His voice entered my ears, and as if to be blissed by the hymn of the archangels up from the heavens, the golden light and the soft breeze ruffled his black hair that was made into a tidy short mullet. He wasn't a simple being, a man from the cosmos I say.
His mana is dark and grey yet soft and reassuring, mellow and fresh.
He stepped back from his place and tilted his head to look at me once again.
"Tell me what you said to her too." His small cry was heard from my side.
"Another time, sir."
The little moment of ours was soon interrupted by the composed man shoving his pockets with some notices and flyers. He began to take each one out, and that enough led me to a regretful pondering. The people around me spent the day studying and searching for any hints around the area for the poor child's mother, whereas I had been dilly dallying the day away. The sweat on their forehead was the proof of that.
Kyoko exhaled deeply and brushed her hair back before speaking.
"Do any of us have any money left?"
The eyes left to wonder about and search for any trace on the other's faces for some hope, yet the world felt smaller as the wallet got smaller.
"Sorry." I murmured softly.
"It's to blame someone else. Worry not." Dermis replied to me as usual, trying to reassure anyone with worry and guilt.
Even so, his gaze fell onto the top hatted man and adjusted to a displeased look.
***
Silence filled the air with no place to go or be, it's was either the streets or a miracle bestowed upon them. Fortunately, miracle did intervene on their fates today.
She gulped the last dribble of saliva and parted her dry pointed natural lips to put a word in.
"If - ...my home - is close by, and I could manage a night...for us."
Their stare fixated on her hesitant movements, but it was hard to decline the offer.
"If it's not a trouble then?" Aniel spoke away.
She nodded her head at a slow pace, and her facial muscles quivered with every reply she gave out. Nevertheless, the long walk that lasted for two hours had come to an end when they stood upon the doorstop of her previous house.
Wooden beams with age and the curved interior at each roof of dark rosewood and shachihoko at the doorstop welcoming them with their glareful stone eyes.
Shoji at every room and with bolted kanji, engraved for every memorial of battles and quotes of the leaders. In the midst of all, one kanji stands out the most, the one written with proper style and frame, Usagiko Yashiki . Her long fingers tipped off the door and opened it, helping herself in.
The others not so confident remained behind her shadow and mirrored her every step. It was almost as if thieves were breaking in. They tiptoed like a mouse and fell silent at every noise they detected from the area.
Usagiko Kyoko opened the shoji of the room and bowed her head to her mother, standing at the other side of the shoji. Her expression was full of emotions and droplets of tears at the very end of her narrow eyes. Black hair with similar ears as Kyoko and a skillfully stitched black floral patterned yukata.
"Mother...."
Her mother only spoke with her body since she immediately embraced her daughter. However, Kyoko remained still and did not return the embrace back.
"Kyoko!?"
A squeal was heard from behind the shoji and walked in a smaller version of Kyoko with dark vanilla hinted hair. A wide smile covered her face, and she sprinted to be in her older sister's arms.
"Myoko, it's been so long."
"Ah- I missed you so much!!"
"So have I,"
Myoko's vision detected the other entity beside her sister, a tall man with forest green straight hair reaching a little lower than his neck, dark green pupil, thin lips, and fair skin. An elf? Two elves?
Both her mother and sister gave her a face, and she smiled awkwardly and put a sentence out.
"I wish to meet Father.."
Her mother, as if to realise, formed a concerned frown and turned back to lead the way to her father's quarter.
A room that symbolises equity and authority, it was easy to grasp onto what kind of a man he was.
"Please let me do the speaking, I'm pointing at you, Dermis."
Dermis, a little flustered, nodded his head, and she gracefully moved the shoji and sat down with a seiza position on the bamboo crafted floor. The others followed along and lifted their eyes to meet the master of this resident's discontent profile.
"Hello, father," her mellow voice rang with an echo.
"Why have you come back?" A deep manly voice replied back.
"I only ask for a night."
With that sentence, her father's gaze drifted off to the people with her. Two elves, two small boys and a top hatted man. A variation he couldn't understand.
"What exactly is this supposed to be green elf?"
"We have come here for an issue. A problem has led us to ask for your help. Please understand."
His violet hair and his ears didn't go well with his face, a tough face. He squinted his eyes, folded his grey yukata, and read each and everyone in front of him.
"And the red boy?"
"A dra-"
"A rebellious boy!" Aniel covered his mouth and exclaimed.
The elf, beside her, asked about her actions in a whisper.
"We are already a trouble to them. Let's not add more to their plate. They might act like Vance had." She replied back with the same tone.
Usagiko groaned and said out with anger.
"One night is all you get, I would return the favour."
Kyoko smiled at her father bitterly and proceeded to leave the room hastily.
Aniel pondered to herself in the midst of the assembly.
(She really didn't want to come here.)
[Her parents are too formal.]
"Why have you come along?" Dermis pronounced with an annoyed frown.
"I'm broke myself. You wouldn't know I'm even here."
"Please, Dermis, let him stay!" Ororon whined.
He had taken a good liking towards Kim Soo-Hyuk. Perhaps he saw him as his hero.
Myoko had done the bedding and puffed her face before whipping.
"You come home after so long and want to stay only for a night!?"
"Come on, Myoko, you know father, he wouldn't allow me even if I wanted to stay."
She sniffled once more before speaking again.
"You are mistaken about him."
"I know him well enough."
The andon was dimmed, and everyone wished to sleep their unease away. Aniel shuffled in her futon, unable to sleep with so many thoughts circulating in her head. She had a long, tiring day. The soft moonlight glittered on her night eyes, and she turned to the right to face her friend. Unusually, she wasn't there?
Her stiff muscles contracted, lifting her up and eyes scanning every corner to find Kyoko. She didn't have a clue about this place, unlike her friend. Going to look for her would only lead her to be lost herself.
Yet, the callings from her heart and her pounding head made her risk it all once more. She definitely learned from the best. Actions with instincts.
Her trail was surprisingly easy to follow. The footsteps from her wooden shoes left a foot trail for her to follow.
They led dipper and dipper into the empty and nightly howls of the scattered forest. A night lamp protected her from the night, and with each agitated step, her night clothes got dirtier and dirtier.
Finally, with the corner of her pupils, she saw the violet long hair of her friend being reflected by the moon's light.