How long had it really been since he’d ran like this? He couldn’t remember how hard his heart had pounded, and the taste of bile was rising in his throat from the pain. Dino shouldn’t have been running on a broken ankle, no, but that was all that he really could do at this point. He had to make it home, he had to make it back, just through the door, and then he could shut it and finally hug his daughter again, to brush his fingers through her hair and tell her he was fine. It would be a lie, but it didn’t matter. Suddenly, in the slick rain, or perhaps it was the blood in his boot, he fell, skidding across the harsh surface of the rooftops. He had never been made for running, that was clear enough. His cheek burned from the contact, and he barely had time to flip over before a blade grazed his cheek, burying itself into the rooftop.
“Well well, little lion cub. What are you running from?” She crooned, eyes that same glowing gold in the dim light that he remembered. One didn’t mess with her, no, but he couldn’t keep his heart from hammering, threatening to just jump out of his chest and flee. “Hmm? Didn’t hear me over the last sounds of your precious life?” A blade scrawled down his jawline, causing him to inhale sharply.
“Nightingale, really…Please…” He wasn’t sure where begging would get him, not at all. It had to be worth a shot, right? “I have a d-daughter..” His breath wouldn’t come out steady enough, and he can already feel himself shaking beneath the assassin. He’s had this mark on his head for quite a long time, he can’t even remember when he first learned of it. She tilts her head the slightest, eyes lighting up in amusement at his words.
“Oh do you now? And why would that make any difference to me, dear Lion?” Oh he shouldn’t have mentioned it to her, not with their history. He trembles even more, eyes darting to the dagger she keeps on tracing on his neck. “She’ll just be another orphan on the streets, it’s not like someone won’t pick up a girl, especially if she’s as cute as you.”
“She’s adopted. I’m the only thing she’s ever had, please…” He manages to rasp out, feeling the blade draw the slightest bit of blood from his throat. What would she do without him, his adorable little girl? He’d promised her he’d be home. He’d promised her he’d come back safe, he was supposed to be home by now, where he could cradle her and tuck her into bed, and tell her a story… “Rui, please….”
She hesitated. Her blade stopped dead, and she stared into his eyes, thinking over what he had said. Adopted. The only thing she’s had. It was far too similar, and she wasn’t about to put another child through that. It didn’t help when he begged her again, using that name, the name she had only taught him in their brief time together. He was already near tears, his breathing ragged. She’d beat him up enough tonight, with a black eye and scratches, likely a broken ankle as well among other things. She held his gaze for the longest time, before taking up the blade again. He stopped, breathing harder as the tears began to stream from his eyes. No, no, not like this.
She sheathed the cold steel back into its holster, and got off of him, standing up and taking her other blade back. Not another word was needed before she was off again, and Dino sobbed, managing to roll onto his side as he curled up, choking out words of thanks. He’d be able to get home.
He’d be able to see his precious daughter.
2) Red
It was worrying that he had been gone this long. “I’ll just be gone for a while, sweetheart.” He had assured her. “Daddy just has to go check in on something at work, alright?” He had petted her head so lovingly, promising he’d bring her back some sweets, before going out the door, the crimson of his cape swishing behind him. Xiao had yet to know what the cape meant, or signified, with its soft velvet, and warm trim of golden fur. There had been times he had swaddled her in it, during thunderstorms, promising on his life he’d protect her, that he’d always be there for her. He’d whisper words to her as she began to nod off in a language she’d never heard before, and yet they felt warm and safe.
She just wanted to hear the lock click, so that she wouldn’t be sitting curled up on the couch, far past her bedtime, nightgown draping over her toes as she brought her knees up to her chin. The house wasn’t cold, but she felt a shiver go down her spine, and wrapped her wings around her. Something had to be wrong. The clock was nearing 1 am, and her eyes wanted to droop, but the pounding of her heart kept her awake. She couldn’t sleep without him home, not without her story of sunset lands, daring thieves, and dashing princes. She would read them to herself, but these were not yet written. Dino would always tell her these, making them up, or so he said, as he went. The vigilante with her red hair, the thief from faraway lands, the well-dressed prince with his silver tongue, and at last, the cold queen who sang of impending doom. He made such beautiful adventures between them, and surely they could continue on forever.
The lock clicked. Xiao peered over her knees from the couch, watching as the door slowly opened, and the darkened figure of her guardian stumbled through, coughing out curses for the lights being far too dim. The manifest so dearly wanted to jump up and hug him though…Something seemed off tonight. It made itself more clear when he flicked on the lights, revealing how disheveled he looked. His pants were wet from the knee down, and his boots squelched as he shifted his weight. She couldn’t help but gasp, watching the red liquid seep from the laces, dripping onto the floor. He was an absolute mess, with a black eye among other bruises. What caught her off-guard the most were the cuts along his neck, already glazed over with blood and plasma. It was perhaps Dino that was just as surprised as their eyes met, his heart dropping. This was the last thing he wanted her to see…
“What are you doing up, sweetheart? It’s almost 2 am..” He wheezed out, bending down as she rushed over, hugging him tight. He ignored the shocks of pain in his chest, holding her close as he petted through her hair, chuckling. “See? I told you I’d make it home. I’m sorry I’m so late..” She didn’t even reply, burying her face into him as she tried to keep from worrying. With what little strength he had in him, he picked her up. “Come on, Xiao…Let’s get you to bed so you can get your beauty sleep, alright? And then we can have waffles in the morning, your favorite, right?” The girl barely said a word as she was put to bed, Dino doing everything he could to try to make it up to her. He read to her for a longer time, trying to keep from wincing when he brought up the revolutionary, not quite ready to tell her how exactly these stories were made. He thought he just about had her asleep, and finished with a sigh, easing up out of the chair when her hand grabbed his. “Don’t go….” She muttered, trying to keep the beckoning of slumber at bay. He sighed, leaning over to hug her tight. “I’ll always be here, don’t worry…” He wished he could be so sure of that, especially after realizing what sort of danger he was putting himself in after tonight. “Here…” He fussed with the clasp of his cape, letting it slide off his shoulders with a little struggle, wrapping it tight around her. “You have my word…Just for tonight, okay? It’ll keep you safe, my darling.” The red velvet was stained with gunpowder, blood, and dirt, not that Xiao minded, clinging tight to the edge near her face as she let her guardian slip away. “You promise you’re not going to leave me?” She breathed, eyes drooping as she sunk back into her pillows, watching him in the dim light that leaked from the hallway. “I promise. As long as the sun rises, I will always be here for you.” As long as he bled red, as long as his cape was red, even in death. He listened closely to her breathing slow, giving one final sigh before he limped out, letting his own exhaustion show. It was time to stitch himself up, and finally hide the worst of his injuries from her. If he was lucky, he’d even be able to clean the blood out of the carpet…
3) Coffee
While many rose with the sun, today it was only Xiao in their tiny apartment that did. Her guardian had yet to awake, and even when she tried to open his door, it seemed he had locked it to keep her out. She was confused when she had awoken with his cape wrapped tight around her, remembering very little of the prior night. Had something happened? Her investigation of the apartment revealed very little, other than a few suspiciously clean spots in the carpet. She knew well enough what that usually meant, though there were far more than the usual few. Something had happened last night, and that meant Dino would likely sleep in late. Nevermind that, she knew how to rouse her guardian. While she’d seen him do this so many times before, Xiao was new to the world of kitchen appliances. In her short time living here with him thus far, she’d been trusted enough to use the microwave…once. It had gone perfectly too, no complaints from Dino at all. It was just that he was usually there to cook for her instead. It was easy enough to fill the pot with water, and to pour it into the reservoir, but the other preparations did not come so easily, especially to a girl of her height. Perhaps if her wings had been much use, they would have served her well, but alas, they would just flutter and flap behind her, and failed to raise as much as the fluttering of papers. Perhaps when she was older. Daddy had said a lot would happen when she was older. The filter proved to be a beast to be conquered, and no matter the amount of fussing, it didn’t seem to settle right….Pah, it was stupid anyway. Perhaps the coffee grounds would settle the paper beast into submission! She hesitated with the spoon, struggling to keep the can balanced in her hands as she stood on tiptoes to reach to the top of the machine. How many scoops was it? Two? Five? She couldn’t remember. But seven seemed like a good number! Maybe it would make Daddy wake up even more, and make her a whole stack of pancakes! On the final teetering on her toes, the filter weighed down by the massive pile of black gold, the can finally slipped out of her hands and spilled upon the floor. Xiao stared down at the mass in horror, eyes darting to the door of her father’s bedroom. One minute passed, and then another, or at least it felt that way to the young manifest. She breathed out slowly when nothing happened, and recovered what she could of the can, tiptoeing over the dusting of grounds before grabbing the broom. Well…Daddy did say he liked the smell…. With the mess swept up, or rather, with half of it stuck under the stove, and the other halfhazardly tossed in the garbage can, she finally fandangled with the buttons of the silver machine enough to start the brewing. It would be a while, wouldn’t it? She’d have time to get dressed, to surprise her guardian further! Tiptoing off to her room, that’s exactly what she began on. While she struggled with the silk ties of her dress, the coffee machine struggled to strain the water through the massive amount of grounds, unable to empty out soon enough. While some of it did indeed make it to the pot, the rest overflowed in a grainy mess down the sides, looking more like a mudslide than coffee. Of course, it was all done when the tiny girl finally came back out, her own dress at all sorts of odd angles, she felt like she’d stepped into some sort of…coffee murder. Well. Her plan worked to some extent. Dino wasn’t the type to sleep through the rather strong odor of coffee and…coffee. He shuffled through the hall, eyes still bleary as he slumped, hands in the pockets of his robe. It didn’t help that the first sight of the morning he was greeted to was his daughter smiling awkwardly, holding out a cup of what looked like sludge but smelled like pure caffeine. Well. It was one way to wake up.
4) Wrong
It wasn’t supposed to happen this way, looking back on it. He should have known from the start, from the tiny little warning signs he’d just dismissed. It was the little things, like how the world would just suddenly go silent at times, and the weird ringing in his ears would start. It was the way that reality would suddenly seem to bend and twist, and he’d have to stop and touch a wall just to keep himself straight. Something was wrong, but he hadn’t ever considered it.
She was worried. She’d be talking to him, and he’d just start tuning out, staring off into the distance. Xiao knew that look, she could tell he was just somewhere else entirely, and would stop to tug at his sleeve. It would usually work, but lately… “Daddy?” She chirped, tilting her head as she looked up at him. He looked sick, pale in the cheeks, and the same liveliness to his eyes just wasn’t there. He tried to hide it, patting her head and smiling at her. Everything’s fine, sweetheart, he’d say, I’m sorry I just got a little distracted… That couldn’t be it. Ever since he’d come back late that one night, she’d been noticing the slight changes in his behavior. They’d be walking, and then he’d just seem to slow. He would touch a wall or something, thinking she hadn’t been noticing, before starting right back up at pace with her again. It’d been a week since then, he hadn’t talked with her about it. She’d been too scared to bring it up. He didn’t want her to bring it up either. He didn’t want to talk about why he’d come home like that, or why he smelled of gunpowder and expensive perfume. She didn’t need to be brought into the world of the Lion. She didn’t need to know that he was putting his life on the line every time he left her. She didn’t need to know of the underworld that could swallow her up, devour her, and change her life forever. He swayed again, despite sitting. At least she didn’t see that one, she was out in the park, playing again. Perhaps she’d make a friend soon, someone to meet and play with. She needed that, she didn’t need what he had. The last thing he wanted to do was lock her in a palace with tutors and not a friend in sight. Not even the birds of the aviary were allowed to see him. But, he kept on seeing that girl’s face, the one who had been the one to soothe his pride, to be well, the best she could be for him. Just one more time he wanted to see her again…
“Daddy?” He snapped back to reality, looking his precious, precious daughter in the eyes. Had he been spacing out again? It seemed so. He laughed, ruffling her hair again. “Sorry sweetheart, I’m just a little tired. You ready to go home now?” He breathed, trying to hide how much the world had started to spin again. There was the slightest of nods from her, though he could already see it in her eyes.
