POWER LEVEL
356,511
Tech Points
47/88
Forms
Enhanced Being [x39]
Zeni
92,117
Bio-Android
|
Jul 2, 2022 17:19:45 GMT -5
Post by Ayu on Jul 2, 2022 17:19:45 GMT -5
Zhang wasn't a family person. They weren't even a proper family when one would think about it... Just an adoptive granddaughter, practically living on her own, while her grandfather was off at work in the City, barely contacting her and rarely sending money home. Well, it was enough for bills and food, but Ayu had to live frugally all her life, taking care of the house and the garden. The latter one was a great aid, as selling flowers, vegetables, and fruit helped the budget a lot... Things were like that since she remembered and Zhang was always too busy with his research and work to pay attention to something as trivial as bills and taxes. It wasn't normal to push that responsibility on a teen she was back then, was it? But Ayu learned how to live with it. It sounded better than an orphanage at least... Years ago she stopped fighting for his care and affection, understanding that whatever goodwill or his heart's generosity was, that made Zhang take her in - was now long go. They were just strangers. Even if by nature Ayu was a very sensitive, caring person, doctor Yibai was brushing it off, constantly showing her the cold shoulder. Was there contempt or not... He seemed to think that they just needed to live with each other, they didn't have to share any parental or family bond. It hurt her... But Ayu wasn't going to fight it.
Yet, the irritation and anger vibrating in Zhang's voice left little to the imagination. Was he that mad..? Ayu's hands trembled a little and she felt a shiver on her back. The young woman looked around, searching for the clock, and noticed that it was getting late. Actually, too late to catch the train back home and get there on her own. That was probably the case of his annoyance, he'd have to give her a ride to their place. Earlier she started to feel the relief and tiredness settling in after she reached the university, but now the uneasiness hit up the level of her adrenaline again. Ayu was anxiously awaiting her grandfather in the hall of the building. He'd be like always, tepid, indifferent, bitter. Would it be awkward for Jorey to stay here and listen to them talking? Not like it would be much of a conversation anyway... She lowered her head unconsciously, trying to brace herself for that meeting. It was uncomfortable. Each time they were face to face, it only proved that they were strangers. Long ago the young woman learned to not expect much from her adoptive grandfathers, so it was only a matter of formality, to get things done and that be it. As always. As always.
Hopefully, Jorey won't mind spending here a couple of minutes more. Part of Ayu still couldn't believe that he went with her inside the University, standing next to her like a bodyguard... It would have been enough after their meeting in that alley - after he got rid of the pursuers she was perfectly able to leave by herself... Wait, n-no, it wasn't right. Maybe her state wasn't exactly the best and he noticed it... The drops of blood on her long skirt dried out now. Ayu was scared at first, so scared, and it's the truth that she still didn't shake off the shiver and the shock of witnessing someone dying in front of her... But she was okay thanks to the Saiyan, that much was obvious. She wanted to put her trust in him, even if, deep down, she still was cautious in his presence. To make things worse, Ayu was never good at talking to people, so his responses and flickers of Ki from time to time were a little confusing. But he wasn't... Jorey wasn't a bad person. Like now - she noticed his hand on her shoulder as if it was an attempt to reassure her... Ayu turned her head and raised her gaze, looking at Jorey cautiously and just a tad puzzled, but saw him only glancing in the opposing direction. Even so... It was nice. A soft flush of dark pink on her face quickly appeared and vanished again. She could feel the corners of her lips curling in a soft smile when she focused her eyes back on the floor tiles.
A small discharge, sparkle of irritation, of familiar energy made her cautious at the sound of doors opening.
From one of many entrances leading into various corridors of this spiderwebs of departments, a man emerged. A very tall, burly man with tanned skin, a heavy body, and intimidating posture - all soaked in an unnerving air. His energy was average at best for a normal human, he obviously was one, but there was something about him that was keeping others on their toes. People were going out of his way, startled by his wry expression. He was easily two heads taller than Ayu and like three times wider. It was hard to imagine that Zhang Yibai was a scientist with his presence, but the sharp, dark eyes with his tepid but intelligent looks weren't lying. That was the look of someone proficient in their profession. The beard and combed hair were just a little bit messy and classy, it was clear that he was a high-ranking lecturer here.
When she saw him approaching, Ayu took a step in her grandfather's direction, opening her mouth to speak - but something made her immediately take the step back with no intention to greet him first. Zhang, meanwhile, wasn't going to greet anyone. He was looking at Ayu from above with a cold, displeased expression and a vein pulsing on his temple - at the same time completely ignoring Jorey, who was standing by her side. The young woman lowered her head.
"You were supposed to be her two hours ago!" Zhang's low voice sounded gruff and rough. He was... Angry, but there was a very, very subtle hint of worry under his reproaches. "Do you think I can predict if anything has happened to you? For crying out loud!" His tone was too loud and it started to attract attention. Ayu felt the people's gazes, that turned in their direction to see what was going. She could feel already that the nervous blush on her face was making a comeback, covering her cheeks with a shy, rose color. Unintentionally she squeezed the bag closer to her chest, hoping that people would lose interest and look away... Please, just look away.
"I-I'm s-sorry," she started to speak, raising her head. "The train was a little l-late and then-" ... And she stopped. He didn't pry the bag from her hands or anything, Ayu let go of it easily, so Zhang merely picked up what was his. There was no use excusing herself or explaining what has happened - he wasn't interested. That was the sad truth. Ayu's hands fidgeted, so she hold to her wrists to keep them in place, observing quietly when Zhang pulled one of the folders from the bag. He opened it and flipped through the content. Papers were both handwritten and some were printed, the language there wasn't something that she would have known about... Not like she peeked inside. Her grandfather stated that those are the papers his students wrote so she never questioned it. The documents rustled and he carefully checked what was written there... His eyes narrowed with relief. That was it. That was the thing Zhang was most worried about. The man placed the folder back inside the bag and held onto it - and only then did his gaze start focusing on Ayu properly.
"... At least you brought what I requested," he spoke, but now there was no irritation, only the tepid, indifferent expression of his voice. He glanced at the clock on the wall and clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction, that only made now quiet Ayu more abashed. "You won't make it home at this hour, no trains are leaving... I'll give you a ride back home, but you'll have to wait until I am done with everything here." He sighed, brushing his hair out of his eyes. When the irritation started to disappear, his tiredness was visible. There were dark lines under his eyelids, another wrinkle on his forehead, and way more grey hair on his head than when Ayu saw him last time. "And that might take a while." With another heavy sigh, he was ready to turn around, but something caught his eyes. His solemn gaze finally anchored on Jorey, studying him with a sour expression. Zhang narrowed his eyes and said with a clear suspicion in his voice - "... And who are you supposed to be?"
Power Level - 5,842 Word Count - 1,453 Total Word Count - 8,312
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|
I've made a terrible mistake.
POWER LEVEL
111,973
Tech Points
25/26
Forms
Oozaru [x10]
Zeni
47,380
UNSORTED
|
Jul 3, 2022 13:59:23 GMT -5
Post by Jorey on Jul 3, 2022 13:59:23 GMT -5
The time spent waiting for Ayu's grandfather were, for some reason, pretty agonizing. Jorey had been in some dreadful and dark situations. He's had to enslave people for the PTO, force people to forfeit their rights. He had to kill countless, hoards of people and races, just to fulfill the requests of his clients. He's had to assassinate politicians and advocates alike, playing the role of trustee, or waiting for the right moment to strike from the sidelines. This, somehow, was on par with every single one of those instances. Was there anyone threatening Jorey's existence in this very moment? Not in particular. Was he on a very short execution timeframe that needed to be completed before anything drastic or dire happened? Definitely not, Jorey had all the time in the world to literally wait. What could it be then? Was Jorey somehow able to empathize with Ayu in this situation? Definitely not. She wouldn't know what "do or die" meant unless it was shown to her. Not like I understand that phrase.
"Empathy" was still a word that didn't exist in Jorey's dictionary. "Empathy" was almost akin to "sympathy," and "sympathy" meant hope for Jorey. He didn't understand those things, yet. Even though something inside him was unusual because of his interactions with Ayu right now, it hadn't gotten to a point where he could understand all this, yet. Regardless, for some reason, he empathized with Ayu. He just didn't want to admit it. Jorey couldn't really see Ayu's face when she looked at him while he put his hand on her shoulder. He didn't want to dare look back at her to see what kind of face she was making. However, curiosity did kill the cat. When she turned back, Jorey peeked a quick glance at Ayu's face, seeing a very small and adorable smile take shape and her face looking a little rosy again. Immediately, the stone cold Saiyan turned not stone cold at all. His face, still pointed away from Ayu, started contorting in a lot of different ways, showing his frustration, confusion, concern, contempt, embarrassment, everything to the wall. I swear, if it weren't for the fact that you could sense my energy, I'd start blasting the shit outta my side by now! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU!?
Jorey couldn't take too much of this situation. If he spent too much time affected by Ayu's face whenever he showed some hint of concern or mercy, he'd either go crazy and slam his head against the wall, or go crazy and slam his head against the floor. He was not about to harm himself over his inability to handle a little girl like her. He didn't understand why he was feeling this way, and a part of him wanted answers right here, right now. Another part of him wanted to run straight through a mountain side to try and drown out these feelings with pain and suffering, two things he was more than familiar with and looked forward to after doing things that were very unbecoming and out of character to him. The air in the room suddenly seemed to shift. Jorey snapped out of his funk and redirected his attention to the direction where Ayu was looking and where his body was originally facing. A quiet blip came up from Jorey's scouter, and he read the power level on the screen. It was weak, too weak for Jorey to be concerned about, but it was basically the same as any other person here on Earth that couldn't use Ki. That made sense at the very least, but now Jorey was confused about how Ayu was this strong and her grandfather wasn't even remotely close. Was there something up with Jorey's scouter, or was he missing something else here? Regardless, Jorey could see that Ayu was tensing up in regards to this situation. There was something odd about this relationship they had. How, in the face of someone who's supposed to be endearing to you, are you going to act scared and intimidated? The man emerged from the distance to the point where he could see him. The Saiyan ended up raising an eyebrow, noticing how tall this individual was, and how wide he was. I guess people on Earth can take all different shapes and sizes. That's...wait, that's normal. Everyone has many different body types, even Saiyans....Wait, I haven't seen a fat Changeling before. Do Changelings get fat? Questions for later.
The man finally approached the two of them, but seemed to completely ignore Jorey. That was more than fine, in fact, that was preferable for the Saiyan. He just wanted to be seen as either the person just here to make sure Ayu's fine, or seen as no one at all. Now, Jorey can play the spectator in this interaction, to try and deduce what was going on. When he observed the interaction between the two of them, though, something was set off inside of Jorey. He listened to every single word said, every single action taken, every expression painted on their faces, the tones of each of their voices. Nothing about this seemed familial. Nothing about this seemed endearing. It, somehow, got on his nerves. It, somehow, made him feel something strangely familiar. Strange and familiar in the sense that he felt like this has happened before, and he felt like it happened to him, but for some reason his body was rejecting it. Every single verbal and physical interaction that they had made him remember a part of his childhood. These weren't locked up, forgotten memories, but every single one he was able to remember on a regular basis. He thought that this was a familiar feeling because he experienced this in his past, but looking back on his past, he realize none of this stuff happened to him. Jorey was raised in a compassionate Saiyan household, nothing cold or heartless about any of it. It was confusing; why was he feeling the way he was feeling then? There was absolutely no relation he was feeling to this situation at all, just anger about the situation. Wait, was Jorey feeling angry for Ayu right now? Putting aside the thoughts of himself potentially being angry for Ayu was a chore. Jorey had to focus on many different things happening in this interaction in order to do so. The body language of both of these individuals, their voices, mannerisms, emotions, actions, etc. All these things and more were being carefully analyzed by Jorey and being checked off in his head. The man raises his voice at Ayu, clearly very irritated.
The narrations of his actions became more and more hostile as he looked on and observed. Suspect is attracting attention to himself, unaware of the consequences of his actions.
The mental notes continued, to the point where the grandfather wasn't even a grandfather anymore. He was just called "target." Target caused Ayu discomfort...Target seems to only care about papers...Target feels relief after looking at documents, confirmed. Target only cares for documents. Might be worth prying him for to call him out on it...Target dissatisfied with taking Ayu home... Oh, shit, I actually am getting angry for her.
