Mood: Tired and... Eh. Irritated
Music: Ma chérie ~itoshii kimi e~ --- Malice Mizer

Rae: Ah. Yesh, I’m back with another installment that doesn’t advance the plot and rambles on pointlessly. Isn’t that nice? XD Yeah, I know it's been awhile. Honestly this part has been finished for quite some time, (as in I finished it over a month ago) I've just been far too lazy to post it. As, I'm 99.9999999999 percent sure that no one reads this anyway. XD

And no, I don't have any pics for you this time... BUT. Next time I'll have pics a million times better than those stupid Soul Calibur ones. I mean it was nice, making everyone in SC, but they just weren't accurate enough. They were OK, but... I couldn't make anyone nearly pretty enough. So... I found a new solution. *smirk* And I mean a WAAAAY better solution. As in, next entry I'll have pictures of all the characters that are freakishly accurate. Entirely. As in, yeah. Amazingly good. ^_^ <33 You'll just have to wait and see what I mean. Heh...

Anyway. So...

Yeah.... Man. I was hoping to fit a lot more into this part, yet... This is mostly just dialogue, talking, whatever...

Yeah...

Well, not much to say, so...

Let’s get on with it, neh?

Oh... And one thing. Jiro? It’s completely your fault. Yeah... You kept making scary jokes about Ikenna, and that gave me a scary idea and... It’s your fault. XD You’ll see what I mean. Yesh... *laughs mysteriously*

Heh... Not much of an intro, before-fic, neh? Sorry. I’m just not real talkative right now for some reason. Tired I guess. ^^

Well. Read on.

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~~~a night of shadows, tears and waiting~~~
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Rae let out a small sigh, her weary aqua colored eyes glancing about the darkened bedroom. The lights dimmed, the room quiet, only the sound of soft rain pelting against the windows and Druuvbin’s wheezing breaths disturbing the silence.

It was rather hard to believe only a few short hours had passed since the psychic’s collapse. Only mere hours that had seemed to drag on and on, a nightmarish, inescapable chain of events...

So much had happened in one short evening. What had seemed to be an average, ordinary day that quickly changed into... Well. A not ordinary day. At all. Far from ordinary... This has got to be the freaking worst day of my life... Ever... Not that she had any right to be complaining.

After all, it wasn’t her lying unconscious, wheezing, so very sick... It wasn’t her with burns and a gunshot wound, nor was she sick from energy loss. It was such a helpless, terrifying feeling. To sit by and watch her friends suffer, unable to help, unable to... Unable to do anything.

The pink haired girl turned her attention down to the unconscious blue haired psychic in Ryuuji’s arms, taking in Druu’s pale face and chattering teeth. He’s still so sick...

Rae then turned her attention to the small black couch situated across the room, a frown on her lips. Kopaka was not there, as a few hours earlier Kitsune had moved the unconscious wind/ice elemental into the living room, onto the larger, more comfortable couch. Kopaka still hasn’t woken up... He really looked terrible, she thought uneasily, running a hand over her tired eyes. At least Yuki’s taking care of him, but... The girl had went to check on the man a few times within the last few hours, though the wind sprite was... Well, not really improving. It was a bit troubling. Poor Kopaka...

Of course there was also Malba to be concerned about. The darkness sprite’s pale face, and... She focused her attention on the man, who at the moment was lying on the small black couch, his eyes closed and a pained expression on his face. He hadn’t opened his eyes or spoken for at least an hour, so it was a pretty safe assumption that the dark haired elemental had fallen asleep. Malba’s facial expression proved that it was not a restful sleep however. A frown on his lips, his sleeping face tense and uneasy, upset. I wonder if he’s having nightmares or if he’s just hurting, or what? Whatever the case, she felt for the guy. He actually looked pretty pathetic. He’s got to be in so much pain right now... And judging by that look, I’m going to bet he’s having nightmares too... I could be wrong, but... He looked so... So tense and troubled...

Rae let out a small sigh, focusing her attention on Kitsune, who surprisingly... Was asleep as well. The woman sat on the floor next to the black couch, her head resting on the cushion, close to Malba. The darkness sprite’s hand held in her own, her eyes closed, her loose, icy hair partially concealing her face... It was actually pretty sweet, in a scary way. Scary because the girl really wasn’t used to the ice demon showing emotion or affection. Not that I didn’t know she was capable of it, because she’s obviously not as bad as what she wants people to think, but still. I’ve never seen her and Malba actually be nice to each other before. It’s really sweet, but it also kind of worries me...

Actually for the last few hours, after Kitsune and Malba returned from the bathroom, the ice/fox demon had seemed... A bit off somehow. Something in the woman’s eyes kind of worried Rae. Kitsune’s behavior must have even had Malba somewhat concerned, as the sprite hadn’t called her a ‘stupid mutt’ or ‘bitch’ for hours, and had been pretty damn nice to the woman, actually. Considering it was Malba, anyway. Malba being nice... That’s always a bad sign, Rae thought with a brief, minute smile.

Kitsune looked really... I don’t know. Depressed or like she was guilt-tripping or something... The girl’s frown increased as she watched the sleeping woman, biting the inside of her lip in contemplation. The demon had to be so very exhausted, after giving so much energy to Druuvbin. I’m almost a little surprised she’s not sick like Kopaka, after giving that much energy... I guess it’s actually no wonder she’s asleep. That was some seriously massive energy. Not as much as Ryuuji’s, but, yeah. It was still a lot. Kitsune deserved to get some rest. Definitely.

She continued to watch the ice demon for a few more moments, taking in her long, loose hair, her hand gently clasping Malba’s... Kitsune looks really pretty with her hair down and... She doesn’t look near as bitchy when she’s sleeping...

With another small sigh, Rae turned her attention away from the demon and darkness elemental, focusing once again on Druuvbin. He was breathing a bit better, yet the man was still wheezing, still so very ill. Though at least the psychic had stabilized enough for Rae and her mother to clean the water sprite up, to wash away the blood staining his pale face, to change his blood soaked shirt... Druuvbin was now wearing a loose fitting, long sleeved pink and purple tie-dyed shirt of Kopaka’s, his pallid face free of blood and his shivering form covered with a fresh, soft maroon blanket. At least he’s not all bloody and stuff now, but... The girl took in a deep breath, shaking her head a little. God he still looks so bad... And it seems like he keeps getting colder and colder or something...

“I brought another blanket. That one’s a little thin, so I thought I’d find a thicker one,” a voice cut into the girl’s contemplations and she looked up, noting Renee standing in the dark room’s doorway, a fuzzy white blanket held in her arms.

