The View From Your Window

[Amano Yui]

[Please don't reply to this thread unless you're invited to do so.]

Sleepless evenings have always been unavoidable especially for Yui; someone who has worked in the nighttime. He had always felt secured whenever outside, and ever since he was released from his confinement in the infirmary, he had been frequenting the grounds of Alice Academy.

Each night he would always feel as if he needed to go out, without any reason for doing so. And each night that he goes out, he would feel as if somebody has been following his every move. No, somebody is definitely following his every move.

At that he smirked. I might already be losing my touch, he told himself in a bittersweet manner. A little over a month ago, he would have detected that thing or person that watches him. But now, his senses have been clouded up by so many things he can't even determine. Even so, ever since he got out of the infirmary, he felt more peaceful... and happier.

Looking up to the heavens, as he always did, Yui inserted his hands onto both of the pockets of his black trousers. He felt something inside the pockets; a sheathed dagger on one and a pistol on another, things that he would never let himself part with. He was wearing his usual night attire--to match his lower garments, he wore a black leather jacket with a rather flamboyant white fur collar and a spotless muscle shirt under it. For his footwear was a pair of black high-cut boots.

The wind blew from his south, thus pushing his layered cerulean hair onto his rather pallid face, his long braids embracing his unmoving arm. And like the teary blue eyes that stared at the heavens, the crescent moon sparkled from the vast midnight sky.

[Hanako Aiko]

Dark. It had always been that way. For Hanako Aiko, the girl with the curse of Xeroderma Pigmentosium, her whole life had been engulfed by darkness--both in the literal and figurative sense. But things can't be helped. She would die if she stayed under the sunlight, that is why she was forced to live her life away from light. By the doctor's recommendation, her body clock was therapeutically reversed, making the night her day, and her day the night.

Now, the Indigo-haired girl walked further in the unlit bedroom and onto the wardrobe opposite the wall of the door. Opening it, she unbuttoned the thick sweater protecting her fragile skin and then taking it off along with the black jogging pants, leaving only her underwear on, revealing much of what I would rather say 'gifted body' from her deceased Super model mother. After that, she grabbed the bottle of sun block from inside the wardrobe, along with a hanger of another long-sleeved clothing, but right after she took it down, she noticed her mother's Midnight Blue Yukata, hanging neatly and untouched for the longest time inside the closet.

Without any hesitation, she took it from its place, took back the first one and walked to her bed where she dropped everything from her grip and applied the lotion on her whole body. It may seem absurd for someone normal who would see her doing it, but it wasn't her doctor's personality to take risks. After all, if she knew any better, the sun's UV rays still reach the Earth even at night, so it's best to be careful. Now after everything, she got dressed, feeling the soft silk touching her skin. There wasn't any particular reason why Aiko wore the yukata that time. She just missed the Summer Festivals she went to with her dad. Raising her hands a little closer to her head to be able to see the flowers embroidered on the sleeves, she was reminded of how much value that yukata is to her--it was her mother's memento. Aside from the photos of her mother of all sizes displayed along their mansion back home, it was the thing that her father valued most. Now, she has it. She couldn't help but embrace herself in it, savoring the soft and cold silk on her skin despite the moisture of the sunblock. In no time, Aiko found herself smiling.

A song. The melody resonated in her head and then died away quickly. She jumped from her bed, aware of the fact that she would forget if she wouldn't write it, so she grabbed the wooden guitar beside her bed, along with a piece of paper and pen. She let them all rest on the bench by her window as she pulled open the curtains, the blinds, the UV-Proof screen, then finally windows themselves. She was about to make herself comfortable on the seat to be able to compose another song but something of greater value caught her attention.

"It's him..."

Aiko felt the sudden rush of blood towards her face. Her pale complexion glowed red in the light of the moon flooding her room, and she forgot about the song. Climbing up the bench, she sat, cheeks resting on her palms and elbows on the wood bordering the lower side of the window, letting her straight indigo hair blow with the night's breeze. She watched the boy move below with a smile like she always does whenever she catches him strolling around that part of the Academy.

[Amano Yui]

The nearby lamp post's light flickered, causing Yui to turn towards its direction. He noticed that it's been like that for a few days, but the academy doesn't seem to be doing anything about it. Yui smirked at that. Why would they know about it anyway? In his observations, nobody really goes out at night, therefore there really is no need for light posts. At that, he sighed.

