“  Oh,  that  doesn’t  look  good. ”  The  remark  seemed  grim  but  he  was  smiling  with  a  gentle,  passive  hum. Dear.. seemed  like  she  got  a  little  too  close  to  Calcifer. He  can  hear  the  flame  blabbering  behind  him  about  how  excited  he  gets  when  it’s  meal  time  and  he  can’t  control  himself  and  –  yes yes  yes  ;;  excuses  he’s  heard  before. 

Chihiro  wasn’t  the  only  victim  of  the  demon’s  wrath  no  matter  how  tiny  they  appear  to  be. Such  is  the  nature  of  flame  and  one  of  impish  nature. He’s  an  expert  on  burns  especially  one  of  Calcifer’s  caliber. They  were  one  part  burn  and  other  part  curse. His  flames  leave  a  burn  that  lingers  longer  then  an  average  singe.

“  Chihiro  I  want  you  to  do  me  a  favor. ”  His  hands  were  gently  investigating  her  hand  over;  a  spell  in  mind  that  thrummed  through  his  fingers  in  magic. Fingertips  turned  a  soothing  cool,  but  it  was  going  to  take  a  little  more  then  that. “  Close  your  eyes  and  think  of  a  memory,  a  kind  one  at  that. Have  a  favorite  place?  Or  maybe  a  moment  you  like  to  revisit?  But  don’t  think  too  hard. Relax.  I’m  here. ”

Something  of  compassion  and  love.  It  does  well  to  heal  all  wounds. 

pudgy    features    held    despondence    at    the    remark    given    by    the    wizard.    that’s    it,    she’s    a    goner!    the    burn    mark    on    her    hand?    it’s    gonna    to    stay    for    all    eternity    !        if    only    she    hadn’t    been    SO    careless    enough    to    come    near    calcifer    ....    STUPID    ,    STUPI    ––    ❛    hm,    a    favor    ?    ❜    she    repeats,    irises    now    WIDE    AND    CURIOUS    at    the    request    (    thank    goodness    she    was    easily    shaken    out    of    her    own    little    world    of    sulking    !   )

 this   girl……   lumine   has   seen   her   before.   mostly   staring   at   a   display   of   a   nearby   shop.   a   souvenir   shop,   to   be   exact.   and   so,   she   approaches,   a   smile   on   her   face   as   feet   come   to   a   pause   next   to   the   young   girl.   a   little   pit-stop   on   her   way   won’t   hurt   !  

“  hey   there.  ”   voice   gentle,   she   kneels   down   next   to   her,   gaze   shifting   from   her   to   the   window.    “   do   you   want   one   of   those  ?   ”   her   hand   raises,   finger   pointing   at   the   shiny   trinkets,   jewelries   on   display.   a   few   with   made   of   cor   lapis,   noctilucous   jade,   electro   crystal   and   a   variety   of   other   such   fitting   designs.

@innosen·  (  1/2  )

LONGING    glistened    across    onyx-hued    irises    as    she    gazed    at    the    pretty    jewelry    behind    the    glassy    shelf.    various    necklaces    held    a    multitude    of    colored    gems,    captivating    the    child    even    more    in    all    their    GLITTERING    GLORY.    they    really    are    beautiful    …    and    most    probably    expensive.

This age was always a troublesome age, but even more so when she became an adult. It wasn’t as if she didn’t have her moments of wanting to hear romantic stories, but unlike Chihiro, she never had any interest in such silly things to the point of wanting nothing BUT to talk about it. And the interest the younger girl had on her relationship was beyond confusing. There wasn’t anything going on, nothing at all, yet she insisted on such things. Children in elementary school was much more easier to distract for a day and often don’t always realize she was avoiding the topic.

Middle and high-schoolers though? They stick onto you and they often find ways to make sure you remember that they’re focused on that and that only. And sometimes, they will be stubborn about everything else. Chihiro was seldom a stubborn girl, but she was also clever and top of her class. With no more excuses to avoid the subject, and honestly, it was her first actual request, she decided to indulge her, though she knew not why it was so interesting. “I don’t ever plan on telling him, Chihiro.” 

There wasn’t any point in doing an action as serious as that. Dating meant being serious, but she had no idea if he would even take her seriously, let alone a relationship. It was true for a time maybe even longer than that, that she had strongly wanted to be his. But being ‘his’ meant taking on his cruelty and selfishness. While he has significantly improved compared to when they were in high school, she wasn’t even sure she can handle being with someone who acted like he owned her. Her mother, with her biological father, was treated in such a manner, resulting in her unwanted birth. While she never once believed he is that cruel, it made her scared to see what he may do or think.

