In the distance she could see thick, gray clouds hovering above the island. The sky was dark and unforgiving. It cried out in distress as it suffocated on the ash and soot that the wind tossed up into its face. She tried to cry as well, but her eyes were deserts and her throat felt rough like sandpaper. There was no moister in the air. All around her she could feel the soot, the ash, and before she knew it, she was suffocating too.

Nuori jolted awake from her meditation and quickly covered her eyes with her palms. She bit into her plump bottom lip in order to stifle the whimpers that demanded to be released from within the recesses of her chest. She would not let them go. Not when there was a chance of someone showing up. Trying to mend the irregular beating of her heart, the island flower inhaled through her nostrils, slowly, and exhaled through them as well. Once her heart returned to its normal speed she removed her hands from her eyes and wiped at the beads of sweat that had collected on her brow and neck. Even in the shade of the gazebo she still somehow managed to sweat.

She stared with her doe eyes out into the shimmering expanse that was Yue Bay and grinned since it reminded her of the sea of her childhood. "It's always so difficult to meditate on that image," she sighed, uncrossing and re-crossing her legs beneath the red-and-gold fabric that made up her dress. "I don't think I'll ever be able to do it." There was no use in telling herself that she could do it. The wound was still too fresh, and who knew how many years it would take just to scab over. The island flower knotted her fingers together in her lap as she turned her head in every direction. Her plaited hair, in its iconic single braid, slid back and forth as it followed the motion of her neck. She was the only one in or near the pavilion and it irritated her. She hated being alone. It was much nicer to meditate with another person, to listen to his/her breathing, and to feel his/her heartbeat as it vibrated against the wooden floor.

But she couldn't tell anybody that. Those were her secrets to keep and she would keep them until she met someone who she could trust, someone like Michi. Feeling emotionally defeated, Nuori lowered her chin to her chest and sighed as loudly as she could. Only eight in the morning and already she felt like she could not go on. I'll bake something later, she thought, that'll help.

OOC: Open to anyone.

He’d always been an early riser, even before he came to the island. There was something he loved about being able to wander around his home before anyone else could disturb what peace he managed to attain. Of course, here on the island everyone woke early—that was kind of a requirement for being an Air Acolyte—but there were still certain places he could go and not meet any other humans for a little while, which was all he needed to get his day started off right.

Stepping out of the male Air Acolyte quarters, Akio reached his arms up and back to stretch, his mouth gaping in a quiet yawn. Stretch done, he scratched his cheek slowly as he tried to decide where his feet should take him today. After a few minutes of this, which got him absolutely nowhere, the teen decided that he would just walk. Even if he couldn’t see where he was going, his feet knew the island well enough by now that he knew that they wouldn’t just take him off a cliff or straight into the sea—at least, he hoped not. If so, well, that could just be considered an adventure. Nodding, the young acolyte gave his feet the command, and off he went.

A couple minutes later, the young man stopped, knowing that he was near something but unsure of what exactly that something was. Then a breeze whispered past him, carrying with it a familiar sound, and he frowned. He knew where he was now: The Airbending Gates. Not wanting to linger at one of his least favorite places on the island, he moved on, grateful to leave the courtyard behind. He viewed the gates with a mixture of fear and mistrust. After learning their purpose and the lesson they were supposed to teach those who attempted their challenge, he’d decided to give moving through them a try. He’d never had so many bruises at one time, and had been sore for days afterward. From then on he’d avoided the courtyard, not willing to go near the wooden rectangles of death. Better to be anywhere else.

Luckily, his feet were in agreement, and he quickly found himself elsewhere. He could hear water gently lapping the shore, so he knew he was near the sea, but that didn’t exactly narrow things down. It was only when the ground under his feet changed from grass to stone that he knew he had wound up at the meditation pavilion. Again the wind gave him more information, this time letting him know that he was not alone. There was a scent on the air, of the ocean and some kind of flower. He’d smelled this before, and knew it to be some kind of perfume, though she wasn’t sure exactly who it belonged to. Well, whoever it was, maybe they’d appreciate some company. If not, if they found his presence disturbing, he could always go elsewhere. Destination mattered little to him at the moment.

