Soft Fur and Chilled Skies [Moriko/Hinako]

Furtively, Moriko glances around her. She's on the lookout for other students. Technically, she's supposed to be in class. But the class, one she's not too terribly fond of, had been turned into a study hall. Seeing her chance, she'd left the classroom on the premise that she was going to the bathroom, and booked it out of there. Why would she stay in a stuffy classroom, when there's a whole world outside to be in? Besides, the teacher's gone and none of the other students would even notice her absence. She doesn't speak much as it is, and even less so when in a classroom environment.

All around her are the bare branches of various bushes and plants. Most of the brightness of the school gardens has started to vanish, fading into the dull browns and grays of the coming winter. But there is one area of the garden that's still inundated with green. Not seeing another soul around, Moriko nods to herself and heads towards the wall of green at the back of the garden, farthest from the main school building.

It's actually many walls of green. Rising before her is a modest hedge maze. It may not be very large, but the hedges themselves tower over the short girl. She'd explored the maze earlier in the year, when the weather had been much warmer. Now, a chill breeze tugs at her hair and clothes. She's dressed in a thin, zip-up jacket the color of milk chocolate. A scarf, of a lighter and warmer brown, flutters at her neck. Her pants are the purple of the school uniform, but her shoes are hardy hiking boots, also of various shades of brown. All in all, she looks to be dressed too lightly for how chilly it is. Despite this, she doesn't even seem to notice the cold.

The shush of the wind, and the rattle and swish of the plant life, are the only sounds around her. Even the birds seem to have quieted at the moment. Contentment fills Moriko. She feels so at ease in this kind of environment. Where there's no one else around. She pauses, just outside one of the three of the maze's entrances, soaking it all in. But then she gives herself a shake. She's here for a reason, after all.

Her hands are shoved into her jacket pockets. They each grip an item, hidden from view. Nodding to herself, she enters the maze without hesitation. Inside, the wind falls still and the silence becomes more complete. Moving forward, all Moriko can hear is the crunch of gravel beneath her boots and the huff of her soft breathes. Having memorized the route, she makes it to her destination with no problem. At the very center of the maze, there's a fancy wooden gazebo. It's got small, fragrant bushes and trailing vines all around it. An artificial pond, with a small fountain in the center of it, sits to the left of the gazebo. It fills the clearing with the sound of running water.

Heading over to the gazebo, Moriko doesn't enter it. Instead, she steps up to one of the bushes on the left side. Crouching down, she removes her hands from her pockets and places them onto the cold soil. Leaning forward, she makes a soft clicking noise with her tongue. She's not normally here at this time of day, so she's not sure if it'll come out. Or if it's even there.

Even so, she peers intently into the aromatic bush, patiently waiting.

primmadonna g i r l, all she ever wanted was the world.       @moriko BRYNE          712 words

