FA'E: Nozomi's Diary (Youkochylde is Guardian)

[Youkochylde]

A Meeting With Sayuri

It was early afternoon, Omi not wanting to show up too early or two late... and she wasn't even certain if anyone would be home at all. Sati had said she was leaving. Omi KNEW she was leaving, but just had no idea when. Well, maybe she would get lucky and the older Fa'e hadn't gone yet. As she stepped up to the porch, she noted with inner relief that the windows were open to the breeze, and the front door seemed to be opened wide as well. She knocked lightly on the edge of the screen door, then lifted her hand to peer into the house. "Hello?" she called, just in case the knock hadn't been heard. "Sati? Are you here?"

Sayuri paused in the act of placing letters on Sati's desk. She was sure she had heard someone calling. She pattered along the bright and white painted hallway and looked at the person peering inside.
'Hello?'

Blinking for a moment, Omi tried to place THIS person. She'd never seen her before... and Sati hadn't mentioned anyone else living here. "I'm sorry to bother you," Omi stammered quickly, recovering herself and her manners. She stepped back from the screen then, bowing deeply. "I'm here to see Sati. I wasn't expecting anyone else here. Is she home, by chance?"

Sati picked up her kimono skirts and opened the inner door properly.
'Sati isnt here. She left a few days ago. I'm just here to check on the house.' she moved out of the way and motioned inside.
'You can come in if you want?'

Nodding softly, Omi slipped off her shoes on the porch, stepping inside with each foot once it was free. "Thank you," she replied, pausing once inside. "I don't mean to be a bother, really. I... I'm also going away for a while and was just hoping to see her again before I left. I wasn't aware that she'd already gone."

Sati shut the door behind Omi and shook her head.
'It's no bother. Would you like some tea? I don't often get to meet Sati's friends. I guess she thinks telling her old mother anything isnt worth the bother.' she commented, her tone carrying a reproachful air, and walked off down the hallway before Omi could give her answer, the flowers in her ornamental hairpin swaying from side to side as she moved.

Omi liked this woman, she determined, smiling as she moved to pad quietly behind her. "Tea would be appreciated," she answered, her voice instinctively canting to a softer tone that she used when in her own home. "I'm a relatively new friend," Omi answered, unable to keep the smile from her face. "We've been around each other a bit here and there, and I helped her clean up this place..." she paused then, grinning as she looked around. "It looks MUCH better than the last time I was here."

'It looks like she's had the decorators in,' she said, walking into the small kitchen and finding tea-bags and two cups. She filled the kettle with water as she spoke.
'Not everywhere is done but most of the downstairs is finished.' she looked at Omi.
'Is ordinary tea okay...?' Sayuri left the sentence hanging, hoping the girl would tell her name.

"It would be wonderful, Obasan," Omi answered respectfully... then blinked as she realised that she hadn't introduced herself properly. Flushing darkly, she gave the woman a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry, forgive me. My name is Gingitsune Nozomi."

'I'm Sayuri,' she said, as the kettle whistled, steam issuing from the spout. She poured the water into the cups, letting the bags sit for a few moments before swirling and capturing them with a spoon.
'Milk and sugar, Nozomi?' she asked, heading over to the little fridge.

"No thank you, O... Sayuri-san," she answered, still using the honourific, as she'd been taught. She was nothing if not polite. Chewing on her lip a moment, Omi glanced back to Sayuri then. "I don't suppose... she left a note for me or anything?" she asked, chiding herself inwardly. After all, they'd JUST seen each other a few days before... when they'd gotten caught kissing by Youko. THAT had been amusing to explain.

'Not that I know of sorry,' she said, handing the cup to her, handle towards Omi.
'She dropped in literally on her way out of the country. She seemed,' Sayuri blew on the tea before sipping it and going on.
'Tense. Angry even. She had one of her hands bandaged and wouldnt say how she had hurt it.'
Sayuri looked at Nozomi.
'Do you know what's been going on with her? Last time I spoke to her for any length of time it was after she had broken up with Silver.' she motioned Omi to follow her from the kitchen, heading for a small side room, what could be described as a parlour. It was furnished in natural wood, woven mats on the polished floor. Sayuri sat in a small comfy chair, the cup placed on a table beside her.