Stepping up onto the cool wood of the gazebo, Akio attempted to focus his sightless eyes on the middle of the space contained in the structure, where he assumed the mystery person would be. ”Um, I don’t want to bother you,” he began by way of introduction. ”But would you mind if I joined you?”

But bake what? her mind murmured curiously. Nuori recalled that the Air Nomads were well known for their delicious fruit cakes. Surely she could whip up one of those, or maybe cookies with a fruit filling? The choices were endless when it came to sweets and fruit. The whole idea of baking helped lighten her mood and extinguished her previous thoughts. Removing her chin from her chest the island flower raised her golden eyes to the sea and wiggled a bit in place stretching the muscles in her back. As she lifted her arms hungry for another stretch she heard some movement behind her. Frozen with fear, a ludicrous emotion to feel considering where she was, Nuori lowered her hands into her lap and slowly inched her head around to her right shoulder.

“Akio,” she sighed with unnecessary relief. “It’s Nuori.”

A glance at his face and she knew who he was instantly. Fair skin and golden eyes, except his eyes were a wonder to behold. Their introduction had been a brief one and rushed since the island flower had a knack for running over her words. It was shortly after her arrival to Air Temple Island. Feeling bold in her first week she attempted to weave through the Airbending Gates, a stupid idea on her part, and clumsily she crashed into nearly all of them. Akio had done the same and acquired as many bruises and bumps as the island flower. There wasn’t much to talk about considering how sore they felt afterward and like a sad puppy Nuori decided to excuse herself from the exercise and sulked back to her room. It was an interesting day to say the least and since their encounter Nuori realized that they had spent little to no time together. Perhaps they could chat now, unless he was inclined on meditating this morning.

“You’re not a bother at all,” she said, tugging at the corners of her mouth so that they turned up into a sweet smile. “Please, come in. I certainly don’t mind.”

She watched him for a moment longer admiring his remarkable eyes. He was the first and only blind person she had ever met. Of course, she didn’t know of his condition when they had first met, but after staring down at him for a few seconds–staring down due to their difference in height–she suddenly noticed the white that clouded his amber irises. He must be from the Fire Nation like me, she wondered before breaking her gaze and turning her attention back to the sparkling expanse of sea. Again the water transported her mind to Ember Island and wanting to get as far away from those memories as possible the island flower turned toward her new and eagerly welcomed company and asked, “Good morning so far?”

The sound of silence followed his question, which unnerved him. He hated silence, despised the lack of noise in between query and response. Silence told him nothing, left him bereft of two senses instead of just the usual one. That was a frightening experience, and always made him want to tap his fingers on something, or whistle, or hum, anything to bring the sound back. Now, though, he contained that urge, forcing himself to wait for an answer from the mystery person on the pavilion. If they didn’t reply soon, he’d have to say something else just to stop himself from screaming.

Words reached his ears and the teenager relaxed, releasing a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. The initial response still left him wondering who it was who was speaking—he thought he recognized the voice, but wasn’t sure—but then more followed. Akio smiled slightly as the mystery individual’s identity was revealed. ”I knew I recognized that smell,” he muttered softly. The, realizing what he had said, the smile slipped, replaced by a look of panic. ”Y-your perfume, I mean,” he explained. ”Not, um…” Maybe it would be better not to go down that particular path. ”…Anything else.”

Right, this was not exactly starting off on the right foot. Hopefully he wasn’t the tone of their interaction by making a fool of himself this early on in the conversation. As he waited for Nuori to answer his question, he made a mental list of all the things he knew about his fellow Acolyte. It was a short list. They’d come to the island around the same time, and the only real shared experience they had—besides a pitifully short introduction—was being mangled by the Airbending Gates. He wouldn’t want to talk about that, though, as the injury to his pride has been worse than all the physical injuries combined. It was not a day he liked to remember, and not one on which he’d been in the mood to make friends. They had both retreated to their respective rooms, and that had been that. They’d run into each other since, but never really talked. It had been mere glimpses more than anything else, the two passing by each other, both on their way to do something of importance with no time to chat. Perhaps this would be a good time to get to know Nuori. He didn’t plan on meditating, even if he now found himself in the perfect place for it.