Something was wrong.
5) Falling
He would have never expected it to affect him even more than it had. His recent little run in with Nightingale had left him poisoned, that much he had figured out. What else was there to explain his spells of dizziness, his slight aching, and the absence of his mind? It was mild, sure, but he hadn’t gotten over it by now, and frankly it seemed to be growing worse. There was that much to worry him, especially when he had a young girl in his care.
Xiao had been worried as well. He’d seem to daze off everywhere, and it didn’t help that he would sway so often. She’d become his crutch a number of times, letting him hold on to her to make sure his balance didn’t shift away from him. Did it have something to do about that night he came home so late? Perhaps. She didn’t like it one bit, she was so scared she was going to end up losing her only family. But they hadn’t said a word about what had happened. Maybe he was just feeling under the weather.
It didn’t help that it had to happen on the way back from the store. Xiao was carrying a good number of the bags on her own, though it suddenly happened. Crack. One single egg had slipped out of its styrofoam prison and hit the ground, splattering upon it. She had stopped, looking forlornly down at the one lone soldier of eggy goodness that was now forgotten. “Ah, well…It can’t be helped…” Dino had mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. He was trying to hide how pale he was, though Xiao could plainly see he wasn’t doing so well.
Was it an omen. Was it a hint at something to come? Dino wasn’t sure. He was already trying to keep so much from his tiny little princess so she wouldn’t worry, and yet he could already see how much she was aware of the smaller things he let slip through. She’d seen him sway and space off, but there was still so much more. Had she heard him fall in the night? Did she know he was slipping medicine in his tea in an attempt to keep the few sharp pangs of pain in check, to help rid his body of whatever poison had been on Nightingale’s blade? Hell, was Nightingale even aware she’d poisoned him? And yet, the most important thing on his mind was falling.
He’d dreamt of it, you see. Just the night before. An endless tumble off the top of a rooftop, going down down down, and nothing to stop him in sight. He’d panicked at first, trying to struggle against the swift air and find some sort of stop to it all. But soon enough, he’d learned to embrace it. The wind from behind him caressing his cheeks with loose hair, his clothes flapping in the breeze. Was this what it was like to jump off a tall building? To just let it all go? He had felt brief moments of this as he took tumbles in the apartment, though it usually ended rather quickly. He had no time to get over the panic, the jump in his heart, and only knew the fear. Then, came the pain. It wasn’t so bad when he learned to expect it, when he knew what the bottom of the shower would feel like, or what the softer carpet did. It began to not matter after a while. He’d laugh it off, knowing the faint bruises would appear under his tanned skin. But today, he felt nervous.
It wasn’t until they began to creep up the stairs to their apartment that he felt that feeling arise in him again. No, not now. At least Xiao had been eager enough to get going, now slowly ascending the concrete steps before him. He tried to grip the rail harder as he climbed, though felt the looming feeling of doom edge behind him. Just a few more, he breathed to himself, just a few more and then…
Xiao was worried. Even though she had gone first, she was starting to question her own decision. She knew her papa wasn’t feeling too well. He’d been swaying more and more lately, and today just seemed..off. She knew little to none about auspicious days, though perhaps if she had checked her calendar she would have found today was one. It wouldn’t matter soon enough, she’d find, especially when she heard the sudden, sharp intake of breath behind her. It seemed to take too long for her to turn, but what she saw…
He was flying. The same feeling of the wind blowing from behind him, the same breathless feeling…But his heart didn’t even start to hammer. No, he was at peace with this. He should have known earlier today would have been the day he would fall in front of Xiao. He couldn’t do anything but close his eyes, in the odd slow motion the world seemed to go into, before his head bet that first step behind him, then the next, and the next after that.
She felt her heart stop, blood running cold through her veins. No. No no no no no no no. This couldn’t’ be happening. No, he had to be okay, right? He had been fine when he had returned home late, right? That hadn’t been his blood, it had just been a nightmare right? He hadn’t just fallen down the stairs, all the way to the bottom of them, he wasn’t crumbled in a heap right? She tried calling out to him, voice weak from the shock. No reply. She tried again, slightly stronger, letting the bags slip from her hands to the stair. No response. She felt like she too was falling as she jumped, trying to reach him as quickly as she could, calling out to him again and again, in just some sort of hope that he’d laugh and say he was joking, but he wasn’t moving at all. She tried to shake him awake, no daddy this isn’t funny just wake up, and that’s when she saw how cruel the stairs had been. She was shaking as she finally screamed, her hands damp.
Oh how the mighty had fallen.
Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 10:48 pm
Nanowrimo 2
6 ) Fear
It wasn’t fair. Xiao couldn’t remember what had happened after that person had come, after they had called for an ambulance. She remembered shrugging them off, no she wanted to stay with papa, she didn’t want to go anywhere else. The nice people had told her the same, maybe she should go to a daycare. She just wanted to be with papa though, wouldn’t these people understand? The next was all a blur. She had no idea, no memory, of how she’d ended up in this waiting lounge, or how long it’d been.
Was she going to lose him?
The thought made her curl up into herself, pulling her knees up to her chin, and wrapping her wings around her. She couldn’t lose him. He’d promised her he’d always be there for her, that he’d never leave her alone in life, that he’d always come back. But she knew it had been bad. She was pretty sure she’d been waiting here for a long time, and that…That scared her. It was the first time she’d really, truly experienced fear, and here she was, finally waiting to be told whether she’d be alone for the rest of her life or not.
It didn’t help when the doctor came by, looking a little surprised to see her still waiting there, looking up miserably when he passed by. He gave a heavy sigh and came over to her, bending down to get at eye level with her. Xiao shifted a little, just wanting to be alone. She didn’t want to hear he was gone, she didn’t want to hear how badly he was injured, but the doctor seemed to get that.
“Well…” He began sighing, offering a tired smile, “You want to see him? He’s not awake yet, but…” But what, Xiao wanted to beg. She was already nervy enough without knowing how that sentence was going to end. The doctor didn’t seem to want to finish it either, and got up in favor of doing so, holding out his hand to her. She stood, not taking it, and instead followed him down the sterile white hall, with the sterile white doors, and the occasionally flickering fluorescent lights. The place felt wrong to her, she’d rather be somewhere a little less…Medical. It didn’t help when the doctor opened the door for her, and the lights were far dimmer on the inside. It made her head hurt even more from the good cry she’d had alone earlier. She didn’t even make it 5 steps in before the doctor gracefully bowed out, leaving her alone with the quiet sound of breathing and the quiet beeps of various monitors.
It felt like she’d been left in a dungeon, ready to face some weird beeping dragon or monster. Finally, she gained the courage to step in a little more. Step by step she became more anxious, more frightened, of what she was going to find, until she was at the foot of the hospital bed. She shunk into herself a little, finally letting her eyes slip off the white speckled floor, up the metal bars and to the light green cotton blanket. She traced up the white sheets to the pale arm, bandaged, with a number of tubes coming out of it, up to those strong shoulders, and to the oxygen mask. Dino was still out, it seemed, with his bandaged head, part of his hair shaven away. Xiao missed it terribly, especially when he would let her play with it, making short braids and ‘pigtails’. She managed to slink to the chair at his side, pushing it over to be closer to him.
Was she still going to lose him? It could happen, right?
Exhausted, but unwilling to admit it, she leaned forward and rested her head on her arms on the bed. As tired as she was, as fearful as she was, she somehow managed to sync her breaths to the quiet beeps and fell asleep.
7 ) Danger
Xiao wasn’t sure how long she’d slept. She opened her eyes slowly to the dim room, to the beeping of the machines, and to a shadow looming over her guardian. She closed her eyes again, assuming it to be a doctor, though a while later she thought it a bit odd and opened her eyes again. Doctors didn’t wear dark clothes, and they certainly didn’t loom that close, right? She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, yawning quietly as she fluffed her wings up, her body stiff from bending over. Only then did she look up and meet her eyes with piercing, golden ones. She nearly jumped, and though the stranger kept rigid. Such dark clothes, she looked dangerous…And it wasn’t until Xiao saw the knife at her guardian’s throat that she realized she really was.
She shrieked quietly, pushing back hard as her chair topped, landing flat against the floor before scurrying against the wall. Her breathing was already quick and hard, and it didn’t help when the woman took the knife away, working it through her fingers in an almost magic motion, before she slipped it into a holster on her thigh. Her way of walking was very deliberate, each move decisive and meaningful. It didn’t take long before she was right in front of Xiao, looking down with cold eyes, before she bent down to her level. Xiao had wormed her way as close to the wall as she could get, eyes wide and frightened. This lady….This lady was scary. She emanated danger, despite the fact her blade was sheathed. Xiao didn’t know what to do once their eyes met again, cornered, like a small animal. “So you’re his precious little girl, huh?” Her voice was steady, though had hints of iron in it. Strong, knowing, just the sort of voice she knew belonged to a strong woman. Though how strong, she had yet to know. “H-Huh?” Xiao exhaled, still trembling against the wall. She wasn’t going to bring the blade out against her? Wasn’t going to put her life in danger? “Lion’s girl.” She stated, then welcomed the confusion in Xiao’s eyes. “Ahh, so you don’t know that name…Interesting…” She murmured, a smile crossing her lips. It seemed venomous, though truly warm in a way. Genuine, as it were. Xiao didn’t relax one bit, remaining stiff against the wall. “I guess you know him by Dino then. You’re his precious little princess, right?” “Y-Yeah…But….Before you called him…” Xiao wrinkled her nose. Lion. She hadn’t heard that name be used before, but come to think of it…Why was this woman so familiar? “Lion? Ah, I suppose he hasn’t told you, but I’ll let him take care of that eventually. All of us have different names besides our own. I suppose for letting his own secrets slip, I might as well make the playing field a little more even. Rosalie Satre, the Nightingale.” She held her hand out to Xiao’s for a handshake, smiling a little softer. Xiao hesitated before taking it, only to jump back after the slightest brush of fingertips. Cold! Something had to be wrong. She glared up at this dangerous woman, frowning. Why in the world. “Ohh…Sorry, I guess I forgot. Other hand then?” Xiao hesitated even more before poking at the other hand she was offered. This one was warm. Curious. She shook it without any more hesitation, and this…Rosalie smiled. “I lost my other hand years ago. This one’s just a prosthetic, that’s why.” She hummed, standing up to pace back over to Dino, hands at her hips. Her red hair was most striking, less red actually, more like a deeper wine color. Her manner of talking seemed familiar too, and the lost hand…Was she just a character out of her father’s stories? Or could her father’s stories…have more truth to them? While she was still quaking in fear at the woman’s appearance, she got up quietly, and moved behind her. “What are you doing here anyway?” She asked, voice still trembling. Rosalie frowned, glancing down at her, fully taking in her clothes and appearance. “I came to see how he was doing. Seemed I had a little mix up earlier with him, gave him a dose of something I didn’t mean to. I’m sure he’s gotten the antidote by now but..” “You poisoned him?” Xiao nearly shrieked, horrified, and far more terrified. She was dangerous. Very dangerous indeed. “I didn’t mean to, okay? It was meant for someone else. I just…roughed him up a little more than I should have, but it’s a game between us, okay? I came to apologize too, but, damn, I guess I owe you one too, don’t I?” She trailed off a bit, face contorting to confusion. “I don’t know your name yet.” It was blunt, but Xiao huffed, relenting. “Xiao. Just…Xiao. You’d better not hurt daddy again, got it? I’ll…I’ll..!” She’d what? Xiao was anything but dangerous, and she surely was no match for this woman. Nevertheless, she gained a chuckle out of her, and she ruffled her hair the slightest. “Just like him, huh? You’ve got a good dad. Now come on, your hair’s a mess. Might as well fix it so your papa doesn’t have to see it like that, huh?” She gestured to the chair Xiao had been in earlier. While she hesitated the slightest, her hair was indeed in quite the state, and Rosalie did have a point. She flopped into it, crossing her arms as the older woman came over to begin fixing it. The silence between them remained for quite some time until Xiao finally asked. “Daddy tells me a lot of stories.” She mumbled, gaining a noise of question from her new hairdresser. “Ones about a revolutionary with red hair that’s missing a hand. One who talks a lot like you.” The hands working with her hair paused for a moment, before starting up again. “Does he now.” Rosalie murmured, sounding vaguely intrigued. “What other sorts of characters come into these stories. And details, if you’d be a dear.” Xiao thought hard, furrowing her brow the slightest. “Thieves from foreign lands….A songstress who hates the revolutionary who sings of doom and despair…” She paused, leaning back to look up at Rosalie. “And a prince! A prince who can talk his way in to or out of anything! Dashingly handsome!” The woman cracked up at the last one, eyes bemused with this information. “Ahh, that would be your father. Mr. Lion, always the smooth talker. The thief would be Snake, and the Songstress would be my sister, Kestrel. We..don’t get along at all.” She adjusted Xiao’s head again, to make her look forward, braiding her locks. “Any other mysterious fellows? Ones who cut off people’s hands?” “Yeah! Though…He was only at the beginning. Daddy doesn’t bring him up anymore.” She swung her feet off the edge of the chair, continuing to give Rosalie her trust. Perhaps this dangerous woman, although certainly so, wasn’t going to be a danger to her or her father….Though she’d still have to ask about that knife later.
