Sigh of the Fairy (Chidori)

[Ayakura Alisa]

Chidori had decided she was confident enough to split since our explorations together, which honestly, I didn't mind - it made me feel a bit grateful that I was able to help someone gather the courage to break through such a traumatic event. However, I felt... I felt strange. I felt like I started to care for Chidori, as if she were another family member, or something... Actually, when I returned home, I realized there were people going to the Shrine, there was a special event or festival going on there. I guess it was to celebrate the Valentine's Day, which was coming up soon. Did they celebrate that here? I don't recall ever treating it seriously myself, but since it was a special occasion, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to take Chidori on a relaxing night out, just to kick back and chat I guess. The poor girl deserved a break after all she'd gone through. I may have lost my parents, but something took away her voice, and something took away the one thing that might have saved her voice, too. I recalled how pained she looked when we entered the hospital.

...Far more unfortunate than me. I started to get dressed into a special kimono my mother left for me a week before she left. Yes, a kimono. It was pale cream in color, adorned with simplistic floral motif, and the kimono obi was a royal blue, similarly decorated in natural theme - leaves, flowers, the works. It was also a variant of furisode, that was to say, incredibly formal kimono with long, flowing sleeves. It was often worn to incredibly personal events and celebrations, such as a wedding. Others may see it as an invitation for something, but I was more than a match for anyone who would dare to lay a hand on me OR Chidori.

I took my phone and shot a message to Chidori. Hey, Chidori-san. Sorry for the sudden message! There's a festival happening at the Shrine, and I was wondering if you'd like to join me? It will be my treat for you. I'll treat you out. If you'd like to join me, I'll be waiting at the steps to the Shrine. It'll be very easy to find me, as I'll be in very bright colors. Hope to see you there! -Alisa

Having sent the message, I made my merry way to the Shrine. It was quite an amazing sight to be hold - marvels of nature, those sakura were. The petals falling, it was an unusually romantic sight. However, I had no romantic intentions in mind... I hoped, as I was... Well, let's say it would reflect poorly on me, no matter how good Chidori looked. I cared for her like a family member. I wanted to make her feel happy; she seemed so quiet and shy during those times when I first saw her. Detached, almost. I hoped that this night would make her feel better about her circumstances and have a better outlook on things.

...I'm sure my parents would have preferred me to be doing this than bumming around in depression and self-denial, anyway.

[Chidori Tsukino]

She was still a little shaky she had to admit, but the feeling of being a burden weighed more heavily than that, and besides, she would eventually need to go back to normal living anyway. Still, Chidori was a little saddened when she split up from Alisa, heading back to her own apartment with a silent sigh. Fortunately, nothing seemed amiss back home, and she didn't really have to clean up too much. A little dust was probably the biggest thing.

Drumming her fingers against the pad she used for note-taking and enemy compilations whilst she sat at the desk, the digital log of her journeys now somewhat lacking, thinking deeply. It was still hard to go back to the memories of the sewer, and not wanting to break her newfound confidence so early on, the mute decided to leave it for another time. Instead, she found herself staring at a blank page of her drawing books, mind idling on random memories from the past couple of days. Without really thinking about it, she started to doodle, not really noticing that there was a familiar looking splash of brown hair adorning the face that was being sculpted onto the page.

Of course, her strange drawing reverie was broken when her phone buzzed, alerting her to a new text. Chocolate brown eyes scanning over it, Chidori blinked a few times before the meaning actually settled in - there was a festival going on to celebrate...something, anyway, and Alisa was asking her to come along. In what seemed like another life, she'd been to many local festivals with her parents, donning a traditional kimono and visiting (mainly) the nearby shrine, where the majority of the festivities were set up. There were often fireworks too, which used to make her gasp with delight, and even after the incident, she still enjoyed the wonderful displays.

Biting her lip lightly, she flashed a quick look to her bedroom, in the rough direction of her wardrobe; did she still have something decent for a festival? On her feet in seconds, she began fiddling about with her garments, wondering if she would actually have to make something herself in a short period of time. Thankfully, near the far left side of her hanging clothes, the mute found a kimono she had actually forgotten about. Smiling a little, Chidori decided to freshen up first with a nice, hot shower, before she slipped on the dark-orange attire, patterned with silvery-white butterflies. Fixing it up with brighter gold-orange obi, the mute quickly set about the finishing touches of earrings and a very light application of foundation - she replaced her usual earrings with small, dangling orange butterflies to match her attire - before slipping on the matching set of sandals.