Finally, the young woman confirmed that he was allowed to join her, and his smile returned. Muttering his thanks, Akio stepped into the pavilion and attempted to sit a few feet away from Nuori. When she asked about his morning, though, he realized that he was facing in completely the wrong direction. His cheeks grew hot as he rotated to look at the other Acolyte—or at least, as close to looking directly at her as could get. In response to the question, he shrugged slowly, the gesture doubling as a stretch, starting at his left shoulder and rolling over to his right. ”It’s been all right,” he proclaimed. ”I just woke up a little while ago, so all I’ve done is wander around, which is how I ended up here. What about you? Have you been here long?”

Her nose wrinkled unexpectedly at the sight of Akio's head, well the back of his head. It took Nuori a moment to realize that her fellow Acolyte had misjudged her position on the floor, but he quickly corrected his mistake. She noticed with shy eyes how Akio's cheeks radiated with heat. The innocence of his body's betrayal brought blush to the island flower's cheeks and warmed her otherwise cool flesh. What a good morning this was turning out to be. And to think, if it wasn't for Akio's welcomed disturbance she'd be sitting here sulking over images of... No, her mind growled, don't let yourself slip back into it. Her mind was right. She could save it for later, in her bedroom.

Before answering her question Akio shrugged casually in Nuori's presence, which brought yet another small smile to the seventeen-year-old's face. This Acolyte seemed like an easygoing guy, someone Nuori felt she could definitely get along with. If only they had spent more time together on the island. It pained her to think that she had so few friends here. Actually, she didn't really have any friends here, at least no one she could pour her heart and soul out to. Now why the hell would I want to do that? she scolded herself. Who would even agree to sit and listen to her discuss her painful past? Get real. She would never admit it to herself, but talking was definitely a source of therapy, a large and important source. If anything helped Nuori it was talking, and not about anything specific. Just talking about anything helped in some small, private way.

"I got up a little while ago. Just been sitting here, thinking," she said, twirling her thumbs in her lap. Surely Akio wouldn't care for the entire story of how the nightmares had kept her up all night. After waking up in a cold sweat for the tenth time in a row she figured she had nowhere else to go but here.

"It really does help, thinking," she murmured between chapped, rosy lips. "I think I do my best thinking here, but I'm still getting used to the whole meditating thing. It's a little tough." Only because it conjures up bad memories, she silently added. Fearing that she was babbling Nuori decided to turn the conversation on her company. "How've you been getting along? Last time I saw you, we were covered in bumps and bruises." Giggling she took her long braid in her hand and slowly started to twirl it.

"I got up a little while ago. Just been sitting here, thinking."

Well, that was a little dull. Then again, what could he have expected? What else did one do at the Meditation Pavilion but sit and think? Akio was tempted to ask what Nuori had been thinking about before he showed up, but decided against it. He knew from personal experience that meditation could be a very personal experience, and didn’t want to intrude on the private thoughts of someone he didn’t know very well. If she brought it up later, he’d listen attentively, but for now he’d leave her thoughts alone out of respect.

Nuori continued, and the blind Acolyte nodded in agreement when she mentioned the difficulty of meditating. He certainly understood that. He didn’t get how the senior Acolytes could sit in the pavilion for hours without speaking or moving. Just a few seconds of silence was enough to make him want to scream. The idea of hours of that was enough to make him shiver in distaste. So he’d never be a high-ranking Acolyte. Oh well. It wasn’t like he’d been dreaming of ruling Air Temple Island or anything silly like that. As long as the other Acolytes allowed him to stay with them as long as he wished to the teenager would be happy.

