Re: A Time To Heal - Makshim, Shiezin 119 4A

[Nara-pyon]

Kyrie grinned and hugged him impulsively.

"Supper tonight, then," she said decisively.

Perhaps she was pushing things a bit too far, but she didn't want to give him the time to change his mind, either. 

"I'll make sure to let the others know to expect me and Ahkshi for dinner," she added, thoughtfully now. "I should probably talk to Iorlas then so that they know to expect us."

[Kara Winters]

Hikaru wanted to protest that, that was too soon, but when he really thought about it there was no good time to tell. So he might as well let Kyrie set the time.

"Right, okay," Hikaru nodded at this slowly.

Not sounding as certain as the words he was saying.

[Nara-pyon]

Kyrie smiled and gave his arm a playful nudge. "Come on. Don't look so crestfallen. It will be just fine, you'll see."

She wished him a good afternoon and went off to find Daenis back again to let her know that there would be two more for dinner. Then she and Ahkshi returned home for the afternoon, and the rest of the group went about their daily business.

When evening came, they were back just in time for the dinner call. Others were on their way to the dining room from various areas of the tent, and the two of them simply joined the flow into the dining room.

Once inside, Kyrie looked around for Hikaru. She had promised that she would be of moral support for him, and she could do that best if she sat next to him.

[Kara Winters]

Hikaru was one of the last people to come into the dining room. He had been napping (which he found was becoming a common thing after dealing with something stressful). Though upon seeing Kyrie, he had to give a small smile and a wave to her.

[Nara-pyon]

Kyrie grinned widely when she saw Hikaru, and rather than simply waving back to him, she motioned for him to come and join her and Ahkshi, and even pulled a chair out for him so that he knew he was very welcome.

"Feeling better?" she asked him as he sat next to her. "You seemed quite stressed earlier."

[Kara Winters]

"A bit," Hikaru admitted, "The being stressed thing seems to becoming more common as of late."

He hoped it would just all go away once this was done and over with. Otherwise he might have a long road ahead in the future.

[Nara-pyon]

"I'm sure it will get better," Kyrie grinned at him. "Just breathe."

"Is everything all right?" Wren asked, concerned, as she took the chair on the others side of Hikaru. "Did something happen?"

Khetal, on the other side of Wren, also leaned forward to hear Hikaru's (Huron's) response.

[Kara Winters]

For a moment he wasn't sure how to answer Wren, but decided for now to play it off.

"I'm just working myself up too easily," Hikaru tried to write it off with Wren.

[Nara-pyon]

"Ah." Wren smiled sympathetically. "That's tough. And a difficult habit to change."

"Just try to think logically about the situation," Khetal offered. "Consider what you're thinking, why you're thinking it, and whether or not it's reasonable."

"And when all else fails," Wren beamed, "enjoy your meal. Food is wonderfully calming."

Indeed, the food was being served, and some people were already starting to eat.

[Kara Winters]

Finding the first opinion a bit too difficult to do, Hikaru opted for the second. The food smelled wonderful, and he couldn't deny he would rather just eat at the moment.

Maybe afterwards he would be able to face whatever came next.

[Nara-pyon]

Throughout the meal, there were many conversations going on, and after a while, the general conversation returned once more to postulation about whether or not the group had unknowingly run into anyone else from Gaia- or for that matter, from any other possible worlds.

"Are there even any other worlds?" Andarien asked curiously.

"We've never heard of any," Kaito pointed out. "And there hasn't been anyone that's stood out as very different from the created races of the world, so if there are other worlds, and if people have fallen through from there to here, they must be very similar to the people here."

"Or adept at hiding themselves?" Kyrie suggested with a knowing smile.

Shiro looked at her and arched one eyebrow. "You say that like you know something we don't."

[Kara Winters]

Lin had finished explaining to Andarien there were other worlds connected to Gaia, but often new worlds with a low population, not complex large ones with long histories like this one or Gaia. When she had, she noticed the way Kyrie was smiling.

"You look like someone who is about to tell a fine surprise or joke," she commented.

[Nara-pyon]

Kyrie's eyes sparkled, and her grin only widened. Instead of replying to Lin, she turned to her old friend.

"Well, Hikaru," she said, not bothering to lower her tone for the sake of secrecy, "I think it's time."

Shiro and Kaito immediately recognized the name for the ethnicity it was: Japanese.

"Dude!" Kaito cheered, his yellow eyes gleaming. "I knew it!"

[Kara Winters]

"You're having a bit too much fun with this," Hikaru looked over at Kyrie.

He had to smile a bit though, because she was like that too the night he confessed about who he was to her and Akhshi. Dispelling the illusion, and returning to his original form, Hikaru waved a bit at everyone at the table. He felt a bit exposed and couldn't help but curl his tails around himself protectively.

[Nara-pyon]

There was a moment of stunned silence, and then the questions poured in.

"What world are you from?"

"Are you from Gaia, too?"

"Are you a kitsune like Miyuki? Or a different but similar race?"

"What's your real name? Huron or Hikaru?"

"I should have known! Illusions and fire!"

"Why didn't you tell us earlier? Half of us are Gaian, too!" (An obvious exaggeration, as the ratio was far less than half the group.)

"Ooohhh, black and blue!"