“Yeah... He’s freaking freezing,” Rae responded softly, moving to take hold of Druu’s lifeless right hand. “He’s so cold.”

“It’s hard to keep him warm when he’s having an attack,” Ryuuji remarked quietly, a frown on his split purple lips. “It’s like his body tries to just completely shut down.”

“It’s a good thing you’re here then, neh?” the girl questioned with a sad smile, her gaze locked on the water sprite’s face. “Not only did you save Mals’ ass, but you’re a cool healer type too.”

“Well. I don’t know about that,” the demon responded with a small smirk. “I don’t know that I really count as a ‘cool healer type,’ but I’m not going to let him die. I know that much,” he added, running a hand along the unconscious psychic’s cheek.

“You’re cool. Trust me,” Rae replied, pulling her gaze away from Druu, giving the purple haired demon a smirk. “I mean not only can you blow people away, you can heal too. That’s cool,” she stated, her eyes briefly moving to focus on the man’s gun lying on the black nightstand.

“Well. I can definitely ‘blow people away’ at least,” Ryuuji commented, a hint of amusement in his smooth voice.

“Like Kaine.”

“Heh. Yeah.”

“A man after my own heart,” Renee added, a teasing tone in her voice as she stepped into the room, closer to the large bed.

“Yep, definitely,” the girl added, her aqua colored eyes holding a look of amusement. “A healer with a gun. What could be better?”

“Now you two are just trying to embarrass me,” the purple haired man responded jokingly, the small smirk on his split lips widening.

“Yeah, because you’re so the shy, easily embarrassed type, right?” Rae inquired, the smile on her lips increasing as well.

“That’s me alright,” Ryuuji remarked dryly.

“Heh. Right...”

Ryuuji was actually pretty easy to get along with. The girl had only known the demon for a few hours, but she already felt comfortable around the guy. Which hey, is saying something seems how I’m a lame shy loser. The purple haired demon seemed fairly laid back and easy going for the most part. Well. Unless he was fighting with Malba or telling Kitsune to ‘shut the fuck up.’ He definitely doesn’t take any shit, but he’s nice. Heh, damn cute too, the girl thought with a small smile, glancing over the lean, attractive demon. Even in the borrowed indigo blue tie-dyed shirt of Kopaka’s, he somehow managed to still look pretty badass, actually...

“Well, let’s see if we can get you a little warmer, Druu,” Renee commented softly, moving to sit next to her daughter and Ryuuji, her warm brown eyes focused on the water elemental. She carefully spread the thick white comforter over the psychic’s lean frame, tucking the soft material around the thinner maroon blanket already covering his lightly trembling body. “I don’t know how much that will help, but it’s better than nothing I guess.”

“Yeah,” Rae nodded, her hands clasped around Druu’s slightly tightening. Come on Druu-chan... Just hold on...

“How’s Kouji doing?” Ryuuji inquired quietly, his gaze not moving away from Druuvbin’s pale face and his trembling, pallid lips. “He seemed pretty screwed up.”

“He is. Right now he’s resting in Jiro’s room. Luckily Jiro has bunk beds. Of course the top bunk is uncomfortable and sucky, but Jiro can manage for one night,” Rae responded softly, her thoughts running over the blank expression on Kouji’s pale face... Sure, he had finally stopped crying, but now... The last time the girl had checked on the half-human, he had just sat, so broken and.... It was like... He’s almost freaking catatonic or something... He’s so sad.... It was so awful, so heartbreaking to watch the boy’s blank expression, to hear the hollow tone in his few spoken words... “Did he ever go to sleep, Mom?”

“He’s asleep right now, but he keeps waking up. He said he doesn’t like the ‘colors’ in his dreams,” Renee stated with a small sigh, shaking her head. “I’m going to check on him again in a few minutes.”

The pink haired girl nodded, a frown on her lips at her mother’s words. The ‘colors’ he’s dreaming... Poor Kouji... “Man... He’s really screwed up, isn’t he?” she questioned sadly, briefly closing her eyes.

“Yeah. He really is,” Ryuuji responded quietly, taking in a deep breath. “Kouji has problems coping with his own abilities. He can’t handle it. Who knows what all they did to that poor kid before they put him into a damn coma and left him for thousands of years... Whatever they did, it really messed him up. I feel sorry for him. He...” the demon trailed off, anger sparking in his visible eye. “How could a father do that to his own child? That’s what I’ll never get.”

“I’ll never understand that either. A parent using their child to...” Renee trailed off as well, her jaw clenching. The woman then let out an agitated sigh, her brown eyes angry. “It’s horrible.”

“I know. It’s disgusting. How he... Ugh. I don’t know. I still can’t believe that bastard would make a kid just to fucking experiment on,” Rae added flatly, feeling a wave of anger at the thought of that poor boy... So broken and... “And then to just put him to sleep when he was done with his experiments... Just cast him aside like... Like... Ugh, I don’t know. That guy must have been a real... A real dick...” She would never understand how anyone could be so very cruel, so... So... Evil. He had to be evil, to do the things he did to Kouji. And to Kitsune... “He had to be one twisted freak...”

“Trust me, he was. More than you even know,” the purple haired demon commented, his gaze moving to rest on Kitsune for a few moments, the frown on his lips deepening. He then let out a small sigh, returning his attention to the wheezing psychic resting in his arms.

More than I even know? Oh, that sounds good.... What all did the bastard do? The pink haired girl briefly released her hold on Druuvbin’s hand, moving to nervously push locks of pink hair away from her face, tucking her long bangs behind her ears. She then once again took hold of the psychic’s hand, a small sigh escaping her. More than I even know...

“Somehow I’m not even sure I want to know any more... What I know now is enough to break my heart,” Renee stated with a frown, shaking her head. “I can’t imagine what that would be like, being locked away, in a coma for all those years. And for Kitsune to have to stand by and watch, unable to do anything about it...”

“Yeah,” Rae replied softly, shaking her head as well. It was horrible. It... It really was. Well. At least Mom knows the whole story about Kouji-chan and ‘the Jump’ and everything now... After things had calmed down a bit earlier, the woman had been filled in on all of the details involving Kouji and the assassins’ world. ‘The Jump,’ the... Everything. Actually, it had been Malba that had done most of the explaining, with a little help from Rae and Ryuuji. Kitsune had mostly remained quiet, her ice eyes lowered, that odd look on her face... The few words the ice demon had spoken seemed... Kitsune really seemed kind of out of it or something... Weary and hollow, depressed and regretful....

