Another Day (Madoka)

[Aryan Farr]

A week had passed. Aryan had been staying with Madoka and her mother, which had been interesting to say the least. After the third day he had made a full recovery. He had stayed an extra two days though, making it a total of five, not because he was sick, but because he remembered how offended Madoka had seemed when he’d suggested leaving the first time. It had been strange staying with her, in a house full of people. It was different from what he was used to, and in a way he had actually rather enjoyed it. He had almost felt a little sad upon his departure, wishing for more time, but he knew that he couldn’t overstay his welcome. This wasn’t his house, it was theirs. He didn’t belong there…

The white-haired man made his way through the village, weaving his way in between people. He didn’t much like large crowds, but he knew that he had to leave his house sometimes. If he didn’t, he would starve. That, and, well…he was hoping that maybe if he came out here he would see Madoka again. He had thought that perhaps if he left the safety of his little hut he might by chance run into her on the streets. As he walked, he found himself wondering how she was doing. Was her arm healing okay? It seemed to have been getting better when he had left, but he still worried slightly. And how was that little white fluffball of hers doing? He imagined that the dog was probably causing more trouble. From what he had seen of the animal, it was a playful creature, quite mischievous. He wondered if Madoka was taking care of her mother? Or maybe she was with her friends. Both of them had seemed very lively… she probably had lots of fun talking to them…

A man shouldered past Aryan, bumping him to the side and startling him from his thoughts. “Outta my way boy.” Aryan’s eyes widened and he had to do all he could not to fall over. He stumbled, catching himself, and then turned to look at the man in surprise. Some people had absolutely no manners at all… It was appalling. He snorted and glared at the man’s back, watching as he disappeared into the crowd, but then let out a quiet sigh. He supposed it was his fault for zoning out in the middle of the street… He gave an awkward laugh, earning few questioning glances from random passerby, and then he continued to walk. This time he made sure to pay more attention.

Daydreaming was something he did a lot, he always had ever since he was a child. Many people would say he had his head ‘stuck up in the clouds,’ wondering how such a boy would ever be able to rule a country. It had used to anger Aryan, but now, after abandoning his kingdom when his ideals and image of a ‘perfect world’ could not be met, he understood. With a sigh, he tried to clear those thoughts from his head. He tried to pay more attention to his surroundings, watching the people walk by on either side of him, glancing at the stands that the merchants had set out. Most of the items being sold were far from interesting, however, something glinted in the sunlight and caught his eye, making him look twice. A jewelry stand?

Aryan made his way over to it, stopping hesitantly in front of the merchant’s stall. At first he wasn’t sure why he was staring at the necklaces, but then an image of Madoka flashed through his mind. He imagined what she would look like in the necklace and smiled. Aryan reached down a hand, lifting up one that he found particularly beautiful. But…wait, what was he doing? What reason did he have to buy something like this for her? Perhaps as a ‘thank you’ gift… He had been wanting to pay her back for the kindness she had shown him, for the way she had let him stay at her house. Did people do that here? Give gifts? He assumed they did…gifts were gifts, and who didn’t like receiving a gift? He started to pick it up again, but then stopped. Would it be too forward? Or maybe it was selfish, him buying something – maybe he was just doing it to make himself feel better? Oh, but he thought that Madoka would like this one… He must have been making a weird face, because he heard the shopkeeper say something to him, a question. “Huh? What?” Aryan looked up from the necklace he was holding, giving the man a blank look. What had he said? Again, Aryan hadn’t been paying attention, too lost in his thoughts to know what was going on in the world around him. He could guess what the man had said though. Probably something along the lines of: ‘hurry and make your damn mind up!’

[Madoka Ogawa]

Today was a fine day compared to last week. Last week, it had been stormy and rainy and just plain miserable. Today wasn’t the warmest of days, but at least it was a bit sunny and thank heavens, it wasn’t raining!
Technically Madoka should’ve been working today, but her boss (The good one, not the jerk from the inn) had urged her to stay home for a week or two after hearing of her incident down by the beach and her injured arm.
It still hadn’t completely sunk in what happened that day; sharks, demons, dark caves… it almost sounded like a children’s bedtime story. The type of story parents would tell their kids to scare them into staying away from places they deemed dangerous.
She shrugged her shoulders and continued down the road. What happened last week was the past now, and she really shouldn’t dwell on it.

Strangely enough, Madoka was actually in town today. She’d considered going out for a little trip, but apparently she had developed a minor fear of water as a result of her last trip. It likely wouldn’t last, and within a month, she’d happily be swimming with her friends again on their day off. But not today.
Going to the cove was ruled out quickly by her mother, who didn’t like the idea of her child going somewhere where she might have to climb at one point with a bad arm. Her arm had healed quite well, but her doctor had told her that it would take a while before she could fully use it again. ‘Some minor nerve damage, nothing to worry about’ he’d told her before telling her she’d have to train her muscles daily in order for them to heal faster.
For a few moments, Madoka just wandered about, occasionally checking out the stalls that were set up today for anything of interest. When she found nothing particularly interesting, her mind began to wander instead. How she managed to keep walking with her head in the clouds without bumping into someone was beyond her. It was probably the years of training that made her capable of avoiding a run-in, or maybe the villagers were so used to it by now that they knew to take a side-step whenever Madoka was around.

A deep sigh escaped her lungs, and a pout formed on her lips when her thoughts wandered to her guest – or should she say former guest – Aryan. She missed him quite a bit, which was surprising, because she didn’t even know him all that well yet. yet. As if she still had a chance to get to know him better. She didn’t even know if he was still in town, or whether he’d wandered off to another part of the country.
Why had he felt so inclined to leave anyway? Yes, she’d made him reach for things on the higher shelves in her kitchen whilst he was staying over, but she hadn’t asked that much of him. And she’d made it quite clear that his company wasn’t a burden at all. She hadn’t outright told him she enjoyed his company, but hadn’t that been obvious?
The more she thought about it, the sadder it made her. Maybe he just didn’t enjoy her company. Maybe that’s why he insisted on leaving so soon.
Or maybe she was just being weird, asking a complete stranger to stay in her house for as long as she had. A week was a pretty long time, how long would she have wanted him to stay? Two weeks? A month? Two? Wasn’t that really strange? Wanting someone you don’t actually know all that well to stay that long?
“Ma’am?” she asked sadly as she stopped a woman in the middle of the streets. She knew the woman quite well, but still felt it more polite to address her as ma’am.
“What is it dear?”
“Is it weird to want a stranger to stay at your house?”

