"Shorta, Shorta!" Kayri danced around the small child to the laughs of him and the older female Haibane, Rakka. "So your going to live here for a month, huh?" The noon sun was already hot, making Kayri's clothes cling to her small frame.
"Yes, Dai was here two winters ago, and Shorta has his turn now in the summer, right Shorta?" Rakka added, smiling her small smile. Her orange hair was sticking up in wild angles as it always had. "Kayri, you've only been in Abandoned Factory for a month?"
"Yeah, only a month. It feels as if I have lived here all of my life, though." She smiled at Rakka and then at Shorta who had wandered off looking at the large complex that would serve as his home for the next month. He was just a young feather, but he was curious. "Hey you, Shorty!" She grinned wickedly as Shorta turned around on his heel about to pout. "Go inside, lunch is in there someplace, if you can find it." She grinned, a contagious grin that made even Rakka smile as well as Shorta.
Rakka lowered her voice just for Kayri, "Kayri, why don't you visit Old Home? We would love to have you, and there are a lot more girls there around your age. And all the kids stay there too." Rakka tugged at her schoolgirl uniform lightly, unconsciously.
"Old Home?" Kayri smiled, "I don't think I have ever even seen Old Home. . . I might show up one night and then you couldn't get rid of me!" She grinned, she was bouncing from foot to foot, never able to keep still.
Rakka clapped her hands together, "Great! You can stay for as long as you want!"
Kayri ran a hand through her dark black hair, "Hey now, I haven't even come over yet!"
"I know," Rakka laughed, "But it's going to be like a slumber party or something! It's too exciting just to wait for it!" She giggled, her wings moved slightly in the warm breeze.
"Yeah, yeah. I heard that the newest Haibane for Old Home was the twins right?" Kayri smiled, stretching in the sun, her arm flung over her head as she stood on tiptoe reaching as high as she could.
"Yes, they where born shortly after Reki went over the wall." Rakka smiled slightly at the remembrance of her friend.
"You mean, her day of flight came? That's the only time we Haibane can cross the walls, right?" Kayri's eyes glowed a soft, deep purple.
"The day of flight comes to all good Haibane, that's just how it is."
"That's just how it is…" The smile vanished from Kayri's face, her bright eyes becoming hard and cold. "Just, just how it is… everyone has to leave." Her face was crowded; her normal slouched stance was now ridged. But as soon as the mood came it left and Kayri was smiling again. "I'll come by tomorrow, I got to tend to Shorta now though."
"Okay!" Rakka hadn't noticed Kayri's switch of manner, the look of anger in her eyes. She waved to Shorta and Kayri as she made her way into the city streets. Shorta was waving vigorously until Kayri grabbed his hand and they started walking towards the kitchen.