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Asbolus:
Asbolus emerged from one of the cottages tucked into the Winter Hollow, bidding its resident adieu as he stepped out and closed the door behind him. The Darkling was dressed neatly as was his wont for his work attire, keen eyes scanning the hollow to see if anyone else had arrived during the conversation he had just concluded.
Azuma Hiroko:
There was a young lady he has met once before, rolling around in the snow and making snow angels. She was alone though, and dressed in a tshirt and pants that was three times too large for her, held to her body with bale string of all things. Her silvery hair shone, glittering with bits of melting snow and causing the natural waves to look a bit matted. If not for all the movement, he might not have seen her at all!
Asbolus:
Thankfully Asbolus was a keen-eyed fellow, and upon spotting the young Courser he couldn't help but smile at her exuberance. He made his way over and crouched down a bit aways from her current spot in the snow as to now spook her, the smile still in place. "You look like you're enjoying yourself."
Azuma Hiroko:
She stopped and turned so that she was laying on her stomach, propped by her elbows as she looked at Asbolus. She remembers him! He was nice to Lamp.
She tilted her head to one side curiously. There was no expression in her features besides a dull and almost sad look, RBF style. "Good day, Mr. Asbolus. Do I look like I am enjoying myself? I do not know."
Asbolus:
"I would say so. Playing around in the snow is a grand way to spend time, especially with the heat outside being what it is."
Azuma Hiroko:
She nodded and pushed herself up on her knees so that she could bow to him. "Yes. It is very hot outside. I am pleased to meet you again, Mr. Asbolus."
Asbolus:
"It's good to see you as well. And just Asbolus is fine, by the way." He offered with a small smile, gathering a bit of the nearby snow and idly rolling it into a proper ball, the movements almost too smooth thanks to the enhancements of the Wyrd about him. "How have you been settling in?"
Azuma Hiroko:
She thought about his answer carefully before replying, "I do not know... It is confusing... A lot of new experiences... I am still exploring the city and finding many wonders I have never seen before and do not know about. Did you know that the Eastern Gray Squirrel can also be brown in fur color as well as black and even white? Lamp told me that they are the same type of squirrel. Why are they named Gray if they are not gray?"
Asbolus:
"I can't say that I did, no, and a fair question indeed." He chuckled, hefting the snowball but not throwing it quite yet. "Taxonomy is a curious field on that front, from what I've heard."
Azuma Hiroko:
"What is Taxonomy?" she asked, blinking and eying that snowball.
Asbolus:
"How things are separated into categories to be understood easier as a group." He smirked a touch, tossing the snowball up and catching it deftly. "I suppose nomenclature - the naming of things - would have been a better word to use there, but I digress."
Azuma Hiroko:
She frowned and scratched her head. "English is confusing."
Asbolus:
"It can be, even for a native speaker at times." He nodded, then offered her the snowball. "I've studied a few other languages as well, although more of the Western European bent."
Azuma Hiroko:
She accepted the snowball curiously with bare hands. Her hands were slim and slight, emphasizing the size difference between the two of them. She lifted the snowball up to examine it all around as she asked, "What is Western European?"
Asbolus:
The snowball was almost perfectly spherical, carefully shaped for maximum precision when eventually thrown. "The countries west of Russia and their former satellite states: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, all that." He watched her for a moment, eying her curiously. "If you don't mind my asking, when were you Taken?"
Azuma Hiroko:
Almost on impulse, she decided to lick the snowball, then deciding that the lack of taste was not worth it, placed it on the ground to gather more snow around it as though building something with the snow.
"Nineteen ninety three. There are a lot of countries. Germany is familiar. I do not remember why." she mused.
Asbolus:
He chuckled as she licked the snowball, watching as she went about putting more snow around it to get a feel for what she was trying to build. "Germany and Japan fought together in one of the larger wars in the past century, that may be why."
Azuma Hiroko:
It almost looked like she was building a crater around the ball. "... World War Two? I think I remember a little bit of it. There was a mushroom at Hiroshima and Nagasaki."
Asbolus:
"Indeed." He made a 'may I?' motion towards the crater, helping with the construction if she gave the all clear. "A garish act, that was."
Azuma Hiroko:
She smiled at him and nodded her acceptance of his help. As she kept adding more snow, interestingly, she was re-creating what it might have looked like from the top of an atomic bombing on a city. What made it more curious was that she wasn't entirely sure of what she was building, almost as though this was automatic muscle memory rather than actual memory.
