Day 24: Breakfast
Aidou Hanabusa, a vampire, was one of the first into the cafeteria, which was swimming in dim sunlight. A grey morning suited his mood.
The fact that his biological clock was pitching fits was only the cherry on top of the cake; the last thing he wanted to do was sleep. "Waking up", once again, with no memory of how or why he'd been brought back ( Read more... )
The fact that his biological clock was pitching fits was only the cherry on top of the cake; the last thing he wanted to do was sleep. "Waking up", once again, with no memory of how or why he'd been brought back ( Read more... )
Her roommate slept. River wished she could do the same, run from the nightmares by wrapping herself up in a blanket, but it wasn't logical. Wasn't probable. Impossible for another handful of hours.
The girl stepped into the cafeteria, tired and alert all at once. Homura. Kyouya. Reinforce and Raine would come to their senses soon enough. The group would be here, and they would be addressed. For now, there was still business to attend to.
With a plain bagel and juice on her tray, River approached Ashton and Lust, a bright smile on her face that probably shouldn't have been there given the circumstances. Appropriate for both of them. She hadn't had the chance to take part in Mother's good news, and Ashton was... well, she could live with losing to him. Maybe he'd make a better bride anyway.
"I told him so," she said to Lust without preamble, trying to make it a happy occasion. It was this River's way of saying goodbye, maybe.
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And the other was River, the most present (and most alive) of Dias' three tragic little sisters. Although, Ashton supposed, Dias wasn't aware of Rena's past. He at least deserved to know, though chances were so small that he'd ever see Rena again. He'd tell him. Someday soon.
"Ah.. hello, River!" he greeted the girl with a smile, then turned to Lust. "..And I look pleasant, you say? Mm.. ah, I certainly wasn't aware. Hee hee." he said dreamily, stirring his uneaten cereal a little more before finally taking a bite. Oh, it was fantastic. All food was fantastic here. Except the peas. Nasty little things.
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Her attention was turned immediately to River. She reached out for the girl, drawing her down next to her. Humans and their undeniable need for family! But still, even as she protested, she gave herself over to it.
"You always do, my love," she said, even though she wasn't entirely certain what River was referring to. It could be anything, after all. "I haven't spoken with you in far too long. We worry, you know."
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River leaned against Lust's shoulder, saying nothing for a few moments before speaking up. It was hard not to feel a little guilty about keeping secrets, but she assured herself time and again that it was for the best. They'd see when it was done, and she'd be more tolerable.
"We haven't been together in a long time. Everything's shifting, making new somethings... But we're still here. All of us. It's not going to be altered and restructured. You and Dad have been busy." She paused, the injuries her mother had sustained not going un-noticed. "And there's someone else who'll need to be punished."
But that was neither here nor there. There were things to be done. So much to be said. Never enough time in the day. River turned her head to grin mischievously at Ashton, prompted by his own reaction and Lust's thoughts.
"He's Dias' friend. The one who wants to have illogical, homosexual relations with him," she chirped happily. A frown crossed her face as she pondered this again. "I've never understood the meaning. Sexual relations are a means of reproduction in order to ensure the survival of one's species. Aside from stimulation, there's not much sense in it. Though I suppose as most human beings are more concerned with instant gratification and vague ideas of love, it would fit into general, behavioral consistency."
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He was taking a nice big bite of cornflakes when River grinned at him and said that.
!!
For a moment, he paused in horror, staring disbelievingly at River. And then she kept talking, and it wasn't just his imagination that she'd said that, and - oh Tria - he exploded into coughs, mostly from violently choking on his cereal. He didn't think he'd blushed harder in his entire life, but then again, no one had ever come out and said something like that.
If he was even remotely theorizing about his luck starting to improve, his theory had been swiftly and decisively disproven. He wanted to cry. And maybe go hide himself next to a barrel. Maybe even inside the barrel. And possibly never come out again. This.. this hurt.
In the meantime, though, all he could do was hide in mortification behind his hands.
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The poor man looked positively flustered. What in the world was he so bothered about? Humans were so ridiculous about sex! He was as bad as those children who were always pitching fits on the bulletin board.
"Men enjoy sex," Lust explained. "And there's rarely anything logical about it - regardless of who's having it. And the stimulation is the point. Men are very physically sensitive creatures - besides that, there's all that muck about love and sex going hand and hand. Of course, they also seem to think it's some horrible, shameful thing that should never be spoken of. I've never understood all the fuss about sex." She turned to address Ashton directly now, wondering what was the problem.
"Good luck," she told him. "Dias seems remarkably awkward about personal relations of any sort. I've known priests with more of an obvious sex drive."
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"She thought it at least remotely obvious," River explained, staring at him confused as he refrained from dying due to choking on the breakfast cereal. It was a logical observation, and it wasn't as though he hadn't been loud about it. Apparently, he had not desire to divulge the information to Dias either. Troublesome.
"He's a brick when it comes to this sort of thing, but he doesn't realize he's part of a house all the time," she continued, trying to help and give him some encouragement along with Lust's interesting explanation. "Makes it difficult. Even if it's there, he won't see because of all the sand in his eyes. Naive. If you want to engage in sexual intercourse with him, you're going to have to say something." Or someone else would. A new goal. "He buries it all. Won't allow himself. It would be kind of like dating cactus. You'll have to learn to avoid the needles." River frowned, a thought dawning on her that hadn't before.
"We were supposed to be married, Dias and I. Homosexual intercourse with another man could put a strain on the marriage." Suddenly, the girl looked quite concerned. Her expression didn't seem to dictate that she was upset. More that she was trying to figure out a math problem.
