The Kohinata family stayed for a little more than a week, as they normally did. An managed to sneak away one out of the nine days that they were there. She decided to spend the day exploring the town despite Ritsu's fears, assuring Ritsu that she'd be able to defend herself with her dagger if it came down to it, but Ritsu couldn't help but to be doubtful. An was still a kid, after all, and she could easily be overpowered by any kidnapper who recognized her as royalty. However, Ritsu knew he couldn't convince her otherwise and that she would go regardless of whether or not he would help her.

Ritsu was relieved when An came back to the castle in the early evening.

"It was so wonderful Richan, I hope one day we can sneak out together!" An beamed. She had quite enjoyed the hustle and bustle of it all, trying different foods, dipping in and out of shops, and meeting other children who accepted her presence easily and played fervently.

"I'm just glad you came back safely." Ritsu said.

"And our parents have no idea I left?" She asked with a smile.

"No idea at all. I've managed to avoid them all day. I'm becoming particularly good at avoiding my mother." Ritsu said with a laugh. An giggled alongside him.

"Good! Now, let me tell you all about this fortune teller I ran into." An said, excited to share the details of her day.

"A fortune teller?"

"Yes, I'm sure she was a fake, but it was fun talking to her anyway." An said.

Ritsu listened attentively as An recounted her day to him, including her brief encounter with a self-proclaimed psychic who mentioned treasures and adventure in An's future. He smiled with genuine interest, nodding along. "Will you go back out there while you're still here?" He asked.

"Maybe when we come back in the Spring. We'll have to think of a way to get you to come with me." She said with a smile. "I enjoyed it, but it was a little overwhelming to be there alone, I will admit. I'm glad to be back in the castle walls."

Once the Kohinata family left, Ritsu fell into his routine once more. Days blended together, their similarities making it difficult to keep them separated in his mind. He went through book after book after book, finding little about sirens that was really helpful. Most of them had the same information just repeated, but Ritsu had collected the following notes in his journal:

- Always depicted and referred to as women

Ritsu had assumed Saga was a boy, but maybe a siren's presentation was different from that of human's? This would not be something Ritsu would be delving further into, not wanting to offend Saga by asking, but it was still something he found curious. He scribbled a little question mark next to the note. He had also found that most illustrations depicted sirens has having more bird than human features, but the only bird-like features Saga had were his wings and the talons he could grow. Otherwise, he looked quite human.

- Tend to stay in groups

Another question mark was hastily drawn. Saga was always alone and had not mentioned any other sirens. Were these books wrong or was Saga just different? Did something happen to the other sirens Saga may have once been with? Yet another question that Ritsu would not ask, but this time out of fear of dredging up bad memories.

- Stays by cliffs/rocks

Saga certainly had rocks by him on the beach, but nothing so large to drive a ship into, which was meant to be their main function. So why was Saga always on the beach? No ships passed by there and there were no rocks or cliffs to even do damage to the non-existent ships. There was nothing on that beach that should be appealing to Saga.

- Song can put people to sleep, cause illusions, hypnotize, 'charm the winds'

Ritsu had put quotation marks around that last one because he wasn't entirely sure what it meant. Maybe that was something he could ask about.

- Escaping a siren: hearing/playing a sweeter song, plugging your ears and restraining yourself

Ritsu didn't think he'd need to worry about this with Saga, but if there was one siren then there were undoubtedly more somewhere out there. Although he didn't think he had the capability to play a sweeter song than a siren, he could certainly plug his own ears and tie himself up if he ever needed to.

- Ways to kill a siren: challenging and winning a singing competition, hearing their song but escaping

Ritsu had hesitated to even write this down. He certainly would not attempt to test these methods out. He had no idea how much of what he read and wrote was true, but he wasn't going to try any of them, especially not on Saga. Maybe this is why he wouldn't sing for me, Ritsu thought. If the books were right, then Saga would die if he sang for Ritsu and then let him go. If they were right.

