Riko Sakurauchi was a Light Pink, and she wouldn't have it any other way.
Light Pinks were, in every way possible, light. Not much came with them. They were just there. Sure, if you wanted to borrow a pencil, they were the perfect person to ask...but they were not quite noticeable. They blended in, easily forgettable. Riko loved being a Light Pink. She fit in very well with them, and she guessed that that was why it was her Color. It looked very nice against her skin, as well; she was rather pale, and although there wasn't much contrast, the simple, cotton-candy pink circle on the back of her right hand was very nice-looking.
She didn't know any other Light Pinks, because Light Pinks usually don't bother to find any other Light Pinks. When Light Pinks did manage to find each other or otherwise interact, they were polite, and it was definitely acknowledged that, hey, you're a Light Pink, and so am I, isn't that neat? Then it was dropped, because Light Pinks are simple, pleasant people. Of course, Riko would have to meet a Light Pink that she liked eventually, because relationships between different Colors were not allowed, and Light Pinks followed rules.
Riko liked Light Pinks.
However, Riko did not like Grays.
The Grays were the worst Colors, Riko thought. She did not hate them (Light Pinks never hated anybody), but she held a strong disdain. Grays were a mess. When Riko first heard of the Grays, she imagined dull, lifeless people, but for some reason, the Grays did not match what their color looked like. Light Pinks were just like their color: simple, short, sweet. Grays were the opposite of their color. Grays were vibrant, and, for lack of a better word, kind of...nerds. Technology, video games, comic books, you name it. Not only that, but Grays were obnoxiously arrogant at times, seeing themselves in a much better light than they should. They did have one similarity to their color, though: the color gray is muggy, foggy, clouded...just like Grays. They never quite knew what they were doing, ever, and with Grays, there was always some cacophony of trouble and disorderliness to be found. Riko was sure of that.
The thing about Grays, though, was that they had many layers. That's all Riko knew. "They have layers." Riko recalled Chika saying something like that. Chika, an Orange. Oranges were energetic, determined, and playful...and a bit ditzy. Riko definitely saw the ditz as Chika vaguely "explained" the layers of Grays. "They just have layers, Riko-chan, I don't know how else to say it. There's something underneath all of that stuff they do. Someone told me that before..."
Riko knew one Gray, and that Gray did not have layers. That Gray was Yoshiko Tsushima, or, as she was known for pointing out, "Yohane". She was a year below Riko, a girl with an annoying (but in part, alluring) sense of grandeur. Yoshiko did not have layers. Riko looked at Yoshiko and saw one thing, and one thing only: her stupid fallen angel gimmick. There was really nothing else.
Riko didn't like Grays, and that wasn't going to change.
Yoshiko...well, Yohane Tsushima was a Gray, and she wouldn't have it any other way.
Grays were, in every way possible, unknown. Even if you knew about them, you didn't really know. They were an enigma. Sure, if you wanted to know what their favorite food was or what their favorite video game was, they'd tell you in a heartbeat...but they could never truly be figured out. They hid half-in and half-out of the shadows, coolly and elusively. Yohane loved being a Gray. She fit in very well with them, and she knew that it was destiny that it was her Color. It was so cool on the back of her hand, as well; when she lifted her hand to her face in her infamous gesture, the metallic gray on the back of her right hand was very cool-looking.
She didn't know any other Grays, because Grays don't like to interact with others willingly, not even other Grays. When Grays did manage to find each other or otherwise interact, they were curt and slightly acknowledging. It was nothing more than a simple nod that said, I know that we're the same, and I respect you, but stay out of my way. Then it was dropped, because Grays were cool, independent people. Of course, Yohane would have to meet a Gray that she liked eventually, because relationships between different Colors were not allowed, and even though Grays didn't give a damn about rules, Yohane knew that the other Colors would not understand how closed-off she was.
Yohane liked Grays.
However, Yohane did not like Light Pinks.
