Kyo walked off and Audrina watched as the two left the house. After hearing the click on the door she pulled her lips in, "So Tohru?"
The girl turned with enthusiasm awaiting a one on one with someone she was already starting to look up to. The way Audrina carried herself with confidence and sort of authority, was something Tohru inspired to be. Someone independent and able to hold their own.
Audrina on the other hand was trying to come up with something. She didn't plan this far ahead so she was going off on a whim, "You liking the vacation so far?"
She had walked to the kitchen in preparation to make some tea. Tohru followed. "Yes! It's lovely I'm really thankful that Momoji invited me."
"Yea he's really sweet. Never misses the opportunity to bring people together. Would you like a cup?", Audrina point to the kettle. Tohru nodded her head silently. Not knowing how to respond to her earlier statement. Tohru was just as curious of her disappearance than any on the younger Sohmas.
Although she felt it inappropriate to directly ask, she did come up with an alternate question.
"What about Kisa and Hiro. We're they as you expected?"
Audrina paused for.a second. Subtle enough to resist Tohru from feeling uncomfortable asking. She continued pouring the steaming water into two cups placed by the side of the table. "No I was expecting a tiger and a ram. Not a cub and lamb.", she joked. Earning a giggle from the girl.
Audrina's lips turned up from the sound of her laugh. "They.....are exactly as I expected. I'm sure you are aware of the story told Zodiac gathering."
As she handed the cup to Tohru, she ventured to the couch where she curled up on one side leaning herself against the chair. She placed her elbow and steaming cup in her hand on the rest.
Tohru mimicked her actions and did the same on the opposing end. "Yes and how to owl is the protector."
Audrina nodded, "Yes well, is more complex in the sense, I can........... hear them. Not their voices in particular, more on the ends of constant worries fill my head. So, yes I've known about Kisa moment of going mute. And Hiros attitude sends ringing bells in my ears so I automatically connected them with their personality. It's expected."
"Wow that's so cool!", she beamed.
"It's definelty..... something"
Something on the ends of exhausting. But she wasn't going to go into details about it.
"So how are the boys treating you. Well, I hope"
Tohru nodded, "Yes! They are all very kind. Shigure allowing me to stay in his home was one of the best things that happened to me. I'm very grateful."
Audrina hummed, grateful to know she was liking her residence at the Sohma household. But it also lead to the lingering feeling of something being off. She watched as Tohru took another sip of her tea only to continue pondering on Shigure's reasoning behind all of it. She had a small idea her role in his scheme but she thought it ended at Kureno and Akito. To think it spread out beyond them is what is driving her to confusion. She was too busy thinking about the outcomes that Shigure's tricky mind was playing but Tohru interrupted.
"Yuki was actually excited that you returned. All of them were but he especially. He said it's been a while", Tohru tried her best to not sound as if she was digging, but that's exactly what she was doing. Audri knew. Years of working with people who lie to try and earn more money when winning a case, she has become a type of identify it immediately.
But nonetheless, she rested her now half-way empty cup on the table beside her and looked out the opposite window. Out at the birds.
"Yea I hate to say that I missed him to. Worried too much that it nearly drove me to come back. But it wasn't fair to him for me to think like that."
Tohru tilted her head, "Huh? Why not?"
Audrina's smile faltered.
Because Yuki was suppose to live with her. She was the one who was suppose to take him away from that hell hole. But she denied. And that was one of her regrets that couldn't be taken back. Even after turning it down, that same day she reconsidered, it was too late. Haru had already asked Shigure. So she was left to sit in her apartment, thinking about what she had done. And weirdly be thankful that Shigure was the one to do it.
She had her reasons. Many. But in her eyes there was no excuse, beneficial to her or not, to deny helping anyone of the Zodiac members was beyond her. That was one of the first signs she realized something was changing. Not within her but within the entire Sohma curse.
Never did she continue on that thought. That the curse was withering in some a strange way, but she did not throw away the concept. Only kept it locked away until she stumbled, or accidentally reunited with the one other person who has a mindset that may want to actually push for a change.