The conversation made her feel a little better. The woman told her it wasn’t really that strange, so long as you allowed that person to help you around the house so as not to make them feel like they’re intruding. She’d also mentioned that having a handsome young man over was never a bad idea, and with that, she’d ended their little chat to continue her shopping.
That last bit had left her a little giddy. Aryan sure was handsome, no doubt about that. She’d like to think she hadn’t just invited him over so he could serve as eye-candy though.
Oh boy, she really needed to stop thinking about his looks, or she’d find herself blushing in the middle of the street. “Bad Madoka!” she giggled to herself, unable to stop that blush. She was still a young woman, and young women were entitled to a few moments of silly girlishness, weren’t they?
“Aw man…” her moment of happiness faded once more when she remembered Aryan was gone, and before she knew it, that frown had managed to etch itself into her face once more and she returned to wandering the streets like a lost cat.
A few more stalls came into view, and Madoka glanced over briefly. She wasn’t really in the mood for shopping, but maybe if she saw something nice, she’d feel a little better. Stuffed animals, food… all important things, but nothing that cheered her up.
That’s when a jewelry stand came into view, and Madoka’s eyes were instantly blinded by all the shiny lights getting reflected her way. A slight smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she walked over and bowed politely at the merchant before checking out several necklaces and bracelets. Oh joy, she loved jewelry!
“See anything nice?” The merchant asked her after a few minutes, and Madoka merely shook her head. They were all pretty, but it was either not her taste, or far too expensive to even consider.
“Take yer time, girly.” The man told her before walking off to help other customers.
A few minutes later, and she still wasn’t much closer to a decision. If her mood hadn’t been bad already, it sure was now. A stand with some of her favorite things, and nothing she really liked? Someone up there must really have it in for her.

“Gettin’ a present for the wife, eh? Got somethin’ to make up for?” Madoka looked up awkwardly when she heard the merchant speak up, seemingly to her. When she noticed he wasn’t even looking at her, she sighed and put the jewelry back down and was ready to leave when she heard something that drew her back.
“I really recommend that one.” Her curiosity made her turn her head to see what piece he was talking about. So what if she was eavesdropping? If she ended up liking it and buying it, his day got a lot better, right?
“Huh? What?”
Her jaw dropped and if she’d been holding anything, that would’ve dropped too when she noticed who the merchant was speaking to. Aryan? And he was standing right next to her?
Oh God, this was awkward. Apparently he was still in town after all. But why? And why was he buying jewelry? He didn’t strike her the type of guy to wear necklaces – especially not women’s necklaces.
Oh dear, was the merchant right, and did Aryan have something to make up to his girlfriend, or his lover or his… wife? What the- He had a wife?! That would explain why he wanted to leave so soon! He had someone waiting for him, but why didn’t he say so from the start?
No, no there had to be a better explanation for why he was still in town… and why he was jewelry shopping. She had to admit he had good taste… the piece he was holding was definitely something she’d consider buying for herself, and there were several other things lying in front of him that were really pretty. No! No time to think about jewelry!

It didn’t seem like he had noticed her yet. If she were quick, she might be able to scurry off undetected.
It wasn’t like she didn’t want to speak to him, but she didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable by catching him in the middle of shopping, in case he was a cross dresser and intended to buy that necklace for himself. And she didn’t want to come across as a creeper who just showed up out of nowhere to stare at him and stalk him from behind a bush. That wasn’t what she was doing, but it might come across as such.
Before she had a chance to leave, the merchant suddenly noticed her and grinned from ear to ear before pointing a very eager finger at her, despite her waving her arms, begging him to not make a sound, or move or whatever. “Is that a look of interest I see?”
She turned her head to the side and pretended to be looking at something else. Damn merchants and their obsession with sales.

Her feelings were slightly mixed. One part of her hoped Aryan wouldn't notice her and just leave, another part hoped he'd see her and actually want to talk to her. At least that would clear up her confusion about whether Aryan enjoyed her company or not. If he didn't, he'd just pretend not to see her and walk off.
By now, the merchant was already going through several pieces of jewelry, trying to figure out which one the funny girl would want to buy, "Yer not makin' it easy on me by lookin' away, missy." he laughed cheerfully.

((OOC: So sorry for the late response. I've been really busy this week.))

[Aryan Farr]

“Is that a look of interest I see? Yer not makin' it easy on me by lookin' away, missy.”

“What? I…” Aryan trailed off as he realized the man wasn’t speaking to him, but someone else. He glanced to the side, a reflex reaction. He nearly missed the familiarity of the face next to him, not fully paying attention, but suddenly something registered. Wait…was that…?

Aryan’s eyes went wide, expression full of surprise. “M-Madoka?” he stammered, the shock he was feeling showing in his usual calm voice. He just stared at her for a few moments, wondering how he hadn’t noticed her before. Had she been there the whole time, or had she just walked up? Maybe the crowd had just been so dense that he hadn’t noticed her. He had went wandering around today in the vain hope that he might see her, and now here she was, but he hadn’t a clue what to say to her. He stared at her, blinking, forgetting that he was holding the necklace in his hands. In one swift movement, Aryan turned away from the shopkeeper to face the girl. “What are you doing here?” he asked, before realizing that was probably a dumb question. She lived here, didn’t she? It was only natural for her to go shopping.

Aryan honestly hadn’t been expecting to see her. He had hoped in some part of his mind that he would, but he hadn’t thought they would actually meet. For a moment, he felt his heart swell, happy that they had managed to run into each other. Luck must have been on his side, for them to run into each other at the same place, at the same time. There were so many people walking the streets today, and he could have easily missed her.

Of course it was only his luck that they met at this spot, as he was pondering purchasing a gift for her. That’s when he remembered he was still holding the necklace. He jumped a little at the sudden realization, the piece of jewelry falling from his hands and landing in the dirt by Madoka’s feet. He cringed at the ungraceful move, trying to cover it up with a small smile and an awkward laugh. The merchant at the counter didn’t seem very happy, and he growled something about ‘customers needing to be more carefully with his precious gems.’ Aryan mumbled a quick apology to the man and then hesitantly leaned over to retrieve the necklace. How embarrassing… Usually he wasn’t so clumsy. He really wasn’t. He didn't know why he was acting so flustered.

“I was just…” Aryan started to explain, but then he quickly clamped his mouth shut, thinking it was best he didn’t try to explain. There was no reason to open it again and sound more stupid than he already did. Maybe she wouldn’t notice the necklace that he was holding? Doubtful. She would probably ask any second now. Aryan hadn’t even considered that she might think he was purchasing it for someone else, someone that wasn’t her. Well, he supposed that made up his mind for him, didn’t it? Still, he continued smiling his polite smile, the one that wasn’t quite real, and then he said, “It is good to see you again, Madoka. What a coincidence we should both be here today.” His voice was calmer now, and he was back to his normal self. He handed the merchant the necklace, giving a small nod, and then pulled a few coins out of his pocket, offering them to the man. “Thank you, sir,” he said as the necklace was handed back to him by the greedy merchant. Once the exchange was complete, Aryan turned his blue eyes back to Madoka and he smiled. This time the expression was gentle, more sincere.