Jorey was able to snap out of all of that and calm down. This wasn't himself, this was Ayu. This was her problem to deal with, not his; and yet, when Ayu's grandfather approached him and asked him who he was, he wanted to say something to throw him off so badly. Something like, "Someone who's looking out for her a lot better than you," or, "Just the person who saved her from being attacked earlier today. Why was she being attacked while holding your documents in her arms?" However, none of those sentences actually came out. There was a reason why Ayu didn't tell him that she was attacked. What was that reason? The grandfather could have shown any sort of compassion or worry about her being attacked. He could've even been pissed and tried to find out who those people were who attacked her. However, Ayu made the decision not to tell him. Why? Jorey would make sure to find out, and soon. With sternness and forwardness in his voice, he answered her grandfather. "Just her ride, sir. I happened to be at the train station when she arrived, and noticed she was in a rush. So, I offered her a ride and took her here as fast as I could. If you'd like, I can also take her home from here. You look like you're a very busy man, and I can tell you're pretty tired. It must be hard for you to be staying up late. I wouldn't mind, at all, it's no trouble to me. And, you don't have to worry about her being in danger. I'm a former soldier. She's in safe hands."
While not everything Jorey said was the truth, or even close to how he actually felt about the grandfather, he was dead set on taking Ayu home. He knew that she was uncomfortable in this situation, and if it meant saving her from this despicable being, then Jorey would be more than satisfied to oblige and take her home. The Saiyan was just hoping that the flattery and offer to take her home seemed very appealing to the grandfather, enough that he'd be more than happy to let Ayu go home with the stranger she met today. The Saiyan would turn around, with his tail tucked inside his overcoat, and look towards Ayu with a soft and welcoming expression. His voice spoke out, just as soft and warm as his expression. "Are you ready to go, miss?"
Word Count: 1,624
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|
POWER LEVEL
356,511
Tech Points
47/88
Forms
Enhanced Being [x39]
Zeni
92,117
Bio-Android
|
Jul 5, 2022 11:45:54 GMT -5
Post by Ayu on Jul 5, 2022 11:45:54 GMT -5
For Ayu, it all was normal. Zhang Yibai adopted a seven-year-old girl, who didn't even remember her own name - from the side it looked like a benevolent act. Yet... Their grandfather-granddaughter dynamic was close to none. Of course, by decency standards, everything here was alright. Years have passed. He never caused her any harm, he sent her money regularly and took care of all the legal documentation so she could live peacefully in the tiny home near the forest... But it was clear that they weren't very familiar with each other - to the point that she wasn't feeling comfortable in the presence of this giant man. There was distance between the two of them, the invisible wall that shouldn't be there - but family here was only a word. It didn't matter how much she pondered, looking for intentions behind Zhang's every word, she never was sure why she was given a place to live and a legal guardian. Why did he take her in? What was a reason to adopt a child only to emotionally neglect it later like that..? Did it matter that his preferred way of spending his time was away from home? Ayu accepted the fact that he wasn't present in her life more than he intended to be, and he seemed to be too focused on his work and research to bother with her graduation ceremonies or birthdays or anything like that for that matter. He was there only on paper, as a sign on the adoption documents. She stopped asking for his presence too, she didn't want to be seen as needy or nosy... It was alright this way.
Their both were awkward in each other presence. Ayu was never sure what to say or what to talk about with her grandfather, and Zhang avoided any conversation with her. There was always something in his hands, he was focused on reading or work, giving her a silent sign not to bother him. It wasn't that bad before... It perhaps started when she was thirteen and she asked him, who she was, who were her parents, and what race she is - because it was clear that she wasn't a human. Zhang got mad. With his gruff tone, he shrugged off her questions and doubts, turning away. It happened every time this topic was brought up, so Ayu learned to not mention it ever again - even when she badly wanted to hear answers. Seems that maybe both of them weren't ready for this kind of conversation. Zhang was troubled, she could feel it. Ayu always thought that perhaps he didn't know and wasn't able to admit that... Well, she wasn't sure that she cared for her - at least not deeply. It was a little heartbreaking to realize that he was worried about her only because anything that would happen to her, would inconvenience her grandfather... Some things couldn't be helped.
She got used to this status quo, doing her best to stick to her routine and doing chores at home. That's why Ayu didn't think of this much, and although Zhang's presence was as always, a bit intimidating, she wanted to do her part in the task that was given to her... And then go back home, even if that means waiting in her grandfather's office until it would be time to go. The sky outside was getting darker with each passing minute. With no trains or buses running at this hour to the middle of nowhere, where their home was, it was the safest choice to stay at the University and chose the car trip to get back home.
Things were taken care of, right?
But there was a very faint flicker of Ki dyed by the red hue of anger. Ayu felt it, and it wasn't Zhang's energy acting up. In the big hall with a dozen tired students and professors, it caught her attention in an instant. Ayu got used to the annoyance underlying her grandfather's presence - it was his characteristic trait after all... Like he was always on edge. But this felt different, and the source of it was standing right next to her. Ayu blinked a little taken aback and turned her head slightly towards the Saiyan. She glanced at him cautiously, puzzlement in her eyes - but Jorey was silent and nothing in his posture betrayed what she just felt. She couldn't exactly read his face, and not wanting to be rude or stare too long, again abashed, she turned away. Thankfully Zhang was too occupied with documentation to notice this little glance. Ayu was convinced she noticed the irritation... Did she do something or was he getting angry at Zhang on her behalf? Ayu's hands were holding on to the material of her skirt, while she tried to think it through. That latter thought wasn't exactly unpleasant.
It didn't matter how it sound, Ayu wasn't able to get angry. Even if it was good to experience a whole range of emotions - she wholeheartedly believed that - she just couldn't find this irritation or rage inside. It all boiled down to sadness and disappointment, or even grief at the worst point in her life, but nothing more. Even if someone might have said it was a good thing, it felt like she was lacking something very crucial. For example, she couldn't get angry at anyone, even those who were mistreating her or wishing her harm.
Maybe that's why she was sp surprised to feel that, if even for a moment, if even this tiny bit, Jorey was mad at Zhang for being surly on her behalf.
But getting back to the situation at hand... Until this point, Ayu could only nod. Zhang cut her off before she could explain what happened in an alley near the train station and she was frantically thinking about how to bring that up. She didn't feel too comfortable speaking about it in the hall with lots of passing people... But after Zhang decided to confront Jorey, she raised her head anxiously. Her grandfather was suspicious and already not in the best mood, so she was afraid it all could end with a verbal scuffle... But she never expected to hear Jorey's response sound so confident and smooth. And - w-well, he directly up started lying with his face straight there, but it was what he said that made Ayu open her eyes a little wider.
"I-I mean..." she tried to say something, but could only avert his gaze. Ayu could feel her expression softening and her cheeks getting hotter when her face flushed in dark rose color. Her hands fidgeted again. Was he really offering to take her home..? That was true, Jorey saved her, but not only by giving her a ride. Yet when it came to that - if carrying her in his arms atop of city buildings counted as taking her to her destination, that undeniably happened, and he helped her this way greatly too. The manner the Saiyan was presenting the events of the last hours was thought through, so there was nothing shady or suspicious about it - she hoped that Zhang's expression would show anything when he was tepidly glaring at Jorey during his considerate speech. But her grandfather was unmoved like a rock. Strangely, she wasn't paying him as much attention as usual... Maybe it was the gratitude she felt for Jorey again, or the sudden readiness to take her home that made Ayu so bashful. She placed both of her hands on her cheeks, in a very unsuccessful attempt to hide the blush on her face. There was this new, warm sensation inside her chest, and she wasn't sure what to do. She didn't expect to see him looking at her so softly... Ayu's head was slightly tilted to the side because she feared that if she'd look at him directly, she was going to get even more blushed.
But as she was raising her hand to place on her chest and nod with a shy smile, Zhang grabbed her shoulder before she could say anything.
"Absolutely not," she could feel an iron-like grip on her arm and Ayu paled a little, knowing very well what that mean. Zhang frowned and his bushy eyebrows created a very irritated letter V. Taking a deep breath, he raised his head and his tone. "I am not letting my granddaughter leave with a stranger, even if he is a former soldier and tries to flatter me. I might be old but I'm not senile," his voice might have sounded sterner, but at the same time, it was calm - in an ice-cold and distrustful kind of calm. There was common sense behind it. Who would have let a person they have seen for the first time in their life, give their granddaughter a ride? Alone, get her to their house, knowing that no one was at home to secure her safety? Zhang's energy was angry, but Ayu felt he was starting to get concerned - but not for her. Just for what would have happened to him if she'd gotten into trouble. Ayu's expression saddened a little and she let go of her skirt, putting her arms around herself. The grandfather glared at Jorey, and his eyes shifted to her - which made her jump a little and look at him with worry. She could already predict one thing from Zhang's face - she was going to be questioned about all this... "You should have more common sense than let a random man give you a ride here. We do need to talk," Ayu once again could only nod overwhelmed by Zhang's voice.
It... Wasn't planned. How she's going to explain to him everything while Jorey lied about their meeting and his help..?
The grandfather gave Jorey one last harsh glare and pulled Ayu a little towards himself. With his hand on her arm, he started to walk her in the direction of the door he entered the hall before. There was a muffled sound of their quiet conversation, and it was clear that Ayu was trying to persuade the older man about something... Zhang sounded stern, while she was only worried. She glanced at Jorey from above her grandfather's arm and gave him an apologetic, soft smile.
Power Level - 5,842 Word Count - 1,709 Total Word Count - 10,021
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I've made a terrible mistake.
POWER LEVEL
111,973
Tech Points
25/26
Forms
Oozaru [x10]
Zeni
47,380
UNSORTED
|
Jul 5, 2022 16:37:51 GMT -5
Post by Jorey on Jul 5, 2022 16:37:51 GMT -5
There were a few things that Jorey didn't quite understand about the situation Ayu was in, some things he was very suspect about and felt some sort of need to get to the bottom of it. The first thing was the whole situation with the documents. Ayu had mentioned way beforehand that these documents were papers that her grandfather needed for grading. Of course they'd be important, but this seems much more important than just "papers he graded and needed to give back to his students." Something didn't make sense. The relief on his face, the reaction to Ayu for being so late with it, it made Jorey suspicious. What exactly were those papers? It was something much more important, surely. There was still a slight chance that these papers were possible long overdue and the grandfather just kept forgetting and couldn't put it off any longer. If it meant that he'd lose his job if he didn't get them in today, then that would be a different story entirely. The second thing that put Jorey on edge was his interaction with Ayu. He noticed that he didn't really pay much mind to her, and was either overly aggressive with her, or surprisingly indifferent of her. What sort of relationship did they actually have? Are they actually related, even by blood? It would make sense, seeing how Ayu is green and her grandfather is not, and that's meant in the literal sense, not figurative. It was undeniable that Jorey was angry for Ayu now. He couldn't help it. It felt like Jorey needed to protect her, for some reason. It felt beyond the call of duty from his job. It was something that called out to him from inside and urged him to do something for her, something he couldn't quite identify. Fortunately, he didn't spend any time dwelling on what was calling out to him to defend her. Unfortunately, the reason why he was unable to spend time dwelling on that was because he was getting angry for Ayu. Upon realizing his emotions were fluctuating, the Saiyan attempted to calm himself down. He closed his eyes and steadied himself, breathing in deeply, and exhaling. The Saiyan kept his eyes closed for a little while longer, and was able to calm down a bit. He reopened his eyes, inconspicuous to the teacher reprimanding his granddaughter. If this was how people normally interact with their family here on Earth, then there was something wrong here, or Jorey himself was in the wrong. Again, Jorey highly doubted this was the case. If it meant he could get to the bottom of it, then he would be more than determined to do so. It was evident in Ayu's face and her expressions that she wasn't necessarily approving of all this. How could she? Her own family treated her like she was a nuisance than an actual human being, or rather an actual Earthling. She doesn't seem to be human, after all. Anyway, it was more than evident that she wasn't happy or comfortable with this situation. If it was possible, Jorey would be more than happy to take her away from all of this as soon as possible. And, that’s exactly what he attempted to do in this situation. Of course, it probably would have been a very difficult thing to accomplish. Jorey was a stranger after all, and they were family. It's normal for people to get worried about hanging with strangers, let alone allowing them to go to their house upon meeting them. However, the Saiyan was hoping that the individual in front of him would at least trust in the better judgement of his granddaughter and allow her to leave with Jorey, making this situation a lot less stressful for Ayu and a lot better for Jorey's mental stability. The Saiyan watched as Ayu held her hand up to her chest. She looked like she was about to agree to come along, her face flushed and looking adorable again. Jorey wondered if she was doing this on purpose, or if this was just how she is. The sight of this was almost enough to make Jorey freak out again, yet he contained himself for the sake of keeping up the act he was putting on for her grandfather. Unfortunately, the Saiyan wasn't convincing. Jorey's offer was met with clear and stern opposition, to which the Saiyan remain unfazed. He stood there with the same expression he wore on his face when he offered his assistance. It was understandable that the idea was shot down, but Jorey could tell there was something behind the grandfather's expression directed towards him. He noticed that the man raised his head to assert authority, to which Jorey responded with tilting his own head up to meet that authority. Nothing threatening, just a slight tilt, as if he was listening intently to the grandfather's reasons why. Jorey held the grandfather's cold, distrustful gaze, and met it with an understanding, tranquil, and confident one. He wasn't going to let his emotions get the better of him in this situation, but he was definitely very pissed off at this man. If everything was simple and Ayu actually wanted him gone, he wouldn't hesitate to dispose of him. However, this would only bring in more problems. Nothing Jorey wanted on his back. As the grandfather finished his reasoning, and Jorey inserted one little reply before he reprimanded his granddaughter. "Of course, sir. It was just an offer. I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable."