Again Rae turned her attention to the sleeping ice/fox demon, another twinge of worry coursing through her. “I guess Kitsune is really worn out, neh?” the girl inquired softly, her blue-green eyes focused on the woman’s sleeping form. Taking in that small frown playing on her lips, the dried bloodstains on her bandaged arms and sleeveless black shirt...

“Yeah. She really pushed herself. That was actually pretty dangerous for her. If Kitsune had kept that up for too long, it could have killed her,” Ryuuji responded evenly, his red gaze moving to the ice demon as well. “I wasn’t going to say anything to her about it because she’s already pissed with me as it is, but I was a little concerned. That’s why I wanted her to give Druu to me. She was using way too much energy,” he stated frankly, his focus still on the slumbering ice demon. “Kitsune was really straining herself.”

Rae’s eyes widened at the demon’s statement, the frown on her lips deepening. “I knew that was a lot of energy, but I didn’t realize she was literally putting herself at risk. She’s going to be okay though, right?” she questioned, concern in her voice. Man. Kitsune, you’ve totally blown the whole ‘I don’t care’ image. Not only did you risk using the Jump in a crowded city, but you also risked your own life with summoning that much energy? Wow... You’re really cool, Kits. Definitely... Of course I already knew you were cool, but ya know. “Kitsune didn’t give too much, right?”

“She just needs to rest,” the spiky haired demon replied, giving the girl a small reassuring smile. “Kitsune is tough. She’ll be fine.”

“So... What about you, Ryuuji? You’ve been giving Druu a lot of energy, right? You aren’t draining yourself are you?” Renee questioned, her brown eyes focused on the man.

Hey, that’s right. He’s been giving Druu-chan a lot of energy... Ryuuji’s not going to like drop over dead or something from energy loss, right? I somehow get the feeling that he’s stronger than Kits, but still... Can he handle this much energy? Rae thought, her attention turning to the demon’s face, looking for any sign of weariness or illness. “Yeah, are you going to be okay giving Druu so much energy?”

A small smirk formed on Ryuuji’s split purple lips and he shook his head. “I... Well, not to sound arrogant, but... Let’s just say I have a little more energy to give than what Kitsune has,” he stated, his smooth voice holding a tone of reassurance. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine. I can keep this up for quite awhile.”

So I was right, he really is stronger than Kitsune.... At least in healing anyway. The girl nodded at the demon’s words, relieved that the guy wasn’t going to drop over from energy loss or something... Her attention then turned once again to the psychic held in the demon’s lean, toned arms. “You... Your energy... It’s uh, impressive. Somehow I get the feeling you don’t have to use guns to fight. You’d do just fine without one, wouldn’t ya?” she inquired lightly, her attention not moving from the unconscious water elemental. “You’re obviously really strong.”

“I’m not weak, anyway. And no, I don’t really need guns, but.... Well. I like them,” the purple haired demon commented with a short, dry laugh. “Kitsune likes katana and I like guns. We’re both old and crazy I guess,” he then commented with a rueful expression on his pale face.

“Well. Katana and guns are cool,” Rae responded, a small grin forming on her lips. “Besides, guns are useful. Quick and effective. I can’t shoot worth a damn, but hey. It’d be cool if I could,” she added, her voice holding an amused tone.

“Yeah well, maybe I can teach you to shoot sometime. I mean if a human like you wants to hang around with a bunch of demon and elemental assassins, you should at least be able to shoot a gun,” Ryuuji replied, casting a teasing look towards the pink haired girl.

“Heh... Actually you’re right. I’m like some lame anime girl. I can’t fight, I’ve got no powers and uh, no brains. So I guess if I could at least shoot a gun without blowing my own head off... It’d be better than nothing,” she remarked, shaking her head a little. Heh. Kagome can shoot arrows and I can learn to... Shoot a gun. Right... I’m sure that’d come in real useful... Well... Though, Kaine the ‘uber’ demon did go down after getting shot eight times, so I guess it might not be a completely bad idea to learn to shoot after all.... Actually, it might be kind of cool if the demon would really teach her... Plus, er well. The guy was pretty damn cool, so yeah. At least I’d get to have Ryuuji teach me. That’d be fun...

“Anime?” the man questioned, his eyebrow rising.

“Oh come on. You know Peter Pan but don’t know anime? What’s wrong with you?” the girl inquired teasingly, a mischievous smile on her lips.

“Give me a break, I haven’t even been to his world in years. Apparently I have some catching up to do,” the purple haired man responded, returning the girl’s smile.

“Hah, yeah well here I’ve got an offer for ya. You teach me how to shoot a gun and I’ll teach you about the wonders of anime. Oh, and uh, other random stuff you don’t know about because you haven’t been to this world in -‘years,’-” she offered, her grin slightly widening.
Heh. I can give him pop culture lessons... I’m sure he’d find that fascinating, the girl thought wryly, somehow entertained by the image running through her mind of teaching the demon about all things human.... Riiight... Yes, because we humans are so interesting... Heh.

“Sounds like a good offer,” Ryuuji responded, amusement tinting his smooth voice. “I’ll teach you how to shoot people, you teach me about what all I’ve missed out on in this world. Sadly I haven’t really had a chance to spend that much time here,” he added with a small smile, turning his gaze back to Druuvbin. The man gently ran his hand along the sprite’s cheek as the psychic let out a harsh cough. “Na gena ta nia taef, Druu. Na lanei sa,” he stated quietly, brushing blue strands of the man’s hair away from his pale face. “Na lanei sa.”

Rae lightly squeezed Druuvbin’s cool hand, a small sigh escaping her. I wonder what the heck that was that Ryuuji just said... I think that’s the same thing he said that got Kits so mad... The girl was definitely curious, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to ask the demon. It’s not really my business anyway... “Uh, yeah. Cool. You teach me to shoot people and I teach you about my world. Sounds like a deal,” she commented, a light, friendly tone in her voice.

“You’re going to teach my daughter to -‘shoot people?’-” Renee questioned with a small smile, raising an eyebrow.

“Only bad people,” Ryuuji stated innocently with a small grin.

“Ah. Only ‘bad people.’ Right. I’m sorry Rachael, but I forbid you to run off and become an assassin for another world,” the woman commented teasingly, turning her gaze to her daughter.

“Aww, but Mom. I want to become an assassin for another world,” the girl responded with a mock pout, a smirk forming on her lips. Heh, all of this freaking tension and stress and uh worrying is seriously getting to me. Now I’m starting to get loopy or something... Heh... Rae the assassin. That thought somehow amused the girl. Her, an assassin? Right... “Don’t you think I’d be a good assassin? You can be one too, Mom. We’ll be the human mother daughter assassin team for another world. Sounds good, right? Heh...”

