Hiya! I don't own anything, I mean this is fanfiction. Shouldn't there be an automatic disclaimer unless it's OC's?
Like, really.
Shiori POV
I hear it, the sound of my case being opened.
Will it happen again, another family member denying me? I don't understand what had happened...
For these past years, they tell me nothing and keep me away in the dark until it comes for the time that I'd be sent back into the 'Waiting Room'. Then that man will come and play with us after a long period of peace along with those disturbing existences that watch you with their crazed pitch-black eyes and unfaltering smiles.
How long is that man planning to keep us like this?
Suddenly, I feel a hesitant hand stroking my extremely dark hair, its appearance looking black, but obviously dark, dark, dark brown. Two hands then lift me up and put me in a standing slouch position, and I knew automatically that the person is going to put my wind-up key into the hidden hole in my back.
Why is it so quiet?
Ritsu POV
I hope I'm not breaking anything...
Looking out, I can see that it's evening now. The library will close soon, but it is empty already, so I already locked the doors.
It's strange, being somewhat alone like this; it was so lively earlier, before Misaki was asked to go back after disappearing so abruptly, and Takano-san's friend marching in frustrated and dragging him out, something about changing the lock and a cat.
Cats... For some reason, they don't like me... Hikase told me once that it was because of how I held myself in front of cats, that my hesitation to approach them was something they didn't like.
So I guess that means they like confident people then...?
Then again, everybody and everything is different; maybe, just maybe, there is a cat out there that will like me.
Out of my thoughts as a hear a ticking noise, I look to see that I already winded up the doll, and now it is time for me to let go.
Shiori... he really does resemble that ancestor of mine who disappeared as a child. I shivered; it can't be- that's like some sort of twisted family mystery thing, and too much of a coincidence. I shake my head and watch as he wakes up.
His outfit consisted of a white dress shirt, a dark green vest over it along with dark green pants; the vest is dark brown on the back, two pockets at the bottom of the front held a golden chain between them and across a button. Maybe he has a pocket watch?
He moved so slowly, I hope I didn't break him or anything.
After a seconds, he stands straight, opening his eyes slowly; it was as green as mine. When I look at his eyes, I also notice that his dark hair is parted like mine was when I was younger.
Technically, he's older than me... Should I put '-san' at the end? Or is that strange?
Oh, he's turned and is looking at me now! "U-uh... Hello, S-Shiori...san, or Shiori? I'm sorry, this is a first for me..."
He just blinks at me, his head tilting slowly to the side.
"W-what?" I ask, "Is there something on me?"
"No, it's just-" He's talking! "-you look so much like my brother."
"I... I do?" I remember the photo; I really do look like him huh? But, he seemed more...
"Yes, but my brother was a bit more... confident looking."
"Yeah." I thought so...
He bowed to me. "I am Shiori. What is your name?"
I bowed back. "O-onodera Ritsu. To the outside though, I'm Oda Ritsu, the owner of this library." Hikase said to use his last name for mostly everything, and so no one from my family can find me...
"You... you use a different name?"
"Yes... I," Will he be angry? "..I cut myself off from m-our family, ten years ago for personal reasons. My grandfather's friend took me in, taught me everything he knew, and sort of adopted me. My name still is Onodera, but with the library and everything else," I sigh, "My name is officially now Oda, but I still say Onodera at times privately.
"I see..." Oh no, he looks so disappointed...
"I'm sorry, but I just couldn't take it... My parents, have been always keeping me from things and I just became fed up among other things and-"
"No, no...! Don't apologize. For the past years now," Shiori goes to sit down on the desk, his legs hanging off the edge, "The family has been becoming more and more to themselves; I'm glad though, I'm not the only one who doesn't like it."
"They're not all like that though, my cousins are a bit outgoing- I found out recently in the news that my cousin Mitsuru is going to take over instead of me and he's pretty open and talkative."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, and my grandfather was open as well, my parents though, disapproved of him; that was one of the reasons I left."
He smiled. "I see, I see..."
For some reason, he now seems pained; maybe this topic is becoming too much?
I closed his case and carried off the desk and headed toward my living space. "Let's go inside, I'll show you around later."
Shiori POV
"So you've not stepped outside for all these ten years?"
"Y-yes... I, I just can't see myself ever going out there again. It's safer in here."
Safer...? Examining him more closely, he is quite the delicate young man. Quite sensitive too, for something that long ago to keep him cooped up.
Like a bird afraid of flying, preferring to stay in his cage, his safe haven.
Watching everyone around him move out to different places, the contentment of being able to stay where he was within the unchanging environment...
Now though, that can't happen anymore. Sitting across from him on the counter as he ate his dinner, I feel worried.
He can't stay in one place, especially with the variety of personality and skill the man's minions have. They'll want to break him, pluck his feathers one by one...
"Ritsu...?"
As he looks up at me from his food and smiles, I couldn't help but be reminded of my brother and smiled back.
"What is it, Shiori...san?"
"Oh, no '-san' for me, Ritsu. I'm only six." Though my soul is otherwise...
"That's..."