The Light Pinks were the worst Colors, Yohane knew that for a fact. She did not hate them (hate was reserved for the foolish deities that had cast her off from the heavens), but she held a strong disdain. Light Pinks were so dull. When Yohane first heard of the Light Pinks, she imagined fun, bubbly people, but for some reason, the Light Pinks did not match what their color looked like. Grays were just like their color: cool, mysterious, enigmatic. Light Pinks were the opposite of their color. Light Pinks were boring, and, for lack of a better word, kind of...losers. Honor roll, a boiled egg for breakfast every day, vanilla ice cream with nothing else on it, you name it. Not only that, but Light Pinks were irritatingly modest at times, always acting like they're just so plain that they're freaking pure maidens, or goddesses, or something. They did have one similarity to their color, though: the color light pink is soft, timid, yielding...just like Light Pinks. They were always soft-spoken, tender, and frightful, and with Light Pinks, there was always a reason to back away from a cool, fun idea. Yohane was sure about that.
The thing about Light Pinks, though, was that they had a fire inside. That's all Yohane knew. "They have a fire inside, zura." Yohane recalled Zuramaru saying something like that. Zuramaru, a Yellow. Yellows were laid-back, mellow, innocent...and a bit forgetful. Yohane definitely saw the forgetfulness as Zuramaru stumbled through the "explanation" of the fire inside of Light Pinks. "They just have this fire inside, zura. I forgot exactly what it means. I think that it's something about a hidden strength, zura?"
Yohane knew one Light Pink, and that Light Pink did not have a fire inside. That Light Pink was Riko Sakurauchi, or, as Yohane had come to refer to her in her head, The Most Boring Girl On The Face Of The Planet. She was a year above Yohane, a girl with a maddening (but sometimes cute) sense of modesty and plain-ness. Riko did not have a fire inside. Yohane looked at Riko and saw one thing, and one thing only: a shell of a human being with little to no personality or entertainment factors. There was really nothing else.
Yohane didn't like Light Pinks, and that wasn't going to change.
All nine of the girls who formed Aqours ended up being different Colors, which made Riko think a little bit. How many Colors were there? Ruby was a Pink, but not a Light Pink. How many pinks were there? It also made Riko think about similarities between Colors, and if that meant anything about personality. You, a Blue, and Kanan, a Green, had a couple of similarities, but Riko, Ruby, and Dia (a Red) were hardly the same.
Before Aqours, Riko had known of Yoshiko (Riko was friends with Chika, who was friends with Kanan, who was friends with Dia, who was the sister of Ruby, who was friends with Yoshiko. High school friend chains are complicated), but had never interacted with her in-depth before, besides a "hi" or "bye" or something Aqours-related. The first time they really interacted, after a practice, Yoshiko plainly stated, "Your name...it doesn't seem like the type of name that I'd want. Don't you think it's plain?"
"No plainer than Yoshiko." Riko didn't mean to insult Yoshiko, but it was simply a statement. Yoshiko wasn't a name sent personally down from the heavens. It was a name like any other, just like "Riko" was.
That didn't seem to be the right choice of words. Scowling, Yoshiko snapped back, "That's not my name!"
"Yes, it is. You're Yoshiko Tsushima. If you'd like me to call you Yohane-"
"That. That's my name!"
"I'll just meet you halfway," Riko said. She was exhausted, and she definitely didn't have the energy to put up with a damn Gray. "I'll call you Yocchan. That could be Yohane-chan or Yoshiko-chan."
"Which one is it, then?"
"It doesn't really matter, does it?"
Yoshiko seemed to think long and hard about that, before uneasily replying, "No..."
"Okay. I guess that's settled, then, Yocchan," Riko said, smiling pleasantly.
"...Ri..." Yoshiko murmured, causing Riko to cock her head slightly. That was odd. Riko wasn't used to seeing that kind of expression. It looked surprisingly innocent, a little bit cute. That wasn't something that Grays did often... "Ah...Lily! L-Lily-chan!"
Riko blinked. "What?"
"Lily...it's a much better name than Riko. It makes you sound less Light Pink."
