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 Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2011 8:48 pm
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Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2011 9:15 pm
 Little child, be not afraid
Though thunder explodes and lightning flash
Illuminates your tear-stained face
I am here tonight...  Shiita looked down on the piece of paper in her hand, her baby asleep and cuddling into her back; the baby backpack giving her free hands. She looked over her shoulder, giving a timid smile to the innocent face before she inserted her key and turned, opening the door and timidly walking in.
Her soft, gentle, amber eyes glanced around the room as she approached the bed on the left side of the room, carefully taking the baby from her back and placing her on the covers. Unwrapping her from the harness, Shiita turned, sliding the contraption under the bed. It was really the only thing she owned, aside from the clothing that they wore. Shifting the baby so that she was closer to the wall Shiita crawled on top of the covers, one arm protectively overlapping the silent infant as the woman, sleeping in an actual bed for the first time in a while, slowly drifted to a light rest. Habit, however, left her aware: she would start if anybody were to make a sound. A mother learned many things while trying to protect their child, and this was the closest to 'sleeping with her eyes open' that the young elf could manage.  For you know, once even I was a
Little child, and I was afraid
But a gentle someone always came
To dry all my tears, trade sweet sleep for fears
And to give a kiss goodnight
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Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 6:29 pm
α σ ι . ¢ я σ ѕ ѕ ( クロス 青 )  "Raspberry Dorm, huh..." Aoi said softly, as he stood out the door. It certainly was a weird name, but there was nothing he could do about it, right? And besides, it wasn't as if the other dorms had peculiar names as well. This wasn't the only one, luckily.
He wondered who his roommates would be, and if he could handle having a few. Ever since that...incident years ago, he had changed from being a kind-hearted and friendly child into a stoic and unsociable man. It wasn't that he didn't want any friends; it was just that, he found difficulty expressing himself. All the years he had spent distancing himself from humans made him unable to interact with them properly.
It was a shame.
But now that he shared a room with a few people, he supposed he should learn how to get along with them. He would be with them for the rest of the duration of his stay in the school, and he had no choice but to be with them.
Sighing, Aoi opened the door and stepped in, looking around. The room wasn't too big, but not too small either. Looking around more, he realized that there was one - no, were two other people in the room. A girl, and an...infant?
He blinked, before shrugging and setting down his bag on the couch. There were two beds, but he supposed he could give up the free one to the other roommate. Whoever he was.
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Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 9:22 pm
Little child, be not afraid
Though thunder explodes and lightning flash
Illuminates your tear-stained face
I am here tonight... Shiita shot up at the sound of the opening door, turning sharply and hovering protectively over the infant. Her infant. Her crimson eyes were wide, taking on an expression that might of resembled the eyes of a cornered animal; habitually, she got ready for blows.
"Please... Please don't hurt her! She's quiet, and she doesn't chew, and she doesn't cling much just-" Shiita cut herself off, blinking slightly as she took in the surroundings.
That was right; she was in the school, in her dorm. She was safe here; she didn't need to be beaten or abused just to protect her baby anymore. Relief flooded onto her face before she whispered a light apology: the words might have been offensive, because the boy really was simply entering his own room. Or at least, it appeared that way. It must have seemed rude for this random elf girl to start acting as though he were out for blood. Apologizing again, she turned down, smiling down on Dea as she brushed a pale hand against the infant's cheek.
"It's okay my child, we're actually safe here." she whispered, the tender smile remaining on her face before it fell. She stood, her expression curious but withholding, and walked towards the door.
"I am Shiita; this is my baby, Dea. We'll be intruding, for the time being." For you know, once even I was a
Little child, and I was afraid
But a gentle someone always came
To dry all my tears, trade sweet sleep for fears
And to give a kiss goodnight
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 1:39 am
α σ ι . ¢ я σ ѕ ѕ ( クロス 青 ) Aoi's sapphire-blue eyes widened at the sudden outburst from the female. He watched as she hovered over the infant, like a lioness to her baby cub. Her words reached his ears, and that was when he realized that the child was this girl's...daughter.
At first, he had assumed the two to be sisters. The female - whom, he realized now, was an elf - looked two young to have a child on her own, but then, elves were like that. He certainly didn't expect having to share a room with an elf, but - oh well.
"Ah, it's okay. We share this room, anyway," he said, trying on a vague smile. The elf seemed to be somehow withdrawn, as if unwilling to interact with him. If that was the case, then they (somehow) shared the same sentiments. If not, well, he had to try and get on her good side.