Jorey was given one last mean look, to which the Saiyan met it with a smile, and the grandfather turned away and pulled Ayu along with him. While they walked away, Jorey merely watched them. The grandfather had his back turned, and didn't bother to acknowledge Jorey's existence anymore. All in all, Jorey was pissed off about this situation. He was hoping he could get answers from Ayu. He wanted to ask her why she lied to her grandfather about it being just the train's fault. He wanted to ask her why she allowed her grandfather to treat her that way. He wanted to ask her so many different things, like if she was all right, if she needed help with him, if she was truly comfortable. Why Jorey cared so much about having these questions answered and wanted to know if she was okay, was all beyond him. He was just as pissed off at himself for caring as much as he was pissed off at Ayu's grandfather. Jorey then noticed Ayu was looking back at him. When he locked eyes with her, she gave him a soft smile, which caused the lonely Saiyan to blush and look away, scratching his head. This Earthling was playing with Jorey's heart and mind, and neither of them knew it or was even attempting to let his happen. The Saiyan groaned to himself and closed his eyes, his face still a bit flushed. You're lucky you're so innocent. I wouldn't have any problems eating you, otherwise.
However, now Jorey was stuck with a predicament. He turned around and faced the doors they came through, wondering what his next move was. He'd told Ayu before he had no plans for the rest of the day, and he really didn't have any at all. Now, the only thing he had to do was to go with the flow of the day. Still standing inside the building, Jorey pondered on what to do next. "Well, it wouldn't hurt to get some food."
Word Count: 1,263
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|
POWER LEVEL
356,511
Tech Points
47/88
Forms
Enhanced Being [x39]
Zeni
92,117
Bio-Android
|
Jul 6, 2022 14:29:11 GMT -5
Post by Ayu on Jul 6, 2022 14:29:11 GMT -5
Once the two of them walked through the door and started climbing the stairs, Ayu felt uneasiness creeping into her mind. It didn't feel right at all to leave Jorey this way... After all, he helped her get here, and she didn't even have a chance to say goodbye. While their steps echoed in the marble walls and wooden boards, Ayu glanced back at the ground-level door. Everything was pretty and polished, with ornaments on the handrails and old-fashioned lamps lighting up the dim corridors. University hall was so close... She could go and be back in a minute, Jorey's energy was right there. It wouldn't take long - but no amount of asking would do here anything. Cautiously Ayu glanced at her grandfather. Zhang's face clearly stated that it wasn't possible - his bushy eyebrows still frowned, the grimace was half-hidden in his beard, but the gaze pensive and displeased was enough to make her quiet. At least - it should be... Normally Ayu wasn't the one to oppose Zhang - because he rarely wanted anything from her. It perhaps was the force of habit and her uneasiness taking over. So Ayu took a deep breath and was starting to hesitantly take every step on the stairway, trying her best to move Zhang's iron resolve.
"G-Grandpa, that wasn't very nice of you. P-Please, at least let me say goodbye..," Ayu pleaded, seeing that dark eyes are turning into a cold gaze that focused on her with irritation. Her hand trembled, but she held onto the fabric of her coat, trying to speak her mind more clearly "It's not polite to leave like that." Ayu tried to reason with the stern old man, hoping that maybe, maybe this time he would understand... "I will be back in a minute, I k-know where your office is, so, please let me-"
"No," Zhang's voice was as soft as the sound of a coffin's lid being slammed against the box. And as unpleasant. His grip grew stronger on her arm and she felt a growing annoyance, swirling in his energy, rushed by... Uneasiness? Was he worried about her or not, she couldn't tell, but something about it made her anxious more than she was before. "You can't trust people so easily. Especially not those who have this type of air around them..." Zhang snorted with contempt, pulling the bag closer to his chest as they were climbing through another level of stairs. Not once did he let go of her arm, but he barely looked at Ayu when there were talking. "There's something off about that man and you should stay away. He's not a person to be trusted."
"That's n-not true, you don't know that-" Ayu started to oppose, but she felt another stare. This one felt like the old man was almost sneering at her naivety, but masked it with a stone face.
"You don't know that either." Zhang cut her off with a stern and ice-cold tone, that sent a shiver down her spine.
He was right in a way, but he wasn't the one that Jorey saved, right..? Despite all, Ayu didn't want to give up that easily. As the echo of their steps was growing louder, she started thinking. A very bold and unlike her idea appeared in the corner of her mind... She was going to get scolded anyway, right? If it was going to happen because of her being late, because of this little mess and Jorey's lies, at least she could have something from it for herself. The girl bowed her head suddenly, leaning forward so the arm holding her in place was met with empty space. Slipping away from Zhang's grip, Ayu leaped down, jumping through three stairs at once toward the door they came through minutes ago.
"Ayu!" grandfather yelled in surprise.
"I b-be right back!" she exclaimed in response, not slowing down and catching the handrails as she went. Running on the stairway wasn't the safest idea, but she was in hurry, almost doing pirouettes where the stairs were turning. Very quickly she reached the ground floor, too quickly for Zhang to run after her...
The old man clicked his tongue and shook his head. He looked at the bottom of the stairs for a brief moment and his grip on the bag became stronger. Zhang Yibai wasn't pleased, but he had his priorities... And that was getting those documents to safety. In not the best mood, he took a turn to the left, entering the nearest aisle and hastily walking through the dimly lit corridor.
Meanwhile, Ayu opened the entrance to the main hall and stopped there abruptly to catch her breath, her face flushed from jumping down the stairs and hair a little disheveled. Jorey's energy was still there, she felt it. Ayu trotted in that direction, seeing Saiyan standing there, lost in thoughts and staring at the main door to the building. She beamed, glad that she caught him just in time... Ayu raised her hand to catch his attention, walking closer to approach him.
"Jorey, h-hey," she began speaking softly, stopping next to him with a smile. "I'm g-glad I caught you..." she expressed her relief and instantly went quiet. Ayu blinked confused, feeling how her cheeks started to do the old, very well-known trick and got blushed. "I, w-well, I-I..." finding words in a hurry was even worse when she knew what she wanted to say but was too abashed to actually make use of her mouth. She averted his gaze... Ayu was never good at confronting others, why did she insist so much this time? It only made her more nervous. Finally, placing a hand above her heart Ayu took a deep, slow breath to keep her composure in check - at least a little. "I wanted to a-apologize on my grandfather's behalf..." she started speaking with honesty, genuinely feeling bad about Zhang's response. "I know he isn't the nicest p-person, but he didn't mean to offend you in any way, and I'm sorry if you felt like he did."
Right, there was something more she wanted to bring up here in their conversation...
"A-And, well..." her flustered face softened, "I wanted to say goodbye too... And thank you for your words." Ayu gave Jorey a gentle smile and embarrassed a bit, she scratched her cheek with her finger. It wasn't easy to say something like this, but she wanted to make sure that he knows she appreciates his aid. Even if gathering resolve to speak to someone face to face was more than she had in her. If it wasn't for Jorey, things might have been looking worse than they are now. She would rather be scolded by her grandfather than end up in a hospital. "I should s-stay here nonetheless, but never anyone before would try to help me as you did... That was very kind of you."
Power Level - 5,842 Word Count - 1,149 Total Word Count - 11,170
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I've made a terrible mistake.
POWER LEVEL
111,973
Tech Points
25/26
Forms
Oozaru [x10]
Zeni
47,380
UNSORTED
|
Jul 7, 2022 14:28:57 GMT -5
Post by Jorey on Jul 7, 2022 14:28:57 GMT -5
Yeah, food was probably the best play right now. This whole day has made Jorey unusually more hungry. It's been a struggle from beginning to end, and confusing as all hell. Just to make sure his brain is still intact, he had a game plan for the rest of the day. All right, so, I'm gonna get food, eat as much as I can literally stuff inside me. Then, I'm gonna head back to base, find an even more comfortable spot than normal—if there even is one—and just knock the fuck out. Then, I'll wake up in the morning, or whenever the hell I wake up, and I'll just chalk this all up as a bad dream. No one will really know, anyway, and I sure as hell won't! No one else really saw me, no one will really recognize me, and I'm most likely never going to see this girl or her grandfather again. Why shouldn't this work? TO HELL WITH THIS CONFUSING ASS PLANET!
Even though Jorey meant all of the things he thought at that moment, a cloud of darkness hung over his heart. Something about most likely not seeing Ayu again made him a bit bitter. The Saiyan tightened his grip on his fist, frustrated that he recognized this feeling. He didn't approve of this situation, and wanted to not feel these emotions, however they were already there. There was no point in Jorey fighting it. It was something he had to accept, but couldn't accept for the time being. Blushing a bit, the Saiyan groaned and mumbled something under his breath that even he had trouble hearing himself. "Tch. Don't get cocky about me feeling this way, dammit."
As he was about to open the door, he heard footsteps and a voice behind him. With eyes wide and confusion painted on his face like a freshly made canvas, Jorey turned around and saw Ayu there, smiling at him and thankful that she caught him in time. What was he, the train that she said took forever? Still, hearing those words made Jorey feel some sort of excitement inside his chest. There was a warmth encircling his insides, filling him with comfort, confusion, and soon enough, realization of what he was feeling and immediate dread. His face was flushed red once more, and he quickly looked away, as Ayu's smile could hypnotize him. He wasn't sure how to react, and many thoughts were flying through his head. Why was she here again? What business did she have with him? What was that smile for? Of course, there was also the usual bloodcurdling screaming going on in Jorey's head. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah, like that. The situation only felt worse when Ayu became more flustered about the situation she was in. MAKE UP YOUR MIND, DAMMIT!! ARE YOU TRYNA MAKE ME CONFUSED, OR YOURSELF CONFUSED!? CHOOSE ONE!!
The thought crossed Jorey's mind that she would have had to get past her grandfather in order to get to him. It made the Saiyan even more curious. Did she somehow escape his grasp and was able to come here? Did she sneak here herself, or did she just run as fast as she could? The Saiyan predicted that if she just used her own strength, that man wouldn't have even come close to matching up with it. He was far too weak to even put up a fight. By some chance, did that man know he couldn't dare resist, and just let her come here? With the amount of pride and sheer coldness that man harbored, the lone wolf doubted that theory. The variables put into that one were nowhere close to sufficient for supporting it. Whatever the case was, it didn't matter that much. What mattered was the fact that the green girl was here, and she was smiling and thanking her chances of seeing him before he left. Ayu was finally able to find the words she had been looking for, and expressed her feelings to Jorey. He stood there, listening to everything she had to say, not bothering to interrupt her and resisting every muscle fiber in his body that urged him to slam his fist against his abdomen over and over again. The first thing she did was apologize for her grandfather's behavior. Oh, that? Oh, shit, I honestly kinda forgot about that for some reason. I mean, he's kinda an ass, but I'll get to the bottom of whatever's going on in his puny, Earthling head later. He better not be one of my next hits...that would be veerrry hard to explain to Ayu.