More or less happy with her appearance, the mute hurried as much as she could, hoping she wasn't late or anything, lest Alisa move on without her. As she neared the steps of the Shrine, she too noticed the falling petals, instilling a strong sense of homesickness for a brief moment before she let the nostalgia pass, her eyes drifting about the faces of people moving towards the shrine. It took her a few moments, but eventually her chocolate-brown gaze laid upon her friend, only to widen in shock as she registered what the other had meant about very bright colours. Shutting her mouth (and fervently hoping that Alisa hadn't seen her jaw drop), Chidori strode over, her cheeks brightening with a faint flush. 'Hello Alisa-san. You look very pretty.' She didn't trust herself to say anything more, even though she was mouthing.

[Ayakura Alisa]

I stood stationary by the stairs, looking around, fortunately I was ignored by most people, either they were already with their significant other, or they were with their friends, or they were alone and waiting for their own dates. Good with me. I coughed and looked up at the sky, before I heard some footsteps getting louder and louder. It had been a long time since I attended any sort of festival, or matsuri, as my father would call it (my mother was far more comfortable with just calling it a festival). Deep down inside, I knew... ...Yes, I would do my best. For them, and for those who I could.. Those I could call friends. Yes. Friends... My thoughts were interrupted as my eyes fell upon the sight of Chidori, who took a note and arrived wearing her own kimono, dark-orange in color, reminding me of... tangerines somewhat, I could make out the outlines of silvery-white butterflies, and it was kept tightened with a golden-orange obi. I also noticed she applied make-up on herself, and wore a set of earrings fashioned in the shape of butterflies.

Well, she looked stunning.

She came up to me and told me straight up, that I looked very pretty. I had a faint smile. I didn't know if I was blushing or not. Probably was. I gently placed a hand on Chidori's shoulder. "Hello, Chidori-san. I'm glad you came to see me... And you look very beautiful yourself. The clothes you wear suit you very well," I nodded approvingly, soon turning my gaze towards the steps leading to the shrine, before looking back at Chidori again. I extended one of my hands out towards her's. "We'll go out and relax, have a good time, and stuff, yeah? It's my treat. I... I really have always wanted to thank you, and I figure I can talk to you about that now..."

I sincerely hoped I didn't sound too awkward. But my heart was beating fast and I didn't know how to say what I really wanted to say. Chidori didn't know it, but... Being with her and experiencing these battles against Shadows with her, and helping her through her trauma... It's done a lot for me, as a person. I wanted to make sure that she wouldn't feel terrible about her situation, I guess. It almost seemed to people that I might have an ulterior motive... Well, I guess I might. But it wasn't anything material.

Investigation... Espionage... All that junk... Sure, it could do good, but it could also do bad. I might have hurt people in the past trying to do these things. My mother only ever taught me how to stalk and how to be violent, while my dad had only taught me how to hack, and how to deal with computers and the World Wide Web. I wanted to change, to become better. To let go of the fact I was just an 'investigator.' That I could do things too. Suddenly, those harsh words to me way back when... Sort of made sense.

"So, shall we go, Chidori-san?" I asked Chidori softly, pointing up to the stairs.

[Chidori Tsukino]

The reciprocated sentiment of aesthetic appeal made that faint blush darken further, accompanied by the gentle touch on her shoulder. Normally, she'd shy away from physical contact, even though she yearned for it inwardly - it tended to end badly, normally, as her anxiety would spike. But since the...second, incident, down in the sewers, her yearning had taken the forefront and she'd wound up accepting the comforting physical contact her friend offered. Somewhere along the way in the past couple of days, it had become more...normal, for her.

Which was why she didn't pull away now, either.