They couldn't be roommates if they didn't at least try to get along, right?
"I'm Aoi. Aoi Cross." He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but shrugged it off. He had to try to get along with her. He held out his hand, a sign that he wanted to at least know her. "It's nice meeting you, Ms. Shiita. You too, Dea," he made sure to add, glancing at the infant. He had always had a soft spot for children, particularly infants. It reminded him of his younger sister, long gone, the sister he had lost.
Seeing children gave him an urge to protect. A reason to believe and hope for a bright future.
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 6:49 pm
Little child, be not afraid
Though thunder explodes and lightning flash
Illuminates your tear-stained face
I am here tonight... Shiita nodded as she held out her hand, her eyes shot up with worry however, as the baby began to whimper, her hand withdrew and she began turning towards the infant as she began to softly mewl. Shiita darted back towards the bed, grabbing the baby and cradling it gently, rocking slightly back and forth. The baby instantly quieted, the familiar arms creating a soothing effect that softened the baby's wails to soft breathing.
"I really am sorry; I understand it may be difficult rooming with a girl; a mother no less. I'll do my best to stay out of your way..." Shiita explained, looking away timidly. "I really do hope this won't be a problem. She really does behave well." the elf added. His gentle expression; it was reassuring. She had been worried that perhaps she might be forced to leave; she really didn't want that. "If you need anything, please I'll do my best to assist." Shiita said in a soft tone, the only way she knew how to get along with others was to be submissive. After all, most preferred people who would simply do as their told, right?
"I do hope we can get along, Mr. Cross." she mumbled, rocking the baby with a smile. It would be nice for her daughter, too; Dea never had a father figure, or an older brother, and even if Shiita didn't get close, it would be nice for the baby to know that not all males were horrible creatures. For you know, once even I was a
Little child, and I was afraid
But a gentle someone always came
To dry all my tears, trade sweet sleep for fears
And to give a kiss goodnight
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 8:51 pm
α σ ι . ¢ я σ ѕ ѕ ( クロス 青 ) Aoi found himself smiling; this girl, she was a caring mother. It reminded him of himself when he was little - very protective of his younger sister Sora, always staying around her to make sure that nobody suspicious got close to her. Back then, too, when Sora was an infant, he was the only one aside from his mother to be able to stop her from crying.
"No need to worry. It's fine." He smiled reassuringly. "I might be away most of the time, anyway. After all, I still have my job, and I have to man my stall at the Street Festival..."
He remembered the heavy workload, and sighed. The festival was until September, and it seemed that, along with his job and his classes, he would be busy and stressed for quite a while. But he hoped that he would be able to spend time with mother and child, and get to know them. He loved children; seeing Dea reminded him of Sora, and he wanted to be able to take care of her as well.
"I hope we can get along, too." Aoi hadn't really had the chance to interact with females, even when he entered Fuyu. His superior gave him the idea that females were innocent-looking yet ferocious creatures. But he sensed that Shiita was a kind girl, and that they would be good friends, someday if not now.
"Ah, that reminds me..." He glanced around the room curiously. "Our other roommate isn't here yet?"
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Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 12:23 pm
Little child, be not afraid
Though thunder explodes and lightning flash
Illuminates your tear-stained face
I am here tonight... Shiita blinked, giving the man a smile that was gentle and warm. He was so much kinder than he initially appeared; she actually felt guilt for initially assuming the worse.
When he spoke, however, she gave him wide, confused eyes. Job? He worked? Why did he have to? She didn't understand it, really, but she decided not to really dwell on it. At the comment of the street festival, however, her eyes returned to that ignorant, curious expression.
"Street Festival booth?" she asked, clearly not understanding what he meant. At his second words though, she nodded her head, letting out a light sound of agreement. "Ah, yes it appears that way..." she mumbled, looking down.
I do hope that they are also okay with Dea and I... she thought, averting her eyes slightly towards the ground. For you know, once even I was a
Little child, and I was afraid
But a gentle someone always came
To dry all my tears, trade sweet sleep for fears
And to give a kiss goodnight
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Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 6:13 pm
α σ ι . ¢ я σ ѕ ѕ ( クロス 青 ) "Ah, yeah," said Aoi immediately. "I got a job at the Street Festival and took charge of the booth for Shooting Games. Nobody's really interested in it, so..." He shrugged.
