The Next Worse Thing

[Anzeh]

Gunner was sitting on the side of the winding path, squinting up at the sky. She didn't know where her pet Thylacine had gone off to, but she did know that she didn't like today so far. Her neck was killing her and the catches on some of her cloak's knives needed fixing, so while the cloak was out she felt open and defensless. Plus she was supposed to be out here meeting Soga and he hadn't showed up yet. Then again, in his defense, she was not carrying a watch, and had only an approximation of what time it was. But she inherently assumed he was late. It only seemed fitting with how bad this day was starting.

Bored she stood and began to work on some Capoeira, a brazillian mix of traditional fighting and dance. She would have loved to have some music in the background to accompany her, but last night her MP3 player fell into the sink while she was washing her face, so it was gone. Not that long ago she would have still been going through the motions of learning karate, but with her aging 3 years overnight it seemed to go through her entire life in fast forward. She knew all the arts she'd planned on studying over those years. Not only that, her taste in clothes changed.

She no longer wanted to pretend she didn't have a shape--now she wore anything that looked good, and since she started capoeira her shirts had become tighter so they didn't flip up, she wore pants high boots to keep things from flapping around. Aeon was now, definitively, a girl.

[Ωᴚԑɲ]

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[atrb=background,http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab198/Orenji_Hana/Deviancy/ShouBack03.png] Shoutoku glanced at the watch on his wrist as he walked down the path. Fifteen minutes early. That was good! Aeon shouldn’t be there yet. And if she was… he’d cross that bridge when he came to it. She wasn’t the type of girl you leave waiting and he wasn’t quite sure what her reaction would be if that happened. This is why he was early. He picked up his pace as he strode the last hundred yards or so to the meeting spot. He took a deep breath as he saw Gunner standing there. She looked perturbed… Well, he was in for an interesting day! Hopefully she wasn’t mad at him… He wasn’t late but there was no telling when it came to women, which is probably why he had avoided them for years. They were always so unpredictable and very demanding. In all they were more trouble than they were worth. That being said, Aeon was every bit worth the struggle. He wasn’t sure why, but she was. He assumed it was because he had been attracted to her because of her personality and nothing else. Now she was definitely prettier, and he couldn’t say he didn’t like it, but it was the fact that she was still herself that kept him with her. ”You’re here early!” He put a hand on her shoulder, a worried look taking over his face. ”Is everything alright?” He had read it somewhere, that it was better to actually ask and get yelled at than to risk coming across uncaring. Whether that was true or not… He was really hoping it was! Guess he’d find out…

[Anzeh]

Gunner sighed as she made her way through the last form and simply stood, pushing down her shirt and pulling up her pants. Why was he not here yet? Surely he knew what time it was! He was an entire hour late! Oh, she would give him hell for this...

Absently she tied her hair back into pigtails, otherwise it would drag on the ground. 'I should really consider cutting my hair...' she thought, wrapping her hair into round buns that left it to drop near her middle. For some reason this made her feel like Sailor Moon, but at least now she didn't have to constantly worry about it dragging along the ground.

The unicorn leaned over and picked up her jacket, pulling it tightly over her shoulders and leaning against a nearby tree. She was gonna leave if the griffin didn't show up soon...

And thus, Soga appeared!

She wheeled around, prepared to give him a piece of her mind and fist when he made the statement that she was early.

...Early?

One could almost see the elipses forming above her head as she contemplated this, then the moment of realization when her hand made contanct with her face.

"That's right. Daylight Savings. I totally forgot."

With a soft sigh she pushed her hands into her pockets and smiled at Soga. At least he was here, even if Gunner was like an hour early and could have spent this time much more productively than standing around.

Aeon gave a noncommital shrug. "Eh. Today hasn't really been going my way. How've things been with you, Soga?"

[Ωᴚԑɲ]

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[atrb=background,http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab198/Orenji_Hana/Deviancy/ShouBack03.png] Wait, she had forgotten about Daylight Savings? That meant... "You've been waiting here for an hour? Oh, gosh, I wish I'd come sooner!" He watched her, worried. If he was in her position he would be quite irritated, at himself more than anything, but irritated all the same. She seemed to be relatively alright with it, now that he was here, at least. "Things have gone pretty well," he said quietly. Shoutoku took a slow breath as a shiver ran down his spine. He hated how it was in his instincts to dislike when he was facing someone. The second he turned and the person was beside him instead of in front the irritation would go away. He had hoped Aeon would be different, that he could face her, but his special interest in her only helped the littlest bit. "Well, you ready to go?" He held out his hand and turned. The irritation was gone, just like he predicted.

