– Memory –
A familiar sound echoed from somewhere nearby, Kyoko couldn't quite place where, she stands looking out over the railing out at the city bustling down below, when she hears the familiar sound again, a bit clearer this time. It sounds like a ringtone? But whose? She's alone up here enjoying lunch between takes on the set of Dark Moon, her phone forgotten downstairs with her purse. The sound stops and she returns to her lunch, the staff prepared lunches for everyone, normally she would be downstairs eating with the others, but after the 'acting practice' Tsuruga had subjected her to the night before, she was having some difficulty getting fully into Mio's character. Just remembering it had her blushing far too much, she sighs picking up another rice ball. "Snap out of it Kyoko! It was just practice! He was treating me as Mizuki!". "Who was doing what?" Kyoko snaps her head up towards the voice. "Oh! Tsu.. Tsuruga-san! I… I.. I was just talking to myself, don't mind what I just said, uhmm…" she hesitates as he looks down at her silently not fully believing her, "is there something you need from me?" Kyoko finally finishes. "That depends. Who was practicing what?" he moves steadily closer to her. Kyoko scoots away "uh uhm that's… the uh acting practice" she stutters. "Yes? What about it?" he purrs leaning down brushing her hair behind her ear. "Y-y-y-y-you!" she stammers her face flaming before she faints, Ren quickly adjusting his position to catch her before she falls face first into the remains of her lunch. "whoops… guess I overdid it" he admonishes himself.
Moments later Kyoko opens her eyes and upon seeing the clouds floating past, realizes she's still up on the roof, she shoots upright knocking straight into something, something that's now groaning in pain? She looks to her right and finds Ren clutching his nose blood just beginning to leak from between his fingers. "Oh! Oh no! I'm so sorryyyyyyy I didn't mean to!" arms flailing around looking for something to do "it's fine it's fine, just give me a moment" he grunts out between breaths as he tries to stop the bleeding. Kyoko pouts a bit before remembering her handkerchief is still in her pocket, she quickly pulls it out and reaches over to hold it to his nose replacing his hands. "That's right, what happened? Why was I sleeping?" she looks around trying to regain her bearings. Slowly it all comes back to her 'that's right… I was eating lunch when Tsuruga-san came over and…..' her cheeks flame up again, but she maintains her composure a bit better this time. 'but then how did' she thinks looking around realizing the position they're in. 'was he letting me use his lap as a pillow?' her face becomes impossibly more red 'no… there's no way, but then of course if I was unconscious that would be the easiest thing to do… it's nothing nothing…' she glances up straight into his eyes, looking back at her she recognizes the emperor… her mouth suddenly dries out as she tries to turn her thoughts away from the possibility….
The familiar sound echos nearby again, snapping her out of her train of thought. Kyoko looks around trying to find the source of the sound before turning back to Ren who strangely doesn't seem to hear it. She opens her mouth to ask as much when a familiar smell joins the sound. 'What is that….' The world fades from around her, slowly giving way to a very different sight, finally she can place that sound. It's an alarm clock ringing out from across the room, beside a very large bed. In the large bed sleeps a man, his blonde hair falling gracefully across his face as he slowly rolls to turn off the alarm. The smell she now recognizes as coffee from the automatic coffee pot in the kitchen. She slowly sits up taking in the rest of the room, it's much the same as it had been that night when that 'practice session' had occurred, with just a few new additions, courtesy of her taking up residence here, she sighs looking down at the cat bed, and the assortment of doll's furniture adorning the top of his dresser where she's taken up residence. 'why didn't I appreciate what I had when I could?' she wonders staring down at her small paws. Dark moon was eight years ago now, and Kyoko had been a squirrel now for nearly six months. The blonde man's green eyes finally opened focusing on the small squirrel sitting forlornly on his dresser, he swings the blankets off before striding across the room to scoop her up. "It'll be alright Kyoko, we'll figure out how to get your body back, I'm a fairy remember?" she chitters out a laugh before scampering up onto Kuon's shoulder. "thattagirl, we've still got at least another year, don't lose hope!" she nods chittering her agreement "right, I need to get you a new set of pencils and notebooks, don't I?" She rolls her eyes before climbing onto his head. Since becoming a squirrel they'd discovered that the best way to communicate was a combination of her exaggerated body language as well as a set of doll sized pencils and notebooks. Kuon gathered her off his head before heading into the bathroom, "give me just a few to get dressed and we'll head out" he says gently placing her on the shelf beside the door. She scampers off to the kitchen to pull out some food for them both, the only things she can reach being those in low cabinets and on the counter, but she makes do. Not long later the two are heading out the door to find a new set of stationary for the squirrel-girl perched on the actors shoulder.