|
Kyran held onto the things that Hikari had handed him. He followed after her as she moved around the store; Looking up at a couple of the people still left inside the store. He barely made eye contact with any of them and offered a slight smile when he managed to meet someone's eyes. Considering the size of the town and the number of people who lived in it he knew they were just as uncomfortable as he was if not more. He was almost positive that no one would bother coming up to them and saying anything, but you could never be sure. He sighed softly and almost bowed his head apologetically as he passed by one of the clerks who was stocking a shelf. He was certain that them being here couldn't be good for business. As Hikari searched through the different clothing he looked more closely at the things he had in his hands. He was a typical guy who didn't care too much for shopping and only did when it was necessary. So he'd go into the store grab what he needed and then leave.
LaRae sighed heavily listening to what Nanashi was saying, only wanting to come back with 'Well I wouldn't be cut right now if you hadn't tried to take my knife...'. But she kept her mouth shut knowing that saying something like that would only alienate him. She winced a little every time he dabbed at her cut with the bandage. She shifted her eyes back towards the ground; Standing completely still while he cleaned up the wound. She didn't say a single word. Her ears laid back and her tail lay limp resting on the ground; Much as if she'd been scolded for something. She didn't think she was reckless; Maybe a little impulsive but not reckless. |
Hikari was quiet, paying little attention to anyone else in the store now but Kyran. She knew these people didn't overly want them there, but she wasn't going to act ashamed of needing supplies. She continued to shift through the clothes until she found some things around her side, though she allowed a little larger for LaRae's body shape, seeing as LaRae was a bit more filled out than she was herself. She picked out a soft leather halter top that clasped around the neck with a brass band, and came down to points in the front and back, and then a pair of dark blue denim pants with leather laces that laced most of the way up each side. "...Well...I suppose these will do for LaRae..." she said unsurely. They were barely like what LaRae was wearing when she first came here, but that was as close as she could find. After rummaging for a bit more she found another smaller sized garment for Aamori. It was a pair of ocean blue shorts that closely or identically matched the color of Aamori's shirt. Over the shorts hung two pieces of fabric with white trim at the edge that laced together down the sides with white ribbon, giving it the appearance of a skirt. She thought it would go alright with Aamori's current top and be a bit more practical for traveling since skirts could tend to be a pain. "And this for Aamori..." She turned back to Kyran, smiling almost apologetically at her pickiness. She could have probably done better on both accounts, but she was trying to keep what she thought they may be comfortable in in mind as well as what would look decent on them (since she was a girl and tended to take that into consideration) and what was fastest to find that fit under both of those categories. "I will pay for the clothes if you will get what you are carrying." she offered. She had brought plenty with her, so she didn't want to hinder Kyran's wallet too much.
Nanashi kept his attention on the cut, dabbing it gently until it stopped, or at least very nearly stopped bleeding. He then looked up at LaRae's face, noticing her downcast expression. His own ears laid back slightly as he looked at her, thinking about what he'd said. Well he couldn't very well take it back now, it was already out there. He got to his feet again slowly and looked down at her for a moment before almost timidly reaching one arm around her neck as he moved a little closer to her, rather than pulling her toward him, and the other slowly and very gently went around her back as he leaned his head against hers lightly. "...It's alright..." he said softly. He did think her actions on most cases were a bit reckless...and usually seemed to result in her getting hurt, but he could deal with that and if at all possible try to prevent it. He didn't want her to think he was mad at her...just a little frustrated with her refusal to do what was needed with her wings. |
Kyran didn't pay very much attention to the rest of the shopping that Hikari was doing. He just stood still holding the items in his hands, looking around the store every so often. He jumped slightly when Hikari spoke to him once she was finished. He looked down at her and smiled softly. "Don't worry about who is paying for what, I've got it covered; Completely." He stated just before turning lightly on his heel and walking back towards the front of the store. "I suppose that after this stuff has been paid for all that remains is to get some food to take back." He paused looking over his shoulder slightly. "I'm sure that the others are just as hungry as we are, if not more" He stopped at the front of the store finally and set the stuff he had in his hands down on the counter, waiting on Hikari to set the stuff she had down too. Kyran merely smiled warmly at the petite thunder dragon that stood behind the counter. From the girl's body language you could tell she was extremely uncomfortable and she had yet to say a word to either of them. She avoided eye contact with Hikari and just barely looked up at Kyran.
LaRae blushed slightly when he pressed his head against hers, which also caused her to slowly lift her eyes up from the ground. Though she still tried to avoid looking at him. She was somewhat at a loss for words, here he had practically scolded her and then he was telling her it was alright. She felt all mixed up because she'd only ever been yelled at by her adopted family and then punished for what ever reason they came up with. So being told it was alright, rather then being punished really confused her a bit. She sighed softly feeling the bandages loosen again on her wings, causing them to drop down slightly. She winced as they shifted, her ears still lay low as the pain subsided. Her wings still hurt,'Wonderful...'. She thought to herself nearly regretting cutting the bandages from her waist. At least when her wings were tightly bound to her she couldn't feel the pain, which was partially the reason why she thought it was safe to let them down. She shifted her eyes back towards the ground briefly. "...I-I... Should go find Aamori..." She mumbled thinking Aamori could at least help her tie up what was left of the fabric to stop the wave of pain she felt everytime her wings moved. |
Hikari smiled slightly when Kyran offered to get everything. "Are you sure?" she asked as they walked to the counter. She glanced over and smiled in her usual friendly manner to the girl standing behind the counter as she put down what she was carrying. She could easily tell that the girl was uncomfortable, but she really didn't see why. She had to glance down at herself and wonder if she looked ragged or if it was just because she wasn't from around here. She hung back a little to let Kyran take care of this since he'd offered and since the girl seemed slightly more comfortable with him.