Omi took the cup, inclining her head slightly as she took it. However, as she listened to Sayuri speaking, she frowned softly and moved to follow her. "Well, I didn't see her with a cast last time I saw her," Omi said, lifting up her own wrist ruefully. 'As a matter of fact, I was wearing one when I saw her last, from a fight I'd gotten into."

'Oh so you are both scrappy huh?' she laughed a little, picking her cup up again. She drank more of her tea and then put it down, crossing her arms in front of her.
'So you're going away as well yes? Fa'e seem to do alot of travelling, well from what I've experienced.'

Flushing darkly, Omi slipped into a chair, shaking her head quickly. "Not scrappy," she protested, looking to Sayuri as if trying to find hte words. "Just... really provoked that once. And I wouldn't knwo about all Fa'e... but yeah, all the ones I know have gone away at one point or another." She paused then, glancing up as if thinking. "Except Anen. I don't know if he went away or not..."

'Well yes, provocation can be hard to ignore.' she shrugged a little.
'I dont think I know an 'Anen' sorry.' Sayuri looked at Nozomi.
'Well, even though she didnt leave you anything, was there a message you wanted leaving for Sati? I'm not entirely sure when she will be back, but I'd hope she'd come see me first on her return.'

Nodding, Nozomi looked down into her teacup. "I'm going away as well," she said, smiling a bit. "Well, I'd already said that. I'm going to stay with my O-ba-chan and O-ji-chan in Japan for a while. To-san thinks it'll be good for me, and I keep thinking that whatever I used to be... I'll find the answers there."

'It's always good to know more about yourself,' Sayuri smiled at Nozomi.
'I will be sure to tell her when she comes home that you have gone away yourself. I'm sure you'll have a nice time, it is a beautiful country.'

Smiling a bit, Nozomi nodded. "I've seen picutres my To-san has... he's from there. But I feel like I've been there already, and he thinks it may have something to do with my past. Before I became a Fa'e." Nozomi curled up a bit then, one finger tracing along the rim of her teacup. "I'm a bit nervous... I'd hoped Sati could tell me about the times she's travelled."

'Even more important that you go there then.' Sayuri said.
'It's difficult to look forward when your past is bothering you.' she nodded.
'I think Sati would probably just tell you to be careful and have fun.' she chuckled a little.
'Avoiding trident wielding demons is probably a good tip as well.'

That made hte girl chuckle, and Nozomi looked to Sayuri gratefully. "Thank you," she said simply, tilting her head a bit to regard the woman. "And thank you for your hospitatlity as well."

Sayuri inclined her head in acknowledgment of Nozomi's words.
'Well it was nice to meet you. It would have been nicer if Sati had introduced me,' she commented archly.
'Well it was only a cup of tea. But you are welcome, on both counts.'

"Hospitality in all its forms should be recognized, no matter how simple it may seem." Omi smiled then, setting her empty cup down and glancing towards the window. "I wish I could stay until she got back... but my O-ba-chan is insistant that I go to school while I'm there, and apparently the school year starts in April there."

'School?' Sayuri wondered just how old Nozomi was.
'Are you not a little old for that? Or are you younger then you seem to be?' she asked, thinking that school was probably not something you'd expect to have to attend when you travelled to new places.

Flushing a bit, Omi shrugged. "Well, she said that I'm about high school age for Japan... and she had me apply for one of the schools near her house. We'll find out whether or not I got accepted... I've been learning at home up until now."

'Well I never went to a regular school myself, so I can't help you there.' Sayuri listened as Nozomi spoke further.
'Your home schooling seems to have served you well. I could only wish for my Rhiannon to speak as politely as you do.'

"Rhiannon...." Omi blinked then, turning to Sayuri and staring at her. "Rhiannon... from the GMFC? The one that my sister hit on her boyfriend?" So much for polite all the time... Omi WAS polite to a fault, but she was also a teenager.

Sayuri nodded.
'Yes, my pregnancy and her birth was handled by the GMFC.' she laughed a little.
'Oh she did huh? Well I dont recall her talking about anyone in a particularly negative fashion so I cant imagine it came to much.'