"Oh. Then, I don't want it."
"You've gotta have it. You can't be one of my little demons without a cooler name!"
Riko almost protested and said that she didn't really want to be one of Yoshiko's little demons, but then she wondered what that entailed, exactly. "What do little demons do?"
"Become one and find out," Yoshiko said, smirking cockily as if she just knew that Riko had already decided to do it. "Well? Are you in, or are you out, Lily-chan?"
"I guess I'm in," Riko said, nodding shortly.
"Excellent...excellent!" Yoshiko did some cross between a giggle and an evil laugh, something that Riko had to admit was pretty...cool. She reeked confidence. Riko didn't think she was absolute garbage or anything, but confidence like that? No, she would never have it. But it's not confidence anyway...it's just that arrogance that all Grays have. "Well, we'll start your training tomorrow, then!"
Riko didn't expect to get roped into Yoshiko's antics, but she wouldn't go back on her word... "Alright. Where should we meet?"
"My apar-umm...my lair," Yoshiko bellowed. She swung her backpack off of her shoulder and tore a piece of paper from a random journal, then took a pen out as well. She scribbled her address on it, then held it out to Riko. Every movement was swift, but exaggerated. Despite the silliness of it all, Riko was mesmerized. "Here! I'll see you tomorrow after school."
Riko took it, then looked up. Yoshiko didn't look like a Gray. Sure, she looked a little unhinged, just like the rest of them, but Yoshiko didn't scream Gray. Riko saw some kind of vulnerability, some weakness that was not at all Gray. Sure, she was a nerd, she was over-the-top and living in a fantasyland, but for some reason, there was something about her that was not very Gray. Yoshiko did not scream Gray. She screamed...
Beautiful...she's kind of beautiful.
"Yeah." Riko swallowed thickly, bowed, and said, "See you tomorrow."
Then, she ran away as fast as she could, trying to get back into her pastel-pink paradise and away from the gray stormclouds that threatened to drown her.
For a Light Pink, Riko was surprisingly compliant, playing along with every test Yohane could conjure over the next few weeks. Sure, she was still a little too gentle for Yohane's tastes, but she didn't back down like most Light Pinks would have. Yohane had sent her to do several things that were not a test pertaining to how good of a little demon she would be specifically, but more like, a test of how obedient she was. After all, Yohane expected her servants to be subservient and completely submissive to her. Yohane thought about it while Riko was out fetching her two handkerchiefs for a sacrifice, then realized that Light Pinks probably could make good little demons. They were a bit on the scaredy-cat side, but once you had them, they were easy to bend because of how soft they were.
"Yocchan, the handkerchiefs," Riko said suddenly, snapping Yohane out of her strategizing.
Yohane nodded her thanks and took the handkerchiefs. Plaid, a bit thick, very soft, just as Yohane had requested. Light Pinks could be flustered or klutzy at times, so Yohane didn't expect that level of preciseness from Riko (even though she was prone to becoming embarrassed or frenzied). "You're really into this, Lily-chan," Yohane said slowly, rubbing her thumb over the cloth. "Why is that...?"
"Well...I can't lie, I suppose. Even if I am trying to be a little demon." Yohane, don't laugh...don't laugh, don't... Yohane giggled. It was a little bit funny... "I'm just a little interested in Grays. You all are pretty confusing. You're all just so...I don't know. That's the thing, Yocchan, I just don't know with you all."
"That's because you Light Pinks always shove things into neat little boxes...so you can be all prim and proper. You're all the same, really, but Grays...well, we might be the same, but you'll never know. That's how mysterious we are!" Yohane was glad that she had fumbled to put her cape on before Riko came, because the flourish that she did with it made Riko seem so interested, so amazed. For some reason, Yohane had been focusing a little more on impressing Riko. In part, it disgusted her, but God did it feel nice when Riko giggled or made some awed expression at some of her antics...
