Rima was overwhelmed. She didn't need to say it because her eyes said it all for her. It was the sophisticated eighteen year old Rima that greeted them once they had managed to coax her out of her blank state. Whatever could have set her off Nagihiko still didn't know.
"You look like death warmed over." Utau handed him a cup of... something. Honestly, he was just too tired to even care. The very few brain cells he still had awake was now protesting. "A while" turned out to be a day and a half. Even now, Rima barely said a word.
"Just tired." Nagihiko sagged against his chair, poise and stature be damned and let out a quiet sigh. The fact that Rima was vaguely interested in whatever Kukai was saying made it all worth it. She seemed a bit wary, but was also the smallest bit relaxed. Progress. This was progress.
"I'm glad you remember me." Kukai shot Ikuto a dirty look. "Someone had me convinced I was some pathetic Q-tip in your world full of pretty snowflakes."
"That doesn't make sense!" Yaya rolled over from where she'd been watching the tv, the bed being big enough to hold both her and Rima, and possibly Utau but the blondes were both keeping their distance.
"It so too does make sense!"
"Does not!" Yaya sat up on her knees, a determined glint in her eyes. Nagihiko winced and prayed his boss was nowhere near the vicinity because he was so not going to be able to explain why he had two visitors in a shouting match with a highly unstable patient sitting barely a feet away. "Yaya thinks that if you're a single q-tip in a pile of snowflakes then you're even more unique than any flake in the bundle because you'd be all alone and different and special and."
"I think we get it." Ikuto flipped through his magazine. "Souma drop it, she's got a point."
"Told ya!" Yaya performed something one would call a happy dance before plopping down beside Rima.
The blonde had raised her head, curiosity getting the best of her while the argument had been going on and was now looking at Yaya albeit a little wary. Rima looked at Nagihiko, which brought butterflies into his stomach because his Rima was back, before scooting towards Yaya. "You and I used to be best friends."
"That's right!" Yaya nodded enthusiastically. "Yaya and Rima used to go around running and hiding from Ikuto and Kukai because they always wanted to do big people stuff like ride rollercoasters and drive cars. No consideration whatsoever to us fun-sized people who should be enough entertainment all on our own!"
"You've been hanging out with Kairi." the reply was instant but it caused a high pitched squeal to leave Yaya's lips before she threw her arms around the blonde.
Kukai and Ikuto exchanged looks, one Nagihiko caught and somehow understood. This really was progress. At least Rima was coming out if little by little. But Naighiko still wondered what had set her off? If they figured it out then maybe it could be a subject that they could avoid thus preventing any future 'blackouts'.
"Rima remembers Kairi does she?! This is wonderful! Brilliant! We need to celebrate! Kairi isn't here though but he'll be thrilled that you remembered him! Yaya'll be sure to tell him! Where will we go though? Lunch outside? Is that allowed Nagi?"
Nagihiko faltered. He couldn't very well keep sneaking Rima out, but it's not like he had the heart to tell Yaya 'no'. "I'm gonna have to ask the head nurse."
Yaya visibly deflated but nodded enthusiastically, her happy energy somehow making it less painful to go and ask for what was possibly a ninety-nine percent 'NO' from the head nurse.
"Come on then Fujisaki." Kukai grinned and slung an arm around Nagihiko, sensing his obvious discomfort and waving at the people in the room. "Don't worry! Fujisaki has the position and I'm bringing the charm~!"
"Your charms aren't appreciated anyhow!" Utau rolled her eyes and earned a wink for her efforts but Nagihiko knew what it meant now that even the eldest blonde was speaking.
Things were going back to normal.
"This way!" Yaya had a firm grip on Rima's hand and it was a blessing to have the brown haired girl. She managed to coax a rather exuberant Rima (with the help of cotton candy) out of her silent demeanor and though it was a shell of the second personality, the blonde was thankful.
She knew this people. She remembered them, truly she did. She knew that Yaya loved jelly beans, and Kukai hated it when he misplaced his cleats. She understood that Ikuto and Utau used to have a relationship that bordered incestual, though who loved who in which way he couldn't remember. It was a relief that she could still handle the surge of memories since she'd done all she could in her power to block them. Because whenever she thought about them, she thought about her... STOP RIGHT THERE.
Rima sighed inwardly, the smile on her face faltering slightly but she managed to reign it in. Running along with Yaya who was trying to catch up to a skate boarding Kukai was more fun than being all prim and proper like what she'd been taught to be. No daughter of any sane and respectable businessman would be allowed to run around like some uncouth child.
"Are you sure he's nineteen?" She heard Nagihiko from behind her. The very thought of him made her even happier. Maybe it was because this side of her, from where she was drawing a bit of sunshine approved of Nagihiko the most. But it was maybe because he was her... boyfriend. No. She'd decided this. She didn't need anyone to be stable. But did that mean she couldn't be with Nagihiko?