Snickering, Omi waved one hand. "Apparnetly it was just a big misunderstanding. Raven didn't know about it, and was gushing to Rhiannon about this 'cute guy' she'd met. Then figured out later that Rhiannon was his girlfriend." Grinning, she just shrugged a bit. "Raven's got a knack for getting along with everyone. So I guess they're friends now."

'That isnt what you want really is it? Talking to a guy's girlfriend about how cute you find the guy.' Sayuri smiled.
'Well I'm sure you get on well with people. I can't see what anyone could find objectionable about you.' she crossed her legs under kimono, shifting on the seat to sit up more.

"I get along well enough, I suppose," Omi said, remembering the fight with Keir and putting it out of her mind just as quickly. It wouldn't do to dwell on that, after all. "For the most part. I try to, anyway."

'Well, all a person can do is try.' Sayuri glanced at the clock and looked back at Nozomi apologetically.
'Unfortunately I should be leaving now. It's a long way back to where I call home now.'

Nodding, Omi got to her feet, bowing to the woman once more. "Thank you again for allowing me to take up your time. I appreciate it." Smiling then, she glanced around one last time. "Please let Sati know that I look forward to seeing her again?"

Sayuri lead her to the front door before replying.
'It was no bother, made a change from talking to myself and she winked.
'I will do, you take care of yourself and have a nice trip!'

Sliding her shoes back onto her feet, Omi paused long enough to bow once more.. no, there WAS no such thing as overdoing it... and then moved to step off the porch as she began her walk home.

[Youkochylde]

((Reserved - Spare 1))

[Youkochylde]

((Reserved - Spare 2))

[Youkochylde]

((Reserved - Departure))

[Youkochylde]

((Reserved - In transit))

[Youkochylde]

((Reserved - Arrival))

[Youkochylde]

((Reserved - Settling in))

[Youkochylde]

((Reserved - And so it begins...))

[Baniru]

Drunken New Years I

It was snowing outside that evening, the first evening that season that Rune had pulled himself from home to get out and enjoy himself. Yet even with the help of family and friends, he found himself slipping back into reclusiveness, and stumbled out and away from Stae's New Years event shortly before the clock struck midnight.

Not before ingesting enough alcohol to knock out a mammoth, of course.

His toga was falling off of his shoulder, splattered with bits of spiked fruit punch that spilled over the rim of the cup he still clutched tightly in one hand, the other wrapped tightly around the half-full bottle of schnapps he had swiped from his irresponsible Guardian's liquor cabinet. The youth Fa'e stumbled clumsily along icy sidewalks, making his way most unsteadily up the walk to the massive HQ building with both a broad grin and a horribly off-key song.
"Oh my darlin', oh my darlin', oh my daaaaaarliiiin' oh my darlin'," he slurred, tripping over the hardened stump of a snowman made by some of the younger Fa'e. He collected himself, bowing deeply and tipping his brightly-colored party hat to his snowy counterpart.

"Scuse me," he slurred from behind a wide grin, stumbling backwards up the path. Rune shouldered open the HQ door and stumbled in.

"OH MY DAAAAAARLIN'!" He sang loudly, spreading his arms as though to announce his presence to the empty living room. He didn't know any other words to the song, but hell, he could still sing the ones he did to a more or less similar tune.

Omi had been enjoying a quiet night in the HQ, alone. Keyword: 'had'. Since it was New Years, the Japanese custom was to sit around drinking and stuffing your face with cake until you passed out.

On the contrary, Omi was sitting neatly on the floor in a criss-cross fashion, sipping sake gingerly with disdain and wondering why, on tonight of all nights, her father wents out and left her here.
She nibbled at a piece of mochi in thought, until Rune came busting into the HQ like some sort of drunken stripper ... Which, in hindsight, wouldn't be too far off.

"Rune?" Omi inquired after the initial shock, head lifting from behind a couch.
She couldn't believe it. Well, she could believe it, knowing Rune. But it had seemed for awhile like she was going to spend tonight on her own.

"OMI!" Rune said - nay, yelled - rather jovially, tripping over himself to get over to her and wrap her in a tight hug. Rune was a social Fa'e, to say the least, but there were very few Fa'e that he would consider good friends. Omi, despite limited contact, remained one of those sorts of Fa'e.

