H x H Chapter 10: The meeting.
Ruby paced down the hall way in the hospital, fully dressed in her white attire and yellow pants as before. She could hear her squealing sister from a few hall ways away; she were tired of her noisy twin for the moment and had decided to get some fresh air by leaving her assigned room.
Back in the room it shown Rui snuggled the poor thing with a gleeful smile and closed eyes. Illumi stood there with his head slightly titled to the side, this was her true side even though she hid her cold demeanor from Ruby, she were expressing her true emotions in front of him by that moth; She claimed she lost all her innocence back in the facility long ago before Ruby had even noticed but he doubts that, considering how she's acting as of now.
Rui...My family wishes to meet you." *He tilted his head back straight, he had realized that he were gazing at her too long. He turned to leave the room but felt pressure pushed against his back- making him stop mid pace.
"Arigato...Gosaimasu..." Rui had her head buried into Illumi's back, her arms were still wrapped around her new pet but her body were shaking for some strange reason.
"I had a feeling you'd like your gift, Rui..." He hadn't stirred out of is position nor turned his head to take a glance at her, he simply stood stiff and waited for her to get off.
"No...That's not the only reason why I'm thanking you..." Rui muttered seemed wavered as if she were trying not to cry. She tucked her wings down her back to be out of the way and a small tear streamed down her cheek. "I am also thanking you...for not judging me by my looks...You and Hisoka are the only ones that haven't-...looked down on us as if we were a disgrace to man kind..." Her breath got caught by forcing herself to try and stay calm while still having her face in Illumi's back. "W-we...were made fun of so much...No one liked us cause of how we looked...In the facility Everyone would keep their distance from us as if we were...monsters..." At that Illumi turned to face Rui, he seen her peer up to meet his gaze with streaming tears and slightly narrowed eyes with her mouth barely opened; Her pet had calmed down and were fast asleep in her arms.
"My family and I are rather abnormal to begin with and as for Hisoka...He is just strange all around... So of course we wouldn't look down on you two, you two are different but difference surely does not bother Hisoka and I..." Suddenly he were tackled to the ground by a crying Rui; Rui had done that out of relief.
"Was it something I said...?" He questioned in his head as he blinked in confusion.
~An hour later~
Ruby waltzed into the room that she had left an hour ago, Rui were playing with her pet while Illumi sat in a nearby chair not too far from Rui's bed. Ruby's expression were stoic as usual but ever since Rui had told her about what Hisoka had said when she were still asleep, a little bit more life were shown in her eyes. Soren the white hawk flocked his way over to Ruby and landed on her forearm after she had held it up. "Hey, Soren.
"Ne-saaaaan!" Rui shouted to her then ran and hugged her twin around the waist while slipping some giggles out.* "O-Hio Ruuuuby-chan!-" Rui gleefully cheered then let go with her eyes closed.
"Ohio-..." Ruby looked to her side and noticed Illumi in a chair looking out the window.
Illumi turned to face ruby who had come in. "Ruby...May I borrow your sister? My family requests a meeting with her." His monotonous voice reached Ruby's ears and made her narrow her eyes a bit.
"Why...?" Ruby asked, she felt cautious but slightly relieved at his reply.
"You may come to if you wish...Ruby...My family will approve of your presence but, I wish for you to stay low from our conversations that involves her." Illumi answered almost instantaneously. He stood up then trotted to the door to make his leave.
"Alright..." Ruby closed her eyes in defeat with her stoic expression unchanged. She crossed her arms but heard Rui giggling in the distance. She opened her eyes then cocked her yellow eyes to their corners to watch her twin play.
~At the Zoldyck household mansion~
"Right this way, ladies." A butler escorted the twins through the halls then gestured for them to go into a room with Illumi behind them. In the room had Kikyo, silva, Milluki and their youngest Kalluto sitting in their seats as well a mysterious little boy with white hair not too far from his mother. The the room had black sofas with a small table in the middle; the interior appeared Gothic in the room.
"Please, come sit." Kikyo asked, she'd much prefer to have them sit so they could have a decent conversation in a more comfortable way.
Rui walked in first but Ruby had her eyes peeled on her surroundings, she didn't seem to be pleased with this sudden meeting and that just makes her bring up her guard a notch. Ruby's expression seemed irritated a bit as well stoic while Rui kept darting her gaze all over the room in astonishment, her mouth were open a little as the lights in the room kissed her pink eyes which made them gloss her usual purple rainbow hue.
The Ruby sat down on one of the unoccupied sofas then crossed her arms against her bust and flipped her leg over the other. Rui stood there looking around until she seen Kikyo, her expression unchanged while her head tilted to the far side. Her pink antennas brushed to the side with her, as well as her soft brown hair that was nearly the same color as her skin. She placed her arms behind her politely, keeping them clasped together while standing straight and still. Illumi and his family watched her, they could sense that she was reading them some how but, couldn't figure out how or why.
"Miss Kowaza...I have been informed by my eldest son, about a problem he's rather stuck in. He had told me that, when he's near you he feels strange; The need to protect you, as if you were his younger sibling. Though I believe it's something more than that, could you perhaps tell us, what you're doing to our son? He hasn't acted this way since he was very small." Kikyo stated, fully aware of Rui's childish side and goofy self; What comes to the surface, may even surprise her.
