Chapter Nine:

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She picked up the spoon and calmly stirred her cold drink, listening to the soft ringing of ice colliding against each other against the smooth, crystal clear glass, the ice cubes have melted half way and the drink had become pleasantly cool, she smiled and took a slow, long sip, savoring the taste, the two men before her quietly drinking as well. The redheaded woman had ordered a simple drink of orange juice, the albino who was sitting to her right had previously ordered lemonade while the dead-man to her left didn't order anything in particular, but his albino friend ordered ice lemon tea for him, he probably knew what his friend liked because the ebony haired man smiled gratefully although he didn't say anything.

They seemed like two very good and close friends, considering that they looked so different, she assumed they were childhood friends or such. The albino was a merry fellow to say the least, his eyes were of brilliant red, almost as red as her raven haired friend, his hair was so silver-white, you'd think they're actually strands of silken snowflakes, as for his ebony haired friend, she realized that the dead-man's hair looked more like dark brown than black, really; his eyes were hidden under the long, thick bangs, she told herself that the man seriously needed a haircut!

"So?" she began and folded her arms, elbows on the table, "You two look very close, childhood friends or something?" she asked.

Chipp blinked, "Well, actually, we're step brothers." He told her and chuckled at her surprised expression, "Anji's parents are different than my parents, it's just that his mom married my dad, we're not really blood related." He shrugged.

"Oh, I never thought you two could be related since you look so different." She admitted, "So I take it you two live together?"

"Yeah, Anji and I rented the apartment together, so it's only normal that we help each other out to keep it."

"What about your parents?"

"They died in a car accident three yours ago." Chipp knot his brows in a small, sad expression, "They got rammed over by a truck."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." Baiken replied, she stirred her glass just a little more before she spared the silent man a glance, "He doesn't talk much, does he?"

Anji slightly stiffened, he had his fists to his knees with his eyes to his lap the whole time, upon noticing him, he felt nervous.

Chipp laughed teasingly, "Ah, Anji and I just don't go out as much as we used to be, we're lacking in social relationships, you see." He sheepishly shrugged.

"Ah, I see." She nodded in understanding before she spared the silent man another glance, "You know, it wouldn't hurt to talk every once in a while."

Anji stole a little nervous glance before he dropped his gaze to his lap again.

She felt her brow twitch, she wondered why this silent man was avoiding her, was she that scary looking?

"Anyway, what about you?" Chipp chimed, "What brings a lovely lady like yourself to this humble little town?"

Baiken forced a little smile and took a sip from her drink, "Well, like I told you earlier, I need anger-management, so I got an outburst at work and, through a case of uncontrollable rage, beat the snot out of my boss." She released a small sigh, "I even got a heart attack short after, so not only did I lose my job, I'm also mentally ill." she grumbled, "The doctor told me to leave the city and go to a little town and rest my nerves, I'm here with a friend." She explained.

"Ah, I'm sorry; it seems that you haven't been having the best of time, huh?" Chipp scratched his head apologetically.

"I'm getting over it." She shrugged before swallowing the last of her drink, "Testament had been a lot of help."

"Testament?" Chipp arched a brow, "Is he your friend?" he smiled.

"More like my boyfriend." She stifled a small laugh.

But right then, she thought she saw the silent man twitch.

His shoulders stiffened and she noted that he didn't look like he was feeling comfortable.

'Was it something I said?' she thought to herself.

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"Butterfly Wings – Volume One."

"Arrival: Chapter Two: Part 3 of 5"

-(She came back to the same place, he knew she would come back, but he never thought he'd be so excited about it, he also never thought that she'd look even more beautiful than the last time he had seen her. 'Oh, I shall enjoy conquering you, my dear!' he told himself in glee, he felt the flame of excitement build in his chest, he fisted his hands and readied for the upcoming battle.

He strode towards her with balanced, calm steps, and as he expected, she was not pleased to see him. The way her eyes flared with rage and hatred, it was only an expression he loathed in others, but in the eyes of this woman, it felt different, it was tempting him, almost as if her eyes were calling him to yet another unwritten duel, a duel he is yet to discover, a duel that she will win on him.

He wanted this fine, young woman; he assumed that she would be very challenging.

He loved the challenges life tossed at him, it gave more spice to his blank, empty and boring life.

He smiled slyly like the weasel he was.

And as a stalking beast, he bared his fangs and ventured into this unspoken fight.)-

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Anji felt his skin prickle, a strange, uncomfortable feeling began to swell in his chest.

She had a boyfriend? She was already taken?

Was his heart just playing tricks on him?

He closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind.

"Boyfriend you say?" his little brother's voice sounded weary, so he turned to his brother and secretly touched his leg.

When Chipp turned to look at him, Anji shook his head ever so lightly, asking his brother to simply drop the topic and change it.

Chipp pressed his lips and turned back to the redhead, "So? How long have you been going out?" he asked.

Anji's eyes widened a little, he felt his heart speed in his chest, so he nervously turned to look at the redheaded woman.

Baiken looked pretty bored, he noticed the expression on her face, her fist to her cheek as she stared idly to her empty glass and plate, she was poking at the flower vase with tiger lilies in the center of the table, "Oh not very long, Testament and I have been seeing each other for two months now, he still works at the old company where we both used to work at, though." She told before she adjusted herself for a more comfortable sitting position, "But since I got fired, he's out there even on vacation days to earn enough money to pay the rent for the apartment."

"So," chip hummed curiously, "do you like him?"

She arched a quizzical brow before it knotted into a frown, "What's it to you?"

Chipp blinked at her sudden change of mood and shrugged, "I was just asking."

"Well it's none of your business!" she halfheartedly snarled before she popped up to her feet and clutched her purse, "Anyway, I ought to go back home now, I'll see you guys around." She muttered angrily before she marched away.

They watched her leave, so as soon as she was out of ear shot, Anji turned to his little brother with an upset look.

"You really didn't have to do that." He halfheartedly scolded, "Things like that are personal issues to a woman!"

"Well sorry! I just thought you'd want to know if she liked him or not." Chipp reasoned, "Though I think that maybe she's not the one for you, people with mental illness are easily broken." He told honestly.

Anji nodded, although he felt his heart sink in his guts, he still hoped that maybe one day, he would get the chance to meet this woman in a more convenient time.

Chipp swallowed the last of his drink before he gazed at his brother's troubled expression, "Something wrong, Anji?"

The ebony haired man shook his head, "Tired." He simply replied, "The sun, its frying my brains." He then muttered and held his head.

The silver haired man looked atop of them at the umbrella atop their heads, they were still outside the restaurant at the tables, Chipp turned to face his weary brother, "If you want, we can go back home." He offered.

The ebony haired man nodded, so Chipp paid for the three meals before they turned back towards their home.

Anji started thinking of the woman once more.

Was she really the right woman, or was his heart playing trick on him?

He felt very confused.

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Note: -Yawn-