Ritsu was disappointed by the rather short list of notes, but he didn't find much else that was worth jotting down. Maybe he could ask his tutors if they knew anything about the legendary sirens, but he doubted any of them would entertain what they would believe to be a childish whim.

The rest of the Fall went the same way, but with every passing sunrise and sunset Ritsu could feel a mixture of nervousness and excitement begin to build inside him. Winter would be here before he knew it and Ritsu would be back on that little beach he thought so often of.

Saga did not come back to the cliffs often. But this morning he felt the pull, the call, the song. Someone wanted him. For what, he did not know, but it would not be wise to ignore it. The siren took flight, gliding along the wind and landing on a ledge of the rocky cliffs where another siren sat. Her wings were much larger than Saga's, showing she was a fully mature siren. Her face was deceptively beautiful, glowing with an unnatural youth that would never leave her so long as she continued to lure unsuspecting sailors in with her song.

"Mother." He greeted, face and tone both neutral as to not hint at the fact that he was quite annoyed at being summoned like this.

"Masamune." Saga Kotoko spoke in acknowledgement. "You have finally decided to grace us with your presence, I see."

"You called for me." Masamune said simply, deciding to ignore the passive aggression.

"I did. Can a mother not be worried about her son?" Kotoko frowned and began to turn him this way and that, looking for any sign of injury. "You refuse to tell me where you fly off to and you never return unless I make you. You could very well die out there one day and I won't know. I know you like to fancy yourself grown up, but you don't even have your song yet. You have no way to defend yourself out there."

This was a lecture Masamune was familiar with. He held up his hands, letting them grow into talons. "I have these, don't I?" He said flatly.

Kotoko frowned. "You are a mere babe, Masamune, who has never even had the proper chance to use those things on anything but fish."

Masamune grumbled unhappily under his breath, letting his mother fuss over him.

"Why can't you just stay?" She complained. This wanderlust of his was not good for her heart. No matter how she had tried to make him stay in the past she always failed. He took any and every opportunity to fly off, Kotoko eventually no longer attempting to stop him. "Or at least tell me where you're going." She added. It would put her at ease to know where her son flew off to. It would be even more of a relief to know if he was visiting his father who lived down south with another clan of sirens. Sirens were not ones to get particularly attached to mates, partners coming and going often. It was rare that they left their own clan to settle with another. But, if Masamune was not alone during his travels and was in fact with his father then it would put her worries to rest.

Masamune shrugged and looked away toward the sea where a ship was approaching. He heard the other sirens of their clan shriek with excitement before they started to sing. A deep frown settled on Masamune's face.

"It's hard, isn't it?" Kotoko asked. "Knowing you can't join their song."

"That's not the hard part." Masamune looked away as the ship began to change course and head toward the cliffs.

"Masamune, it gets easier. It is frightening at first, but you'll come to find the thrill in it, the joy." Kotoko said. "It is in our nature to hunt. It is how we survive. It's how we thrive."

"Was there anything else, mother?" Masamune asked, the ship slowly getting closer.

"No, Masamune. I just wanted to make sure you were alright." Kotoko said. "But of course, you're welcome to stay for dinner."

Masamune merely nodded, mumbled a goodbye and quickly left, not responding to her offer. He ignored the sound of the ship crashing into the cliffs and did his best to block out the delighted shouts of the sirens as they descended on their victims. He left them all behind him swiftly, doing away with the irrational thought that maybe, just maybe, a certain green eyed human was on that ship.

He wouldn't be. He's not a sailor, he's just a boy, Masamune told himself, but only to ease his guilty conscious as he flew off.

Ritsu's nose and cheeks began to turn a little red as he and his family left their carriage and approached the steps of the Kohinata castle. It was late in December now, the families intending on spending both Christmas and the New Year together as they always did. Ritsu hoped he'd be able to sneak away from the holiday festivities at some point to visit Saga. It was the 23rd now, so if he wanted to get to Saga before any true celebrations started then he'd have to visit tomorrow. He doubted he'd have any way to sneak off today, having just arrived.

