by Hopeflower » Mon Apr 05, 2010 1:57 am
Ira looked up at a series of cracks that showed Yoruichi had reverted back to a human shape, catching the crimson gaze and seeing pain in its depths. Without thinking, she set aside her book and tapped her foot on the carpet, signaling for Yoruichi to sit down in front of her. When the older teen did so, Ira said softly, "Turn around for a sec." Confused, Yoruichi turned so she was leaning against Ira's shins. She was surprised to feel gentle fingers begin combing through her hair. "What are you doing?" "Braiding your hair...looks like it annoys you whenever it gets in your face, so I figured...why not? You can always take it down if you don't like it." They sat in silence for a while, Ira's fingers skillfully working the length of the older demon's black hair into a tight French braid. "You want to tell me what happened to make you look so upset? You seemed fine when I left you with your friends." Ira spoke in a quiet hiss, pinching the end of the braid so it wouldn't start to unwind and starting to carefully pull a spare hair tie off of one wrist with her teeth. Yoruichi sighed quietly and said, "Just...memories. I'll be alright, really." She paused, turning her head enough to watch what Ira was doing. "You always have an extra hair tie with you?" Ira half-smiled, wrapping the band around the end of the braid enough times to be sure it would hold. "It's a habit I can't seem to break. I guess it comes from always having my hair up." "Speaking of...why do you keep your hair up?" Ira toyed with Yoruichi's newly braided hair for a moment, thinking over her answer. "It keeps it out of my way...and it's easier to control like this." Yoruichi smiled faintly. "I didn't ask for a textbook answer," she said, falling back into English. "I asked for your answer." The younger teen was quiet, her somewhat cold golden eyes meeting fiery red steadily. "You're smarter than you look." Without waiting for an answer, she went on, "It keeps me from...remembering, if I don't have my mother's hair falling into my face every minute of every day." Without thinking about it, Yoruichi turned around and laid a hand on Ira's, squeezing gently. "Remembering...what?" she asked softly, trying not to scare Ira into closing off. The younger demon's expression was almost vulnerable, not pulling away from Yoruichi's fingers but not giving any sign that encouraged the gesture either. She was silent, as if she wasn't going to answer. But then she spoke, quietly enough that the dark-haired teen almost missed the words. "Remembering...everything. I just want to...forget them. My parents. They barely deserve to be called parents for what they..." She trailed off, dropping her head into her free hand and taking in a shuddering breath. Yoruichi squeezed harder, silently letting Ira know she was there.
"Gotta have a little sadness once in a while so you know when the good times come."
"Talent is a pursued interest. In other words, anything that you're willing to practice, you can do." ~ Bob Ross
"The future is always uncertain and painful but it must be lived." ~ Unknown