Nevertheless, her blush only darkened further when Alisa elaborated on their proposed plans for the evening. Thank her? For what...? Treating her to this festival was really nice though, and a funny feeling stirred in her chest, one she hadn't felt for a lifetime, really. It was odd to think about, and so the mute simply pushed it aside, nodding gingerly at the suggestion and slowly taking her friend's hand, a little hesitant at first, though she softened to the warmth of their contact. Things were certainly weird, but for tonight...it would be fun, just to hang out; that was certainly something she hadn't done for a very long time, after all.

[Ayakura Alisa]

All I could do was smile warmly. Usually, when I was on the job, I... seemed to recognize focusing on the goal at hand, and generally being more hostile and aggressive. Now... no such thing. Chidori was... helping me see that sometimes I needed to take a gentle approach to things. Aggression wasn't always everything. Of course, if I were to be provoked to anger, then things would turn out rather differently, huh? I slowly led Chidori up the stairs; the warmth I felt from gently holding her hand felt... Strange. Not at all in a bad way, of course, but it was a feeling vaguely unfamiliar to me. As we walked up the stairs, I started to talk a bit. "Chidori-san, I just wanted to tell you that... You taught me the value of... life. I can't claim to understand or know how you feel about, well... Everything. But I wanted to let you know that you helped me to appreciate some things in life that should be cherished. You know?" Eventually, we made it to the shrine proper as I soon started to lead Chidori to a reasonably-sized stall where people could play the fish catching game. You know, the one where there's a lot of fish (usually small koi?) in a pool, and you get a net, catch a fish, and put it in a plastic bag of water.

Silently, I took a plastic bag with water in it, took a small net, and with one stroke (I had practiced this a lot with my father and mother, telling me that it would help me with precision and accuracy) I had caught a small fish and put it in the bag, giving it to Chidori. "Life is... precious. I think my parents wanted me to know that, but you were the one that made me realize that sometimes... It's important to let go of the past. Try and keep going. Work through adversity, and all that. You helped me grow up a little. ...And I want to thank you for that. I want to be there for you, too."

[Chidori Tsukino]

Okay, hanging out with people by yourself really was strange - for her, anyway. She couldn't exactly make small talk, and so she was left to wonder what was going through the other woman's mind as they walked, hand-in-hand, up the steps and to the plateau area of the shrine, where there seemed to a vast crowd of people milling about the festival activities. Letting Alisa take the lead, Chidori was content to follow, wondering in the back of her mind what her friend had meant by helping her realise 'something'.

Fortunately, she didn't have to wonder long, as the older brunette decided to enlighten her fairly soon after. Not that that helped when what she said sounded so...grand. In fact, at first, the mute wondered if Alisa was pulling her leg or something, to try and lighten up the evening, but then she continued explaining and slowly it dawned upon her what exactly she meant. Which of course, made the blush that had been receding return in full force, and she ducked her head to he side to hide it, contemplating how exactly to respond to that. She had some time to think whilst she watched Alisa swiftly & precisely scoop up one of the koi fish, making her smile just a little - there was no way she could do it with that kind of practised handling.

Turning to face her friend, the mute gazed at her few a moment, making one last decision on how to phrase things before she started mouthing her silent response. 'I understand what you mean, though....I don't exactly know how I accomplished something like that. I'm glad that you feel more...mature, and even more so that I could help. So you're very much welcome, and thank you for your offer.' Finishing with a slightly wider smile, the mute turned back to the stall game, trying her hand at it; she wasn't very good, and really only managed to make some small splashes. Eventually, she managed to wiggle the net around one of the smaller koi, gingerly transferring it to a bag and exchanging it with the one Alisa gave her. Perhaps, if she'd been able to, this would be where Chidori would giggle quietly - maybe her face still showed the physical prompts of the action, even if she couldn't produce the sound.

'I really hope there are fireworks tonight...'

[Ayakura Alisa]

I was very relieved that Chidori seemed to understand where I was coming from. Very glad for that. I felt my face flush red a little. When she smiled, it felt like some pang of emotion struck at my heart, but it wasn'tsomething negative. I watched her attempt to try the game for herself; as she stumbled and fidgeted I found myself stifling a laugh, she looked quite adorable trying to do that, and eventually she wiggled and captured a fish, which she proceeded to... reciprocate the very thing I had just done for her. I... I think... Uh. I must have looked very embarrassed. I smiled waveringly, mostly from embarrassment. I graciously took the fish that Chidori caught for me. I'd have to save a place for this one. Definitely. She tried to laugh. She wanted to giggle so hard, but she couldn't. I just silently smiled in response. I wish there was a way to give her back her voice. I really wish there was...