Nanashi glanced down to LaRae again when she said that she should go find Aamori. He'd noticed the way she cringed when her wings moved, so he knew that they still hurt her. "Alright." He said softly as he stepped back and removed his arms from around her, though he placed his hands on her shoulder. "Would you like me to come with you?" he asked, tilting his head slightly. |
Kyran watched as the small girl started to take everything and add up the cost. She seemed to be more comfortable around him, rather then around Hikari. Not to mention she had something to do which kept her mind off the Light dragon. The girl was young, so Hikari was probably the first Light dragon she'd ever seen; Which would explain why she acted the way she did. He smiled softly when the young girl finally spoke up to tell him the total. Her voice was very low, so much so that he had to bend down to have her repeat it so he could hear her. He nodded and reached around to his back pocket, the one opposite the holding place of the parchment and pulled out a beat up old leather wallet. It was a pathetic excuse for a money holder, and looked like it would fall apart at any moment. Though, Kyran had really liked the wallet and didn't want to part with it. He sighed softly as he set more then enough Gil down on the counter and then picked up the stuff he had bought. If anything Kyran was at least very generous; This small town could use the extra Gil. He smiled warmly and shook his head no when the small girl tried to give him his change. He held the bag the stuff was put in, in his arm and looked at Hikari. "We can go now." He paused and started to head towards the door. He stopped only to hold it open for Hikari.
LaRae reluctantly lifted her eyes to look at his face for a moment, then dropped her eyes once more to the ground. "...You don't have to..." She mumbled then took a step back so that he was no longer able to touch her shoulders. She gave a weak smile and then walked past him a few feet then knelt down placing her hand palm side down to the ground. She shut her eyes and her palm glowed softly though it seemed like absolutely nothing was happening. Her eyes opened slowly and she sighed softly rising to her feet again, now knowing where she would look first. Rather then walk all over the forest looking for Aamori she decided to use the plants to her advantage to see which way most of the roots were pointing. Surely, they'd be pointing towards the largest water source. Which was where she knew Aamori would be. She was going to say something else to Nanashi, but shut her mouth before a word could fall from her lips. She knew opening her mouth would only give him time to say how she shouldn't be using her magic; Yet again. Instead she just started walking in the direction the plants had told her to go. |
Hikari waited patently as the girl added up the total and Kyran paid her. She was getting ready to take the bag when Kyran snagged it before she could. She glanced to him and nodded when he said they could go now and turned to follow him, though she looked over at the girl one more time with another smile, "Goodbye." she said softly as she started off after Kyran. She looked at him and shook her head with a slight smile as he held the door for her. She stepped outside and looked back to him. "Thank you." she said simply before glancing around again. "Well...now where do we go?"
Nanashi waited for a moment and then sighed when he saw her using her magic again. He wanted to say something, but knew it would do no good. She wouldn't listen to him. He stated to go after her when she walked away and then sighed again, staying where he was. He guessed he didn't really need to shadow her everywhere... but then again wherever Aamori was there was likely to be water, and he really needed to do something with his feet. He went back to grab his boots and hers, and then started after her again silently, wincing every now and then when he stepped on something that poked into his foot a little. |
Kyran shut the door behind him and smiled at Hikari. "Your welcome." He stated, then started to look around to the different small stores in the town. He wasn't sure which one would serve food, it didn't look like there was a restaurant or anything like that in the town. He finally spotted a bakery by the looks of it. He sighed softly knowing that wasn't very much for food, but it'd have to due for now. Though, if he had felt like cooking something himself he could easily have bought some produce inside the general store; Or from the cart he spotted on his way into the town. "I suppose we can head over to that bakery, I'm almost positive they will have a little something that everyone would like" Kyran wouldn't come right out and admit it, but he wanted something from that bakery. A special type of bread that only the Thunder clan made; It was quite delectable. It had also been years since he'd had the time to find a small bakery that made it, so he was eager to check it out and see if they had it.
LaRae didn't look back to see if he was following her, she was almost certain he would. She probably looked strange the way she was walking; Since she didn't have her boots on and had forgotten them back by the tree she was barefoot. The ground in the forest didn't bother her very much, she was actually used to walking on such terrain. Though she did walk practically on her toes the whole time. She was incredibly nibble when barefoot and could be quite clusty with her boots on. Her ears started to twitch as she began to hear the sounds of running water; Clearly from a water fall. She came to a stop next to a tree that lined the rather large lake; She braced herself against the tree and looked around for Aamori. She was a bit surprised to not see her right away, but continued to look for her without moving from the tree. Aamori had been for lack of better words playing in the water. When LaRae came around she had been under the water; Her head popped up making a splash, causing a ripple. She reached her hand up to her face and brushed her hair from her eyes, turning around in the water and noticing LaRae almost instantly. She smiled and swam over to the edge of the lake rather quickly and set her arms on the edge to pull herself up from the water slightly. "Hey, are you alright? You look like you're in pain..." She tilted her head to the side and then noticed the bandages hanging loosely from her wings. She shook her head laughing softly. "At least they stayed on this long... I expected them to be off of you last night.." |
Hikari nodded, "Alright then." She agreed easily enough as she followed him toward the bakery. She was pretty sure that each of them could agree on a pastry or piece of bread easily enough, though she would have preferred something less dry. She was more of a fruit eater herself, though she was also very fond of fish and the occasional fowl, other animals meats were not quite so appealing to her, and most vegetables were just...disgusting.