"Omi omi, bo-bomi, fee- Heey, what's this?" He reached across the table, grabbing the bottle of sake. He kept his other arm wrapped snugly around her shoulders - Rune was not the sort to enjoy being alone, and discovering that he was not destined to just pass out on the kitchen floor that evening was enough to make him happier than he already was.

"The hell you doing in here, Omiface?" He said, poking her lightly in the nose in a manner similar to that of a three year old, "It's new years! It's time for drinking, keg stands, making out with hot chicks!" He said, attempting to stand upright and ending up in a head on the couch.

"Dude, where's Sati? You guys can kiss at midnight - there's a camera around here somewhere I bet."

Omi flinched twice, unable to escape properly once Rune deemed it appropriate to drape himself on her. She was dressed in a deep blue kimono, the formal kind only worn at new years; she had been planning to also pay some respects to her ancestors at the koi pond she loved later in the morning.

"Celebrating new years," she replied with a snort, "I see you're the same as ever."
Omi wrinkled her nose and couldn't help but smile at the next gesture, even though it was clear she was trying to lean as far away as possible from the smell of alcohol. Rune was obviously wasted.

And then came a giggle at the Sati comment, "Is that you, or the alcohol speaking?"

It wasn't long before Omi had caught the other Fae's grin. As much as she didn't want to admit it, his cheer was infectious, especially this late.
"And what are -you- doing here? Lost?" she teased.

"Cel-what?" Rune said, his voice obviously tone with incredulity. "This is not celebrating," he said, prodding a finger at the small sake cup. He tipped the sake bottle back, taking a deep swing before holding the bottle high and proudly proclaiming, "-That- is celebrating!" He grinned at her from his position on the couch, holding the brown-bagged bottle of schnapps out to her.

"I, my beautiful green-haired lady, am proudly indulging in celebratory alcoholic consumption for the purpose of the turnover of the calendar date!" He let out somewhat of a rough laugh, tipping the sake bottle in what was probably suppose to be a toast, "Why, I am celebrating new years."

"And of course I'm not lost!" He held his toga in place as he forced himself upright, "I was looking for a beautiful woman to kiss at midnight, and lo and behold, dear Nozi, here you are!"

Omi took the bagged schnapps quickly, clutching it with a look of terror as Rune began drinking the Sake. She hadn't quite intended for that much of it to be gone, as she'd stolen it with the intention of filling the missing bit up with water.
"Hey..." she intoned, "that stuff is pretty strong, maybe you'll want to-"

Immediately her words fell short as a blush came dancing across her cheeks, up to her ears. He came to... what?! Omi felt herself becoming more uncomfortable by the minute, and that could only lead to her ire.

"I think I should go," she said firmly, trying to stand in her kimono, "I... need my Sake bottle back though."

"Oh sit down, Nozi," Rune said with obvious dissatisfaction, propping his feet up on the living room table and leaning back. He might have been fairly wasted, but he was certainly no forceful creep. "You're no happier than I am spending New Years alone, so shake off the cold hearted b***h act, wontcha?"

"Asides, you'd trip over yer own two feet walking home in that thing," he gestured towards the kimono with his free hand. It felt.. empty without a second bottle of liquor there. "Tell ya what. Ya beat me in a game of quarters, and I'll not only give you your bottle back, but I'll buy you a whole new one. Deal?

Well that was certainly a way to make Omi pissed. Cold hearted b***h, huh? Omi grit her teeth and sighed inwardly, trying to remember that it was New Years, and he -was- an acquaintance she hadn't seen in a long while.
Besides, Rune had a very good point. One that Omi didn't want to acknowledge.
-Be polite to acquaintances-, the back of her mind chided. Seems that Japan had rubbed off on her more than she knew.

"Fine," Omi said flatly, before managing to plop down beside him. The schnapps was still clutched to her chest, but after a moment Omi thought it better to offer it back to him.

Why Rune carried a shot glad and a quarter on him, the world would probably never know, but it was with a joyous grin that he pulled both objects out of the bottom of the schnapps bag, and set them on the table.

"Rules easy," he said, pointing for some unknown reason at her face, "You bounce the quarter off the table. You get it in the glass, I take a shot. You don't, you take a shot."