Akio winced involuntarily as Nuori brought up their last unfortunate meeting. He’d been trying to bash the memory from the mind, but now it was as though he could feel each and every bruise all over again. The young man grimaced, but responded all the same. ”That was…unpleasant. I’m doing well. I love this place. It’s…where I belong, I guess.” That sentence made him smile slightly. The Island really was the perfect place for him. There, he wasn’t constantly confronted by the shame of being who he was, a disappointment to his parents. At home, he had to wake up every day knowing that his sister, who was ten years younger than he, was the Firebending prodigy his parents had always wanted. But here, things were different. Here, he was just Akio, and his past had no impact on who he was now. It was perfect.

Realizing that he was getting lost in his own head, Akio cleared his throat and spoke again. ”Have you tried to go through the Airbending Gates again since that first time? I haven’t. I’ve been avoiding them, and I’m gonna keep doing so just to make sure they don’t attack me or something. I don’t trust them. Nothing meant as a training exercise should be that pain-inducing.”

His grimace and wince told Nuori all that she needed to know. The island flower agreed that there was nothing fond about that memory, but to see Akio's pained reaction to her words, well it really drove the point home. She considered saying something about it but held her tongue as Akio confirmed what they already knew. However, it was nice to hear that he was doing well in spite of that rough beginning. His comment on belonging tugged on a few of Nuori's heart strings. She felt the exact same way about the island. This place was a gift from the spirits, and Avatar Aang of course. For those first few weeks after she had arrived in Republic City, Nuori figured that she wouldn't fit in anywhere. Where was a lonely girl to go after losing her sister, murdering her father, then watching her house burn to the ground? Sure the city accepted refugees, but criminals?

Nuori shuddered at the thought and pushed those unpleasant memories to the back of her head. Thank goodness Akio couldn't see, because she looked like an absolute train wreck. "I know what you mean," she said softly. "I needed solace. This was the only place I could find it. I love it here too."

She watched her fellow Acolyte closely and smiled when she finally noticed that he was getting lost in his thoughts. It wasn't long before he startled her by clearing his throat. Her skin jumped a bit at the sound then relaxed as he started to speak. Letting go of her braid Nuori listened to Akio's words. He had a knack for making her smile. The island flower had to giggle in order to loosen the muscles in her cheeks. "Nope. I haven't returned to that death trap, at least not willingly. I do less painful things, like baking." She paused to take a breath. "Before you showed up I was considering baking cookies with fruit fillings. You should join me later. It'll be fun, unless baking isn't your thing." She bit her lip. Can blind people cook? Have I just said something really insensitive? She felt her blood pressure rising. The blood was boiling in her veins.

"I could make it your thing," she hastily added. "I mean if you'd like to join me that is." Oh gosh don't hate me.

He could certainly understand Nuori’s desire for comfort, and got the feeling that they had both come to the island for similar reasons, to get away from something else. It would be rude to speculate on Nuori’s reason for joining the Acolytes, though, especially since it seemed to be something personal, judging by her tone. The teenager found himself wondering if there were other Acolytes like them in this place, lost souls needing a place to call home. If there were, he would probably never know, which made him sad. He respected the privacy of the other Acolytes, but sometimes found it frustrating that he didn’t really know any of them because of that respect. Sure, he had a passing familiarity with most of the others on the island, but little more than that with any of them. It was a little sad that in such a wonderful place he managed to still be alone.

No, this was not the time for depressing thoughts. He was having a nice conversation, and wanted it to stay that way. Luckily, Nuori started speaking, so he was able to focus on her voice and ignore his gloomy thoughts. He grinned when she said that she too was avoiding the Airbending Gates, but thought that baking might not have been the best choice if she wanted to avoid danger. He had no cooking experience—that being one of many activities requiring the ability to see—but figured that if things went wrong baking could be just as harmful as being repeatedly whacked by wooden boards. What if she burned herself, or whatever she was making exploded?

But at the same time, if she didn’t kill herself, Nuori would manage to produce something better than the many wounds inflicted by the stupid gates. Maybe she had the right idea after all. The invitation to join in the creation of baked goods came as a surprise, though, and Akio frowned slightly as he considered it. It sounded like fun, and would give him something to do, but…”I don’t know how much help I’d be,” he warned. ”I’d probably just get in your way. I’ve never done any sort of baking before. But if you’re willing to put up with me, I’d be happy to join you. I’ve got nothing planned for the day.” The frown disappeared, his lips curving upward. This promised to be fun, or at least memorable.

