|
|
Post by Elf on Feb 1, 2010 3:36:17 GMT -5
Chrono let out a defeated sigh. If he wanted to annoy her, he'd have to try a lot harder than this, it looked like. Problem was, he didn't really care to. He wasn't a malicious creature by nature, and anything more belligerent than minor teasing just seemed too cumbersome, too mean.
So he allowed his arm to drop from the very prime arm-rest real-estate that was Reg's head and onto her shoulder without a fuss. The fact that she seemed keen on snuggling against him--being all warm with her human-ness, and all unexpected with her sweetness--also helped nullify any complaints.
Chrono shifted the spoon to the other side of his mouth, frowning as he realized he'd already sucked this helping dry of Nutella, too. But when he removed the spoon from the recesses of his jaws, he spotted something, blinked, and squinted at it.
"Uh oh."
A sheepish, hunted look overtook him. He cast a glance to either side as if some punishing force of nature (Sister Kate) was going to come barreling at him at any second.
"I...think I dented your spoon..."
He lowered it to show to Reg. Sure enough, Chrono's fangs had punched tiny, but very distinct, indentations into the metal.
|
|
|
|
Post by Meryck on Feb 1, 2010 3:45:50 GMT -5
Reg blinked up at the 'uh-oh', then looked at the spoon as he showed it to her. Blinked at the indents.
"....pffft-!" She promptly started giggling, highly amused. "Hehehehe- really enjoying that Nutella, are we?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Elf on Feb 1, 2010 3:51:28 GMT -5
"Y...yeah..." A dejected look overcame Chrono's face. He looked at the spoon, then to the jar of Nutella. Back to the spoon. Back to the Nutella. Bite marks. Delicious chocolaty hazelnut spread.
...but...I still want some...
He reached over Reggie to dip the sucked-clean spoon once more into the jar.
"I'll be more careful," he assured her, once more plunking the spoon into his mouth.
|
|
|
|
Post by Meryck on Feb 1, 2010 4:03:26 GMT -5
Reg giggled some more. "Don't worry so much 'bout it." She got her own spoonful before placing the spoon back in the jar. "It's not like you bent the spoon. Dents aren't that bad, either." She brushed some of the bangs from her eyes, sleeve briefly twisting to reveal the bitemark scar, before falling back and hiding it again. She sighed and returned her eyes to her book, smiling still. Something told her Chrono's antics weren't ever going to get old.
|
|
|
|
Post by Elf on Feb 1, 2010 22:56:11 GMT -5
"'Ell, at's good t'hear," Chrono garbled happily, his speech highly impaired by the presence of a spoon stuffed into his cheek. Oh, but the delicious, nutty goodness was so worth talking like he'd been punched repeatedly in the face. He'd sooner be punched repeatedly in the face than take the spoon out of his mouth, now.
"Mm?" The mark caught Chrono's eye. He blinked, curious look quickly flitting into a concerned one. It was the same scar he'd seen at the ramen shop...it looked very much like...well, bite marks, now that he thought of it. Ironic.
"Izzat...? He gestured with one finger to the spot on her arm, but trailed off. It wasn't exactly polite to ask about someone's old wounds; typically wounds had a stigma to them, and were sometimes as painful to talk about as they had been to receive. He sighed, trailing off into an embarrassed silence.
|
|
|
|
Post by Meryck on Feb 1, 2010 23:08:25 GMT -5
Reg had to force herself not to giggle more at Chrono's garbled speech. Oh yeah, she would NEVER get tired of this.
"Hm?" She looked up at him, then at her arm. "Oh. This?"
She shrugged, smirking halfheartedly, as she put her book down and rolled her left sleeve up, revealing the scars from fourteen fangs- seven on the top of her arm, and seven on the bottom. It spanned about a hand-width, starting from her wrist, and seemed to be a permanent bruise color, as if they had been indented into her skin yesterday.