Not to mention, he had an incredible amount of flings on the weekly, though it seemed to have faded out quietly. She knows well that people change. They grow and they change and they matured. The fact that she even fell for him again was proof of that. He was clumsy still, but he was trying when he felt he needed to try. Strangers and others, of course he showed no consideration. But with his teammates, he paid more attention to their conditions, both mentally and physically. He was direct in making sure he wasn’t going to allow them to be coddled when he’s giving his all, but he was more considerate and careful than he was before when they weren’t at their best. And when they hung out on more miscellaneous things, like arcades or movies, he never fully understood her excitement, but he listened to her ramble and go off on her favorite things.

But still … still, her hesitation was valid. He slept around constantly with people, namely other women. Even when he was down, she dragged him out to do something other than volleyball and once he was spirited again, he went back to going with some other girl. The cycle was never-ending and if it at least meant he belonged to no one, she believed that was as good as it will ever get. “… He doesn’t belong to anyone. That’s good enough for me.” 

A    POUT    similar    to    that    of    her    brothers’    spread    across    petite    lips    at    the    answer    that    she    got.    AH.    what    did    she    expect    ?    the    older    had    told    her    that    she    would    be    disappointed    with    the    answer    and    ....    she    was    definitely    right    about    that.    QUICK    QUESTION    THOUGH:    when    a    genie    appears    before    you,    and    offers    you    three    wishes    for    free,    else    it    will    ALL    JUST    go    to    waste    if    unused.    what    do    you    do?    ANSWER:    you    take    at    least    one,    right    ?    the    opportunity    was    meant    for    you    to    be    taken    so    why    waste    it?    it    was    THE    EXACT    SAME    concept    with    mochi   and    atsumu’s   uncertain    relationship.    he    liked    her.    she    liked    him.    so    did    it    not    make    sense    for    just    either    one    of    them    to    FINALLY    confess?    

@innosen·

“Sorry, chi, I have no idea what to even do for that equation.” Unfortunately, like everything else she got from the twins, she got their lack of focus and understanding when it doesn’t interest them. And Mochizuki was out of town because of some rich shindig she didn’t even want to attend. “Man, I don’t remember math being this hard as an elementary school student … I just remember kanji being the toughest thing I ever did.”

@innosen·

“Don’t worry, don’t worry, they probably couldn’t have gotten too far!” It was an odd day, so far. She had decided to stay despite not really having a reason to anymore. Her guardian had to run off to take care of a case with the police and offered to take her home. But the day was much too young to give up and be alone with her thoughts at home. In her wandering, she always came back to the Ferris Wheel Melody said she would ride with her. 

Aaron was in Nagano, so it was a waste of time to see if he wanted to go with her (though she knew he and his wife would). She didn’t have many friends either, so all she did was just wander around, not really brave enough to go on any of the rides by herself, but not brave enough to call someone to go home either. It was at that moment she noticed a crying girl, sobbing so loud. A lost child, she assumed, and one who was getting more and more scared the more adults tried to gather around her. She had managed to calm the girl down enough to start talking, but it was apparent that she was with a group of bigger kids her age, maybe when she got separated. 

With a small huff, she picked up the younger girl and smiled, showing that she had no intention of letting her be scared for too long. “Come on, let’s go see if we can find your big brothers and sisters!” 

❛    tsu-tsumu-nii,    sa-samu-nii    !!    ❜    at    this    point,    the   ENTIRE    PARK    must    have    already    heard    her    screams    and    cries    for    those    two    particular    names.    how    could    they    have    left    her    just    like    that?    trembling    legs    continued    to    wander    around    as    blurry    gaze    remained    keen    on    the    faces    that    would    pass    by,    hoping    against    all    hopes    she’d    see    her    big    brothers    once    again.    ❛    tsumu-nii    !    samu-nii    !    w-where    are    you    ?!    ❜    as    if    her    situation    wasn’t    already    A    MASSIVE    PROBLEM   to    deal    with,    the    other    guests    just    had    to    crowd    around    her.    their    UNFAMILIAR    FEATURES    leaning    nearer    and    nearer    towards    her,    barraging    her    with    questions    pertaining    to    her    name,    to    her    companions,    to    where    she    last    saw    them.    their    OVERWHELMING    PRESENCE    prompted    the    girl    to    back    into    the    railing    that    fenced    around    the    giant    ferris    wheel    ride.   are    they    good    people?    can    they    be    trusted?    what    if    they’ll    take    her    away    ,    they’re    strangers    after    all    !