8 ) Death
The third day had just finally passed, and on the morning of the fourth day, Xiao opened her eyes. Sunlight had begun to trickle in through the thin curtains of the hospital room, the thin fabric fluttering in the morning breeze. She rose slowly from her spot on the small couch in the corner, rubbing her eyes softly before looking over to the bed. Still no change…At least after all this time, she was finally getting used to seeing him asleep, bandages and all. However, it seemed that for once, she wasn’t alone. For once, her newest…acquaintance remained in the room, instead of having run off to do who knows what. Today, she realized it wasn’t the sun that had roused her from sleep. The words of a language she hadn’t heard before were falling from her lips softly, the quiet tune softly resonating through the air. A strike of possessiveness hit Xiao as she noticed she was brushing her fingertips over his hand, though she held back from saying anything, instead, sitting up to listen more to the song. Something about it made her sad, though it sounded so tragically beautiful. Did the words even have any meaning? This was certainly something she hadn’t heard ever before in her short life thus far. Soon enough though, she glanced up and met Xiao’s eyes, stopping rather suddenly. “Ah, good morning.” She murmured, withdrawing her hand, as if to read her mind. “Did I wake you?” Xiao shook her head. Even if she had, it was about time she should get up anyway. She got to her feet, swinging her arms a little as she strode over. It bothered her a little more now that she was closer, how pale her father was, and the shallow, almost invisible breaths he took. It was almost like he was dead already….The doctors had talked at length with Rosalie, at the insistence Xiao not be about to hear it. She’s just a girl, she couldn’t understand. Of course, having this older friend of her fathers about meant that she got to hear everything anyway. They weren’t sure he would wake up. It had been quite the tumble. Things like that. Things Xiao didn’t want to think about. What would happen if she lost her father? Who would end up being her guardian? There were surely people who would take care of her, but it wouldn’t be the same situation. She wouldn’t have a father, just someone to look after her, to make sure she didn’t get into trouble. She had heard the doctors mention that to Rosalie, trying to guilt her into saying she’d take care of her, but the woman had relented saying if anything, it was Xiao’s choice, if it did come to that. At least the woman wasn’t stupid.. “What language was that?” Xiao breathed, moving to peer over at Dino from next to her. She was still curious…And anything to get her mind off of what must be an impending funeral. “It’s one we use for our jobs…” Rosalie murmured, then caught the confusion in the girl’s eyes as she glanced up at her. “Dino and I both use it. Well, so does Snake, but we’re the two that use it the most. It’s easier that way sometimes.” “Does it have a name?” “No, no name. It’s just…Code for us. Since we’re the best at what we do, and all. It keeps the people below us out of the know on some things. And it makes for easier talking when we’re in public.” She shrugged the slightest. “We haven’t named it yet. It was an ancient language used by….people with the same occupations long ago.” “What meaning does that song have?” Xiao was confused the slightest. Rosalie never had told her what her job was, but surely it was something dangerous if she carried that dagger on her all the time. She didn’t even know what her father did, though perhaps if she asked… “It’s something that was sung to me a long time ago.” She sighed, looking down at her hands. “It’s specific to my position, but I think the name is something along the lines of Devola. It’s a blessing for those who walk the realm between death and life.” Xiao was truly curious now, looking up at her with wide eyes. Between life and death? Why would she even say something like that? “You…never did tell me what it is you do.” She pouted, deciding she was going to try and find out the truth. Dino would never tell her. But perhaps Rosalie…The woman hesitated even more, biting her tongue slightly as she tried to decide. It frustrated Xiao, thinking she wouldn’t tell her, and right when she sighed to give up.. “I’m the Nightingale.” She murmured, running a hand over her prosthetic, looking down at it. Xiao frowned even more, the word had no meaning to her, not yet. “Just as your father is the Lion. Well, he does things very different from what I do. But I suppose he hasn’t said those words to you before.” It was nothing Xiao had heard before, which was at least getting closer…She continued to watch her father, wrinkling her nose at the evasion Rosalie was doing before she finally relented. “I’m an assassin.” That was new. Xiao glanced back at the woman, who glanced up the slightest to meet her surprised eyes, before glancing back down to her hands with a small smile. So the Nightingale was an assassin, was that it? But why would her father be working with an assassin? “Nightingale means that I’m the leader of a group of assassins. I’m the best at what can be done, and I work with the other guilds. Your father is the Lion, which means to me, he’s my information broker. However, his title translates more to the master of a…” There was more hesitation, as if she was trying to find a better word, “House.” “You’re not being completely honest.” Xiao pouted, crossing her arms. She wanted to know exactly what had gotten her father in this state, though was trusting an assassin that good of an idea? She knew plenty of underworlds already, all thanks to the bedtime stories. Had that been preparing her for when he finally told her? “Okay okay, I guess since you didn’t go asking me what an assassin was, you’re not as innocent as you seem. Brothel, house of ill repute, call it what you may. I don’t exactly like using those words around kids you know..” She couldn’t seem to bring herself to look at Xiao, embarrassed almost that she was being shown up by a kid. A kid who definitely knew more than she should. “Really? That’s where he runs off to?” Xiao wasn’t sure how to take this new information. Her father was a…well…Lion really did have a double meaning in this case. “Yeah, and he gets me the information I need for my job. You’d be surprised what he can get out of people. And then he also acts as a merchant for the goods Snake and her thieves get him.” That one made more sense in retrospect, considering how often he had talked of the lovely thief and her acquisitions. “What about…Kestrel then?” Xiao assumed there were four of them, considering the number of characters her father focused on. Rosalie didn’t seem to take it very well, holding her breath for a moment before giving a heavy sigh. “Kestrel is usually my backup. If things go wrong when I’m…doing what I do. But she’s decided to leave, ever since I became Nightingale. So, if anything goes wrong, I’m on my own.” She explained, shaking her head. “I…Don’t want to talk about her anymore.” Xiao frowned, watching her trace over the faint scar on her cheek with a hand. Was it related? “So you kill people…” She murmured, more of a statement than a question. There was the slightest nod from Rosalie, though it was reluctant. “You deal in death for a living…Is that why my daddy’s…?” “We’re getting off that subject.” It was an interesting avoidance, but Xiao couldn’t exactly push. She’d done enough of it, though given that she wasn’t willing to speak about it, it was enough of an answer. But she was here, she seemed to feel bad about it, she couldn’t be that bad, right? Maybe it was a mistake… “Teach me that song.” Xiao finally climbed up to sit in her lap, causing her to go stiff. She just wanted to be close to someone right now, she didn’t care about getting cleaned up, or how much blood was on anyone’s hands. “Are you sure? It’s about things that aren’t as pretty as it sounds…” “You said it’s a blessing, right? Well then I want to be able to sing it too!” “You’re rather persistent…But you are his daughter.” As she began to teach her the words, Xiao was happy to let her mind wander. Rosalie couldn’t be that bad right? Even if she was an assassin, she hadn’t done anything to really make her despicable. Not yet. She was sure there was some reason for her earlier actions, and even if she had meant wrong…Xiao couldn’t let herself believe that this woman had probably taken more lives than people she had met. She tried to imagine her hands stained red with blood, like her father’s cape, and the white shirt that had gone missing. She tried to imagine her smiling as she did her job, but the image didn’t come out as she thought it should. Instead, she saw a peaceful smile, her eyes calm, apologetic almost, as the red blood dripped from her hands. Dark wings would sprout from her back, and she’d carry the last breath of her victim to the clouds. An angel of death? A warden to those whose lives she shortened? She glanced over at father again, wondering briefly if he was still breathing. Despite his corpselike appearance, or what she imagined one would look like, his chest slowly rose and fell, eyes still shut in a peaceful manner. For a moment she wanted to regret thinking Rosalie to be the angel of death, worrying that she would instead snatch her only family’s life away, but then shook it away, letting the words of the song fill her mind instead.
9 ) Tears
“Yu pravai eposof kehlinga kopa sevir…” The words flitted off her tongue in an airy fashion, sounding fluent, despite having only learned them two days prior. It had been a week since she had first arrived at the hospital, a week since she had met this mysterious assassin. Rosalie had taken it upon herself to teach Xiao as many of the songs she could. The first had been the blessing, followed by the song of the Nightingale. Two days ago, she decided it wouldn’t be right to leave the daughter of the Lion without knowing her father’s song. It was far more upbeat, usually accompanied by some sort of drums, though today they hand to make due with the clapping of hands. Even the meanings of such songs had been taught to her, an important step for any member of the Lion’s household, regardless of rank. It had been a week the two had grown closer, that was for sure. While Dino was unable, she had taken good care of Xiao, that was undeniable. However, it was rather clear that she was only a stand in, Xiao was unwilling to leave her guardian’s side for too long, only leaving for showers and other necessary things. She would cry in her sleep near the beginning, dreams unsettled by their lack of fairytales, especially the ones Dino would tell. Rosalie knew she couldn’t do right by his words, his own silver tongue probably adding so much more that she could not. Even after claiming for so long that she didn’t get along with kids, it was starting to occur to her that perhaps she wasn’t as bad as she thought she was. Hell, if Dino could raise a kid, anything was possible, right? It was as Xiao was singing that she noticed the slight change in the rhythm of the monitors. A good sign, she thought, though soon enough Xiao took notice, trailing off with the last of the stanza. Her eyes darted from the monitors, to Dino, and finally to the assassin’s, confused and worried. Time would tell, especially as Rosalie hushed her as she opened her mouth to ask what was going on. It was very gradual, not like television shows liked to make it seem. Little by little, his body was waking up from its slumber, nothing like how princesses awoke from their own slumbers. His pulse steadied at a faster rate, breathing generally increasing, and at long last, his eyelashes fluttered. Xiao refused to be pried from his side, holding onto his other arm as if her life depended on it. After all, if she was in the same situation, she’d want her papa to be there by her side in the same manner. Rosalie decided to sit off to the side, it really wasn’t here place to be there, as if she was some lover of his. Xiao’s nerves felt like they were about to fry, especially with thoughts of this being a bad thing running through her mind constantly. Eventually though, they were all put to rest as he finally opened his eyes blearily, looking over to the tiny figure clutching his arm. His breath fogged up the mask slightly, though he managed a slight smile. Xiao was shaking, slightly, her grip on his arm tightening the slightest. He was awake, he wasn’t going to die. He was here, and he was smiling at her, and he was going to be alright. Everything was alright and she was so so happy, but….Why was she crying? She couldn’t help but blubber the slightest bit, making a dive to cuddle up against his chest and sob, not caring what else happened. Dino found himself the slightest bit confused, he couldn’t remember a thing, but patted her back, holding her close for however long she wanted. Well, it would be a while to say the least. The poor girl couldn’t even manage to form words, sniffling and sobbing as she clung to him, being careful of his other arm as she did, though at the same time not caring if she did manage to mess one of the cords up. Dino tried to catch his breath and wake up more, his head throbbing dully as he looked up to the ceiling for a moment, before looking over to the source of the beeping. It wasn’t the machines that caught his eye, instead the very prim and properly seated woman at his side. His breath caught in his throat for a moment, before exhaling. She didn’t seem to want his life this time, and…was that a smile? “You’ve been out for a week, Lion.” She murmured, keeping her voice quiet and soft, not wanting to overstimulate him while he was still recovering. He gave her a confused look, glancing down to his daughter, who was still pouring out her feelings and tears, before returning to look at his…acquaintance. “You took a fall down the stairs, probably don’t remember it. And..We’ll talk more about everything later, but I’m sorry, if it makes any difference.” She did seem to truly regret…whatever it was. He took the moment to breathe, closing his eyes again. What was she sorry for? Oh, right… “It was a mistake, right?” The words came out more slowly than he liked, slurring slightly as he spoke, having to stop several times to breathe. “It’s fine…I shouldn’t have tried…the stairs.” He laughed the slightest, coughing as it came out wrong. His chest felt so heavy, even without his daughter reduced to sniffles on it. She finally looked up, her eyes red, nose running, and cheeks streaked with the salty liquid, and he couldn’t manage to do anything but smile. “Hey sweetheart….” He tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear slowly, still learning how to move. Everything was sluggish, though if he really had taken a tumble down the stairs, it was no surprise. “Sorry I worried you.” Xiao bit her lip, trembling the slightest bit before hugging him tight around his neck. A weak chuckle came out of his throat as he rubbed her back, slightly hindered by the oxygen monitor on his finger. As she began to whisper how worried she’d been, how lonely she’d been, how much she loved him, he gave a quick glance to his business partner, and was surprised to see the one streak of liquid trailing down her cheek. Pretending he hadn’t seen it, he continued to comfort his daughter, happy to repeat how much he loved her as many times as she wanted.
