The whole day was… awkward to say the least. While Ina and Calli were by no means angry with each other, the two were plagued with several thoughts about their hangout after school. The girls felt it too, with their awkward laughter and stiff movement upon seeing each other. They would regard each other formally, formulating long redundant sentences when asking about their days.
Though, Ina had more pressing matters.
In her head, she felt AO-chan stir. Usually they'd be quiet, only speaking in times of need (after Ina's mental wellbeing became increasingly worse from their chattering.) However, right now they were in deep conversation with concerns in regards to Calli.
'We first thought that Calliope was a trustworthy person,' exclaimed the several deities, 'but her little effort towards improving her reputation is quite callous. It could even affect yours. Observe, it already has.'
Certain reapers eyed her with a cautious eye, scanning her up and down with a scoff. They snubbed her, smirking to their friends with a mischievous glint in their eye.
"You've got a point but…" But what? Ina was really making excuses for Calli. While it is true that Calli was not directly at fault for Ina's injuries, she played a part in it. Why didn't she try to be the nice girl she really was? Rather, why did Ina not blame her even just a little bit?
"I think Calli has the capacity to do something great but obviously it takes some steps to do so."
'Do not kid yourself, Ina'nis. You know full well that under usual circumstances you wouldn't fall for… this.'
Their voice soon faded as Ina reached the door to the exit of the school, inhaling a deep breath. On the other side of the door, would be the girls. They'd be there. Calli too. She would have to face Calli and really talk to her.
"Hey, guys." Ina meekly speaks, avoiding Calli's gaze. She hands fold over each other, clutching it in comfort.
Kiara chirped up, mid-wave to Gura and Amelia. "Inaaa! Wanna walk together? We could-"
"Well-!"
"Actually-!" Calli and Ina look at each other for the first time, realising they both were thinking about the same thing. Calli then took the lead, continuing, "Me and Ina'nis have something to talk about." She smiles weakly, playing with the colourful sleeves of her jacket.
Ina twitched. The sound of Calli naming her so formally irked her. Maybe she really did something to fuck something up?
"Oh?" Kiara glanced between the two of them, feeling the strange energy emitting, "Well- whatever it is- I hope you guys make up!" She hops towards Calli, smothering her in a bone crushing hug. Her arms pull the taller girl close, putting zero distance between the two of them.
"Hey-! Get off! We're not even arguing!"
"So mean! Why don't you like my hugs?!"
"It's not that! It's just-"
The small girl couldn't help but look at the two of them. Despite Calli's protests and Kiara's retorts, the two had a nice synergy. Everything felt natural between them. An immortal phoenix and an everlasting concept of death. It was baffling how someone could've made such a perfect pair.
When the girl looked up, she felt herself practically pushed down by a warm body. The person wrapped her arms around her waist tightly but not so much that they were completely touching. "Kiara?"
"Feel better, buddy!" She speaks speedily, pulling away as quickly as she came to Ina. With a pat on her shoulders, she stepped back. Soon, Kiara parted, waving enthusiastically as she went on her jolly way.
After a moment of just watching Kiara leave, the two silently lamented.
"Wanna go to the cafe?"
…
They situated themselves in the corner of the cafe. It felt appropriate for such a serious conversation, despite the fact that there weren't many patrons. Sitting down on the chair opposite Calli, they placed their plates down. The two bought some pastries and a coffee with it to complement it.
Calli's eyes flicked between details of the coffee shop, taking it all in: the smells, the ambience, the music, the people. She was mesmerised. "Shit, man- What a nice place." Her eyes slowly followed the painted vine on the walls, eventually landing on Ina.
"It is. That's why I go here after I go to the arcade." Ina smiles, rubbing her arms anxiously. She did not touch her cup or pastries at all.
The silence hung between them for a while, both reluctant to start or even sip their coffee a bit. They wanted the other to speak but the problem was the silence was difficult to break through when it was loud.
Calli's fingers drummed against the table, aimlessly glancing around while Ina's eyes glue themselves onto the table. The noise around them filled their ears, making them more anxious to start.
As the silence dragged on, eventually Ina shuffled around to get comfortable, only to knock over her bag. From it, her book hung out, threatening to fall. Soon enough, Ina's sketchbook fell out of her bag, opening to a page where Ina made thumbnails and sketches for the poster she made for Calli.