“Right. Well. At least I know how to shoot a gun, unlike you,” the woman responded teasingly, shaking her head.

“You can shoot?” Ryuuji questioned, turning his attention to the brunette, a small smile on his split lips.

“Damn straight I can,” Renee replied with a teasing tone in her voice.

“What’s your choice gun?”

“Choice? I don’t know. If I were going to kill someone? Uh... A nine millimeter Glock?”

“Hm. Well. That’s not bad for a human gun. I guess.”

“Oh, so you demons have better guns then.”

“Of course.”

“I should have known.”

Rae sat and watched with amusement as her mother and Ryuuji continued to discuss guns, raising an eyebrow. Crazy gun toting people of the worlds unite... Heh, not that Mom is gun toting. She just... Is incredibly tomboyish? Yeah. Kinda like me. Or I guess I should say I’m tomboyish, like her. Yeah... The girl suppressed a small yawn attempting to escape her lips, cutting off her rather random thoughts. Come on, Rae. Concentrate. You can get tired later. She blinked, refocusing on the conversation taking place between Ryuuji and her mother.

“Well, actually I can shoot with both hands, but I’m left handed,” Ryuuji stated calmly and Rae blinked again, realizing she had quite obviously missed some of the conversation. Oh well... Hey! He’s left handed too? Oh yeah, he is, that’s right. When he shot Kaine, he had the gun in his left hand. “I’m left handed too,” she commented, her eyes glancing down to her tattooed left hand.

“Ah, so you’re cursed with having terrible handwriting too then,” the demon responded, a small smile on his lips.

Rae laughed a little at that, nodding her head. “Uh, yeah. You could say that.” I definitely like this guy. He’s nice, he’s pretty funny, and completely badass. Hah and he’s a fellow leftie...

“Um... Is it okay if I come in?” a soft voice questioned, cutting into the conversation and the pink haired girl looked up, noting Kouji standing in the doorway. The boy stood with his arms crossed about his chest, his demeanor meek and unsure. “I woke up and... I can’t sleep,” he added softly, uncrossing his arms, moving a hand to pick at a loose thread on his grey long sleeved shirt. “I... Is it okay if I come in?”

Rae took in the boy’s broken tone, the unsure, rather defeated expression playing on his pale face... “Of course you can,” the girl responded gently, giving the half demon a small smile. “I’m sorry you can’t sleep,” she then said, a sympathetic look on her face. Man, I feel so sorry for him.

“It doesn’t matter, Rae-Rae...I don’t really like sleeping anyway...” he stated softly, shrugging his thin shoulders. The icy teen slowly stepped into the dark room, his eyes moving to rest on the wheezing water elemental. “Is he... Is Druu doing any better? His color is still really bad....”

“He’s going to be okay,” Ryuuji responded firmly, giving the boy a reassuring smile. “He’s breathing a little better and he’s not bleeding as much either. Hasn’t coughed any blood up for over an hour now. That’s good, right Kouji?”

“...Um, yeah... I guess,” the teen replied unsurely, his tone sounding... Utterly hollow. Rae frowned at this, sympathy for Kouji flooding her once more. God, that poor kid...

“Come on in, honey. You want to sit here with me?” Renee questioned softly, turning to give the boy a gentle smile.

Kouji simply nodded, moving to sit on the bed next to the brunette, taking hold of her arm and leaning his head on the woman’s shoulder. The icy haired teen let out a small sigh, his blue eyes focused on the unconscious psychic. “He’s stuck in his dreams... It hurts, being stuck in your dreams...I hate dreams so much...”

Rae blinked at the boy’s words, the frown on her lips deepening. “Hey Kouji-chan, how come... You said you don’t like sleeping. Why? Why don’t you like to sleep?” she questioned tenderly, her aqua colored eyes trained to his pale face, his ice blue eyes. The colors in his dreams... I wonder...

“...I just...” was the boy’s mumbled response, his voice low, his eyes closing. “I just... Don’t...” he finally added, his tone hollow.

“Is it because of what you dream? Do you have bad dreams?” Renee inquired softly, repositioning Kouji so she could give the boy a soothing hug. “You said something about colors in your dreams?”

Colors in his dreams... He even has psychic-ness going on while he sleeps... The girl let out a small sigh, biting the inside of her lower lip in contemplation. He couldn’t even escape the ‘colors’ while sleeping? That... That was a really sad thought.

“It’s... It’s that, but... Um...” the teen trailed off unsurely, briefly moving his head from Renee’s shoulder, his ice colored eyes focusing on Kitsune. “I...”

Rae exchanged a brief glance with her mother, an uneasy feeling seeping into her weary body at the half-human's words. She took in the boy’s face, the.... There’s something else. It’s not just the ‘colors,’ there’s another reason... her thoughts trailed off and she moved her focus to Kitsune. Why is he looking at Kitsune? “Kouji-chan, is there another reason why you don’t like sleeping?”

“I... I don’t want to say,” he responded slowly, his ice blue eyes locked on his sister’s sleeping form. “Kitsi would be upset...I don’t want her to know...”

Ryuuji raised an eyebrow at the half-demon’s statement, a frown forming on his split, light purple lips. “Kouji, what do you mean?”

I wonder if... Rae bit the inside of her lip, a spark of suspicion coursing through her thoughts. Could it be that he actually...

“...You can’t tell her, okay? Kitsi already worries too much,” the boy stated softly, a small smile briefly forming on his pale white-blue lips. “She’s so sad, I don’t... I don’t want to make her feel worse, you know?”

“What haven’t you told her, Kouji?” the purple haired demon inquired quietly, his frown deepening as he glanced at the sleeping ice/fox demon.

“It’s no big deal. I'm just being stupid I guess. It’s just... I don’t like sleeping because... I’m... I’m always afraid I’ll go to sleep and... Never wake up. Like before. I don’t want to be stuck in my dreams again... I wasn’t able to wake up, I wasn’t able to do anything but dream and dream... I hate dreaming....” Kouji trailed off, closing his eyes. He tightened his hold on Renee’s arm, a small sigh escaping him. “I really hate it.”

Oh damn. Damn it... I was afraid it was that. God, he actually remembers that? “Oh Kouji-chan. Hunny, you... No one’s going to let you be put to sleep like that again. You’re not going to ‘not’ wake up. I promise,” the pink haired girl stated gently, her voice soft and reassuring. Man. I had hoped he didn’t remember his coma and all. Poor kid.

