etudes | ooc ♫ appointments post

[ Shiki may run into a rather amusing sight. There's a near book fort built in the middle of the library, between two book shelves. Well, it's not entirely a fort, but it's still a girl sitting on the floor with bare feet, completely surrounded by piles of books on all sides and even reading one as she's sitting there.

She doesn't even glance up when Shiki gets near, instead she just continues to read unless someone else speaks up to her first, completely lost in the world of the book. ]

[ Huh. This wasn't something you saw everyday.

Shiki stared at the small wall of texts in front of her. Obviously it was artificial, libraries don't keep their books like that naturally, that's what shelves are for. She picked passed the pile, only to notice a girl there reading. She was surprised, she knew this girl. She was one of the first people Shiki had met. She called out to her. ]

Kotomi.

[ Did you forget, Shiki? Kotomi does not listen to people in the slightest unless they address her as 'Kotomi-chan'.. hence why she's still reading the book, completely undisturbed, as if nobody just called out for her at all. ]

[ It seemed like the girl was just ignoring her. No...rather, it seemed as if Shiki's words didn't reach her at all. A sigh left her lips, remembering how the girl asked her to address her when they had first met. Really? She really needed that? ]

Kotomi-chan.

[ That's the magic word. At least, it's the magic word that makes Kotomi look up from her book, at first slowly as she blinks to see what kind of person just called out her name..

But when she sees it's Shiki a tiny smile appears on her face, almost a little bit blank in its nature. ]

Good day. [ She pats the empty spot on the ground next to her in the middle of her near book fort. ]

... Did you come to read books with me?

Good day to you too, I guess. [ Shiki made a bit of a funny expression as Kotomi spoke to her. Granted, that wasn't her intention exactly. She had just come to find a book herself. But she wasn't completely against the idea. It's not like she had anything better to do. ]

Not exactly. Though... [ Carefully, she climbed of the small book fort, and slowly sat down next to Kotomi. ] I guess I won't mind it a little.

How are you, Kotomi?

[ It's okay, Shiki, don't you just do it for that way she happily smiles when Shiki sits down next to her.. she seems increasingly content to have a friend here to read with her. She no longer wants to be alone, after all. ]

... It's weird, isn't it? [ That might be an answer to the question or not, it's always difficult to tell with Kotomi. ] This morning.. something was gone.

[ Her answer struck her as completely odd. As if she thought Shiki would know what she was talking about. Or maybe...she was speaking generally? There had been days that felt significantly empty for Shiki as well, though they weren't common.

Her eyes still on the mountains of books around them, her hand absent-mindedly reached behind her. Her knife was still there. She still had her jacket. Nothing was missing to her. Maybe she was referring to something that belonged to her? ]

I don't know, I have everything. What do you mean?

Hmm.. so maybe it wasn't gone for Shiki-chan.. [ She nods thoughtfully to herself, her eyes glancing back over the opened book on her lap. After all, the last week she had spent happily with her feelings for Ikki.. that had all been a lie in the end, right? Luckily she had talked about it with Ikki this morning and it ended up not bad at all, but still.. ]

There was.. a feeling I had. And then it was gone, all of a sudden.

Feeling? Sorry, Kotomi, but you lost me comple- [ Shiki paused mid sentence. Feeling that was gone all of a sudden? ...That's right. Shiki had something like that too. But to her, it was just come kind of joke that she thought the Malnosso pulled on them. It didn't really bother her after it was over. ]

Yeah, I know what you're talking about. But...things come and go you know.

[ Personally, Shiki didn't really like it as she thought back on it. Again, just a joke. She had no real feelings before for her Valentine (she didn't even know them prior to it), and so, she didn't care. But, maybe Kotomi was different? She looked to her and asked thoughtfully. ]

Why, did you like the feeling?

I did like the feeling. It was.. nice and warm.. just spending time with Ikki-kun like that, I liked it a lot.

[ It's true, after all, she didn't mind the time she spent with him during the experiment. She even liked it, in fact, although Kotomi has a hard time differentiating between feelings either way - friendly or romantic, where's the line or difference? ]

But.. what I don't like.. is that. [ At that she looks at the other girl again, her look slightly dejected. ] 'Things come and go'.. I don't like that at all. It's too sad..

Nice and warm, huh? [ Shiki knew that feeling. She felt it herself for so many years. It probably wasn't easy losing something like that. She turned to Kotomi, her saddened expression now obvious, even if her voice wasn't clear about it. She lifted her hand, patting her gently on the head. ]

Not everything is like that though. Some things are forever. [ She paused and smiled slightly. ] And whenever something goes, something will always come and replace it so there isn't an empty hole.

