[LOG] friendship making for dummies
Characters: Liliadent Krauser, Kirihara Akaya
Location: Liliadent’s room
Time: January 25
Rating: G for fluffyness
Summary: Akaya needed somebody to talk and a new friendship awoke.
With a sigh Akaya closed his laptop and stood up. it was good to have people he could talk to....people he perhaps could call friends one day. “I’m off,” he said to Kaidou who was sleeping again. It just would feel strange to leave without saying anything, no matter if Kaidou heard him or not.
It was just one room between his and Liliadents so it wasn’t a long walk before he knocked at the other’s door, waiting for Liliadent to open.
Liliadent gave Archimedes a quick scratch on his head, smiling at the sounds his little friend was making. He knew he wasn’t going to be waiting long, but he was sure he had time for a little pet. The knock on his door surprised him-- oh, right, Kirihara-kun was only a couple of doors down. The blond boy opened the door with a smile and stood aside to let the other in. “Please,come in,” he said, still wishing his accent wasn’t quite so obvious when he spoke Japanese. “My roommate is out at the moment, so it is just us.” And hopefully that wouldn’t make the other boy nervous. That wasn’t what Liliadent wanted at all.
“That’s okay,” Akaya nodded and slipped into the room, staring at the tree shaped bed on one side of the room. “Eh~ okay. That’s interesting,” he grinned but then saw the owl and his eyes start to shine. “Oh god. That’s awesome. Is that your owl?” he asked, beaming at Liliadent, momentarily forgetting his sorrow. He just loved animals, but cats and birds were the best. Slowly he walked closer to the owl so he wouldn’t scare him.
“Ah, yes, that is Kin-chan’s bed and this is Archimedes,” Liliadent said. He couldn’t help the smile at the almost reverent tone Kirihara-kun’s voice took as he spotted the Ural owl standing on Lilia’s desk. The German laid his forearm down so his pet could hop on, then lifted the owl and held him out to see their guest. “If you would like to pet him, he likes being scratched on the top of his head.”
“Archimedes...” Akaya murmured and watched how Liliadent got the owl on his arm and with a wide smile the black haired boy nodded and carefully scratched the owl on top of the head. “He’s cool. I wonder if I should get a pet too.” But then he sighed and shook his head. “Probably better not.” Slowly he let go of Archimedes again and took a step back.
Liliadent looked at the other boy for a second, then nodded to himself. He lifted his arm so Archimedes could hop onto the top of the bookshelf and waddle over to his nest, where he settled in with another adorable sound. Turning, the blond boy gestured to his bed and the chair by his desk. “Would you like to sit?” He would let his guest choose the seat he felt most comfortable taking, and then they could talk.
Nodding slightly Akaya walked over to the bed and climbed on it, leaning against the headboard and leaving enough space for Liliadent if he decided to also sit on the bed. “Thanks,” he murmured with a little smile. It felt strange to sit here, considering the reason for his visit on Liliadent’s room. “Sorry. I probably shouldn’t have posted anything about it. But I needed to let it out I guess,” he sighed, letting his fingers run through his hair.
Liliadent nodded, sitting down by the foot of the bed and facing the other boy. “No, it is fine,” he said reassuringly. “I understand the need to express how you feel. The journals... are sacred, in a way. No matter what others think of your feelings, you are allowed and encouraged to post them in your journal. Like a diary.” He sighed as well, his lips quirking in a rueful smile. “And to be honest, I understand where you are coming from. Would you like to talk about it?” They could, or not, whichever Kirihara-kun wanted.
“Yeah a diary that everybody can read. Though I guess if it’s really bad I can still screen it right?” he asked with a sad smile, wrapping his arms around his knees. For a long moment he looked at Liliadent before he lowered his eyes again. “Dunno if there’s so much to talk about, though. It’s just... I know that mom always was scared that I might hurt her or Nee-chan one day, that I even might kill somebody one day. I’m here to learn to control myself so I won’t kill anybody. It’s just strange to hear how good everything is at home now that I’m not there anymore. Like everybody has waited for me to disappear.” He knew it was ridiculous to think that but he couldn’t fight that thought.
Liliadent’s eyes took on a faraway look, remembering his own pain. Was it just a month ago? It seemed sometimes as though it was just yesterday, and other times it felt like a hundred years ago. He focused back on the boy sitting opposite him with downcast eyes. “I... understand,” he managed. “My parents were apparently afraid of the same thing from me, but never told me. They kept me close, though. We never interacted with others because of my powers. I went to school, but they and I had no friends because of my power. And then I came here. Suddenly they were able to speak to others because they did not fear my power would hurt those people. They did not need to hide me and what I could do, and they told me they were happier with me gone.” His smile was painful. “I do not know if your family is like mine, but I understand what you feel now.”
Without thinking too much of it, Akaya lay down in the bed, staring up at the ceiling. “Nee-chan told me. She often told me that I scare her. And mom... she was always nervous around me, worried that I could snap any time. Dad wasn’t helping much since he’s working abroad. The people at school thought I was a freak and made sure to stay away from me, except for some tough ones who wanted me in their gang.” It was good to talk to somebody who could relate. “What are your powers anyway? if you don’t mind talking about it.”
