The Forgotten Nakiri

chapter 7

Hearing that she was going to get ready for the Christmas dinner Ryo naturally assumed he would finally get to meet her, so he decide to dress the best he could after all he wanted to make a good impression. back in his room Ryo decided on an all black suit and tied his hair up leaving his bangs.

joining Miss Alice, Miss Erina and Hisako in the living room he waited with them of the rest of the Nakiri family namely Soe and Lady Leonora and Master Senzaemon. once they had all arrived it was soon announced that dinner would be another fifteen minutes,

as the Nakiri's and Hisako were all talking amongst themselves, Ryo would usually keep to himself, he wasn't really the talkative type and as they knew this he was often allowed to take a quick nap. but this time he more awake than usual looking through the window waiting for Miss Shadow to appear, looking up at the night sky it reminded him so much her beautiful hair. the fifteen minutes had past quickly and the family, Hisako and Ryo made their way to the grand dining room.

but any hope Ryo had about meeting the beautiful Miss Shadow was snuffed out as there was no sign of her anywhere. even in the family living room as he looked at the family photos there wasn't even one picture of her.

this raised so many questions about her, was she not part of the main family? had she done something wrong and been kicked out but because she was still young and by law they had to look after her? he couldn't ask anyone about this because 1, he didn't want Milady sticking her nose in because...well she's kind of a perv, and 2 due to the fact her room was clearly hidden away, was he not supposed know she even existed?

but more importantly as he sat there eating his food and listening to the family, why hadn't they even mentioned her name or even asked about her.

after about a hour and half dinner was finished and they had gone back into the living room so they pass out the presents. Ryo didn't get any because he told Milady he didn't believe in santa or Christmas, when in fact he just didn't want any from her because her tastes sucked arse. but again Miss Shadow's name wasn't even whispered there wasn't even one gift for her.

it was like she didn't exist to them, after a while around eight o'clock all the food and festive spirit had taken its toll on all of them and so Ryo, the family and Hisako had retired to bed.

but for Ryo sleep eluded him, he couldn't stop thinking about the beautiful Miss Shadow and why she wasn't involved with the family. and how he could meet her. unfortunately she remained ever elusive to him, and that brief moment he saw her in the kitchen was all he got throughout the entire festive period.

he would try to cover up looking for her by tell Miss Alice he was going for a run and because it was to cold for her despite her living in Denmark she opted to go pestering Miss Erina.

but even though by the end of these runs and having to aid Milady in shokugekies against Miss Erina, and get the usual ear ache from Miss Alice's inevitable tantrum when lost, would leave him exhausted. and still unable to find her, but he wasn't giving up on Miss Shadow.

for there still one ray of hope for Ryo, has he lay there in his bed he remembered the first night he saw her, how could he not she was/is stunning, she was wearing a totsuki academy uniform perhaps in school he would get his chance.

so he did one thing had never done before, and that was praying to god to help him get some sort of break through so he could at least meet her.

Raven

this was a bitter/sweet time for Raven because once again she spent Christmas with the house staff, it had been ten years since she had any sort of meal or get together with the rest of the Nakiri family, and ten years without one gift, even her birthday had be forgotten by now.

but she was never one to complain she knew/hoped this wasn't because they hated her, they just didn't know her personally anymore and had forgotten her, being forgotten was better than being hated...wasn't it?

she hoped this way she didn't feel like they had something personal against her, they just had more in common with each other then with her, and forgetting her would void any awkward encounters.

but she loved her house staff family after all they had loved and cared for her since she was five, but instead of ordering them around, even though they did refer to her has Miss and Milady for she was still a Nakiri. Raven was in the kitchen with them helping out, buying present and having fun with them

and instead of using the servants tiny dining area she would invite them all into her very grand and beautiful bedroom, where they could dine and have fun in confort, but they always insisted that they clean up, once all festatives were done and presents had been opened. they would retired from her room so she could sleep

it was around eight o'clock and Raven had gone to check on the horses one last time. but it was around this time the hard truth of her life would make itself known.

despite her seemingly happy life the shadows the fact that she was forgotten often haunted her and her dreams,

where she dreamt about finding herself before a grave, her grave overgrown and all that was written was her name and below it the forgotten one was all that was engraved. Raven was shown how she would live and die, alone and forgotten.

she would walk the halls of the mansion as a ghost, and the family would simply walk right through her. they completely forgot she ever existed.

whenever these selfish thoughts would plague her. yes selfish, she had seen how the god tongue had made both her mother and Erina suffer, Raven felt she had no right nor reason to complain.

she would go to her favourite place. down in the last paddock there stood huge oak tree, beneath it a bench where she could sit, look up into it great size and the stars beyond would remind her of just how insignificant she and her problems were to world. but even so the tears just would not stop.