“Kouji... Why haven’t you told anyone before?” Ryuuji questioned softly, his smooth voice holding a caring, concerned tint. “You said you didn’t remember anything from before Kitsune and the others came for you.”

Renee moved to warmly embrace the boy once more, her brown eyes sympathetic and sad. “You’re not ever going to sleep like that again. You’re safe in this world. No one can do that to you here.”

“I know... I just... It’s hard to sleep. I keep thinking about it. How, you know it... It’s funny, I can’t remember anything now, I forget everything, but... For some reason I can remember before,” the icy teen stated with a small hollow laugh, closing his eyes.

Rae briefly closed her eyes as well, biting down on her lower lip as a sharp wave of sympathy ripped through her. Such an aching, heartbreaking feeling. How much does he remember? Does he... Everything? Or... “Kouji-chan.” Hell. She didn’t even know what to say. Poor Kouji, oh man.

“I can’t remember everything. There are really blurry parts, but... Before I went to sleep, I remember it hurt and... Dad didn’t care. I don’t think he liked for me to call him that either. I can’t remember for sure, but I think I had to call him by his name... Yeah. 'Tatsuki.' Tatsuki is what he wanted me to call him because... I’m half human? Yeah... He didn’t like humans...” the boy trailed off once more, his tone hollow, flat. “No human deserves the right to call me father. I think that’s what he said.”

What... The holy fuck? Oh... What a fucking bastard... To tell a little boy that, to... Rae bit down on her lower lip harder, anger rushing through her, as if flowing through her very veins. “Kouji-chan... He, he was.... An awful person to say and do the things he did to you. I’m so sorry...” Rae trailed off, shaking her head. The girl had really hoped that Kouji had no memory of that awful time, but... Obviously he did.

“Kouji, I’m sorry,” Renee stated softly, tightening her embrace on the boy in a motherly fashion. “I’m so sorry that he put you through that and treated you the way he did,” she whispered soothingly, her eyes growing somewhat teary.

“No, it’s okay. It’s okay, because I have Kitsi and everyone now... It’s just, I don’t want to sleep like that again... It...” the boy paused, letting out a sigh, tightening his hold on Renee. “I know what it feels like to be stuck inside your dreams and now Druu is... He gets stuck just like I was stuck... I... I hate that so much. That’s why I wanted to keep hold, I... I wanted to talk to him so he... Wouldn’t be lonely or scared or hurting, but I couldn’t keep hold and... Now he’s lost in his dreams... I hate that so much,” Kouji whispered, his soft voice shaking. “I hate it. I couldn’t remember what the colors meant and now he’s stuck and... He’s going to die. I feel so guilty... Why couldn't I remember? I...”

“Kouji, he isn’t going to die. Calm down. It’s not your fault, it’s not your fault at all,” Ryuuji cut the boy off, his pale face holding a look of sympathy, his smooth voice gentle. “Kouji... You need to tell Kitsune what you remember. Don’t hide things, kid.”

“No. I don’t want her to know. She already... Kitsi blames herself anyway. I don’t know why but she does,” the teen stated quietly, his voice uneven, a few tears slipping from his closed eyes.

“Blames herself?” Renee questioned softly, running a hand along the icy teen’s back.

“I...I was lonely, but Kitsi was so much lonelier. I know that sometimes, I could hear Kitsi through my dreams. She would come and talk to me, and she... Was so lonely. She could talk to me, but I could... I could never answer. All I could do was listen. Kitsi would say... I can remember her saying I was the only one she could talk to, and that... That made me sad because she had no one to talk to but me, and I couldn’t even answer. I wanted to wake up so bad, but then the dreams would just take me away again...” Kouji pulled back from his embrace on Renee, turning to once again gaze at his sleeping sister, his eyes watery. “She blames herself for not waking me up sooner. But it was Tatsuki, not her.... She was the only one who talked to me when I was sleeping... No one else ever talked to me, but Kitsi did.”

Rae felt her own eyes grow a little watery at the boy’s statement and she blinked rapidly, lowering her head a bit. Poor Kouji and Kitsune. God... That just... That just sucks. So fucking bad... “Kouji-chan... That... I don’t even know what to say...” He could hear Kitsune through his dreams? He... Unable to respond, unable to even open his damn eyes... That... That just really bites. Entirely bites.

“I waited for so long to finally be able to talk to her... And I don’t want her to know that. She already worries about me so much, and she... Kitsi is sad. Especially right now. Her color is... Really sad. I don’t want her to be sad,” the teen stated softly, moving to once again take hold of the tall brunette sitting beside him, putting his head on her shoulder. “It would make her blame herself even more if she knew that I remember.”

Rae let out a sigh, letting go of Druu’s cool hand long enough to rub at her eyes, taking in the boy’s words. She then retook the psychic’s hand, moving to meet her mother’s gaze. A shared look of sympathy and sadness... And yet another revelation. God. I’ve learned more about these people in the last forty-eight hours than I’ve learned in the rest of the entire three years I’ve known them... “But Kouji-chan, I don’t think she’d like that you’ve been keeping it a secret. I mean...” She really didn’t know what to say or even think. Her brain was pretty fried anyway, and... Damn. I... I can’t believe he remembers being asleep... All those years... That...

“I don’t want to make Kitsi worry even more,” the boy stated softly, his thin arms wrapping around Renee’s neck, his tone tired, sad. “She worries too much. I don't want her to worry.”

I... Poor little guy.... Damn... Rae bit down on her already chewed sore lip, contemplating the icy teen’s words. I can understand why he doesn’t want to tell Kitsune, because... It would probably freak her out to know that he remembers a lot more than what she thought, but... I... Man. I don’t know.

The pink haired girl turned her gaze first to Ryuuji and then her mother, gauging their facial expressions. Ryuuji’s pale, cut marred face held a combination of anger and sympathy, his eyebrow twitching and his lips forming a deep frown. Renee’s face held a look of sadness and sympathy, her brown eyes moist... Rae let out a small sigh, unsure what to say. What the hell... What the hell do you even say to something like this? I mean... Damn. The kid was stuck in a dreaming state, where he couldn’t age, couldn’t grow, couldn’t even talk or open his fucking eyes. Frozen in his dreams, never growing up, never... Never... the girl’s thought’s trailed off and she slightly tightened her grip on Druuvbin’s pale hand. I wonder what you would say if you were awake, Druu-chan? I wonder if you had any idea that Kouji remembers... I wonder if you knew?

