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 Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 7:14 pm
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 2:09 am
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:31 am
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:36 am
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:46 am
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:49 am
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:52 am
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:56 am
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Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 1:36 am
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Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 4:25 am
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Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 4:28 am
Krinn lay splayed out on top of the deck chair, his hands both covering his dual covered eyes as the light beat warily down on him. A headache pounded in his ears, making him stick out a bottom lip in raw irritation. Stupid sun. He thought, staring up at the sky. Go away, go away. There were soft clouds dappling the edge of the blue expanse, but the bright yellow sun overruled them all. It hadn't rained in such a long time. Krinn was starting to doubt it ever would. Lan had explained to him that it was just a hot week, but even the guardian was beginning to look doubtful that the rain would come any time soon. "You could always try doing a rain dance." The older man had joked teasingly to the other before walking inside that day, having found a man at the door with a letter safely tucked into his messenger bag. Ever since then, Krinn had been wallowing in his misery out under the sky, having not wanted to go in since it was just as hot both places. Instead he stayed out on the balcony, trying to catch a breeze - a soft cool whisper of wind - anything that would signify that there was going to be at least some departure from the everlasting sun. Of course, his hopes were slowly being crushed as the minutes wore on into a full hour and still nothing.
"Come on..." He muttered to himself, staring up at the clouds on the edge of the horizon. "Get closer." The Dust child closed his eyes again and rubbed them, feeling something shift around him. The black and gray cat rumbled deep in its throat, nuzzling up to the boy for a moment before jumping onto the railing of the balcony. For a moment, Krinn rolled onto his stomach and propped himself up on his elbows, swinging his legs back and forth in the air for a few seconds as he eyed the cat. Their balcony was in close range with another building that looked to be crumbling with age. Below them were other decks that were hanging with potted plants and tethered lines of clothing that stretched across the expanse between the two buildings. The condos and the old rusty looking place. Wild plants and ivy grew over the side of the entire expanse of the dirty smudged exterior, and Krinn subconsciously wondered for the thousandth time what exactly dwelled within the old building. Lan had explained to him that the city was full of old building apparently, and that no one ever really cared to renew them - they added to the natural beauty or something of the like.
Watching Sonare hop down off the balcony and teeter away, Krinn rolled his eyes and raised his voice to the withering plants against the opposite wall as if they also had voices of their own. "I bet you miss the rain too." He said nonchalantly, kicking his feet back and forth. The memories of his first meeting with Hymn sounded in his head, the words they'd spoke about how half of the world couldn't survive in the rain, however the other half thrived off of it. Krinn hummed to himself in thought and closed his eyes. "Apparently I'm that other half." He said loftily, and reached his hand over the side of the deck chair, groping around for a moment before returning the hand to his side, fingers wrapped around a glass of lemonade. Bringing it to his lips, Krinn exhaled a bit, feeling comforted by the cool touch of the sour drink against his lips, ice cubes jittering just a little bit. He thrummed a low note of happiness and took it away from his lips, the tank top straps sliding off of his shoulders as he tilted his head back to stare at the sky, the small clouds only barely dark enough to make a promise of rain. "Come on." He said again to them, as if trying to coax them into coming closer. He snorted, drinking his lemonade once more. Where was Lan? "Its not like the suns a big bully or anything." He relayed softly, tilting his head back to look at the glow.
Lan had joked to him earlier of making rain since he was of that sort of essence. Krinn had called him stupid and pushed him off. But now as he sat here staring, he curiously lifted an eyebrow, wondering just if that was possible. No... He had thought at first. I may be a 'dust' or whatever, but I dont control the weather. And had left it at that. Now as he stared up at the clouds he wondered and set the lemonade down, rolling onto his back again against the plush of the pillows fluffing the deck chair. He stared, not realizing the clouds getting closer bit by bit and closed his eyes, humming softly. He felt his skin tingling as he wished for rain to come down once more, having missed its presence over the last few weeks. The scorching heat had been killing him - literally. And Lan had been dealing with his everlasting complaints in a manner that made the young dust think in the back of his mind that one day Lan was going to snap his temper in two. When the dust opened his eyes again from his thoughts, he realized that the clouds had grown a bit in size and were now hovering as if almost warily and timidly against the sky, their shattered appearance making it seem as though both the sun and the clouds were trying to make peace together. He paused, and glanced up at them. Rain. He thought simply, narrowing his eyes a bit. Come on, rain. I know you're there. He closed his eyes and sighed, falling back on the plush of the chair and nonchalantly raising his hands to stretch out towards the clouds where the rain lay in wait. He wanted it. He wanted it a lot. He didn't hate the sun, but living with it for so long was wearing on him.