"I think you're right, Yocchan. I don't know what box to put you in. I'm not used to this kind of...imbalance. This kind of...not knowing," Riko said, and for a split second, she looked uncomfortable. That was the Light Pink in her, the meek side that wanted to stay nice and comfy in its fluffy little paradise. But then, it vanished. "Sometimes...sometimes new things are okay. I'm learning that. You make me do weird things, and sometimes I ask 'why', but other times...I find myself having fun. So I guess you go into the box with the things I like a lot, Yocchan."
That was probably when Yohane should have noticed that her and Riko were not a normal pair of Colors, and that things were not normal between them, not at all. Grays do not fit into boxes and Light Pinks do not just say "okay" to things that usually do not fit in boxes. That was when she should have noticed. But all she could think about was how it seemed like Riko had just abandoned her Color. That was not a very Light Pink thing to do, to just cope with the unknown. They locked eyes, and there, Yohane found a tinge of that Light Pink: a small bit of fear, hiding in Riko's dilated pupils. But the rest...was it Orange? Determined? Or was it the stubborn, passionate, go-getting Red? No, it was-
"You're not a normal Light Pink, Riko..."
"You're not a normal Gray."
That came as a surprise to Yohane. She had always felt pretty Gray. After all, that was her Color. What else could she be? Yohane looked down. "Let's do the sacrifice."
Riko eventually found out the meaning of "Grays have layers".
She had first witnessed a glimpse of the duality of Grays when she saw that innocent, thinking expression when Yoshiko was coming up with her name. That was the layer that Grays kept hidden, underneath the illusions of superiority and mysteriousness. The mystery to Grays was that they weren't that mysterious. They were soft, afraid, and could even make themselves quite lonely in all of their theatrics...at least, that's what Riko thought.
After all, she didn't know what else to think after she found Yoshiko sitting in the courtyard by herself, weeping into her hands.
There was no second thought. Riko didn't consider the fact that Grays never ever just sat around and sulked and cried. She didn't consider the fact that Light Pinks never ever just dove into whatever situation was presented. Riko disregarded it all and fell to her knees next to Yohane, stroking her face and hair. Yoshiko looked up, and when she saw it was Riko, she collapsed into Riko's arms. Riko held her tight, not caring that class was starting in five minutes, or that Yohane was soiling her shirt with tears. She kissed the top of Yoshiko's head without thinking, over and over, while Yoshiko dug her nails into Riko's arms and wailed.
After long minutes of sobbing, Yoshiko finally pulled back and looked up at Riko. Her face was pink and her eyes were red with tears. Her lip was quivering. Riko was terrified, but she whispered, "Yocchan...what happened?"
"I'm an idiot," Yohane replied, trembling. "Everything I do...the fallen angel thing...it's so dumb, I'm so dumb, and everyone thinks I'm an idiot!"
Riko felt a bit of relief, but also a bit of panic. She was happy that the issue wasn't as bad as she thought it was, but she had never seen Yohane so depressed about something. She knew that Yohane had been troubled with the whole fallen angel schtick in the past, but she never thought it was that bad. After all, Grays...they believe in themselves. They're not weak, they're not...
But Yoshiko isn't weak, either.
"I don't think you're an idiot, Yocchan. I love doing little demon things with you."
"Call me Yoshiko."
"No." Yoshiko jerked a little bit at Riko's blunt refusal. "Yohane...Yohane, the fallen angel. That's part of who you are. Don't let anybody take it from you. Don't take it from yourself. You're fine just the way you are, Yoshiko. If you were any other way, you wouldn't be a-" You wouldn't be a Gray, Riko wanted to say, but that wasn't the right thing to say. That moment wasn't about rigid Color guidelines and what Yoshiko should be like because of the mark on her hand. It was more. "If you were any other way, you wouldn't be the person who I love!"
And there it was.
Riko had broken a rule.
She could feel it all around her. For some reason, her senses were heightened. Everything had changed. Around her, she could hear the birds lowly singing their tune. She could hear Yoshiko's breaths, and she swore she could hear her heartbeat too. She had done it.