[ Shiki looked to the book on her lap. She couldn't quite make out the small print, but it wasn't that important. She wasn't sure if what she had said would cheer the girl up or not. It was as if the experiment left her feeling...empty. And Shiki, more than anyone, knew how that felt. She decided to go for a slight change in subject. ]

So. Who's this Ikki guy? Is he cool?

[ Kotomi just blinks curiously instead of having her dejected expression when she's being pat on the head all of a sudden. That's nice too - even if it feels different from the way she felt around Ikki last week - a little warm..

She wants to say that not always it's replaced, sometimes it's just left empty too, like when her parents died and Tomoya left and.. she was all alone for such a long time, just her and her books. Nothing to fill that empty hole. But since Shiki changes the subject, she just goes along with it too, nodding a little. ]

Ikki-kun is.. really nice. [ somehow she has a slight tsundere x-ray.. ] When I was scared, he hugged me. And.. he has a dog. [ CLEARLY THE MOST IMPORTANT FACT AND DEFINING TRAIT. ]

Heh. That sounds nice. [ Come to think of it, Shiki couldn't remember her Valentine's experience well. Maybe she had just not of it so much to the point where it left her memory entirely? She didn't care. She wasn't one to live in the past. ]

And he has a dog? That's pretty good too. Dogs are great. [ The smile grew slightly. ]

Maybe you should get a dog too. They're warm, cute, and protective. [ And cute. ]

... Ah.. Do you like dogs, Shiki-chan? [ She does seem to speak of them very fondly, even if she didn't imagine someone like Shiki would like them.. or.. hmm, maybe it's exactly since she didn't expect it.. ]

I don't think having a dog would be bad, but.. I wonder if he'd even like me.

W-well...yeah, I guess. [ She wasn't fessing up to it THAT easily. Even if her words already spoke her feelings clear enough. ]

He would. You're nice. Though I understand, I never thought they'd like me. But dogs have feelings too, they don't just hate people without a good reason.

[ It's okay, Kotomi has tsundere x-ray, remember.. ]

I'm sure all dogs would really, really like Shiki-chan. After all, she's a nice person and not a bully at all. [ a small smile, even if it's a little blank as usual. ] If I would be a dog.. I would like Shiki-chan a lot.

If you say so...but I guess I'm okay with that. I like them alot. [ She smiled, and turned to Kotomi, only to realize she had been calling her Shiki-chan this whole time. The blush on her face grew. She was definitely not used to this. No one calls her that. It was kind of...cute as well. Though it cracked at her tough exterior, she couldn't really say anything against it. It was kind of nice. ]

If I was a dog, I think I'd like Kotomi a lot too.

Maybe we should go see if we can find you a nice one. It can keep you company.

It would be nice if we were dogs then, huh? It means we could like each other a whole lot.. [ Kotomi what is it with your weird way of thinking.. but oh well, she seems to be pretty content like this. ]

... But.. I'm not so sure if it would really be okay for me to get a dog..

If I was a dog, huh? [ Shiki's face contorted into an expression born between amusement and slight disgust. It didn't take long before this face disappeared and transformed into laughter. ] That would be really weird. I'd probably bite a lot of people.

Well, no need to do it now. We can always figure something out later.

[ Shiki looked back to the pile of books around them, only to be reminded of the original purpose of her visit. ]

Right. Kotomi, I need something to read. Got anything good?

[ Wait, Shiki, isn't biting people bad.. 8| Kotomi is quietly pondering this to herself, but the other girl is laughing so maybe it's not bad after all.. maybe it's a joke she hasn't mastered just yet..

But book talk always completely manages to distract her, so she smiles. ]

I got.. a lot of good books. [ She gestures at the pile around her. ] All of these books are nice to read. Did you want to read too, Shiki-chan?

Yeah. [ She continued to eye the pile around them. Had she already read all of these books? Or where they on her "To Read" list? Either way, it was slightly terrifying. And this was coming from a girl who could see death itself. ]

I've just been bored lately, so I decide to read to take up more of my time. Any recommendations?

[ Maybe she's already reading some of them for the umpteenth time, Shiki. Be very afraid. ]

I'm glad Shiki-chan wants to read too.. It's a lot of fun, and books are great friends too. [ She reaches over to pick a book off the top of a nearby pile before handing it over to the other girl, still smiling all the while. ] Here, take this one. It was written by the author of The Dandelion Girl. It's called 'The Last Yggdrasill'.

... [ her expression drops a little. ] Hmm.. maybe it's no good, though.. Ikki-kun didn't like The Dandelion Girl either.

Hmm. I never heard of it. I can't decide if I like it or not unless I know the story, right? [ She looked to Kotomi questioningly. ] What's it about?

.. It's a science-fiction story.

[ She stares for a few moments though, as if she wonders if she should say more.. ]

I don't want to spoil more this time though. Shiki-chan will have to find out on her own.

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