[Kara Winters]

Miyuki had to admit, her mind was more in agreement with whoever was more in awe of Hikaru's colouring. It wasn't a natural fox colour (which was probably why someone had asked if he and she were the same race). Quietly though, she counted the number of tails, it was a bit hard as she leaned over to get a better look, but she was sure he had nine tails.

At first Hikaru was overwhelmed by all the question, but the last comment just got him laughing. It was quite amazing and quite amusing, because he was sure it was Shiro who had commented on how he should have known and Kaito was being himself.

"Okay, okay, just one at a time. Okay..." Hikaru breathed, "Hikaru is my real name, Huron is just a more elven sounding name that I use when I'm in countries where Fire Elves live. My full name is Hayashi Hikaru..."

Lin, who had taken some training about the other clans from her grandmother, tilted her head at the name.

"Hayashi? As in the kitsune clan that deals with textiles?"

Then again, she might have known because they were one of Helen's top providers in textiles. Specifically their claim to fame was that they could dye cloth to the specific colour anyone wanted. As long as it was natural and not synthetic material. They also were makers of kimonos, and while Helen could sew a traditional kimono, he left the dying and dye designs up to whoever he commissioned them from that clan.

Hikaru was surprised at this, "Yes actually, you live near or in one of the trading hubs?"

"I, along with Shiro and Kaito are originally from the Winters clan. Well.. I married into Earendil's family, those two are still single," she head nodded towards the nekos, "Well... not Shiro..."

Hikaru blinked and looked at them all, while he had heard of their relation but didn't think much of it as he didn't realize as they were often introduced as Aldrich-Winters.

"There's a story behind that, because the last I heard, the newly made head of a newly main clan was human. A human with Second Sight, but a human still..." Hikaru trailed off.

Lin laughed, "Yes, who adopted an angel, who married a human and adopted a many children who in turn adopted their own children, or had children of their own. If we didn't tell people no one would know we are all related."

[Nara-pyon]

Shiro laughed. "There are plenty of stories to tell," he grinned. "Seriously, though. Where does your clan live? Near Barton, too?"

It sounded like it, because he had heard of their family, but at the same time, he hadn't specified.

Then, suddenly realizing there might possibly be another connection, he turned to Holly and tipped his head curiously. "Holly, have you heard of his clan?"

She had studied textiles in Gaia, after all, before falling through the worlds.

[Kara Winters]

Holly nodded, "Yes, but that's only because their textiles are well sought after."

She explained to Hikaru lest he get the wrong idea.

"I studied textiles before I fell into this world. I've only handled cloth from your family once, I believe because it was dyed by a student within your family. So I got it at a discount."

"Yes, that is a policy we have. Normally you could re-dye cloth, but the family thought it would create pride to allow a student to sell cloth that dyed exactly right. It would still be sold at discount because it was an exercise, and so not fair to sell at full price, but the student would get the commission out of it," Hikaru laughed a bit, "My eldest brother who was a student would drive our parents nuts because he would always spend his student commission on these new arcade games that you can take with you wherever you go, instead of saving the money."

[Nara-pyon]

Kaito snickered, and Shiro elbowed him, and none to gently at that.

"What year was it when you fell through the worlds?" he asked instead, so that he could give Hikaru a better idea of how long he had been gone. "Time passes differently between the worlds, so however long you've been here, you haven't been gone from home nearly as long."

He hoped that would be good news for Hikaru.

[Kara Winters]

Hikaru frowned a bit as he tried to remember. He hadn't thought about the year he had disappeared for a long time, but he had written it down. It was just a bit hard to remember. He finally gave Shiro a year that sounded like it was about 30 years or so prior to the year they were currently in, in Gaia.

"Kyrie had told me," Hikaru added, "It's hard to imagine though, it's been three centuries give or take a few since I landed here."

[Nara-pyon]

"Hard to imagine, but true," Shiro grinned. "You'll see."

"What are you going to do?" Wren asked him curiously. "I know people have been unofficially inviting you to stay with us as long as you want, but those of our group who are from Gaia are planning to return there after our trip. Is that something you would be interested in?"

That didn't mean he would have to stay with them the entire time they were traveling, but it might be a bit safer, and then if he did want to go hoe they wouldn't have to wait for each other in Caras Galadhon ....

[Kara Winters]

"While I'm not sure about home..." Hikaru admitted, "I would like to travel with all of you. I really haven't thought that far ahead beyond that though..."

Because he had no idea what he really wanted, or if he really wanted to go home at all.

[Nara-pyon]

"Well, there's no rush," Lancaeriel assured him, though she was pleased to hear he intended to continue with them. "It will likely be several years at best before you have to make a decision."

"In the meantime, at least there is somewhere you can be yourself," Daenis murmured warmly. "I believe that almost everyone here can attest to the simple pleasure of being able to be yourself."

[Kara Winters]

"That is true," Hikaru admitted, "I just normally disguise myself from place to place when I travel."

As it had made things a lot easier for him.

"So this will be new for me..."

[Nara-pyon]

The rest of the meal was passed in friendly chatter, and at the end of the meal Kyrie and Ahkshi bid everyone else good night and headed home.

As the others were heading to their rooms for the night, though, Cael made his way to Hikaru, hoping to talk to him.

"Hur ... Hikaru," he said as he approached the kitsune, "do you have a moment?"

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