Asbolus:
As the structure came together his eyebrow arched upwards, eyeing her curiously. "You said that you remember the war itself, or just studying about it?"
Azuma Hiroko:
She stopped and blinked at him. "I remember learning about it in school."
Asbolus:
"Just curious." He nodded down to the snow cityscape. "This is rather on-point for something being built from memory."
Azuma Hiroko:
She looked back down at the snow model, then looked at him again. "Is it? I do not know."
Asbolus:
"It's not a bad thing, mind you." He offered in reassurance. "My own memory tends to be rather keen, which is both a blessing and a curse at times."
Azuma Hiroko:
"But... I do not know what it is I have built..." she muttered as she squinted at the snow model.
Asbolus:
"It looks like a city that was bombed in a similar manner to Hiroshima. I'd pull up a picture but cell phones tend to go a little spare in the Hedge."
Azuma Hiroko:
Hiroko was silent for a moment as she examined her creation curiously. Then she shrugged and beamed up at him. "I have a cell phone too! It is Hello Kitty! Do you want to see my cell phone?"
Asbolus:
"Certainly." He said with a smile, the momentary oddness set aside for the moment. "If it rings while you're here, though, I wouldn't answer it. You never know who might be on the other end."
Azuma Hiroko:
She started digging into the many folds of her giant pants to reach the pocket where she pulled out a pretty pink phone that had a little painted hello kitty ribbon on one corner to show it to Asbolus. It was an iphone of the latest model. (Which is funny because what Lamp brought home was a book on Android for Dummies.) The phone was clearly a limited edition model, with sleek rose gold borders and rose gold apple to match the pink.
It was also dead...
Asbolus:
He waited as she pulled her phone out, a query about her current ensemble pinned for a later moment, and nodded with a smile as she showed it. "Very nice, although it looks like you may need to charge it. Mine's a bit plainer, admittedly."
He pulled his own phone to reveal a Samsung that was a generation or two back but still serviceable, clad in a black rubber case.
Azuma Hiroko:
She canted her head and blinked in confusion. "Charge?"
Asbolus:
"Mmhmm." He tilted the phone to show her the charging port at the bottom. "You should have received a cable that you plug into the wall and the phone at the same time to recharge it."
Azuma Hiroko:
She made a soft "oooooh" sound as if it only just occurred to her that the accessories that came with the phone was absolutely necessary too. The little sheep nodded her horned head eagerly. "Okay."
Asbolus:
"It takes a bit of getting used to, but after a while it becomes a habit." He said with a small smile. "I do have to ask, though: have you had a chance to get new clothing for yourself since you got back?"
Azuma Hiroko:
"Yes." she nodded again. Then she lifted up her arms to show him her attire proudly... Thus, dropping the phone into the snow model...
Her attire was definitely not new. Infact, it was worn and the colors faded, as though it had been washed a million times before. There was even a small hole in the seam on one shoulder and the rest of the seams looked like they were just about to become holes too.
Asbolus:
The phone was deftly caught before it could make impact, hyper-keen reflexes coming in clutch at a speed where she may not have realized she'd dropped the device.
"They look rather worn, and far too large for you besides." He nodded down to the string holding up her pants as he handed the phone back. "Where did you get them from?"
Azuma Hiroko:
"The soup kitchen lady gave them to me! She gave me a lot of new clothes!" she said as she accepted the phone and tucked it back into her pocket.
Asbolus:
"Soup kitchen lady...one of ours, out of curiosity?"
Azuma Hiroko:
She shook her head. "No. She is very nice and friendly!"
Asbolus:
"I see..." He nodded slowly, mulling to himself as he put his own phone away. "Would you like to get some that fit you a little better and don't need to be tied onto you?"
Azuma Hiroko:
She frowned down at her clothes. "Are they expensive?"
Asbolus:
"Not terribly, no. I'd be happy to help cover the cost, from one Winter to another."
Azuma Hiroko:
"... I do not know if I should accept your offer." she hesitated. It wasn't that she would owe him or that she was stingy with money... It was far more than that. "I... I have never bought clothes before..."
Asbolus:
"They were given to you before, I take it?"
Azuma Hiroko:
Hiroko nodded, looking quite ashamed and embarrased.
Asbolus:
"There's no shame in that, my dear." He gave her a reassuring look. "One does what they must with the circumstances dealt to them."