[attr="class","technoscroll"] ❝ Hinako would've liked to say she was doing what any student was supposed to be doing, that being staying in class, studying, paying attention to their teacher-but none of that really matter to her right now. She hadn't been here very long, so why the rush? She'd be okay if she didn't show in for class right now, especially with the whole study hall thing in place. That being said, Hinako was more into her phone, chatting away with someone she barely cared about. Sumi Yamasaki; her father was a famous architect somewhere in America, that being said, she had a pretty comfortable lifestyle- more than the other students at least-but that was really all the interest that came with her. Even though they seemed to be getting along just fine, Hinako couldn't even remember why they were friends in the first place. "Su-chan, I'll talk to you later, alright❤~?" She finally said, wanting to get off the phone with this nobody as soon as possible. "Bye~" She laughed, hanging up as she rolled her eyes, unable to stop the small gagging reflex. She was sure Sumi was doing worse- she knew that girl never liked her anyways. With that, she no longer had anything to. Of course, she never even spared her textbooks a side glance, she wasn't in the mood for that right now. She popped a piece of raspberry gum in her mouth, she could always try and make friends but...actually she was a bit scared of making new friends. By the time she'd blown a bubble, she'd been aimlessly admiring the gardens. The trees had become skeletal, their branches so bare that she could have counted the leaves on each and every one. The trees were skirted by pools of autumn gold and rust. When the wind blew they animated. Leaves took to the air in an elegant dance, pirouetting around the tree trunks to their own orchestral rustling. When the wind calmed, the dance ended and the leaves landed to form new pools that looked identical to the ones they were in before they started to frolic. Hinako smiled, a spontaneous little thing like she had memories to look back on already. Well, she'd be lying if she said she hadn't made any friends. She gathered her things by now, of course, tempted by the tiny glee of the even tiny package, carefreely waiting for her in the maze. She'd only been here a short time, but she'd already had this maze memorized- for both personal and habitual reasons of course. Her little tiger was nothing short of a pleasant surprise. It's rather cold, but so was Osaka, she was only slightly bothered by the whistling winds, filled with fae with mischief in their smiles, and ice in their veins. Once, she made it to the little hideaway, she looked around for her kitten, wondering what she could be getting on within this tiny paradise. She'd brought some things with her too, fearing the poor baby would get too cold out here. Even now she may or may not had been contemplating sneaking the cat into her dorm. Yet, as she drew closer to the kitten's hiding place, she hears the sound of clicking, rather than insufferable mews. Instantly she scoffs, not because she thinks the girl is silly, but rather- she's surprised to find another soul her. Her little Tigerlily was well taken care of, wasn't she? "Here for the tyke too?" She muttered, sort of snarled even as she ran a hand through her ash blonde hair. She crossed her arms, as she examined the girl,she was pretty freaking short but then again, Hinako's own, ballet pink Jimmy Choo's said otherwise. That she wasn't so tall either, and she was rich and spoiled rotten. "The cat'd be out already, don't you think you're scaring the poor baby? She doesn't even know where you've been~." Hinako snickered, malicious as always as she approached Moriko, towing over her while she fiddled with the bow she'd tied in front of her grey trench. Nice to meet you ❤

MADE BY MIZO

Moriko knows immediately when another person enters the maze center. After all, it's not all that difficult to pick up the crunch of gravel and the swish of clothing as they grow ever closer. The sound of footsteps stops, only to be replaced by a burst of short laughter. Distinctly femine laughter.

Moriko halts her calling of the kitten and falls silent. She ponders the reason for the other's laughter. She hadn't said or done anything funny, as far as she can tell. So, if it isn't at her, what is she laughing at? She gives a furtive glance to the side, her head only shifting slightly in the other girl's direction. All she can see is the tall silhouette of a person standing not too far from her. A frown of thought tugs at her lips.

But then the other girl speaks and she can't pretend to have not heard her. Swallowing a sigh, Moriko stands up, wiping the damp soil off her hands with her pants as she does so. Her gaze remains steady even as the stranger approaches her. At the questions, she nods and shakes her heard respectively.

"If you mean the cat, then yes. She knows me. Why would she be afraid?"

Then her frown deepens, and she peers questioningly into the other girl's eyes. Cocking her head slightly to the side, Moriko asks the question that's been on her mind the whole time.

"Why did you laugh?"

primmadonna g i r l, all she ever wanted was the world.  @moriko BRYNE   240 words

❝ She looked at her for a good second, with that signature ‘you look like shit’ scowl written in metaphorical Barbie pink sharpie all over her face. If anything, she was disgusting, drenched in mud like a toddler in a rainwater sandbox. Sure, it was only her pants but that was enough of a crime right?? At least it should’ve been, Hinako would’ve barfed if she’d eaten already. Still… she had pretty eyes- like she could use their pigment to paint icy glaciers, spring skies and a pale aquamarine sea at the same time. She had good bone structure as well. For a moment it caught Hina off guard, but to hide that tiny fact her perfectly manicured nails became the most interesting thing. “Oh—it speaks.” Hinako flipped one of her luscious ash blonde tails over her shoulder. “She’s usually really shy?” More sarcasm than an actual question, but Hinako thought Moriko was just being captain obvious right now. The kitten’s hideout was a ‘secret’ pathway in the gardens for God’s sake. “Uh, well it surprised me a little bit to see someone here,” She didn’t even bat an eyelash at the girl as she approached her. As she came to a stop, she didn’t hesitate to further enforce the fact that she was a good few inches taller than the girl. “So,” she paused, flipping out her phone to answer a quick text. “Have you seen her, short stack?”