In response Audrina shook her head, "Because things could have been so much different. If I wasn't running from myself.", a hufffed laugh escaped her lips. And the last words came out soft. Inaudible. "I've been doing that a lot recently."
Tohru wished she got anything from what Audrina was trying to cite. Instead she was left more confused. Yuki looked to the oldest Zodiac member with a sort of longing. Longing for attention if she were to put it into words. He even looked sort of fascinated by everything she did. There was history between the two that was more than what the bond held. It was a relationship that started when he was young. Just as much as Audrina recalled every conversation they had while he was tucked away in the corner of the room Akito locked him, he could probably recite everything she told him.
It was majority one sided. Audrina kept him from thinking. But what he was so thankful for, was the fact that she kept him going. Sane enough to make it through another tormenting of Akito's cruel ways just to know that Audrina would be back; No matter what. There was no other person that abruptly cut there talkings short like Haru and Rin. She didn't care. He has watched her defy almost everyone that worked in the Sohma estate when they caught her. She didn't stop her visits when he knew Akito knew.
And then they stopped. He doesn't know what happened to her. Only Akito gave a brief word summary.
"She finally realized that consistency does not change the outcome. It will eventually come back to bite. And it bit her.......... hard."
"Shigure too also seems excited about you coming back.", Tohru steered. She wasn't sure she would get any further about Audrina and Yuki for any time soon, so she moved to the next.
Audrina's face turned up in disgust. "Yea... he does doesn't he."
That was another dead end that Tohru couldn't find her way around without making it obvious. So she chuckled to let the silence hold something. That was until Audrina gave in. Not to explaining her relationship with any of the Sohma members. she instead she turned to around.
"How's school?"
She perked up immediately. Going into endless detail of her curriculum. Audrina just listened and smiled. Putting in commentary that she felt would help her survive the remainder of her Highschool period. Then they discussed the future. And Tohru told her her plan to continue to work. Audrina questioned why and that's when she found out the true reason for Tohru staying at Shigure's place.
"I want to finish Highschool because mom never did. So I will work hard!"
Audrina didnt want to frown but she did give her condolences. And that was that, she didn't push any further and she wished her opinion on Tohru living with them changed after hearing she had no family to properly take care of her, but it didn't. She still had the same mindset and it would take a lot to change.
After finishing their tea. Audrina suggested them to go out for fresh air. That's how they ended up on the shore molding what Tohru claimed as a sand castle.
"It's more of a sand mountain you think?", Audrina chucked as she reached for a couple of sticks. Watching her mountain with a smile, Tohru nodded her head. It was then Audrina pushed two sticks in ag the base of the mound and reached over placing two Black Sea shells to form eyes.
Tohru's smile grew before the Sohma member spoke, "How about some spice. We shall name it......", she stuck her hands out to Tohru in indication that it was all up to her. Tohru clapsed her hands together, and looked up to Audrina already having the name ready.
"Sandman!"
"Fitting", Audrina shook her head with a smile. It was then that she noticed a figure coming up behind Tohru in the distance. Looking above the girl her smile remained as Kyo approached. But instantly her mood shifted when she noticed the marking on his cheek.
Kyo was deep in thought, but seeing Audrina's eyes on him had him break away. The two had a relationship that was confusing on his end. Kyo wonder what made her so nice to him despite the rest of the Sohmas looking down on him with dismay. Even if they didn't show it all the time, he knew.
He knew that her and his martial arts instructor were close. But he also knew that whenever she visited his dojo, she made every effort to interact with Kyo. That is until her last visit. That visit where he wasn't in the best mental state where she visited. Instead of talking with him, she just remained in one of the rooms tucked away. He knew that Kazuma talked with her, about what he wasn't sure. But Kyo knew then something wasn't right. After she left was the last time he saw her. Just for her to pop up again.
He wished he knew how to feel. Elated to have someone that respects him as a person and nothing lower. Or upset for leaving in the first place, taking the small hope that things would be better for him and crushing it as soon as she left.
Audrina was aware of what her absence would do to the Zodiac children, but what she didn't realize that it was more than the bond that made them miss her. It was everything about her.