Is it weird that I got him a gift? Do sirens celebrate Christmas? That's a silly question, why would sirens celebrate Christmas? Are we even close enough to exchange gifts? Obviously the answer to that is no, but still. Not that I expect him to get me a gift, but I hope it isn't too weird that I got him one. Ritsu thought as his family was escorted into the castle. The prince was relieved to be protected from the chill, tension slowly leaving his body as he began to warm up.

It might be too cold to visit Saga, Ritsu thought, but quickly decided that the weather couldn't keep him from the beach. Ritsu had said he would be back in the Winter and he intended to keep his word.

Greetings were exchanged between the two royal families, Ritsu asking to be excused so he could rest in his room after the journey. Although his mother didn't love the idea of Ritsu not being with the present company, she understood that the journey was particularly long and tiring in the Winter.

Ritsu opened the curtains of his window and looked out. Things were quite gray and wet today, but he hoped that soon the depressing sight would be replaced by a beautiful, crisp snow. He patted and rubbed his cheeks, trying to get rid of the redness that still lingered. He then reached into his pocket, pulling out the small gift he planned to give to Saga once he saw him. He had thought over the present, having painstakingly agonized over it for hours. Even now he wasn't sure if it was the right choice, but it was what he had brought, so he was committed to it now. He set the gift in the drawer of the empty nightstand and flopped down onto his bed.

I'll see him tomorrow, Ritsu thought, determined to follow through with his decision.

Saga wished he had ignored the call yesterday. Now it was all he could think about as he stood at the edge of the ocean with the waves touching his toes, the chill not bothering him. Over and over again his mind replayed the sound of those stupid sirens and their stupid singing and the stupid ship crashing into that stupid cliff causing those stupid humans to drown and be devoured and how Saga had just flown away and one of those stupid humans just might have been Ritsu and-

"Saga?"

The siren turned quickly, spotting Ritsu all bundled up against the winter chill, but still smiling his stupidly bright smile.

Saga didn't understand the sudden relief that flooded through him at the sight of the human, but he welcomed it. Anything to distract him from the memories of yesterday. He was also glad to see that his wild theories of Ritsu somehow finding himself on yesterday's ship had been swiftly disproven. Although the two of them had been parted for months now, the sight of the human felt familiar. Saga frowned. I can't get used to this, he told himself. He'll eventually sate his curiosity about me and will not come back one day, it's best that way.

"You're back." Saga said in lieu of greeting.

Ritsu nodded, standing a little behind him so as to not come too close to the water. "I said I would be and so I am." He said. Saga took note of his chattering teeth.

"You're cold."

"I'm fine." Ritsu dismissed. "Though, I probably can't stay for long this time around. It will eventually get too cold for me." He added. "But I brought you something! Not food though." He laughed nervously.

"That's a little disappointing." Saga said bluntly. Ritsu turned red, but Saga didn't know if it was from the nipping wind or from embarrassment.

"I'll bring some next time, I promise." Ritsu said. He was sure there'd be plenty of leftovers from their holiday dinner. No one would notice if he took some.

"What did you bring then?" Saga asked, stepping away from the water to stand in front of Ritsu. As far as he could tell the human was empty handed.

Ritsu reached into his pocket, pulling out what looked like a bronze pocket-watch and holding it out to the siren. Saga took it carefully and opened it, realizing that it was not a watch, but a compass.

"I didn't really know what to get a siren for Christmas or whether or not sirens even celebrate Christmas, but I thought it could be useful to you, living by and traveling all around the sea and all that." Ritsu said, watching for a reaction, wringing his hands nervously.

Saga hummed in response, looking at the compass in his hands, not knowing what Christmas was, but today was special to him in a different way. "It's funny." He said.

"Funny? What's funny?" Ritsu asked. That was not exactly the response he had been hoping for, but funny wasn't a bad thing, right?

"It's my birthday today." Saga said. There had been no way for Ritsu to know that and yet he had gotten him a present. He couldn't quite find the right word to describe how that felt, so he had gone with funny.

"It's your birthday?!" Ritsu exclaimed.