Nanashi didn't bother LaRae as they walked, and was a bit amused by the way she carried herself without her boots. She looked to him more like she was trying to dance than walk. When she stopped he paused behind her, watching as Aamori got out of the water and laughed about her bandages handing off. He'd at least got them to stay on longer than had been anticipated at least. "...Can you see if you can get them back on?" he asked softly, glancing to LaRae. "I think she's wishing she hadn't removed them now..." He sat her boots down on the ground beside her and then slipped past her, moving toward the water slowly on his tender feet and sighed when he reached the bank and sat down. He pulled his pants legs up to his mid calf, barely enough to reveal his caramel colored legs which if one looked closely enough could see were marred with scars a shade or two lighter than his skin. He slowly slipped his feet into the water, wincing slightly as the cool liquid hit the raw blisters, though he relaxed quickly enough. He could stand to sit there like that for a while, but after a short time the cool water made him shiver slightly as his feet grew cold. Perhaps if it was hotter outside this would feel better but right now it was rather unpleasant as he was extremely sensitive to cold. He sent to pull his coat a little tighter and then remembered that it was still with LaRae. |
Kyran again held the door open for Hikari once he reached the bakery. Entering behind her and letting the door shut slowly behind him. His ears perked up slightly as he sniffed the air; The pleasant aromas filled his nose and he couldn't help but smile softly. He walked over to the counter and knelt down looking through the glass covered case at the different breads and pastries. His stomach growled loudly and he gently placed his hand over it trying to quiet it. He wasn't completely sure which bread was the one he wanted, they all looked the same to him. He must have looked like a small child in a candy store eyeing the different things in the case. His ears twitched when he heard someone leaning over the counter to look at him; He glanced up to see an older woman from his clan smiling down at him. He lifted a hand up and rubbed the back of his head gently as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face. "...Sorry..." He had not meant to be all over the case like he was, but he was hungry and his stomach kind of took over. The lady smiled again telling him it was quite alright. She didn't appear to be phased by Kyran's or Hikari's presence; Which was somewhat of a surprise to him.
LaRae sighed and moved a bit closer to the edge of the lake where Aamori was at; Before she stepped away from the tree she set down Nanashi's coat on top of her boots. It was less likely to be left behind that way because she couldn't very well walk any great distance without her boots. She sat down on the ground next to Aamori, wincing as her wings slipped down a little more. The fabric was almost completely off her wings by this point. She glanced over at Nanashi for a brief moment before focusing her attention on Aamori. "...It was itchy..." She mumbled, trying to come up with some sort of good excuse for cutting up the bandages that bound her wings. Aamori looked at Nanashi when he asked about putting the wraps back on. "I'll see what I can do..." She stated, waiting for LaRae to come closer to her so that she could see what she had to work with. Once LaRae sat down next to her she gently reached her hand across and placed it at the base of her wings; Her hands were cold, not to mention still a little damp from being in the water for so long. She pulled her hand back for a moment when she saw LaRae flinch. "Sorry, can't help how cold my hands are..." She stated before placing her hand back where she had previously. She then took her other hand and started to pull the fabric from her wings seeing the shape it was in. It was clear, there was no way she'd be able to use this; There just wasn't enough anymore. It had been cut into too many pieces. She noticed the slice in LaRae's side almost immediately and moved her hand to touch it; Again watching LaRae flinch. "You always were the one getting hurt..." She mumbled thinking about their past; They had grown up together for a couple years, so she knew quite a bit about her. She sighed softly and looked back over to Nanashi. "I'm sorry but the fabric is in too many small pieces from how she cut them off. We'll have to wait until Kyran and Hikari get back." She paused remembering she had not told anyone else where they'd gone off to. "...oh...yeah. They went into the town to pick up some supplies. They should be back any time now" She stated smiling softly before looking back to LaRae's wings. She went to touch one of the area's where the bones were clearly shattered but pulled her hand back. "Ya' know LaRae... I'm sure if you got into the water you're wings could stay unbound and not be in so much pain..." Of course that was merely a suggestion; Aamori didn't have anything to prove if that would work, but ideally it seemed like it could relieve the pressure or something like that. |
Hikari stepped into the bakery and again nodded and thanked Kyran as she passed before looking around. She took inhaled the aroma oh baked goods and smiled. She looked around for a moment and then watched as Kyran eagerly went to gazing at the food. She giggled when she heard his stomach rumble and shook her head before looking up to noticed to woman smiling at him. She was, in a word, relieved to see someone who seemed calm in their presence and smiled back at the woman warmly. "These smell great," she commented, "and look even better." she added as she gazed around and then laughed again at Kyran, "Don't start drooling yet, we have to buy them fist." she said lightly.