"Ah-!" Ina's eyes flickered down to the page, sweat breaking on her forehead in fear.
"I-I'll get it," the two made their motions to get, however Calli was much quicker and picked up the book. She soon noticed its page, seeing the brightly coloured reaper on the forefront of it all. "Oh." She affectionatrly touched the page, flipping through the pages to see more of them, added with some of their friends. Even Enma was there.
"Aaaah! This is so embarrassing-!"
"Hey, they're really cool!" Much to Ina's dismay, Calli had the height advantage. As Calli held the book up, away from Ina, she made no progress towards getting it back. After a laugh and a joke around, Calli did eventually hand it back but staring hard at Ina.
"I'm annoyed that you won't talk to me." Calli spoke sadly, folding her hands together, "I felt bad about.. this whole thing and it seems like you kept dancing around it. Or if you weren't, you deflected. You didn't even speak about it to your parents." She leaned back, staring up at the wooden ceiling and into the shadow behind the lights.
Ina took a while to formulate her response. She made so many excuses for Calli. She defended her. Why? "I… didn't like hearing you talk that way." Calli's head snapped up, looking into Ina's eyes, "When you said that you couldn't do anything as a reaper, it felt like you were giving up on me- on us."
"Ina-"
"I know it's true. It's difficult not to feel bad after what happened but… I was just starting to get close to you." Calli's eyes widened, surprised at Ina's words. She didn't notice Ina started to trust or to care about Calli. She didn't believe it even when she said so before.
Silently, Calli leaned over, boring into her eyes, "Ina."
Ina hummed, "Mm?"
"I really do care for you guys. I'm really afraid of that." She covered her face with her palms, putting a shadow over her eyes from her hands cupping over her eyes. "I want to be friends with you. Kusotori and all. I really felt like I found my place…" Calli's head tilted down, avoiding Ina's gaze. "I never thanked you for that, did I?"
The priestess waved it off quickly, "It's fine-!"
"Thank you," Calli smiled, not looking at her, "Really and I'm sorry." Her hands dug into the back of her head, fiddling with her fingers.
Ina stared at her, putting a hand on her chest. Red flushed her cheeks down to her neck. Her chest tightened, heart knocking on the rib cage's doors. She couldn't let it open. Not now. Not never. Not when Calli was so vulnerable. Not when Calli felt scared to care so much for people for the first time. It was twisted for Ina to feel this way.
'I think I love you.'
Forbidden words as they were, Ina whispered them into her cupped hands. Her worst fears were arising. She had indeed fallen in love with the reaper. At least, she thought so.
"About… the sleepover," Ina spoke wobbly, feeling her heart pump up to her throat. The pressure of it shaking her words, "When I said that I would one day tell you more about why I'm so secretive… Well, could I entrust you with my words?"
Calli slowly nodded, looking up at her. "Are you sure?"
"I, uh, I am." Ina fiddled with her sleeves, taking a breath, "It's obvious I'm not human. I'm not some myth or some legend waiting to happen." She looked down, staring at her hands, "I'm just a person who got cursed with Ancient Horrors disturbing my thoughts."
"Yeah…" The reaper listened intently, nodding along with gentle eyes upon the girl.
"... It's stupid but I know I'm very different from every person. From our classmates. From our friends and even my family." Ina leaned forward, shuffling awkwardly. "No one understood me. I was supposed to be a creator of havoc and a sanity thief but I didn't. I rejected my role. I became something I wasn't meant to be." She looked down in sadness, "So I opted not to speak of it."
"Ina… That's," Calli took an intake of breath, "That must be difficult: Being so different from other people. A-are you-?"
Ina sniffles, sipping a small bit of her coffee, "I'm fine! I guess I wished I was still human sometimes. But that'd be selfish."
"I don't think so," Ina's head snapped up to meet with Calli's serious stare, "I think it's alright to feel like that. Let yourself be comforted by your fears and sadness. It is only then you find happiness." The reaper sighs, leaning forward to take Ina's hand, "You can think selfishly. It's no crime."
Inside Ina's head, she screamed, 'Can I be selfish with you?' Under Calli's hand, she did not move a muscle to not disturb Calli's perfectly manicured hand. Her long fingers definitely covered her own, rubbing with her thumb.
Her heart skipped a beat.
"Yeah… thanks."
'I think I might like you.'