[Madoka Ogawa]

“M-Madoka? What are you doing here?” she heard Aryan stammering next to her, and she winced slightly in return. Damn, so he had noticed her after all… and judging by the way he addressed her, he wasn’t too pleased to run into her today. How awkward.
She slowly turned to face him with laughed a little nervously, “Aryan! What a surprise! I thought you left!” she deflected, hoping to come across as genuinely just noticing him now, “I mean um… not that I hoped you had left… but, you know… you’re free to go wherever you want, right? So it was possible you’d already travelled to a better- I mean, warmer place… and… uh…” she cut herself off with a quiet cough and stared down at her feet before remembering his question, “I was just… well… shopping, you know women and their shopping addictions.” She hinted subtly. ‘You know right, because your girlfriend likes shopping too’ Ouch… it was a good thing she hadn’t said it out loud, or she would’ve really made a fool out of herself.
Thank goodness Aryan beat her to it by dropping the necklace he’d been holding into the dirt and getting scorned for it by the merchant. He smiled and laughed awkwardly at his action and Madoka went right along with it, scratching the back of her neck when he momentarily diverted his eyes away from her.

“I was just…” as soon as his mouth opened, it had already closed again. It was probably for the best. For some ridiculous reason, it didn’t seem like they could have a normal conversation today… which was entirely his fault, of course. She was just flustered at running into someone she thought was long gone, but he knew she lived here and that he might run into her, so he should’ve been more careful about where he went shopping and stuff.
Making up excuses for herself and shifting the blame made her relax a little, though not too much.
“It is good to see you again, Madoka. What a coincidence we should both be here today.”
Hey, how about that! She relaxed for a second, and already it was affecting him as well. Or was it the other way around? Who cared, at least the moment of awkwardness was gone for now, and Madoka hoped it wouldn’t resurface again.

She waited patiently for him to finish his purchase before speaking up.
“Yeah I… hadn’t expected to see you again, to be honest. I thought you might’ve already moved away again…” She smiled a little when she noticed his expression, the relief clearly showing on her face. If he looked at her like that, he obviously didn’t hate her company, and that revelation made her feel a bit better about herself.
Should she mention the necklace, or just pretend she hadn’t seen it? If he had bought it for a girlfriend or a wife, things might get ugly again because she’d come across as a jealous mistress. Or she could turn it into a joke… or she could pretend to have a boyfriend and say something along the lines of ‘Cute necklace, my boyfriend bought one exactly like that a while ago!’, that way she wouldn’t come across as jealous, because she herself would be in a loving relationship! Brilliant!

But as she was about to say it, she remembered Aryan had actually stayed at her house for almost a week. What a dreamy boyfriend she must have if he a) didn’t come looking for her when she’d been lost in the storm, and b) to not even come visit her afterwards. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea after all, she’d come across as quite silly to accept that sort of behavior, and she didn’t want Aryan to think she would put up with such a person. Not that she cared about what Aryan thought of her though, nope, not at all.
So instead, she just kept her mouth shut and pretended she hadn’t seen it. She’d been looking directly at it, and it almost hit her foot on the way down, but that was beside the point. The point was, that it was really none of her business who he bought gifts for.
The merchant seemed to have all his energy focused on getting Madoka to buy something too, and she was getting a little uncomfortable. “Um… no, thank you.” She gave him a polite wave before slowly walking away from the stall, glancing over her shoulder to see if Aryan would walk with her. Talking here seemed impossible with that guy waving gold and silver in her face every chance he got.
“So um… how long will you be staying?” she asked as she sat down on a nearby bench, “Unless you were already in the process of leaving and just wanted to do some last minute shopping.”

[Aryan Farr]

“Yeah I… hadn’t expected to see you again, to be honest. I thought you might’ve already moved away again…”

Some strange expressions were passing over Madoka’s face. Aryan watched her for a few moments, slightly confused. Was she not happy to see him? He felt his heart drop a little, though he kept his smile in place. Had he done something wrong? Maybe he had overstayed his welcome, or maybe that was it, maybe he had said something that had offended her… He studied her closely, unsure what to think. Despite her reaction, he still was glad that they had ran into each other. “Why would I have left?” Aryan asked with a slight head tilt. Unfortunately, Madoka probably didn't hear because he was cut off by the merchant. Aryan smiled politely at him, shaking his head as the man offered him more of the jewelry, holding up a bracelet this time. Honestly, he had just bought something! This man was, indeed, a greedy merchant.

Necklace in hand, Aryan turned to look for Madoka, who had already moved off, walking away. He watched her for a moment, and then hesitantly began to follow after her, jogging a few steps to catch up. “Hey, um, wait…” Maybe she really wasn’t glad to see him? He hoped he hadn’t done something wrong. Aryan was silent as they walked, going over his actions in his mind, trying to think if he might have said something to offend her. Then, something almost worse occurred to him. Maybe she didn’t like the necklace. She had been making faces at it. Aryan hadn’t missed the way she stared at the item of jewelry as he purchased it. She seemed almost…resentful toward it. He sighed to himself, thinking that perhaps it hadn’t been such a good idea to buy it after all. Wait – no no, he was being ridiculous. She was only walking away because the merchant was pestering her. Logically, this made sense. The problem was that Aryan wasn’t thinking very logically.

Madoka sat down on a bench nearby in a less crowded area of the street. Aryan copied the motion, slowly lowering himself down next to her.

“So um… how long will you be staying? Unless you were already in the process of leaving and just wanted to do some last minute shopping.”

Again with that? Aryan gave Madoka a curious look. She really did think that he was going to leave, didn’t she? Perhaps she thought that because he was a foreigner he travelled a lot? He supposed this was partly true, as he did tend to hop from village to village quite frequently, however, this had been his home for more than three months now. He had stayed in this village longer than he did most, and that was simply because the people here had left him alone. A few of them had stopped to gawk at his white hair, but no one directly confronted him about it, which he was thankful for. Aryan had lived here for a while now, and yes, he was a little surprised to see that Madoka did too, but then again, there weren’t that many towns near the ocean, were there? The only reason they hadn’t met until now was probably because Aryan spent all his time locked up in his house. That made it rather hard to meet any new faces.

“Madoka,” he said at last, looking up with a slight smile on his lips. “I am not going anywhere. What made you think that?” He studied her for a moment, and then continued, “I have been living here for a little over three months now, and I do not plan on leaving any time soon.” His fingers tightened around the necklace for a moment. Give it to her you fool. He started to lift his hand, but then he drew back again. But what if she didn’t like it? Give it to her! “This,” Aryan suddenly blurted out, “I bought this for you.” That hadn’t been exactly what he had been planning to say, but it would have to work. Aryan held the necklace out to show Madoka, offering her a smile. “It is a ‘thank you’ gift,” he went on to quickly explain, “for allowing me to stay with you.” He was silent for a few moments, watching her face anxiously. It was important that she liked it, for if she didn’t it would be a completely useless gift and he would have failed. “I am sorry if it is not to your liking…” he began to say, glancing off to the side, hand still offering her the jewelled necklace.

[Madoka Ogawa]

“Madoka, I am not going anywhere. What made you think that?”
“You’re not?” she asked in a voice that might’ve sounded a little too cheerful considering her mood just now. “I uh… well… you know, it was possible. I mean, this village isn’t the greatest place to stay with the weather being bad most of the time and stuff…?” she sighed softly and leaned back against the wall, “I mean, if I could, I’d probably leave this place myself… find someplace warmer, see some new people, you know?” now that he’d mentioned staying here, she felt a little more at ease. Of course there was still some awkwardness hanging around them, but with some effort that would clear itself up as well. They’d gotten along well enough when he was staying at her house, there was no reason they couldn’t go back to that.