"Please." He whispered softly to the clouds, looking back at them with his dual colored eyes. For a few moments he sat there staring and then lowered his arms and started to laugh a bit. "Like I thought." He joked to himself, rolling onto his stomach to reach for the lemonade again. "That was silly." he added on, finding some sort of great amusement in the fact that he was talking to both himself, and inanimate objects. I must be insane. He thought to himself, taking a sip of his lemonade. "Yeah thats it, I must be insane for thinking I could bring on the rain..." he hummed in entertainment, kicking up his feet a little at the rhyme. But it would have been nice. he thought to himself. To be able to coax the rain out from hiding... Then he glanced back at the sky, and the clouds hovering in it. He blinked, wondering if they'd gotten larger or not. Frowning, he stuck out his tongue a bit. "I know you're up there." He huffed indignantly. "I'll wait here all day - all week if I have to. So it wouldn't kill you to fall down sooner then later." The dust child rolled his eyes. "Please." He said for a final time and turned back to his lemonade. Only to squeal like a girl when he felt something cold against his tank top and back. Looking up in absolute shock, Krinn stared wide eyed at the light shower now drizzling over the balcony and over him. He could hear a child below squealing that it was raining, but he himself was too shocked to think of anything. His logical brain said it was probably just coincidence, but the cloud had been so small at the start... and now it was full and drizzling. What had just gone on?
Sitting up, he extended his hands in front of him, catching rain drops in his hand and letting them slide over his cheek and neck, tank top and child like chest. "Krinn!" he heard Lan from inside but was too entranced to notice. Somewhere in the back of his mind though, he found that something sounded off from the normal tone of Lans voice, but he was stunned into silence by the sudden falling rain, even when his guardian appeared on the balcony with a look of shock on his face. "Krinn, it started to rain? Get inside, you'll catch a cold or something!" He said scoldingly, walking out and grabbing the lemonade and putting a hand on Krinn's shoulder. The dust child simply looked over at him for a moment and blinked, snapped out of his reverie and suddenly narrowing his eyes. "Lan..." He started. "Why are your eyes all red?" The older adult jumped a little and rubbed madly at his eyes, shaking his head from side to side. "They aren't really, I just - I just er... spilled something in them." Krinn snorted, momentarily more concerned with his guardian then the rain. "What, with jalapeno juice?" Lan shook his head again. "It doesn't matter. Lets get inside before we both catch our deaths." With that said, Lan turned and walked back inside, throwing off his shirt instantly. Krinn just stared after him in concern, but knew it would be better to leave it be until whatever it was could come to light without Lan having to try and cover it up instantaneously.
Yes, I cant control the weather. He thought to himself for a moment, standing in the rain. But I can certainly try and call upon the rain. With a satisfied grin, he looked up at the shattered clouds, sunlight still peaking through even though there was a wet expanse of land now drenched in rain. "Thanks." He said cheerfully before turning and walking back inside for a few minutes, ready to try and figure out what had bothered Lan to the point of crying.
Outside, the rain simply rumbled a "you're welcome" and continued to pour.
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 4:25 am
"I feel like part of the mob now."
Lan snorted, closing one eye and bending over the pool table, eyes fixated on the ball marked with the number seven. He wanted to hit into the pocket. He was doing so well already, but with Shuuhei constantly dragging his attention away at the last second, concentrating was rather hard. The two players were situated around the traditional pocket billiard table, both of them holding their sticks like prized possessions and taking turns while trying to taunt the other in a rather teasing manner. On a bar stool near the counter by the wall, Lans charge swung his legs back and forth, humming as he picked another strawberry from the plate and nibbled on the edge of it, tasting the sweet juice fill his mouth. Beside him was Noe, a big chested, big hearted, very promiscuous girl - yet Krinn had yet to figure out what that meant. The four were hanging around Shuuhei's grandpas bar, a place that was closed currently for renovations. Yet somehow the black haired chef had managed to sneak all four of them in. Naturally, Lan had tagged along, always a fickle creature who enjoyed just playing around. With an extra set of keys and enough alcohol and sweets to tide both the adults and the child over, the four had barged in - Noe tagging along because her latest fling had dumped her last week and she was now getting over it by plotting revenge - and ignoring all of his messages.
"No seriously, I feel like I'm part of the mob. Just give me something sharp and threatening and a tux and I'd play the part. You could be my lapdog." Shuuhei mentioned with a slight grin, fixating his eyes on the ball from over Lan's shoulder. "That would so not be the scenario." Lan retorted, still fixated on the ball. His mood swings had increased as of late, mostly because he was considering that his run-in with Milo the previous days had been completely bad on his mental health. He was constantly afflicted with questions and what-ifs. And that did not help. "I'd be the boss, you'd be my lapdog." Grinning, Lan shot his hand out and watched the ball roll knocking into another, and then crash into the corner pocket. Straightening up, he turned to Shuuhei, pointing his pool rod to the nape of the others exposed neck and grinning slyly. "With a collar and all. Arf, arf." Suddenly, the young adult yelped when Shuuhei, leaned over him, doing something much like what he had done with Milo in the cake incident. "Dont get cocky." The other said teasingly, eyeing the other through his shades. "I could easily overpower you, lapdog so you're the one thats going to be wearing the collar, hands down."