[Anzeh]

"Yeah... I've been waiting here for an hour... atleast I've found a way to entertain myself." her hands in her pockets she turned to take his hand and walk down the path. It was a rather nice day, not that her annoyance at being left alone to rot under the tree had completely disappated. It was no one's fault but her own that she had come an hour too early... in fact, it was no one's fault except for her clock's for not being in synch with normal time.

At the same time, the time she had spent alone, serenely going through the motions of learning whatever martial art popped into her mind that she didn't know, Gunner had actually started to think. She thought about her entire life thus far. A few years older than she should be, with a boy she otherwise wouldn't know, who was also, now a few years older than her.

A breeze rolled past, slightly warm and tickling her face. "So Soga," She said casually like so many times before. "What are we going to do today?"

[Ωᴚԑɲ]

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[atrb=background,http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab198/Orenji_Hana/Deviancy/ShouBack03.png] He flinched unconsciously at the usage of his last name. He knew she didn’t mean it that way and she also probably didn’t understand what using his last name implied in his culture. Come to think of it… did she even know it was his last name? Probably not… He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He wouldn’t let it irritate him. But she had still proposed a good question. Where should they go? It was a valid question, to be sure, since he hadn’t really told her ahead of time. In fact, he didn’t really know what was around here to do… It didn’t seem like there was much, so he said, ”Well, it’s my first time here so I wouldn’t mind wandering about, in and out of the stores. I don’t usually walk around outside so I probably won’t get bored but if you do we’ll find something else to do, alright?” He knew that wasn’t very creative and that he should have planned better, but he had been busy trying to find new equipment. After his old things had been destroyed he’d been searching around, so this shop-hopping would also allow him to keep his eye out for anything he could use. He picked up his speed to reach the sidewalk. He looked at her. ”Are you okay with this?” He wanted to make sure she was okay with shopping, if only for a little. They may even run into a sweets shop, or a weapons shop, or a computer shop… No, he wouldn’t spend much time in the computer shop. Those things didn’t seem to hold Aeon’s attention so he wouldn’t bother with them today.

[Anzeh]

Aeon didn't notice that her man-friend for the day had flinched at what she said. Even if she had she probably wouldn't have said or done anything about it. After all, she wasn't exactly the reactionary type--if she saw that something was bothering someone nearby her first impulse was to help. But when it was something like a reaction to a word... or say, something like not liking to be faced (yeah, Gunner knew about that. She did it on purpose to annoy him, as she so enjoyed pushing his buttons), there was not much she could do, helpful or otherwise.

She listened to what he proposed as they rounded the corner into what could be called the shopping district. Aeon had only brought a scarce amount of cash with her, but she was sure it was more than enough. Although she had gotten older, the one thing that hadn't changed was her slightly fruegal nature. She had enough clothes to wear and wash and cycle, so the idea that she would ever need MORE than these clothes, or MORE shoes than her winter-fall-summer pairs was completely alien to her.

"Well, okay." Gunner said, skipping ahead a little to look at all the places they could go. Mentally, she ignored all the stores that specialized in clothing. She had no interest. Shoe stores soon followed.

Finally, all that was left was a sweets shop a couple miscellaneous other stores that she didn't quite understand.

"Let's go here!" She tugged him towards the shop with all the sweet goodies in it. "Come on Soga! Let's take a walk down memory lane, please?"

[Ωᴚԑɲ]

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[atrb=background,http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab198/Orenji_Hana/Deviancy/ShouBack03.png] Shoutoku chuckled as she skipped ahead, looking at all the shops. She wasn’t too interested in clothing, it seemed, or shoes. It wasn’t a surprise, though. More of a confirmation of previous speculation. This was fun, this outing. He would be able to get to know her better. He did not really know too much about her. Sure, he knew what she liked to eat, and her hobbies, and some of her not-so-great habits, but what were her views on different subjects? Like… children? Family? Jobs? Work ethic? Health? He could probably make some pretty accurate guesses, but that was all that they would be: guesses. He trotted a few steps to catch up to her. Just as he did so, she pulled on his arm, pulling him toward a shop. She was saying something about walking down memory lane? He looked up at the store name and he realized what she meant. He would have smiled but… there is was again, that stupid name.. Soga He was beginning to not like that name. If it was anyone else it wouldn’t bother him but coming from her, it was like nails raking a blackboard. She didn’t understand, of course she didn’t, but that didn’t make it any less annoying. They walked into the sweets shop and the sweet scent of peppermint washed over them. He smiled, remembering that day. Her sweet voice as she sang quietly a few rows away, his slow methodical steps as he walked closer. Her surprise when he suddenly complimented her. Later when they dueled, and even later as they ate in the old cafeteria… He almost missed the school, but he still had Aeon, and that was what mattered. ”If we are really going to walk down memory lane, you have to sing.” His voice said that he was teasing but he actually wanted to hear her again. She never sang for others, he knew, but he had never tried asking her before. Would she sing, just because he asked it? Did she like him that much yet? He knew he liked her to that extent. Her feelings, on the other hand, were not an open book.