10 ) Breakfast
It had been quite the time since Dino had last had real food. All of the time in the hospital had been miserable, though the moments where Xiao came to visit seemed much more bearable. Of course, seeing as she almost always insisted on being by his side, the majority of his first hospital experience seemed to be a good one in the end. Rosalie had stuck around, taking care of his daughter when he could not, though he didn’t dare bring up a thing in front of Xiao. She seemed to have taken to her like glue as much as he didn’t want to admit it. Despite their standoffishness, on his first morning home, Rosalie cooked for the three of them. Three plates full of pancakes, bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns filled the table, a number of condiments accompanying them. Accompanying each plate was a different drink, milk for Dino, orange juice for Xiao, and a steaming cup of tea for Rosalie. They sat in silence for a few moments, waiting for the first person to start. Dino was particularly concerned his dish had been poisoned, though didn’t dare switch with Xiao, and really didn’t want to look rude to the chef. Rosalie kept eyeing him curiously, keeping silent in their showdown. It wasn’t until Xiao finally gave up trying to understand what was going on and began to eagerly heap eggs into her mouth that the two begrudgingly started to eat. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, it was wonderful. Perhaps that’s what a month of hospital food would do to you, but nonetheless, he eagerly ate at after the first few bites. Catching movement out of the corner of his eye, he and Xiao both watched in near horror as their guest slathered nearly everything on her plate in hot sauce…and then more hot sauce atop that. It made no sense. She had to be crazy. Xiao in particular swallowed hard, looking a little pale at the red splotches adorning the sunny side up eggs as they were popped into Rosalie’s mouth. The assassin thought it odd, raising an eyebrow at them both as she continued to eat her dangerous looking food with no trouble. “How can you even do that?” Xiao cried, seeming slightly frightened. She’d tried spicy food once, and vowed never again would the thought of it even grace her mind. Dino had to buy her ice cream to make the burning stop. “Do what?” Rosalie seemed rather unimpressed, curious even why they hadn’t added anything to their own eggs. She hadn’t put much on them to season them, not knowing their preferences. Dino hadn’t complained, perhaps thinking he was missing something, but Xiao liked hers plain regardless. “What, the hot sauce?” “You’re mad. Crazy, wrong in the head. Can you even taste anything under that burn? Do you eat ghost peppers for fun on the weekend or something?” Dino exasperatedly sighed, motioning in the air with his fork. The assassin shrugged, mumbling something about his own hot sauce not being hot enough for her tastes, which only made the two normal people at the table look on in horror. The smell of tabasco lingered in the air, making the two unable to finish their plates, sticking to rearranging the food with their forks long after the woman finished and cleaned off her plate. How were they supposed to eat after that?
11 ) Exhaustion
Even in the days to follow, Xiao noticed Dino was having trouble readjusting. He would cling to the safety railing as he went up the stairs, demanding someone be behind him the entire way. Even with the poison out of his system, he seemed utterly exhausted. He was the first to talk of bedtime, even early in the evening, and was the last to get up. Even Rosalie, who was fond of sleeping in as Xiao found out, was fully dressed and finished with breakfast by the time Dino roused himself from sleep to go and brush his teeth and hair. It was worrisome, though neither female could seem to ask him why. He didn’t even seem to be interested in the slightest in any sort of outing, including going to the grocery store to purchase foods, even if they were some of his favorites. He ate plenty, as long as it wasn’t him doing the cooking, and didn’t seem to be having any other troubles besides his tiredness. It seemed odd to Xiao that he wasn’t irritable as well, as the two traits had gone together in the past, though she didn’t think much of it until that one night. For once, Xiao had gone to prepare for bed early. She’d worn herself out playing in the park earlier, and the quiet rainfall outside was so relaxing there was no possible way she could ignore it’s the quiet calling of her nice, warm bed. It wasn’t until she’d finally taken her nightly bath and gotten all cleaned up and ready that she heard the murmurs coming from the living room. Curious, she poked her head out the bathroom door, not wanting to disturb whatever was going on. “—if it’s my fault then I would normally have no qualms with leaving. But I can’t just ignore the fact that you are at the moment incapable of—“ “That’s not what I’m talking about. You don’t listen, you never listen. Why should I have even expected you to?” “Dino…” “I’m sick of this okay? The last thing I need in my life is you just playing your stupid games with me, especially in front of my daughter, and don’t—“ “What in the world are you going on about? I haven’t even once brought anything from our work relationship—“ “What work relationship?” It was the first time she had ever heard her father yell, and peeking out a bit more, she could see the rather confused expression on Rosalie’s face as she flinched, opening her mouth to beg him to me more quiet, though she was interrupted rather quickly. “The one where you put your blade to my ******** throat every time we see each other and tease me about killing me? The one where you chase me around the rooftops and taunt me? I’m ******** sick of this all! I’m sick of you! Just even thinking about you makes the bile rise up in my throat, and if I could, I’d put a hit out on you! I’m sick of playing ******** cat and mouse with you, especially when I’m stuck playing mouse! You’re a ********, overbearing b***h who gets her rocks off on picking on me and making me want to off myself with the biggest gun I can get ahold of, but that would just make you happy wouldn’t it?” He was all but screaming at her at the end of it, aggressively poking a finger into her chest as she just looked at him with wide eyes, obviously not expecting it. She just let her mouth hang open as he fumed, unable to reply. “You’d best have packed up and left by the time I get back. I don’t want to see your disgusting face again expect if it’s in the obituaries.” The last thing Xiao saw was Rosalie wince as the front door opened and slammed. The woman glanced back to her, giving a heavy sigh after a moment of silence, collapsing down to sit on the sofa, her head in her hands. Xiao slowly approached her, nightgown dragging at her feet as she stood next to her, looking worriedly over her. “I guess he’s finally exhausted of me, huh?” Rosalie finally choked out after a while, trying to hide her face. “I guess the world’s just exhausted of me now.”
Xiao took her time sitting on the couch, taking in the silence. About half an hour had passed, and neither she nor Rosalie had said a word. The only sounds that came from the assassin were the occasional sniffle or cough, though Xiao hadn’t checked to see if she was actually crying. It took a while longer as they sat, listening to the rain continue to poor outside. Frankly, neither one felt like going out to be screamed at by Dino, and they both knew he knew how to take care of himself. Eventually however, Xiao finally decided to break the silence. “Does he really hate you that much?” She asked, voice quiet and tiny. She felt Rosalie shift the slightest next to her, though it wasn’t until she glanced over that she saw her resting her head on her knees. “Maybe. It wasn’t always that way though…” The redhead murmured in reply, staring across the room at the wall. Xiao hummed in reply the slightest, looking back down at the floor as she kicked her feet. It took another long pause before she spoke again, glancing back up. “What did it used to be like?” This was met with an even longer pause, though she gained a resigned sigh after another moment. “We dated for a while. Years ago, we used to be in love. It was short lived, well, compared to everything else we’ve been through, but I still regard the time fondly. He probably doesn’t.” This came as a surprise to the young manifest, who scooted closer to the assassin, eyes wide and curious. The older woman glanced down and chuckled a little at seeing her expression. “Oh fine, I’ll indulge you just this once…” So began the story of two young recruits who barely knew each other until they inherited their ranks. They didn’t get along at the beginning, Dino thinking the new Nightingale unsuited for her position, and the Rosalie thinking the new Lion childish and stupid. It wasn’t until she saved his life that they even started to become friends, and from there, it just sort of happened. He asked her out on a date after a meeting, she had agreed, and for four long months, they were happy together. They would go out to dinner together, spend long nights watching movies, and would hug each other tightly before the other had to go out on a mission. It was he who taught her the songs of the houses, he who kissed her cheeks when she had nothing to smile about, and he who she had fallen asleep with in the middle of horror movies countless times. They had been happy. “It sounds like something out of a fairytale.” Xiao sighed wistfully, seeming to be in a brighter mood after hearing more fond words about the times past. “I loved him, and at the time, he claimed to love me. I surely have no bad memories of that time, though I have to wonder what he thinks of it now. Probably thinks it’s some big mistake in his life, that he should have never given me a chance or anything…” She laughed, letting a frown take her cheeks. Xiao picked up on it quickly, hugging her around her waist. “Do you still love him?” It was a long while before the assassin could answer, furrowing her brow slightly. “Promise not to tell?” Xiao nodded vigorously, curious as a cat, “Yes. But it’s not the sort of romantic love that a married couple would have. It’s something much less passionate, and I’ll admit, it’s different than what we had back then, but….I guess some small part of me will always love him. I doubt I could stop it if I tried.”