The other thing Ayu wanted to say was her thanks for helping her in this situation, and goodbye after everything that happened. "I should s-stay here nonetheless, but never anyone before would try to help me as you did... That was very kind of you."
The scratching of her cheek, the words rebounding off of every corner of Jorey's mind, the flush on her face, and the overall demeanor she carried with her. It was triggering Jorey, but not in a "I wanna kill you" kind of way. No, the words and actions resonated within Jorey, as if it was unlocking something inside him. Nothing major was really happening, but suddenly, he was able to accept these emotions Ayu was making him feel. He didn't like that he was accepting these emotions, and didn't understand why, either. However, he accepted them nonetheless, and there was nothing he could do about it. There was a deafening silence that fell between Ayu and Jorey for a bit, after she had finished what she was saying. In response, Jorey grabbed ahold of his hair, and started scratching. The scratching became even more furious, faster, and aggressive, with each stroke. He scratched his head so hard that it looked like he was he was trying to fight some sort of demon. In the end, he released his head, his hair a mess now, and then shook his head like a dog shaking water off of its fur, returning his hair back to the way it was before. He sighed and, with a flustered face, replied to Ayu. "It's okay, you don't have to thank me for that. I was just following your lead, anyway, and I couldn't just watch while some random assholes tried to gang up on you."
Jorey dropped his hand from his head and crossed his arms. This time, he was finally looking at Ayu for the first time in a little while, and he had calmed his flustered face a lot. There was still a little redness in his cheeks, but it was barely noticeable by this point in time. "Oh, and you don't have to worry about the payment. I'd feel really bad about taking your money after all the things we've been through today. We could just call this a favor,...between...friends, I guess."
That last sentence was way too embarrassing and controversial for Jorey to say, so his eyes darted all over the place as if they had been replaced with flies trapped in a small room. He couldn't maintain eye contact with Ayu anymore, and his face became a little more flustered. What the FUCK is happening to me??
Word Count: 1,215
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POWER LEVEL
356,511
Tech Points
47/88
Forms
Enhanced Being [x39]
Zeni
92,117
Bio-Android
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Jul 8, 2022 11:19:20 GMT -5
Post by Ayu on Jul 8, 2022 11:19:20 GMT -5
There was this moment of awkward silence that appeared between them like a wall. The longer it was present, the more worried Ayu was getting. W-was he that annoyed at Zhang, that Jorey wasn't going to talk to her? That could have been a reason too... Or maybe she was taking his precious time and after dropping her here, he made some plans already? The Saiyan wasn't responding to the young woman, instead, his gaze was turned to the side. Ayu tilted her head, not sure what to make of it - and then still without any word, he started scratching his head, ruffling brown spikey hair. At first, she thought that the Saiyan was just intensely thinking about something, but when his gesture became chaotic, she started to blink. Ayu raised one hand, taking a step closer.
"I-Is everything okay..?" she muttered, completely baffled by his actions. Ayu's expression grew concerned, as the confusion in Jorey's Ki was now easier to feel. What was happening..? Yet before she could even ask another question, he shook off this feeling and sighed, finally speaking. She gave him a small, relieved smile, but her face started to change the longer Jorey was talking. She nodded, abashed when he admitted that after all, he couldn't leave her in the alley, at the mercy of some thugs. It gave her heart a slight, warm nudge... Yet right away that sensation turned into a colder feeling of anxiety.
"... M-Money..?" Ayu's voice cracked slightly and her expression changed to the one that would be easily described as upset. She stared at the Saiyan for a heartbeat, her pale yellow eyes widening in consternation... And then, now disheartened and embarrassed, she lowered her gaze to the floor as she joined her fidgeting hands together, trying not to let out how this simple sentence caused a cascade of emotions. She felt her eyes watering, but she blinked a lot to keep incoming tears at bay - though it wasn't that easy to get rid of nervous flushing. There was a very small grain of panic that started to sprout in her head, and Ayu didn't know what to do. "N-No, it's f-fine... I d-didn't think a-about it at all..." she stuttered again, hoping that her tone didn't betray her. So was it really... About a payment? Jorey wasn't nice or kind like that, he initially expected money in return for looking out for her. It was as simple as that. Ayu was the one who didn't get it. Maybe she should have guessed it along the way, but she didn't comprehend much about the world, did she? After all, she didn't know any better, but was it really a convincing excuse right now?
Part of her felt hurt and deceived, not by the Saiyan, but by her own thoughts. Despite all she trusted her instincts, trying to convince herself that Jorey's aid was caused by his goodwill and only that... But then again, when she was proved wrong she had only herself to blame. Maybe he desperately needed that payment, and overwhelmed by what has happened, she didn't catch up. Her worry was now spiraling about the fact, that there wasn't anything she was able to give him in return. Ayu was standing there, anxious, in a silent panic, trying to figure out what to do. She wasn't rich. Yibai household was on the poorer side. Making ends meet wasn't always easy with the frugal amount of zeni they possessed in the back account. Ayu started to frantically pat her pockets, but her wallet was at home - she only brought her ID and a handful of coins for the train ticket. Jorey did try to make it sound like he didn't mind it anyway, calling it a favor for a friend - was he now being thoughtful, or had she messed up again? She couldn't tell, but she was worried she unknowingly put pressure on him to act this way. It would be easier to accept his words like that, but the thought that Ayu misunderstood his intentions, getting them both in awkward positions was now going to eat away at her conscience.
There was something in her left pocket. The young woman blinked and pulled out a handkerchief from her coat. She gazed at the square of a light, pastel green fabric, neatly folded and showing off a jade-colored rim. The stitching was slightly uneven in one corner though... She made it using the bright thread when she got herself this small cloth, in her first attempt at casual handcraft. Right now it was the only thing she got with herself, every other pocket was empty - except for the receipt for the train ticket and two cents. Ayu held the handkerchief in both of her hands and then shyly glanced at the Sayian. Her face was now blushed, but the dark rose color was caused by the embarrassment and a sense of guilt, rather than being bashful. It took her a second to collect her thoughts before she started speaking, and when she did, her voice was gentle and apologetic.
"I'm sorry Jorey, I didn't realize you... N-needed to be paid for your h-help," she wasn't blaming him for that. Although it did make her sad to think that maybe Zhang was right... At least in a way, saying that she didn't know if he was a good person. But it was too early to say anything, right? For now, her fingers were holding onto the handkerchief anxiously. "I know you said y-you won't take any money, well, I-I have none, so... I know it's not much and it can't even make up for the value of zeni, b-but if it's for a favor then maybe..." Ayu stared at the pastel green cloth that she was holding too and hesitantly placed it in Jorey's hand. Instantly she thought, that it was a childish act, that she wasn't aware of what she was doing. With a troubled expression, she glanced at the Saiyan and moved both of her hands closer to her chest. Why would she even think that it was a good idea..? But, if he did say that they are friends, could that be taken as a token of friendship and sympathy? Or would that be too stretched and forced idea to push into someone she just met? Ayu placed her hand on her arm, looking away to avert Jorey's gaze. She felt bad, abashed, and guilty at the same time. Why was she worried about it too?
"I'm just being s-silly, I'm sorry..." she apologized once again and the young woman slowly bowed her head. "I took enough of your time, I should probably g-go now...
Power Level - 5,842 Word Count - 1,118 Total Word Count - 12,288
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I've made a terrible mistake.
POWER LEVEL
111,973
Tech Points
25/26
Forms
Oozaru [x10]
Zeni
47,380
UNSORTED
|
Jul 8, 2022 23:03:46 GMT -5
Post by Jorey on Jul 8, 2022 23:03:46 GMT -5
It didn't help Jorey much that Ayu felt concerned for Jorey while he was furiously scratching his head. It made the Saiyan even more flustered, that someone actually was concerned for him and seemed to care. Why was she being like this? Was someone actually capable of being this innocent? A part of it was relieving in a way, but it was also very concerning. If this girl really was this innocent and naive, imagine how easily she could be taken advantage of. If this really was the case, then this girl had to be protected, better than how her grandfather was protecting her. There was some resolution inside Jorey that he made, that he would make sure this girl wouldn't find any harm come to her. At least, that's while he's around. He can't promise that or keep doing that while he isn't there, unfortunately. Regardless, as long as he was around, he wanted to make sure she was protected and safe. The Saiyan felt something warm inside his chest grow and spread throughout his body, at the sight of her smiling and everything else she was doing. However, something suddenly made him feel confused and worried. Ayu's expression suddenly changed. It was obvious she was upset about something, or at least it seemed like she was hurt. Jorey was confused. What happened that she was feeling this way? All he did was admit that there would have needed to be payment for this, but he didn't want any anymore after all they've been through. If anything, she should be even happier about that, right? He said from the beginning that he did this kind of thing as a profession, didn't he? Jorey started racking his brain, trying to remember if he'd mentioned that beforehand. Either way, he didn't like the situation he was in, right now. He didn't like that Ayu suddenly changed emotions and wasn't reacting the way she normally was. He tried to reassure her, but she insisted it was fine, and that she didn't think about it. Somehow, this made Jorey even more upset about the situation. He was uncomfortable. After making this sudden change inside him, and after accepting this new side of him, he was now facing his first conflict. Of course, his first conflict would be brought forth from the same person who caused this slight change. Regardless, Jorey made up his mind to help Ayu feel better, and to replace her dread with whatever feeling she had beforehand. Jorey lifted up one of his hands, now, and started reaching for Ayu. "Hey, wait, liste-"
He was interrupted immediately by Ayu herself patting through her clothes, as if trying to find something. The Saiyan had a feeling as to what it was, and he wasn't too happy about that. He put down his arm and looked down to Ayu while she continued searching. His voice got stuck while he tried to speak up again, powering through that and at least attempting to finish what he was thinking. "Listen, like I said, you don't have to pay any money. I don't want anything like that. I honestly forgot all about it a long time ago, all right? I wouldn't have came this far in the first place if I was still doing it for money."
While he said all that, he watched as the green girl pulled something out of her pocket. He wasn't sure what it was, honestly. However, the colors of it was captivating, and he was naturally attracted to it since she pulled it out of her pocket to begin with. Before he could really determine what it was, she held it tightly in her hands and pulled it to her chest. Jorey let the silence settle in some more. He noticed Ayu's gaze meet his, and his face became a little flustered from it. She regarded him once more, stuttering as she spoke, like usual. That seemed like a good sign, at the very least. She mentioned she had no money right afterwards. Good, 'cuz like I said, I don't wanna take your money. Please go back to the other Ayu I've gotten to know.
Unfortunately for Jorey, Ayu never finished the thought that she came up with. Her hands were moved even closer to her chest, then one hand was placed on her arm, and the Saiyan was able to tell that something that he wouldn't like was about to happen. It didn't take a social or psychological genius to tell that. The atmosphere of this place was a lot more compressed and heavy, and Jorey wanted to fix that. Suddenly, Ayu mentioned that the thought she had was silly. She seemed like she was just about to leave. Normally, Jorey would be more than fine with this being where they parted ways. They could leave and go their separate ways, like he originally planned on doing. It was exactly what he wanted and was thinking of for a while. This was the perfect opportunity to just leave. It's true, this whole day was an ordeal, and it took a lot of time out of the day. It would be a relief for Jorey to finally be done with today and continue on his life. Under normal circumstances, this would be an ideal way to end the day with Ayu. However, these were not normal circumstances, and while all of these thoughts passed through Jorey's mind in the span of a split second that felt like eternity, he rejected every single one of those thoughts. Truth is, it was interesting, getting to know Ayu, or at least spending the day with her. Because Jorey had unlocked something due to her interference in his life, he grew somewhat fond of her, and he at least couldn't leave without returning her to the way she was beforehand. On instinct, Jorey reached out his arm and placed it on Ayu's shoulder, not wanting her to leave just yet. He showed that he didn't want her to leave with the sound of his voice, as he looked at her with worry in his eye. This was something he was definitely not used to, and as uncomfortable as he was, he didn't want to end things as they were. "Hey, wait. Ayu, I need you to listen to me and chill out a bit. I don't want you to leave, yet. So, could you do me a favor and just, stay and listen to what I gotta say?"