MADE BY MIZO

Moriko continues to stare at the unknown girl's face, her frown still in place. The shifts in the other's expressions are something to note, but the shorter girl has no idea what they mean. She doesn't know the other girl at all, so she really can't read her emotions all that well. But she does get the gist that her maze mate doesn't seem to be overly friendly.

Even as she stares in expectation (she had asked a question after all), the other girl averts her eyes and glances down at her hand. Does her hand hurt? she wonders, confusion entering Moriko at the other girl's actions. Then the stranger says something that has nothing to do with her question. Everything the girl says and does only further confuses Moriko, for it all seems unconnected with her original inquiry. And still it hasn't been answered.

And it seems like it will remain unanswered, since the other's response is to ask a question in return. A soft smile takes hold of Moriko at the statement about how shy the kitten is. She nods in agreement. "She is pretty shy. But she's warmed up to me a bit," she states, not realizing the tone the question had been asked in doesn't necessarily warrant a response

Suddenly, the odd girl starts walking towards her. For no apparent reason. Scooting her left foot back a bit, she balances on the balls of her feet. If need be, she can run if things take a turn for the worse. As it is, she's not sure what this stranger is going to do. Fortunately, the other girl stops right in front of her and doesn't seem inclined to get closer. She still doesn't relax her guard, though. This girl doesn't come off as particularly friendly, after all.

She finds that she needs to tilt her head back a bit, in order to keep eye contact. Which doesn't bother her all that much. It's just another thing to file away in her mind. Her eyes follow the movement of the other's hand as she pulls out a phone and starts messing with it. At the question, a soft sigh escapes Moriko. Two questions and no answer... Placing her hands into her jacket pockets, she shakes her head, opting to give a simple answer in reply.

"No."

primmadonna g i r l, all she ever wanted was the world. @ Moriko BYRNE 225 words

❝ Hinako groans and rubs temples. ‘I’m talking to a wall,’ Not that it surprised her at all, she could tell that this girl probably didn’t have much to say to anyone about anything. She was a blank as a canvas and Hinako knew nothing about Art. It seemed she couldn’t read the air very well either- normally people would get her sarcasm, everyone did. But this girl just went with it like it was normal. Maybe she was being bullied? She herself couldn’t even tell. “So my baby made friends with you?” She paused, before stooping beside her, “Tragic.” Her actions were a lot softer than her words it seemed as she reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out a tiny container of warm, wet food and a sprig of catnip. “She’s probably hiding from the rain,” She noted, ridiculous as it is but she’s seen her do it before- it made her consider keeping her at the dorms from then on out. She seemed so different towards the cat than the stranger- as she made a gentle hushing noise, it seemed like she was actually a genuinely good person who didn’t like strangers bothering her kitten. Pausing, she sighs and looks at the girl. “Well, have you tried looking for her? If she left the maze that’s not a good thing.”

MADE BY MIZO

 "Your... baby?" So much confusion! Moriko can't help it, the words that this girl says make no sense! She seems to jump from one subject to another, with no clear connection to the previous line of thinking.

"I don't think I've met your baby," she states solemnly, her tilted head and furrowed brow clear indicators of her confusion. She's all but forgotten her unanswered question at this juncture. The flow of this particular conversation is more like a stone skipping over the surface of a river verses the actual river itself. It's all disjointed and a bit overwhelming to her.

But she struggles on, wishing to make some kind of connection. For, despite the initial sense of hostility coming from the other girl, she still hasn't done anything negative directly to Moriko. So, she can't be all that bad. Hopefully her efforts will keep the stone skipping, instead of it sinking below the surface, into the turbulent depths of the river.

Gaze following the other's movements, Moriko watches as her maze mate stoops down and pulls out a few items from her pockets. She recognizes both items immediately. Ah, so she is actually here for the kitten, she muses to herself. Moriko hadn't been sure of the other girl was fibbing or not. But now she knows for sure that she wasn't.