"Lily...Riko," Yoshiko whispered, her eyes downcast. "We'll get in trouble. I don't care what happens to me, but when two different Colors...bad things will happen to you."
"I don't care. I love you. I love you, I love you, I-"
Yoshiko pushed Riko off of her, scooting backwards on the grass. Riko crawled towards her, but when Yoshiko stood, she stood too. "Riko, you can't!"
"I love you. I love you. I lo-"
"Stop it..."
"-you. I love you. I-"
"Stop it!"
"Please...listen. Just listen to me. I love you."
They were both crying by then, silent tears. For some reason, Riko felt like unbridled sobs would not do the job in telling how they felt. The silent anguish told it all. When Yoshiko grabbed her bag and ran away, Riko couldn't even choke out a whimper.
Yoshiko eventually found out the meaning of "Light Pinks have a fire inside".
The polite, plain, cautious demeanor is a wall. Behind that wall lies a creature that is fiercely loyal and will fight for what it wants, taking the form of a raging flame. The Light Pinks hide behind that wall, or, perhaps, are trapped by it. Yohane saw it in Riko's eyes. What she thought was Orange or Red was really just the true form of Light Pink (the final evolution, Yohane might call it). She felt waves of it radiating off of Riko in the courtyard, when Riko confessed the feelings that never should have existed in the first place. Riko had a fire inside, being veiled by the wall of calmness and mediocrity. At least, that's what Yohane thought.
After all, she didn't know what else to think when Riko grabbed her by her wrists and pinned her to the wall on the inside of her apartment.
As soon as Yohane opened the door, Riko bumrushed her, shoving her against the wall and gripping her tight. There it was, the fire. It had burned out of control, growing and growing until it spilled over the wall and into Riko's veins. "I don't want to be a Light Pink," Riko whispered. Her head was hanging limply, but her grip was tight. Her eyes stared blankly at her feet. Yohane could tell that she was struggling. She wanted to let go, but she was being held back. "I don't want you to be Gray. I want me to be me. I want you to be you. Yocchan, tell me to let you go, and I'll leave."
"Don't ever let me go," Yohane whispered, her voice cracking. "I need you, Riko. I love you. I don't care about what we're supposed to be."
"When will your parents be home?"
"They're...they're out of town. Won't be back for a day or two."
"I'm about to do something very not-Light Pink."
A smile was about to pull the corners of Yoshiko's lips up, but before it could, Riko's mouth was on hers, their tongues and lips and their teeth and saliva, and oh God Yohane just melted into her. They meshed together, and even through the haze of her pleasure, even through Riko desperately exploring her mouth with her tongue (so warm, so sweet, so good), Yohane couldn't help but imagine what their Colors looked like. The gray, mixing with the light pink and making a foggy pastel mess. They were a mess, with their saliva running down their chin and both of their outfits becoming skewed and ragged from lusty tugging.
They stumbled back to Yohane's room and fell onto the bed. Their eyes locked in a heated gaze, and there, Yohane saw the fire again, except it wasn't the kind of fire that showed when Riko really wanted something, it was the fire that showed when Riko needed something...that something being Yohane.
"You're not a normal Gray. You're my Gray. Mine. My Yoshiko, my Yohane, my Yocchan...be mine forever, sweet Yocchan. Be mine..." Riko was removing clothing so fast, or maybe Yoshiko's brain just couldn't catch up.
Love-drunk, desperate, Yoshiko croaked, "Yours. Yours. This is all yours, so take it. Lily...Riko...please..."
And Riko took it.
When they made love, Riko couldn't tell if Yoshiko was Gray or not.
Her little moaning noises, her jerks and twitches of pleasure, were anything but Gray. They weren't loud and pronounced and exaggerated. Little pants and the occasional ragged moan graced Riko's ears as she gave Yoshiko all she had. It was surprisingly controlled. When Yoshiko orgasmed, the only signal that Riko had was a shiver, which was more akin to a full-body stretch. The quietness, the simplicity...it almost seemed Light Pink.
