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 Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 8:49 pm
"Do you remember the proper behavior when we enter the building? All the correct ways to act while we are here?"
Houkan's large hand reached downwards towards the figure at his side, his index finger uncurling at the last moment to allow a much smaller hand to take it firmly in its grasp. Both hands wore pure white gloves that seemed fresh from pressing, their seams even and tidy against the corners of each palm and finger, and as Houkan gave a reassuring squeeze to the tiny fingers that were Pasayo's he took a step towards the large stairs before him.
Today the pair had decided to visit an art museum, on Piero's suggestion, in order to better help Pasayo understand the world around her. Watching educational programs on television and reading books in the massive library housed within the mansion could only teach her so much, so the idea of the small child getting out and interacting with others while in a place of art was almost too good to pass over.
"If at any time you get weary or your eyes start to bother you, let me know and we can return home."
Pasayo nodded slowly to Houkan's requests of her, the tiny face scrunched up in a nervous expression that was also marred with excitement. She had been outside only a few times before and that was late at night with Piero on a shopping errand or two, so to be allowed out during the later afternoon was something of a dream.
"I promise that I shall not disappoint you."
Her voice was shaking slightly despite her brave words, and Pasayo kept her breathing slow as she made the effort to climb each large step. The concrete steps seemed hardly a contest for the long legs and stride of Houkan, but to the small Ashe child it was an interesting hurdle!
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 9:29 pm
Oh, how'd she forgotten how much the bus stinks. Obviously with a broken arm, Cindy was in no condition to be driving anywhere right now... Which made the transportation situation a bit complicated. Moreover, you never knew who'd get on that bus next...
She shook her head as Aesop stared, waiting for her to walk in the door he so politely held open. "Thanks." The girl said in passing and walked in. She felt bad for a numerous amount of things. The first was making Aesop carry her backpack/purse. The second was the fact that she was... Well, being awkward around her once little boy. She still called him son... But he was taller than her now. He even looked older than her. And the third was... After the incident, she wasn't too fond of going to public places.
Luckily, this was a place that her family would never venture a foot into. Like a sanctuary of sorts. Her sanctuary. Their sanctuary.
Aesop wasn't so blind as to not notice Cindy suddenly distancing herself from him. But, he thought it was.. Because he hadn't been able to save her. That arm was proof that he had failed in protecting the thing that mattered most to him.
Today, both were dressed quite casual. Cindy, in her normal black attire sporting some unheard of band on her shirt, and pants that accented it. Dressing up fancy-like was a hassle when you have something painful to maneuver around. Aesop was in his usual clothes. Striped jacket, black pants, and the red crystal delicately laying against his chest. Cindy had purchased more clothing for him, but this was still the outfit he was partial to.
After she payed their way in, she smiled at the thought that they'd most likely be alone. She was the first to ascend the stairs, but Aesop wasn't too far behind. Watching to make sure she didn't fall.
"So. Time for me to teach you about my favorite subject: Art." Cindy said at a normal voice level, figuring they didn't need to whisper at this time of night. "Though, I'm sure you've already read some books on it, right?"
"The few that you had, yes." Aesop replied, giving her a curious look. As they reached the top, she turned back to face him. "First lesson: In order to understand art, you need to see it. Not just read about it."
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 7:18 pm
Houkan and Pasayo would have stood out amongst the crowd even if they were wearing simple clothing only due to the nature about them, a kind of air that seemed otherworldly if not so overly sophisticated. It also did not help that Pasayo's unusual and clearly unnatural hair color caught any of the remaining light through the windows and shone like a Christmas tree bulb, alerting the few people in the room to her presence and drawing extensive attention.
The pair were dressed in Victorian gala, Houkan sporting the typical wear of a young man out on the town, while Pasayo wore the more timid outfit of a young girl being able to venture into society for the first time. Their colors matched, both wearing pale purple that only seemed to accent their skin tones and highlight anything else about them. Oh yes, the duo stood out.
"What style of art would you like to see first, Pasayo? The guide book said that they have many things dating from the Early Renaissance to more modern works by local artists, but I am going to go and get one of the maps so we can plan an easier route for you."
Houkan had let go of Pasayo's hand and walked only a few steps away, leaving the child alone for a brief moment. She quickly folded her own hands inward and interlaced her fingers, staring at the floor that she was scuffling with the toe of her shoe.
As it stood the small child was aware of the presence of any others, so even if someone were to walk up right beside her and snatch her away she would not have been prepared.
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 9:39 pm
Cindy was, for the most part, oblivious to anyone but her and Aesop.
Aesop, however, could feel a presence much like his own. When he was a child, he would get feelings from talking to people, but now... It's like he could sense them. He looked past Cindy, who was chattering on about art and some guy called Picasso, and spotted the cause of his mind shouting at him.