Tohru followed Audrina's gaze and as soon as she saw Kyo she was up and jogging towards him.
"Your back? Did something go wrong.", she then gasped. "Your cheek!"
Audrina was already up and walking to them, fighting urge to show her true rage. This was starting to become more of a strengths test than a vacation. Buttons have been pushed and she a doing her best not to react in the way she wants to. Instead she simply scrunched her eyebrows.
"Are you ok?", her voice of concern was matched a she moved his head to get a better view of his scratch.
Kyo hesitated a little before moving out of her grip, "Just got into a fight that's all. I'm fine."
Audrina's jaw clenched at the word while Tohru was already on to her next load of questions. Seeing each of them was distracted and absorbed in each other Audrina just set off. Walking back to where she knew the source of Kyo's wound laid.
Her rage was clear on her face, not bothering to hide it as she sauntered into the annex. And to her dissatisfaction, the person who was her first encounter was Kureno. He turned on his path down the hall to acknowledge her presence. And immediately his eyes widened as she walked up not bothering to look at him.
"Audrina?", he watched as she passed him and headed towards what he knew would be Akito's room. But he wasn't going to allow that to happen. Quickly he jogged to catch up to her and stepped infront of her, holding her shoulders.
Audrina's mauve eyes met his and calmly she whispered, "Let go of me."
"Don't do anything stupid", he responded. Seeing that wasn't enough, the look in her eye proving enough that she wasn't going to listen to anything that came out of his mouth, his only result was to call someone that the bond demanded her to listen to. "Hatori", he called still staring her down.
Immediately Audrina's eyes widened. "You wouldn't", she still kept her low tone. But Kureno was completely adamant on ensuring that Audrina wasn't going to put herself in harms way. She struggled against his grip then stopped as soon as she heard someone coming up behind her in the distance.
"Audrina", Hatori called. This was when Kureno finally let go. Her arms slumped but she didnt turn around. Her rage was now fixated on the male infront of her. If she didn't feel a sense of hatred toward the male standing before her, she was beginning to. Kureno looked back at her now with an expression of dread. He wished Audrina would t look at him with such disgust. But he knew why. If there wasn't a reason, he would care less. But alas, he knew to much of the reason behind it. And if anything, he blames a part of it on himself.
Breaking away from his gaze, Audrina turned and focused on Hatori who continued to walk up till he was directly in front of her. He nodded Kureno off and as he grew further from them Hatori looked back at her. "What were you planning to do?"
"Doesn't matter now. I'll get to it later.", she mumbled and walked past him. Out to where she planned to check back into the hotel. She only had a couple of days left at the hell hole Shigure called a vacation. But before she could take another step he called to her once again.
"You're not staying at a hotel..... my room is the second door to the left."
"You would be the last person I'd expect to defy her.", she side eyed him.
Not wanting to encourage the topic of the conversation further, Hatori continued, "Kyo will be fine. He has Honda if that's your concern."
"My concern it that Tohru will not always be there for him. None of us will the last time I checked. Why don't you understand that.", she pulled herself from his grasp and turned to face him. "Ill sleep here for the rest of the trip. But I'm done after this. All I see now that I've come back is that shit has gotten worse. If that is even possible. Because ignoring the problems has become the main response."
He just stood there as she finished. Feeling the words jab him. Because written on her face was that her words held every ounce of the truth. And like that, not bothering to wait for his response, Audrina turned on her heals and headed towards the direction he pointed his room to be. Once the door shut, he released the breath he didn't know he was holding.
"Feistier isn't she.", Shigure spoke startling Hatori.
He walked behind him, and slung and arm around his shoulder staring off in the direction she left. "I guess her playing the nice persona with the adults has long past."
Hatori crossed his arms, he closed his eyes and lowered his head, "She was about to go to Akito again. If she continues with these surprise meetings it'll get her into more trouble than she thinks."
Shigure sighed, a smile on his face, "That's the beauty of it Tori, our Audrina can be in as much trouble as she wants......... but as much as Akito despises it. Nothing can stop that fire. It's about time she used it to her advantage."