“I have been living here for a little over three months now, and I do not plan on leaving any time soon.”
“Three… months?” her look was incredulous. Surely he was pulling her leg right now. There was no way he’d been here for three months.
Even if she had been caught up in her work as much as she had, she would’ve seen him at least a few times before. One didn’t just live in a place for such a period of time without meeting the locals, unless they didn’t want to, of course.
“Oh I get it… you’re messing with me, aren’t you?” she smiled and shook her head, “I’ll admit… I almost believed it for a second. How could you be here for three months without me noticing?” or Yuka and Akemi noticing for that matter, seeing as they didn’t seem to know him either, and they spent a lot more time outside than she did.
Even if she wasn’t sure whether she believed him or not, at least they had something to talk about now, and she could entertain the thought “So… I guess you don’t need a tour of the area then?”

“This, I bought this for you.” he suddenly blurted out, catching Madoka ever so slightly off guard as she looked down at his hand. Was that the necklace he’d just bought?
Confusion spread all over her face, and her culture would’ve forced her to politely decline or tell him he shouldn’t have bothered, however, the girly-girl in Madoka had other plans.
Rather than acting polite and telling him she really didn’t need it, she took it gratefully, looking at it with a slight smile. She really thought it looked pretty, and would’ve likely bought it for herself if she’d gotten there first.
“F-For me? Are you sure?” she asked finally in an attempt to not come across as too greedy, “Why?”
“It is a ‘thank you’ gift,” he went on to quickly explain, “for allowing me to stay with you.”
“Ooh…” that made sense. He really hadn’t been bothersome to her, but she had allowed him to stay for almost a week, it was only logical that he wanted to give her something in return. She likely would’ve done the same, if she’d been in his situation.
“It was no trouble at all,” she said with a smile before glancing back down at the necklace, admiring it quietly for a moment.
“I am sorry if it is not to your liking…”
She blinked a few times as she looked up. Wow, had she really been quiet long enough for him to mistake it as disinterest? That was bad.
“Huh? Oh no, it’s not like that at all!” she waved her hands in a slightly apologetic manner, “I really like it, it’s beautiful. Thank you.”
She managed to resist the urge to get up and hug him for actually buying her a gift she'd actually want, and instead held up the necklace, moving her hands behind her head so it would look like she was wearing it.
“So… how does it look?”

((OOC: Sorry for being late! (And sorry if the post sucks) Work/School, it hurts usss... D:))

[Aryan Farr]

“Three… months? Oh I get it… you’re messing with me, aren’t you? I’ll admit… I almost believed it for a second.”

Aryan looked confused for a second. “I am telling you the truth,” he said, eyes sincere, if not a little baffled. “I would not lie to you.” He supposed he did understand her confusion though. “I know what you are thinking. How could I have possibly been here for three months and not have met you?” He paused, and then added, forcing out a small chuckle, “ I…well…I suppose it is safe to say that I do not go out much.” He really didn’t go out very often. He spent most of his days indoors, or sitting somewhere along the beach. He almost always avoided the marketplace, the village center, if he could, and the only time he really went there was if he was running low on food. He always visited in the morning too, when most of the people were not yet out on the streets. So many bodies in one place made him uncomfortable, and he didn’t like the odd stares some of them would give him. He just found it easier to stay locked up inside. That is, after all, how he had spent nearly all of his life up until now.

Oh well, whatever the case, he was just glad that Madoka had seemed happy he was staying. When he had first told her he wasn’t leaving, he had seen the relief on her face. Maybe this village would be the one? The one that he could call home? He dared not think this though, for the moment he thought that he knew something would happen, and he would once again find himself walking, searching for another one. But maybe, just maybe… he wouldn’t run this time… Aryan sighed quietly and then decided this was not the time to be thinking of such things. Luckily, Madoka’s words distracted him, turned his attention back to the present, to the gift he had just given her. He held his breath. What would she say?

“Huh? Oh no, it’s not like that at all! I really like it, it’s beautiful. Thank you.”

“Oh, I am glad,” Aryan said and let out a sigh of relief, shoulders visibly dropping as he reminded himself to breathe again. “I was afraid that perhaps I might have chosen wrong.” She liked it, or she seemed to anyway. He didn’t think that she was pretending. He hoped not. She looked genuinely happy, so he tried not to overthink it. He was still wondering about the dirty look she had flashed at him when he had purchased the necklace though. She had been giving the piece of jewelry quite a good glare back at the stand… Perhaps he had misread her expression? He didn’t have time to question her though, because the next moment she had turned toward him, holding the necklace in place around her neck.

“So… how does it look?”

“It looks very nice on you,” Aryan assured her with a smile, this one slightly wider than usual. He reached out a hand, and then he hesitated, drawing back a little. “May I?” he asked, eyes flickering to the necklace and then to Madoka’s face. It would be okay, right? If she wore it? He leaned toward her, closer, and then lightly placed his hands atop hers, taking the necklace from her grasp. He motioned for her to turn her head, and then he began working with the clasp of the necklace, pulling the two ends together. She smelled nice… a light floral scent. She… Wait, what? He snapped back to reality, and quickly drew back, realizing that he had finished hooking the necklace together. He cast his eyes over her face and down to her neck, admiring the jewelry that now hung there. “Beautiful,” he whispered, voice barely audible over the talking of the crowd. He smiled at her again, but this time there was something different about the expression. This time his lips seemed to curl up a little farther, and something similar to adoration was reflected in his sea-blue eyes.

[ S'okay! as I said earlier...I'm patient xD ]

[Madoka Ogawa]

“I know what you are thinking. How could I have possibly been here for three months and not have met you?”
Madoka slowly nodded her head. He’d seemed quite confused when she decided to laugh his story off, but it wasn’t that strange a thought, was it?
“ I…well…I suppose it is safe to say that I do not go out much.”
“Why not?” she asked simply, tilting her head slightly in confusion. She never understood those people who spent all their time indoors, didn’t they feel lonely and trapped?
Unless they had a massive family to keep them company, she couldn’t imagine anyone actually enjoying their time spent at home.
Maybe she just felt this way because, for the last few years, her home had also been her working place, and living right next to your bosses office tended to feel a lot like living in a prison, with her boss being the warden.