"Look." He said softly and pointed to the little girl who currently stood alone. If the purple hair didn't give it away, the black skin was surely an obvious mark that this girl was no human.
"Mm?" Cindy's eyes quietly followed Aesop's finger, widening slightly at the sight of the strange girl. "She's..." What she was about to ask is 'She's an Ashe, isn't she?' But Aesop nodded before her sentence could finish. Guess art lessons would have to wait. But... Where was her guardian?
Aesop wasted little time with pondering. His feet began moving subconsciously and, before he knew it, he was standing next to her. "Evening." His voice was soft. Didn't want to startle the girl.
Before Cindy realized, Aesop was gone and socializing with the small child. "Uh.." Okay, what now? She looked around and gave a sigh. It was good that he was making new friends, but she was hoping some angry parent didn't come out of the woodwork and jump down Aesop's throat for talking to their little girl.
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 10:24 pm
Pasayo turned her head up at the sound of a voice addressing her, a voice that was extremely unfamiliar, and for a moment her eyes seemed to waver in her head as her brain weighed the different routes of communication she could and should be taking. In the end she chose the most logical, the one that would make Master Houkan proud of her.
"Good evening."
She closed her eyes and curtsied slightly, the motion a little clumsy since the little girl had not enough experience to pull it off properly, but still her message of manners came across well enough. After she completed what she felt was the proper curtsy she looked back up at Aesop, her head tilting slightly to the side as she tried to place the feeling she got from him.
Was it one of nostalgia, or one of uncertainty? She knew this feeling, it was something she most certainly would never forget, but what exactly was this?
"How are you fairing on this fine day?"
Perhaps a little more conversation would help her figure it out, and at least it made the time that Houkan was away go past a little faster. He was only away getting a map, after all, so talking to a stranger and being polite would not get her into that much trouble....right?
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 10:37 pm
A curtsy? In this era? Well that was certainly a pleasant surprise. He only knew what the gesture was from reading the word in a book and asking his mother just what it was. She'd explained by doing it herself. Either way. She must have been from a sophisticated family of sorts. Her attire spoke the same as her actions. Funny how much you could tell about a person just by looking at them. Why, even her words sound refined.
He gave a bow himself so he wouldn't seem rude and smiled. "I'm just fine. What about yourself?" His response was as his greeting, gentle. It was strange how this little girl caught so much of his attention. He'd noticed the markings on her face, but tried to make it seem like he wasn't staring. One thing he'd been taught as a child was that it was rude to stare, and he believed it.
While Aesop struck up a conversation, Cindy was busy walking around the room and looking at the different paintings with a small smile. She'd come here to relax, not to worry. And it was something she was trying to do. In her mind, she imagined critiquing the art in question. Finding it's point of interest, the different things going on, and what techniques were used, just as she had been taught in art class. Boy, how she missed those days... Even though Art Criticism had been one of her least favorite subjects.
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 10:54 pm
"I am to be well behaved since I am out in public. I must remember my manners and not speak out of place or do anything that would shame myself."
Pasayo had taken Aesop's question to mean 'what are you doing' and had responded as such, though a few moments later she came back with another answer.
"I am...a little excited. Master Houkan told me that this place would be very good for me to learn more about the world I will be living in, so I am doing my best to stay put and wait from him to come back."
She shifted from one foot to another, still trying to place the feelings that she was going through as she spoke more and more with Aesop, but instead of getting a clearer picture she instead looked like she was doing some kind of line dance. While she was not moving around she was at least getting some sort of rhythm going while she was swaying slowly, and when Pasayo noticed what she was doing she stopped and glowered down at her feet.
"I am sorry about that."
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Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 9:56 am
The more she spoke, the more words began floating around in Aesop's mind. 'Robot' was one of them. He had been no shining ray of sunshine himself, by no means. But..
Another thing. Though it was never quite easy to tell... Was she seelie, or unseelie? The more he tried to figure out, the more he got confused. Different, yet similar. It was enough to give him a headache.
When she apologized, he'd been so deep in thought that he had no earthly idea what she was apologizing for. "Oh, it's alright." She'd mentioned a Master of some sorts, right? "Where's your guardian right now?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 10:15 am
"Guardian? What is that?"
Pasayo touched her lips with her fingers and blinked at the word, her vocabulary having not expanded far enough to know its meaning. She knew that 'guard' meant 'to protect' and also was the name given to someone who was protecting, so perhaps a guardian was another name for guard?
"If you are talking about Master, he is at the house right now. I am here with Master Houkan who is Master's little brother."
Almost at the mention of his name Houkan came striding back over carrying a pamphlet in his hand, having taken so long thanks to being unable to locate one that had pictures in it. He wanted to be able to share the flier with Pasayo and make things interesting for the child as well, so one with all text had been out of the question.