“Kouji... I’m sorry, kid. I honestly had hoped you didn’t remember any of that. I’m sorry you had to go through all of that,” Ryuuji stated quietly, his red eye focused on the boy, his split lips set in a deep frown. “I’m sorry that you and Kitsune both had to go through that.”

“Yeah...” Rae added softly, shaking her head. I don’t know what to say... The girl honestly was at a complete loss for words.

“It’s okay. I’m awake now. I’m really happy that I’m with Kitsi and... I can talk to her now. I just... I just wish I could stop forgetting things. I wish... I wish I could remember things, you know?” Kouji responded, pulling back to give the purple haired demon a small smile.

“I know. And you’re doing better at remembering things. Druu’s been working with you and... You’re getting better, Kouji. You just need to keep trying. You’re just, well. A little rusty,” Ryuuji stated with a small teasing smile, reaching out to briefly rest a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “You’re going to be okay. You got screwed out of a lot of years, but you’ve got a fresh start now. You’re going to be fine,” he added softly, giving the boy a warm, reassuring smile.

“So you have a little trouble with your memory. You’re still smart, sweet and a good kid,” Rae stated firmly, an affectionate tone in her voice. You’re a really good kid, Kouji-chan.

“We’ll work with you too if you want. We’ll help you any way we can while you’re staying here. And I promise that you will wake up when you sleep,” Renee commented firmly, running a hand across the boy’s damp, tearstained cheek.

“...Am I a kid?” he questioned softly, his icy gaze moving to the woman’s face, meeting her gaze. “...I don’t feel old... But I am, aren’t I? Is there something wrong with me? I... I’m older than Kitsi, but... I don’t feel like I am. I don’t feel any different than I did back before I went to sleep. I don’t look any different or feel any different but... I... Am I a kid?” he went on to inquire, his eyes watery, his soft voice uncertain.

Renee nodded, pulling the boy into another hug. “You are, Kouji. Yes, your body is older than Kitsune, but... You didn’t get a chance to grow up. You were basically frozen in your ‘dreams.’ You didn’t age, you didn’t change any. So yes, honey. You are a kid. There’s nothing wrong with you feeling like a kid because you are a kid,” Renee responded firmly, running a hand soothingly along the boy’s back. “So don’t even worry about that. There’s nothing wrong with you, Kouji.”

“That’s right. You’re a cool kid too, ya know,” Rae added with a small smile, her aqua eyes locked on the boy, taking in his small body, his innocent, tired face. Yes hunny. You are a kid. Completely and totally, one hundred percent kid. You’re a kind, smart, nice boy and... You so didn’t deserve all the hell your fucking ‘father’ put you through... The girl shook her head a little, her anger for ‘Tatsuki’ renewed even more so. God... As scary as it may make me to say this... I really hope you fucking suffered, Tatsuki. Whoever killed you deserves a damn medal... Poor Kouji-chan...

“Yeah, but he was even worse to Kitsi than he was to me you know, Rae-Rae,” Kouji suddenly stated, startling the girl. Oops. Uh, I hope he didn’t read my mind or something. Heh...I guess I should really watch what I think around psychics...

“He hurt Kitsi...” the boy commented softly, pulling away from Renee to move to the edge of the bed. He sat, his ice blue eyes focused on Kitsune, a frown on his lips. “Is it bad that I hated Tatsuki? I hated him so much... Does that make me bad? Kitsi would tell me things that he said and did... It made me so angry... She didn’t know I could hear her, but I... I could sometimes. Through the dreams...”

“After all he did? I’d hate him too. Hell I didn’t even know the guy and I hate him,” Ryuuji remarked with a small smile. “No, I’d say your hate was completely justified.”

“Yeah. He... Hurt you and Kitsune a lot,” Rae agreed quietly. With a small sigh she let go of Druuvbin’s cool hand, scooting closer to Kouji. The girl gently put an arm around the boy, meeting his icy gaze. “You’re a good kid. I mean it.”

“So it doesn’t make me bad for not liking him?”

“No. It doesn’t make you bad at all.”

Ugh. Kouji, it doesn’t make you bad... Poor kid... Rae ran a hand over the boy’s forehead, brushing icy locks of the half-human’s hair away from his tired eyes. “You look tired, hunny,” she commented softly, taking in his weary ice-blue eyes, the exhausted expression on his pale face.

“...I am...” he admitted softly. The boy’s eyes then moved to focus on Druuvbin, his pale, blue-white lips forming a frown. “He’s... He’s stuck in his dreams and the voices... I don’t want him to die,” he suddenly stated unevenly, his voice cracking. A few tears streaked down his face and he lowered his head, placing his hands over his eyes. “I didn’t remember. I'm such an idiot.”

Rae let out a sigh, hugging onto the boy, running a hand through his icy blue hair. “Kouji, you are not an idiot. Don't say that. And... I don’t want him to die either. I know you’re scared. I am too, but we can’t just give up, okay?”

“But... Rae-Rae, he’s lost and... He’s sad and it hurts so much he can hardly stand it and...I... I didn’t remember,” Kouji whispered hollowly, his tears quickening. “I’m sorry, Druu... I can’t hear you, Druu and... I’m... I’m so sorry...”

Not again... Oh man, Kouji, don’t start guilt-tripping again... Rae frowned, running a hand soothingly along the boy’s back. “It’s not your fault.”

“Yes... It is...” he muttered, tightening his hold on Rae.

“No, it isn’t,” Renee added firmly, moving to sit on the edge of the bed as well, next to the sobbing half-human. She placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder, concern in her brown eyes. “It’s not your fault, I promise it’s not your fault, honey.”

“Kouji. Druu’s going to be okay. When he wakes up, he’s going to tell you that this isn’t your fault himself. You’ve got to stop blaming yourself for everything. You’re almost as bad as Druu when it comes to thinking everything’s your fault,” Ryuuji commented with a small smile, his red gaze locked on the boy, a concerned expression on his pale face. “Druu’s going to live, I promise.”

...Is it really such a good idea to keep promising that to Kouji? Kitsune and Ryuuji have both promised the kid that Druu’s going to live, but... What... What if he doesn’t? Rae let out a small troubled sigh, tightening her hold on the boy crying into her shoulder. “It’s going to be okay, Kouji,” she whispered softly, continuing to run a hand soothingly along his back. “It’s going to be okay.” Now I’m saying things I can’t guarantee... I can’t say for certain things are going to be okay, but... He’s so sad... I just, I want him to stop crying and stop looking so pitiful and broken.... “It’s going to be okay.”