“You should definitely go out more. Just think; If we hadn’t both been at the beach last week, you still wouldn’t know of my existence!” she laughed, “Then again, considering all the trouble I caused you, maybe that would’ve been preferable.”
Another silence fell, and Madoka awkwardly shifted on her spot. Maybe her social skills had gotten rusty after such a long time of dealing with the same people over and over again.
The last time she’d seen an actual stranger – though Aryan apparently wasn’t a stranger around these parts – had been several years ago, even before her mother had gotten sick.
How old could she have been at the time? Twelve, thirteen?
If only she could be thirteen again, at least she could blame her apparent lack of people’s skills on her going through puberty then.
“Oh, I am glad, I was afraid that perhaps I might have chosen wrong.” Aryan said after she thanked him for the necklace, and let out a sigh of relief, shoulders visibly dropping.
“Not at all!” she grinned as she held the necklace in front of her, “You have excellent taste. That, or we both have bad tastes. But… well, at least I like it, and if I do have bad taste, at least I won’t have to worry about thieves stealing it, right?” she rambled on like her life depended on it. When had she gotten so talkative? Well, she’d always enjoyed talking… but that had been with her friends, around strangers she tended to be quiet and polite. Or at least, she thought so. She’d changed quite a bit since the last time she saw a foreigner, maybe that gentle and demure girl was something of the past?

“Sorry if I talk too much, my mouth just never stops running… Kind of like that waterfall in the forest… I just go on and on and on, usually when I’m excited or nervous. Not that I’m nervous now though, I just hate silences, ask anyone!” she had to physically kick herself to shut her up.
Maybe she was a little nervous, though it made very little sense; Aryan really wasn’t a scary person. Maybe that was exactly the problem. Who cared if you left a bad impression with some creepy hobo? She sure didn’t. Leaving a bad impression on someone you actually wanted to know was a lot worse.
Though considering last week, when she’d run into a dark cave like some idiotic sheep, she didn’t think she could actually make him think worse of her. Hell, she thought badly of herself for her behavior.

“May I?”
And looking back on this event two weeks from now, she was pretty sure she’d feel stupid and embarrassed all over again; Aryan was leaning towards her and reached out with his hands, and his whole meaning went right over her head. Why was he leaning in like that? He’d better not be coming onto her, they barely knew each other and how inappropriate would it be to try anything in the middle of a crowded street? Though, perhaps the fact that she was just staring at him rather than slapping him and informing him of this was just as, if not more shameful.
No wait… this was Aryan. Even if she didn’t know him that well yet, she felt like she knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t do something like that. Perhaps if she stopped thinking so much, she’d actually know what was going on.

“W-What?” at that moment, she felt him take something out of her hands and motioning for her to turn around.
“Oh… OH! The necklace!” of course, she’d been holding that necklace! That made perfect sense! So Aryan’s mind was still pure and innocent, it was just hers that was in the gutter. Good. No wait… that was bad, very bad. ”Bad Madoka, BAD! Shame on you!”
“For a moment I thought you-“ she quickly shut up when she realized what she was about to admit, “you… noticed my hair was messier than usual.” She mumbled quickly, thankful that her face was turned and he couldn’t see her cheeks blushing slightly over her lie, “I don’t have work today, so I don’t have to try and impress anyone.” And thank heavens for that. She hated wearing her hair up in all sorts of weird hairdo’s, she preferred to just have it down, though she understood that wasn’t acceptable when presenting guests with their meals - a hair might fall in the food, after all.

When he finished hooking the necklace together he looked down at it with a smile before moving his eyes back to her face and smiling even wider.
“Thank you.” She whispered softly as she brought a hand to the piece of jewelry around her neck, wishing she had a mirror to see how it looked on her.
Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t gotten him anything in return. Sure, she’d let him stay at her house for a couple of days, but if he hadn’t been with her in that cave, she would’ve likely been dead right now. Surely he deserved a gift more than she did? But what could she get him? Shopping for men was always a lot harder than shopping for women.
Maybe they could walk along the stalls and she could watch him for signs of interest? Yes, that sounded like a fine idea.

“So… I was just in the middle of shopping when I ran into you. Would you like to accompany me?”

[Aryan Farr]

Madoka asked him why he didn’t get out much, telling him he should leave his house more often, however, before Aryan could think of how to answer her, she started babbling about the necklace. Well, he supposed that meant that she liked it, or, well, he hoped so anyway. She’d said she had. Aryan opened his mouth to say something back to her, reply to what she was saying, but then she started rambling about something else.

“Sorry if I talk too much, my mouth just never stops running… Kind of like that waterfall in the forest… I just go on and on and on, usually when I’m excited or nervous…”

Aryan gave a quiet laugh. “There is nothing wrong with talking,” he said, speaking up before Madoka could keep going. She claimed that she wasn’t nervous, and yet that seemed to be exactly what was going on. But, why was she nervous? Was he really that scary of a person? Aryan didn’t think he looked very threatening, but he could be mistaken. Then again, he had been the nervous one a few minutes ago, heart pounding as he gave Madoka the piece of jewelry. His face scrunched up as he tried to make sense of it. Maybe they were both just strange people. Wait… No! Maoka wasn’t strange. She seemed to think she talked too much, but that wasn’t true. If anyone was strange, it was him. “You have a nice voice, I do not mind listening,” he added, trying to make her feel better.

“For a moment I thought you…you noticed my hair was messier than usual.”

Madoka seemed startled as Aryan tied her necklace for her. He gave Madoka an odd look when he had finished with it, tilting his head to the side ever so slightly. He blinked, sea blue eyes a little confused. It seemed a rather odd thing to say, what she’d just blurted out. “Your hair?” he echoed with a quizzical raise of his eyebrows. And then, as he was sitting there, a somewhat blank expression on his face, it hit him. Wait… Was she blushing? And, a better question, why was she blushing? Had she thought…? Aryan’s eyes went a little wider at the realization. He would never do a thing like that! Not here, not in a place where there were hundreds of people walking about. That would go against any etiquette he had been taught! If he was going to do something like that it would be in a different setting, a more secluded one. Wait. What was he thinking? “Your hair looks fine. There is no need to worry about something silly like that,” Aryan told her sincerely, reaching out and brushing a few strands of her dark hair away from her face. It was best to just play along with Madoka, or so he figured.

As they sat there, Aryan turned his gaze in the direction of the crowd, watching people walk by. Madoka thanked him for the jewelry, and he smiled, glad that she liked it. It made him feel like he had done something right, made someone happy, and in turn that made him happy too. Maybe he had done something right for once?

“So… I was just in the middle of shopping when I ran into you. Would you like to accompany me?”

“If that is what you would like,” Aryan agreed, giving a slight smile. He rose to his feet and then turned around, offering a hand down to Madoka. It wasn’t that he didn’t think she could stand. It was, well, just the polite thing to do, a well-mannered gesture. “What exactly is it you are shopping for, Madoka?” he asked, curiosity getting the better of him. Perhaps she was out to buy some food for the evening meal? Or maybe she was just treating herself to something? Whatever the case, Aryan doubted that he would be much of a help. That is, unless she needed help carrying shopping bags home or something. Otherwise he had a feeling he would just be pretty useless. So…why was she asking him to come with her then? Was she just trying to be polite? He pondered this for a moment, blue eyes thoughtful, but then he went back to smiling. Oh well, it didn’t matter. Honestly, he was just glad to be in her company, so the reasons behind it were not important.

“And...about what you said before,” Aryan added, casting his eyes toward the ground as he spoke. “The reason I do not go out often is because…I feel I do not belong here.” He frowned at his words. That reason sounded incredibly stupid when he spoke it out loud, and he started to think that perhaps he should have just ignored her earlier comments and let it remain a buried subject.