her    already    loud    sobbing    would    only    continue    to    increase    in    volume    with    every    minute    that    would    pass    by.    that    was    until,    an    older    girl    swooped    down    to    her    height    and    coaxed    her    to    talk.    bit    by    bit,    curled    fists    dropped    from    teary    coal-hued    orbs,    allowing    chihiro    to    get    a    proper    view    at    the    newcomer    before    her.    the    older    didn’t    seem    to    be    FAR    OFF    her    brothers’    age    and    …    she    looked    like    a    kind    and    trustworthy    one.    

sniffling    was    reigned    in    as    she    was    being    carried,    allowing    her    to    shakily    speak    once    more.    ❛   t-they’re    twin    brothers...   ❜    right    ,    right,    she    would    need    descriptions    as    well.        ❛    the    really    noisy    one,    that’s    tsumu-nii,    and    the    other    one    who’d    just    eat    all    day,    that’s    samu-nii    ❜    annoyance    was    definitely    audible    with    her    EXHALE.    ❛    i    told    them    not    to    leave    me    because    i    went    to    pee    but    when    i    came    back    out    ....    they’re    both    gone    !    ❜

“     d  -  don’t  worry     …     i’ll  protect  y  -  you  from  any  bad  spirits    !!!     ”         /          @innosen··     ( 🍁)

palm    had    a    tight    grip    on    his    shirt,    as    the    child    walked    close    beside    him.    gaze    keen    for    anything    that    might    emerge    from    the    darkness    that    ENVELOPED    THEM.    only    their    footsteps    echoed    all    throughout    the    corridor    of    the    empty    school    ;    not    even    the    wind    had    a    howl    to    its    blow.    the    night    was    as    EERIE    as    what    you    would    expect    on    halloween    week.    

socials…?    [contrary to her curled-brow bewilderment,    she isn’t unfamiliar with the term.]    yukako scoffs,    almost pitying the children exposed to the underlying sense of reminiscing found in the internet.    “    you’re ten years old.    your classmates are ten years old.    what are you doing with social media accounts?    ”    what are they doing with cellphones at all!    a 12 year old,    sure—    an 11 year old,    maybe.    but a 10 year old?…    they’ve barely been integrated into the double digits.

“    there are more adults afraid of the dark than you can imagine.    ”    an unimpressed yamagishi rebuts,    during which she turns to chihiro’s clothes folded on their room bench to gather them in her vice.    her know-it-all dialogue is diluted by a calm temperament.

the lack of visual stimuli leaves the mind to weave its own,    creating imagined dangers out of nothing…    in a purportedly deliberate,    self-destructive way.    I WISH I COULD DO ALL OF THOSE THINGS WITHOUT FEAR,    chihiro says,    all despairingly.    “    you can.    you just have to be rational.    ”

the    question    had    the    younger    retreat    into    bashfulness    as    she    pondered    over    the    teen’s    words.    she    ….    she    hadn’t    thought    about    it    much,    really.    everyone    else    in    her    class    seemed    to    have    a    social    media    account,    that’s    why    she    thought    it    was    the    norm!    looking    deeper    into    it    however    …    what    DID    she    use    her    socials    for?    

❛    hmm    …    we    usually    just    use    them    to    update    each    other    with    what    we're    doing    after    class.    ❜    fingers    gently    curled    onto    the    soft    fabric    of    her    worn    outfit.    oh,    she    was    definitely    fond    of    this    jumpsuit    now    (    she    had    to    remind    herself    to    tell    yukako-nee    that    she’d    love    to    get    this    one    !    )    ❛        it    makes    me    feel    like    i’m    still    hanging    out    with    them    even    virtually!    ❜    reasoning    was    said    with    a    proud    grin,    as    if    her    having    socials    to    still    connect    with    friends    after    school,    was    a    very    practical    use    of    her    accounts.    

glee    however,    soon    turned    into    that    of    astonishment    at    the    revelation    mentioned    by    her    older    sister.    ❛    really    ?    ❜    adults    were    also    afraid    of    the    dark?    why    ,    she    thought    they    were    ALL    BRAVE!    (    or    at    least,    she    supposed    that    with    age,    grown    ups    wouldn’t    be    afraid    of    the    usual    things    kids    were    afraid    of!    )