Ink Stained

107: rikuto*

The two stared at each other. Shiori gaped at her coming out of Shin's room. She looked like a fish, eyes blown wide open, mouth hanging as her jaw worked to try and speak. Pai could only imagine how she looked to inspire such a reaction; her hair was a bird's nest, she knew there were still imprints of the bed on the side of her cheek, she was barefoot, and her clothes were rumpled from a spasmodic night's sleep.

"It is not what you are thinking," she muttered heatedly as she turned and set off down the hall in a brisk walk, going as fast as she could without outright running. Part of her wanted to escape Shiori's ogling, and to hide the fierce blush glowing in her cheeks. Most of her just wanted to reach the source of the anguished cry of her name before it disappeared.

It wasn't difficult for Shiori to catch up to her pace. Her legs were unfairly long.

"Okay," Shiori agreed, placating. "It's not what I'm thinking. Of course not."

They passed people's doors, catching the sounds of those within stirring at the disruption of morning peace that was not because of the children. Shiori made an irate sound as they turned a corner, almost at the entrance of the house, where all the shouting came from.

"Who the hell's that shouting this early? I woke up because they're making so much noise," Shiori grumbled. It was Saturday. Her sleep-in day. Anyone who disturbed it did so on pain of death.

Pai didn't say anything, moving down the corridor with single-minded focused. Her heart pounded, her stomach was a shivering ball of nerves, and her palms were damp as she rubbed them against her pyjama trousers. She needed to get there. She needed to get there before he disappeared.

He's here, Kuniumi whispered again. Another spike of urgency lanced through her, and she picked up her pace.

"Got any idea what that's about?" Shiori tried again, frowning at the look of worry on Pai's face, hurrying to keep up. "Whoever it is, they're calling your name."

Pai didn't reply.

They walked on for seconds longer in silence, awkward on Shiori's part, oblivious on Pai's. They rounded one last corner, and then they were at the front doors, wide open to reveal what was going on in the courtyard ahead.

Standing a little ways before the ajar gates of Ayashi House was a small group of people. Shin was there, and an ineffable part of her unravelled at the sight of him, his presence soothing Pai's frazzled nerves instantaneously. The little ball of worry she'd woken up with when seeing Shin wasn't in his room with her, unnoticed until now, unravelled.

Kouta was there, too, with Kaede, Daichi, and Karasatengu. Shin stood closest to the gate, on the left, his wiry body tense as a drawn bowstring. He looked like he was ready to fight at a moment's notice, eyes no longer the diamond blue he kept up for appearance's sake, but Kamigami red.

Karasatengu was on the right, watching Kouta with a dark and defensive look in his eye, standing tall and imposing before the open gates. His face was a carefully blank mask, but Pai could almost feel his irate disapproval. Kaede was close to Kouta, standing protectively in front of his Heir despite the fact that said Heir could very well protect himself. Kouta was slightly behind him, accepting the protection as what it was; the fulfilment of Kaede's duty as Daitengu.

Her attention snagged on Kouta for a brief moment. He stood still, accepting Kaede's protective stance, and he seemed calm – but the slight furrow of his brows had Pai's heart sinking with dread, even though she had no idea what she had to fear from him. There was no smile on his face, and his eyes held a level of serious regard in them that had the hairs on the back of her neck raising.