Word Count: 1,085
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POWER LEVEL
356,511
Tech Points
47/88
Forms
Enhanced Being [x39]
Zeni
92,117
Bio-Android
|
Jul 9, 2022 8:28:59 GMT -5
Post by Ayu on Jul 9, 2022 8:28:59 GMT -5
It seemed that they both brought themselves deep in this misunderstanding. It wasn't Ayu's intention to confuse anyone, but even if it was unintended, she still put Saiyan in an awkward position like that. She wasn't the one to be fed fairytales as a kid, listening to stories about knights rescuing damsels in distress or superheroes saving the day. Ayu simply wanted to believe that everyone is a good person until it was proven otherwise, but maybe this kind of worldview wasn't going to survive in the universe she was living in... It felt bad to think that without being aware she caused someone concern.
Ayu hesitantly nodded while hearing Jorey's explanation. Maybe he did change his mind along the way, but it still made her uneasy. She mistook Jorey's looking for a bodyguard job for his goodwill to help a lost soul... It didn't automatically mean that he lost respect in her eyes, only Ayu started to think that her carelessness and lack of experience put him in an awkward spot. He did mention that he used to be a soldier and did various jobs, but she never connected the dots, and, well... She knew too little about the world. Still, it wasn't any justification for her lack of knowledge and naivety. Perhaps he saw how clueless she was and decided to resign from asking for payment anyway, and only recalled it by a slip of his tongue. That meant that Jorey might have as well used this time for something more productive. But he did say he didn't need money... Was it only to make her feel better? Where there no other plans? And Jorey also noted that he wouldn't be able to just walk away from her in that alley when she was surrounded by the thugs... If it wasn't for his unwary remark about cash, she wouldn't be even aware that he caused him trouble.
Ah, her cheeks were hot for embarrassment now. Ayu was being a nuisance now, wasn't she..? Her hands fidgeted and she was playing with her fingers worriedly. She disliked the thought of unintentionally giving someone problems, that they tried to mask by being kind and... Well, it all was so awkward and the sense of guilt was weighing heavy on her shoulders. She gave Jorey her handkerchief in an attempt to at least make it up for him in the slightest, but now it looked like a silly gesture. To be honest, she was getting so nervous because of her mistakes, that she felt her eyes starting to tear up. He said that he wasn't doing this for money, but at this point, she wasn't sure if he was being honest or was it a white lie to comfort her. Maybe the best course of action would be to accept that she messed up big time, apologize and stop inconveniencing him anymore.
After that, she was ready to turn away and her thoughts were now trying to count the spiral of stairs she needed to climb to reach Zhang's office... So unexpected touch on her shoulder startled her a little, making Ayu jump in place and blink in surprise. Her eyes were gazing at Jorey anxiously - it wasn't the first time he showed her this gesture, but last time he tried to reassure her before the meeting with her grandfather - but now? Wasn't he tired of her presence? Because of her misunderstanding, he had to show goodwill and reject any kind of payment... It's not like she could pay him in the first place, even if she genuinely wanted to. She raised both of her hands to her chest.
Ayu didn't expect to hear anything more from Jorey, so his calm and collected tone was the most surprising thing today. He was always in control of his tone, yet now it felt like there was something hidden behind it. She listened to him quietly, thinking that at the beginning of their encounter he presented himself as a bit of a ruthless Saiyan, not straying from a fight, and killing when it wasn't necessary. He did help her, she would never deny that - but now his cold, sharp energy mellowed down a little bit. Yet she couldn't exactly pinpoint if it was a good or a bad thing. She didn't know him enough to judge anything. It seemed that their meeting would end with confusion and awkwardness because of the misunderstanding she created... But he asked her anyway to stay in the building hall, here, for a little longer, so he could talk to her? That was... New.
"I-I... Well..." His tone sounded firm... Did she do something wrong? That is, more than she already did. But no annoyance or similar feelings was echoing in Jorey's Ki. Instead, he was focused and concerned about something, she could sense it, but... It didn't make her wary. For a long, silent while she was simply looking back at him, trying to make out anything from his face and voice. It wasn't easy, yet it told her that it wasn't something to be so afraid about. Ayu's nervous expression softened slowly into a well-known bashful blush blooming on her cheeks with the dark rose coloration. She nodded lightly, lowering both of her hands and holding them both joined above her waist. "... Alright," she agreed with a gentle voice, shyly glancing away from his face because maybe she was staring at him for a moment too long. And, w-well, he still had his warm hand on her shoulder...
Power Level - 5,842 Word Count - 922 Total Word Count - 13,210
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|
I've made a terrible mistake.
POWER LEVEL
111,973
Tech Points
25/26
Forms
Oozaru [x10]
Zeni
47,380
UNSORTED
|
Jul 10, 2022 21:36:02 GMT -5
Post by Jorey on Jul 10, 2022 21:36:02 GMT -5
Okay, good, Ayu actually stopped for Jorey. It was a good thing she decided to stay there, but he didn't mean to make her jump like. It was obvious that she was on edge, and putting his hand on her shoulder to keep her from moving and to talk to her probably really did set her off a bit. It would be understandable for anyone else looking upon this situation: Jorey said something that upset Ayu, and she was now feeling wary about the relationship they had. Due to that, the sudden movement and gesture by Jorey could be misunderstood as a way to keep her here against her will, or to even harm her, so it's not surprised she was startled by it. None of these cues ever reached Jorey, though, so he didn't understand why she suddenly got startled. He pondered on it for a brief moment, but then redirected his attention back to the task at hand, trying to clear everything up with her and make sure this relationship doesn't end up sour. The last thing the Saiyan wanted at this point was to let Ayu leave thinking Jorey was the shittiest person on the planet. Although, he might just be, considering his past and the fact that he was still a mercenary. The world was a big place, and he found other Saiyans here, super powerful Earthlings, and even some Changelings. Maybe there are worse people on this planet after all. Ayu took some time to process the things Jorey was doing right now. Her face was very clearly flustered, but it wasn't the same kind of flustered as before. It still seemed like she was wary of Jorey, or at least on her toes about him. It wasn't a great sight to see for the confused Saiyan, but he was hoping it'd go away soon. Jorey was confused and curious about a lot of things. What did she take from her pocket? Was she planning on giving that thing to him as payment? How much did it mean to her? He wouldn't want to take something that meant a lot to her, for sure. Well, unless she really insists. Either way, the Saiyan was curious, and wanted to see what was in Ayu's hands. He was also cautious, making sure he didn't step on anymore landmines. If he were to trigger her or make her feel even more of an aversion to him, then that would be a huge problem. Diffusing the situation would be the best bet, at least in Jorey's head it was. However, he'd never tried to do something like this before. Everything about today was new for him. After Jorey explained himself, well, explained that he wanted clear things up and that he didn't want her to leave, Ayu seemed to calm down. In fact, she did more than just seem to calm down. Something about her changed, and the air returned to the way it was before. Jorey observed her face, and saw that it was bashful again like it used to be. Seeing Ayu's face like that again made Jorey blush a little, turning his head away from Ayu once more, too embarrassed about his facial expression to show to the green girl. When he calmed down a bit more, he turned his face back and started speaking his piece. He sighed, scratching his head once more, and removing his hand from Ayu's shoulder. "Look, forget about the whole money thing from before, okay? I don't want you to feel like you have to pay me. I didn't do all this for the money, and I'm being dead serious about that. If I really was about the money, I wouldn't be telling you to forget about it in the first place. So, don't get so bummed out about that."
Jorey paused for a bit, recollecting his thoughts. He knew he wasn't done, and he had more to say, but he wasn't entirely sure if he should say it, and if he should, then how. In the end, after a brief moment of thinking, he decided to say it all anyway. If it meant Ayu would change her mind about this situation, then it would be worth it. "Everything that happened today was pretty worthwhile. Well, except for killing that one guy. I'm sorry I made you feel uncomfortable about that. I may be used to it 'cuz of being a soldier, but it's pretty obvious you aren't. So, yeah, my bad. Anyway, it's been an interesting day so far, and I've learned a few new things about myself. I'm pretty grateful to have met you, and I don't want you to think about what happened today as something I did for work. Just think of it as, uh...I guess, friends hanging out."
Immediately after saying that, Jorey slammed his fist against his side, unable to contain his embarrassment and raw reaction to him saying that. He winced in pain and groaned, keeling over a little bit. Jorey assumed that Ayu was going to be confused and maybe freak out over this, so he immediately wanted to clear it up. "Sorry, don't worry 'bout that. Seriously, I'm just not used to this kinda thing."
Jorey rubbed his side a bit, still wincing a bit from the pain, but soon soothed himself enough to relax. He sighed and blushed once again, this time not even bothering to hide his face. He didn't care much about how he looked now, though the blush wasn't that defined or obvious. "I...never really had any friends. Like I said, all this is new to me, so..."
Jorey trailed off, not really sure what to say. He jerked his head to the side, clenching his eyes shut, and crossing his arms in embarrassment. What was there left to say? He practically got out everything he wanted to say. Continuing this part of the conversation would just be more painful for the Saiyan, given he was too confused and emotional to really continue any part of that. He wanted these emotions to just disappear, but there was something about this that made him compliant enough to give in to them. In the eyes of Jorey, it was almost as if he felt that these emotions and this change could ultimately make him stronger. While that wasn't the end goal of his life, what Saiyan didn't want to get stronger? What Saiyan didn't want to become legend, and ascend to new heights, both taught of in this history books and never before seen? At this point in time, this particular Saiyan wanted to change the subject. He would wait for Ayu to comment or react to the display of bashfulness and the revelation that Jorey gave her. Whether she did or didn't, Jorey would let just a little more time pass, and then sigh, his arms still crossed but much more relaxed. "So, what's that you got in your hands? You pulled that out beforehand, so now I'm curious about what it is."
Word Count: 1,177
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POWER LEVEL
356,511
Tech Points
47/88
Forms
Enhanced Being [x39]
Zeni
92,117
Bio-Android
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Jul 11, 2022 15:34:29 GMT -5
Post by Ayu on Jul 11, 2022 15:34:29 GMT -5
This evening was full of surprising and sometimes bloodcurdling events. There was small talk, a murder, being chased by a group of men... Meeting with her grandfather and encountering a stranger. But perhaps out of everything that Ayu experienced today, the honest conversation with a Saiyan was the most meaningful occurrence.
"Alright," Ayu smiled a little worried, joining her hands together, but she felt relieved. She hated to think she burdened the Saiyan in any way and although they never talked about payment, the thought that an unspoken deal took place that she wasn't even aware of, well, it was pretty troubling. Ayu tended to be clueless and clumsy... And she wasn't without fault here. She intertwined her fingers together to stop them from nervous fidgeting. "I am sorry too if I made you awkward, Jorey... I-I-" she stopped to collect herself before speaking again. "I misunderstood you and I thought that you were resigning from payment because you saw that... That I didn't g-get what you were implying about your work back when we first meet." That thought made her uneasy. She really must have made things harder for him... Ayu looked at him apologetically while scratching her warm cheek. Another gentle flush bloomed on her face... The young woman was like an open book, whether she liked it or not. "I still feel a little b-bad because I don't have any money and you went through all that trouble of bringing me here without anything in return..." Her expression softened again. He didn't have to, but he did it anyway, no payment involved. She looked at Jorey with thankfulness, albeit still a little troubled by his decision... Yet, she respected his judgment. "Thank you", a delicate smile appeared on her face. "If you say s-so, I won't think about it anymore."
Maybe it was for the best. Jorey didn't want to make her feel nervous and confused about the situation regarding payment, and Ayu wanted badly to apologize for the misunderstanding she caused... It was in a way comforting. She could see that both of them cared how the other one feels. Perhaps both sides accepting the outcome that happened and taking it as it was, was the best decision. They agreed on that and moved on, to something else.
Well, here Ayu's face paled when Jorey mentioned what happened in the alley on the way to the University's building. She instinctively put her arms around her, her gaze timidly slipped to the side as the sensation from earlier echoed in her mind. Ayu inhaled air slowly, making sure that her voice won't tremble... Her appreciation for the fact that Jorey took the time to talk to her about it couldn't be denied but remembering how the body fell to the ground and how the blood splattered on the pavement... Cold shivers prickled her spine.
"That was scary," she admitted lowering her soft voice. "I... I don't like how dying energy feels," Ayu mumbled more to herself than in a clear reply to the Saiyan.