What was I thinking!

If Nuori could, she would dash her brains out with a stone, a very heavy and jagged stone, until she put herself to sleep, permanently. Why was she so scattered brained? What was it that made her ask such mindless questions? Sometimes she felt like there was an on and off switch attached to her brain that some little, damned demon enjoyed toying with whenever he so pleased. The image of this little terror amused Nuori, but it did nothing to halt the corners of her mouth from sinking down into a heavy frown. And to think she was starting to feel better! It didn't surprise her that she was the one who had to go and ruin all of the fun. Chewing at her bottom lip Nuori's heart sunk when Akio mirrored her and frowned. I'm the one responsible for that frown, she thought bitterly. The island flower's spine stiffened as she waited for the young man to speak.

And to think she wanted to kill herself. Doe eyes wide and bright Nuori looked at Akio with an expression of absolute bewilderment. He wasn't upset! At least it didn't sound like he was upset. His smile made it all the more evident that he held no malice toward her, and with a heavy sigh Nuori released all of the tension in her body. Placing her fair hands on her knees Nuori turned toward her fellow Acolyte and smiled her goofiest of smiles. "Well I think you'd be a great help, and I'm looking forward to seeing you in action. Don't knock it till you've tried it, right?" Were they too old for that expression? Shrugging it off Nuori went to lick her bottom lip and winced when she felt an unexpected sting. Pulling her bottom lip into her mouth the island flower tasted something salty and metallic and knew almost instantly that it was her blood. Her chewing had caused her lip to split right down the middle. Silently she cursed herself and continued to suck on her lip. What now?

"Uhh...Akio," she muttered with her lip halfway inside of her mouth. "You wouldn't happen to have a bandage on you, would you? I sort of...er...cut my lip." Oh the embarrassment. She could feel it bubbling inside of her stomach. What a day this was turning out to be.

He had accepted the offer to assist with baking, and he stood by that, but Akio really wasn’t sure how it would work once they actually started. He had enough trouble just getting around without hurting himself; the scars all over his body were proof of that. The idea of his clumsy limbs being used to cook was both humorous and terrifying. But Nuori would be there as well, and surely she could stop him from killing them both. They might actual be able to produce something edible as well. This day was shaping up to be more interesting than anything he’d done recently. The island was lovely, but it wasn’t the most exciting place to live. Apparently, the ideals of peace and harmony that the Airbenders held also limited their capacity for having fun. Their cooking adventure would hopefully change that.

The young man nodded in agreement when Nuori attempted to fill him with confidence. ”Makes sense,” he replied. ”I just feel sorry for whoever’s gonna have to eat what I make. It may not even resemble a cookie.” His words may have been grim, but the Acolyte was joking. Self-deprecating humor was the usual kind he produced. He’d had seventeen years to figure out ways to make fun of himself, and so had gotten quite good at it. Humor kept his dark thoughts away, so he’d keep making jokes, even if all were at his own expense.

"Uhh...Akio…”

The blind Acolyte tilted his head to the side slightly, confused. Nuori’s tone sounded strange. It wasn’t sad or anything like, just a bit muffled. ”Yeah?” he asked. Fortunately there wasn’t anything seriously wrong; the other Acolyte had just accidentally cut herself. The teen shook his head in response to her question. ”No, I don’t. Sorry.” His face brightened. ”But I can go get you one! Wait here!” Before Nuori could respond, he pushed himself to his feet and exited the pavilion, headed to a small central building reserved for healing. As he neared his destination, he slowed his pace, trying to make sure that he didn’t accidentally wake any of his fellow Acolytes who were still sleeping.

The young man crept slowly into the small building, making his way to the supply closet. He knew he had found the right place when he stumbled over a broom and almost broke his neck. Picking himself back up and looking around furtively, even though he wouldn’t have been able to see any onlookers, he entered the closet. ”Okay, bandages,” he muttered, putting his arms out to sweep the sides of the tiny room. ”If I ran this place, where would I put bandages?” His hands encountered many different boxes and bags, but he had no way to tell them apart. Sighing, Akio realized that he’d just have to open containers until he found the right one. So he got to work.