13 ) Lost
“So what happened? Why do you two….I mean….Why does he hate you so much now?” Xiao piped up, unable to keep quiet. It didn’t gain the reaction she expected, a far sadder look reflecting in Rosalie’s eyes for a brief second before she hid it. “I’m not sure you want to hear that story, sweetheart…” She muttered into her knees, curling up a little bit more. It was clear the idea, or the memory, bothered her slightly, though Xiao was having none of it. “You’ve told me everything else. I want…I want to see you two not fight again, okay? And it’s important to your job right? You two need to work together instead of fighting, right?” It was a convincing argument, and after a few moments of deliberation, Rosalie could see she’d lost that battle as well, giving a defeated sigh. “Well….I can’t say things went sour, exactly. It just sort of..happened. I can’t even describe it, but it’s like we both knew we’d be better friends than a couple. We actually broke up with each other at the same time, it’s kind of funny.” She laughed a little. “It wasn’t a bad breakup. We went out to a little café afterwards and had ice cream and talked. I think it’s when we realized what dear friends we were to each other.” She seemed even more sad as she spoke, and stopped for the moment. “What…If you were such good friends, then…” Xiao didn’t want to finish it, but when Rosalie didn’t reply, she took a deep breath and finally asked, “When did you lose that?” “I can’t even remember. Time got the best of us, I think. We just drifted away, and then one day he starts trying to insult my work, so I insulted his back, and it just sort of escalated from there. No one else has said a word about it, I guess they all think it’s something we need to work out ourselves, but we haven’t really talked much besides that. I think this might be the first time in five years I’ve really been able to be around him and talk with him. It’s the first time he’s ever exploded at me like that though. Never once has he actually cursed at me either.” “Is that what he meant by cat and mouse?” Xiao quietly piped up, resting her head on Rosalie’s arm as she watched her, trying to decipher her facial expressions. “Yeah, it’s gotten to be a little game between us I guess. He occasionally goes up in my turf and then it’s like a game of tag on the rooftops. Your papa isn’t so good at running though, I’m not sure why he does it. And when I don’t go after him, he calls me a fledgling.” She seemed the slightest bit amused by the word, shaking her head. “I call him lion cub when he trips and falls over his feet. For a man so graceful at dancing, he’s not too good at parkour. As much as he seemed to like it, I guess it’s really gotten to him….I really should apologize to him…I still care a lot about that papa of yours.” “If you still love him…Why don’t you two get back together then? You two could be happy again, right? If you two just apologize then maybe…” Maybe she could be her momma? Some kids had mommas too, right? “I…I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Rosalie muttered, glancing at Xiao for a moment, “It’d hurt your papa a lot if I even brought it up. We both agreed to break up, we’ve already tried the whole ‘living together’ and ‘relationship’ thing, and it just didn’t work out. I’m pretty sure he’s in the same boat I am though….” “Though?” “Maybe he is actually just a little bit romantically in love with me after all these years. Every now and then he glances at me at meetings with a little different expression than I’m used to seeing…I think we both know it won’t work out though, even if we tried. I mean, if he’s already upset enough with me to curse at me and call me nasty things, then living together even longer wouldn’t be a bad idea. Besides, he’s got his eyes on Ariah right now.” Xiao perked up at the mention of this new name before Rosalie could correct herself. “Ariah?” She asked, face brighter. “Ahhh, crap I let that one slip loose…” Rosalie seemed to genuinely regret it, though gave a deep sigh. “Snake. Her real name’s Ariah, and if I’m correct, your papa has a little crush on her.” “So is he gonna go on a date with her then?” “Ahh, probably not…Ariah…well…I don’t think it would work out too well, especially not in your papa’s favor…” It was clear that maybe he had tried at one point, and that it hadn’t gone well above all else. A loud clap of thunder from outside broke the conversation further, and Rosalie moved to get up. “Ahh, I’d best go find the lost Lion in the rain….” “No, I don’t think you should go…” Xiao attempted to hold her back, frowning. “He might still be mad at you, right?” She knew well enough not to go after people if they were mad at you, but her papa wasn’t mad at her right? Rosalie opened her mouth once, then gave up, nodding. “I think you’re right…But it might be best if I go spend the night elsewhere…” “No, you’re staying here. Don’t make me go find a lost fledgling in the rain too!” The manifest puffed up her cheeks, and Rosalie coughed out a laugh in surprise. “Fledgling? Oh I shouldn’t have told you what names your papa calls me…Fine, I’ll go to bed like a good little girl, and miss strong Xiao can go find her papa in the rain in her nightgown.” She barely finished before Xiao had picked up her umbrella and bolted out the door.
14 ) Umbrella
How could he have been so stupid? It kept replaying in his head over and over again. He’d called her a b***h. He’d called Rosalie a b***h, he’d told her he’d like her to be dead, hell, he’d told her she made him want to kill himself. He’d finally crossed that one line that he’d made for himself, and it was certainly not okay. He’d been screaming at her, Xiao must have heard it, his precious little girl had heard him say terrible things to her new friend. He’d seen the way Rosalie had tried to help take care of her, she’d been a big help, but he’d finally snapped at her. Dino held his throbbing head in his hands as he sat on the park bench, already drenched from the cold rain. Winter would be coming soon, and he didn’t want to think about what would come with it. He wasn’t sure how long it had been when suddenly the rain wasn’t hitting softly upon his back. Had Rosalie finally worked up the courage to come and find him? He didn’t need to look up far to see this wasn’t the case, the frowning face of his daughter instead looking at him, concerned. It didn’t help at all. He’d hurt the one woman he’d ever dated to the point where she didn’t feel comfortable coming after him, and worse yet, his daughter was the one who was going to have to clean it all up. “It’s cold out, you should come home…” Xiao murmured, not knowing what sort of mood he was in given the dim light. She continued to hold the umbrella over him, sheltering him from the rain as it grew colder, feeling like tiny pricks of ice to all whom it fell upon. She didn’t get a response for quite a long time, and was about to open her mouth again when Dino finally choked back a sob. He’d been crying. This entire time her father had been crying. His eyes were red and swollen, cheeks burning with shame, and nose dripping with snot. He never cried, especially not in front of her, but Xiao knew he wouldn’t be moving anytime soon. She didn’t have to wait long to hear why as she hugged him as best she could, still trying to shelter the both of them from the weather. “I hurt her pretty bad didn’t I? Oh gods, Xiao, I didn’t mean to…I didn’t mean to say all those terrible things to her I just…” He couldn’t even continue, breaking down even more. All the stress of his work and being injured had gotten to him. “She’s sorry too you know…” Xiao attempted to soothe, trying to do what he had done for her after every tiny nightmare she’d had, after he’d woken up in the hospital. It was hard to rub someone’s back while hugging them though, especially with an umbrella in hand. “Oh gods, I made her cry didn’t I? This’ll be the second time I’ve made my poor precious Rui cry.” Those were words one normally didn’t hear used in the context of a friend, Xiao knew. It seemed the assassin knew very well that Dino was still, in some little way, in love with her. At least Xiao was assuming Rui was a name of hers as well…. “The first time I-…I gave her a present for her birthday, and that was a happy cry, not a bad one…Not a sad and upset one…She didn’t leave did she?” He was panicking just the slightest, seeming like he wanted to rush to stop her, to apologize for what he’d done, but Xiao was quick to shake her head. “No, I didn’t let her.” The fact that she had wanted to didn’t seem to help as he let out a whine of hurt, “Come on, you’re going to catch a cold…” The words were more familiar for Xiao to hear than say, but for once they seemed to be useful. Though the two of them didn’t quite fit under the umbrella, Xiao made it home mostly dry. Dino was already a lost cause, though he seemed slightly upset when he entered the apartment to find Rosalie not in sight at all. Defeated by the pouting of his daughter, he trudged off to the shower to clean up.
15 ) Frost
Almost overnight, the world had been transformed. Lines of frost danced upon the windows of the apartment, drawing the excited eyes of the small manifest. It was early, yes, but did that really matter? Especially when she saw what was beyond the frost. The world had been painted white, it seemed. Perhaps the daggers of the freezing rain had been trying to shoo her away so they could do their work? This white fluff, called snow, was something Xiao had never seen before. Surely she would be allowed out to experience it right?
But Dino had not yet awoken. Xiao wasn’t sure she wanted to, especially after what transpired the night before, though she did have another option. Rosalie was seemingly bemused, sipping lightly at her morning cup of tea as she watched the girl all but glued to the windows. Eventually she gave a chuckle, still tired from her night of restless slumber upon the floor. “You know if you get dressed…” It was just enough of a hint, and it didn’t take Xiao but a second to dash off to her bedroom. “Something warm! And boots! You hear me?” There was a chirp or reply from the bedroom, though it wasn’t long before the girl returned, trying to fasten up her boots as she hopped on one leg, in a state of half dress. She tugged at the woman’s arm until she finally obliged, pulling on a coat. It was freezing! But it was so beautiful! Xiao couldn’t even contain her glee as she all but ran down the stairs, slipping a few times, although she regained her balance rather quickly. The assassin didn’t seem as excited, taking the steps slowly and carefully. If she’d been in a slightly better mood, perhaps she would have yelled after the manifest to slow down, unless she wanted to end up like her father. Soon enough though, Xiao was ankle deep in snow, staring down at the frosty substance. Was it cold too? A touch with her fingers proved, yes, snow is indeed cold. She glanced back up at Rosalie, who was still trying to make her way down the stars. Well….If she wasn’t going to get caught… She flopped down in the snow, laughing as she spread out her wings, looking up at the dull grey sky. There was a slight laugh from Rosalie as she finally made her way over, stopping at her feet. “Well. I guess I don’t need to teach you how to make snow angels with those wings, hmm?” “Snow angels?” Xiao sat up, far too excited. Not only was there snow, but there were activities to do in the snow too? Dino was going to kill her for getting all wet and cold, but she didn’t care. She found herself being helped to her feet before being turned to look down at the impression she’d made in the snow. It really did look like and angel! “Well, for those of us without wings, it’s a little different, but about the same…” She laughed, amused. “Come on now, let’s go for a walk. Maybe we can find someone to start a snowball war with.” “Snowball war?” That certainly got her attention. And it didn’t take long before the two were off on their way, Xiao trying to keep up pace with the older lady in her boots.
16 ) Baby Animals
The walk proved mostly uneventful for the two, though eventually, Xiao was allowed to run wild. She was being watched by an assassin after all, and hide and go sneak in the town was just too fun to not happen. Dino would kill them, of course, but for the moment, they just wanted to forget the previous night and have fun. Xiao in particular was reveling in this, being able to spend time with Rosalie and hide wherever she wished. This particular round, and alley was her choice. She managed to squeeze behind the dumpster, giggling like mad as she finally knew the count was up, curling up into herself in an attempt to be harder to find. That was, until, a tiny mew came from beside her. Xiao’s eyes widened as she looked down slowly, and met eyes with a two tiny green eyes and a black puff of fur. A kitten! She’d found a kitten! Hide and seek didn’t even matter anymore, she’d just found a poor tiny kitten all alone in the snow. Picking the poor thing up, she looked around desperately for perhaps more of the tiny fuzzy creatures, or maybe a mama, and wormed her way out. Rosalie hadn’t yet thought to look here yet, she thought, though slowly came out into the open, holding the little baby close. This was most confusing for the assassin. Weren’t they playing hide and go seek? Didn’t that mean hide and don’t come out? Curiously she made her way over, and was greeted by Xiao holding the kitten out to her. “Oh dear…” Were the first words out of her mouth. Kittens. Rosalie liked kittens. She was pretty sure Xiao did too, given the pout on her face. That was the perfect ‘can we keep it’ expression ever, she was sure. But how long had this poor thing been out in the cold? She was quick to unzip her coat a little, taking the kitten and tucking it in before taking Xiao’s hand. “Come on, let’s get it into the warmth…” The two weren’t sure what they should even say as they stood outside the door of the apartment. Whoops, Dino, you have a pet now? Here, cheer up Dino, have a kitten? They looked at each other for a moment, both taking a deep breath before stepping in. Said man was still in his robe, looking like he’d taken a nice hot shower, and panicked the slightest at seeing Rosalie. He waited, almost desperately wanting to meet her eyes, though she wasn’t giving him the pleasure of doing so, avoiding it as she took off her boots single handedly. Xiao had already stripped down to her normal clothes and held out her hands to the woman. This was met with much confusion, until, at last, the tiny ball of fuzz and purr was handed over. “Oh.” Was the one response Dino could even manage, sipping from his cup of coffee as Xiao carefully walked over, holding out the baby animal to him before turning on the puppy eyes. “Oh Xiao, we don’t even….” He wanted to say no, he really did, but when the kitten sneezed, his heart just about gave out. “Fine. Fine we’re keeping it. Where’d you find it, huh?” “Behind a dumpster.” She chirped up, met with confusion from her guardian. Before Dino even had time to look to Rosalie for answers, the woman had disappeared into Xiao’s bedroom again, closing the door behind her. He closed his mouth with a heavy sigh, taking the kitten quietly. Without another word, Xiao went and followed the woman, leaving Dino to warm up the purring new addition.
Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 10:58 pm
Nanowrimo 4
17 ) Game
There were few things, as Xiao would gradually find out, Rosalie was willing to give in on. She’d later be surprised that it had ever come up, but at last, it seemed she was willing to stop. It came on a cold night, the three of them sitting on the couch together sipping at hot cocoa. Rosalie was beside Dino, and at Dino’s side, Xiao. There was a movie on, something about a princess and prince, nothing too special, though finally the assassin sighed, unable to keep it in any longer. “I give in.” She mumbled, not meeting Dino’s eyes when he glanced over at her, confused. The two had barely said a word to each other since he had yelled at her. From what Xiao had seen, they hadn’t even talked about what had happened, though perhaps one late night they had. Hell, she was surprised they were even sitting side by side. “I’m done playing this game. I don’t want to play anymore. I’m done with chasing you on rooftops, if you’re done taunting me.” Ah, that game. The one that had caused the major strain between the two, Xiao knew that much. Seeing the slight concern in her father’s eyes rise up was something different. Maybe there was something she didn’t know about? Why would he be worried, this was a good thing, right? Her hopes rose when he finally put an arm around her shoulder and tugged her close, murmuring a few words too soft for Xiao to hear, and what few she did hear were in a different language. The manifest wrinkled her nose, she didn’t like being left out of the loop. She kept a sharp eye on the two, ignoring the latest musical number between the villain and hero. It surprised her a little when Dino kissed her forehead, laughing about something, still speaking in tongues. “No it’s fine, I deserved it.” At least Rosalie had the tact to switch back to English, though she glanced over at Xiao, surprised by the intent look on her face. “Ah…” “It’s no fair if you two are gonna talk like that.” She grumbled, crossing her arms. Dino seemed to be more than bemused, patting her head and saying something again, that she didn’t understand. “Are you two done fighting though?” “We’ve agreed to stop, yes.” Dino finally gave in, laughing even more when Xiao perked up. “What, you’re making that sort of face again?” “That’s not good enough. You have to…You have to…” She seemed to be struggling with her words, though hopped up, dashing off to her room. “Wait right there!” The two adults glanced at each other, Rosalie obviously questioning what his daughter was doing. Things didn’t come to light until the girl returned with a piece of paper colored in all sorts of colors. “You have to sign a contract so if you do break your promise there’ll be consequences!” Dino took the paper to look it over. A number of words were misspelled, the worst being ‘Nightangele’ and ‘uffendoor’, though this was more amusing than anything. She’d even made some sort of legal seal to make it look really professional. Whilst trying not to laugh, he made the mistake of glancing at Rosalie, who was trying not to do the same, and the two ended up bursting out into laughter. Xiao took this to heart, puffing out her chest and sulking. “Ah fine, I’ll sign it…” Dino laughed, searching in his pockets for a pen. Carefully he did so, his script delicate in comparison to the waxy, blocky letters of his daughter. Rosalie soon followed, though Dino frowned, noting the difference. “Hey no fair, it’s gotta be in English.” “You know I only use these characters for something important, let it slide.” She hushed him. Xiao reached out and looked it over, and gave an approving nod. “No more games?” “We swear on our lives.” They both said in unison, making some sort of gesture as if they really were swearing. “Good. Now rewind it I missed like…everything!” She had hopped back onto the couch, whining as the credits rolled.
18 ) Perfection
With the tension in the Prazina household finally having dissolved, and a night finally spent together at last, the next evening seems to come so quick. It’s been a perfect day, the three of them have spent it playing in the snow, drinking hot cocoa, and taking the new addition of the family to the vet. While the small kitten has to be left there, Xiao isn’t reluctant in the slightest, and the three of them finally bond. When Dino finally returns from the store, having bought nearly everything he thinks a small kitten could need, he finds the two of them sitting on the couch with a box shared between their laps, watching him intently. He feels their eyes upon him as he finally goes to set down his load, turning to meet them slowly as he walks over, taking his seat next to Xiao. The silence only intensifies his curiosity, especially as he’s handed the heavy box. He hesitates for just a moment. “Open it.” Xiao urges. It’s this moment that Dino regrets having two women in the same household. He doesn’t want to open it and find whatever the two have given him for revenge, he really doesn’t want to. But finally, giving in, he opens the box to find something very familiar. The velvet is rich and soft, the beautiful lion fur barely visible under the folds. It’s his cape, but as he looks it over, his eye is drawn to delicate gold swirls adorning the edges. He remembers this is where is cape had torn, and soon ruffles through it to find the other spots. Each one has been patched over with beautiful, delicate embroidery in gold. Try as he might, he can’t seem to get his jaw to close. They’ve mended his cape. They’ve mended his honor. He tries to look over at the two, still in shock, only to see Xiao’s bright and excited smile, and then Rosalie’s far more tired and serene one. The both of them. The two most important women in his life have fixed his precious cape. “Xiao and I worked together on it while you were in the hospital.” Rosalie finally replies, glancing down out of slight shyness as Dino looks at her, unable to speak a single word. He wasn’t nothing but to embrace them both, to cover their faces with kisses, and to whisper words Xiao won’t be able to understand yet to their friendly neighborhood assassin. He decides to just start off with a hug, embracing Xiao tight as he pulls her into his lap, box and cape falling to the ground. Rosalie tries to escape, but it’s no use, the mighty lion pulls her into the bear hug, completely thrilled. As much as he doesn’t want to admit it, he’s fallen in love with her just a little bit more, especially after the late night talk they had last night. Yes, they’ll never be getting back together, but does that mean she’s any less perfect? No. Perfect…… The words finally seem to come to him, words of praise for what they’ve done. “It’s beautiful, it’s so perfect, you both have no idea..” He murmurs into their ears, chuckling as he hears his own excitement bubbling.
19 ) Sunshine
Xiao wasn’t expecting to be taken out to the sun so quickly. It was still cold out, but today the sun was shining bright. The two of them has spent two whole days cleaning after Rosalie had left, trying to get everything in order. Things had been much more happy and open near the end, especially after he received his cape. It was the final seal of their new rekindled friendship, and Xiao was still curious what he’d said to her after hugging her for so long. But today, out in her coat and boots, she was finally twirling on the asphalt of the park’s paths. The snow was just starting to melt, but that made no difference to her. She was happy. It was just her and papa, and that was all that mattered. Dino seemed to be more comfortable being on his feet, something that Xiao hadn’t seen in such a long time, not since his fall had he been willing to go out with her, just her, and spend time together. It wasn’t until he called her back to his side, Xiao having exhausted herself of running, that the two of them sat on the park bench together, tiny manifest swinging her legs. “So, what all did Rosa teach you hmm? I know you know some of the songs, but, what else?” What else? Xiao wrinkled her nose just a little, trying to think of anything else. She’d taught her the songs of the four houses, but that had been about it. She shook her head, frowning. “Just the songs. Is there something else I should learn?” She chirped, looking up at him again. Dino appeared to be deep in thought, the sun dancing on his hair, before he smiled. “Ah, there’s other things, but I think you’re a little too young for them yet.” He laughed, ruffling her hair. “Come on now, don’t make that face. If you prove yourself worthy, maybe I’ll teach you. In due time, young one, in due time…” Xiao didn’t like being told no, but she wasn’t about to throw a fit over it. Instead she pouted for a while, then finally cheered up. Well, more to look forward to, right? “You said the songs, didn’t you? Why don’t you sing for me once more, little songbird?” “I’m not a songbird! Rosa said I’m a lion cub!” She puffed out her chest proudly, making her father laugh as he held her close, hugging her tight. “That’s right, my little lion cub. But come on, she taught you how to sing right? Show papa all the things you learned.” He chuckled, ruffling her hair again. This time, satisfied, Xiao began to sing, showing the intervals of the notes with her fingers as she did. It struck Dino immediately that this was how Rosalie remembered notes, though it wasn’t something she often taught to others. He knew of perhaps one other who used the same method, but now it seemed, she’d passed it on. The sun seemed to shine brighter as she sang, the words falling from her lips, though there was the occasional mispronunciation. Perhaps one day he’d teach her the meanings, teach her the language it was in. But for now, he was more than happy to keep his private conversations with Rosalie a secret.
20 ) Water
Their outings are slowly becoming more common as the holidays grow closer and closer. Dino likes to claim he’s gotten more time off work, though Xiao really knows it’s because someone is helping him out behind the scenes. While Xiao has heard less, and certainly not seen, Rosalie, she has a feeling that the assassin is doing her best to also run things while Dino is away. Holidays are for time with family right? Thus, today Xiao finds herself bouncing excitedly into the aquarium, boots clicking against the marble floors as she enters. She’s never been here before, but it’s something that Dino insisted upon. It’ll blow her mind, apparently, though Xiao doesn’t really know what sort of things an aquarium has in it. Is it some kind of fancy circus? Are there paintings? She simply doesn’t know! Dino takes her hand and ushers her through some halls, obviously knowing exactly where he’s going. He came here once with Rosalie he says, on a date. The very mention of the assassin brings up a whole new bubbling of questions, though Dino dismisses them quickly, and then they finally enter a large, bright room. Xiao is in shock as she looks all around her to see what must be an ocean. It’s so vast, and so many different types of fish and sea creatures are surrounding her. She feels like she’s deep underwater, and probably is for that fact, and must be a mermaid princess of some sort. This time it’s she who can’t keep her mouth shut, turning slowly to take it all in. Dino simply laughs, chuckling to himself as he also takes the opportunity to take in the sights. This is an aquarium, he explains, there’s lots of fish and sea creatures she can see here. The room feels slightly cooler, and for once Xiao is glad she’s wearing her coat indoors, though she wouldn’t even have the thought to do so. She slowly makes her way to the glass, pressing her face up against it as she gazes out. After a moment Dino’s attention is regained with a shriek of delight as a manta ray swims right past her face, and she bubbles happily about making friends with the creature. Dino laughs and comes to squat by her side, teaching her the names of the creatures as he points at them. While she knows some, she’s impressed by his deep knowledge of the deep, and finds particular glee in asking him to say the names in his native language. While the couple certainly gain a few stairs as he teaches her the words, hobotnica for octopus, ajkula for shark, the strangers faces seem to warm after seeing how much fun Xiao is having. For once, Dino’s having trouble keeping his accent under wraps when he switches back to English, much to Xiao’s glee. She begs him not to fix it, thinking it something terribly special, and for once, he’s left with no option but to comply. Despite the aquarium being larger than just this one room, Xiao refuses to move for a good hour, wanting nothing more than to be under the water in a paradise.