He attempted a demonstration, but several shots of alcohol coursing through his bloodstream left the quarter bouncing to the far left of the shotglass. He tipped the schnapps bottle back, and didn't seem to mind much at all.

"Easy peasy lemon squeezy." He slurred, sliding the bottle over to her.

Knowing Rune, he was probably planning something like this from the very beginning.

Omi was pretty good with this sort of thing, or so she thought, and a challenge only made her that much more eager to prove herself. She watched the other Fae's demonstration carefully, grinning a bit at how bad he'd missed.
Easy... she'd have Rune asleep in no time, and the Sake bottle fiasco would be solved.

Omi picked the quarter up off the floor, idly wondering when she had become so crafty. Little did she know that her plan would backfire, and it would backfire badly, all because of over confidence.

She aimed for the shotglass and tried to bounce it in. It hit the rim and, much to her dismay, teetered off.

... Crap. Omi eyes the schnapps uneasily, but held out her hand for the bottle nonetheless.

Rune handed the bottle over with only a silent smile. He didn't need to gloat. He snatched the quarter up off of the table and gave it another go. He crossed his eyes to straighten his vision, and bounced the quarter off of the wooden surface. It landed in the bottom of the shotglass with a sharp plink- perhaps he wasn't so drunk.

But perhaps he was.

He grinned at Omi, still cross-eyed, "Make that a double."

She felt a familiar sinking feeling in her stomach as she took the bottle and gently it up to her mouth, taking a swig. It tasted pretty bad, and burned on the way down.

"Ugh," Omi coughed as she pulled away, only to realize what had just happened.

... Crap again. Trying not to smile at the cross-eyed wonder, she lifted up the bottle a second time to take another large gulp, afterwards slamming the bottle back on the table. Omi held out her palm for the quarter.
Things were sure getting funnier, at any rate.

Rune dropped the quarter into her palm again, his smile lined with self-satisfaction.

Omi had never been one to just let go of her problems, and the wall which she had placed between herself and the rest of the world was damn near impenetrable. In the words of third-grade insults, she was an Ice Queen. Calm, collected, and seemingly distant.

But Rune knew better. There were feelings beneath that icy exterior, and they were just begging to get out.

"Give it a go."

Omi sloppily took the quarter in hand, frowning. Her head was beginning to hurt, and she felt the urge that she needed to get all of this over with, as quickly as possible.

"Fine, but when you die from alcohol poisoning, don't blame me."

Her words were a bit offhanded, the schnapps already having her speaking without thinking. It was probably due to Omi's powers (indeed, who could tell), but she seemed overly receptive to alchohol.

She quickly bounced the quarter off the table, smirking with hidden satisfaction when there came a loud plunk in the bottom of the glass.

[Baniru]

Drunken New Years II

'Special' was a word that worked well in describing Omi and Rune's relationship. Then again, so was 'platonic'.
Sometime between the first sip and the fifteenth shot, Rune had acquired a can of Ready Whip, which he sprayed sloppily into his open mouth as he laid on the top edge of the couch. He was perched in a position which might have been extremely uncomfortable had it not been for his awkward flexibility, with his back bent in a U shape, with his feet dangling just above the floor and his rainbow-colored hair resting on the stomach of the female Fa'e lounging below him.
"To-san, Ho-san, who cares!" he said, grinning around a mouthful of white foam. His eyes were glossy and bright, and his yellow cheeks were slightly orange-hued with a drunken blush. "Heyomi, didn't you use to date horse boy? Did he like... whinny in the bedroom?"

Omi tilted her head in fake contemplation, before giggling passively and reaching out to comb her fingers through Rune's hair.
"Can't remember," she said quietly, stretching her legs. Omi looked like she was getting sleepier by the minute, her wings bent comfortably behind her to act as a cushion. She yawned and tried closing her eyes, enjoying the feel of the colorful hair in her hands.
"Whassa time, anyway? I'm tired."

Rune closed his eyes and grinned. He could have purred like some sort of freakish cat Fa'e - like he was sure Morty did in the bedroom with Taima. Though, from what he had heard, the bedroom was the last place Taima would do anything to make Morty purr. Maybe in the backseat of a car, or a Victoria's Secret dressing room. Nevertheless, Rune was silent in a rare moment of bliss, enjoying Omi's playful hands running through his hair.
"Mm.. dunno." He replied in a murmur, one eye cracking open to glance sideways at Omi, "I mean, there's always the guest rooms upstairs?" It was a blatant suggestion, but one which Rune at least tried to cover with a thin coat of platonic tone. "It's too late to walk home anyways."