"Pasayo, I am sorry that took so long."
He stepped over to the little child and stopped near her side, smiling gently before looking up and turning that smile towards Aesop. For a moment his silver eyes seemed to widen as he took in the appearance of the white haired youth who carried a crystal, but it was not an expression of disgust or shock, more of a little bit of surprise.
"Oh, is this a new friend of yours?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 10:33 am
Well, he supposed that not every Ashe understood that that person watching over them was. Hell, he hadn't known what he was up 'till Toulouse told him. And he still considered Cindy to be his mother. 'Doesn't matter how you were born, it's who gave you the most love. They are your parents.' As he recalled a line from a book he read.
And there he was. Aesop immediately realized there was something... Different about this man. He was human, but those eyes. They were silver. His own red eyes widened a little at the sight, but it was as well, out of surprise. "I'm Aesop. Nice to meet you." He offered a hand out to shake just like his mother had taught him.
Cindy, at hearing the new voice in the room, immediately snapped out of her little trance and looked over. Oh, thank God. It was just some teen guy. And it looked like he wasn't gonna throw Aesop out of a window for talking to the girl. Well, win win situation.
At that, she decided to scoot herself over to the greetings, standing next to Aesop, but offering no words. Let them have their introductions first. Though, she couldn't help but notice the strange air that surrounded this guy... She couldn't deny she liked his outfit, but that wasn't it. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on... What was it?
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Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 12:53 pm
With a warm smile he extended his own and and shook Aesop's firmly before letting it go, his eyes staring deeply into the red ones for just a brief moment longer.
"My name is Houkan, it is a pleasure to meet you. I believe she may not have given you her name, but this child is called Pasayo."
Houkan wondered, seriously wondered, how it was that he kept running into inhuman things as of late? Was it because Pasayo emitted some kind of energy or feeling that attracted them? He was not thinking it was a bad thing, as he did not mind running into anything that did not pose a threat, but it could become troublesome if something bad did occur.
He was not able to get as much protection as his brother, after all.
"Is the fine young woman who just joined us part of your company?"
He spoke again as Cindy made her way over and joined them, his hand reaching up and gently tapping to the side of his temple. It was a gesture meant to mimic tipping one's hat to a lady, though it looked a little awkward without an actual hat.
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Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 8:11 pm
Aesop returned the firm handshake, his eyes meeting with those strange silver ones. He thought 'strange names' to himself, but remembered that his wasn't exactly used everyday either.
"Oh, uh.." He looked down at Cindy. "Yes. This is my mother."
Cindy was busy watching this... Charming young man, and didn't notice Aesop's comment at first. Her head shook. Her brain processed what had just been said.
"Uhh.. Y-yeah." A little bit embarassed? Maybe. Though she didn't understand why. Maybe because Aesop looked almost older than her now. "My name is Cindy." While she was familiar with old mannerisms, she didn't pick up on the tapping thing. Though she guessed it was some sort of greeting.
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Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 8:48 am
"Pleased to met you, Miss Cindy. It is an honor."
Houkan smiled brightly and reached his hand downwards to Pasayo, who took one or two of his fingers into her tiny hand. This was not a motion to signify he wanted to leave the pair or keep Pasayo close, it was more or less to let the child know he was still around despite standing only next to her. Pasayo was small and could have easily wandered off if her mind set to it, so by making her hold his hand he kept better tabs on location.
"Wow, you must be a lot older than you look if someone so large is your son! Are you immortal?"
Pasayo opened her mouth without thinking, not even connecting that Cindy could be a guardian and that Aesop called her 'mother' instead of 'master', as she did to Piero and Houkan. At the end of her response Houkan's jaw dropped slightly as a merry sparkle crept into his eyes, his lip twitching as he tried to bite back a laugh.
"If so, you are really pretty for your age! You look so young!"
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Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 11:59 am
[[OOC: I realize it's been awhile since we started this, so if you want to end it in a few posts, that's fine. If you wanna continue, that's fine too. I do believe I'm back to stay now.]]
"It's nice to meet you too."
Cindy returned the smile and tried her darndest to forget how embarassed she was just a second ago.
Her eyes moved to the little girl as she spoke. Boy, she felt like they were putting her on the spot. And Aesop just stood there and let it happen. Immortal? Well... "Oh, no.. He just grows like a weed..." A pause. "Immortality would be nice, though. It's not like I haven't used up 18 years of my life already.." Awww.. What a sweet little girl! It'd been so long since anyone had complimented her... In an arm sling, nontheless. "Well thank you!"
"She's not actually my Mother." Since Cindy wasn't going to explain, he would. "But she raised me like I was her son... And, with lack of a better word, I called her Mother." Aesop shrugged as he finished his last sentence. Though, it was much more than that. In his mind, she was his mother. And none of the facts meant anything.
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