21 ) Boundaries
It was getting to be a problem that Xiao knew exactly what he did for a living now. Dino found himself rubbing his temples as his daughter continued to chirp questions at him, tugging on his sleeve. Damn it, Rosalie. Damn it. Why did you have to go and tell her everything? “Why did Miss Rosa waggle her eyebrows at you when you were talking about Ariah? Come onnn, don’t just be a meanie!” She would pout, set on finding out exactly what was going on. Dino huffed and rolled his eyes, glancing down at her. “Maybe that’s not something you should know, okay? Gods, why did she even tell you all that, it’s revenge, I swear, I’m going to have to have a long talk with that woman…” This didn’t seem to ease Xiao’s curiosity at all, and she continued to ask, even louder this time. This was becoming more and more of an issue, especially since she could name names. What was Ariah like? Was she from a different country like daddy and Miss Rosa? Was she pretty? Was she going to be daddy’s bride? The last one made Dino nearly choke on his coffee. He sputtered for several moments, denying there was any sort of relationship between them, except a strictly professional one. Oh god, if Ariah ever caught wind of this…She’d have his head on a silver platter and cackle. “No more questions, okay? Why don’t we make some new rules.” This didn’t go over well, he knew that pout far too well. That was the pout he’d gotten when she’d brought the kitten home, and then he’d gotten it in stereo from the both of them. He gave another deep, heavy sigh, shaking his head. “A compromise then. I’m going to have to set some boundaries if you’re going to just abuse the lack of them. How about this? You can get one question per week, maybe more if you’re a good girl, about things to do with my job. That means about Rosa, Ariah, anything. Just one a week for good behavior.” He knew she was already more than well behaved, but like every child, she could have her moments. Xiao was mulling it over, keeping her eyes on him as she pouted. Well….One a week wasn’t so bad. It would give her time to think about what she really should, or what she would really want to ask. After a moment just to keep him on her toes, she gave a firm nod. She’d agree to this, for now. Dino seemed to be relieved, sighing as he relaxed a little. “Alright then…I’ll give you one just for being a good sport about this. And yes, you get another a week from today.” He ruffled her hair, smiling a little. He was still tired, still recovering, but at least he could do so with a little bit more peace now. Gods, Rosalie had spoiled his girl rotten, and he was paying for it. It didn’t come for a long time, and then he wondered if it would ever come at all. Xiao seemed to be deep in thought about this question, whatever it could be, until finally she let it slip out. “Can I go to work with you just once?”
22 ) Blue
Xiao is actually shocked from the moment they leave the house to the moment they arrive in the building. He’s agreed. She’s going to his work place. Her eyes glitter like the crystal chandelier above their heads, and the rich velvet of the carpet, gilded with golden swirls seems so luxurious. Her father’s wearing his cape and has taken on a much more firm demeanor, almost as if he’s royalty. There’s cheers as they walk in, though they take on a far more curious tone once the eyes of ladies and men alike fall upon her. Suddenly shy, she clings to his cape, wanting to wrap herself up in it. For this occasion Dino has dressed her in her finest clothes, and done her hair carefully. She looks like a princess, and at his side, feels like one too. There’s a few questions directed at him as they walk through the corridors, the scent of heavy perfume and exotic incense wafting through the air. Each room is just as luxurious as the last, though when they finally arrive in an area meant for tea, Dino bends down and touches her shoulders. “I’ve got a few things I need to take care of alone, okay? Why don’t you stay here and make some friends, just don’t go upstairs. I won’t be too long, I promise.” He kisses her forehead, smiling. She nods the slightest, and he whisks off, leaving her be. It’s only now that she realizes the design she and Rosalie embroidered into his cape matches the designs spotted around the rooms, the ones that are only on the glass cases holding the finest pottery she’s ever seen. And yet…She feels alone. Eyes are on her at all times, this she is aware of, though they are more curious than anything. She’s free to wander as she sees fit, and few bother her. It’s not until she opens a heavy wooden door in an area far from the entrance, trying to follow Dino’s path, that she finds a room far different. It’s more comfortable, the exotic scents absent, and books line the shelves. She steps in curiously, careful of her tail trailing behind her. Her wings are tucked tight to her back, and it isn’t until she gains the attention of the room’s main inhabitant that she finally looks up and sees her. She’s dressed in an elegant blue dress, the color of the ocean on a bright summer’s day. She’s older, though there’s no sign of grey in her golden hair yet. When their eyes meet, Xiao feels like she could drown in the bright azure of her eyes, and tries to lower her own, frightened the slightest. She laughs, voice like bells, which draws the attention of the other ladies, all dressed to the nines in their corsets and bustles. “Oh child, are you lost?” She asks, setting aside her books to come over to her side. She’s dressed far more conservatively than the others, though Xiao finds herself hesitating to speak. “Who are you looking for?” Her fingers run across the top of her head, though there’s a slight familiarity to them. “Ah, uhm…” Xiao is wondering how she should answer. Her papa’s name is Dino right? But here he’s called… “The Lion. My papa…” She lowers her eyes again, though can feel the surprise in the room. It’s warm and welcoming, though soon she’s surrounded by a number of the inhabitants. “Ah, so you’re little Xiao then. Dino’s always talked so fondly of you, though I’d never have thought he’d bring you here of all places…Come child, we can sit while we wait for his meetings to end.” Before Xiao can even begin to answer she’s being cooed at and excitedly chattered to by the other women. They’re all calling her adorable, and begging to play with her or teach her things. As the time passes, Xiao finds she’s made quite the name for herself with her father’s employees. They’re all telling her stories, and a few have left and returned with nail polish and makeup. She’s being babied, being called princess, though best of all she’s come to like this older lady. “Hey…?” Xiao glances up at her, keeping her hands still as they’re polished and decorated. The woman looks down with a grace that seems almost unearthly and smiles, tilting her head. “I…I don’t know your name..” She’s still so shy, but is opening up more quickly. “Maria. I’m so sorry I forgot, little one.” She softly replies, petting Xiao’s head again. Once her nails have dried, and she’s been pampered within an inch of her skin, she finally settles against Maria, looking over her arm at the book she’s reading. It’s full of pictures, though how recent, Xiao is unable to say. One in particular catches her eyes, one of a much younger Dino sitting in a chair, bright eyes looking over to someone standing tall and proud, the cape over their shoulders. It isn’t until Xiao looks at the face that she realizes… “Is that you and my daddy?” She gasps, looking up at Maria a few times just to make sure. The woman laughs, nodding. “Yes, that would be me and Dino. Years ago, when I was the Lion.” She catches the surprise in Xiao’s eyes briefly, and laughs. “Oh, yes, I was the Lion once upon a time. I believe this was taken after I announced Dino would be my heir. The evening continues with various pictures and explanations, Xiao slowly starting to move into the lap of Maria, to which causes her no end of amusement.
23 ) Warmth
A number of photo albums later, they had started to play hide and go seek. Xiao didn’t know the building too well yet, but she certainly knew the faces of the ladies who had played with her for two hours. Dino had become the last thing on her mind, and frankly she didn’t care when he was done, she would gladly stay here as long as possible! As she ran along, she had the bad habit of not looking where she was going, and this became even more evident when she ran into someone who had just come through the door. “Ah! Sorry!” Xiao chirped, looking up, only to be met by piercing gold eyes, and red hair and…. “Well this is certainly a surprise.” Rosalie hummed, pulling down her face mask to bend down and hug Xiao tight, “Dino bring you along this time?” It was this once that Xiao was able to look her over, and see that she wasn’t in her usual street clothes. Very rarely was it that she’d see Dino dressing for work, but seeing an assassin in her gear was something….fantastic. The amount of leather, and the steel she could feel beneath it, was fantastic. And of course, it was all very, very tight on her. “Yeah! I managed to convince him, and I’m so so happy I did!” She squealed, hugging the woman back, arms tight around her neck. “Were you working? Is that why you’re all dressed up?” Come to think of it, Xiao wasn’t used to seeing her hair braided off to the side either. The longer she stayed close to her, the more she began to realize the woman was radiating heat. It was almost concerning, considering she didn’t seem to be breaking a sweat. “Yeah, I just went and took a run, no real work tonight. But I’ve got to keep myself in shape, right?” Xiao knew that run usually meant up on the rooftops, and considering what a nice night it seemed to be, she couldn’t blame her for the heat she was emanating. “Now what are you doing here, hmm? What had you running about?” “Ah, just playing a round of hide and go seek. Care to join us, Miss Satre?” Came the warm voice of Maria as she approached the two of them. Rosalie stood up rigid, looking immediately professional, before seemingly drawing a blade out of nowhere and took a knee. “Maria, I’m—“ “There’s no need for that, you and I both know that. After all, you and Dino greet each other with kisses on both cheeks, don’t you? Or rather now you do.” Maria interrupted her, shaking her head as she smilled. This news came as welcome news to Xiao, and a part of her was secretly hoping the two would give dating another try, though she knew it was likely impossible. “This young lady helped fix that, actually.” Rosalie glanced to Xiao, winking at her. It filled her with even more excitement. Rosalie liked her, Rosalie thought she was awesome for helping her. It was a good feeling to have, especially with it coming from such an important person. “Oh really? And I take it you’re the one who’s been teaching her how to sing?” Rosalie’s cheeks flush at the confrontation, though it ends up being for nothing. It’s good, Maria assures her, she needs to learn one day or another, however there’s a pause when the two of them look at her again. “Maybe you should teach her to dance.” The words are most unexpected, though Xiao perks up quite a bit. Rosalie tries to stammer, saying she barely even remembers them, but Maria knows far better, and soon, Xiao and Rosalie are side by side. “You know, your papa taught me the dances a long time ago, when we were still…well..dating. He thought I was good enough to learn them.” Rosalie mutters, trying to show her each step carefully. Xiao is doing her best, and after many tries, finally has it down to where she can do it more at speed. The more she learns, the warmer she feels, and soon enough, she finds the words of the songs she’s learned go hand in hand with the dances. It feels like no time at all has passed to her, and when she finally notices her father watching her as he leans up against a doorway, she turns red and stops. “Well well, looks like someone’s been teaching her more important things, hmm?” It’s Maria he looks at this time, though his eyes are far warmer and familiar with her than one would expect. He doesn’t hesitate in hugging Xiao as she topples over her feet to get to him, laughing warmly again. “Miss Nightingale, I take it you came to seek audience?” Xiao is most pleased to see them smile at each other, tension finally gone from their shoulders. After a brief moment, Xiao is left with Maria again. “What did you come to ask me this time, Miss Rosa?” Dino relaxes, sitting down in his chair once they return to his office, leaning back and propping his feet up on his desk. It’s been a long while since he’s been able to do this with her in the same room, though it’s a welcome change for both of them as she reclines on the day sofa, cracking her back as she arches it. “I wanted to find out more about where you got Xiao from.” She murmurs, seemingly casually as she glances over at the shock on his face. Surely she’s not… “And why would that be, Rosa? You’re not the type to just ask questions casually, much less seek me out for answers…” He’s suspecting something, but there’s no way. She’d never. “Perhaps I wouldn’t mind becoming a…mother.” The shock is plain on his face, though it doesn’t fade. She’s struck him speechless, and her cheeks flush because of it. “Dino don’t make that face….I’m….I’m lonely okay? Something to live for at this point would be welcome and…Helping out with Xiao made me..” The discussion continues for quite some time, though Dino can’t seem to stop stammering or feeling the warmth in his cheeks.
It seemed the contract was revoked as soon as Dino mentioned his talk with Rosalie. While Xiao had been distracted with Maria, the two had had a talk, apparently. Dino was regretting telling Xiao that Rosalie had come to him asking about the Dreamery, and how he’d become a guardian. He regretted even more telling her she wanted to have a kid to take care of. Now he was having to deal with a child who wanted to know every single detail of what Auntie Rosa’s new kid would be. “Is she gonna adopt a boy or a girl?” Xiao squealed for about the 10th time, letting her excitement get the better of her. Dino was sure he was going to die, especially after dealing with this ball of anticipation. “Is she gonna bring them over so we can play? Will they be nice?” “Darling, the answer’s the same as it was 5 minutes ago…” He murmured, ruffling her beautiful hair again. “I don’t know. She just said she wanted to, it doesn’t mean she has yet, or that she even will. She’s a very very busy lady, busier than me…” The thought of Rosalie being a mother was…interesting to say the least. He wasn’t sure she’d deal too well with it, but….She had done so well with Xiao. Maybe it was that very fact that had made her consider. At least he wouldn’t be alone in the ‘I have the most inappropriate job to be looking after a kid with’ club. Assassin, whorehouse proprietor, really what was the difference? But the fact she wanted a child… “But when is it going to change? She’s gonna come over more when she does get a kid, right?” Ah, that was the reason. Xiao missed her, and wanted a friend. Ah, that would be fun, especially since he was assuming Rosalie would end up asking him to baby sit when she had to go off on missions. He wrinkled his nose the slightest…..Those missions could end up taking months in some cases, and war zones were the last place a child should be… “Probably, I don’t know.” He admitted, sighing. “Didn’t we have an agreement? You’ve spent like a months worth of your questions on this already, doll.” Oh he wasn’t going to let her forget at all, but was surprised when she didn’t react adversely. Had she known this entire time? “It’s worth it.” She pouted, puffing up her chest. “It’s important after all! Auntie Rosa’s gonna be a great mom! She’s a great auntie already!” Dino wasn’t even sure when this Auntie Rosa business started, though had the feeling it was after he took her to work. Xiao hadn’t stopped bubbling about how cool she looked in uniform, and about how pretty she was. Rosalie had turned red at that, and tried to tell Xiao that her scars weren’t pretty at all, but the tiny girl had insisted. Dino sighed again, shaking his head. “Yeah, I’ll admit she is. But anyway, shouldn’t you be getting in the bath, sweetheart? It’s getting late.” “Promise you’ll tell me if you hear anything new?” She mumbled, looking up innocently at him. He sighed, shaking his head as he chuckled. “I promise I won’t keep you waiting.”