[Madoka Ogawa]

“There is nothing wrong with talking, you have a nice voice, I do not mind listening,” Aryan told her before she could continue ranting about, and before she knew it, she was grinning broadly.
He liked her voice! He actually liked it! Most people got mad at her when she talked too much for too long, because they accused her of having a squeaky, annoying voice. Though she supposed it had been a few years since someone called her out on that, maybe her voice had finally matured as well?
“You’ll regret saying that by the end of the day, you know.”
Never give a woman more reason to talk, or you’d find they never shut up. At least, that was the case with Madoka, with all the work she usually had to do, there was little time left to just sit and talk to someone, so when the opportunity arose, she’d latch onto it and talk someone’s ear off like there was no tomorrow.

Of course, Madoka also knew there were times when it was best to just keep your mouth shut. Much like the moment she’d mistaken Aryan’s intentions for a moment, as evidenced by the look he was giving her as he reached around her to tie the necklace for her.
Thankfully she managed to keep quiet, that was, before the moment she decided to bring everyone’s attention back to the subject of her idiotic reaction and only finding out halfway through the sentence what she was about to say, and having to make up some ridiculous story about her hair.
“Your hair?” he gave her a funny look and Madoka could just die at that moment. Crap! He wasn’t falling for it!
Well, of course he wasn’t falling for it, he wasn’t stupid or slow in the head. Even the town simpleton would be able to see through that hair story, and that was saying a lot.
“Your hair looks fine. There is no need to worry about something silly like that,”
“Oh thank you!” she sighed deeply in relief, her shoulders visibly relaxing a little. Of course the compliment was welcome, but she’d thanked him more for just playing along and dropping the subject. She wasn’t sure how she would’ve handled him asking what she’d really been thinking, she’d most likely just try and mimic last week’s behavior and run straight into the face of danger so as to make him forget about the whole ordeal.
That would be a little hard to accomplish though, seeing as there weren’t exactly dangerous demon-ridden caves in town.

For a moment, she thought she’d make a fool out of herself once again when Aryan reached out to brush a few strands of hair out of her face, but surprisingly enough she just smiled and thanked him again for the necklace, surprising even herself with the level of calmness she was displaying. Maybe she was adapting to the situation? That would be fantastic! Madoka was quite sure both Aryan and herself had seen enough awkwardness for one day.
“Of course, I’d love the company.” she said after he agreed to come with her, and slowly reached out to take his hand. Yes she could stand by herself, but that didn’t mean she was just going to ignore the gesture. His hand was pretty warm and she wondered if that was always the case.
It probably was… all the men she’d ever met had warm hands, while most women seemed to have colder hands. Weird…
”Lucky bastard.” half of the time, her hands would be freezing cold. She’d love to have naturally warm hands, alas, it wasn’t exactly something one could buy.
“What exactly is it you are shopping for, Madoka?”
“Hmm… I’m not sure yet…” she scratched her chin thoughtfully, “You know women don’t need a reason to go shopping.” She grinned and winked quickly as she began walking.

“And...about what you said before, the reason I do not go out often is because…I feel I do not belong here.”
That comment stopped her right in her tracks, slowly making her turn around to face him. He was frowning, so it must’ve been really hard to admit.
Madoka’s eyes saddened as she walked back a little, “Why? Do people treat you badly because you weren’t born here?” that seemed to be the most logical reason, people tended to fear what they didn’t know. Much like everyone hated demons and half-demons, immediately associating them with something dangerous and evil.
That thought only made her frown deepen. Before she’d met that girl on the beach – Kilala – she really hadn’t been much different, she’d been scared of demons too, and really wasn’t sure what to think of half-demons.
Could she really judge people badly while she was more or less the same? Wouldn’t that be extremely hypocritical?

Then again, she had been able to admit she was wrong in her views, and had treated the girl quite well if she said so herself. And now she was hanging out with ‘the foreigner’, so she couldn’t be that bad?

[Aryan Farr]

“You’ll regret saying that by the end of the day, you know.”

“I doubt that,” Aryan told her, shaking his head. He knew that Madoka talked a lot, sometimes saying things that made absolutely no sense, but he didn’t mind. He was a good listener, and he much preferred hearing her voice than sitting in silence. He found that he had missed it in the few days they had been apart, and it felt good to hear her talking again. Besides, Aryan wasn’t the most socially skilled person, and because of this he didn't care whether he got to do the talking or not. He always acted too practical, too polite, and so half of the things that ran through his mind were never spoken aloud. He supposed this came from being raised as royalty. He wondered, if he had just been a normal child, would he have such difficulty now? Would forming his feelings into words be so hard?

They had only been walking for a few seconds, but Aryan had said something that seemed to trouble Madoka, because she suddenly turned around, eyes seeming a little sad. “Why? Do people treat you badly because you weren’t born here?”

Aryan flinched. He had been hoping she wouldn’t say anything about that, but then again, how could she not? Perhaps he shouldn’t have mentioned it, maybe it would’ve been best to have left her question unanswered. “Oh, um…well…” He trailed off, uncertain of what to say. What Madoka had said was only half the reason. Yes, sometimes the odd looks people gave him bothered him, sometimes the whispered rumors made him feel uncomfortable, but that wasn’t the main problem. There were deeper issues than feeling like an outcast, things that were hard to put into words. He had run away from his kingdom, crossed an entire ocean, abandoned his crown of royalty, but he couldn’t explain any of that to Madoka. He’d never told anyone about that before, and he kind of hoped he would never have to. Maybe if he didn’t talk about it, it would go away. The less he spoke about it, the faster it would fade, become a distant dream. He knew this wasn’t true, but it didn’t hurt to try.

“Yes, something like that,” Aryan answered at last, finishing what he’d started to say before. He forced his lips up into a smile, giving Madoka a reassuring look. He hadn’t meant to trouble her. That was the last thing he wanted to do.

“Um…” Aryan searched for something to say, something to get the subject away from himself. “Oh! I have been meaning to ask you… How is your arm?” Yes, it was an obvious subject change, and he wasn’t sure if Madoka was going to go along with it or not. He started walking again, glancing over his shoulder to make sure she was following.

Aryan knew that Madoka’s injury had been worse than she’d ever let on. He’d been unsure of what to do, and so he had left it, silently praying she would heal. So far she looked like she was doing all right, or, at least she didn’t look any worse. That was a good sign. He felt slightly more useful as he thought of this. If she was going shopping, she was bound to wind up with a bag or two by the end of the excursion. She probably shouldn’t be carrying those, should she? If he was still with her, then he could do it, carry them home for her. But – Aryan sighed, cutting himself away from his thoughts. He was worrying too much again, wasn’t he? Yes, he thought he was. “Hopefully it is healing okay,” he added.