She had to blink to prevent tears from gathering in her eyes because at that sole thought of that dead man she felt her heart being clutched by an iron rim. It all happened too fast to do anything... She couldn't properly feel her Ki. Ayu wasn't able to tell if she could fight anyone or stand up to show that she was not afraid. She didn't want hurt anyone. Would she burden Jorey if she'd say that? The feeling of guilt started to eat away at her soul. To her core, she was grateful that he appeared when he did, saving her from a distressful situation and potential harm, but... He did kill a person. And even now when he acknowledged it in front of Ayu, it wasn't about the thought that taking life was unnecessary - but that it unraveled in front of her eyes. Ayu's gaze mellowed when she realized that Jorey was worried that he made her witness such scenery. Understandably, it shocked her and frightened her... But Ayu dreaded the suspicion that no lives would be lost tonight if she'd only be a little stronger - enough to stand up for herself.
That conversation started to resemble a rollercoaster of emotions. First Ayu was worried, grateful, and felt guilty, then she was leaning towards being overwhelmed by unpleasant memories - and now? Abashment was taking over. All because Jorey mentioned that he was grateful to have met her tonight... Unaware of her actions, Ayu raised her hands to pull the shawl from around her neck above her mouth, in a shy attempt of hiding her face. She could feel even the tips of her ears burning. Friends... He used this term earlier too, didn't he?
And now he hit himself.
"P-Please don't do that, d-don't hurt yourself..." Ayu got startled again, raising her hands and looking at him all concerned. Why would he... Even the way he brushed it off, asking her not to worry about it was making her anxious. How could she not? She couldn't predict what would he do next. Jorey's energy was puzzled, there were a lot of feelings in it, and she too noticed the blush on his face. Ayu sighed gently, her voice mellowing into a soft, understanding tone. The fingers of her right hand were holding the rim of her shawl. "Jorey... W-We're not friends yet. I mean..." Ayu tilted her head, curling her other hand into a fist and placing it above her heart. She wasn't good at this either nor she was used to trying to form a relationship with others... She tried a lot as a kid, but it never worked so what she could do with her lack of experience? Ayu could only be honest about her feelings, minding her words to not be impolite to him. "I believe that to be friends people need to get to know each other a little better..." Now she was getting more abashed. "I'm not s-sure, I don't h-have friends, but that's what I'd like to d-do. So, maybe... N-Next time, we c-could have more time t-to talk and get more familiar with each other?" She blinked, a little startled at her own straightforwardness, thinking that she must have spoken one word too many. Ayu turned her head away. "I'm s-sorry, that was inane."
Friends. What would that mean? Ayu wasn't sure herself, as this topic was always out of her reach, mysterious and unfathomable. Having someone to put trust with, to care about, to help in need, and spent time? It sounded nice... Yet, even if Ayu was aware that she was a lonely person, even if she was grateful to hear Jorey's words, she couldn't just simply agree. It sounded too easy and relationships needed time to be built. Otherwise stating that people were friends would lose its meaning if that would be this easy. She just hoped that Jorey would stop hitting himself while talking about friendship... And now he helped her shift her focus on the thing she pulled out of her pocket a while ago. Ayu blinked, returning her thoughts from the highs above them, and glanced down.
"O-Oh, yeah, well... It's a-a handkerchief," Ayu looked at the pastel green fabric that she still held in her hands and felt embarrassed blush on her cheeks. It sounded silly what she wanted to do... But maybe not? It still wasn't a thing as pretty as bought from a nice store, the texture of the fabric was slightly coarse and the color faded a little... But it was clean and properly washed and at this moment it was the only thing she had. "I g-got the cloth from the mart and made the stitching on the rim myself, but it's a little sloppy on one side because m-my needlework isn't the best..." She raised the handkerchief neatly folded into a square. The pastel green cloth was decorated with a jade-colored thread on the edges, a darker color complemented the fabric. Ayu was obviously hesitating now. There was flush on her bashful face, her eyes averted Jorey's when she extended her arm with the handkerchief sitting in the palm of her hand. "I want y-you to have it," she admitted, now bright pink on her cheeks, but her gaze was still troubled. "I-I know it's not worth a lot of Zeni and it's p-pretty plain, and you don't have to feel obligated to t-take it, I j-just thought..." her voice cracked a little when she took a breath to compose herself, finishing her words with a shy whisper. "... That I might at least give you something in return for your aid. I don't have anything else o-on me, I'm s-sorry if it's too little for your trouble."
She was being silly now...
Power Level - 5,842 Word Count - 1,471 Total Word Count - 14,684
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I've made a terrible mistake.
POWER LEVEL
111,973
Tech Points
25/26
Forms
Oozaru [x10]
Zeni
47,380
UNSORTED
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Jul 12, 2022 16:29:55 GMT -5
Post by Jorey on Jul 12, 2022 16:29:55 GMT -5
A wave of relief flooded Jorey. Everything was practically back to normal. Ayu was back to being her bashful self, blushing almost all the time, and there seemed to be no more hostilities. The two managed to clear everything up, and the Saiyan was now comfortable again. He was able to relax a bit more, and continue the conversation they were having without to worry about setting her off even more. He was glad to see the blushing on her face, and her smile appearing on her face from time to time. It was as if he'd never said the thing about payment in the first place. Maybe talking things out sometimes wasn't such a bad thing? It certainly helped in this situation. Diplomacy and sociality really does work sometimes. Ayu would go on and apologize for the situation, as well. She misunderstood the situation and jumped to conclusions, just like Jorey misread the atmosphere and thought everything would be okay even after mentioning something about payment. The Saiyan softened his gaze, his lips remaining in a neutral expression, and he put his hand on Ayu's head, patting her a bit. "You don't gotta apologize for any of that, and don't feel bad about it, either. I'd do it all over again, if I could. Just don't worry about it, and let's move on from this. It was just a misunderstanding on both our parts."
That was probably the most kind Jorey had been to anyone. He was soft, understanding, and compassionate, all things he didn't identify with or practice in his life. It was a different, warm sensation inside of Jorey. He didn't know what it was, but there was one thing for certain that he could agree about: he didn't exactly hate the feeling. There was no negativity associated with the emotions he was feeling or the actions he took. Maybe it was because he was interacting with Ayu? Regardless, he embraced the smile Ayu gave him and the bashfulness she was feeling, and patted her head in sympathy and forgiveness. He then removed his hand, wondering if he went too far and made her blush too much. Even though the atmosphere improved drastically compared to before, it still took a bit of a dive when Jorey mentioned the part about him killing the one guy from before. Ayu's red face turned pale, and in reaction, the Saiyan put his hand on Ayu's shoulder. He scratched the back of his head with his other hand. Looking away in sympathy was the only thing Jorey could do until she calmed down a bit more. "I'll...avoid having you see that, again. I wouldn't wanna make you uncomfortable, after all."
After he had hit himself, he chuckled a little bit with a stiff smirk, still massaging his side a bit. "I'll try not to. It's just a light punch, anyway. I'm not in any pain."
Unfortunately, the physical damage wouldn't compare to the emotional damage Jorey just suffered. The simple phrase of "Jorey...W-We're not friends, yet" made Jorey's eyes open completely wide, and his pupils contract to almost just a dot on a screen. It felt as if the whole world around him shattered away like glass, reality sipping from his grasps. A flood of thoughts went through Jorey's brain, wondering where he went wrong. Did he make another assumption? Did he just embarrass himself in front of Ayu? How would he recover from this? No, he couldn't recover from this. He was turned down by someone who was much more timid than him and much more naive, by far. He needed to either destroy the planet or leave it. His almost destroyed pod was still in the place called Mount Paozu; all Jorey needed to do was fly there and be on his way. It had probably one more trip in it, so whether or not Jorey died on the way to wherever he was heading didn't matter. All that mattered was leaving this embarrassing moment behind. If he died, then so be it. All those thoughts slowly faded away as Ayu explained herself. It wasn't that she didn't want to be friends with Jorey, but rather that they didn't spend enough time together for Ayu to consider them friends. That's...fair, I guess.
The Saiyan and green girl did just meet each other today. There was a lot about Jorey that Ayu didn't know, and a lot about Ayu Jorey was sure he didn't know. Of course, there were a few things Ayu was definitely not ready to hear, yet. Maybe in due time, Jorey would be able to tell Ayu that he was a mercenary? Maybe when he was long done with this work, or maybe until Ayu could handle the fact that Jorey actually does a lot more than killing for a living? Who would be able to tell? Either way, that was not something she could know soon. The Saiyan was able to prostrate himself again, looking back down at Ayu with eyes no longer in pain or shock, forgetting about the fact that he had just punched himself in the side. The troubled lone wolf thought about what Ayu said for a brief moment, and then scratched his face, agreeing with what she said. "Yeah, I guess that is a fair point. You don't have to be sorry about that, that's just how you make friends. We'll get to know a lot more about each other next time we meet, so don't worry about that."
Jorey wasn't opposed to making a friend on this planet by this point. In fact, if he was able to rely on Ayu for whatever reason he could find, it would reduce his stress load of being on an unfamiliar planet. She had connections, and Jorey had connections. They could benefit from being friendly with each other. The subject was changed to the handkerchief that was in Ayu's hand. It was clear now that it was a handkerchief, and from this moment onward, Jorey was going to feel something he was so much more unfamiliar with than everything else he's felt today. Ayu brandished the piece of cloth in front of Jorey. It was definitely very simple, and something that no other person would value. It certainly seemed like it wasn't professionally made, but Ayu clearly tried in making this piece of cloth into an intricate possession. It seemed very meaningful, delicate, precious, and made Jorey feel some type of way just by knowing that she wanted him to have it. His face was blank, but there were emotions welling up from inside him that he both couldn't admit or even describe in the first place. He observed the handkerchief once more, looked at Ayu's face to see it completely red, even though it was hidden behind her shawl. Taking the handkerchief into his hands, Jorey spent a few moments just staring at it, then looked up at Ayu, making direct eye contact with her, and responded in a monotone voice. "Excuse me for a moment. I'll be right back."
Immediately, Jorey did a 180º turn and left the building. He walked outside, took a step to the left, turned in that direction, and went down on his knees. The Saiyan proceeded to take off his scouter, placing it on the ground next to him, hunched over the ground, and took a deep breath. His next action was as aggressive as it was sudden. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"
While he was screaming, Jorey slammed his head into the floor multiple times, his face beet red. The sudden rush of multiple unknown emotions flooded through his body, overloading every single one of his senses, even his common sense. In order to purge the brain lag he had from his body, he slammed his head multiple times into the ground. He did it so much that he ended up creating a hole in the ground. After pounding the sidewalk with his head one more time, he kept it there for just a brief moment and took in another deep breath, calming himself down. The Saiyan lifted his head from the ground, revealing a red mark on his forehead from the ceaseless banging. The shades of red between his face and the mark were just very slightly different, with Jorey's face surprisingly being more saturated and darker. He stood back up, putting his scouter back on, and his face was able to go back to a much more human color. Jorey reentered the building, the mark on his forehead still present. There was no use trying to come up with some lie to tell about the reason why he went out there, so he just decided to tell the truth, although the ceaseless banging may have caused him to suffer grammatically. "I am apologize. I hit myself again with floor outside, this time in head. I am not used to these sorta feelings, so please forgive."
The handkerchief was still in his hand, and his gaze was now fixed upon it. It would be a lie to say that this small gesture upset Jorey in any way. He was very pleased to have received this, but didn't know how to express the various emotions he had swelling up in him. "I've never really gotten any gifts like this before, so, I didn't really know how to react."
The Saiyan trailed off once more, still staring at the gift from Ayu. He didn't know what to do with it for a little bit, but he knew he was going to keep it. He could have it in his pocket, or keep it inside his armor. He could hang it on his tail, tie it around his tail, if anything. That's when he got another, even better idea. He tied it around his wrist on his left hand, the pastel green of the handkerchief going completely against the sky blue and various other colors of his armor. The friendliness of the handkerchief stuck out from the edginess of Jorey's overall look, even the black cloak he was wearing over his armor, right now. Still, it didn't stop him from doing so, brandishing the new look to Ayu. Then, he did something he hadn't done for over a decade: he genuinely smiled. A light rosy color graced his cheeks, giving his smile a lot more emphasis and emotion to it. "So, how does it look here?"