"It's fine, just Shiori. Do you have any contact outside of here?"
"Ah! That's right!"
"What is it?"
"My friend Misaki, he has Mio with him."
"Mio? Is she alright? What about everyone else?"
"She's alright, Misaki is a kind person. We haven't found anyone else yet."
"Well, that's good for now. I hope we find everyone soon though. This Misaki, she doesn't spoil Mio, does she?"
"Misaki's a boy."
"Oh, I... I'm sorry..." I haven't met a boy named Misaki before...
"It's fine, he gets that a lot. I only just met her this morning, I don't really know..."
"It's okay. Just that Mio tends to lose it a bit when she get's spoiled for a long time. When we all play house together, everyone often yells at me for being to soft to her."
"Eh... There's nothing wrong with spoiling once in a while... What happens when she loses it?"
"That... she, does unnatural things..."
I can't help but smile. It's been a long time since I had an actual conversation with a family member.
3rd Person POV
"Time to sleep, time to sleep," mumbled Misaki as he made his way to his room. Hearing light snores, he looked towards the direction of his landlord's room.
'He must be so tired, he still didn't notice Mio-chan one yet,' Misaki thought as he turned to enter his room, and collided with something hard, a hit to his stomach.
"Ack..! Mio-chan, please don't do that!" He grabbed the said doll attached to his stomach and put her on the ground.
"Sorry! But, but..." She raised her arms up to him, and looked at him expectantly.
"What..?" 'Does... does she want me to carry her?' After a few seconds, he bent down and picked her up.
She laid her head against him, her smile happy as she did so. "Sleepy time! G'Night!" At this, he put her back down and she looked up at him in confusion.
"Don't you normally sleep in your case?"
She swayed her body in a 'no'.
"Ah, but you want to be a big girl, right?" She nodded. "I'm in here, so just sleep in your case by yourself."
"But... but..." He tried his best not to feel bad as she began to pout miserably at the ground.
"C-come on!" He held her hand and guided her to her case.
Mio simply stood pouting in front of the case, refusing to go sleep in it.
"Fine then..." He went to turn off the lights and get into bed. After a few moments, he looked over to see her still standing in the dark, pouting.
He just felt more horrible when he noticed her shaking a little due to being a little bit afraid of the dark.
"Gah..." He gestured her over, "Come here."
In the dark, he can see her smiling happily, and she goes to him, her little arms outstretched to him so he can help her up to the bed. "Geez," he put the blanket over them and settled back to sleep as she cuddled against him," Good night."
She cuddled even more against him. "G'Night, Mommy."
Misaki's eyes opened, and he looked down to his chest at her. "What?"
She smiled at him. "When we went to the store real quick after Usa-san called, I saw something pretty and went to get a closer look-"
"Why?! You could've gotten lost?" Why had he not noticed her leaving?!
She continues. "And I got lost, then a lady found me, and she asked me 'where my mommy was,'" she beamed at him, "You're my Mommy!"
"N-no! I'm a guy! Guys can't be a mommy!"
She cocked her head to the side. "You can't?"
He nods. "Only ladies can be a mommy."
"But... but..." she pouted. "Why?"
"W-why, you ask?" He has to think of something... "W-what about your old masters? One of them has had to have been a mother..."
"Mother?" She seemed to put two and two together, "Mother is Mommy?"
He nods again. "Yep. You finally got i-"
She hugged him close. "You're Mommy."
"Eh?"
"G'Night, Mommy..."
"Wait! Wait a minute...! Why?!"
She looked up at him before putting her head against his chest. "Mommies are warm and nice. Mommy takes care of children and cooks for Daddy. So you're Mommy."
"What kind of conclusion is that?!"
She doesn't respond to him.
After a moment of silence, he gives up and sighs before trying to go back to sleep. "Fine, but don't call me Mommy in front of Usagi-san."
"...Daddy?"
"No! No! Don't say that in front of him. Please," he begged.
"Okay..." she mumbled, falling asleep.
Masamune POV
Sleep, sleep, sleep.
I roll to my back on the bed.
Can't sleep, want Ritsu. The warmth of his body, his scent, the feel of his hair, his skin...
Ritsu. I look up in the dark to the ceiling.
Finally, I find him after so long, and find that he's been shut in a library for the ten years I've been searching for him.
Now, to get him out of that library...
I remember that conversation with Yokozawa earlier. Stringing me along... like Ritsu would do that.
Good thing I told him otherwise, making him think. He's a good friend, but his perceptions of others are rather questionable...
I roll to my stomach. I want Ritsu so much.
Won't be that easy though, with what I did to him, he has every right to deny me again but...
I remember this morning; we definitely still love each other. Even if he is trying to friend zone me to an appropriate distance. Screw the order of building a relationship, we already have the basics, minus some things, a lot things...
Sighing, I roll back to my back. I'll make it up to you, Ritsu, somehow...
I'll never, never, ever let you go again.
Now that I think about it, he has no cell phone...
Rolling back to my stomach, I sigh contently into my pillow. Good thing tomorrow is Sunday.
Woooo! Weekends are fun.