Azuma Hiroko:
"It is shameful to not belong anywhere. To be no one." she muttered as she poked at the snowball he made earlier. The sad look had returned.
Asbolus:
His features softened at that, offering her a hand to take. "You are someone, even if you may not know who that is yet. You've been given a chance to make yourself anew, to be who you want to be, and you have a place to belong."
Azuma Hiroko:
She looked at the hand, not entirely sure what he wanted. Out of impulse, she grabbed a handful of snow to put it in his hand. "Why? I will never be someone if I do not belong. I do not think I belong anywhere... Except... There... I belonged There..."
Asbolus:
He chuckled quietly as she placed the snow in his hand, shaping it into another ball as he spoke. "You were forced into a mold there, the same as the rest of us. You were made to be a part of that place, but something that laid deep within you knew that you didn't truly belong, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to make it back."
"This city may not be familiar to you but it is a welcoming one despite it's rough exteriors. I felt out of sorts when I first came here as well, but the people here accept you as you are. This is the best place for you to be at the moment, surrounded by those who will support you as you find yourself once again."
Azuma Hiroko:
"I do not like who I was... I do not think I want to be who I was... I like being There... I was happy... Is this really the best place for me?" she asked as she watched him make another pristine snowball.
Asbolus:
"You don't have to be that same person. I know full well that I'm no longer that man, and someone else is living the life he left behind better than I could now."
"What made you happy about being There? The simplicity of doing what you were told, the lack of a need for higher reason, only obedience?" A Courser he was not but he felt a kinship with them nonetheless, and that showed in his gentle tone as he spoke.
Azuma Hiroko:
"I have always been told what to do. Obedience is natural." she shrugged. It was true for someone like her, hell, it was true for any typical Asian family... Not that she knew what a typical family was really like...
"He.... She? Um... I forget..." she continued, struggling to find the correct pronoun for the Child who never had a consistent form or gender. Finally, she gave up and said, "I was loved There. I was needed. I was cared for..."
Asbolus:
"You were useful. A tool in their arsenal to get what they wanted out of you." He replied, leaving her comment on obedience untouched for the moment. "You can find that love here, in a much less toxic manner. Tonya and Lamp care for you, no?"
Azuma Hiroko:
At the mention of Tonya and Lamp, she brightened visibly and perked up. "I think so... I care for them. They are like the family I never had."
Asbolus:
"There you go, then." He said with a small smile. "And as others here get to know you, I wager more will feel the same for you and vice versa."
Azuma Hiroko:
She blinked up at him, hope blazing in her expression. "Do you really think so, Mr. Asbolus?"
Asbolus:
"I do, yes." His smile widened at that shining hope in her expression, giving her a small nod. "I'm sure of it."
Azuma Hiroko:
She paused, thinking about his answer and all the people she has yet to meet. When she looked up again, her expression was questioning... Almost begging... Like a puppy begging for a treat... "Do you care for me, Mr. Asbolus?"
Asbolus:
"I certainly do. You've been through quite the ordeal, as we all have, and I wish to see you thrive now that you've made it out."
Azuma Hiroko:
Something akin to absolute joy causes her eyes to go wide and she pounced at him to hug him tightly.
Asbolus:
Asbolus let out a quiet oof at the sudden hug, chuckling as he gently looped his arms around her. Close as she was Hiroko could feel the metaphorical sharpness that had imbued the Darkling as his Wyrd increased, but it was kept from causing any harm as the two embraced.
Azuma Hiroko:
She did wince as she felt the sharpness, but that didn't deter her from hugging tightly. If he could accept her weirdness, she can accept his. And she wasn't being harmed despite that feeling, so it is no bother and she can push it aside like she was taught to do.
Technically, this wasn't appropriate. Not in her culture. She was an unrelated young woman embracing a handsome man. Before her Taking, she would have refrained and simply bowed and thanked him for his care politely. But she wasn't just a young woman anymore, she was also a Beast, complete with the instincts of one. So a hug was, something that felt needed at that moment and she happily sighed in his arms.
Asbolus:
Asbolus smiled warmly as he looked her over, giving her a light squeeze in return. "You matter here," he added quietly, "regardless of what happened to you before. Remember that."
Azuma Hiroko:
She looked at him with a beam. "Okay. Thank you, Mr. Asbolus."