Nineteen opened boxes later, his had brushed what he knew could only be bandages. The texture was familiar to him from the many times his mother had had to tend to the many cuts and scrapes he’d accrued as a child. Grabbing a couple, he replaced the box on the shelf, hoping that no one would notice if everything wasn’t exactly in the right place. There really needed to be blind-person-friendly labels on important stuff like medicine. The search had taken far too long. But in the end he had been successful, so that was good. He hurried back to the Meditation Pavilion, hoping that Nuori wasn’t too upset.

”Sorry! he exclaimed as he sat back down across from the other Acolyte and handed over the bandages. ”Took me a while to find the right box.” He was silent for a few seconds as he caught his breath and his heart stopped pounding from his sprint back to the pavilion. Once he had calmed back down, he started thinking of conversation topics, something to fill the silence. Finally, a simple question came to him. ”So, uh, you have any siblings?”

“Crap,” Nuori cursed under her breath. Well, who carried bandages on their person anyway? I guess I could just keep sucking on it, or wait until my blood finally clots. Those were considerable alternatives, right? Unfortunately, Akio had other plans. “No wait,” Nuori muttered between clenched teeth. She wouldn’t allow Akio to go out of his way just to fetch her a stupid little bandage. How petty was that? “Akio wait!” she called, but her words were wasted on deaf ears. He was already out of earshot and out of her line of sight. “Dammit,” she cursed again. How was he even going to find her bandages? She didn’t even know where the monks and nuns kept them. Oh spirits help him find what I need and quick.

Ten or so minutes later...

Alright that’s it I’m going to find him. She had tried day dreaming, practicing her breathing, and even meditating, but it was all for naught. The island flower could no longer ignore the creeping sensation that crawled along her fair skin like an invisible beetle. Something had happened to Akio, she just knew it, and she needed to find out what the something was before it killed her or her sanity. Rising to her feet she fanned out her lengthy dress before carefully descending the few steps that led up to the gazebo. The amber eyed teenager took at least four steps before her eyes met a figure in the distance. You have got to be kidding me. Akio? First she saw his mop of ebony hair, then his fair skinned face. He looked so happy and carefree as he hurried toward her, bandages in hand she noticed.

Muttering something unintelligible beneath her breath the island flower turned, rushed under the gazebo, and gently settled herself back into her sitting position. “Akio!” she exclaimed as he apologized and took his seat. Leaning forward she gratefully accepted the bandages and applied one to her lip while he explained the reason for his tardiness. “I’m sorry I put you through so much trouble, but thank you. It’s stopped the bleeding.” A peaceful calm settled over them as the wind carried a refreshing breeze from the bay over to the pavilion. It tugged on the loose curl that hung above her right eyebrow and caressed her cheeks like a silken sheet.

”So, uh, you have any siblings?”

And just like that Nuori’s heart froze. Her eyes watered over, and her tongue lost every bit of its moisture. Her mind turned to mush and she stared blank eyed into Akio’s clouded orbs. Of all the things he could have asked her...It’s not his fault, her mind protested as it tried to piece itself back together. How could he have known? Swallowing hard Nuori hugged herself with her slender arms and leaned forward into her own embrace. What was she going to say? What could she say? Would it be smart to mention Michi? Gripping herself more tightly and exhaling slowly she tried to think of a response.

“I um had a sister,” she whispered but just loud enough for Akio to hear. “She was my twin, but um she passed away. It’s been two months.” Pressing her mouth into a hard line Nuori rubbed her upper lip along the smooth material of the bandage and tried her hardest not to cry. The sooner she asked her question the sooner they could leave this topic behind. “How about you? Any brothers or sisters?” she asked her voice cracking on the word sister. ”Sorry,” she mumbled probably too low for him to hear.