But I'll only be wearing that collar for a certain -
Lan stopped himself abruptly, almost gagging when he realized he was about to tease Milo in his head with his thoughts. How did that happen? Jesus, he really needed to get off of that guy before something intense went down. And knowing Lan, it would be something either incredibly risky, or something incredibly stupid. Satisfied, Shuuhei leaned away and grinned a bit. "Start barking, doggy." He said with a chuckle and shuffled away to hit another pool ball into one of the corner pockets. Lan simply rolled his eyes and straightened up. "Woof." he said into Shuuhei's ear at the last moment, messing up the others aim so the balls went crackling all over the place. Lan snorted and took his turn, aiming for the next ball that came into his sights. Only to have Shuuhei slap him on the a** and chuckle out loud when the other missed his shoot and turned to the other with angry eyes.
Meanwhile, Krinn bit into another raspberry, drinking in the scene with his eyes as Noe sat beside him, fanning herself and groaning out something about stupid boys and how they were so oblivious. The girl yawned, leaning back, pressing her cool drink to the edge of her lips and taking another sip, before looking over at Krinn and finally mussing up his hair a bit with a grin. "Whats up, kiddie? You look troubled." Having obviously expected for Noe to stay silent or at least only tease the boys every chance she got. Swallowing harshly the boy coughed when Noe whacked him on the back with a slight laugh and then turned towards the boy, her makeup glittering under the light. There was a shade of glitter covering her eyeshadow and blush, and she looked kind of like the star of a show - if there had been a show, that was. The dim light from the fire place reflected on the entire room, making the illumination a deep red and orange glow. "Anyways." The blond laughed, swatting Krinn a bit on the back again. "Spill. Whats got your mind all loopy right now?"
The boy simply huffed, the two glancing up when Shuuhei yelled at Lan for thwarting his efforts once again. "Lans been purposely forgetting to tell me what something is." The kid deadpanned, kicking out his jean clad legs to stare at his bare toes and wriggle his feet a little bit. "I dont know what the big deal is over it - after all, how can it be any worse then w-whatever it is this sex thing means? Lan makes an even bigger deal over that so I dont know why he just wont tell me..." Noe tilted her head back with a giggle, sparkles of red and gold flying from her hair, the star earrings that Lan had gotten her for her birthday twinkling like jewels. "Well, kiddie, sex is a bit beyond your level of comprehension right now, so we shall not disturb the peace of not knowing that and leave it for Lan when the time is right. However..." She purred out. "What was it that Lan wont tell you about now? Hickeys? Blow job? Pole dancing? Stripper? Uh, oh! Prostitute?" She hummed in thought, tapping her hip. "Come on, you have to give me some form of a hint, I cant think of it all on my own."
Krinn sighed and dangled his head in defeat, the new words infiltrating his mind like mayhem, even though he couldn't comprehend what they actually meant. Though, that was probably a good thing, or else Lan would constantly be teasing him. Opening his mouth to respond, Krinn turned his head at the strangled yelp of Lan, who had been thrown onto the pool table, Shuuhei now wrestling with the other and pulling him into a head lock, half of the golden black haired mans face pushed into the plush green of the pocket billiards table. They were both screaming at each other, and Krinn couldn't resist a small sigh of irritation. "He wont tell me what a kiss is." The boy finally replied to Noe, a miserable expression on his face. Noe blinked at him, a stare on her face before she turned, covered her mouth and started to cry out in laughter, whacking the table with one of her fists. Krinn watched as the woman went a little hysterical before panting and turned towards the other, delicately wiping her eye of any stray tears from the outburst. "Thats all?" She asked incredulously. "Of all the devious things Lan has been known to get up to in his spare time, thats the only word you dont know the meaning of that he wont tell you? Good gods, this man is going to have a lot of trouble explaining what a blow job is to you when the time comes."
"So, you can tell me what it is?" Krinn asked, ignoring the laughing, his shoulders hunched a little. His eyes flashed with renewed vigor, and he pushed a lock of storm gray hair away from his head as he looked over at Noe, chewing on an apple slice. The girl grinned devilishly at her, the dyed pink in her platinum blond hair glistening a bit, even though it was yanked back into a tight bunch of pigtails on her head. The revealing black dress was incredibly embarrassing to look at, Noes chest defined by the small squeeze of cloth. The frills at the end were dappled pink to compliment her hair, and as the girl flashed the kid a grin, Krinn couldn't help but blush and glance down a bit. He was still uncomfortable looking directly at the other as a child, even though he wasn't sure why. Lan had always screamed out whenever Krinn had been enveloped in one of the girls hugs, because his face usually ended up pressed to the girls flamboyant chest. "Of course I can tell you what it is." Noe snickered and then threw on a professional like look. "A kiss is something you give to someone - who in most cases- you like as 'more then just a friend.' Unless you're a whore or a prostitute, but we wont go into that." The girl let loose a carefree laugh and whacked Krinn on the back again.