And then, Chidori said she was hoping if there would be fireworks tonight. "I'm sure there will be fireworks soon; don't worry! Actually, let me buy you a little treat as well, Chidori-san." holding my bag reasonably tightly so I wouldn't drop it, I gestured for Chidori to follow me as I led her to the cotton candy stand, and spent some of the coin and cash I brought for this trip to buy Chidori some delectable cotton candy. The pink fluffy stuff on the stick. Usually this stuff was pricey as everloving hell but this time, prices were reasonable for some reason so I figured, hey, why not? The candy had been prepared and I held it out for Chidori to take.

"You deserve it!"

[Chidori Tsukino]

Her excitement dimmed a little when she noticed her friend becoming increasingly embarrassed; was she doing something silly? She didn't mean to embarrass Alisa or anything - she just wanted to return the gesture, even if she wasn't very good at this game. Still, it was kinda cute to watch the blush rise in the older woman's cheeks. Chidori was a keen observer, since she couldn't talk very much; people-watching came with the territory effectively.

Still, after being reassured that there would be fireworks, her eyes lit up again, and she seemed very much like a little schoolgirl again - in fact, she kind of felt like one, just a bit. Her attention was dragged away from the prospect of an enticing display when Alisa spoke of a 'treat'. Following her inquisitively, the mute looked upon the cotton candy stall with a vague sense of recognition; once upon a time, she'd seen people at another festival held at school holding cones with this...pink, fluffy stuff, eating it as if it was incredibly tasty. Chidori had never personally tried it - frankly, it seemed odd to eat something that resembled some bouffant hair style from the 60's. Still, she wasn't about to say no to her friend's kind offer.

Gingerly holding it, Chidori stared at it for a few moments before eventually resigning herself to simply nibbling at it. Seconds after she'd taken her first bite of it, the taste hit her tongue and her eyes widened in shock, and then delight. She began nibbling more fervently at it; it would be hell on her teeth, considering it tasted like it was almost entirely sugar, but it was so very nice. Shortly after the first couple of bites, she remembered herself and blushed bright red, slowing down and offering the untouched side to Alisa - she'd paid for it after all. 'Thank you very much. It's really tasty!'

[Ayakura Alisa]

As Chidori held the stick of cotton candy, she seemed almost a bit nervous to taste it; I guess she had never had the stuff before despite seeing it? Regardless, I saw her expression change a little, I guess the taste was surprising to her - she seemed to like it a lot. She offered the part of the candy she hadn't touched and handed it to me, as if asking me to have some too. Thank you very much, she said, and mentioning that it was in fact very tasty. I'm glad she liked it! "I'm glad you like it, Chidori-san." I said, blushing faintly as I took two reasonable morsels out of the cotton candy; I had held the stick in place but I had not actually taken the stick away from Chidori, so for a brief moment our hands made contact again. Eventually, after a moment, I could hear a loud sound, I looked up, and lo' and behold, the fireworks show started.

"Look, Chidori. The fireworks have started!" I pointed up at the sky as there was a brilliant display of flashing lights and technicolor explosions. I soon pointed to a part of the shrine where there were some cherry blossoms, and an area for people to sit and admire the fireworks. "Would you like to sit by the cherry blossoms and watch the fireworks show, Chidori-san?"

[Chidori Tsukino]

Unlike before, the brush of contact between their hands didn't seem to bother her in the slightest; perhaps she was a little too enraptured with the new taste melting on her tongue, or maybe she was just more used to Alisa now. Either way, she smiled happily as she partook in the treat, very much appreciative of her friend's kind gesture. Speaking of which...Chidori tilted her head upwards when she heard the familiar bangs and whistles of fireworks going off, following the line of sight that the other brunette pointed out.