“I... The colors are all bad...” the boy muttered softly, not pulling away from his hold on the pink haired girl. “Rae-Rae... I hate the colors so much...” he whispered, his soft voice muffled by Rae’s shoulder.

“I know you do,” the girl replied gently, a frown on her lips. What are the colors, anyway? Auras? Or is it something else? Obviously he’s got pre-cog abilities, and... Hm... “Remember what we talked about earlier though, okay? Things change,” she stated firmly, again tightening her embrace on the boy.

“I know, but... The colors aren’t changing... They’re just fading,” Kouji remarked hollowly, his voice shaking as his tears quickened even more so. “They aren’t changing at all.”

Damn it... So... If Kouji really is psychic, and he obviously is... Then... Rae’s thoughts trailed off and she felt a small shiver course up her spine. She didn’t even want to think about it. If... If the boy was indeed correct.... “Yeah, but Kouji-chan, that still doesn’t mean he’s going to die. We don’t know that, okay? So just... Don’t give up hope, okay?” The girl could think of nothing better to say, she... The only thing any of us can do is just keep hoping...

“I...Okay...” the icy haired teen stated uncertainly, his tears soaking through the black material of Rae’s shirt as he continued to rest his head on her shoulder. “...I... I see something else...” he then suddenly stated, pulling back. A small frown formed on his lips and he cocked his head to the side. “The... That guy who hurt Malba.”

Rae blinked, moving her gaze briefly to Ryuuji, meeting his gaze. Kaine or Sefth? I wonder what the hell he sees? Rae was almost afraid to ask. I can’t handle much more stress....

“What man?” Ryuuji questioned, moving his gaze to the boy, watching him closely. “What do you see?”

“The... The blonde one,” Kouji replied softly, the frown on his blue-white lips deepening. “He... He’s in trouble.”

“Trouble?” Renee inquired, raising an eyebrow.

The icy haired teen slightly nodded his head, moving a hand to rub at his watery eyes. “Um... He’s in a lot of trouble,” he then stated, moving his gaze to Ryuuji. “What does that mean?”

Trouble? For, uh... For Malba getting away? It was the only real thing Rae could think of. Why else would the Tevrran be ‘in trouble?’ Not that she really gave a damn. After what he did to Malba? I couldn’t care less. Stupid bastard, she thought irritably, an image of Kaine viciously torturing Malba flashing through her mind.

“He... He’s in a lot of trouble. Someone’s... Really angry. He’s going to get hurt,” the boy stated, nodding his head. “Really hurt.”

“Oh?” Rae inquired, blinking. “Really hurt?”

“Hm...” Ryuuji briefly turned his gaze to Malba, a look of realization appearing on his pale, cut marred face.

Rae watched the purple haired demon, noting the look on the man’s face. “Do you know what that means, Ryuuji?” she questioned, watching him carefully. He knows something. I can tell by the look on his face...

“No, not really,” the spiky haired man stated with a small shrug, pulling his gaze away from the sleeping darkness elemental, instead focusing on Druuvbin’s pale face. “Anything else you can see, Kouji?” he questioned nonchalantly, his voice level.

Oh, you are so lying... the girl thought, raising an eyebrow. Why did the group of assassins have to be so damn secretive all the time, anyway? Seriously, what would it hurt to just tell her what the heck Kouji’s odd vision or whatever meant? Demons and elementals... So enigmatic... Or something... “Can you see anything else, Kouji-chan?” she then questioned, deciding it was useless to ponder Ryuuji’s secrecy. Of course he’s not going to tell me. I’m a human...Meh...

“Um... No? I...” Kouji trailed off, rubbing at his bleary ice blue eyes. “I um... Uh, what was I saying?” he questioned softly, a small sigh escaping his lips. “I, I um... Damn it,” the boy muttered, closing his eyes. “I’m sorry... I can’t remember...”

Rae frowned, moving to once again hug the boy. Poor little guy... “It’s okay, Kouji-chan. You’re just tired. It’s okay,” she stated soothingly, making sure to keep her voice gentle and soft.

“Why don’t you go and get some more rest, honey? You don’t have to sleep if you don’t want to, but you can at least lie down and rest,” Renee suggested softly, moving to place her hand on the teen’s back in a comforting gesture. “I’ll stay with you.”

“I...Um... Can... Can we just watch TV? I don’t feel like sleeping...” Kouji whispered, his voice uneven. “I know Jiro is asleep, would it wake him up if we watched TV?” he then inquired, a few tears leaking from his tightly closed eyelids.

“Are you kidding? Jiro can sleep through anything. Besides, he keeps the TV on while he sleeps. So it’s fine,” Rae responded with a small smile, consolingly patting the boy on the back. “Don’t worry about waking him up. And even if you do wake him up, it’s no big deal. He’ll get over it,” she went on to say, her tone reassuring. He’s such a nice kid. He’s worried about waking Jiro up with the TV for Kami’s sake...

“We can watch TV or a DVD or whatever you want,” Renee added, a small smile on her lips. “How does that sound?”

“Good, I guess,” Kouji responded quietly, a shuddering sigh escaping him, his small body lightly trembling as tears streaked down his face. “I...I’m sorry...”

“Stop apologizing,” Ryuuji stated firmly, his red gaze focused on the half human, a frown on his lips. “Kouji, you’ve got to stop blaming yourself. You’re being way too hard on yourself. None of this is your fault,” the spiky haired demon added reassuringly. “So try to calm down and stop blaming yourself, okay?”

“...Okay...” the boy responded haltingly, though tears continued to leak from his closed eyes. Rae frowned at this, taking in a deep breath. She shook her head, soothingly running a hand over Kouji’s back. “Kouji-chan...Please don’t be so sad. Ryuuji’s right, okay? This isn’t your fault. Nothing about this is your fault. Even Druu-chan said that before he... Um, before he passed out, so...” the girl trailed off, chewing on her sore lip in a nervous manner. Come on, Kouji-chan...

“I know. I know he said that. He said it again when he woke up for a few minutes, but... He’s... I can’t hear him anymore... He’s dreaming and I...” Kouji shook his head, another shuddering sigh escaping his icy pale lips. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled softly, tears falling freely from his closed eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“Come on, Kouji. You’ll feel better once you get a little rest and calm down. I promise it isn’t your fault. I promise,” Renee commented softly, taking hold of the boy, pulling him into another warm, motherly hug. “Okay?”

“Okay...” was the half human’s only response, his voice hollow and tired. Frightened and miserable. It was enough to completely break Rae’s heart. Kouji... God I feel so sorry for him.