Akio waved away Nuori’s apologize with a smile. ”It was no big deal,” he assured her. ”I know where the medical supplies are kept; I need them a lot since I’m always bumping into things.” That was certainly true. At the moment he was still nursing a bruise on his right knee and a cut on his left forearm. He was intimately familiar with the medical building, though not to the extent that he had memorized which box held the bandages in the supply closet. He’d have to work on that. Some days the teen honestly considered just taking the box for his own personal stash and replacing it with a new one. Considering how often he required bandages, that was not too bad of an idea. The Acolytes who ran the medical building might like that. They somehow never seemed to tire of seeing him, though his visits occurred with alarming frequency. The blind Acolyte was immensely grateful for the healers’ endless patience.

Being blind had made Akio have to pick up different cues than other people when it came to conversations. That was why, from the first syllable that left Nuori’s mouth in response to his question, he knew something was very wrong. He had definitely asked the wrong question, and was at a loss for what to say or do. In situations like this, he was usually the one in a not fantastic mood; it was strange being on the other side.

Really though, what should he say? People usually said they were sorry when they heard about death, but he’d never understood that, since the person apologizing wasn’t responsible for the death of whoever had died. But what else could he say? Uuuuuuh…

”That…that sucks,” he finally came up with, immediately wincing at how childish that sounded. He really wasn’t good at the whole “comforting” thing. He’d have to work on that sometime in the future. Right now, though, he just had to make sure that Nuori didn’t start crying. Luckily for him, she asked him something, allowing them both to move past his awful question. Even so, his response was nowhere near chipper. ”Uh, yeah, I have a little sister, Emi,” he muttered. His words hung in the air for a few moments, the silence that followed them seeming unbearably loud. Eventually, Akio had to speak again, just to have some sound going again. ”Um…do you…do you want, like, a hug or something?” The teen turned his head away from his fellow Acolyte, embarrassed by his complete lack of knowledge of what to do in situations like this. Geeze, is this what it’s like dealing with me when I’m in a bad mood? I feel bad for my parents.

She felt suffocated and weak before someone she barely even knew. This sense of vulnerability drove Nuori mad and made her palms sweaty. Who was she to unload this baggage onto Akio? He didn't deserve this, this terribly awkward situation that she had placed the both of them into. How could the island flower hope to get to know people when this was what she brought to the table? Gripping herself more tightly she silently forgave Akio for what he said. She knew that he was only being honest, and this really did suck. No one deserved to feel the way either of them were feeling. She had to ask her question in order to thin the gloomy air that surrounded them, unfortunately Akio's answer did nothing more than to pain her further.

Akio had a kid sister and her name was Emi. Eri? the golden eyed woman silently whispered. Oh Eri, she moaned her mind racing back to that one night on the beach not so long ago. The sky had been so bright in contrast to her dark mood. The starts were brilliant and their light caressed the soft and delicate features of the two young girls who sat hand in hand in the cool sand. When their lips touched Nuori smiled at the saltiness of Eri's taste. Her lips were so soft and her skin so smooth beneath Nuori's trembling touch. It felt good feeling close to someone again. A purr vibrated deep in her throat when Eri pushed a loose strand of her hair behind her ear and kissed her chastely on her rosy lips. Oh how Nuori missed those lips and those feelings of security she had when she rested her head on Eri's chest, wrapped in the girl with the soft lips tight embrace. Take me back, she silently begged.

"Um…do you…do you want, like, a hug or something?"

Blinking her eyes open unaware that she had even shut them Nuori slowly nodded her head before whispering, "Yes, please." Sliding forward and over to his left side, the island flower leaned herself to the right and awkwardly wrapped her arms around Akio's chest at an angle. Slowly, she lowered her head onto his shoulder and pressed her cheek into the warm fabric of his clothing. Even in this awkward positing she felt her muscles starting to relax. How long had it been since she last hugged someone other than her mother? She missed this feeling, missed it more than she could possibly fathom. After a minute she released Akio and pushed herself a few inches away from him with her hands.

"Thank you," she mumbled wiping the sleeve of her dress against her watery eyes and moist nose. "I promise I'm done crying." At least for now.