Her smile widened once more, and her expression turned wistful. She often looked up at the night sky, enjoying the natural display of lights on clear nights. Fireworks only exemplified the experience as she remembered the numerous times she'd watched them in the past with her parents. Parents she hadn't seen or heard from in quite awhile. Parents whose welfare she had no clue about. The homesickness ran through her again, pooling in a pit in her stomach; she missed her parents and her home terribly, but her life out here hadn't been all that bad, when she mused over it. She was becoming more independent, she'd started towards making some actual friends, and hell, she'd discovered a strange power in herself! Okay, maybe the last part wasn't so great, considering that she was pretty sure the whole reason behind that was this outer-circle mystery.

Still, it made her wonder if this pain was what Alisa felt all the time; her parents were gone too. She was still looking for them, since they'd been on the inside. Sometimes the past had to be put behind you, but not always; having something to drive you was a good thing sometimes. Having a goal made it easier to keep moving forward, too. Balance was the biggest thing; maybe, just maybe, that could be what she could help Alisa with in the future.

Letting the tangential thoughts subside, she refocused on the present and nodded lightly at the suggestion of relocation, gingerly taking the older woman's hand again with her free hand, delicately nibbling at the cotton candy she held with the other.

[Ayakura Alisa]

I made sure that everything was held tightly so nothing would fall, before I started to lead Chidori to the clearing where there were some benches, cherry blossoms towered over them, yet they did not obscure the view of the night sky; as a rain of fireworks illuminated it in a frenzy of colors and explosions. Then, when we arrived, I sat at a bench and motioned for Chidori to sit next to me. I was thinking, that this almost feels like the time I would watch the fireworks with my parents. Truth to be told, I still missed them a lot. I guess a part of why I wanted to find them so much is, for the longest time, they were my only real human interaction. I had been barred for the most part from having true social interactions outside of what was required for schooling and studies, I was too busy being trained in the art of combat or the art of stalking some poor schlep for his information. The training moulded me into a seemingly cold machine...

Though it seemed Chidori helped me in changing myself, changing myself from that machine to something more human. Someone more... like a real person, instead of someone who only focused on the goal of the mission. "Chidori-san," I said to her softly but audibly amidst the fireworks show. "I just want to let you know that you shouldn't be afraid to give me a message if you need help... ...And I certainly wouldn't mind working with you for some art collaborations, too." I sneaked in playfully, recalling that she was also interested in the arts. I hoped to take this opportunity to talk with Chidori and get to know her better.

[Chidori Tsukino]

Following the other's lead once again, Chidori sidled along beside Alisa, taking in all the sights and sounds of the festival as they walked; normally, she would've stuck to herself, maybe somewhere a bit quieter - the crowd and the noise level alone would make her far too anxious to interact, let alone the issues with her inability to communicate easily. But, with someone else helping anchor her, it was a lot easier to enjoy the festivities, much like her parents helped when she was younger. In a lot of ways, the older brunette was a calming influence for her, much like an older sister, or so she figured anyway since she had never had one before.

Her mind wandering slightly as always, Chidori was brought back to the present by their change in pace as they approached the benches, shifting to sit beside Alisa comfortably whilst still having a good view of the fireworks. They didn't disappoint, either, compared to the ones in her memories. Between some of the louder bursts, since they could still hear one another, the mute listened eagerly to her friend, though she still couldn't manage to get rid of that faint blush in her cheeks. 'Thank you again Alisa-san. And I'd like that a lot, actually.' Offering up a warm smile, Chidori then slid a little closer, resting her head on Alisa's shoulder as she watched the fireworks again, acutely aware of the warmth between them, as well as the quickly-becoming-comfortable feeling that stirred in her chest.

[Ayakura Alisa]

As Chidori sat next to me I felt an odd warmth that I had never felt before, even with the presence of my parents (who, for obvious reasons, are gone now). The fireworks were especially beautiful, even though they were loud, and well... Even after having seen firework shows in the past, I still wasn't able to get over how damned loud they were, even while we were way back down on the surface level. Soon enough, I could feel her head resting on my shoulder as she thanked me. She sidled up a little closer to me and I could tell that she seemed to be quite at ease. This relieved me. I hoped I wouldn't do anything too offputting or upsetting during this time. "I'm glad I can help you..." I said, gently wrapping one of my arms around Chidori's shoulders, as if helping her to relax a little more easily. "Now, sit back and enjoy the show." I said softly, making sure the mute was as comfortable as I could make her...