Liliadent’s smile faded as he listened. That was no way to live at home. Perhaps it was best for all of them, especially Kirihara-kun, that he’d come here. “ My powers... well, there are two main facets of the same thing: my voice. Mesmerismus lets me pitch my voice in such a way that the person hearing me must obey my command. If the pitch is off just the slightest bit, or my command is not understood, it doesn’t work. My Sprengen shout is a blastwave of sound that can knock people pretty far back, but it drains me.” He tilted his head slightly. “I cannot blame them for fearing my power, either. I used both as a child, and hurt others with them.”
“At least you realize when you use your powers. When I snap I don’t remember afterwards, and I can’t do anything to stop it. I managed to get more than just one of the other students into the hospital. I even attacked Nee-chan a few times but luckily she found out at one point that silver drains me so she wears a silver amulet with her that she could use. It’s probably just thanks to the fact that I can maintain that state for about five minutes that I haven’t killed anybody yet,” Akaya sighed and lifted one of his hands to look at it.
“Not always until it’s too late. Sprengen especially can happen when I get angry. Twice now I have used it without meaning to, though at least I remember afterward. And the second time, I was lucky enough that the man I got angry at was genuinely bad.” Liliadent sighed again. “One thing I have learned is that coming here to learn control is not just lip service. The teachers here really can help us. Sakaki-sensei even has an ability somewhat like mine. Before I came here, I didn’t think that was possible.” The taller boy leaned forward, touching the hand Kirihara was looking at. “Things will get better from here. Already I have seen a difference in my control, something I feared was gone when I began singing without wanting to.” A sound from behind made him pull back and turn to look. Archimedes, possibly reacting to the mood in the room, had come down from his nest; as he watched, the owl began awkwardly waddling up the bed to sit near Kirihara’s knee. There he gave a small hoot before spreading his wing out to cover the other boy’s leg. “Ah, I think he is trying to comfort you...?”
Looking up surprised as Liliadent touched his hand Akaya rested on his elbow and turned his head in Liliadent’s direction, opening his fist to wrap his hand around Liliadent’s instead.. “I have been training with the twins a few times... though I guess it’s too early to actually see a difference yet. But I hope that it will get better. I don’t want to just snap and stupid things and then wake up again to a bloodbath...”
Seeing how Archimedes waddled towards him made Akaya chuckle slightly and he used the hand that wasn’t occupied with Liliadent’s to pet the owl. “Is he so nice to everybody?” he asked.
“It will come in time, yes. It takes patience, but you can stay here as long as you need to work on it.” He wondered a little about that ‘again’. Had Kirihara-kun caused a bloodbath? He hoped not. That was far too much of a burden on someone so young and kind. He was glad Archimedes had come down to offer something to the other boy. Animals, as he well knew, had an almost-magical way of helping someone who was hurting. “He... is very kind, and he knows when someone is hurting. After my parents disowned me, sometimes I cried at night. He would come and cuddle with me and try to ease my pain then.” The blond smiled slightly and squeezed the hand holding his. “But he is somewhat picky about who he will approach. I think he likes you.”
This made Akaya smile gently and he patted the owl a bit more, giving it a chance to climb higher onto him if Archimedes wanted to. “They really disowned you? Sorry man. My mom probably wants me to show up again once I can control it. Though it’s going to be awkward as hell. And the others probably going to treat me the same way as before.” He knew his family was scared of his power but there was at least still love as well. To think that his family would abandon him completely... no that would have been too much for him. With a caring smile Akaya squeezed the hand in his. “If your family doesn’t want you anymore.... you can come with me. Mom always loves to have people in the house. The more the merrier. It’s not the same of course but it’s better than sitting here all the time isn’t it?”
Liliadent smiled too, watching as Archimedes took the invitation and waddled up to Kirihara’s hip, then with a bounce and a flutter of wings settled on top of the prone boy. “Thank you. That would be wonderful. I have found many friends here, but it does get lonely when the school is on break and everyone else goes home for the holiday. It is... well, I am still getting over it, and some days are better than others. It is their choice to tell me I am not welcome in their home anymore, and perhaps one day they will change their minds. But it is nice to know that I have others who do wish for me to be around. It makes things easier, knowing I am not completely alone. And you have that support as well, despite the problems you have with control. So do not despair, okay? Things may not get better right away, but they will get better.”
Akaya chuckled as he felt the owl waddle on top of him “That tickles,” he grinned but then looked back at Liliadent, petting the owl’s head again. “whenever you wanna talk you know where my room is. And it’s good to make friends. Feels strange but it’s good”, he smiled gently and lay back down again. “I still don’t know what to make of most of the students but I guess eventually I’ll make some friends as well... or made some already and just don’t realize yet.” It was difficult to find out you had made friends if you didn’t have much experience with it.