Nanashi glanced back over to Aamori when she said that she couldn't do anything and nodded. He could see why; part of the bandage was around his hand. His gaze returned to the water and he flexed his toes slightly as he sat there. He listened to what Aamori had to say and was glad to know that Hikari and Kyran had gone to get better prepared...this was already turning out to be a rough trip. After Aamori's suggestion he glanced back to LaRae and nodded, "...It is an idea..." he put in quietly. He seemed a little more shy in Aamori's presence. "...At least...if it helps it will be worth getting wet again." |
Kyran slowly, trying to be discrete lifted his arm up to brush across his face. He couldn't help but drool at all the food; He had not eaten in at least three days. His eyes lingered only a few moments longer before he started to stand up straight. He wanted to ask the lady behind the counter about the bread he was remembering but wasn't sure how to go about asking. His stomach growled again and he sighed softly looking to the lady just about to say something to her.
She smiled softly and had turned her back to Kyran rummaging around on the work space behind her; Turning back to him with a silver plate in hand and set it down on top of the counter. "Here, have some of this to quiet your stomach." She said laughing softly. "It's fresh bread, just came out of the oven. Please both of you, help yourselves." She left the silver plate on the counter and turned her back to them again and started to slice some of the other bread that she had finished; preparing it for the case. "Just let me know if you need anything else" She said softly as she worked. Kyran wasted very little time reaching for a couple pieces of bread from the plate. He smiled warmly "Thank you very much, Miss" The bread was indeed fresh, you could tell because it was still warm. He bit into a slice of the bread and smiled again, suddenly losing the need to ask about the bread he was looking for. It was in his mouth and hands currently. He made a quiet very pleased sound as he continued to munch on the pieces he had in his hands. The bread had a very unique sweet taste that was hard to produce, it was special and only made here in the Thunder Clan territory. It'd been some time since he'd been able to taste this and was trying his best not to scarf it down in one bite. LaRae sighed heavily hearing what Aamori had suggested. She wasn't exactly sure she wanted to get into the water; From how cold Aamori's hands were she could tell the water couldn't be warm which made her weary. She involuntarily went to flex her wings and nearly doubled over from a burst of pain. She bit her lip rather hard to keep from hissing in pain. She slowly started to straighten her back and sit back up once the pain subsided a little. She looked over at Aamori and nearly glared at her for even suggesting the water but figured it could probably help. She glanced over at Nanashi and couldn't believe that he too was agreeing with Aamori; Yet again. Rather then sit here and argue with them both about this she sighed and scooted closer to the edge of the water and set her feet in. A shiver went rushing up her spine; But forced herself to slip into the water the rest of the way. She shook from the cold that surrounded her body; Though the pain in her wings did subside considerably. She sighed softly and moved to the edge of the water, placing her hands on the edge and peering over it at Aamori. "..." Aamori was surprised to see LaRae actually listen to her without giving her any lip. She watched her friend get into the water and then attach herself to the edge. "I know it's cold LaRae, but stay there for a little while. It should help" She smiled softly and turned so that she was sitting facing the water. "Oh, if you get too cold let me know. We'll have to pull you out before you freeze..." |
Hikari laughed softly at Kyran again and then nodded to the woman in thanks. "Thank you, ma'am." she said in a pleased tone as she stepped up closer to Kyran's side. She took one slice of the bread and one small bite out of the corner. Instantly her eyes widened in mild surprise at the flavor. She swallowed before commenting on how good it was. "I've never had anything like this before." she mused as she looked down at the bread in her hand before taking another bite. As usual, Hikari ate very slowly and very little. She could tell that Kyran was enjoying this a little too much so with a smile she gently pushed the plate in his direction, offering him what was left. Apparently this was why he was so enthused about coming here. Honestly, she could see why. She wished the bread in her territory was this good.
Nanashi glanced over to LaRae, though looked away again quickly at the look she gave him. Why did she always seem to peeved that he agreed with Aamori over something that was for her own well being? He'd finally had all of the water that he could stand and pulled his feet back, quickly tugging down his pants legs in spite of the water clinging to his lower leg. He was clearly against having his bare skin showing, mainly because of the scars or cuts that remained there. He even wore elbow length gloved to hide his lower arms from view. Those simply covered several defensive wounds. He set his feet in the grass again and sighed, falling backwards on the ground with his eyes closed. This trip was already grating on his nerves...and his feet. |
Kyran finished the last piece of bread in his hand and happened to notice the plate being pushed in his direction. He let his hands drop to his side and he sighed softly. He had realised how he was acting and quickly corrected himself, mostly from slight embarrassment. "I'm rather surprised that you like it Hikari" He stated looking down at her and smiling. "Most other clans are put off by the breads sweet taste" He stated as he then looked back to the woman behind the counter; Who had been so nice to them. "Miss" He started and waited for her to turn back around. "I'd like a couple loafs of this bread, along with some of the regular bread." He started to glance back down at the case, something else caught his eye. "Oh! and some of these little puff-things" He said pointing into the case at what looked like a desert. "And of course anything that she wants too" He looked over his shoulder slightly to Hikari.