"Weeeeeellll~" Rui trailed off, by putting a finger to her lips and looking up toward the ceiling. Her wings twitched then brushed down her back, so they'd be out of the way; Unfortunately she were interrupted by Ruby.*
"Oi, Rui...iie..." *Ruby glared harshly at her twin with her piercing hawk eyes, her arms still crossed and her leg still over the other.*
"Doshite?" Rui replied quizzically, before laying her eyes on Illumi. She grew giddy then began flying in an instant, in a flash she had tackled Illumi to the ground, while laughing like a child. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was open happily. Her arms got wrapped around Illumi's waist, while they were on the floor.
"This is becoming a terrible habit of hers..." Illumi stated with his eyes as blank as ever, peering up at the ceiling.
"I couldn't agree more..." Ruby agreed while nodding her head. Illumi's family appeared bewildered, by the sudden out burst of Rui's childish attack.
"I can see why Illumi is confused...Rui is rather...strange..." Said Silva's father, Illumi motioned for Rui to get up; After she stood, she giggled up a storm with her bug orbs still shut and her mouth closed, into a large smile. She twirled then skipped gleefully over to her twin. Kikyo didn't seem to mind Rui's behavior, in fact she seemed rather amused by her, while Silva just had his eyes closed. Milluki just gazed at her blankly but, his face slightly reddish and Kalluto was sitting beside Kikyo with his head tilted a bit. The little white haired boy, had a cold demeanor but looked slightly surprised.
"I see, Illumi dear...Would you please explain to us again, what is was that you were so puzzled about?'" Kikyo asked with a soft smile only to have him nod and came to stand beside his father.
"It is a very strange sensation, I feel the urge to keep you safe Rui...That feeling I have usually occurs towards a sibling; I have gotten rid of all my emotions long ago, as it gave no benefit to my training or missions... Ever since I met you, those worthless feelings have been occurring on their own. What kind of nen did you use, to make my emotions surface on their own...?" With his usual monotonous voice, he had asked her.
"I...didn't do anything, Illumi...I don't even know how to manipulate things, I'm not a manipulator." Rui looked concerned, she hadn't done anything to him, as far as she were aware.
"My son, it appears you have fallen for Rui. You're unaware of your own infatuation of her." Silva had concluded after thinking to himself for some time, Rui's face grew as red as a tomato. Her eyes and mouth were that of stun, she couldn't move. "Why would anyone fall for a bug freak like me...? I'm gross, I'm insect like, I'm not even human in appearance and what's more, no body likes abnormal..." Rui rebelled in her mind, she was just Illumi's friend. Her first friend to be exact, she had tried making friends before in the facility but, they were always disgusted by her looks; The only friend she truly had, was her own sister until she met Illumi.*
"No one's ever liked me before, so how on earth does Illumi like me in that way when-when...I'M AN UGLY INSECT!" Rui surprisingly burst out into tears, then flew out of the room with great speed.
"R-Rui...?" Ruby stuttered from shock, she had never seen her sister act that way. The room fell into yet another moment of silence, until Kikyo spoke.
"Ruby...Can you please tell us, what just happened?" Kikyo asked, with concern embedded in her voice.
The room fell silent for a few minutes more, until Ruby broke it with a sigh. "...Back in the facility up to even now...No one liked her, because of how she looked...Many grew ill to their stomach every time they'd see her. They would always make pest jokes around her and pick on her, all because of her mutated form just so happened to be an insect... She never had a boy friend and she never fell in love before, this is a whole new thing to her and hearing that from him, made her go into disbelief due to her past experiences..." Ruby replied with her eyes closed, whilst sitting in the same position as before. She sluggishly opened her eyes then locked them to the floor, with mourn in her ogles.*
Illumi and his family just gawked at her explanation, Illumi brushed passed them all and made his way after Rui. He didn't understand why but, he felt the need to go after her. Knowing she had never fallen in love before and noticing her red face during that time when he were dangerously close to her face, it made him almost bolt instead of walk. Kikyo, Silva, his grandfather, Kalluto, Milluki and the white haired boy- all were dumbfounded by Illumi's sudden action. They knew Illumi would never do something such as, go after someone that went into an emotional break down.
Ruby rose to her feet then unsheathed her sword and pointed its tip to Silva and Kikyo, with dangerous piercing eyes. " I swear...If any of you dare to harm her mental state...-"
"We have no intentions in doing so, Ruby...We simply wanted answers." Silva reassured her then noticed Ruby hesitate, to stuff her blade back into its covering.
"Rui and I are bound together by a tight thread, that no one can break...Thus, if I so as much see you try to ruin her in any way- ...you're dead..." Ruby shown a spark of intimidation on her features, as she said the last part of her sentence. She knows all too well that people can back stab, people may say one thing but most usually don't keep their word. Knowing this Silva nodded but, was rather irritated at her disrespect, none the less he understood why she acted like this. He wanted to cut her head off right then and there but, knew it were illogical considering it would not benefit their family in any way.
"I would appreciate if you left this room, right now- if you don't want to be killed in the next few seconds." Silva demanded, with stern blue eyes. At that Ruby hesitated to sheath her sword back but did none the less; She closed her eyes in defeat and shown no expression, she casually walked out of the room. She paused mid pace to say one last thing, before leaving. "Forgive me...I'm just protective...I can sense dangers, that Rui cannot...Thus, I'm overly cautious." She continued her way back down the hall, passed the already opened door afterwords.