Liliadent nodded, understanding completely. “Before coming here, I had not had a friend since I was five years old. That I how I learned of my power, actually. I told him to go jump in the pond behind our house, and accidentally used Mesmerismus on him. He jumped in and almost drowned because he could not swim. So I have held myself apart all this time, something my parents encouraged out of fear. It was unusual to suddenly have so many wishing to speak to me and spend time with me, but I quickly grew to enjoy it.” He chuckled softly. “And I have at least one friend with which I do not speak, because his power is voice-based as well. So we sit and are quiet with each other, and that is nice too. Perhaps you could seek him out if you feel like just being quiet with someone. His name is Kabaji-kun.”
“I first transformed when I was seven. Nee-chan had broken my gameboy and I got so angry that I snapped. Luckily she managed to hide in her room quickly. She just got some little scratches but she was so scared of me after that for a long time.” Thinking of that past made his heart clench and he shook his head and looked at Liliadent again. “Kabaji... ah Zaizen’s roommate right?” He sounded like a very nice guy.
So, he had found out his ability around the same age as Liliadent. Interesting. He smiled and nodded. “Yes, that is him. Written words become real things when he speaks them out loud, so he dislikes talking. But he is very kind and very gentle. There are others who have treated me kindly as well. The Kisarazu twins have been very cuddly with me, even before I lost my parents.” Which was a weird way of saying it, since they were still alive. But he’d lost access to them, so wasn’t that almost the same? He wasn’t sure, but he didn’t know how else to put it. “And of course, my roommate Kintarou and all of his clones.” There were others, too, like Yagyuu-san and Atobe-san. But he’d seen how much more reserved they tended to be and would let them offer their friendship if it suited them. He was sure that in time more would warm to the curly-haired boy as he had. “And many of them come to Languages Night, to help or get help with English,” he said teasingly.
“The twins are cool,” Akaya nodded. “And fun. Even though I still think it’s strange that they are in the Hair Care Club.” He chuckled at the memory of his bath with Ryou-senpai. But then Akaya pouted as he looked at Liliadent. “You’re mean! Trying to get me to come to the Languages Night with that! I’d just embarrass myself if I showed up there. If I say I suck at english then I really suck at it,” he sighed. “But your roommate can clone himself? Really?”
Liliadent chuckled at the Hair Care Club thing and the pout. “The twins are fun, but I suppose they value good grooming. Given what they are, it is not surprising. And I only mean that we have a lot of fun in the Languages Club. Especially the English part, which is a lot less structured so people can get help with the things they are really stuck with. No one will laugh at you, I promise. I would use Mesmerismus on them to make them stop if they tried.” He winked. “And I can hardly make fun of you, since I still get tutored in Japanese by one of our sempai.” He grinned at the question of his roommate’s ability. “Yes, that’s one of his powers. The clones are not exactly like him, they each have a separate personality that’s slightly different, but they are all good people.”
“Yeah Ryou-senpai couldn’t believe it when I told him that I don’t really know which shampoo I’m using at the moment. As long as it gets all the stuff out that’s stuck in my hair sometimes I’m happy.” Though he had to admit that he did change his shampoo after that, thanks to a certain person. When Liliadent said he would make the others stop laughing at him if they dared to the curly haired boy smiled widely and probably would have hugged Liliadent if it wasn’t for Archimedes still on his chest, which he didn’t want to push off because it felt very nice. So he just settled with a big smile and a warm ‘thank you, Lilia~’ not thinking too much about the shorter form. The other’s name was just so long. “I guess it’s pretty lively here with such a roommate. Kaidou sleeps most of the time because of the weather.”
Liliadent could only shaking his head, because he agreed with Kirihara on the shampoo. He couldn’t recall the brand name, he only knew that he liked the kind in the black bottle because it smelled the best. But to each their own, and Kisarazu Ryou-sempai did have a lot more hair than he did. He blinked at the shortening of his name. He’d been called ‘Lili-chan’ by Kin-chan, but no one else had ever given him anything resembling a nickname before. He blushed a little, realizing that he liked it. But he pulled himself together and forced his mind to concentrate on the conversation. “A-ah, yes, it can get very loud very quickly. Especially since he has a dog as well, a rather active one.” The German tilted his head. “Kaidoh-kun is part snake, which cannot be fun considering how long winters in Hokkaido are supposed to be. But hopefully things will be lively in your room as well once he can move around more.”
Akaya didn’t think too much of the nickname since for one Liliadent was too long for him to speak without feeling like he messed up something along the way, and second he always wanted to used nicknames for his friends if he had some but since the other were his senpai it would feel strange if he shortened their names, at least at the moment. Perhaps he would if he stayed here longer.
“A dog? There are many pets here. Though I like cats and birds more than dogs. Not that I hate dogs but it would probably drive me crazy if I had one.” Akaya chuckled slightly and looked at Liliadent again. “We’ll see if it gets livelier and if not I’ll just come and visit you and your roommate when I need some action.”