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"It.. it's not just.. it's not just about.." He wanted to finish his sentence, but he couldn't even bring himself to say that word. It was okay to think. In small doses. But Ashton liked to think he concentrated on more than just the physical - he respected Dias as much as he did Rena and Claude, and Dias made him happy in the strangest ways. Even though he was reticent. And stubborn. And tragic. And cold on the outside. And.. oh, the list could go on and on. Dias. Where was he, anyway? Couldn't he save him from this, like he'd saved him from Xigbar?
No, he'd have to save himself. Somehow.
..Yeah, right.
"What I mean is.. oh.. bother. No, you, Dias and I, ..on the battlefield, it... we fight together, and. Ah. I'm not - .. this isn't - He's your big brother! Don't say such things!" he finally said, bringing his thumb to his lips to chew on the thumbnail nervously, wrapping the other arm around his waist. This was like Manah all over again, except without the maliciousness. River just felt things and said them. Did that make Ashton feel any better? No.
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"We certainly haven't discussed that," Lust said, scowling some. "Children are the last things on our mind, River." Besides, she'd make a horrible mother.
"Mmm," she said, in relation to Dias. "He's like Scar. Men like that are difficult, to say the least. They're stubborn, emotionally blind, and ridiculously internalized. They're made of stone, those men. It's going to be a struggle all the way. Just don't give him time or a chance to argue - it's much easier that way, trust me." She stabbed at her food with a fork, understanding in part Ashton's dilemma.
"Do calm down," Lust said, giving Ashton a Look. "There's no need for your flustered theatrics. And there's certainly nothing wrong with fancying someone you've fought beside. Those are strong bonds - stronger than bonds of sex, really. And River, it's not considered polite to marry one's siblings, even if they're not blood related. Besides, Dias is too old for you. He's a good man and I respect him and am quite fond of them, but he's your brother, not your lover. And you're too young for lovers, anyway," she added.
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Ashton was flustered, that much was clear, and yet there was still something so endearing and amusing about the entire situation. She couldn't help but smile, apparently very pleased with herself. It was about time he started to admit things. There would be a little push, one more little push, and her work would be done. Now, however, now was not the time.
Happy times... It almost made her sad to think that the sky might clear and the winds would die down. Everything would be very real, and then hide and go seek wouldn't be a viable source of entertainment. Like a child growing up, a child who could see it all far too clearly.
"No, I suppose it isn't proper. It's a different kind of love, and..." River's voice was quieter now as she leaned her head against Lust's shoulder once again. They'd see it as a mood swing. Not realization of moments that would never be the same again. Torturing Ashton and his crush had lost its appeal. "I've never been proper, and I'm always too young. Just shy of 18. And I promised the Uchiha I'd help him revive his clan anyway."
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Although what the older woman had said rang true, and even comforted him somewhat. She spoke of that man named Scar, the one Dias had said was like him. Made of stone. Was she, too, in a similar boat? ..And River was talking like this woman was her mother, in the same way that Dias was her big brother.
"Ah," he started, then paused, collecting his words. "All of you... Scar, Dias.. you too, River, and you, ma'am.. you've made a family here, haven't you."
He wondered briefly if he could ever be a part of something like that, something to trust and believe in even through the horrors of the Insitute. Ashton had taken refuge in his dragons after a time, but now they were gone and he was alone. Dias was the type to take refuge in a family-style construct. Ashton supposed he had Axel after all, especially now that he had a heart of sorts, and now that they had the bond that could only be forged by placing one's life in another's hands.. maybe that was what Ashton could hang on to, even if he would never be able to be a part of a family.
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"River simply...stay away from boys." Lust knew all about boys - they were the same as men. And the last thing she wanted was to worry about whether or not River had gotten herself involved with that sort of thing. She was just a child. Was this what having children was like? All the worrying and fretting?
Why in god's good name did people do it?
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"Boys aren't a priority. Righting the wrongs followed quickly by efficient escape tactics. Boys and reproduction would land themselves in last place after caring for basic hygiene and various, natural necessities," the girl agreed with Lust finally. "You wouldn't have to worry about Sasuke-kun, though. He'd have me home by 10."
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Still, he hadn't been planning on talking to Dias about about anything like that anytime soon. Things with Dias.. well, they did make him happy how they were, and getting together with a man who hardly knew him seemed like utter wishful thinking.
And they were talking about boys. River, at almost 18, certainly wasn't too young to date in Ashton's opinion. Not like he'd ever been on a date before, unless one counted that thing with Claude. Things like dating seemed innocuous enough compared to nighttime in Landel's, anyway. So, trying his best to speak conversationally, normally, he said, "Ah, River, just tell Dias and I if he does anything bad, and we'll go hand his butt to him!"
It struck him then that he didn't even know the older woman's name, so he figured he'd make an introduction. Looking sheepishly at Lust, he said apologetically, "Ah.. by the way, I'm Ashton. Ashton Anchors. What's your name?"
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At least River seemed to have no interest in those sorts of things. Lust's own view of sex was warped - it was a power play, and little more. It was a sordid thing, really. There was a reason she made no move to sleep with Scar - she had no reason or desire to manipulate him.
"Hmm? Oh, I'm Lust." She nodded in Ashton's direction, not realizing they'd never bothered with introductions.
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The unspoken thoughts of Scar left River wondering briefly where he was... Even now, the silence was too much to truly make heads or tails of where he'd gone off to. It was sad, in a way. She hadn't seen him in the longest time, and she would new when he would see her again. New and the same. It was nerve-wracking.
"If you're going to be my brother too, you'll have to be made aware of what the job entails." Not wanting to speak of any more somber matters, as her mind would refuse the words to cross her lips even as it urged them, River grinned at Ashton. The girl leaned over the table, beckoning Ashton to lean closer to share a valued secret.
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