Asbolus:
"You're very welcome." He gave her another light hug, looking her over with that smile still firmly in place. "Would you like to continue playing? It's been some time since I've had the chance to do so myself."
Azuma Hiroko:
She giggled and nodded. Immediately, her mantle strengthened and the feeling of companionship filled the air around them. Her form blurred slightly as she shrank in size slightly and began sprouting fur. Within a couple of seconds, a golden retriever sat in front of him, tail wagging and absolutely destroying the snow model of an atomic bombing. She gave him a gentle but playful lick under his chin.
Asbolus:
He watched her transformation with no small bit of interest, chuckling as she gave him a lick and scritching her behind the ear. "I'll have to introduce you to my friend Jack's hedge companion, Moss. She's a sweetheart of a dog, you'd get along well."
Azuma Hiroko:
She gave him a soft woof, licked him again and then pounced away. He said he wanted to play, right?
Asbolus:
Asbolus grinned, taking some of the snow in hand and rolling it swiftly into a ball before lobbing it into the air for her to 'catch'.
Azuma Hiroko:
Just like a normal golden retriever, her eyes snapped to the snowball and she ran to catch it with her mouth... Which of course, causes it to fall apart... She blinked and looked around for where the ball disappeared to... It's taking her just a moment to realize that the ball was made of snow and of course it would disintegrate. Silly doggo instincts took over for a bit there! She looked back at him with almost a grin as she panted.
Asbolus:
"Nice catch." He replied, forming another ball in short order and tossing it her way. He kept things interesting as more of them filled the air, making her work for the catches while throwing the snowballs with remarkable precision.
Azuma Hiroko:
Soon enough, the Winter Hollow was filled with excited barks and show flying everywhere as she chomped on each snowball he threw her way. There was a lot of running around and jumping up and playbows too.
Asbolus:
Asbolus proved himself to be quite the artilerist, chucking the snowballs hither and yon and keeping her active as she zipped about to get them. A warm smile was firmly in place, enjoying this far more than he had expected.
Azuma Hiroko:
Hiroko now had a wet head, golden fur plastered down. There were also bits of snowcicles sticking to her whiskers and ends of her fur, all around her mouth. It seemed like she had bottomless energy as she kept up with his barrage of white ammo.
Finally though, she trotted over to him to lay down at his feet, panting heavily and tail wagging hard still. Steam from her breath rose visibly in front of her, causing even more icicles to form around her head. Phew, she was tired!
Asbolus:
"Very well done." He reached down to give her some proper scritches, helping to clear the ice and snow a bit as she recharged. "Had fun, I hope?"
Azuma Hiroko:
In answer, she rolled over to expose her belly, her ears flopping onto the snow, her lips hanging from her gums and her tongue lolled out to one side, giving her quite the silly look.
Asbolus:
He couldn't help but laugh at that, shaking his head with a smile as he gave her some good solid belly rubs.
Azuma Hiroko:
Her right hind leg started moving fast as he rubbed her belly. He was getting to some very itchy spots! The laugh was exactly the reaction she was hoping to get with her antics. Mission accomplished.
When he was done with the belly rubs, she got up quickly to slobber all over his face in the form of excited puppy kisses.
Asbolus:
Rather experienced with this he kept his lips tightly closed, looking rather amused nonetheless as he was swiftly covered in puppy kisses. When she finished he gave her head a ruffle, looking her over with a smile. "That was very fun. Thank you for indulging me."
Azuma Hiroko:
She barked and grinned her silly doggo grin before her form blurred again and a few seconds later, Hiroko was sitting in the snow looking quite pleased and proud of herself. "You are welcome, Mr. Asbolus! I am glad to have helped give you joy."
Asbolus:
"Do you have other business to attend to this evening, or would you like an escort back to the library?"
Azuma Hiroko:
"I do not have any other plans. I would be honored to be escorted back... Although... Well... Could I ask you for a favor?"
Asbolus:
"Of course."
Azuma Hiroko:
She blushed slightly, her pale cheeks getting a rosy tint. "I would like to accept your offer to acquire clothing that fits better... If... If it is not too troublesome for you, Mr. Asbolus..."
Asbolus:
"Not in the slightest." He moved to stand and offered her a hand up. "We can stop somewhere on the way, in fact; an associate of mine runs a thrift shop that stays open late, we should be able to find something for you there."
Azuma Hiroko:
Hiroko took the helping hand, stood up and gave him another hug. "Thank you, Mr. Asbolus..."
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