Liliadent laughed softly. “This dog is a Tora Inu and acts more like a cross between a dog and a cat. It can even climb trees, or so I am told. But I prefer birds myself,” he said, reaching over to give Archimedes a quick scratch. The owl closed its eyes, feeling blissed out over so much attention. But he stayed where he was on Kirihara’s chest, which made Liliadent grin. Whatever the curly-haired boy might think of himself, animals knew when someone was ‘bad’ and never stayed near them. His new friend might be dangerous in his altered state, but he wasn’t a bad person and the owl knew that instinctively. “You are always welcome here if things are too quiet in your room. Kin-chan is lively enough for ten people.”
“Yes birds are cool. I’d love to have a raven but that’s probably not possible. You know the movie ‘The Crow’?” Akaya asked and wanted to sit up a bit without disturbing Archimedes too much but then realized that he still held Liliadent’s hand in his own. “Ah...” he felt his cheeks heat up and quickly let go of the blond’s hand. “I’m sorry I totally forgot...” he murmured, feeling stupid for forgetting that he still had held Liliadent’s hand. “Uhm... well.. if one of you two has a PSP we could even play games together if you’re up for that.”
“Oh, I do not know about that. Kite-sempai might be able to help you the way he helped me. I can ask him for you, if you like. And I love that movie. I had the DVD before I moved here.” He looked down as his hand was let go. Oh. He could feel his face burning now as he pulled his hand back and held it awkwardly. Yes, that had been really smooth of him to hold on for so long. He wanted to apologize as well, but worried that it would embarrass the other boy even more. And really... he wasn’t too sorry. Thinking back on it he’d rather liked it. But he definitely wasn’t saying that. “Er, well. I do not have one, but perhaps Kintarou does? What type of games?”
“Really? That would be cool if you could do that”, Akaya smiled widely but then his smile became more a grin. “I have my DVD with me here at school~” he chirped obviously very pleased and happy for the distraction from this rather embarrassing moment just now. “Hm I have many different games. But most games that you can play with two players are fighting games. If i had a TV in my room and my WII and PS3 here I would have even more games, and not just fighting games, that you could play with two people.”
Liliadent nodded, making a mental note to see Kite-sempai soon about the possibility of a crow for Kirihara. It might not happen, but he lost nothing by asking. “Oh, we should watch it one night. We could have popcorn and everything.” Just then Archimedes stretched his wings and waddled over to the blond with a chirpy sound that the taller boy had come to understand meant, “I’m sleepy.” With a smile, he offered his arm to the owl, who hopped on and let himself be lifted to his nest. The fluffy bird hopped onto the shelf and into his nest, settling in with a rustle of feathers before closing his eyes. “You will have to teach me how to play those games,” Liliadent said as he sat back down. “I have never played with someone else before.” He’d owned a couple of systems back home, but he’d never had a friend to play with before.
“We totally have to,” Akaya grinned. “I might even be up to watch it in english as long as we have japanese subtitles.” Yes that movie was one of the few he would even watch in the original.
The boy looked almost sad when the owl left his chest and was brought back to it’s nest. “I can teach you when we visit my home. You’ll love it I’m sure. Gaming is always more fun if you’re with more people,” he said and sat up again, stretching a bit. “Ah... thanks Lilia, I feel a lot better now. We definitely have to do that again. Just lie around and talk.” Yes he felt a lot better, more comfortable with himself. He really just had needed to talk a bit as it seemed.
Liliadent smiled, raising a hand to briefly touch the other boy’s shoulder. “I am glad,” he said sincerely. “We can definitely do this again sometime. Plus watch that movie and play games.” The blond was glad that a simple talk and some honest friendship had been able to help so much. He’d found that it helped immensely when things seemed to be depressing. The power of friendship, as trite as the phrase was. “And remember, my door is always open if something happens that upsets you.” Because there might be an accident with someone’s power, or just a clash of personalities, and he wanted his friend to know there was some place he could go where he wouldn’t be judged.
Akaya also placed a hand on Liliadent’s shoulder and squeezed it for a moment. “The same for you. If you ever wanna talk to me or play some games, just knock and see if I’m over there.” Honestly he was glad to have entered this school to learn to control his power and to find some friends as well. Though with both he still had a long way to go. “Meh~ I guess I should go back to my homework or Sensei’ll be mad at me on Monday.”
Liliadent laughed and stood, offering a hand to his friend. “I will do that. Thank you. Ah, yes, I have homework as well, now that I think about it. And if you need help with the English, feel free to ask. Math and Science I probably would not be much help with, but English I can do.”
“Yeah... I’ll definitely need your help with English,” Akaya sighed and took Liliadent’s hand with a smile. “Thanks again for listening. And say thank you to Archimedes as well when he’s awake again, okay?”
Pulling Kirihara to stand, Liliadent smiled. “You are more than welcome. I will.” He walked the other boy to his door, waving goodbye as his friend left. As he closed the door, he lifted his hand and flexed it a few times. Strange, he thought. He normally didn’t like touching someone else quite so much. It made his cheeks burn a little, but it wasn’t exactly a bad feeling. He sort of hoped Kirihara would have trouble with English or get bored soon. Liliadent wanted to see him again.