Wait, what is he fretting for anyway? It's not like he needs that stupid lamp post to be able to roam about at night. Besides, the moonlight is enough for him. There's no reason for him to whine mentally.

And when did he start to whine mentally anyway?

Once again, he could only sigh. He decided to just sit on the steel bench by the lamp post and rest for a while, even though he's not actually exhausted or anything.

Yui turned again to the darkened sky, with the crescent moon serving as its only star. Yes, interestingly enough, there were no stars visible that night. How selfish of the moon, isn't it?

Time and time again, he would fall asleep in that bench near the lamp post, despite his gut feeling that somebody is watching him around that area. He wasn't feeling threatened or anything, but before, even at the slightest feeling of being watched, Yui would immediately leave, or at least try to figure out who was watching him. And now, just look at him; he has his head lifted towards the moonlit sky, but his azure eyes almost closed.

But before his eyes completely shut, Yui was able to make out a figure of someone from the tall building in front of him. First he looked intently at that part of the edifice, then shook his head and turned away. He then lowered his head, as if he was about to sleep.

[Hanako Aiko]

It wasn't the first time Aiko was doing this. In fact, almost every night in her life, she would open her windows and observe the outside world live, sort of envying their freedom and admiring it at the same time. The only difference now is that she was seeing the empty Academy School Grounds where by she was formerly seeing the night life of her neighbors in back at her elite village. This became Aiko's past-time whenever she doesn't have night classes with Ms. Valentine, aside from going to Central and performing her songs live.

And the latter...she hadn't done ever since she saw this boy.

It was a normal night when she first caught sight of him. It wasn't like Aiko to be spying on someone, particularly someone in the opposite sex, but for some reason--which remained a mystery until now--she couldn't help it. She watched him walk around, admiring how his long braided hair be carried along his virile movements, and how occasionally, he lifts his head up to glance at the moon. And the next nights, she found herself waiting, and watching him from the same spot.

There's this strong urge within her to be friends with him somehow. She wants to know his name, to be able to read it as it spelled itself above his head (since she couldn't quite read it from her place), to be able to talk with him and just...be close to him.

So then seeing him sit on a bench near the light pole, Aiko took the chance. Barefoot, she went out the Dormitory buildings, even forgetting to lock her door and keep her guitar. Her legs ran silently, creating the slightest, tiny noise as her foot slapped on the cold concrete. She was already tired, breathing fast when she got there, not to mention losing balance and control. She couldn't help it though, she has SERIOUS health problems. So clumsily forgetting how to stop, she crashed herself on the bench, the impact making it turn over and making both of them fall on the ground.

And being the girl who doesn't have an idea on how to socialize, she again took the chance of him being helplessly caught in a "situation". She blurted out a rather...original self-introduction with a big smile.

"Hanako Aiko desu! Thirteen years old! Psychic Class! Likes music! No boyfriend!"

She blinked twice, keeping the sweet smile on as she waited for his reaction.

[OOC: Unoriginal idea, sue me =P]

[Amano Yui]

As Yui looked up, the person he noticed was no longer there. He was going to scale the building and climb onto that person's window to make things interesting, but it seems that the person had already left. He too had the urge to leave and find some other place to rest at, but something inside his system told him to stay there, shut up and just lay back. If anything goes wrong, he can easily pull his gun out and kill without hesitation. Behind that rather angelic and feminine face lies is the Killing Doll, after all. At that, he crossed his arms and lowered his head once more.

Killing Doll. That's right; that was the title he gained over the years in his stay at the organization. Come to think of it, why was he given that name anyway? The cerulean haired couldn't remember anymore. In any case, it doesn't matter. It's just a title--and quite a derogatory one at that. As he slightly shook his head, a faint smile tugged at the end of his lips.

Muffled footsteps could be heard from Yui's position. Somebody was definitely coming towards him, but for some strange reason, it didn't alert him at all. It was as if that person nearing him was somebody familiar.

The young man slightly lifted his head and then turned towards his left, to where those footsteps came from. What greeted him was a purple-headed girl clad in a yukata, who was to stumble over him in a split second. He couldn't help it anymore as the girl was already falling to him, and he could only break the girl's fall. In the process, Yui toppled off his seat and found himself on the bricked concrete, the girl on top of him.