"Nineteen in body but seven in mind." Utau cheered as she rolled after them in roller skates, the entire park open for their whacky adventures. For Rima it had been a shock to see the blonde in skates. She was still a bit wary of her because... well Utau was tall, beautiful, and had a really big chest. Those type of people had once upon a time made Rima insecure.
Nagihiko had also opted for rollerskates, and so he and Utau were weaving around each other as they played chaos into the usually silent park. Yaya had abandoned the bike she'd rented, choosing instead to run after Kukai and try to throw him off his skateboard with Rima in tow, thus making her her accomplice. Ikuto was happily moving with them, just walking since apparently he was old enough to not need a reason to walk around.
"Hey watch it!" Kukai threw his arms at either side, having a difficult time gaining balance when he had a brunette bumping into him repeatedly.
"Timber goes down the mighty soccer player!" Yaya threw a fist pump into the air before pointing at Rima as she ran. "You there blonde creampuff. Do your job for the country of funsized people!"
"Oi!" Kukai yelped when Rima appeared on his other side, a subtle glint in her eyes as she too swiped at Kukai.
"Down he goes!"
"Ow!"
"Run Rima! Run for your life!"
"This way!"
"No this way!"
"Are you two done already?" Utau dashed forward and grabbed at their wrists, effectively tugging them forward. "Souma's a roadrunner on a skateboard without two puff-pastries knocking into him! Run!"
"Don't go too far!" Nagihiko winced at the fact that he sounded like an overprotective parent before sighing as Rima's laughter rang through the park.
"You need to loosen up." Ikuto commented idly as he too watched the now pumped up Kukai run after the three girls.
"It's the intern inside." Nagihiko insisted.
"Sure it is."
"Isn't that the new restaurant?" Ikuto lead their little group through the mall. When with Yaya and Kukai, you had to get used to moving around since they got sick of one place really easily. They had such short attention spans that you had to seriously work to keep them entertained. Plus that to Rima who wanted to see everything of everything on her rare days outside, who was he to deny their wishes.
"I think so," Utau peered at the violet banner a little skeptically. "Minanako told me it was good. Its Hinanese I think... wanna try it out?"
"What the heck is Hinanese?" Kukai spat the word out like it actually tasted bitter. Utau shrugged her shoulders, not knowing what it was either.
"Yaya wants pizza!" Said girl cheered. "With cheese, lots and lots of cheese. Oh and strawberry ice tea!"
"But we had pizza in the park!" Kukai whined. "Can't we go for something else?"
"Pizza!"
"Something else!"
"Pizza!"
"Something else!"
"Ohmyglob!"
"LSP!"
"Usual sushi bar then." Utau nodded, her hand slipping into Rima's who happily followed her. Kukai and Yaya cried out in indignation before running after them.
"Why sushi?" Yaya whined, stomping all the while as she caught up to them.
"We have sushi all the time!" Kukai added, seemingly teaming up with Yaya.
"We eat sushi at home!" Yaya exlaimed.
"For free!" Kukai nodded.
"Now we're gonna use money on sushi too?!"
"Unacceptable!"
"You two will stop it right now or you won't get dessert!" Utau snapped but kept on walking. The two did stop talking loudly but were rapidly whispering to Utau as they trudged after her, the blonde groaning in frustration before letting go of Rima's hand so she too could stomp faster towards the restaurant.
"If anyone asks." Rima turned her head to Ikuto and Nagihiko who were indiscreetly glancing around for the mall guards. The raven headed boy reached out for her hand and Rima automatically took it."We don't know any of them."
"Agreed." Ikuto shuffled onwards but the smile on his face was irremovable.
Rima was interacting with them, she wasn't shutting them off. It was approximately two weeks before Christmas. Not far off would be January then February will be here in no time at all. There was hope yet.
Three months. I'm going to be honest, I never planned on updating this ever since the plummet of stories... But yesterday I realized that the SC! fandom is the most I've given to. Seventy stories (though most have been deleted and are in my other account). I mean, who doesn't finish one of the last stories for their first archive? If anything I owe it to all of you whose stuck with me.
I hope I still have readers out there, I really am sorry. This is dedicated to; Pika-Thunder, Twisterheart, balabalanceh, BuBuBoom, Yanami, Miki-Chii103, acciohome, cutevampkitten03, Wisteria Blossom, NomNom23, kwiluvu, rilenchan3700, Day1Directioner, Innocent and Sweet, Moki X, 15 fallen angel, Searchingformyheart, balabalanceh, Tori-Chii103, Angel Bunnies and everyone else who followed and read.