn’t it? Sighing, he began walking toward the door at the end of the hall: the music room. He walked into the dimness and sat down on a long black stool. Lifting the lid, he ran his fingers across the old ivory keys. It had been a while since he had played this. Hitting a C key, he flinched; it needed tuning. Sighing, he started the task. Pianos didn’t really become unturned often, so its off-key pitch only showed how long it had been since he had played it. He liked pianos, though. They were one of the few instruments that could be played without an accompaniment. That was the song of his life, really. Always alone, even when with another person, he was never a part of their lives, nor did he have much effect on them. He was the bystander in the corner, standing in the shade without so much as his own shadow to keep him company. He had always liked it that way. But, with the arrival of Kiyoko— Wait, what? Arrival of Kiyoko? Why did that change anything? She was just a girl, nothing more, and maybe even less. She was a phoenix: emotionally unstable, fragile, and should have been his next meal. And here he was thinking it might be nice to play the piano with her. Not figuratively, of course, he told himself, but literally. If she played, that would be interesting. He’d never played a duet, though he had memorized many of them. Some duets he even played by himself, just to remind himself that he was alone. A sudden, rapid thumping echoed in his ears. At first he paid it no mind, but then he realized what it was. The stairs. Someone had gone down the stairs. But Kiyoko was the only one in the house. Why would she be running down the stairs? His eyes shot open wide. The front door was unlocked! Oh no… oh no oh no oh no. This could not be happening. Jumping up, he raced down the hall and jumped down the first three stairs. The instant he could fit between the railing and the ceiling he jumped over the side of the stairs. He landed on the living room floor and looked up at the door. It was closed? He sighed in relief and leaned on the back of the couch as he saw Kiyoko sitting, startled, at the bottom of the door. She was alright. She wasn’t gone, nor was she going to get lost again. This was a very good thing.

[areyna]

Kiyoko jerked as…Yama was it…as Yama’s feet stuck a landing. She placed a hand over chest and breathed hard.

“Don’t scare me like that.”

She gasped than covered her mouth once she realized she spoke out loud. Using the wall a support, she stood, grabbing her pants before they threatened to fall.

“I….I….want to go now.”

She twirled her hair and bit her lip nervously. She waved Yama over to emphasize her impatience. She hoped she wasn’t being too rude but she longed to go home. She opened the door and pulled the black jeans up from bellow her waist. She stepped out into a scenery of vast trees that seemed like they would never end. Every tree looked absolutely the same making Kiyoko whine. How in the world will they find their way back? She wondered, was her savoir really all that well at navigation? Did he really know where he was going? Has he ever left this tree before? She was starting to panic a little but pushed the emotion aside. What else did she have but him…she’ll have to trust his judgment. She saw he finally made his way into the open and smiled awkwardly as his eyes landed upon her. He caught up with her and she clung to his side feeling confused and lost in the ocean of green. It was this exact feeling which caused her to move closer to him. She wasn’t feeling very well and was having a hard time concentrating. She figured another presence would keep her semi-alert. With this thought in mind she proceeded to follow him in silence.