Krinn glanced up at her, ignoring that Shuuhei and Lan were still engaged in a heated match of wrestling around, both of them now on the floor, having fallen with a loud "umph!" a few minutes ago. The two stopped for a moment to watch the two roll around, knocking into things before Lan jumped and straddled Shuuhei, forcing his head down into the ground, but was soon knocked off by the others superior strength. Another round ensued while Krinn turned his eyes back to Noe. "More then friends?" he questioned obliviously, a bit of a blush on his face from not knowing. Noe grinned wickedly and turned to him, smiling deviously. "Love, Krinn, Love. Its the essence of all humanity." She giggled. "Its when you feel butterflies in your stomach, and a loss of concentration, or a heavy blush on your cheeks when you see or hear or talk to a certain person. Well actually, thats a crush, but its the basics of this silly emotion." She giggled a bit and motioned with her hands at Krinns still dumbstruck position. "You see, if for some ungodly reason, Lan liked Shuuhei as more then just a friend, and blushed around him sometimes, and got butterflies in his stomach, or acted a bit differently, then that means he would be either crushing on, infatuated with, or in love with him." The girl shrugged her shoulders upwards with a cocky look. "And see, if he wanted to show Shuuhei he liked him as more then just that, he'd give him a kiss - " Krinn cut her off blinking. "Wait, but then why couldn't he just say 'I love you'? Wouldn't that be easier then whatever this kissing thing is?"
Noe laughed again, and just shuffled her feet a bit, reaching for a drink that Lan had made her earlier. The man had said Krinn wasn't allowed to drink it yet even though he wanted to. Something about an ingredient called alcohol or something. "Because thats not half as dramatic." She said simply, and messed with Krinns hair. "So if you ever find someone who makes you feel that way, and theres a chance they feel that way back then dont hesitate to give kissing a try." She flashed a thumbs up, like the bad influence she was. Krinn hummed in thought and bit into the chocolate covered strawberry. His thoughts washed over the new information - this thing called love, which he didn't quite understand, and kissing, which still sounded bizarre to him. "Wait!" He said suddenly, making Noe jump a bit. Turning his eyes to her, he frowned a bit, looking confused. "You told me why I should give it to someone, but you never told me what it actually is." The dust said, revealing more curiosity as he looked expectantly at Noe for an answer. "Uhhh...." The girl responded, looking dumbfounded for a moment. Then she smiled wickedly and pulled out her wallet, flashing her eyes as she looked around for Lan and Shuuhei. The two were sitting cross legged on the floor - or at least Shuuhei was, while Lan lay on his back, both of them panting a bit from their dog wrestling.
"Lan, Shu-Shu!" She whistled, pulling out a wad of cash from her wallet. "I need you two to be examples - twenty five dollars each for you to kiss each other like it means something!" Shuuhei blinked and grinned devilishly. "No problem." he purred out, and lunged for Lan. The other however, planted a hand between Shuuhei and himself with a humph. "You are too obsessed with money." He said with a scoff. "Anyways, what if I dont want to?" Shuuhei sighed a bit, glaring down at the other. "Just close your eyes and think about a certain brunette, glasses, and teal eyes." Lan stared back at him dumbfounded for a moment. Then he kept on staring until he got his voice to work.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me. Just imagine that guy, instead of me."
"What makes you think - "
"Come on, you've been spacey over him for a ******** of a while now. Good gods, weren't you paying attention when Noe opened up a new bet on how long you'd be hung up before moving on?"
"What? Noe! My love life isn't your way of making mon - "
"Lan, do it, now."
"But -"
Shuuhei grinned wickedly at the other, his eyes lighting up for a moment. "Come on, you know you want the money too. Anyways, just imagine that guy you're hung up over. Its not like it means anything to kiss me." Lowering his gaze a little, Shuuhei chuckled. "Anyways, when did you become so stingy? Is parenting taking a toll on your heal - mmf!" Fed up with the others talking, Lan had snaked an arm around the others head and yanked his hair, pulling him down and forcing his lips to the other. And the flash of teal eyes spurred him on in a twisted sense. A few meters away, Noe cheered, and Krinn - oh poor Krinn - felt his face steam over with obvious embarrassment. "N-Noe w-what the - what are they - -" The blond giggled, whacking Krinn over the head for the thousandth time that night. A laugh was on her lips. "That my dear friend, is a kiss! Though its much harsher then I expected. Dont worry, usually they're nice and soft, those two are just tense and hung up over people." "So wait, that means - " "No no, Shu-Shu and Lan only look at each other as friends, but they kiss either way. Its something called sexual tension and whoring out. Dont worry, I'll explain it alllll in good time." A strangled moan came from the two on the ground, and Krinn jumped, his face an obnoxious amount of red before his stool tipped dangerously and he cried out, falling flat on the floor.