"Hanako Aiko desu! Thirteen years old! Psychic Class! Likes music! No boyfriend!"

Now, this is a rather awkward time for introductions, but Yui really didn't think so and simply returned the girl's sweet smile. Then he would grab the girl's shoulders and then lifted himself to sit properly, moving her to sit properly as well. As they were already sitting upright, the girl would find herself staring into Yui's eyes, and vice versa. And only inches away from each other's faces.

"Amano Yui. Thirteen. Substantialist. No girlfriend," he replied in his usual calm voice, unable to notice that his hands were still on the girl's shoulders.

[Hanako Aiko]

"My favorite animals are dolphins, I like bananas, cake and ice cream, music is my hobby, I like History more than Math--" Aiko enumerated the lists of her favorite things, not noticing that she is weighing the boy down the ground. The tone of her voice now sounded like he was abducting him to listen to what she was going to say whether he likes it or not--and of course, Aiko had no idea that she's already doing it. She then held out her five fingers to show that she was going to enumerate something, then opened her mouth to blurt them out.

"My favorite musicians are--"

But before she can even add more, she felt the boy's hands on her shoulders and his gentle push for her to sit upright, all followed by his calm voice, saying his turn of the introduction.

"Amano Yui. Thirteen. Substantialist. No girlfriend,"

Aiko paused, still not realizing what he said was an un-evil taunt of her rather weird introduction. In fact, she still thinks she had done the right thing up to now. And just to grab the opportunity, she glanced above his head and found a different name than what he said. She never cared why though, that would come later. As of now, the only things she cared about is the fact that she finally talked with him and that he was smiling at her. In no time, she found herself staring deep in his eyes, her heart beating fast and blood rushing up to her face.

[Amano Yui]

Okay, maybe this girl's approach didn't seem weird for Yui, but she is strange, to say the least. He himself never socialized much (heck, he rarely even talks!) but he does know that that kind of greeting is downright unusual. Still, the cerulean haired boy found her antics quite interesting and continued to listen to her anyway.

This Hanako Aiko girl stopped at the middle of her sentence as he started to push her to sit upright. He found that charming, actually. "And your favorite musicians are?" Yui asked, setting his hands down to his sides. He really didn't expect for an answer; the girl seemed too enchanted for reasons he couldn't and wouldn't understand. Once again, he found that charming. "You're quite a strange girl," he sighed.

Yui noticed that the girl's face suddenly flushed. Was it something he said? Did he embarrass her in any way? Women; Yui just couldn't understand them. He placed a hand over her shoulder and shook it slightly, trying to catch her attention.

Now, doesn't Yui seem that he's being too friendly, not to mention touchy, with this girl? The Yui from before would never do such a thing: he would never smile, he would never introduce himself so casually, and he would never give his comments for other's sake. Yes, one may say that he has changed. He doesn't look much as the Killing Doll that he used to be. Now he's more... compassionate.

"Oi, are you alright?"

[Hanako Aiko]

Snap back to reality, Aiko.

One more second of entrancement on how "attractive" the boy is up close passed, she was finally back to her innocent self.

"You're quite a strange girl,"

The voice echoed in her head for a couple of milliseconds before she placed both hands on her cheeks. She shook her head, turning her body to her left, trying to avoid his gaze.

"Oh no. He thinks I'm strange. What am I gonna do? Baka! Baka! I shouldn't have did that. I hurt him! What now? What now?" She started mumbling, loud enough for him to hear her words but not enough to comprehend them. Having reminded of what her values Education sensei taught her, she let out a sigh. "I should say sorry."

"Oi, are you alright?"

"Aiya!" Aiko yelped while twitching, startled by the sudden burst of his voice inside her troubled mind. She then turned around once more, bent her knees closer to her chest and pushed her self upwards with her arms. She almost fell on him for a second, but she managed to regain her balance. Having her bare feet standing on the ground, she began apologizing to the boy on the ground.

"Gomenasai! Gomenasai! Gomenasai!" She spoke out loud, each apology accompanied by a bow. After he accepts her most sincere apologies, she would run back to her room to go back into composing that song and never ever show herself to him again.

[Amano Yui]

[Sorry for the late reply. I've been really busy.]

