[Wingardia] No. 200

[Kumizu]

Kumizu had almost stepped into the elevator to leave the dorms when he remembered Ayise saying something about retiring to her room. You idiot... he thought to himself before turning and heading to the Wingardia wing of the dorms.

He came to Ayise's room and put his ear to the door. He could hear a man's voice, but couldn't tell what he was saying. Kumizu frowned. It must be Elliot. Steadying himself with the cane, he knocked on the door... not that he wouldn't just come in if the need arose.  

[EvrythingTastesLikeGinger]

The room grew quiet and still, a low murmur could be heard and quick shuffling. The door clicked and Ayise stepped out from in front of her door; pulling it almost closed. When she turned around it was obvious she'd been yelling, crying, or possibly both. Her usually calm face was bright red and her eyes were sharp. When they fell on Kumizu however they relaxed and a pleasant smile crossed her face, "Kumi-chan, what's up?" She asked, "If you needed something, I could have come to you, you shouldn't push yourself to hard."

There were slight noises of items in the room being fiddled with idly.  

[Kumizu]

The moment Ayise stepped out Kumizu knew he was right. Someone was in there, and it probably was Elliot. If it wasn't... well, he was going to Ayise out of there anyway. "Well, you could have come to me, but we'd still have to walk for a little bit. Besides," he said with a suave smile on his face, "what kind of man doesn't come to greet his date at the door? I want to take you out to dinner."

Without waiting for a response, Kumizu continued. He didn't want to have a long, drawn out conversation in front of Ayise's room. "We can go now. You won't need your purse because I'm paying. And there's no reason to go in and change. You look beautiful already." He wrapped an arm around her waist, gently pulling her away from the door.  

[EvrythingTastesLikeGinger]

"Kumizu?" Ayise was pulled away and just managed to pull the door shut. She really had no other option but to comply if Elliot wanted his visit to stay secret. She sighed, so much was going on lately, but at least Ezekiel was protecting Tsubaki; although she no longer had her most valuable bodyguard, she could handle herself.

Ayise wondered if she was hiding the stress well, it had to be showing by now, she hadn't eaten in about two months and the elders complained that she was beginning to look exceptionally frail.

She smiled graciously and tried to ignore the buzzing in the back of her skull from exahustion and hunger.

"Yes, we haven't spent much time together lately, have we?"  

[EvrythingTastesLikeGinger]

"Elliot?" Ayise called into the unusually clean room, "Hm?"

A tall, dark haired man stepped into the room from the side door. Immediately the atmosphere changed, he wore a long white lab coat and a pair of silver framed glasses low on his face. His expression was blank and his amethyst eyes were cold. Elliot didn't seem to be a person who tolerated a nonsense. However, his expression softened a bit when he saw Ayise.

"Is something wrong?" He asked kneeling down to her level and rubbing her head fondly.

"Uh-un, a friend of mine wanted to meet you."

"Is that so?" He placed his hands in his pockets and looked toward the doorway, his eyes narrowing at the sight of well...another guy.  

[Kumizu]

The first thing Kumizu noticed were Elliot's eyes. Amethyst-colored. He didn't say anything, however, he simply waited calmly for Ayise to introduce him.

As tempted as he was to slap the man's hand away from Ayise's head, Kumizu was still able to keep himself collected until Elliot turned to him. "My name is Kumizu. It's a pleasure," he said simply.  

[EvrythingTastesLikeGinger]

"I'm sure it is." Elliot said snobbily moving his arms around Ayise's shoulders instead. "What do you want?"

"Elliot, stop being rude." Ayise sighed, "Kumizu wanted to meet you, since I'm always talking about you; after all, you taught me all I know." She smiled cheerfully, his reflection in her eyes even as she looked away.

"Ah, I see." He covered Ayise's ears, she seemed not to notice, in a world all her own. "We meet again, Kumizu-sama." His smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "I already tolod you to leave my fiance alone, she's under my control so it's pointless, I'll take her from you sooner or later."  

[Kumizu]

Under your 'control'? I always assumed humans had evolved from that primitive way of thinking. Kumizu had a sly grin on his face. It didn't matter if Elliot could read his mind; in fact, he expected it. "What do you assume is going on between Ayise and I? I simply took a friend out for a bite to eat."  

[EvrythingTastesLikeGinger]

Elliot smirked, "Not what I meant, she couldn't defy me if she tried. The affection I give her is the only love she's ever recieved in her life. Her mother was always ill and her father hated her but loved her siblings. Even the person she loved went and got himself killed, Doesn't seem right does it? In fact, she's much happier without sad memories like those and as long as she remains close she'll never have to remember..." His voice was without spite, it was simply what he thought.

"Besides, if you're only friends then you're no longer of any importance, was there something you wanted?"

In her mind Ayise saw a much more pleasant conversation, she smiled a little, it could have been much worse...but she felt that something was wrong. The impulse to make sure someone was alright...  

[Kumizu]

The man had made his first mistake. That didn't take much. "It's a shame, growing up without love in a home," Kumizu said, appearing friendly. "Even sadder that a loved one was killed. But it doesn't seem right for a woman to lose all of her bad memories. You don't agree that everything that happens in life shapes a person? The person can't learn from the past to better shape the future?" Kumizu would rather not get into a long philosophical discussion about this, but it was a way to keep Elliot talking... he hoped.

"I'd like to think friends are very important. And I was interested in meeting the man Ayise speaks so... fondly of."  

[EvrythingTastesLikeGinger]

"Not at all, happiness is objective. Know not, want not." He peered at the top of Ayise's head, "Some people are unable to cope with tragedy upon tragedy, it's better this way. I'm sure of it, that's why I was chosen to be her fiance, I'm the best choice. I care about her more than anyone else." His eyes narrowed on Kumizu, he couldn't read minds but something was wrong.

Ayise's mind was easy enough to manipulate but to this man it might be obvious if he attempted to pry.  

[Kumizu]

Kumizu pretended not to notice how Elliot was looking at him. He simply continued on. As long as he pretended not to know much about Ayise's past, Elliot would keep humoring him. "You were 'chosen' to be her fiance? It sounds as though no one in her family cared about her, poor girl. Was it someone in yours that 'chose'?"  

[EvrythingTastesLikeGinger]

"Not at all, the original decision was made by the council after her fiance died suddenly, her own mother and the furture head of the family both made the decision." He said calmly, "I'm sure they cared but they must have been frightened to have such a troublesome child in the house, always causing trouble. Her father came back from an inquisition with the council one day and he was never quite the same, convinced that his daughter was a demon and would kill us all..." His confident smile faltered leabing the impression there was more to it than that.  

[Kumizu]

She was engaged once before? To this... Kiryuu, possibly. If they never married, then Tsubaki's a b*****d child. I'm surprised they weren't kicked out immediately.... Then again, brainwashing is easier to cover up than banishment, in some ways. "Ayise, a demon? Surely no one else could have believed such a story... especially not you, if you're engaged."  

[EvrythingTastesLikeGinger]

Elliot paused, "It's not a matter of believing, Ayise's a gentle person but...she becomes unable to control her powers when she's distressed. Then, there's a side of her that's not normal...great power always comes at a price, before she was sent away there was an incident. It was concluded that it was a conspiracy of sorts, well, let's just say that for people who face abilities like hers there IS a fate worse than death. Because she showed no remorse and refused to be treated she was sent away."

His slow careful words were remeniscent of the way Ayise spoke, she had said before she'd done something she'd been prosecuted for and she wasn't sorry in the least.