The woman smiled and started to gather the different things that Kyran had said he wanted. Gathering the loafs of bread she set them down on her work space and wrapped them up in light white cloth. Then continued on to the case to get some of the puffs that he pointed out; Continuing to do the same with them as she had with the bread. She turned to Hikari with a warm smile "Is there anything you see that you'd like?" She paused. "Or anything you'd like me to make for you?" LaRae lowered her head slightly into the water and started blowing bubbles with her mouth. Perhaps out of boredom. Her eyes traveled over to Nanashi as he laid down on the ground. She continued to blow bubbles in the water until Aamori leaned forward and smacked her on the head telling her to stop. Her head dunked into the water and she quickly brought herself back up coughing lightly. "...What was that for?" She muttered grabbing hold of the edge once again. Aamori sat back down and shook her head at LaRae. "It was annoying, that's all" She started to glance over at Nanashi herself but caught her eyes and focused back on LaRae. "You need to just relax, try floating or something... Just to get your mind off how bored you are" She crossed one leg over the other and leaned back on her hands. She started to look up at the sky above thinking of something she meant to ask her friend. "...Are things still the same with your... so called family?" LaRae sighed and tried to relax but considering how cold she was starting to get that was nearly impossible. Her ears twitched several times when she heard the question that Aamori had asked. She hesitated saying anything at first, mostly because she had started to let it go after talking about everything with Nanashi. She sighed again and lowered herself so that all you could see from the edge of the water were her eyes; Though her whole face was still above the water. "...Yeah..." She paused shifting her glance off the side. "...Nothing has changed... You know what, will still happen..." Her whole tone had changed, back to the saddened one she had the night before. She was careful with her wording, but was sure Nanashi would pick up on what she was referring to. Unfortunately Aamori too, was well aware of LaRae and her Clan. |
Hikari just smiled at Kyran when he straightened himself up. Hikari blinked in surprise when said that he was surprised that she liked it. "Don't you mean most other people?" she said with a smile, "Just because I'm from the light clan doesn't mean that I have everyone else's taste buds an thrive on eating the same dull tasting things every day." She smiled again and as if to make a point ripped off another small bite of bread with her teeth and chewed on it happily. She turned her attention back to the case as Kyran started to order things, barely listening until the woman addressed her. She looked up a bit startled and then down to the case again before looking back to the woman. She wasn't too sure what most of these other things tasted like aside from the ones she's tries...which consisted of the regular bread. "Erm...well..." she said a bit uncomfortably. She looked as if she had something in mind that she wanted to ask for, but she hated to put the woman through the trouble of baking something just for her, and on top of that it would take a while, "No thank you, I believe I am good." she said brightly.
Nanashi blinked and glanced toward the girls when he heard LaRae complaining and only half smiled, though it faded quickly when Aamori asked about LaRae's family. Because LaRae could even answer he wished that Aamori had not asked. He didn't want to hear that sad tone in LaRae's voice again. He sighed quietly at her answer and rolled himself over onto his stomach before pushing himself up on hands and knees and crawling the short distance over to them only to flatten out on his stomach again with his arms crossed over the grass in front of him near the edge of the bank in front of LaRae. He just stared at her silently with those large ruby eyes as he rested his chin on his arms. His ears laid back again and he gave her that same worried gaze. After a moment he raised his head and shook it slowly reaching out with his bandaged hand to sweep her dripping bangs away from her face gently. He wanted her to look at him, but he doubted that she would. |
Kyran was a little surprised to see Hikari not order anything. He smiled slightly and looked at the case once more before looking up at the woman and asking for one more thing. "Can we get a couple of those croissants too?" When he saw the woman nod, he turned back to look at Hikari. "And no, I don't mean other people." He paused. "You're the only person I've met outside of my Clan that likes that bread. It's a lot easier to categorize it by Clan rather then individual people because the majority hate the bread. Now, if the majority loved the bread then I'd probably have said 'people'." He smiled slightly and then turned his attention back to the woman on the other side of the counter.
The woman had reached into the case one last time to grab the other thing that Kyran had asked for. She smiled and wrapped them up; Adding them to a bag she'd started to fill with the things he'd ordered. She lifted the bag up and set it down on the counter next to the silver plate; Then looked over at Hikari again. "Are you sure you don't want anything?" She asked politely as she started to add up the costs of everything. Aamori sighed softly looking at LaRae. "So you've still got that thing on your back too, don't you?" She asked as she quirked a brow. She glanced over at Nanashi watching him move over to LaRae. Of course after seeing how he was acting towards LaRae made her curious of their relationship. But she'd wait and ask that when he wasn't around her friend. LaRae watched as Nanashi moved closer to her, and sighed softly. "You didn't need to come over here..." She mumbled as she started to look away but when he moved her bangs she couldn't help but stare at him. Her ears laid back when she heard Aamori's other question; She had forgotten that Aamori knew about that. Her eyes darted off to the side and she stuttered slightly. "...Y-yes..." She paused hesitating. "...I-It's... s-still th-there..." |
Hikari simply wrinkled her nose at Kyran and smiled slightly after he corrected her. She guessed she was just different in more ways than one. After the woman spoke again she looked back to her and smiled, "No...I would hate to have you go through the trouble of making something else... besides we wouldn't have time to wait. I can get one when I get home." she said softly with a polite bow, "Thank you for asking, though."