“His... His dreams are so bad...” Kouji whispered softly, pulling away from Renee’s embrace, focusing his attention on the unconscious psychic in Ryuuji’s arms. “Bad dreams... A lot worse than mine ever were. So much worse,” he stated quietly, moving to gently take hold of Druuvbin’s pale, limp hand. “Druu...” the boy trailed off, shaking his head. He then took in a deep quaking breath, turning away from the water sprite, releasing his hold on the man’s lifeless hand.

Rae really didn’t even want to think about what all could be going on in the psychic’s dreams, the... She closed her eyes for a moment, fighting away the wave of wearisome, fearful emotions threatening to overwhelm her. “Ryuuji and I are going to sit right here with him and take care of him, okay, Kouji? And um, I’ll hold his hand and make sure that... He doesn’t stay lost in his dreams, okay?” she stated softly, a frown on her lips. Oh, right. Like I can really do anything... But if it makes Kouji feel any better... “He’s not alone as long as Ryuuji and I are sitting here with him, right?”

“No. He’s completely alone. We can’t do anything about it either,” the boy stated matter-of-factly, turning his tired gaze to the pink haired girl. “But thanks for trying to make me feel better, ya know?”

“Kouji...” Rae really didn’t even know how to respond to that. He’s completely alone... “He’s going to be okay,” she stated, forcing a firm tone into her voice. “Druuvbin is going to be okay.” I have to believe that.

“Okay Rae-Rae...” Kouji responded, his tone anything but certain. He slightly shook his head, his unruly, icy locks brushing against his pale, tearstained cheeks. “If you say so.”

He’s so optimistic... the girl thought dryly, a sad smile briefly playing on her lips. “Go get some rest, Kouji-chan,” she stated softly, her aqua eyes glancing to the medium sized clock hanging on a tediously grey wall. Three twenty-seven... It feels like it’s been days and the night just keeps dragging on and on.... She... She was tired, worried and... I’m starting to get another headache... No doubt caused by all the energy ran through her body to activate the Jump. I’m such an idiot. If it weren’t for Yuki and Ryuuji, I would have never even got the stupid Jump to work... I deserve to have an energy-headache thing for being such a dork. Meh...

“Come on, Kouji,” Renee commented soothingly, taking the boy’s hand. She stood, helping the icy half demon to stand as well.

“Okay,” Kouji responded wearily, taking hold of the woman’s arm. He cast another sorrowful glance at Druuvbin before turning away, instead focusing on the dark wooden floor.

“Get some rest, kid,” Ryuuji added with a small smile, his gaze moving to the boy, his tone reassuring. “Okay?”

“...Yeah...”

With that said the boy allowed Renee to lead him from the room, his facial expression hollow and fatigued. “I’ll be back later,” the woman stated softly from the hallway, her brown eyes moving to briefly focus back into the dark bedroom. She then turned, leading the teen away, down the hall, closing the door behind them.

Rae let out a small sigh, running a hand over her eyes. “I... I can’t believe he actually remembers the hell he went through with his dad and... Being asleep... Poor kid,” she stated softly, shaking her head. It’s no wonder he’s so screwed up... “I had really hoped he didn’t remember that.”

“He always said he didn’t remember when we would ask him about it but... I think we were all a little suspicious of that. He has a really hard time sleeping, and sometimes he says some things in his sleep, according to Kitsune. I... I had hoped he didn’t remember, but I’m not surprised,” Ryuuji responded quietly, running a hand gently over Druuvbin’s forehead. “Druu has been trying to get Kouji to be more open about what he dreams. The kid... I don’t know. He’s pretty secretive, plus he... He forgets things so easily, it’s hard to get any info from him,” the spiky haired demon added, a frown on his light purple lips. “We’re still not sure exactly how psychic he even is or what the extent of his powers are. It’s hard to tell what Kouji’s actually capable of, if he could just learn to control his abilities.”

The pink haired girl nodded, a fresh wave of sympathy flooding her as she thought of the look in the boy’s eyes... “I guess that kind of also explains why he’s taking this so hard. Not only is he afraid of losing Druu, but... He knows what it feels like to be lost in ‘dreams,’ unable to wake up...” she commented sadly, moving to absentmindedly adjust the white blanket covering Druu. He’s still way too cold... If anything, he just keeps getting colder...

“Yeah. Plus he’s really close to Druu anyway. Druuvbin is probably the closest thing Kouji has to a father. Though I’d say he’s more like an older brother than a father, really... But yes, Seeing Druu like this, unable to wake up...” Ryuuji trailed off, a small bitter smile on his lips as he focused on the psychic. “Druu’s good with Kouji. He really helps the kid out, and now... Now Kouji can’t even hear him...”

Rae closed her eyes tightly, fighting off another wave of overwhelming feelings threatening to encompass her. She moved a hand to her temple, gently massaging her aching head. Poor Kouji. Man... “So... I wonder why he decided to tell us that he remembers. He’s been keeping it a secret for what, three years? Why did he suddenly decide to spill?” the girl then questioned, opening her eyes to focus on the purple haired demon. Why suddenly tell us? Hm...

“My guess? A combination of two things. One, he’s kind of out of it anyway because he’s so worried about Druu, plus... I’d say it has to do with Renee. He’s obviously taking to her,” Ryuuji stated calmly, his smooth voice level. “Not to say anything against Kitsune, because she loves Kouji with all her heart, but it’s kind of hard for her to show a whole lot of emotion to anyone, even him. He’s not used to having a mother type figure being so openly affectionate,” he added, a small smile on his lips as he briefly turned his attention to Kitsune. “But like I said, I don’t mean that in a bad way about Kits. She’s a good sister. She just doesn’t know how to... Her father really kind of fucked her up.”

Rae also turned her attention to the slumbering ice/fox demon, taking in her partially hidden face, the frown on her ice colored lips... She even frowns when she sleeps. She doesn’t look bitchy though. It’s... She really just looks sad. The girl let out a small sigh, shaking her head. “Yeah, ‘Tatsuki...’ He really messed Kitsune up, didn’t he?” she questioned softly, turning to meet Ryuuji’s gaze.

“Yeah. He really did,” was the purple haired demon’s only response, the frown on his lips deepening. “I... I really shouldn’t have snapped back at her earlier. I know she’s mad at me, and I pretty much deserve it, but I... I don’t know. I just snapped back. I didn’t mean to,” he went on to say, a somewhat guilty expression briefly flickering across his pale features.

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(next page, neh.)