"Yes." Saga said, closing the compass. "And I don't know what 'Christmas' is." He admitted.

"I-I-I had no idea it was your birthday today, happy birthday! Sirens celebrate birthdays?" He said, feeling like he was learning a lot in this small exchange. Now he really wished he had brought a meal for them to share today as a means to celebrate.

"Usually only big milestones." Saga said, the fifteenth birthday not being one of those. But still, it was nice to receive something on his birthday, even if that hadn't been Ritsu's intention. "Thank you." He added once he remembered his manners, but then he tried to refocus the conversation. "What's Christmas? Am I supposed to get you something?"

"No, no, no." Ritsu shook his head. "Christmas is a yearly holiday that we celebrate in the Winter. Friends and family exchange gifts, there's usually music of some kind, a big dinner, and it's meant to be a time of charity and generosity." Ritsu explained very briefly. "But you don't have to get me anything."

"But you got me something." Saga said.

"Well-yes-but not because I want anything in return! I just wanted to give you something." Ritsu smiled reassuringly. "Besides, it's technically a birthday present too. You don't get other people things on your birthday."

"When is Christmas? Is it also today?" Saga asked.

Ritsu shook his head, more than happy to answer all his questions. "No, it's tomorrow, the 25th of December."

Saga nodded. "Will you come back tomorrow?"

"No, I won't be able to. I'll be with my family."

"Oh." Saga said.

"B-B-But I'll try to be back the next day or the day after that! I'm definitely going to visit you again." Ritsu added quickly.

"Then I'll find something to give you while you're gone." Saga said.

"You really don't have to." Ritsu said.

"I want to participate in this human tradition. It sounds...fun." Saga said. "Will you let me?" Saga had to admit that Ritsu was not the only curious one here. While Saga wouldn't actively seek out humans and learn about their ways, he had one right in front of him now. He may as well take the opportunity while he still had it.

Ritsu hesitated. How could he possibly say no to that? He wasn't going to be the one to deny Saga a hint of the Christmas experience if he truly desired it. "Sure." He finally said with a soft smile before he looked at Saga warily. "There isn't any sort of catch to getting a present from a siren, is there?"

"No. Is there a catch to getting a present from a human?"

"Sometimes. But not when it's from me." Ritsu assured.

Saga nodded and looked at the compass again. It really was funny.

Ritsu was funny.

"What sort of thing do you give a person as a present?" Masamune asked his mother, getting straight to the point as he landed on the cliffside, not even bothering with 'hello's. Masamune had never really given anyone anything and so he was at a bit of a loss as to what to give to Ritsu for 'Christmas'. He's pretty sure that's what the human called it.

Kotoko stared at him with her jaw slightly dropped. It was an understatement to say she was very surprised to see her son come back of his own volition and she was even more surprised at the question.

"What are you talking about? Masamune, are you trying to court someone?" Kotoko asked. Her son was still too young to be thinking about something like that, but she couldn't imagine any other reason why Masamune would suddenly ask such a strange question.

"What? Mom, no." Masamune said quickly with a frown. What sort of question was that? He had just turned fifteen yesterday, of course he wasn't trying to court someone!

"Who is this gift for?"

"A friend." Masamune said vaguely. Kotoko didn't need to know the details, as far as Masamune was concerned.

"A friend? What kind of friend? How did you meet them? Where did you meet them? When did you meet them and why am I only hearing about them now?" Kotoko put her hands on her hips, her eyebrows furrowing and the corners of her mouth turning downward.

"Never mind." Masamune huffed, extending his wings, intending to fly away. He should've known his mother wouldn't be any help. It wasn't like she knew anything about humans considering any human she had ever met had not lived to tell the tale. It was a poor decision to ask her, she wouldn't know what humans liked.

"Masamune." Kotoko said, her voice low and dangerous. "If you've gotten yourself with mixed up with someone you shouldn't have-"

"I said never mind." And just as quickly as Masamune had arrived, he took off.

Kotoko sighed as she watched Masamune fly away, shaking her head as she thought that boy is going to be the death of me.