25 ) Anger
Dino was in absolute shock when Xiao screamed at him, tears pouring down her face. He’d never have expected it from her, never in a million years. Hell, he’d only lost his temper once in front of her, and to be honest, he regretted every second of it. He’s checked up on Rosalie a hundred times after she’d left, just to make sure he hadn’t gotten to badly to her, or that his apology had fixed everything. He’d made it clear he was more than willing to have her back, or if need be, go to her if it had. But now he was looking down at his little girl who was absolutely fuming, a broken egg in her hair, which was tugged out of its beautiful bun. He sighed, shaking his head as he ushered her inside. No need to encourage the tantrum, no need to pretend Xiao was perfect all the time. They’d been making fun of her, calling her weird and odd. Xiao usually could take these things with a graceful smile, but today, he guessed, they’d gone too far. He hadn’t yet asked what exactly had been said, but was trying to focus on getting her cleaned up instead, drawing a nice warm bath as she stripped out of her eggy clothes and tried to rescue her hairpins as best she could while sniffling, still red in the face. He helped her in adding as much bubble bath as they had, and just sat there at the edge, watching her fume. This was not the normal Xiao, this was grumpy unhappy Xiao. “So.” He began with a sigh, watching her try not to pout and cry. She was mad, goddamnit, and she was going to stay mad. “What did the stupid boys say?” She seemed to be a little surprised. Daddy thought the boys were stupid too, yes, especially for picking on his Xiao. It only took a moment before she sank down into the bathwater a little more, and spoke. “They called you a bad word…” She mumbled, sinking in more. She really didn’t want to have to say it, especially when her daddy was the best, and wasn’t scolding her for her outburst. Not yet at least. “Which word?” Dino was trying to be patient, he really was, but knowing young boys, he’d probably already heard it. Xiao seemed to fume a little more, though hesitated with actually speaking up. “Come on now, just this once is okay.” “They called you a boskur.” She mumbled, sinking in more like it was a terrible thing she’d just said it. The bath seemed to be helping though, especially when Dino started to wash her hair. He sighed, mulling over it for a while before shaking his head. “Auntie Rosa taught you about that one, huh?” He mumbled. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been called that, but don’t worry. It’s okay, they’re the ones who are stupid and don’t know any better.” It hadn’t occurred to him that Rosalie had already been over this with Xiao. Xiao knew he was from a foreign country, though he would never expect her to be able to pick out which, or know any of the slurs. “She taught me a lot of things….” Xiao mumbled. Mmmhmm, as he’d expected, she was starting to finally start to cry it all out. Deciding he could do with changing a shirt, he reached over to hug her tight. “It’s okay, shh…Daddy’s not mad, boys are stupid, just remember that, okay? It’s all alright, sweetheart, just let it out…” He’d done this hundreds of times before with Rosalie, back in happier times, and it seemed it was going to be a useful skill if this ever happened again. Finally having released every bit of anger, Xiao was a sniffling mess as she calmed down, letting Dino wash her hair. He laughed a little after a while, especially once he told her eggs used to be used to make hair even prettier in older times.
26 ) Treats
Xiao wasn’t sure why they’d go out again right after she’d been cleaned up. Dino was insisting upon it, saying she’d see why soon enough, though the manifest wasn’t so sure. Surely those boys hadn’t left to go home by now, and Dino seemed to not be hesitating in the least as he took her by the park. They snickered, whispering amongst themselves with sneering grins. Oh yes, there went the boskur and his daughter, yes, how amusing. Xiao, deciding herself better than to be riled up again, decided to ignore them, walking proudly beside Dino. They didn’t stop walking however, until they finally reached the store, and her guardian handed her a basket. “Go and fill this up with whatever you like. As long as it fits and can be carried, I think I can treat you just this once.” He smiled, gaining a wide eyed look from his daughter. The WHOLE basket? And it could overflow? She wasn’t even sure where to begin, holding it and staring up at him before he chuckled and gave her a slight push. It didn’t take long before she was on her way to the candy isle, grabbing every little bit of chocolate she’d always wanted to try. This, however, seemingly did nothing to fill the basket, and after a moment of deliberation, she added in her favorites. Still barely a layer. Well, time to move on to favorite foods. Even after adding all she thought she wanted, the basket wasn’t even halfway full! Ice cream, chocolates, noodles, beef, vegetables…She’d really been through it all! And she’d picked out a few toys for their kitten besides! Xiao was absolutely unsure what to do with herself, looking around the store for several more ideas before she wandered into the import section, noticing her father eyeing a few jars of fancy jellies. “Do you like those?” She chirped, nearly making him jump as she came over. “Well, yes…But they’re a little expensive surely I can—“ Dino chuckled, though stopped as he say the intensity in his daughter’s eyes. There was a brief silence as she reached out and took one jar each, not breaking eye contact with him, and placed them in her basket. The two continued to look at each other before she smiled brightly and went on her merry way. Had she really just….done that? Dino wasn’t sure whether to be proud or horrified. He was reminded of that time he’d made the mistake of hitting the import store with Rosalie, and watched her load up on a small collection of unhealthy snacks. Speaking of which, further down the isle he noticed, Xiao had finally come across the Chinese imports, and was grabbing every single thing she could get her hands on. The packaging was colorful, it looked interesting, what was there for a child not to like? For a moment he was amused, Rosalie would certainly be proud, but he was questioning whether she’d actually like half the things she was grabbing. Ah well, best to let her decide for herself once she tries it, he thought. With the basket finally full after another good rounds of the store, the two of them finally checked out. Xiao felt her heart drop as the price kept on getting higher and higher, though her guardian didn’t seem to have any issue with it. Despite her best protests, he paid, and the two were on their merry way. With both child and guardian carrying numerous bags in hand, they passed the park again, gaining the wide eyes of their audience as they saw the number of exotic treats in hand. Xiao gleamed in pride, sensing their jaws dropping to the ground. Maybe they’d think twice before messing with her and Dino again!
Xiao had been waiting for this day all her life, it felt like. Today she was finally going to meet her Auntie’s daughter. Well…For all purposes she was calling her a daughter. Dino had been to meet her once before, though hadn’t allowed Xiao to come with. He needed to make sure she was safe, he said, needed to make sure that she’d at least know him before they’d meet her. She made sure to dress up in her favorite dress, and had daddy to her hair perfectly, before the two left to meet them. It was going to be a playdate, they were going to go out to lunch together and then go shopping or something. Xiao adored being able to leave the Dreamery’s grounds, especially when meeting new people was involved. Though it didn’t turn out like she expected. Xiao could feel her heart pounding as she caught a glimpse of Rosalie, and then some girl standing next to her. She nearly ran up ahead of Dino to meet her, though when she saw the sudden smile on Rosalie’s face, she couldn’t help but slow down. The girl was much darker in color compared to Xiao’s light tones, and seemed to be of a darker mood. She didn’t sit with Rosalie like she was her daughter, more like just an acquaintance. She was stiff and rigid as she sat straight up, her eyes meeting Xiao’s coldly. “Ah, Rosalie, Senka..” The names seemed to roll off Dino’s tongue so perfectly, though Xiao wasn’t sure what to say. Senka, as she assumed her name was, finally got to her feet, glancing to Rosalie for permission, though the woman seemed to be fine with her doing whatever, before finally approaching Xiao. Each of her steps seemed to be carefully metered, and Xiao wasn’t sure what to think of the older girl. She was so….stiff. Neither of them seemed to be able to speak a word, Senka occasionally glancing to her before looking away swiftly, almost too shy to speak, before Xiao finally decided upon an action. She hugged her, hoping that just a little bit of her brightness would wipe away the shyness of her. Senka hesitated, trying to think of where she’d heard what to do before. She glanced to the two guardians, but seeing as they were caught in conversation, she slowly returned Xiao’s hug, taking in the warmth. Senka was cool to touch, something Xiao hadn’t expected, but slowly began to warm up in the bright joy. A serene smile found her face, and before she knew it, the two were like sisters. While Xiao was quick to babble excitedly, Senka would speak quietly of her own interests, glancing every now and then to see approving smiles on the guardian’s faces. The two demanded to sit next to each other at lunch, instead of with their respective guardian, and Xiao could have sworn she saw Rosalie and Dino holding hands briefly. Senka quietly noted the observation as well, and mentioned the two had talked nearly the entire time during their brief meeting extremely casually. When the time finally came for them to return home, both guardians weighed down with shopping bags, the two had a sorrowful farewell, hugging the other tightly. The light from the sun was just starting to fall, the world growing cooler by the moment. They promised each other to meet again, pinkies linked in a childish manner, before the separated and returned to the night.
Senka and Xiao have found they’re as different as night and day. Senka is quiet and proper, while Xiao is loud and unruly. While both may be girls, and both of their guardians are single with important jobs, the two of them share very little in common. However, there is one thing that they have found they share. Green eyes. Xiao’s are bright and hold her imagination. They watch things with a curiosity unrivaled, and brighten up as she babbles on about various things. They’re driven by her emotion, wild and free, and cloud over with tears when she’s sad or upset. They convey so many words without even needing to speak them, surely something she’s picked up from her father. Yet, they also show a much different side. When she’s focused, Xiao doesn’t realize how much she’s taken after Dino. The same determination is always visible, and the same mysterious glint tends to arise when she’s obviously in charge. Yet they still convey that bright summer day, where the wind is blowing through the tall grass, and one just wants to lay and nap in it. Those are Xiao’s eyes. Senka’s are far more quiet and calculating. They’re the color of a deep emerald, deep and elegant. Rosalie always likes to tease her by saying they have gemstone eyes, while Dino and Xiao both have ones the color of the weather. Senka doesn’t seem to mind, though. Her eyes convey a deep thought, and are liable to stare at objects with deep intent and feeling. She doesn’t express emotion very well, though when she does it’s usually through her facial expression. Her eyes are a constant, something not to be changed, and never seem to glimmer. She’s cool, calm, and collected, far different from her “cousin”. She holds her poses of proper manners and elegance without fail, much like the rocks that encase the emeralds. Like Rosalie, the same cool, calculating demeanor seems to seep out of them, something Xiao has rarely seen. While she and the assassin haven’t been together long, it’s clear to see they’re an almost perfect match. But at the same time, there’s so much similar between them. Those rare moments when Xiao is serious, or when Senka truly smiles, the same glimmers are visible. Even if they’re not related by dream, or even by blood, it’s clear the two are related in their hearts and hopes. Xiao wants to teach Senka how to have fun, how to dance, and how to sing. Senka wants to teach Xiao about how to find books, how to write, and how to read. They both enjoy spending time together, no matter where it may be, and even though the two dread the impending moment when Rosalie announces she’ll be gone for a long time, the two are already making plans for what their sleepovers will hold. Age is certainly not a matter to the two, and even if their shades of green are completely different, it’s still green to them.