[tag: Anhyue]

Would she accept the offer of a hug? He couldn’t imagine why she would; they barely knew each other. Hugs were usually intimate gestures shared between two people who were comfortable with each other. He liked Nuori enough, sure, but had no idea how she felt about him. Come to think, what on earth had possessed him to offer the embrace in the first place? Akio wasn’t a very touchy person; one of the side effects of being blind was never knowing when someone was going to touch him and where. The only person who was allowed to touch him freely and at whose touch he didn’t flinch or shrink away was Emi, and that was only because she was seven and still had to touch everything she came into contact with, including her brother whenever he visited. The Acolyte had cut his hair very short soon after his sister was born to keep her from pulling it. The girl demanded frequent hugs whenever they saw each other, and he was happy to oblige. But with Nuori things were different.

Still, he had offered a hug, and he would let the offer stand, and try not to freak out too much if she accepted. As he waited for the other Acolyte’s decision, he ran a finger down his arm, tracing the path of a scar he could not feel but still knew was there. It had come from an attempt to help his mother cook and an accident with a knife. He could still remember the pain, and the confusion. One minute he’d been trying to chop vegetables, and the next lances of pain were running up his arm and his mother was screaming. She’d never let him help her cook after that, though that hadn’t stopped him from wounding himself in other ways. Each time his mother took care of it, or called a healer if the injury was serious, but every one left its mark all the same. His body was covered with scars old and new. Some he remembered, others he had forgotten long ago.

Nuori’s whisper was faint, but his ears were good at picking up the weakest of sounds and so he understood that she had accepted the offer of a hug. He listened attentively as she slid over to him, trying to anticipate when her touch would come. When her arms met his torso, though, it still came as a surprise, and the Acolyte flinched, immediately reacting to his body’s reaction to something as simple as a hug. Slowly the teen put an arm around Nuori’s shoulder and let it hang there, unsure of what else to do. They sat like that for a minute, Akio feeling increasingly uncomfortable, before Nuori broke the embrace and restored the space between them. She said she was done crying, and he nodded, though he didn’t know if he believed her or not. "You're welcome," he muttered in response. Then the two sat in silence, Akio completely lost as to where to go from there.

[tag: Tenshio]

Recovering slowly, Nuori couldn't help but think of the pain she had just put Akio through. Obviously he wasn't someone who enjoyed being touched. For spirits sake he had flinched at her touch! Why then did she decided to act selfishly and continue on in spite of his reaction? Why did she let herself do that to him? Overcome with regret Nuori buried her face into the palms of her hands and rocked herself gently from side to side. How was she going to make it up to Akio? After that display of emotion the teenager wasn't going to act surprised if Akio decided to drop her as a friend, or as an acquaintance, or whatever the heck they were. She had screwed up, big time.

Why am I a bad person? she sobbed. Why do I do bad things? Again her mind pulled her away from the now.

She saw herself standing just outside of her kitchen, and in her hand she was holding a bloodied knife. The blood belonged to her sister, to her, and someone was going to pay for anothers life. He had made it so easy. So easy for her to hate him, to want to get away from him, to kill him. She watched herself react instinctively to her mother's scream. It was as if Chiyo's scream was her cue to take action, to kill. How many times did she stab him? Four, seven, twelve? She'd forgotten, but she'd never actually forget.

That's enough! her mind exclaimed tugging her away from her gut wrenching memory. Lifting her face away from her hands Nuori concluded that she, and possibly Akio, needed a change in scenery. Beneath the gazebo Nuori felt her aura becoming darker by the minute. She needed to put a stop to this now or else run the risk of losing a potential friend. But where could they go? Anywhere is better than here. Just hurry up already. Suddenly she was hit by an idea. It seemed like a good one. The only downside was that it would drain them physically and she wasn't sure if Akio would be up to something like that. Still, it was much better compared to sitting here in a bone chilling silence.

Rising to her feet Nuori brushed out the wrinkles in her dress before addressing Akio. "Would you like to take a walk with me?" she asked crossing her arms beneath her chest. "It's a long one, but it'll be worth it. I swear."