"God, this thing is so old, it's not even funny. I've had this over half of my life, now..." She glanced back up, then frowned at his expression. "Don't look at me like that. It's not that impressive."
|
|
|
|
Post by Elf on Feb 2, 2010 0:08:34 GMT -5
Chrono shook his head, his purple bangs fluttering. "Nn, at's not it..." He sucked the last of the Nutella off the spoon, pulled it from his mouth, and set it on the table. Gently, he rested his fingertips on the underside of Reg's arm and pulled it closer to him.
No animal on earth made marks like that. There were too many teeth, too far apart, the puncture wounds too deep...and the purple discoloration, as if the wound were still...tainted.
"Reggie, this looks like a wound from a demon..." He looked up at her, his crimson eye pinning her with his unspoken question.
|
|
|
|
Post by Meryck on Feb 2, 2010 0:17:38 GMT -5
"Erm...Yeah." She let out a nervous laugh. "Thaaaaaaat would be because it is." She caught the question in his eyes. Her face fell, and she looked away, taking her arm back and pulling the sleeve back down.
"Like I said, it's old. Happened a long time ago. And the demon who did it was terrified at the time, so I actually can't blame him."
|
|
|
|
Post by Elf on Feb 2, 2010 0:24:23 GMT -5
Chrono leaned back as the girl took her arm back, studying her with a look both pitying and scrutinizing.
...can't blame him...
His eye widened as suddenly, the realization hit him.
"It was Ran, wasn't it...?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Meryck on Feb 2, 2010 0:30:45 GMT -5
Reggie flinched. "...You wouldn't believe me if I told you 'no', would you?" She sighed. Suddenly, she seemed...smaller. Older. Tired. She had been answering the question for years, and she really hated the usual reaction to the answer.
(Not that it was likely Chrono would have the usual reaction, but...)
"Yeah. It was Ran."
|
|
|
|
Post by Elf on Feb 2, 2010 0:36:05 GMT -5
The pity in his gaze grew, as did the understanding. She looked so small, so...fragile...
It was then that Chrono figured out that yes, this scar was a burden, but not in the way he'd thought. He knew how people tended to judge demons. And he knew all too well the burdens borne by the humans who stuck up for their friends, no matter what species they were.
"Hey." He lay his hand on her shoulder, trying to get her to look up at him by sending a gentle, empathetic smile her way. "He was scared, right? It was probably an accident."
|
|
|
|
Post by Meryck on Feb 2, 2010 0:41:37 GMT -5
"It was..." She blinked as she felt the hand on her shoulder, then Reg looked up to see that smile.....
If there was anything in the world that could deny the warmth that smile, it didn't have a soul. She managed a wan one of her own, twisting around and hugging him.
Thank you, Chrono.
|
|
|
|
Post by Elf on Feb 2, 2010 0:50:49 GMT -5
He returned the embrace without thought, as natural as breathing, as if he'd been doing this same thing for years. Chrono's eye shut as he hugged her back, his smile growing warmer still.
And it seemed natural, right even, to just sit there and hold her for a moment. No tragedy, no poetry, just a simple hug.
Some part of his thoughts that was ephemeral beyond words, wondered: was this what it was like...to have a sister?
|
|
|
|
Post by Meryck on Feb 2, 2010 1:00:19 GMT -5
The next morning...
Crysta thanked the electrician again as he left before going back inside, blinking as the lights hit her eyes. She began heading for the kitchen to start on breakfast, but as she walked through the living room, she couldn't help but smile.
There was Chrono and Reggae, snuggled up under a couple of blankets, book of plays resting where it fell when whoever faded last let go. Both of them had small smiles playing on their faces. It was like this was the most natural thing in the world. Like this was how most morning had played out since the beginning of time.
Like they were really brother and sister.
Ms. Valentine chuckled at her musings as she disappeared into the kitchen. Pancakes sounded like a good idea...
|
|
|
|
Post by Elf on Feb 2, 2010 1:10:26 GMT -5
Warm...
That was the first thought that hit the demon as soon as he became capable of thought. He might not have been capable of thought at all if not for the sudden flare of artificial light shining through his eyelid.
His next thought was, of course, concerning said interruption.
Too bright... "Ungm."
Chrono ducked down into the pile of blankets, shifted slightly, and let out a deep, deflating sigh. ...warm.
|
|
Your friendly neigborhood admin.