Giggling, Noe flashed her eyes to the kid as the two men pulled away for breath and started to insult eachother once again as if Noe hadn't just asked them to kiss for twenty five dollars. Honestly though, Noe thought with a wicked grin, I should tip them for using tongue. Helping Krinn back on his feet, she plopped him on his stool and patted his head, pulling on his locks a bit. "And that, dear one, is a kiss. Now, care to know what a blow job is?" Through the cherry red blush and the hand covering it, Krinn glared at the girl. "Pray tell, what is t-that?"The girl giggled and turned to the two boys on the ground. "Fifty bucks for each of you to show him what a blow job is." She chortled, already knowing the answer. Shuuhei sighed and shrugged his shoulders up. "There are limits to even my madness." he huffed with a sly grin. "A kid does not need to know that - " "I am not a kid!" "Nor should he even see it. Honestly, if he fell out of his seat because of a kiss and Lans girly moaning, then pray tell what he does if he hears how Lan sounds during that." Lan looked up, glaring at Shuuhei and slapping him over the head instantly. "What makes you think I'd be the one receiving?" He hissed out. Shuuhei just grinned and glanced over. "Baby, I can take you where you stand - hell, I bet even that glasses man could take you where you stand. Dont you think thats a bit of an obvious question?" The glower he received simply made the older chef laugh even more. Waving his hands at Noe, Shuuhei grinned lazily. "Maybe you can ask us what that is and offer up that nice wad of cash when the baby is older." he said, patting Lans head. "However, for half that, I'll gladly show him what a hickey is..." The devilish cook leaned in lazily towards his counterpart, only to find a boot in his face.
"I think a kiss is enough for now, Shu-darling." The golden black haired boy said with a dangerous smile on his face. "Anyways, you're so rough with that already, I cant imagine what that would be like." He flashed his eyes to a cherry red Krinn, instant guardian concern sweeping over his face. "Krinn, you look like you're going to die from embarrassment." he laughed, standing up and wrestling the other into a hug. The boy yelped out and struggled a bit before settling for his fate. "Dont worry, at least you shouldn't have to worry about anything past kissing for a while. Honestly, I dont even know if you can handle just that yet." A chuckle rose to his throat. "After all, you're just a kid."
"Lan, I've already told you! I am not a kid!"
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 6:46 am
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 4:38 pm
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Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 10:25 pm
The soft patter of a light shower rang outside of the pet shop, and the chilled air within was washed away only by the warm fire being kept at bay in the back of the store. A hum rose from the helpers throat as he sat back on the floor, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes for a moment. A yawn bubbled in the back of the dusts throat, but he bit it back and rubbed at his eyes. The cafe was staying open late tonight, so his guardian wouldn't be coming home until it was well past his bedtime. Instead of hanging around the cafe - which was increasingly busy with the oncoming weekend - the rain child had decided to keep company at the shop. Though by now, he was sure that the only things he was keeping company were the animals - seeing as the old man had fallen asleep some few hours ago on the couch in the back room. A song that a friend of theirs had been playing was now catching and repeating in the storm gray haired boys mind, making him hum along softly as he stroked the fur of a rabbit, now nestled comfortably against him. The floppy ears twitched a bit whenever Krinn shifted of hummed a note out loud, but other then that, it kept quiet and drowsy, content under the stroke of fingers on its short fluff of fur.
Krinn tilted his head back, staring up at the glitter that came from the fire they had started, the flames now dying down to a low simmer. Soon the entire place would be bathed in darkness, but for now, the dust would enjoy the last of the light before clicking on an actual lamp. The sound of rain continued outside, obscured by the splashing noises and the screech of laughter from young adults as they tried dashing to get out of the rain. The young dust would be out there as well - in fact, he had earlier, hence the soaked clothing now in the dryer upstairs - but taking care of the animals was more important. Though he had already given dinner to most of the pets, cleaned the cages that needed it, and had given bathes to some of the creatures lurking around the shop. Sighing, the young dust straightened and stood up, cradling the rabbit in his arms against his chest as he padded forward a bit to watch the world outside through the glass window that separated the shop from the rainy sidewalk. The soft splatter of droplets against the pane made the stormy haired boy gaze longingly out, smiling idly as the ears under his gentle fingers twitched and turned a bit, flickering up and down a bit as Krinn placed a hand behind them and smoothed the fur down with ease. "Tired?" He asked the animal in his arms, looking down at it as others passed by outside, their smiles lit up underneath the soaked umbrellas they carried.