However, when Yoshiko was on the giving end, rather than the receiving end, she was very Gray. Wild, unbridled, sloppy, uncoordinated. Her fingers pumped with no particular rhythm or reason, and her tongue swirled and flicked in no recognizable patterns. Even the "mystery" of Grays found its way to Riko's body through Yoshiko's; there were little twists and angles that drove Riko mad that she hadn't the foggiest idea about. It was simply a clash of so many parts and bits that Riko couldn't tell one thing from another.
When they made love, Riko couldn't tell if Yoshiko was Gray or not, because by the time they were finished, she was nothing.
When they made love, Yohane couldn't tell if Riko was Light Pink or not.
Her screams and wild yells and pleas were anything but Light Pink. They weren't dainty or cute or sweet; Riko had shrieked with every pump of Yohane's fingers, had shouted with every stroke of her tongue. When Riko came, she grabbed Yoshiko's hair and pulled her closer, rolling her hips desperately. It was a spectacular experience, a truly erotic sight, something that Yohane could describe as nothing other than very Gray.
However, when Riko was on the giving end, rather than the receiving end, she was very Light Pink. Her tongue was light and tedious on Yohane's body. It flicked back and forth with short, calculated precision. Yohane always thought that she would prefer a Gray lover, wild and untamed, but she came so many times beneath Riko's calm hands, beneath her cautious tongue. Yohane could feel every bit of it and she didn't let herself slip away, relishing every bit of Riko.
When they made love, Yohane couldn't tell if Riko was Light Pink or not, because by the time they were finished, she was nothing.
"Yocchan."
"My Color is gone..."
"So is mine."
There they laid, soaking in the afterglow of their pleasure as they held hands. When they held their hands up, they could see that the back of their hands were blank. They no longer bore the mark of their Color. In a way, they felt free.
"We'll have to hide it," Riko whispered. "Hide it from everyone."
"What Color was I?"
"What do you mean? You were Gray."
"No, but...was I really? I guess I was just like the other Grays, but now that I think about it, I really wasn't. I was your Color all along."
Riko laughed wryly. "You? A Light Pink?"
"No. I was just your Color. I was the Color that belongs to you," Yohane said. She struggled with her words, with explaining herself, but it was obvious that Riko heard her loud and clear.
"Am I your Color, Yocchan?"
"I want you to be."
Riko raised her other hand and traced the shape of a circle on the back. She had thought that the Light Pink looked pretty on her hand, but all of a sudden, she thought it looked rather ugly, and she was glad it was gone. Riko was Riko. Riko was Yohane's.
"The world seems a lot brighter when it's Colorless," Riko said. "Do you have paper and colored pencils?"
Yohane watched as Riko's skilled hand made marks on her paper, filling such a tiny space with such big emotions. The gray and the light pink colored pencils were worn so many times that Riko had to sharpen them again. Not an inch of white was left on the paper when Riko was done, and Yohane had watched intently the whole time.
"All of the Colors that are in Aqours," Yoshiko whispered. They all blended, meshed. In the center of it all was a circular swirl of Gray and Light Pink, like a yin and yang. It looked a bit like a sun, and the repeated stripes of the other Aqours Colors were its rays. Light Pinks did not draw like that.
"Yes. Do you like it?"
Yohane laughed, and Riko frowned. "I'm laughing because the idea that I wouldn't like it is just plain dumb."
Riko set the colored pencils down, looking at the angry red colored pencil indents on her hand. "Thank you...we should try and make something to hide our colors. Or draw them on."
"Yeah. We can try and make them seem glow-y like real ones," Yohane said. "I'll get markers."
Yohane got off of her bed, still undressed and still buzzing from the day's events. She went into her kitchen and rifled around in the drawer, digging out a gray marker and a cotton-candy pink one. When she looked down at them, she couldn't help but laugh. The little names on the side of the marker made her laugh the most, because, just like people, Yohane had a feeling that no matter how hard you tried to label the markers, none of them would be exactly the same, and there would always be one or two that went astray from its path and dared to be another color.