He glanced around the room, then set his things down. He still had some work to do. What a pain.
"Ah... Forgive me, but I must be going." The truth was, he didn't want to. He didn't like the idea of leaving a frail-looking pair of mother and child alone in the room with no protection, but he had no other choice. Their other roommate wasn't present yet. "There's still some work I have to do. I hope you don't mind," he added.
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Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 7:30 pm
Little child, be not afraid
Though thunder explodes and lightning flash
Illuminates your tear-stained face
I am here tonight... Shiita looked down sadly; it sounded like it might be fun, this festival. But she hadn't been invited, so she didn't want to appear rude. Also, she wasn't sure if Dea would really be welcomed outside. She hadn't really asked. Suddenly, Shiita's crimson eyes shot up, and she took a nervous step forward. "B-Before you go... Would you like to hold her?" she asked, her voice nervous and shaky. She had never let anybody else hold her infant, well, aside from her husband who never would; he was ashamed of the little girl, and Shiita was fine with it. She was honestly worried that he might hurt the baby like he hurt the mother, and Shiita wouldn't be able to ever handle that.
"I mean, if you'd rather not..." she mumbled, looking away again, "It just seemed like..." She began to slowly bounce the baby, who let out a squeal of delight. "Ah, what's a street festival? The only thing my tribe really celebrated was birth of a boy and marriage, so..." her eyes were filled with an innocent curiosity, "Eh, I guess I keep wasting your time, sorry." she mumbled, looking down again; her expression read a cross between sadness and fear. It was unlike her to try and hold anybody back, and she was hoping she wouldn't be punished. For you know, once even I was a
Little child, and I was afraid
But a gentle someone always came
To dry all my tears, trade sweet sleep for fears
And to give a kiss goodnight
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Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 10:38 pm
α σ ι . ¢ я σ ѕ ѕ ( クロス 青 ) Aoi blinked in surprise at the offer; he certainly didn't expect it. It did, however, bring a smile to his face. He remembered that, long ago, he loved holding his little sister Sora; he rarely put her down, and was wary of anybody who wanted to touch her.
"Ah, I'd love to. That is, if you don't mind." Since she was the one offering, he hoped that it wouldn't offend her. Dea looked like an adorable creature, and perhaps holding her would warm him up a bit.
He frowned when he heard Shiita's statement. He had already heard of several situations in which only the birth of a male was celebrated, while female offsprings were considered a disgrace. He hated that; he believed that the birth of every child was worth celebrating, no matter what gender or race.
"Ah, well... The street's festival kinda like an amusement park open to all. There are games, and food, and rides..." As he explained, Aoi suddenly had an idea. Why didn't he think of it before?
"Would you two like to come with me?" He hoped that she would accept. He didn't like the idea of leaving the mother-and-child pair alone in the room while he was out; they would be unprotected. And, he had the idea that he had to give the two a chance to let loose, even for a while.
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Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 1:45 pm
Little child, be not afraid
Though thunder explodes and lightning flash
Illuminates your tear-stained face
I am here tonight... Her eyes lit up, with the rest of her face, at the boy's words. They could really go? For real?
"P-Please!" she managed through a wide, happy, innocent smile which practically made her glow; she had never been allowed to the parties and the like when she was at home; she was too young, and then after she was married her husband wouldn't allow it. But this... this was like a Cinderella story, without the dancing mice. She stepped closer to Aoi, carefully holding Dea out so that he could hold her.
"Our kind is fragile, so don't be too surprised by her weight." Shiita explained, worried for a moment because human children were so much heavier. Shiita had learned that the hard way, when she was working as a maid in a wealthy house she was expected to watch their children, and she could hardly lift them! "This means very much to me, to us. Thank you so very much." she said, her tone as warm as her eyes. She could have never hoped for better. Not only did her room mate accept her, but he was kind to her as well. Her worries for what the other person would be like momentarily fled her mind. Certainly with this person around, Dea could be safe. She could grow up almost normally, and be happy when she got older.