Nanashi looked over to Aamori and then back to LaRae, tilting his head slightly. He blinked, obviously curious, but he refrained from asking. He guessed if it was something that LaRae wanted him to know about she would have told him before. He sighed and gently pushed her hair back again before pulling his hand away. He opened his mouth to start to sat something, but before any sound came out in the form of words he yelped in surprise as something soft and wet splatted against his cheek and clung there. "Ah what the!?" he tried to look at his cheek but he had no idea what was on him until he heard a quiet sound that was distinctly...froggish. A small pale green tree frog had apparently decided that his face looked like a good place to sit for a while. Nanashi groaned and swiped at it, but it only jumped away onto his shoulder before hopping again to sit on top of his head. He closed one eye and looked up through his bangs and sighed. "..." I hope this thing doesn't decide it needs to use the bathroom... |
Kyran reached into his back pocket again and pulled out his wallet so that he could pay for the food. He smiled softly and handed the woman enough Gil to pay for the food, plus what she had shared with them on the plate. He then reached for the other bag and held it in his free hand. He turned to look at Hikari. "Okay, I think we've got everything we need now... We can head back." He stated as he started to walk towards the door. He stood for a moment staring at the door as if he was waiting for it to open; His tail uncurled and crept over to the handle wrapping itself around it and then pulled it open. He smiled slightly and waited for Hikari. "I'm sure everyone else is starved" He paused and looked back at the woman behind the counter. "Thank you again, Miss"
LaRae's eyes focused on the frog that jumped onto Nanashi's face. Her eyes widened slightly as he tried to swat it and it moved to his head. She laughed softly seeing that the frog had made itself at home on top of his head. "It looks like you have an admirer" She said trying not to laugh again. She pushed herself up from the water and leaned over the edge; Her legs still in the water. Then reached over to try and grab the frog from on top of his head. She was careful and wrapped her fingers around the waist of the frog and picked it up off his head. She wasn't expecting it to feel so slimy so as she was pulling it away from Nanashi she accidentally let go of it. She started to pull her hand back but the frog jumped onto it and then traveled up to her shoulder. Surprisingly enough the frog itself didn't bother her; She was used to them in her territory. She sighed softly and lowered herself back into the water a little more; Making sure to keep the frog out of the water. Aamori didn't move at all and just shook her head when the frog ended up on LaRae. She chuckled softly. "I think that frog may have originally been wanting to be on LaRae; It had to detour apparently" |
Hikari smiled slightly when Kyran opened the door with his tail and laughed quietly. "Show off." she said playfully as she started forward. She glanced back to the woman one more time and smiled again, giving her a wave and a pleasant "Goodbye" before heading out into the street again. She blinked as she stepped into the sunlight which instantly set off her white-silver hair and made the scales of her tail shimmer. She sighed and shook her head, "Are there every any clouds here?" she asked, glancing back to Kyran again, "Or do I just need to go roll in the dust?"
Nanashi watched the frog go to LaRae and laughed, though he almost cut himself short since he not only startled himself but didn't know if she thought it was all that funny. That was the first time in a while he'd gotten beyond a quiet chuckle when he laughed. He blinked and then just smiled. "Heh..." He glanced away shyly for a moment and then looked back to LaRae again. "Well....she can keep it." he said with a grin, "...so long as she keeps it off of my face." He teased. |
Kyran pulled the door shut behind him with his tail, then stopped to let his tail curl back up behind him. He walked over and stood next to Hikari for a moment, glancing up to the sky only to bring his eyes back down so he wasn't staring at the sun. "Well if you really wanted to roll around in some dust I wouldn't stop you..." He paused, chuckling softly. "Though I think you'd ruin your stark white clothing" He turned back towards the way they entered the small town and started to walk back to the forest. He looked over his shoulder a little "As for clouds, they're few; Unless I call some for you. But why would you want to hide your shimmer? It's quite a beautiful site to behold." He smiled warmly and turned his head back to the way he was walking.
"Leave it to me to be the one attracting these things..." She said quietly glancing down at her shoulder to the frog. She smirked a little when she heard what Nanashi had said. She lifted her hand and picked the frog up again moving it closer to his face. "You don't like little froggies?" She said chuckling softly. "I'm sure that this little guy has a family..." She grinned pushing the frog a little closer to him. Aamori laughed hearing LaRae and then looked over at the two of them. "Ya' know, I'm sure I could find some water frogs and tadpoles too" She smiled, nearly grinning too. "We could gather a bunch of frogs just for him" |
Hikari shook her head, smiling as she followed him. "Well, you know my clothes are going to get ruined eventually. I would be surprised if I made it this entire trip and these things weren't brown." She smiled slightly and blushed a little when he told her that the shimmering was beautiful. "You really think so? I would have thought that it would nearly blind you. I honestly feel like I'm made out of glass sometimes, it's rather...annoying. I hate to think I look like something breakable." She shook her head, "Oh well... Most others do it, too... just usually not this badly." She looked a little more polished than most of her clan, though she had a feeling before it was over that would no longer be an issue for a while.