If Omi had been sober, she would have slapped him, or become offended, or something. Being sleepy and drunk, however, was a different story. All she could think about was a nice warm bed to rest on, even if she'd have to share it.
"Guest room... that sounds great," she said heavily, untangling her hands from Rune's hair in an effort to sit up. Her back felt so... heavy, suddenly, like her wings were throbbing with complaint.
"We gonna have to share? Don't really remember if there'r more rooms..."

Of course there were more rooms.
"I don't think so," Rune said with a small shrug, doing well to hide a deceptive smile. He rolled his shoulders in a half-assed shrug, sliding his weight forward to plant his feet upon the floor and move around the couch. He slipped his hands under Omi's knees and shoulders, and with a bit of a stumble, managed to lift the slender Fa'e off of the couch. "It's cold anyways, I'm afraid we're going to have to spoon to conserve body heat."

Omi gasped and grabbed onto Rune's shoulders like she was about to be thrown. It was a natural reflex at Rune's stumbling, and after a few moments she relaxed her grip.
"Fine," she mumbled flatly, and prodded a finger into his chest, "but there's got to be pillows between us."
Omi tried to make a serious face, but failed miserably.

Rune shrugged, carrying Omi out of the living room and making his way to the multitude of guest rooms. Luckily, most of the doors were closed, easily passed off as hallways, linene closets, or other places that just wouldn't be appropriate for him to sleep. Shouldering open the door to the only guest room he was acquainted with, Rune promptly dropped Omi down onto the spriny mattress. He shoved the pillows off onto the floor, falling onto the comforter next to her.
"Just our luck," he said with feigned innocence, "No pillows."

Omi had just begun to relax in Rune's arms, (and trusting him completely,) before she found she was somehow laying face down on a bed.
"Norfilhm?" she responded distressedly, rolling over with clear distaste on her face. She tried getting her bearings.
"What do you mean no pillows? Every bed comes with pillows."
Slightly suspicious but beginning to wane on caring either way, the Fa'e found herself sloppily reaching for the covers.

Rune didn't bother to hide a laugh. He wasn't planning on raping Omi - it just wasn't his style to force a woman into things. Coersion was much more fun. He didn't make a move towards her, keeping his hands laced behind his head, resting with a permanent grin upon the covers.
"Hey, don't complain to me. Airi's just not a fan of pillows, I hear. Not my fault." Rune shrugged, turning his head sideways to look at Omi. "I suppose I could sleep in the floor," he grinned, "But you might get cold."

Omi frowned, pausing in mid scramble to get underneath the covers and tucked in to bed. She seemed to be having a moment of internal conflict, slowly regaining her old, icy composure as time went on. No matter how drunk, she wasn't one to touch someone without their consent.
"... That would be rude," she said slowly, carefully weighing the options, "You don't have to sleep on the floor."
And as much as she didn't want to admit it, she would be cold if Rune wouldn't be close to her. It was still winter out, and not even the HQ could stay warm in the dead of night.
"Fine," Omi pushed herself on her side, "I guess this is good night."

[Youkochylde]

NOTE - This is all pre-dated and takes place after the events of the New Years' RP posted by Baniru in 2007. I will make a notation once Omi's journal catches up to 'real time'.

"Oooooogh..." Omi brought one hand up to her forehead before she'd even opened her eyes, and that small gesture alone was enough to make her wish she hadn't. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut... and she could still swear that the room was spinning beyond her control as she lay there, curled into a ball.

What the hell had happened? She was pretty certain she'd never felt this way before in her young life, and had no intention of feeling it again any time soon. It wasn't until she managed to crack one eye open that she realised she wasn't in her own room. This wasn't her bed. Hell, this wasn't even her HOUSE. "What the...?" Now would be the time to force her stomach to stay put and get up.