Location: Liliadent’s room
Time: January 25
Rating: G for fluffyness
Summary: Akaya needed somebody to talk and a new friendship awoke.
With a sigh Akaya closed his laptop and stood up. it was good to have people he could talk to....people he perhaps could call friends one day. “I’m off,” he said to Kaidou who was sleeping again. It just would feel strange to leave without saying anything, no matter if Kaidou heard him or not.
It was just one room between his and Liliadents so it wasn’t a long walk before he knocked at the other’s door, waiting for Liliadent to open.
Liliadent gave Archimedes a quick scratch on his head, smiling at the sounds his little friend was making. He knew he wasn’t going to be waiting long, but he was sure he had time for a little pet. The knock on his door surprised him-- oh, right, Kirihara-kun was only a couple of doors down. The blond boy opened the door with a smile and stood aside to let the other in. “Please,come in,” he said, still wishing his accent wasn’t quite so obvious when he spoke Japanese. “My roommate is out at the moment, so it is just us.” And hopefully that wouldn’t make the other boy nervous. That wasn’t what Liliadent wanted at all.
“That’s okay,” Akaya nodded and slipped into the room, staring at the tree shaped bed on one side of the room. “Eh~ okay. That’s interesting,” he grinned but then saw the owl and his eyes start to shine. “Oh god. That’s awesome. Is that your owl?” he asked, beaming at Liliadent, momentarily forgetting his sorrow. He just loved animals, but cats and birds were the best. Slowly he walked closer to the owl so he wouldn’t scare him.
“Ah, yes, that is Kin-chan’s bed and this is Archimedes,” Liliadent said. He couldn’t help the smile at the almost reverent tone Kirihara-kun’s voice took as he spotted the Ural owl standing on Lilia’s desk. The German laid his forearm down so his pet could hop on, then lifted the owl and held him out to see their guest. “If you would like to pet him, he likes being scratched on the top of his head.”
“Archimedes...” Akaya murmured and watched how Liliadent got the owl on his arm and with a wide smile the black haired boy nodded and carefully scratched the owl on top of the head. “He’s cool. I wonder if I should get a pet too.” But then he sighed and shook his head. “Probably better not.” Slowly he let go of Archimedes again and took a step back.
Liliadent looked at the other boy for a second, then nodded to himself. He lifted his arm so Archimedes could hop onto the top of the bookshelf and waddle over to his nest, where he settled in with another adorable sound. Turning, the blond boy gestured to his bed and the chair by his desk. “Would you like to sit?” He would let his guest choose the seat he felt most comfortable taking, and then they could talk.
Nodding slightly Akaya walked over to the bed and climbed on it, leaning against the headboard and leaving enough space for Liliadent if he decided to also sit on the bed. “Thanks,” he murmured with a little smile. It felt strange to sit here, considering the reason for his visit on Liliadent’s room. “Sorry. I probably shouldn’t have posted anything about it. But I needed to let it out I guess,” he sighed, letting his fingers run through his hair.
Liliadent nodded, sitting down by the foot of the bed and facing the other boy. “No, it is fine,” he said reassuringly. “I understand the need to express how you feel. The journals... are sacred, in a way. No matter what others think of your feelings, you are allowed and encouraged to post them in your journal. Like a diary.” He sighed as well, his lips quirking in a rueful smile. “And to be honest, I understand where you are coming from. Would you like to talk about it?” They could, or not, whichever Kirihara-kun wanted.
“Yeah a diary that everybody can read. Though I guess if it’s really bad I can still screen it right?” he asked with a sad smile, wrapping his arms around his knees. For a long moment he looked at Liliadent before he lowered his eyes again. “Dunno if there’s so much to talk about, though. It’s just... I know that mom always was scared that I might hurt her or Nee-chan one day, that I even might kill somebody one day. I’m here to learn to control myself so I won’t kill anybody. It’s just strange to hear how good everything is at home now that I’m not there anymore. Like everybody has waited for me to disappear.” He knew it was ridiculous to think that but he couldn’t fight that thought.
Liliadent’s eyes took on a faraway look, remembering his own pain. Was it just a month ago? It seemed sometimes as though it was just yesterday, and other times it felt like a hundred years ago. He focused back on the boy sitting opposite him with downcast eyes. “I... understand,” he managed. “My parents were apparently afraid of the same thing from me, but never told me. They kept me close, though. We never interacted with others because of my powers. I went to school, but they and I had no friends because of my power. And then I came here. Suddenly they were able to speak to others because they did not fear my power would hurt those people. They did not need to hide me and what I could do, and they told me they were happier with me gone.” His smile was painful. “I do not know if your family is like mine, but I understand what you feel now.”
Without thinking too much of it, Akaya lay down in the bed, staring up at the ceiling. “Nee-chan told me. She often told me that I scare her. And mom... she was always nervous around me, worried that I could snap any time. Dad wasn’t helping much since he’s working abroad. The people at school thought I was a freak and made sure to stay away from me, except for some tough ones who wanted me in their gang.” It was good to talk to somebody who could relate. “What are your powers anyway? if you don’t mind talking about it.”