Nanashi blinked, "Why would you be attracting fro--err..." he cut off when she put the frog near his face again. "...I don't mind frogs just--" he glanced at Aamori and slowly move back a little, "I would really...rather you didn't..." he said quietly, "I don't mind frogs, I just...don't want them on me head." As if waiting on a cue the little frog made another quiet 'ribbit' and then leaped onto his head again, this time landing smack in the middle of his bandanna. The extra weight started to make it slide away from it's popper location, though it took him a moment to realize it was moving. By the time he did realize it, part of what looked like a vertical slit in his forehead was barely visible. He sat up quickly and grabbed the frog with one hand, pulling it away quickly as he shove the bandanna back into place. He let out his breath, making a note to tighten it up again when he had a change. He sat the frog back on the ground and gave it a dirty look. He was actually hoping the girls hadn't noticed anything off about what of his forehead was visible for that short amount of time...he'd rather them think he just hated frogs. |
Kyran continued to walk until he was put of the small town, then slowed his pace slightly so that Hikari could catch up to him. "You hardly look breakable; Perhaps a little delicate but by no means breakable." He stated as he glanced down at the bags in his hands for a moment wondering if he had forgotten anything. He sighed softly, thinking if they did forget something they could always come back in the morning, or stop at the next town. "Another thing... Are you always going to question the compliments you get? I mean if I didn't 'really think so' Then I wouldn't have wasted the time opening my mouth to say it" His tone had not really changed; He was merely asking the question because if she'd continue to question what he said, he planned to stop.
LaRae had started to laugh softly when the frog jumped back onto Nanashi. She went to reach for it but pulled her hand back when she noticed him sit up quickly and move the frog himself. She had noticed his concern with his bandanna but didn't happen to see what he was trying to cover up. She only laughed again when she saw the look that he gave the frog. "Come on now, don't look at the frog like that..." She smiled, then lifted herself up on the edge of the bank climbing out of the water. She sat on her knees and let her wings drape down behind her gently. She barely felt a thing because of how cold she was. She moved her hand and shooed the frog away gently. She sighed softly and lifted her hands to gather her hair and pull it around to the front of her body so that she could begin to wring it out. Aamori leaned forward a little with a quirked brow. She unlike LaRae, had taken notice to what appeared to be a slit in his forehead. She only became more curious seeing how quickly he reacted to the bandanna slipping off his head. The fear of the frog on his head started to make a little more sense now; He wasn't afraid of the frog but what the frog could have revealed. She glanced over at LaRae who was now starting to dry her hair, it was pretty clear that she had not seen what he was trying to hide. If she had, Aamori knew that she would have been asking by now. "Hmmm..." She said quietly as she started to lean back on her hands again. She figured she'd give it some time to see if he mentioned anything about it on his own; If not, then she'd surely ask herself. |
Hikari blinked and looked back up to Kyran. She's hardly even realized that she was doing it. "Oh...er...I'm sorry." she said and then sighed. "...It's just...a little awkward. I'm not really used to real compliments." she said, laying her ears back a little as she looked up at him shyly, "I gets compliments all the time at home, but it's usually just a bunch of..." she raised one hand, twirling her wrist about as she searched for a good word, but finally she just said, "...bull." She glanced up to him again, "...You know what I mean?" she asked sheepishly.
Nanashi just sighed and shook his head slightly, "Eh..." he just shivered and watched the frog hop away. "I must look attractive to frogs at least." He looked back to LaRae and tilted his head slightly, "How are your wings?" he asked softly. He was trying to change subjects just in case anyone had gotten too good of a look. He was a big curious about what Aamori had been talking about was on LaRae's back, but he decided so long as she didn't ask about his forehead, he wouldn't ask about her back since he supposed she wanted to talk about that about as much as he wanted to talk about his little deformity. |
Kyran laughed softly. "No, I can't say I know what you mean. As I'm sure I stated before, I'm easily lost in a crowd. Thus, I've never really been complimented by anyone other then my own mother." He looked down at her for a moment, but shifted his glance back to their destination; They were not far from the forest now. "And I do believe that some of the compliments you receive as Selenity are real. They've just got different intentions." He paused, sighing slightly. "When you're a commoner, among royalty you feel the need to compliment the Royal before you. It's a natural thing, actually. It's also a way to stay in good graces." He moved his head a little, looking down at Hikari with a warm smile. "But around me, you're Hikari. You're not a Royal, so I can compliment you from my heart and mean it." His eyes lingered for a moment before he continued walking; It wouldn't be long now until they reached the edge of the forest.