She kept her eyes closed as she sat up, hands pushed to the bed near her hips as she steadied herself and was relatively certain that she wasn't going to tip over. This was going to be more difficult than she first imagined. It was then that her to-san's advice came back to her. Well, it actually wasn't advice, it was her eavesdropping when he'd been talking to Envy at one point and they were discussing hangovers.

"Hangovers are just dehydration. Drink plenty of water before you go to pass out, and you'll be fine."

Well, it was too late to put that into effect, but maybe it would help now. The fact that she didn't appear to be wearing clothes didn't affect Omi. She was used to sleeping in the nude, and didn't think anything of it. One hand groped for the sheet, winding it around herself as she shuffled towards the door, her other hand swung out to grab hold of the doorframe as her forehead came to rest against it. Fa'e HQ... at least she recognized that much. This meant that the bathroom was thataway...

Turning down the hall, she moved slowly, thankful that no one else seemed to have taken shelter in the HQ the previous night. Or if they had, they weren't conscious yet, either. The impromptu toga continued to snag against everything, and Omi tucked it up tighter until she was able to move without nearly falling on her face. Finally, she made it to the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Now, at least, she didn't have to keep up pretenses, at least for the moment. The sheet fell to the floor and she moved in a haze to use the facilities, then to move to the sink to splash cold water on her face. Taking the cup that was there, she filled it and drained the entire thing, thankful that her stomach was staying right where it was for the moment.

"No more New Years drinking," she murmured, lifting a bleary gaze to the mirror to glare at herself for this stupidity. That was when she noticed something amiss.

Against the pale skin of her throat was a bruise... one that she didn't remember from before. She brought up one hand, tilting her chin upward to look at it. That was when the others came into view. There was another against the top of her left breast. Another on her neck, near her ear. Yet another on her right breast, just near the n****e.

The previous evening came flooding back to her then... The HQ, the sake, Rune and his exuberance... and the damned drinking game. Green eyes widened in horror as she realised what must have happened.

So much for keeping her stomach in control. As Omi felt the first twinge in her stomach, she brought herself to cling to the porcelain of the toilet, grateful that all she had in her system at the moment was the water she'd just drunk.

[Youkochylde]

It had taken Nozomi some time to get herself pulled back together and get dressed. Now, she was bundled into her coat again, hands shoved in the pockets and hood pulled up as she trudged towards home. While she still had a residual headache, she couldn't quite tell if it was the hangover or the guilt.

She knew that she'd been drinking. She knew that she'd gone to bed. With Rune. While drunk. She knew that she'd woken up naked. And from the cursory examination she did of herself in the bathroom... there was a lot that happened that she just didn't remember.

Forcibly, she kept her stomach in check as it tried to lurch again. She could think of many different ways to lose one's virginity. She'd had a few ideas on her own, although nothing that ever had seemed truly appealing. However, she'd been under the assumption that when it did happen, it would be a romantic moment. Something to remember. Not something that she wasn't even aware of at the time.

As her feet sloshed through the snow and slush, she only had one thought really at the forefront of her mind. Her father was going to KILL her. And once that was done, he was going to kill Rune.

[Youkochylde]

The water was nearly scalding, and Omi wasn't sure if it was quite hot enough just yet. The water sluiced down her back, her hands busily moving the soap-laden sponge over her skin repeatedly. It wasn't that she didn't like Rune. She DID like Rune, even if he was annoying. The problem that she had was the simple fact that she'd done this without being in control of herself or of the situation... and that she didn't remember a thing. If there was any worse way to wake up, she wasn't certain what it was.

Still, it couldn't exactly be changed. She knew that there was no point in regretting it, because that would solve nothing. At least he hadn't been there when she'd woken, or she didn't think she could explain why she had been a wreck when she'd come staggering back from the bathroom. He must have wandered off during the night. Then again, he likely didn't remember anything either, because he was already lit by the time he'd arrived.

Come to think of it, he didn't drink much after that. Groaning softly, Omi curled forward and put her head into her hands. "If you planned that, Rune, I swear I'll castrate you with a spork." Her voice was a low murmur, and her fingers tightened into her hair for a moment before she finally stood up from the bathing stool. Now she was just going to go soak and NOT worry about this. It was over, it was done with. While she had hoped her first time would be more romantic than 'Hi, I'm drunk, let's screw', she had to admit that it could have been a lot worse.