Liliadent’s smile faded as he listened. That was no way to live at home. Perhaps it was best for all of them, especially Kirihara-kun, that he’d come here. “ My powers... well, there are two main facets of the same thing: my voice. Mesmerismus lets me pitch my voice in such a way that the person hearing me must obey my command. If the pitch is off just the slightest bit, or my command is not understood, it doesn’t work. My Sprengen shout is a blastwave of sound that can knock people pretty far back, but it drains me.” He tilted his head slightly. “I cannot blame them for fearing my power, either. I used both as a child, and hurt others with them.”
“At least you realize when you use your powers. When I snap I don’t remember afterwards, and I can’t do anything to stop it. I managed to get more than just one of the other students into the hospital. I even attacked Nee-chan a few times but luckily she found out at one point that silver drains me so she wears a silver amulet with her that she could use. It’s probably just thanks to the fact that I can maintain that state for about five minutes that I haven’t killed anybody yet,” Akaya sighed and lifted one of his hands to look at it.
“Not always until it’s too late. Sprengen especially can happen when I get angry. Twice now I have used it without meaning to, though at least I remember afterward. And the second time, I was lucky enough that the man I got angry at was genuinely bad.” Liliadent sighed again. “One thing I have learned is that coming here to learn control is not just lip service. The teachers here really can help us. Sakaki-sensei even has an ability somewhat like mine. Before I came here, I didn’t think that was possible.” The taller boy leaned forward, touching the hand Kirihara was looking at. “Things will get better from here. Already I have seen a difference in my control, something I feared was gone when I began singing without wanting to.” A sound from behind made him pull back and turn to look. Archimedes, possibly reacting to the mood in the room, had come down from his nest; as he watched, the owl began awkwardly waddling up the bed to sit near Kirihara’s knee. There he gave a small hoot before spreading his wing out to cover the other boy’s leg. “Ah, I think he is trying to comfort you...?”
Looking up surprised as Liliadent touched his hand Akaya rested on his elbow and turned his head in Liliadent’s direction, opening his fist to wrap his hand around Liliadent’s instead.. “I have been training with the twins a few times... though I guess it’s too early to actually see a difference yet. But I hope that it will get better. I don’t want to just snap and stupid things and then wake up again to a bloodbath...”
Seeing how Archimedes waddled towards him made Akaya chuckle slightly and he used the hand that wasn’t occupied with Liliadent’s to pet the owl. “Is he so nice to everybody?” he asked.
“It will come in time, yes. It takes patience, but you can stay here as long as you need to work on it.” He wondered a little about that ‘again’. Had Kirihara-kun caused a bloodbath? He hoped not. That was far too much of a burden on someone so young and kind. He was glad Archimedes had come down to offer something to the other boy. Animals, as he well knew, had an almost-magical way of helping someone who was hurting. “He... is very kind, and he knows when someone is hurting. After my parents disowned me, sometimes I cried at night. He would come and cuddle with me and try to ease my pain then.” The blond smiled slightly and squeezed the hand holding his. “But he is somewhat picky about who he will approach. I think he likes you.”
This made Akaya smile gently and he patted the owl a bit more, giving it a chance to climb higher onto him if Archimedes wanted to. “They really disowned you? Sorry man. My mom probably wants me to show up again once I can control it. Though it’s going to be awkward as hell. And the others probably going to treat me the same way as before.” He knew his family was scared of his power but there was at least still love as well. To think that his family would abandon him completely... no that would have been too much for him. With a caring smile Akaya squeezed the hand in his. “If your family doesn’t want you anymore.... you can come with me. Mom always loves to have people in the house. The more the merrier. It’s not the same of course but it’s better than sitting here all the time isn’t it?”
Liliadent smiled too, watching as Archimedes took the invitation and waddled up to Kirihara’s hip, then with a bounce and a flutter of wings settled on top of the prone boy. “Thank you. That would be wonderful. I have found many friends here, but it does get lonely when the school is on break and everyone else goes home for the holiday. It is... well, I am still getting over it, and some days are better than others. It is their choice to tell me I am not welcome in their home anymore, and perhaps one day they will change their minds. But it is nice to know that I have others who do wish for me to be around. It makes things easier, knowing I am not completely alone. And you have that support as well, despite the problems you have with control. So do not despair, okay? Things may not get better right away, but they will get better.”
Akaya chuckled as he felt the owl waddle on top of him “That tickles,” he grinned but then looked back at Liliadent, petting the owl’s head again. “whenever you wanna talk you know where my room is. And it’s good to make friends. Feels strange but it’s good”, he smiled gently and lay back down again. “I still don’t know what to make of most of the students but I guess eventually I’ll make some friends as well... or made some already and just don’t realize yet.” It was difficult to find out you had made friends if you didn’t have much experience with it.