The rabbit perked its floppy ears a bit and stretched its front paws out, the mottled brown and white fur dancing in the dim light. Sighing, Krinn glanced up at the window again, eyeing the droplets outside for a moment. I'll play outside with you later. He said to the rain in his mind, listening to the crackle of thunder as if the storm itself were replying. Then he turned on his bare heel and padded towards the back, soft laughter rising in his throat as animals brought their heads up as he passed. The back wall that was decorated in fish tanks was alive with flashes of color, and Krinn paused as he stopped by them, his eyes dancing with thoughts as he glanced over the array of different species. There were simple goldfish, exotic saltwater fish, freshwater creatures and even more that dazzled the fine waters, and every time the young dust passed by them, he couldn't help but stop and admire the array of colors.
The echo of words in the back of his head trilled softly, and Krinn sighed, placing the rabbit down in its own cage where it looked back at him with beady eyes, curiously wondering why he wasn't being taken along. With a smile, Krinn turned and opened the door to the back room, sliding in and noting with slight amusement the outline of the snoring old geezer on the couch. "Honestly." He muttered with a grin, walking over and pulling out a notepad and a pencil to scribble a note down that he was going to take off and would come back early tomorrow. Laying it down on the counter near the man where he was sure to find it, Krinn glanced up and turned out the lights, making a mental note in his mind on everything he had done in the shop that day, making sure he hadn't forgotten anything. As he passed the ashes of the fireplace, the young dust made sure that it was all safe and sound before finally wrapping a hand around his jacket and tossing it on, the fur lined hood finding its way over the top of his stormy gray hair as the zipper was half-heartedly pulled up. As much as the young dust loved the rain, he wasn't too keen on getting sick because of it, and Lan had already explained to him the importance of keeping healthy. Slipping his own set of keys into the pocket of the jacket, Krinn opened the door to the dreary outside of the cityscape and thrummed a low note to himself, closing the door after him even as he heard the whine of one of the dogs at his early departure.
The rain greeted him almost instantly, their wet droplets splattering over his shoulders and face like an eager tongue of a giant dog. Krinn closed his eyes, enjoying the feel for a moment, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he stepped down the three steps leading up to the pet shop and began to follow a familiar route back to the cafe. It was all just subconscious leading the young dust as he weaved in and out of the crowd, the umbrellas flashing against the stormy sky. He could hear the eager voices of children squealing and smiled to himself as he turned a corner, spying the cafe in the distance. About to make a cross to the other side of the street and pad towards it as usual, Krinn paused, blinking and turning his dual eyes over to the side, something catching in his mind. The boy found himself staring at another opening between two buildings, an alley way that lead into the back roads of Amies. It was true that Krinn had constantly explored the city on his days off, but it had become less of a habit for him as his responsibilities back at the shop grew and grew. The entrance the rain dust was glancing at now was covered in ivy, the plant skittering madly and wildly all over the entrance with its prowling tendrils. Lifting his eyes back to where the cafe lingered, the lights glittering against the dreary backdrop, Krinn picked up on the flash of Lans black and gold hair, the casual grin he held as he disappeared back into the kitchen for more work. A smile crept over Krinns face as he hummed to himself in thought.
"Well, theres no harm in it, yeah?" He asked no one silently, only the distant rumble of thunder answering his soft muse. With that thought in mind, the rain dust turned on his heel and padded over to where the entrance lay, glancing down the back alley first out of curiosity. It looked harmless enough, like all of the places he had explored before. Sliding down the cracked concrete of the old back alley, Krinn listened to the faint rustle of people in the buildings, chefs yelling for their assistants, women and men arguing over what to have for dinner. Some others passed him by, glancing backwards at the dual eyed boy for a moment before continuing on. A hum left Krinns throat as he came to an intersection, and for a moment, the young dust pondered whether to go left, right, or straight on. The ivy continued along the walls, crisscrossing on the wireframes that fractured the view of the sky above. Flowers bloomed in the rain, their radiant colors a soft escape from the storm gray sky. The rain was clearing up a bit, and save for the soft rumble of thunder, there were no more wet droplets escaping the blackened clouds. Pulling back his hood, Krinn glanced up, eyes searching for a moment before he padded on past the crumbling antique-buildings, shops that were closing, ones that were still dimly lit. Even back here, there was still secret places to be located.
A mask shop was just shutting its doors, and as Krinn passed by, he glanced in, watching an old man laugh as he placed a small five year old girl on the counter, handing her a mask with ornate feathers and an array of bright colors and hues. The dust slowed for a moment, watching the interaction in curious manner as the girl lifted the mask to her face with a grin. He was reminded of Hymn and his own mask - the one the dust had seen on him the first time he had met the other. But these ones inside the shop were being sold for entertainment - people would wear them during festivals, for the fun of it all, to hide their true existence from each other like a masquerade was taking place. Krinn jumped as the girl on the counter looked up through the mask, blinking owlishly as she caught sight of a stranger outside the window of the shop. The dusts breath hitched and he turned a bit red from the scanning eyes of the young one, before her fingers lifted and she waved at him. Her mouth opened and she started to speak to the old man, and he too turned towards the window. Krinn blushed even more and rubbed the back of his head. When the old man came to the door and opened it, peaking his head out, he smiled warmly to the other, reminding Krinn of the grandpa he worked with back at the pet store. "Would you like to come in and take a look around? Its pretty dreary outside." The old man rasped kindly, his vest wrinkled just like the marks on his face that showed his old age and wisdom.
