The first time they had met was in kindergarten. It had been a cold day, where the heat inside the school made everyone dizzy and sick, and the brisk air came as a welcome relief. When recess had come everyone in the elementary school had bundled up and made their way outside under the gray sky. There was the threat of snow, but it had not begun to fall yet. It left the world a dull brown, but for children there is always their imagination. Where an adult may see slush and mud, a child can create their own kingdom. All across the playground this was going on. Girls were playing house, and boys were playing a rousing game of soccer or throwing rocks at girls...in which case the girls began yelling at the boys that they had cooties. The teachers watched from the warmth of their classrooms, making sure no one got hurt or bullied. All this was observed by an outsider. One boy who sat outside the chaos, and who was perfectly happy to do so.

Matthew was sitting on the swings, not really swinging but not sitting still either. He was just sort of swaying, digging his toe into the wood chips. He enjoyed the fog that his breath made in the air. He enjoyed the cold links of chain he could feel through his gloves, he enjoyed watching everyone else play. The reason he enjoyed such things was because they distracted him from his loneliness. He hadn't really made any friends, he was shy for his age or that's what his parents told themselves to comfort one another. He was nothing like his cousin Alfred, who was considered a perfect child. Matthew didn't blame grown ups for loving Al, he was just more noticeable and outgoing. Who could hate that?

Lost in his own reverie, Matthew didn't even notice a small girl come up to him. She had hair the color of corn silk worn in long braids. On her head was a hat, but peeking beneath it were her pink tinged ears. She gave a little cough, and violet eyes met jade ones.

"Hi Matthew," she had a soft voice, not too different from his own.

He blushed, or maybe it was just the cold.

She forged on, hoping his silence was just shyness and not a rejection. "I was wondering if you wanted to come join my cousin and brother and their friends."

Matthew let himself smile a little. "I'd like that."

She held out a mittened hand, and cautiously he took it. Lili, for that was the girl's name, lead him over to the sandbox where some second graders were playing. The one who looked the most like Lili noticed them coming first.

"Lili, what did I tell you about bringing in strays," he chided.

Matthew only shied away.

"Aww don't be so mean Vash! He's adorable, who's your friend Lili?" asked one of the girls.

"This is Matthew. Matthew this is my cousin Elizabeta," Lili said pointing at the older girl.

"Nice to meet you," Matthew said politely.

"And this is my friend Bella," Lili said gesturing to a girl their own age.

"Hiya Mattie," Bella said with a smile.

"And these butt heads are Gilbert and Roderich," Elizabeta said gesturing to two boys, one of which was trying to eat sand.

"I am not a butt head," the one not currently eating sand rebuked. "Gilbert get that sand out of your mouth!"

Matthew laughed. Soon he felt comfortable around these people, they welcomed him into their world... their sand box...and soon Vash had stopped calling him a stray. On that first day something inside Matthew's heart melted, a barrier that he hadn't even known he had built up. Because he was still young there was still a chance to melt the ice around his heart, to allow him into the world of fun. Lili saw this, and made sure to invite Matthew to play everyday. What she didn't see was something only her playmates could. They were kind of course, but they all saw what she was too young to really understand. She was getting a little kid crush on this boy, and who were they to tease her? They all knew that Lili was painfully shy, and reaching out like this was hard. But they also saw how good it was for both of them. It's funny how wise our children can be, and yet we dismiss it so openly, as if we know best.

This continued for the rest of the year, sometimes it was only three of them and sometimes it was seven. They built ties and their friendships began to grow roots. But children grow up, and why would it be any different for these ones?

So here's another story I've been planning for awhile. I have no clue when I will update this again, but I just needed to get it out of my system. This is Canastein, and I know that's not super popular...but a) I hope that I can get some of you to like it and b) I just wanted to write it..so give it a chance yeah? ~T.W.o.W.