Word Count: 1,739
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POWER LEVEL
356,511
Tech Points
47/88
Forms
Enhanced Being [x39]
Zeni
92,117
Bio-Android
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Jul 14, 2022 19:22:45 GMT -5
Post by Ayu on Jul 14, 2022 19:22:45 GMT -5
They both misunderstood something... And both agreed to stop dwelling on it, for the sake of clearing their concerns.
Ayu could say that a great weight dropped from her chest when Jorey's face changed, accepting the apology and moving on from that subject. Perhaps, if they haven't done that, they both be stuck with different convictions... Would he think that she was both clueless and ignorant to the deal, or rather, to someone else's offer? She did misunderstand the payment thing - Ayu wouldn't like that. She lowered her gaze for a moment... And Jorey patted her head. Wait, how - she felt a warm head on her green hair. For something so trivial and casual, it took her by surprise. It was a genuine, friendly gesture that she was never accustomed to before... She rarely had her head patted, even as a child. No doubt why Ayu for a moment gazed at the Saiyan pretty puzzled, flush on her cheeks growing... Then feeling how her face starts to get hot, she held onto the rim of her shawl, pulling it over her nose and eyes, leaving only a piece of her blushed forehead showing. That w-was embarrassing... She didn't blame him for that. It was pleasant, welcomed as a sign of goodwill, just, well... Her shyness got the best of her again. Ayu could only nod, speechless as the Saiyan was explaining that he wouldn't hesitate to help her again. That was kind of him... Good that her face was covered by a shawl, otherwise abashment would burn permanently the flush on her cheeks.
Dying... It wasn't an easy topic to talk about. Especially about something so sudden and breaking the natural order so abruptly as murder... But Earthlings and Saiyans were different. What's more, Jorey used to be a soldier and it appeared that currently, he was working as a fighter for hire. A bodyguard too, so taking life in defense of himself or someone else was nothing new to him. Did she overreact in his eyes, back then in an alley, when she saw a person dying? Part of her would never be able to accept that death. Like it was her fault... His hand now moved from her head to her shoulder, giving her a reassuring pat. Even if killing someone was still nothing for Jorey, she couldn't brush away that he was minding how she felt about the whole thing. He could easily shrug it off - after all, he was the one who helped her, not the other way around. She couldn't be picky and choose the form of his aid, it wasn't right. The only thing left there was her hope, that he won't get into trouble over what happened.
"I know it's n-not my right to talk about it..." Ayu peeked out of her shawl when she felt how the blush started to fade, pulling the fabric down and slowly nodding. "I don't think p-people should kill others when it's unnecessary. B-But I... I'm not a fighter n-nor a soldier, and it might be easy for me to say that while your experience is different..." She lowered her gaze, troubled. Maybe she shouldn't even be the one saying that. Saiyans are a warrior race, after all, being a soldier must be considered something normal, natural to them. Jorey might have seen so much death that it didn't occur to him that someone as soft-hearted as her could be so frightened while being rescued. But he did think about it now, comforting her by saying that he'd make sure she won't see anything like that again while he's present. Ayu's face softened when she smiled. "Thank you, Jorey," she scratched her cheek lightly, a little bashful about what she was going to say. "... For considering my feelings."
What happened next... Well, it gave Ayu some kind of fright. Mostly because she felt something stirring in Jorey's Ki that felt suspicious. Not in a hostile kind of way, but there was confusion and some worry and... All because she admitted that she wanted to get to know him a bit better? It didn't sound right, did it... She looked at him genuinely concerned.
"N-No, d-don't get me w-wrong, please..." she raised both of her hands defensively, feeling that her voice started to crack from anxiety. Did Jorey think that she was refusing..? Maybe it was her poor choice of words, she wasn't good when it came to talking to others and she once again proved that speaking to others wasn't her merit. "Well, it's just... It w-would be nice to see you again," she admitted, lowering her voice and her gaze turned to the side. Another stroke of abashment painted her cheeks dark pink when she looked at her hands. Considering everything that happened, she was convinced that he wasn't a bad person and it would be alright to chat with him some other time. "I... I don't have anyone to talk to. M-My grandfather is always busy at work and I don't g-get along with others well. Earthlings are wary of other races, and, w-well..." ... Ayu was now making excuses, wasn't she? Jorey said he would meet her again so they could actually start being friends while learning more about one another. If she'd say that they are friends already, would it be any different? Or would there be no need to see each other again? Ah, she didn't know. It's not like she talks to anyone else other than her plants on daily basis... She finished with a much softer, almost apologetic tone. "I'm sorry if I'm being selfish," Ayu muttered delicately.
Alright... If the change of mood in Jorey's Ki was something that gave her a mild scare earlier, there was something different that completely terrified Ayu now. It followed Saiyan's expression when she was all blushed and worried while explaining why she wanted to give him her handkerchief. For a moment, when he fell quiet, she was convinced that she did a poor job at choosing a make-up-for-her-misunderstanding gift. The hue of his energy was so full of emotions, that it was unreadable to her. Yet, instead of saying anything, Jorey excused himself and turned around. She could only nod, devoid of words, at this hurried announcement... And a second later Ayu heard the muffled yelling from outside of the building followed by the repeated dull sound of something hitting the hard ground. It's not like Jorey was discreet with that... People present in the hall at this hour looked around nervously, and who could blame them? Ayu froze in one spot, worried, astonished, and scared. For who exactly, she wasn't sure, but she was afraid at this point Jorey was going to hurt himself - and why? What was troubling him like that?
The moment that the Saiyan entered the building, Ayu walked up to him in hurry. She raised her hand to move away his brown hair from his forehead, studying the red mark on his skin with a perturbed expression. Maybe she was a little too close to him like that, but she was too concerned about him to notice it right away.
"Oh, Jorey, why would y-" she asked upset by his action, only to move away her hand and take half a step back when he started speaking. "S-Sorry..." she whispered meekly. Just now did she realize she disturbed his personal space, so she held her hands together, almost as dark pink on her face as beetroot. That was abashing... But the red mark on his head was still there. It was clear to say that it wasn't an accident, and Sayian hit himself on purpose - something that Ayu couldn't quite grasp. Not until he confessed that he isn't used to those feelings and didn't know how to react to a gift. She could only wonder what the emotions he was talking about were, but Ayu's gaze softened when she looked back at him. "You know..." she tried to give him a reassuring smile, but her worry was still visible in her expression. "Saying thank you will be enough. R-Really. You don't have to hit yourself like that." Ayu finished her statement with a suggestion, but the troubled feelings took over and she frowned right after, almost tearing up. She could only press her joined hands against her chest, taking a deep breath to keep leftover bits and pieces of her composure intact. "Please, don't hurt yourself anymore..." This wasn't a suggestion anymore, it sounded more like a request.
She didn't want him to feel so troubled that he had to vent it off by inducing physical pain. And because of conflicted emotions in him, which were so chaotic that she couldn't read them properly... She couldn't figure out what was troubling him so much, aside from not being able to express some of his feelings. Little did Ayu know what was really going on.
But perhaps the mood was lighter now when Jorey focused on his gift. Well, present? Gift. She couldn't say it was qualifying as one, as it was something very small and the meaning of it wasn't even so significant... Her belonging. The one that she gave him to honestly show her gratitude, even if it wasn't worth much, was taken in with the highest regard. That was a little abashing... Ayu's face felt warmed up all the time from blushing so often lately, so she couldn't even tell that she got dark pink again. Jorey took the pastel green handkerchief and wrapped it around his wrist. It was standing out in his dark outfit, but it wasn't too contrasting to make things look odd. Still, it wasn't a standard way to wear this type of cloth, it was supposed to be in a pocket... She thought. But if Jorey preferred it this way, so be it. It was rather nice, to think that he'd have it near his sight... But, oh, it also was making her shy when she thought about it. Surely he going to unwrap it and will keep the handkerchief in his pocket when it would start to get in his way, right?
"It looks good. I'm glad you like it," she smiled sincerely.
The clock has struck.
A sudden sound akin to lighting startled her a little. Time was onto them... Ayu glanced at the clock face hanging on one of the hall's walls and placed her hand on her cheek. It was late.
Power Level - 5,842 Word Count - 1,744 Total Word Count - 16,428
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I've made a terrible mistake.
POWER LEVEL
111,973
Tech Points
25/26
Forms
Oozaru [x10]
Zeni
47,380
UNSORTED
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Jul 15, 2022 21:16:32 GMT -5
Post by Jorey on Jul 15, 2022 21:16:32 GMT -5
Death was something Jorey had experienced every day. Memories of his past kills confirmed, assassinations, mass murders, even enslavements that ended up going haywire, flashed in the back of his mind. There was pain, suffering, resentment, and any other negative or sorrowful emotion to exist in the hearts of all those he'd affected due to him killing someone. It was dark, and disgraceful. However, Jorey did all those things for one simple reason: he believed there was no such thing as hope. If there was no such thing as hope, there was no salvation. If there was no such thing as salvation, there was no safety. If there was no such thing as safety, what's the point of even staying alive? Safety is no guarantee, no matter what you do. Natural disasters can kill you at any given moment, a random gunman can take your life if they ever so pleased, and genocide can take place in the blink of an eye with nation-leveling nuclear warheads, and you could end up just being a part of the number of dead bodies confirmed from the explosion. Because of all this, the lone wolf felt that he was doing a favor for people, providing them with death before they would even get a chance to truly suffer, praying and hoping they would survive a deadly encounter. Sure, they probably felt the same way at the time Jorey hurt them, but that was due to their own naïveté. There was no point in holding on to hope, so what was the point of even living out your dreams, getting high hopes for them, just to watch them all crashing down? What's the point of hoping for a family, when yours was taken away right before your very eyes? This girl, however, with a greener complexion than Jorey had ever seen, and even greener hair to go along with it, was an anomaly in the mind, heart, and soul of a wandering killing machine. She spoke of how she didn't like murder in the slightest, and how due to her ability to sense Ki, it felt horrible to feel someone's Ki just vanish when they die. Her lack of experience with death was evident, in more than just her words, and yet she spoke as if she had more than enough say in the matter. Even though she felt she had no right to be saying the things that she was, she continued anyway, detailing her exact emotions and thoughts about the matter of murder. Despite the fact that she was nothing more than a greenhorn on the topic of death and murder, Jorey, who had done so much of it, listened intently as if he was a student listening to a lecture from their biology professor. He didn't dare interrupt her for even a second, as he valued her opinion and her well being. The cold-hearted murderer he used to be was buried somewhere deep inside him, unable to be broken free from that grave with the anomaly around him. Embarrassment flooded through the Saiyan, ashamed to admit that he had killed people before, and distraught by the fact that he had let this innocent young lady witness a murder by his very hands. If he had a chance to redo the day and change something about it, it would be that incident. However, that was with the mental state he had right now. If it was any sooner, then he wouldn't care enough to not want to commit murder. Jorey understood that Ayu didn't like killing and the feeling of death. There was no helping it, and Jorey wouldn't blame her for that. Each individual had different likes and dislikes, and different things that unsettled them or made them comfortable. The Saiyan would leave his hand on the poor girl's shoulder, continuing to comfort her with his soft gaze and kind gesture. If it would help for forget of the atrocity he'd committed today, then it would be more than worth it to do something so out of character to the edge lord. She was thankful for him understanding. Seeing her face look so innocent and her expression soften made Jorey feel a lot better about the situation. It seemed a lot less tense than before and it looked like the conversation they were having was getting a lot less wary and awkward. Considering that Jorey was challenged in the conversation department, this was a very good thing for him. It didn't help him at all when he was suddenly told by Ayu that they weren't friends. The amalgamation of emotions was indescribable, but one thing he could soundly identify was the hurt he suffered from it. How could that be? To Jorey, getting emotionally involved with people and investing himself in relationships was not worth it. Hopelessness had a tendency to do that to you. For him to suddenly care whether or not someone cared about him, it was like watching someone fit a whole camel through the eye of a needle, and for said camel to come out of it unscathed and healthy. How did he let this happen to himself? Jorey would hear out Ayu, despite already thinking it was fine that she said that. He understood that she would rather have more time getting to know each other better, and he could agree with that. A more solid and intimate bond can be formed from that sort of development. Regardless, he heard her out all the same. The green girl tried frantically to explain to Jorey that it wasn't like she didn't want to see him again, and that she would actually very much like to see him again. Such a thing made the cold-hearted Saiyan to feel that heart warm up some more. There was someone who wanted to see him again, and not for the sake of hiring him again for another job. Hearing Ayu explain her situation, that she didn't have anyone to talk to, caused the lone wolf to feel that dreaded sympathy again. So unfamiliar with the concept, yet he was experiencing it right now, as he continued to interact with this girl. What was happening to him? What was she doing to him? Fortunately, Jorey didn't deem this change of character a bad thing. At least, not in its entirety. Jorey scratched his cheek, his face reddening just the slightest bit as he replied to Ayu's explanation. "It's fine, really. You wanna form an actual bond instead of one that just so happened to be created on whim. I can get behind that. I don't think it's selfish. If anything..."