[Anzeh]

”If we are really going to walk down memory lane, you have to sing.”

At first this declaration didn't make any sense... until she realized that the fact that it was because she was singing that day that started this oh-so important friendship. A few sparing notes were the only things that brought them together, a simple compliment and want of a gift for the cousin she didn't meet until much later.

Well, Aeon was all for authenticity, not to mention that Soga was pretty much her only friend. Although her voice was on strict reserve and almost never used, not even while she was alone, for some reason she felt like this was cause for singing. What had she been singing that day? She couldn't remember. So, instead of trying to remember what exactly she had sung, she decided that instead she would sing something else. One of the songs that she hadn't known about until after she had magically aged several years.

Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed
Some say love, it is a hunger
An endless aching need
I say love, it is a flower
And you, its only seed

It's the heart, afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
It's the dream, afraid of waking
That never takes the chance
It's the one who won't be taken
Who cannot seem to give
And the soul, afraid of dying
That never learns to live

When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long
And you think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snow
Lies the seed
That with the sun's love, in the spring
Becomes the rose

[/i]

With that, she slowed down and finished singing. Aeon felt that had they not been inside the candy shop she would have realized the depth of what she had just sung. Instead, as soon as she finished singing she realized that there was something nearby. Candy! Chocolate!! She ran to the shelf and smiled widely.

Gunner loved chocolate![/blockquote][/color]

[Ωᴚԑɲ]

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[atrb=background,http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab198/Orenji_Hana/Deviancy/ShouBack03.png] He smiled as she began to sing. It wasn’t the same song as before, he noticed, but her voice was just as beautiful. It might’ve even been more beautiful than before. That was probably due to the age change. Her voice was more mature now. The song she sang did not seem too old for her at all like it would have been if she had been younger. It was very fitting. He listened to the words and smiled to himself; she probably wasn’t’ paying any attention to what she was saying. In relation to where they were, it was not fitting whatsoever. He would rather that she sang this song when they were alone, or at least on a date, so that he could take her into his arms and kiss her. Here, in the candy shop, she was way too distracted. He couldn’t blame her, though, because the chocolate did indeed look good. She ran off to the shelves and he followed slowly behind her. ”You have a beautiful voice,” he whispered to her like he had done that day. Then he turned to the adjacent shelf to look for candy. ”Anything in particular you looking for, or just candy?” He didn’t actually know what kinds of candy she liked, or if she simply liked them all, so he might as well ask. He himself wasn’t too partial to much candy, but he had had this one sweet when he was a child. He had never looked hard, nor for long, nor very often, so it was no surprise that it was nowhere to be found. Skimming the shelf for a second, he snatched a bag of Reasons and turned to Aeon. ”You ready to go or you want to look some more?” He assumed that the answer was ‘no’ but he asked anyway. If she was ready to go then they could check out. If not he would go find some lemon drops and orange slices.

[Anzeh]

Gunner, as was the stereotype for most women, had an affinity for candy. Her favorite had always been candy, especially chocolate with nuts in it. Well, certain kinds of nuts. As she had matured she had... not 'gotten used to' per se, but 'accepted' her limited dietary freedom. As she picked up a chocolate bar, she mused on the fact that as a horse, she shouldn't be able to eat this and still be completely fine.

Taking the shiny chocolate from the shelf, she turned it this way and that, pondering the little gem she had dug up. Why could she, as a horse, eat chocolate without causing damage to herself? Her parents were both horses...

Speaking of which, she wondered why Soga was in here. He was a hawk, which limited him to bloody meat, didn't it? And then it would turn out like it did about a year ago, with him having to run off and throw up. The food that she ate would be like nutritious poison to him. Did chocolate add to that?

For that matter, why did--

MARSHMALLOWS!

Gunner took her chocolate and ran to a shelf that house a wall of colorful softness. She reached up on her tippy toes, trying to grab a multicolored bag. Aeon had only ever taken Marshmallows melted, in cups of coco that she drank to keep herself awake when she didn't want to sleep. She had drank it religiously while she was at school, even before the age drop.

But. alas, her prize was out of reach.

"Ah, crap. Soga..." She whined, now jumping in an attempt to secure the mushy mallows. "Could you get those for me?"