She can see the heat rising from the cat food. Heated up, just for her, she notes. She must really care for her. Her expression softens at the realization, even as the stranger calls out to the kitten. At the question, the brown-haired girl echos the other's sigh.

"I had only just started calling for her when you arrived," she says, her quiet voice carrying easily in the stillness of the maze center. "But I was planning on it."

Crouching down next to the other girl, Moriko's leans forwards slightly, her gaze on the damp soil beneath the bush. Reaching her right hand out, she pushes a few of the lower leaves and branches out of the way. Sunlight brightens up the previously shaded area. Spotting what she's looking for, she gives a soft hum. Moving her left hand out, she points to a set of tiny, shallow tracks left behind in the mud. "See, these? They're still pretty fresh. The direction of the paw prints suggests the kitten left the area."

Glancing back at her companion, Moriko gives a soft smile. Being shorter than the other girl, she finds herself still needing to look up, despite them both being crouched down. The angle she's at turns her gaze into a sideways one. The weak sunlight glints in her dark teals, making them seem to shimmer like precious gems.

primmadonna g i r l, all she ever wanted was the world. @ Moriko BYRNE 276 words

❝ “Ugh, the kitten- the kitten is my baby. My God you’re a blunt little chump aren’t you?” She sneered as she felt her temper rise from her pink pumps all the way to the collar of her coat. Needless to say she was immensely annoyed with the girl, but she couldn’t help but feel for her. She had that same look the kitten first gave her, a stupid one. An adorable one. “Well you should’ve planned quicker- I swear to god if she wondered outside this maze, you…you!- WHAT EVEN IS YOUR NAME?” Her face was red with frustration as she took her anger out on her- she didn’t mean to of course- but that was the way things went. In her eyes Moriko seemed weak. She’d push her off the metaphorical lifeboat with ease if she needed to. In fact, she might’ve almost did so with the girl getting so close to her. Somewhere between her anger and reflexes would permit the possibility. “EXCUSE ME PRINCESS WHY ARE YOU SO FUC—” She paused, her brows, so sharply down they could kill a man, rose in annoyance and *enlightenment* “Oh, you’re actually right.” Oof, she felt kind of bad for shouting at her when she finally looked at her. She looked so…cute. Smiling with a goofy little smile across her face like she was expecting praise. Ah, Hinako did love her eyes at least… “Well…It seems like we’ve got a kitty to find,” She mumbles, getting to her feet in the process. “If you want to help mw that is.” She held out her arm for Moriko to take it- like hell she’d apologize though.

MADE BY MIZO

"Oh," is all Moriko can say to the baby comment, her smile faltering. It makes more sense to her for that to be the case, instead of the other girl suddenly bringing up that she has a baby. Granted, everything else that the other has done/said still makes little sense to her. But at least that was cleared up.

Moriko flinches at the raised tone directed her way. It seems that she's upset the other girl, somehow. She's not quite sure what it is that she's done or said to upset her, though. Their previous conversation has been so disjointed, after all. At least to Moriko, it has been. She's not sure she'll be able to trace the source of the other's agitation, even with further contemplation later on. That's how disconnected almost everything they've spoken about seems to her. The only real connection she can discern is the kitten.

Scooching back away from the now obviously unhappy girl, Moriko levels her cautions gaze at her. She makes sure to be careful not to smudge or interfere with the kitten's paw prints. Letting go of the leaves, the shaft of sunlight that had lit up the kitten's prints fades away as the hole in the clouds closes up once more. Standing up slowly, she looks up at the overcast sky. It had rained a bit earlier in the day, but the sky has remained cloudy. It looks like it could still rain, despite the occasional beam of sunlight that breaks through.

Her attention returns immediately to the other girl when she rises to her feet and offers her an arm. Blinking slowly, Moriko glances down at the proffered limb and back to those brilliant blue-green eyes. Then her gaze slides off the other girl and focuses on the ground once again.

"I don't mind helping," she murmurs, her volume low. Bending over slightly, she stares intently for a moment and then begins to move slowly away from her companion. Following the tell tale signs of the kitten's passage, she meanders towards the little artificial pond.