Liliadent nodded, understanding completely. “Before coming here, I had not had a friend since I was five years old. That I how I learned of my power, actually. I told him to go jump in the pond behind our house, and accidentally used Mesmerismus on him. He jumped in and almost drowned because he could not swim. So I have held myself apart all this time, something my parents encouraged out of fear. It was unusual to suddenly have so many wishing to speak to me and spend time with me, but I quickly grew to enjoy it.” He chuckled softly. “And I have at least one friend with which I do not speak, because his power is voice-based as well. So we sit and are quiet with each other, and that is nice too. Perhaps you could seek him out if you feel like just being quiet with someone. His name is Kabaji-kun.”
“I first transformed when I was seven. Nee-chan had broken my gameboy and I got so angry that I snapped. Luckily she managed to hide in her room quickly. She just got some little scratches but she was so scared of me after that for a long time.” Thinking of that past made his heart clench and he shook his head and looked at Liliadent again. “Kabaji... ah Zaizen’s roommate right?” He sounded like a very nice guy.
So, he had found out his ability around the same age as Liliadent. Interesting. He smiled and nodded. “Yes, that is him. Written words become real things when he speaks them out loud, so he dislikes talking. But he is very kind and very gentle. There are others who have treated me kindly as well. The Kisarazu twins have been very cuddly with me, even before I lost my parents.” Which was a weird way of saying it, since they were still alive. But he’d lost access to them, so wasn’t that almost the same? He wasn’t sure, but he didn’t know how else to put it. “And of course, my roommate Kintarou and all of his clones.” There were others, too, like Yagyuu-san and Atobe-san. But he’d seen how much more reserved they tended to be and would let them offer their friendship if it suited them. He was sure that in time more would warm to the curly-haired boy as he had. “And many of them come to Languages Night, to help or get help with English,” he said teasingly.
“The twins are cool,” Akaya nodded. “And fun. Even though I still think it’s strange that they are in the Hair Care Club.” He chuckled at the memory of his bath with Ryou-senpai. But then Akaya pouted as he looked at Liliadent. “You’re mean! Trying to get me to come to the Languages Night with that! I’d just embarrass myself if I showed up there. If I say I suck at english then I really suck at it,” he sighed. “But your roommate can clone himself? Really?”
Liliadent chuckled at the Hair Care Club thing and the pout. “The twins are fun, but I suppose they value good grooming. Given what they are, it is not surprising. And I only mean that we have a lot of fun in the Languages Club. Especially the English part, which is a lot less structured so people can get help with the things they are really stuck with. No one will laugh at you, I promise. I would use Mesmerismus on them to make them stop if they tried.” He winked. “And I can hardly make fun of you, since I still get tutored in Japanese by one of our sempai.” He grinned at the question of his roommate’s ability. “Yes, that’s one of his powers. The clones are not exactly like him, they each have a separate personality that’s slightly different, but they are all good people.”
“Yeah Ryou-senpai couldn’t believe it when I told him that I don’t really know which shampoo I’m using at the moment. As long as it gets all the stuff out that’s stuck in my hair sometimes I’m happy.” Though he had to admit that he did change his shampoo after that, thanks to a certain person. When Liliadent said he would make the others stop laughing at him if they dared to the curly haired boy smiled widely and probably would have hugged Liliadent if it wasn’t for Archimedes still on his chest, which he didn’t want to push off because it felt very nice. So he just settled with a big smile and a warm ‘thank you, Lilia~’ not thinking too much about the shorter form. The other’s name was just so long. “I guess it’s pretty lively here with such a roommate. Kaidou sleeps most of the time because of the weather.”
Liliadent could only shaking his head, because he agreed with Kirihara on the shampoo. He couldn’t recall the brand name, he only knew that he liked the kind in the black bottle because it smelled the best. But to each their own, and Kisarazu Ryou-sempai did have a lot more hair than he did. He blinked at the shortening of his name. He’d been called ‘Lili-chan’ by Kin-chan, but no one else had ever given him anything resembling a nickname before. He blushed a little, realizing that he liked it. But he pulled himself together and forced his mind to concentrate on the conversation. “A-ah, yes, it can get very loud very quickly. Especially since he has a dog as well, a rather active one.” The German tilted his head. “Kaidoh-kun is part snake, which cannot be fun considering how long winters in Hokkaido are supposed to be. But hopefully things will be lively in your room as well once he can move around more.”
Akaya didn’t think too much of the nickname since for one Liliadent was too long for him to speak without feeling like he messed up something along the way, and second he always wanted to used nicknames for his friends if he had some but since the other were his senpai it would feel strange if he shortened their names, at least at the moment. Perhaps he would if he stayed here longer.
“A dog? There are many pets here. Though I like cats and birds more than dogs. Not that I hate dogs but it would probably drive me crazy if I had one.” Akaya chuckled slightly and looked at Liliadent again. “We’ll see if it gets livelier and if not I’ll just come and visit you and your roommate when I need some action.”