[Ωᴚԑɲ]

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[atrb=background,http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab198/Orenji_Hana/Deviancy/ShouBack03.png] He watched her as she picked out a few things. She stared at a piece of chocolate, thinking for a second. Probably something about whether it had nuts and was dark chocolate or something of that sort. And since that was the case, he could go get some of his own candy. He didn’t eat it often, but sometimes when reading or working on long projects he wasn’t hungry enough to eat meat but had the munchies. The Orange Slices were actually perfect for that. They didn’t dissolve quickly and they didn’t have much substance. Same with the Lemon Drops. Reasons, on the other hand, were just dark chocolate and dark caramel. These he would probably save for a time when Aeon was in a bad mood. Girls liked chocolate, didn’t they? She called him and he turned, the little nagging in his mind bugging him again. That name, that stupid annoying name! He didn’t want to hear it anymore! He reached for the bag, pulling the tip to where it would fall into her waiting hands. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her close. “Do me a favor, Aeon? Call me Shoutoku, not Soga.” If she asked why, and he was sure she would, he would tell her, and then everything would be okay. She would start calling him Shoutoku and he would no longer be annoyed with his father’s name. He liked his father so he didn’t like how annoying the name was becoming. But even more than that, he wanted her to call him by his first name. That was what really mattered here.

[Anzeh]

A bright smile came to her face as the bag dropped into her hands. She felt accomplished, for some reason, even though it was entirely thanks to Soga that she had procured this wonderful little treat. Aeon opened her mouth, prepared to thank him for his help and skip off to the counter, but instead the griffin wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her nearer to him.

She felt this rather than saw it. Gunner felt his arm slink around her middle, and the shift in proximity... for some odd reason she rather liked this. Kind of how she liked being called Aeon although she hated that name with an intense passion. It meant something in her language that she didn't want to remember.

When Soga told her to stop calling him Soga and to start calling him Shoutoku. Then, she was confused. At their informal meeting, he had introduced himself as Soga. So why would he want to be called Shoutoku? That was much longer and much more complicated.

It wasn't like her name where it went from six letters to four. In this case it went from four letters to eight.

"But why So--I mean Shoutoku?" She asked, tilting her head slightly to the left. "Isn't Soga your name?"

[Ωᴚԑɲ]

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[atrb=background,http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab198/Orenji_Hana/Deviancy/ShouBack03.png] He smiled to himself when she said his name. He quite liked it, being called by his name. It made him happy and it almost seemed like it added something to their relationship. It was silly to think that a name could do that, but it felt like it did. Aeon had asked, like he guessed she would. To the best of her knowledge, Shoutoku was his last. That, however, was not true. He had wanted to tell her before now, but it had never seemed the right time. He could take it, he had thought. Evidently, he was wrong.Now it just needed explaining. ”Well, it is and it isn’t. It’s my last name. My first name is Shoutoku. It is normal in my culture to call each other by our last names until we know each other better. Since we are dating now...” She seemed to like it that he called her Aeon, so it only made sense that he would like being called by his first name. It made sense to him, at least. He let go of her and stepped back. ”Just how I call you Aeon, I would like it if you called me Shoutoku.” He didn’t know why he repeated it; he just felt it might need repeating. For clarity. Suddenly, he remembered the chocolates in his hand. Maybe he should ask if she liked them before he bought them. Yes, that was a good idea. "Do you like dark chocolate and caramel?"

[Anzeh]

Aeon wasn't a zenophobe. But to be honest it was kind of strange to be called by their last name as part of a culture. Gunner liked going by her second name only because of her obsession with cross dressing when she was younger. Aeon was far too feminine for someone to believe it was a boy's name. Plus, Gunner just sounded cooler.

It was both a question of being incognito and aestheticism.

Still, Shoutoku was really long... "Do you mind if I just call you Shou? Shoutoku is too long. It has three whole syllables."

If she thought about it in those terms, it made Shou seem like a much easier thing to say, and when it came to talking Gunner loved the easy way. After all, horses weren't known for being particularly talkative. Actually, they weren't known for being violence-prone chocolate lovers.

When he asked the question about the chocolates he had picked up, she didn't hear it. Well, her brain registered that she had been asked a question, but it didn't quite hear what the question was. Mostly because of that one word Shou had used to describe their relationship.

Dating.

Dating?

Dating?!

Aeon blinked a couple times to jog her brain. "Uh... Shou? We're not dating...

"Well, unless you want to formerly ask me to complete your lonely, pathetic, and empty life with my presence as your girlfriend."

To be completely honest, Gunner didn't thing Shou would answer. Aeon was convinced that he hadn't meant to call their outing a date, but still. It was in jest. After all, they were just friends, right?

...Right?...