With a mad blush, Krinn put his hands in front of himself with a slight wave and a look of sheepish expression on his pale face. "N-no, its fine. You were closing anyways, I dont want to take up your time - " The grandpa chortled and stroked his white beard for a moment before motioning for the other to follow him in. "Nonsense, nonsense, come in. Anyways, it'll be nice for Natalie to have company while I clean up." he said, and out of something - respect or curiosity, Krinn had yet to figure out - the young dust followed him into the shop, awkwardly shifting as the man smiled back at him and disappeared out of view to the back room. The girl on the counter eyed him, still holding her mask and beamed, kicking her feet back and forth as she hummed, waiting for Krinn to finish his inspections. The young dust took a small amount of time to look at the masks hanging on the walls, their colors dazzling and outlandish, the feathers that decorated some of them making for curious looking antique like things. The dust brushed his hand against one, a diamond shaped blue and silver dapple mask. Its outer appearance whispered of tales that even Krinn himself hadn't heard, despite his constant meddling. Settling back on his heels, Krinn blinked, realizing how embarrassed he had been a few moments ago. A sudden blush crept onto his face again and the boy awkwardly shifted, hands stuffed back into his pockets. As he turned towards the door, wanting to make an escape sooner then later, the little girl on the counter spoke.
"You look strange, mister."
The boy froze in place and slowly turned to the girl, owlishly blinking his eyes at her before frowning a bit and putting his hands on his hips. "I could say the same for you, miss." He retorted, waggling a finger in her direction. The girl simply covered her mouth to giggle, strawberry blond curls bouncing. "I never said it was a bad thing." The girl said, hopping off the counter to beam up at him. "I'm Natalie. Nat-A-lee." Natalie grinned, sticking out a small hand. Krinn glanced down for a moment, unsure before awkwardly taking it. "Krinn." He mumbled awkwardly, shifting his feet and letting go as soon as they had shook hands. He glanced around, and before he could stop himself, he looked over at the girl and asked "Is the shop owner your father?" Natalie stopped for a moment, her eyes blinking before she giggled and shook her head. "Nope! He's my grampy." She said proudly, putting her little fists on her hips and looking determinedly at Krinn. "I'm going to grow up just like him though! He's a violin maker!" She puffed her chest. Krinn simply blinked and crouched over, wrapping his hands around his knees so he was eye level with the short pipsqueak of a girl. "But this is a mask shop." He said in confusion, looking the young strawberry blond over. "I'm not sure I get it."
"Grampy is looking over the shop this week for my cousin, Zack." The girl explained, nodding sagely before examining her fingernails for a moment. "He's off on a vacation is what mommy said." The girl glanced up, beaming. "But thats okay - it means Natalie gets to be with Grampy more since he's in town!" Krinn watched the girl bounce from side to side a little in excitement and shook his head a bit, the fur lining the coat dripping a bit with water. His pants were a bit damp as well, even though the rain outside had stopped its pour. Krinn blinked, cocking his head to the side a bit as the girl continued. "See, my cousin is off on a boat trip with my brother and some of their friends. They were gonna go see some other people is what I heard. But its okay, big brother usually isn't around much anymore. Mommy says love has got him too preoccupied right now. I dont get it though." Krinn laughed good heartedly and nodded along with the five year old. He smiled, and got a cute little one in return. "Dont worry, I dont get it either." He said with a laugh, wondering just what love felt like. Would he ever know? Would he ever feel it? It was all a mystery, he supposed.
"So, where are your parents then? Are you staying with your grandpa?" Krinn, deciding small talk wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. It wasn't like he was needed anywhere all too soon, and it wasn't as though Lan would panic if Krinn disappeared for a bit. Alright, perhaps that was a lie, but still! "Eh?" The girl perked up for a moment, and then she beamed. "Mommy's staying at Aunties house with Papa right now. See, shes going to have a baby! And Aunties a nurse, so its easier for her to be there. But that means they have to travel away, and Grampy said it would be nice for him to have an assistant while he was helping out at this shop." Natalie grinned up at him. "Mommy's pregnant, so shes not feeling the best right now, but once she has the baby, I'll be an older sister and everyone will move back to Amies!"