"It's Moriko. Moriko Byrne," she adds after a moment, her tone somewhat distracted. She doesn't look at the other girl, her eyes glued to the damp soil below. Her hands stretch out sometimes, fingers flitting here and there as she concentrates on the traces left behind by the kitten. She crouches down on occasion to get a closer look. Eventually, she's standing in front of the little pond.

The pond itself is surrounded by a ring of granite stones. They rise up to roughly Moriko's knee height. Leaning forward, the short girl peers into the pond. Inside are several koi of various sizes. Looking down at the the stone near her feet, she moves to the side and points to it.

"The kitten was here." There, on the pale stone surface, are a few smudged muddy paw prints. Running her right index finger over the edge of one print, she nods her head when it smears slightly. "And not too long ago, either," she adds. She directs another cautious glance at the other girl, her voice still soft. She's trying to keep her tone even and movements simple and not too erratic. She doesn't want to get yelled at again, after all.

She doesn't like getting yelled at.

primmadonna g i r l, all she ever wanted was the world. @ Moriko BYRNE 413 words

❝ Of course, the girl would look at her like she'd lost her damn mind, what else was Hinako expecting? Shaking her head in frustrated defeat she gave the girl one last heaving side. "You look like you've seen a freaking ghost--okay, forget everything I just said, just focus on the cat, cool?" In a way, she felt bad for the way she'd already been treating Moriko. Yet it seemed for the best anyways, she didn't want to get *too close* to any girl ever again after what happened. "What, watching for rain?" She scoffed, albeit less violent than before. Mirroring Moriko's movements, her sharp hues dropped down to the small, peach coloured umbrella in her purse. It was only made for one person, but if they shared, neither of them would get wet and suffer through a cold. Mentally, she sneered at the idea- but if that was what she'd have to do then...she didn't particularly mind. "Don't worry, I've got an umbrella we could share." "Listen here," She scolded once more but didn't yell like she had the first time. The last thing she wanted to do was hand Moriko a damn handkerchief. "I'm sorry you think you deserve an apology alright-- I," Choking on her words, she swallowed the rest of them down. "I'm sorry for yelling at you, thanks for wanting to help me," Just what the hell was she doing? Moriko probably hated her already. Trailing behind Moriko with cautious steps, she kept her eyes open for anywhere the kitten may have turned. Though it seemed Moriko was the lead detective in this investigation. Not that it really mattered to her, or anything. "It's nice to meet you," She mutters, following along the path where Moriko was looking, hoping to catch any scant details the girl may have missed prior. "It's Hinako, in case you were wondering." Leaning just over the girl's shoulders, she seems mesmerized by the colours the Koi wore as if she'd never quite seen them before. Or rather, she hadn't seen them in such vibrant shades before. Her reflection looked awestruck but also concerned. "Y...you don't think she fell in there right?" Standing up, she took a deep sigh, she'd already come to the conclusion that the kitten might've fallen in and was washed away with the current. Of course, she didn't want to believe that for even a second. But it was a possibility that was already breaking her heart. "Alright, let's keep searching.

MADE BY MIZO

Shaking her head, Moriko points to a muddy patch near the base of another rock a few feet to their right. Some of the thin grass has been pressed into the mud, the kitten's paw prints clear and easy to see.

"She didn't fall in. I think she came to watch the fish, and then left when she couldn't catch any. She jumped down from the rocks here." At this, she crouches down next to the kitten's tracks, studying them and the area around them.

Nodding her head at the other girl's words to keep moving, Moriko says, her tone soft, "Okay, Hinako."

Her attention returns to the somewhat arduous task of tracking the kitten. Since it's small and light, it doesn't leave many traces of it's passage behind. In fact, if it hadn't rained earlier, and the ground wasn't as wet as it is, she might not have been able to track the kitten at all. Luckily, the weather is actually in their favor. For now, at least. If it starts to rain again, that would completely wipe out all trace of the kitten's whereabouts.

So, with a wary eye on the cloudy sky and a sense of urgency, Moriko manages to follow the tracks to a small wooden tool shed outside of the maze. She's worried about her companion's reaction to them leaving the maze, so she also keeps a cautious watch on Hinako. Just in case.