Jorey suddenly felt a wave of confidence and playfulness swarm over him. In this high he was feeling, he developed a sly smirk on his face, and softened his gaze even more, but not in an innocent way. He removed his hand from Ayu's shoulder, and used it to brush against her chin very playfully. "I can take that as an excuse for you to use to keep seeing me."
The gesture was probably the most flirty thing Jorey had done in his life. Hell, he didn't even know how to flirt, this just all came randomly to him. If they were going to become friends, he figured some friendly playing around could be excusable between them. While all of this seemed very logical as he retracted his hand back to his side, a very different tune was playing in his mind. WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST DO!? WAIT, NO, EVEN BETTER, WHYYY DID I JUST DO THAT!? WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING TO ME!? WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME, AYU!? DO YOU WANT ME TO EAT YOU!? I WILL EAT YOU!! In more than one w- STOP IT! I WILL NOT BREAK HER INNOCENCE WITH THAT KINDA SHIT JOKE!!
Jorey wouldn't be able to keep his controlled, playful gaze on Ayu for too long. When he realized what he did, his face became more and more rosy than it had before. It was most likely a double edged sword, used not thinking things through and not thinking it would come back and bite him in the ass. The only reason why Jorey didn't apologize for that and try to explain his actions was because he felt like it was too late to do that. As such, he just rolled with it. When his face got too red, Jorey ended up looking away from Ayu in embarrassment. There was something else that Ayu did that made Jorey feel some type of way. After the brushing of her chin, after the explanation of the reason why they weren't exactly friends yet, after the confused Saiyan bashed his head into the floor for a hot minute, there was a brief moment Jorey experienced frustration from Ayu. The moment he walked back in the building with that mark on his forehead, Ayu walked right up to him and brushed past his bangs just to focus on the injury he just inflicted on himself. The Saiyan wasn't expecting it at all. He was surprised and confused, but he also wanted to see more of his frustrated, aggressive side of Ayu. At least, he thought she was going to get aggressive. She was angry at him, but it was also like she was angry for him, and worried for him. When Ayu stepped back and apologized, Jorey immediately responded in his mind. "No, please, keep going–"
Wait, that wasn't in his mind at all. He said that out loud. Why'd he say that out loud? Jorey, what the hell? What's going on with you, bro!? The thoughts he was trying to keep to himself suddenly spilled out for Ayu to hear, and he immediately regretted it. That information wasn't supposed to be released to the public from this press conference. Jorey's eyes widened, and his face immediately resumed the red color he had before, just a lot more vibrant. He was panicking. He wanted to see a more aggressive side of Ayu. With all this power she had, it would be interesting and pleasing if he saw her use her strength. Stammering, Jorey tried to explain himself. "Pause. I didn't say anything. That was the wind. Did I mention it was windy in here? But, what really is the wind? What if it's all a figment of our imagination, making us feel like we feel wind resistance, but in reality there isn't any? Like a reality-bending imagination machine, or an imagination-bending reality machine. A reality-imagination bending machine. Did I say something?"
Explanation failed, abort mission. Jorey couldn't do anything else for a little while except look dead at Ayu, with sweat dripping down his face, looking like a freshly washed strawberry. Fortunately, he didn't stay that way for too long. Ayu was still upset at Jorey, but she was also smiling at the Saiyan. He listened to her intently as she explained that he could have just said "thank you" for the gift. That was something he never thought he'd be saying. How does anyone even apologize, is all he was thinking. Was it possible for the edgiest man in existence (right now) to apologize? At the very least, Jorey felt that he should give it a try. "T–...Th–...Th–...Th–, t–, th–, th–, tha–, thhhh–, thuh, tha–, tha-ee-, thuh..., thee–, tha–, Appreciate." DAMMIT! I CAN'T DO ANYTHING RIGHT!
The stammering of Jorey trying to say "thank you" was actually a genuine effort. He never sincerely thanked someone. In fact, he racked his brain for memories of himself saying it to someone, and he couldn't find a single one in there. He started believing the theory that he hadn't actually ever thanked someone. Maybe he did during missions or for exchanges of information, but he probably didn't really feel like saying "thank you" or meaning it. Where were his manners? Jorey wouldn't spend too long worrying about his inability to say just two simple words. He could see that Ayu was actually visibly upset about the things he did to himself. She pleaded with him not to hurt himself again. It seemed like it wasn't just death that made Ayu feel uncomfortable or sad; it was also Jorey's pain that brought forth emotions like these. It made the Saiyan feel guilty for doing what he did. However, such a method was his coping mechanism for emotional situations. At least, he had just deemed it a coping mechanism this day. Violence and aggression seemed to be very helpful in bringing Jorey back down to Earth. Dammit! I was planning on throwing hands with a mountain after all this, too! What am I supposed to throw hands with now, the air!?
Refocusing on the matter at hand, Jorey went back to trying to help Ayu feel better, reassuring her that he wasn't going to do that again. He put his hands on her shoulders and gave her a reassuring smile, closing his eyes, with a drop of sweat on his forehead. "Hey, don't worry about it. I gotcha' loud and clear, I won't do that again. For real."
Putting the handkerchief on his wrist was probably a really weird thing to do, but it was the best place that Jorey thought of to put on his body. Inside a pocket didn't seem meaningful, as he wasn't accustomed to Earth culture. It seemed pointless to keep a memento inside a place that can't be easily seen or reminded of. Seeing Ayu get dark red from Jorey brandishing the handkerchief with a smile confirmed to him that she approved of where he put it. That was good enough for him. Suddenly, there was a toll from a bell. The sound came out of nowhere, and piqued the Saiyan's interest since he didn't notice one when he walked in. How the hell did he not notice? Was he losing his edge? Once again, questions for later. The Saiyan observed that Ayu was suddenly really worried. He figured that it was time for her to return to her grandfather. It wouldn't be a good idea to keep her away from him for too long, so Jorey softened his gaze and prostrated himself more, regarding the green girl. "You know, if you really gotta go, it's not a big deal. It's not like this will be the last time you see me. We can pick up where we left off when we see each other again, okay?"
Word Count: 2,417
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POWER LEVEL
356,511
Tech Points
47/88
Forms
Enhanced Being [x39]
Zeni
92,117
Bio-Android
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Jul 16, 2022 16:31:14 GMT -5
Post by Ayu on Jul 16, 2022 16:31:14 GMT -5
In the end it always boils down to communication. How people speak, how they pass the word along, and how they convey their feelings. Ayu was glad, from the bottom of her heart, that she was able to express her gratitude and clear the previous misunderstanding. Yet speaking with others wasn't devoid of difficulties, as she learned the hard way - it was almost too easy to phrase her thoughts in the wrong way and say something that could upset others. Like here... She wished to get to know more about the Saiyan, instead, she made him think she wasn't interested in being friends. Hopefully, clarification will help in this case, but Ayu started she was under the curse. And the curse's name was social anxiety...
"Maybe I am asking too much..?" she whispered to herself at that thought. Her flustered expression softened when she heard Jorey's understanding opinion. That was what she wanted to say, just lacked words in her abashment. A friend was someone who - well, by definition, was someone to trust. To care for. They would help in need and show their support... The bond needed to be rooted first to bloom, naming a random person that paid anyone attention a friend would be just offense. It needed time. Ayu was glad that Jorey said that... And then he brushed her chin softly and smirked. That was... Odd? She could already tell that her cheeks are heating up again with blush because of that, though she looked back at him somewhat puzzled. Ayu wasn't used to gestures like that, but it didn't stop her from chuckling softly after hearing his last words. She felt relieved so much, that she couldn't stop the warmth in her voice and she giggled sincerely out of her concerns being cleared. "Y-Yes," Ayu nodded with a cordial smile and her eyes sincerely glad that she heard not only agreement but approval too, "I will be happy to meet you again," she mentioned her wish openly again with a calmer and rejoiced tone, beaming at that thought.
Poor soul. She didn't catch the implication used by the Saiyan at all.
And when it came to facing Jorey after he got back to the building from his break, she couldn't simply leave it be. Because Ayu was worried. Maybe in a tiny way disturbed by what she had sensed too. Hurting oneself was never a good sign... It only meant that something inside was in pain so badly that only an ache on the outside could level it up in some situations. That's why she was upset on his behalf because Jorey clearly didn't think about himself enough. He just... Went out there and bashed his head against the wall. Or pavement. Or the street lamp. She didn't know - all she could think, was that his behavior was concerning and she wished he'd stop doing that. Or at least he'd tell her why he felt the need to inflict harm on himself like that... Maybe, just maybe, there would be something she could do about it. But before she could even focus on that thought, his quick reply caught her off guard.
"Jorey..?" she mumbled completely astonished by his abrupt response to her worry. It sounded so sudden, as he blurted it without thinking... Ayu's eyes filled with a troubled expression. Was he teasing her or enjoying that she was worried about his well-being..? A flush on her face was more nervous than it was abashed. In any case, it was making her uneasy. He hurt his head on purpose and she couldn't really fathom the reason behind it, but it didn't end here. Right after that blurt, Jorey started... It wasn't an attempt at explanation - he started telling her anything that crossed his mind, chaotically, and without making much sense. With each word, his face was getting redder and redder. Maybe he hit his forehead too much and too hard and was now spewing nonsense? Ayu tilted her head. Whatever it was... It gave him a bad case of blubbering and verbosity. Her face softened when she was withstanding the blank gaze that Jorey used to try piercing through her. She needed to save him from his demise - maybe she was clueless, but she could understand that he was now nervous to the point of losing his common sense. It just happened and the Saiyan wasn't sure how to untie the knot he just made. "Yes, i-it is windy here," she admitted agreeably with a gentle smile, hoping that it would ease his restless thoughts a little. The last thing she wanted was to give him any discomfort, even indirectly.
And even though that was her little resolve, she couldn't help but think that she made Jorey uneasy by suggesting that he should try expressing his gratitude. Anxiously, she stroked her cheek, looking at how he was muttering under his breath. Seemed it was harder for him to do than she expected... But he did admit that he appreciate the gesture of giving him this small gift, so it was good enough. Ayu's face brightened up when she nodded, joining her hands together and smiling. It wasn't hard to guess that he wasn't used to that, so she too appreciated the effort... And she valued, even more, his resolution to tell her, that Jorey won't again try to vent his emotions and thoughts by hitting himself. Ayu couldn't quite pinpoint if he was telling that only to comfort her or if he had a sincere change of heart, but her chest was raised by a relieved sigh. She looked at him quietly and couldn't find the words to answer, so she softly patted his forearm, when he placed his hand on her shoulder.
The time passed, and the warrior was right. It was a moment to part ways... Ayu needed to get back to Zhang and wait until he finishes his work - and probably will have an earful about her behavior too. Maybe she could nap on the sofa in his office? It was nothing. Yet, on the other hand, Jorey might have other things to do, if not now then later, and with his line of work he could need more time to prepare. Either way, it was about time that this encounter would end.
"Right," Ayu's yellow eyes glanced at the clock again and she frowned a little, focusing on counting hours... Where did that time go? She could have sworn she met Jorey less than an hour ago, and it was so late already. "I'll be going n-now... It's late and I lost track of time. I'm sorry if I kept you here too l-long..." she gave him apologetic smile, scratching her blushed cheek. "Let's talk again," maybe Ayu didn't visibly perk up at that thought, but her expression gave it away, that she was going to look forward to their meeting. And before turning back to walk towards the door to the university staircase, she said her goodbye - "Goodnight Jorey, and again... Thank you for everything."
Ayu stopped her steps before she walked through the entrance, turning her head to glance back at the hall. If Jorey would still be there, she would smile softly and wave back at him before she would inventively disappear inside the west wing of the building.
Power Level - 5,842 Word Count - 1,222 Total Word Count - 17,650
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