"Your moms... having a child?" Krinn blinked, and stood up, feeling a bit dizzy from the abrupt change in positions. The strawberry blond let loose another famous grin. "Yup, she's 'pregnant' you know?" Natalie looked Krinn over with a beaming face. "Just like your mom probably had you, my mommy's going to have my baby sibling! Its exciting!" Just like your mom. The words rain in Krinns head for a moment, and he forced a smile at the younger of the two. "Wow, that sounds neat." He said in a false cheery tone. Then he moved for the door, waving his fingers at the girl. "Lans probably worried by now, I should get back. I'll show up again though, so maybe we can talk again? Thank your grandpa though for me." The dust quickly escaped the dust into the cold air before the confused looking girl could respond, and jerked a bit with a cry as his feet caught on the stairs, stumbling down them and whacking the opposing wall and its vines as well. The rain had decided to pour again, this time its harsh strokes coming down in rapid procession. Krinn sucked in a breath and yanked up his hood, closing his eyes to breath in the situation. It had just reminded him, that small talk. Those four words.
We're different.
Padding along almost subconsciously, the dust stared down at the concrete in thought. It was strange to know that Dusts had no actual parents, that they didn't grow like humans, and they certainly weren't anything like them in terms of being normal or not. It was just strange. A frown creased along Krinns face for a moment as he strode along, his legs carrying him easily across the streets and sidewalks, his hood covering his murky dual colored eyes. Differents a funny word. He thought absently, and pocketed his hands once more, having not even noticed he had taken them out. Yeah, Dusts were different. But no one noticed. Well, not many at least. Blending in wasn't a hard thing to accomplish, but the knowledge of doing it was what irked Krinn the most. And he didn't know why. With a sigh, the boy walked on, not seeming to pay attention to where his feet were leading him. He didn't mind that he wasn't like everyone else. No, he actually kind of enjoyed it. It was just the reminders that caught him off guard. The subtle hints that others noted on without even being aware of it. It was strange to him. Different.
Shrieking as the pavement cut off from beneath his feet a few minutes later, after taking odd turns and corners and making himself lost without even knowing it, the dust child withdrew his foot quickly and puffed out a sigh of relief. The path he was walking along was sided by two walls of concrete, worn away by the weather of Amies after the years of salty tang filling the air. Ivy clung to them, sprouting red flowers that dripped with water and shined softly as the moon came out to play. Lan was probably worrying over where he was. The thought barely passed the dusts mind though, even as he stared at the place where Lan had first met him. Stepping stones jutted across the open canal that stretched out before him, the clear water below reflecting the night sky from above. Droplets dotted the surface once in awhile, marring perfection before it quickly returned to its normal state. The concrete stones coming out of the water were covered in some sort aquatic plant that bloomed on the sides with green and blue flowers, their buds reaching out for the moon as though drawn in by it. Crouching down and curling his hands around his knees, the boy stared over into the water, the reflection of his face in it marred by the droplets that dripped down from his damp hair.
"Curious." He mumbled to himself, touching the water with his fingers and watching the flash of scales under the surface of the water. He closed his eyes and remembered the lessons taught to him by both his guardian and the other dusts. Walking on the waters edge, learning his skills. Learning the basics of everything, and just everyday life. And yet.... Krinn hummed in thought and sighed, standing up and stuffing his hands in his pockets. He still didn't know much, despite feeling like he'd learned a lot. It was all so confusing. The world was supposedly much bigger then the wide expanse of simply Amies. He knew there was time to learn... It just felt like he was restless to know the answers. Sighing, Krinn glanced up at the partially clouded night sky with a hum in thought. He had to be patient, had to wait, had to grow. But he didn't like being patient, and in the back of his mind, a sort of restless need to know had been growing like a hunger. But for now, all he could do was pace back and forth, wait to learn what was in store for the world, and what was out there to see. Stretching his arms above his head, Krinn looked down at the spot where he had first emerged from the bottle and smiled a bit. At least it seemed like he had come a ways since he had first met Lan. It seemed so long ago. Krinn smiled a bit to himself. "Well, at least its not like I'm in a rush." He mumbled, taming the restlessness yet again.
Turning on his heel, he bid a temporary farewell to the place where he had first met Lan, and where his life had first started. Starting down the pavement, he quickly padded back to the cafe, and wasn't surprised to see a white-as-a-sheet Lan, looking like he had just had a minor panic attack while closing up. It was quite a humorous sight, and as the two closed and locked the doors to the cafe, waved a goodbye to Shuuhei and Noe and headed home, Krinn grinned contently to himself. It didn't really matter that he had no actual mother, no bloodline family. The people he knew were enough, if not more then he needed as a "family." And anyways, with a guardian as insane as Lan, it wasn't hard to tell that Krinn would certainly learn a lot more then he was going to expecting for awhile. If not in the most subtle ways ever. When the lights in the apartment finally went out that night, Krinn stayed perched on the balcony for a few minutes, sleep not yet wanting to come with him. He was thinking of the future...
And wondering what it held in its grasp.
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