[Madoka Ogawa]

“Oh, um…well… Yes, something like that,” Aryan forced his lips up into a smile, and gave her a reassuring look. Madoka wasn’t convinced though. She’d heard him pause mid-sentence, and he’d had a look on his face that seemed to suggest he was either not telling her everything, or just plain and simply lying.
“I see…” she mumbled, feeling a little divided between letting it go, or pressuring him into telling her exactly what was on his mind.
Maybe he needed to get something off his chest and just felt like he would be burdening her again? He seemed to be under that impression every now and then.

“I think… people just aren’t sure how to deal with things outside their comfort zone,” She said finally, “Everyone knows how to act around a Japanese person because they had a similar upbringing and share the same culture, but with people who weren’t born here… maybe they aren’t sure how to speak to you because they don’t know your culture? What is normal behavior here might actually be rude where you came from, and… well…” she giggled slightly, “Most people here would rather hang themselves than have people think of them as rude.”
Her face grew serious again as she now mimicked his action from before and brushed his hair out of his face, “Perhaps I could introduce you to a few people? It won’t be good if you continue to stay inside, that way people will never get to know you personally and the situation wouldn’t improve.”
She still pondered asking him if there was anything else bothering him, but for now, he’d have time to think about what she said about the problem he actually acknowledged.
Maybe once they knew each other a bit better, he’d feel safe enough to tell her what was really going on?

“Oh! I have been meaning to ask you… How is your arm?”
Madoka’s eyes narrowed as he started walking again, but luckily managed to wipe the suspicious look off her face in time when he turned to look at her.
Now she knew he had something to hide! What could it be though? Respecting his privacy got more difficult by the minute.
She slowly followed after him, glancing briefly at her arm.
Technically her arm was doing alright. It was just that her hand was still a little weak, though the doctor had already told her it would probably heal soon enough.
“It’s fine.” She answered simply, realizing full well how childish she was being. If he was only going to tell her half-truths, so would she. See how he liked it.
But… shouldn’t she be giving him the proper example by being completely honest? That’s what her mother always told her. ”Be the bigger man, Madoka.” of course she wasn’t a man, but the message remained the same.
“Well, my hand’s still a little numb, but the doctor said that’s normal… so nothing to worry about!”

She had to pick up her pace to keep up with him, and decided to just drop the subject for now. She’d land it on him when he least expected it: After she’d bought him a thank-you gift. Oh boy, she was clever! He’d never see that one coming! Maybe she’d manage to catch him so off guard that he’d accidentally answer her question, though she knew that was likely just wishful thinking.
“So… shopping… don’t you love shopping?” she asked casually as she took another little jog to catch up to him again. If only she could buy longer legs, that would be great!
“Are you the type to just walk around until you see something nice, or are you the type that makes a list and then searches only for those items without looking at anything else?” For some reason, she believed he’d choose the latter. She had a hard time picturing Aryan stopping by each stall he came across to check stuff out and then leave without buying something. The question needed to be asked though, she couldn’t exactly ask him directly what type of stuff he liked, or he’d get suspicious.

[Aryan Farr]

“I see…”

Madoka sounded a little hesitant in her reply, like she didn’t quite believe his words. Aryan avoided her gaze as they walked, glancing around, looking at random people, at the sky, anywhere but Madoka really. Just as he began to relax, thinking she had let it go, she spoke again, this time seeming to give him some sort of advice. She went on like that for a few moments, talking about people, about their culture, telling him her reasoning. Aryan was uncertain if Madoka had really believed what he had said, but he went along with the conversation, grateful she wasn’t asking any more questions. “Ah, well, perhaps you are right.” Aryan smiled again, the same reassuring look he had given her before.

“Perhaps I could introduce you to a few people? It won’t be good if you continue to stay inside, that way people will never get to know you personally and the situation wouldn’t improve.”

Aryan was surprised at the kind offer. “You do not have to do that for me,” he told Madoka quietly, shaking his head. “The last thing I want to do is trouble you.” He spoke the truth, as he really didn’t want to bother Madoka with this. He hadn’t meant to bring it up in the first place, but the words seemed to have just slipped from his mouth. He needed to be more careful with what he said. He was lucky that had been all he’d blabbed. She really didn’t need to worry about him. He wished he could tell her that, but he wasn’t sure how. “It is not as if I am completely alone,” he added, almost a little defensively. “I know…” He trailed off, trying to think. “I…well…I know you.” His defensive tone quickly faded into sheepishness, and he glanced down at his feet as he walked. “That is one more person than I knew a week ago though.”

They walked in silence for a moment, and then Madoka answered Aryan’s question about her arm, telling him it was ‘fine.’ At first he was relieved when Madoka answered his question. It meant, if only for a moment, he would not be in the spotlight. It was only when he heard the almost snappy tone in her voice did his expression fall. Oh, so that’s how it was, was it? He narrowed his eyes at her, understanding her reply fairly fast. He was about to say something about it, but then she spoke again, seeming to change her mind and give him a little more information.

“Well, my hand’s still a little numb, but the doctor said that’s normal… so nothing to worry about!”

“Your hand…?” Aryan repeated, looking a little confused. Wait, hadn’t it been her arm that had been injured? This only confirmed his suspicions that she had only provided him with a half-truth, much like he had just done to her. Aryan hadn’t pushed too much on the subject though. He didn’t want to seem like he was prying into other people’s lives. They might see that as rude and become cross with him. “I know there is something you are not telling me,” he whispered, despite his previous thoughts. This wasn’t prying. He was just asking this because he was concerned about her, which was true enough. While he never worried for himself, he did worry for others. A lot.

Aryan slowed down a little, noticing that Madoka was having trouble keeping up. It would be bad if they got separated in this crowd.

“So… shopping… don’t you love shopping?” And then, not giving him time to reply, “Are you the type to just walk around until you see something nice, or are you the type that makes a list and then searches only for those items without looking at anything else?”

No, he did not particularly like shopping, however, he thought it would be rude if he said that. “I suppose that depends,” Aryan answered, seeming thoughtful. Why was she asking him this anyway? A subject change? Then again, he couldn’t point fingers, as he had just done the same thing to her moments earlier. “Sometimes I know what I want, but other times I will just wander around until something catches my eye…” He trailed off, seeming lost in his thoughts for a long moment. He was mostly referring to the foods he purchased for dinner, because it was not often that he bought luxuries for himself. “Why do you ask?” He tilted his head to the side curiously, glancing over at Madoka with questioning eyes.

[Madoka Ogawa]

“It’s no trouble at all.” Madoka shook her head slowly when Aryan told her he wouldn’t want to trouble him with, what he no doubly saw as ‘petty’ problems. Personally, if their roles had been reversed, she would’ve jumped on that sort of offer and never let go. No one went through life alone by choice.
“In fact, I’d be delighted to introduce you to a few people. That way, when they come to harass me, I can send them all your way and not deal with them myself.” Not that she’d actually do- Oh who was she kidding? Yes she’d do that, she’d feel bad about it for a few minutes, but then she’d take comfort from the fact she was rid of their annoying company.
“It is not as if I am completely alone,” he added, almost a little defensively. “I know…I …well…I know you.”
“Uh-huh…?” she was patiently waiting for him to list the rest of his contacts, but apparently, she was the only one on that list.
“That is one more person than I knew a week ago though.”