But then, all of her attention snaps to a patch of ground near a small gap in the wood siding of the shed. She takes in a sharp breath, her body tensing up at what she sees.

The ground and the shed wall near the ground is torn up by various claw marks. Mud has been tossed up, as have a chunks of grass. Rocks that had been embedded into the wet soil has been uprooted and disturbed. The kitten's prints are all around, as well as some other tracks she can't quite place. Though she has an inkling, from a few feathers scattered about.

What had caught her eye, though, and made her tense up, is the blood. Drops of it gleams dully in the daylight, darkening the damp ground and dripping off of  the blades of the taller grass. Near the small gap is another small amount, a splattering of droplets slowly drying on the shed wall.

Licking her lips nervously, she glances at Hinako. Rising from the crouch she'd fallen into, Moriko indicates the small hole.

"The kitten is inside the shed. I'm sure of it," she says, her voice firm, but worried.

"I think she's hurt," she adds, her voice softening, her apprehension clear in her furrowed brow and in her frown.

She looks directly at Hinako, her dark teals gleaming in the low light. In the distance, thunder rumbles ominously as the wind picks up. Absently, the shorter girl lifts her left hand and runs it through her hair as it's tossed about by the wind. Yet, she never looks away from her unpredictable companion.

primmadonna g i r l, all she ever wanted was the world. @ Moriko BYRNE 215 words

❝ "Injured, what do you mean...what..happened?" The blonde instantly melted, from a spoiled ice queen to a red nose baby as tears welled up in her eyes. She looked at the ground, oceanic eyes tracing to wear Moriko had checked before. Her sigh came out in shudders, she didn't dare look up at the shorter girl, not when she was on the verge of bursting into tears at the sight of blood. "In the shed- l-let's check the shed, at least," She huffed, naturally agitated as always, but undeniably much softer in tone and body than she'd been moments before. Thankfully, she brought her bag along, thankfully it had a decent amount of items in it, specific for an orphaned, runt of a kitten. As to why Hinako had fallen in love with the animal, it was truly a mystery. For someone so cold and merciless, at least, she had a sweet spot somewhere in there. "Dammit!" Hinako sneered at the thunder, her nose crinkling at the harsh scent of rain, taking a deep breath, she looked up towards the overcast sky, Rubbing her eyes in the process. "Come on, we can't waste any time at all," With that, she stalked off towards the shed, yanking a hand towel from her bag at the same time.

MADE BY MIZO

Hinako drops her gaze to the ground, but it's not quick enough to hide her tears from Moriko. Seeing those tears, Moriko shifts uncomfortably in place. She's not very good at dealing with people when they get emotional. She has very little experience with dealing with situations that require her to comfort people who are distressed. So at the moment, she's at a loss on what she should do.

Luckily, it seems Hinako is more of a "take action" kind of person. Which suits Moriko just fine, since she'd been planning on checking the shed anyway. Nodding at the suggestion, she follows behind the other girl. The shed isn't very big, so it doesn't take them very long to reach the entrance. In fact, it’s just around the corner, right on the other side.

"I'm not sure what happened," Moriko murmurs, even as she makes it to the door of the shed. "But I have a guess..," she adds, her voice fading as she observes the area. The entrance is well swept and free of debris, so it looks like the shed is well used and well taken care of. The building itself is not too terribly large, with only one small window high up and opposite the door. Which means that it should be fairly easy for them to spot the kitten, if it's still inside. Reaching up to the handle, she pushes down on it. It clicks and the door swings open easily.

"Not locked," she says, glancing back at Hinako with a frown of worry. She's sure that they're probably not supposed to be snooping around this particular shed. It's more than likely that it's used for storing the tools that the school gardener's regularly use. The fact that it isn't locked is rather surprising. A lot of gardening tools can be dangerous to someone who doesn't know how to use them.

But all clues point to the kitten being inside. And injured as well.

So, swallowing her unease, Moriko opens the door as wide as it can go, letting in as much daylight as possible.

And she steps into the shadowy darkness on the other side.