LaRae continued to force the water from her hair and barely looked up when Nanashi spoke. "I'm not exactly sure. They're too cold, I can't feel a thing right now." She stated plainly as she watched the water from her hair forming a pool under her. She was relieved to not be in pain for the moment, though she knew that would change as soon as her body started to warm back up. She started to lift her eyes and looked over at Aamori briefly. "Are you alright? You look like you have something on your mind." Aamori had been staring off into nothingness with a blank look on her face while she thought. Hearing LaRae's question directed at her, her ears twitched several times and she seemed come to. She lazily shifted her eyes over to her friend and sighed softly. "Oh, Yeah I'm fine. I was just thinking about something..." She mumbled. She looked more closely at LaRae's wings seeing how they'd fallen at her sides. She pushed herself up straight and then climbed to her feet. She dusted herself off as best she could now that her clothes were dry; Then pulled her skirt down a bit so it wasn't riding up so high. She smiled softly and walked over to LaRae placing a hand on her shoulder. "We should lay you down and adjust your wings while you can't feel them; Or else it will hurt more when I have to re-wrap them" She stated sure of herself. Aamori didn't really care where LaRae laid down, so she gently pushed her forward and pushed her legs out from under her; Causing LaRae to fall flat on her face. Then, not giving her friend any time to retaliate she took hold of her wings and one at a time started to fold them up and set them closer to her back. She looked a little closer at LaRae's back once she finished with her wings, seeing bits and pieces of the mark on her back through the holes in her shirt. She took her index finger from both hands and placed them in one of the small holes and then stretched the fabric until it ripped enough for her to see the marking. "...It's gotten larger since the last time I saw it..." She mumbled in a mellow tone. LaRae's face planted to the ground rather quickly, before she knew it she was laying flat on the ground. She shifted her head to the side where Aamori was and sighed softly. "You could've asked me to lay down..." She muttered trying to look at her friend. She didn't flinch or anything when Aamori touched her wings, they were practically frozen. Though her eyes widened terribly when she felt Aamori ripping the back of her shirt. She forced her arms under her and went to push herself up but Aamori only pushed back so she couldn't get up. LaRae tried a couple more times to get up, and failed thanks to Aamori. She sighed heavily and turned her head forcing her forehead to the ground, her damp hair falling on either side of her face so you couldn't see her. '...damn you to the pits of hell Aamori...' She thought to herself as her back lay exposed. |
Hikari looked over to him and smiled again shaking her head, "I know they feel the need...that's why I do not hold it to very high account." she admitted. When he said that his compliments were from the heart she just beamed up at him. Without a lot of warning she twisted around in front of him and stopped as she reached up with both arms to wrap around his neck tightly, though that was a little difficult. Her soft hair brushed against his jaw as she nuzzled him before she tiptoed and quickly touched her lips to the lower part of his right cheek, so quickly that one would probably have trouble determining what exactly she'd just done. "Thank you." She then released him and dropped back to her heels as she took a step back, still smiling at him, "and you know what?" she said, clasping her hands behind her back for a moment, "I think that you're charming, funny, chivalrous, and handsome." she told him before embarrassment finally caught up with her and she turned around quickly to walk ahead of him.
Nanashi just watched as Aamori pushed LaRae to the ground and blinked, "Careful..." he said quietly, "She's banged up enough." He glanced away for a moment, until he heard the fabric tearing. He blinked, wondering what in the heck Aamori was doing as he looked back. His eyes caught on the strange mark there and he tiled his head slightly, studying it in silence. He looked a little puzzled at first. "...Wh--" He stared and then cut himself off when he looked to LaRae's head and saw her trying to hide, "...Why did you...rip her shirt?" he asked rather than his original question of 'what is that.' He gently placed his hand on the back of LaRae's head and ran it along her wet hair. He wouldn't ask since clearly...she didn't want him to see it. |
Kyran nearly walked into Hikari when she stopped in front of him, then almost dropped the bags he had in his hands when she reached her arms around his neck. He involuntarily lowered himself slightly when she latched onto him. "Hika--ri?" He stopped speaking when he felt her lips against the lower part of his cheek. Before he knew it she had already released him and moved away. He must have looked like a deer in headlights; Not quite sure that really happened. He stood back up straight slowly, adjusting his grasp on the bags in his hands. He was still quiet after she said what she thought of him. He just smiled softly; He was about to say something to her but the words disappeared from his mind. He could only seem to repeat the words she had said. He still smiled and shook his head lightly when he noticed her turn around and move away. He still didn't utter a word, he stood there for a moment but eventually started to follow after her.
Aamori just stared at the unique marking on LaRae's back for a moment before reaching her hand out to touch it; Gently tracing her finger along the different areas of it. Her eyes lifted from the marking only long enough to look at Nanashi to answer his question. "The shirt was ruined anyway. She'd have to get a new one regardless of if I tore it." Her eyes fell back down to the marking. She was very surprised at the size of it. It had been about six years since she had last seen it and it had nearly doubled in size. While she remembered the first time she saw it, and the shape her friend was in she was absently still tracing her finger along the tattoo. She finally looked down and saw LaRae's head pressed to the ground and sighed softly. "So this mark still embarrasses, apparently. I'd have thought you'd have gotten over it by now. I mean it's not going to go away easily and you've had it for what, six years now?" She pulled her hands away from the mark and set them behind her, leaning back on them waiting for LaRae to lift her head. LaRae didn't budge even when Nanashi touched the back of her head. She continued to press her forehead into the dirt sighing heavily, trying to keep herself from cursing un-pleasantries. She shivered slightly when Aamori started to touch the marking on her back. Her body was slowly starting to regulate it's temperature; So she could feel the cold of Aamori's hands now. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled to calm herself. "...Yes, six years... going on seven..." She muttered; It was hard to hear her because she had yet to lift her head from the ground. She doubted that she would ever get over the mark; For lack of better words it could have been called a curse mark. It was given to her when she turned thirteen, or of age as her clan would call it. The mark was magically placed by an Elder on every single dragon who couldn't control their complete power. There was a series of different style markings that the 'weak' were given. Since she had at least two of the things that required marks they gave her the more prominent one; For her lack of control. The curse style marking would go away once she was able to harness all of her power. The down side, the more she lost control of it; The bigger the mark got. Of course she knew all of this, and knew everything that went along with the marking. So she wasn't likely to just forget about it or accept it. |
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