She stared at him blankly for a moment, he had to be joking. There was ‘not getting out much’ and then there was what Aryan had seemingly done. Three months, and she was the only person he knew? That had to change! There was no way he could be happy just knowing her
“Well…” she started flatly, the blank expression still present on her face, “My company counts for three, so there you go! Now onto the next three…?” she smiled innocently at him in case he’d get mad at her for being too pushy. She could be like that if she wanted… well, she never really wanted to be seen as pushy, but some people – like Aryan it seemed – needed someone to more or less force them to do things, otherwise nothing ever happened.
A dirty job… but someone’s gotta do it!

Apparently Aryan didn’t need help recognizing snappy comments, for within less than three seconds, he’d narrowed his eyes at her and mumbled something about her not telling him everything.
“Join the club.” She muttered back, not really caring too much whether he heard or not.
Screw her mother’s ‘words of wisdom’, she wasn’t mature enough to ‘be the bigger man’ apparently. He was keeping secrets from her – which was within his rights, seeing as he didn’t owe her any explanations – but that was mutual too, she’d told him what he needed to know, and she didn’t owe him any elaborations.
A part of her mind practically begged him to confront her and demand she tell him the truth, that way she could do the same to him without feeling too bad.
But then… there was also the risk of him getting mad enough over her prying that he’d walk off without her and hide in his house. Was that really worth it? Apparently he wasn’t the type to go out and meet new people, how awful would it be if he’d stop speaking to her and be all by himself again? Three months and Madoka was the only person he ‘knew’ in the sense that he knew her name and where she lived and… wait a second… she didn’t even know where he lived! And she didn’t know if he had any siblings, or where he was from…

Madoka frowned slightly as she thought about all the things she did know about him, and finished listing all of them ten seconds later. Maybe she was seriously out of line wanting to know things he obviously wanted to keep to himself, they barely knew each other, and they certainly weren’t close enough that sharing deep, dark secrets would be considered appropriate.
She bit her lip when she finally came to the conclusion that his personal business really wasn’t her business, and that the subject of her arm was really petty and didn’t compare to what he was hiding.
Dammit! She hated being wrong!
She glared silently at her own feet. Apologizing for being snappy and bitchy and all that would be in order now, but a small part of her still felt justified in acting that way. Or maybe it wasn’t as small as she’d like.

”Come on, apologize!” she glanced over at Aryan, then back to her feet, ”Do it!” no, why should she apologize for showing interest in his life and showing her disagreement in a… somewhat… hostile fashion…”Get it over with already!”
Rather than apologizing, she went on to ask him about his shopping habits, hoping that would shut up that annoying conscience nagging at her.
“I suppose that depends, sometimes I know what I want, but other times I will just wander around until something catches my eye…”
Well… that didn’t help. She hated versatility, she really did. With a passion.
“Why do you ask?”
“Oh, just making small talk.” She replied as she thought about what to do now that plan A of finding out which gift to buy had miserably failed.
She should’ve expected it. Men didn’t shop enough to have a strong preference. If only Aryan had instead been Aryana, that would have been so much easier. Alas, one could not buy a gender-changing device either.
Not that she would buy such a thing in this case, turning Aryan into a woman would’ve been such a waste.
”Be nice; apologize!” her conscious chipped in once more when her mind wandered for a second. She cringed inwardly at her own ability to come up with ridiculous lines like that. What the heck had they put in her food this morning? It couldn’t have been anything good.

She just walked beside him in silence, occasionally opening her mouth to say something, but never finding the words. They’d moved onto another subject, there was no need to bring it up again, right? And just because she knew now that she might’ve been very slightly wrong didn’t mean she no longer wanted to know what he was hiding, if she apologized now, it would be like a promise that she’d never bring it up again, which was a promise she more than likely wouldn’t be able to keep.
“So… um…” maybe she shouldn’t have let him put that necklace on her, now anyone could tell she was nervous or feeling awkward by the way she was playing around with it, “Nice… weather we have today, huh?”

[Aryan Farr]

“In fact, I’d be delighted to introduce you to a few people. That way, when they come to harass me, I can send them all your way and not deal with them myself.”

“Ah, well… how kind of you?” Aryan said, wondering if she was being serious. She made it sound like a bad thing, which confused him a little. He just smiled though. He didn’t particularly want that much company around him, as the thought made him a little nervous, but he would let Madoka do what she wanted. She’d said the people annoyed her, right? Well, if she introduced them to him and they came to ‘harass’ him, that would mean they wouldn’t bother her anymore. So, he’d be doing something useful at least. That made him feel slightly better. He didn’t think she had meant it rudely anyway, so it was a nice gesture. “Thank you for being concerned.”

“Join the club.”

Aryan didn’t miss the sarcasm in her voice, and he was a little taken aback by the comment. He didn’t say anything though, instead just diverting his gaze toward the ground, staring at his feet as he walked. He hadn’t meant to upset her, but it seemed like that’s just what he had done. Should he just tell her the truth? He bit his lip, not liking that idea. That would only trouble her more. Putting such information on a person would be rude. It wasn’t just that though. Aryan had others reasons for keeping his mouth shut. For one thing, it would be humiliating to admit to anyone what he had done, completely shameful. And, if Madoka learned that he was actually royalty, she might treat him differently. Who wouldn’t? That thought made him a little sad. Then again, this was what…? The second time they had met each other? Would the loss of her company really be such a tragedy?

“I take it you are not going to tell me about your arm?” Aryan asked hesitantly. He regretted it after he’d spoken, thinking that maybe he was being too persistent. They hadn’t known each other for very long, so it was only natural that she might not want to talk about it. For some reason, he had started to think of Madoka as a friend of some sort, but then again, what did he know about friendship? “Sorry. Forget it.” He said it with a smile, casting his gaze up toward the sky above them. “As long as you are okay, that is really all that matters.” That was true… She seemed to be fine, otherwise he doubted the doctor wouldn’t have let her outside. So, whatever had happened, she must be making a speedy recovery. Or, maybe he was wrong, maybe she wasn’t hiding anything from him at all and he was just being a paranoid freak. Maybe –

“So… um… Nice… weather we have today, huh?”

Madoka’s voice broke through Aryan’s thoughts. He looked over at her, blinking his blue eyes. “The weather?” He glanced back up at the sky, which he had just been looking at, and he gave a half smile. “I suppose so.” As he said that, the wind started to pick up, whipping through his snow white hair. Aryan reached up a hand, tucking it behind his ear again, trying to get it out of his face. In the near distance, there was a peaceful chiming sound, a beautiful melody that was carried to them in the wind. It made Aryan look up, sea-blue eyes stretching wide. That sound… It reminded him of the place he had used to live, and he had a brief flashback of when he was just a child, a young boy. He had heard this noise many times before, brought to him whenever the wind would blow, for just outside the royal quarters there was a balcony…and on that balcony there were dozens of wind chimes, those beautiful dainty objects that danced in the wind, creating soothing notes. He remembered listening to them every night as he fell asleep, small silver dangles striking against each other to create a calming lullaby.