"You know, I was scared when I came here, but I'm happy. I'm happy because all of this shows that my little one will be able to choose her own life, and she will be allowed to love whomever she wants. I am so happy that she'll get that chance." Shiita felt close to tears, but she refused to allow those. She was already imposing so much; even though Aoi had assured her that it was okay, she couldn't help but feel indebted to him. She certainly didn't want him to become wary of her. Even Dea seemed to like this person. "They say that infants are the best judge of character; you must be a very good person. She was never this cooperative when he was around." She gasped a moment, flushing slightly, "I'm sorry for saying such foolish things; I'm hardly but a child myself, so... sometimes I forget. Sorry." she said, quickly, trying to hide her momentary embarrassment. For you know, once even I was a
Little child, and I was afraid
But a gentle someone always came
To dry all my tears, trade sweet sleep for fears
And to give a kiss goodnight
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Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 6:30 pm
α σ ι . ¢ я σ ѕ ѕ ( クロス 青 ) Seeing Shiita smile brought a smile to Aoi's face as well. He disliked seeing females who were lonely, and knowing that he had managed to make this particular one smile made him happy. It seemed like his mere offer had given her a dream come true. He wondered what her life was like before, and hoped that he could have at least been there for her, though impossible.
When she held Dea out, he carefully held her. She was light, lighter than a human infant, but it was perfectly fine with him. He was used to dealing with delicate objects, and he didn't consider this an exception. Dea seemed to warm up to him as well, and it made him feel warm inside.
"Don't mention it; it's nothing, really," he reassured Shiita, as he cradled Dea gently and held her carefully in his arms. She was a beautiful child, and Aoi wondered what she would be like growing up. Beautiful, elegant, sweet perhaps. It made him want to be there to see her grow, and to guide her in life.
He found himself wanting her to never experience pain.
He noticed Shiita's words, but didn't pry. She had her own life, and he didn't want to resurface unwanted memories in her. She was entitled to her own privacy, and just because they were roommates, it didn't mean that he already had to know everything about her. Things were fine like this. He didn't want her to speak of things that would just hurt or embarrass her.
"Oh, it's fine. Then, shall we go?" As much as possible, he wanted them to enjoy the street festival to the fullest. And they could only do that if they started now, so that they could have fun even more.
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Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 7:16 pm
Little child, be not afraid
Though thunder explodes and lightning flash
Illuminates your tear-stained face
I am here tonight... "Ah, just a second." Shiita exclaimed, half running back to the bed and dropping to her knees, reaching under it and pulling out the baby-backpack. "You can carry her, if you'd like, but in case she grows heavy I can use this." she explained, holding the contraption proudly. "I worked four months just so that I could buy this off the lady of the house; it was rather convenient when she believed that my hands should be focused on her children... humans are rather rambunctious, neh? I couldn't keep up with them all, while holding Dea near otherwise." she let out a slight laugh, surprised by how comfortable she was. Well, it certainly wasn't a bad thing. Perhaps she had even made a friend here.
She practically skipped back to the door, glowing like a little girl on Christmas; for Shiita, this was probably more or less the same thing.
"I am ready when you are, Mr. Cross." she concluded with a light nod, after a moment. It wasn't as if she even owned anything else, so what else could she possibly bring? Maybe I should see if I can get a job as well... The Lady took all of my pay that was left, 'to compensate for food and rooming', but I would like to pick up some toys, or at least a pacifier for Dea; she will be teething soon... Shiita thought, a light sigh breaking from her lips as she looked at the infant in the boys arm with a worried expression, And after that, I'm sure my own clothing could use some repairs, if not a new dress... with another sigh she pushed the gloomy, grown-up thoughts from her head and gave Aoi a smile, walking to the door and holding it open for them. Dea let out a squeal of delight, taking even Shiita by surprise, as she reached up and grabbed for the man's collar, blowing bubbles through her lips with more, quieter, giggles. For you know, once even I was a
Little child, and I was afraid
But a gentle someone always came
To dry all my tears, trade sweet sleep for fears
And to give a kiss goodnight
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 2:18 am
α σ ι . ¢ я σ ѕ ѕ ( クロス 青 ) "Don't mind me; it's fine. I think I'd rather carry her." Aoi smiled at the two. It seems that they had already warmed up to him. Which was a good thing, because he didn't want to force them into liking them. He wanted them to warm up to him naturally, and, at present, that seemed to be the case.
When she held Dea out, he carefully held her. She was light, lighter than a human infant, but it was perfectly fine with him. He was used to dealing with delicate objects, and he didn't consider this an exception. Dea seemed to warm up to him as well, and it made him feel warm inside.
"Let's go, then," he said with a smile, leading the way outside. He wondered what they could do first at the Street Festival; should they eat first, or go for the rides already?
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