As Aiko stood up, Yui simply followed her with his eyes. He really found this girl very different from all the other girls that he have encountered. She apologized numerous times and then ran away from him as fast as she could.

Yui, still sitting on the ground, was dumbfounded, to say the least. He just looked at the girl run away. After a few moments, he turned his head down, his eyes greeted by the gray pavement. He lifted his face, and noticed the girl still running away.

Realizing what had happened, the boy quickly stood up, dashing towards the running girl. She might have been far away from him already, but his lightning fast speed allowed him to catch up with Aiko within a few seconds. He stood in her way, and she would most probably bump into him, where he would then catch her once again. He then looked intently at the girl.

"Sorry," he said softly. "If I offended you in some way, I'm sorry."

It was if some other person was talking. Yui would never in his life chase a person, not even a girl, the way he chased Aiko. He would never ever say sorry, at least not when he doesn't even have a clue on why he's apologizing in the first place.

He would never lose himself like that.

The lad realized what he had just done. Yui shoved his head to the side, letting his layered cerulean hair cover his face completely, not showing Aiko his now flushed cheeks. At that moment he too wanted to run away, but it was as if his feet were glued to the ground and his body restrained by a straitjacket.

[Hanako Aiko]

OOC: My last post for the thread. Let's just continue on another place. Also, I got the permission from Kurogane that I can have an NPC nurse. =]

Just a little more of them steps before you can go back to your dorm room, Aiko. Only a few more seconds to get there and end all this insanity. After this, you will never show your face to him or anyone related to him, got it?

Allona could almost repeat to aloud what Aiko is thinking right at that moment. She sat comfortably on the couch placed near the window in Aiko's dormitory, elbows on top of the hinges and cheeks resting on her arms. She had been watching the kid get herself into a what she would call a "pinchii" for a while now. Just that night, she arrived at the Academy to surprise her beloved XP patient, but she guess she came too late. The door was left unlocked with no one inside. She decided to take a look around and made it just in time to see the girl strangle a boy on the ground from the window view. She was tempted to interfere with Aiko's weird, but rather cute introduction of herself to a poor victim of her undivided attention, but she guess it'll be too late at that rate. With that, she just let out a sigh. She guess it's time to do her job now--the job that she missed doing so much.

Shoving the raven layered hair to her back, the nurse stood up from her seat, the white lab gown crawling down the flawless legs revealed by the black leather mini skirt and further enhanced by the also black leather boots. She pushed her black-framed eye glasses up her perfect-bridged nose, and taking another look at her patient's mirror, she threw a flying kiss to herself by habit of self-adornment. She then rushed out the door, rushing down the stairs as the heels thumped harshly on the marble steps.

~o0o~

"Suggoi! That speed was unbelievable!", Aiko thought with wide eyes as the boy caught up with her. He was now standing in front of her, arms wrapped around her waist the moment she bumped on him out of recklessness. Aiko wasn't aware of any weird feelings that the boy was experiencing as he apologized because her simple-minded well being was preoccupied by amusement, so she just stared in astonished eyes.

"If I offended you in some way, I'm sorry." He apologized once more. Well, yeah. That reminded her of her shame. Her mind reverted to the original plan: To run away.

"AIYA!" She let out a yelp, pushing herself away from the boy's grip and breaking into a run towards the Dormitory buildings. She was free! There was no risk of her getting seen by him in this dark of a nigh--

A glomp. Wait, was that really a glomp? It felt more like a full-body choke. She was grabbed! By some shadow waiting behind the door! She's got to scream her lungs out! She's got to ask for help! NO!

But before she can even do it, her mouth was already covered with a hand that smelled like...a familiar perfume.

"Ssshh. I got'cha." A familiar, deep female voice spoke. Aiko pulled her hand away from her mouth and turned around to see if she was guessing right the identity of the woman---AND SHE WAS!

"Doctor Allona? What're you doing here?" Aiko exclaimed in surprise, half excited, half shocked.

"'Explain later. You're coming with me now." She said, authority and firmness traced in her voice. Aiko just looked down, and let herself surrender to teh older woman.

"Seriously, Aiko. Knocking a male on the ground just like that? you have got to be kidding me!" Allonah said with a laugh, grabbing the girl's hand. She dragged her up the stairs and unto her room.