Liliadent laughed softly. “This dog is a Tora Inu and acts more like a cross between a dog and a cat. It can even climb trees, or so I am told. But I prefer birds myself,” he said, reaching over to give Archimedes a quick scratch. The owl closed its eyes, feeling blissed out over so much attention. But he stayed where he was on Kirihara’s chest, which made Liliadent grin. Whatever the curly-haired boy might think of himself, animals knew when someone was ‘bad’ and never stayed near them. His new friend might be dangerous in his altered state, but he wasn’t a bad person and the owl knew that instinctively. “You are always welcome here if things are too quiet in your room. Kin-chan is lively enough for ten people.”
“Yes birds are cool. I’d love to have a raven but that’s probably not possible. You know the movie ‘The Crow’?” Akaya asked and wanted to sit up a bit without disturbing Archimedes too much but then realized that he still held Liliadent’s hand in his own. “Ah...” he felt his cheeks heat up and quickly let go of the blond’s hand. “I’m sorry I totally forgot...” he murmured, feeling stupid for forgetting that he still had held Liliadent’s hand. “Uhm... well.. if one of you two has a PSP we could even play games together if you’re up for that.”
“Oh, I do not know about that. Kite-sempai might be able to help you the way he helped me. I can ask him for you, if you like. And I love that movie. I had the DVD before I moved here.” He looked down as his hand was let go. Oh. He could feel his face burning now as he pulled his hand back and held it awkwardly. Yes, that had been really smooth of him to hold on for so long. He wanted to apologize as well, but worried that it would embarrass the other boy even more. And really... he wasn’t too sorry. Thinking back on it he’d rather liked it. But he definitely wasn’t saying that. “Er, well. I do not have one, but perhaps Kintarou does? What type of games?”
“Really? That would be cool if you could do that”, Akaya smiled widely but then his smile became more a grin. “I have my DVD with me here at school~” he chirped obviously very pleased and happy for the distraction from this rather embarrassing moment just now. “Hm I have many different games. But most games that you can play with two players are fighting games. If i had a TV in my room and my WII and PS3 here I would have even more games, and not just fighting games, that you could play with two people.”
Liliadent nodded, making a mental note to see Kite-sempai soon about the possibility of a crow for Kirihara. It might not happen, but he lost nothing by asking. “Oh, we should watch it one night. We could have popcorn and everything.” Just then Archimedes stretched his wings and waddled over to the blond with a chirpy sound that the taller boy had come to understand meant, “I’m sleepy.” With a smile, he offered his arm to the owl, who hopped on and let himself be lifted to his nest. The fluffy bird hopped onto the shelf and into his nest, settling in with a rustle of feathers before closing his eyes. “You will have to teach me how to play those games,” Liliadent said as he sat back down. “I have never played with someone else before.” He’d owned a couple of systems back home, but he’d never had a friend to play with before.
“We totally have to,” Akaya grinned. “I might even be up to watch it in english as long as we have japanese subtitles.” Yes that movie was one of the few he would even watch in the original.
The boy looked almost sad when the owl left his chest and was brought back to it’s nest. “I can teach you when we visit my home. You’ll love it I’m sure. Gaming is always more fun if you’re with more people,” he said and sat up again, stretching a bit. “Ah... thanks Lilia, I feel a lot better now. We definitely have to do that again. Just lie around and talk.” Yes he felt a lot better, more comfortable with himself. He really just had needed to talk a bit as it seemed.
Liliadent smiled, raising a hand to briefly touch the other boy’s shoulder. “I am glad,” he said sincerely. “We can definitely do this again sometime. Plus watch that movie and play games.” The blond was glad that a simple talk and some honest friendship had been able to help so much. He’d found that it helped immensely when things seemed to be depressing. The power of friendship, as trite as the phrase was. “And remember, my door is always open if something happens that upsets you.” Because there might be an accident with someone’s power, or just a clash of personalities, and he wanted his friend to know there was some place he could go where he wouldn’t be judged.
Akaya also placed a hand on Liliadent’s shoulder and squeezed it for a moment. “The same for you. If you ever wanna talk to me or play some games, just knock and see if I’m over there.” Honestly he was glad to have entered this school to learn to control his power and to find some friends as well. Though with both he still had a long way to go. “Meh~ I guess I should go back to my homework or Sensei’ll be mad at me on Monday.”
Liliadent laughed and stood, offering a hand to his friend. “I will do that. Thank you. Ah, yes, I have homework as well, now that I think about it. And if you need help with the English, feel free to ask. Math and Science I probably would not be much help with, but English I can do.”
“Yeah... I’ll definitely need your help with English,” Akaya sighed and took Liliadent’s hand with a smile. “Thanks again for listening. And say thank you to Archimedes as well when he’s awake again, okay?”
Pulling Kirihara to stand, Liliadent smiled. “You are more than welcome. I will.” He walked the other boy to his door, waving goodbye as his friend left. As he closed the door, he lifted his hand and flexed it a few times. Strange, he thought. He normally didn’t like touching someone else quite so much. It made his cheeks burn a little, but it wasn’t exactly a bad feeling. He sort of hoped Kirihara would have trouble with English or get bored soon. Liliadent wanted to see him again.