Welcome to Gaia! ::

Roux enjoyed the autumn weather. The light crispness that held the promise of a more biting, chilling cold to come. Soon there would be snow, and even better... ice.

But...

...he remembered the lab, standing before those great bay windows looking outward at the frosty, winter world and knowing that she was nearby, quietly filing papers, or even talking to him. He'd been annoyed by it, he'd wished she'd just shut up and let him look at the snow and his reflection and bask in the cold that radiated off the glass.

Now guilt came with the memory.. and a strange tightning of his chest. He'd ignored her, only wanting her attention when he wanted something from her. New concepts came to him everyday and today was no exception. Today's concept was... regret. It was so hard to grasp the fullness of the emotion, though.

And with the regret came loneliness.

Roux sighed. Mouse had said.. that when someone cared for someone else.. they missed them. Was Chloe missing him..? He'd never given her reason to.

Why was he thinking about things like this now... he dimly missed the days when the world was focused inward, on himself alone.

Roux turned his head slightly at the familiar voice, blinking out of his sorrowful thoughts. It was Dr. Kyou. If there was anyone that Roux felt any measure of respect for it was Kyou and Lazzie... he knew that Kyou was responsible for him being in his current state, thinking, moving, breathing. Alive, basically.

The ice Frei's eyebrows furrowed slightly, blue gaze flickering around for a moment to find that the doctor was alone. He tilted his head slightly, floating closer to the fence.

"What?"

He noted mildly that the doctor's hair was shorter, wondering if he approved of this apperance. It definatly made him look strange in Roux's eyes.

Roux looked blankly at Dr. Kyou as he spoke, taking the news that he had been the one to find Chloe gone with a distant expression. Before the sadness could seep further, however, Kyou was continuing and then holding up a cage with...

"Mitya?!" It was the most surprise the Frei had ever expressed, reaching out to lightly poke one of the catopussy's paws with his finger. Had Dr. Kyou stolen Mitya for him?! The Frei actually smiled, eyes lighting up and loosing their chill to show his true, child-like age. He looked up into Kyou's face earnestly, hopefully. "Mine?"

Not Mitya... Roux -almost- turned away but.. the door opened and the octopussy poked it's head out, blinking it's large eyes owlishly and giving a curious mewl. The ice Raeven gingerly reached out, to pet the creature between the ears, watching as it crained it's head upward into his palm.

He gave another smile, this one a little smaller but just as innocent. "Mine..." He looked up at Kyou, reaching out with his other hand to lightly touch the doctor's cheek with cool fingertips. "Thank Kyou."

He floated forward, half crouching down so he could look into the carrier. Roux reached inward, unable to hold back a small chuckle as a paw immediatly attatched itself to the back of his hand, and picked up the creature. It gave a small squirm before it wrapped it's tentacle-paws around the Raeven, making sure that it wouldn't be dropped. It's ears flickered slightly as it looked around with feline curiosity at the outside world.

"Thank Kyou.." He repeated himself, his voice a bit softer this time as he looked down at the octopussy he held.

Roux reached out, still holding the octopussy with one hand, and took the pendant, the delicate chain wrapped about his hand so the pendant could dangle below his fingertips, swaying and twirling gently. He watched it as it moved, as the light flicked against the red gem and made it sparkle. He looked up at the doctor and nodded, his expression wasn't as happy as it had been when he recieved the octopussy.. it was more serious.

"Yes. Chloe... " He didn't remember ever saying her name before. His eyes turned a slightly dull, quickly hardening to ice once more to keep that lurking sadness away.