The Raven's mind began to wander as she entered a daydream-like state, eyes open but mind closed, wandering... thinking... Most importantly, it was remembering. [i]'It came every winter... Every year... ...[b]death[/b]...'[/i] The snow was, to Ryoki, the ashes of a cremated angel. The rain was their tears, and the winds that howled were the screams of the unfortunate angel's family. It was a horrible time of year, because every year, around this time... ... Someone Ryoki knew would [i]die[/i]... It began at an age when she couldn't even fully comprehend the concept properly, however as time went on, Ryoki began to understand what death was all too well. People would die all around her, and she found it inevitable that someone, some time this winter she knew, would die soon. Thankfully, her curse didn't seem to attack her family, and for that, she was thankful. Well, unless you counted her would-be brothers and sisters, who all managed to die pre-birth until her mother was no longer able. It was horrific for all of them in the Mochizukki family, and was the reason behind Mokyu and Kimasu's adoption. [i]The snow... It was so cruelly beautiful... Like the ashes of an angel...[/i] [i]'I wonder... who will it be this time...?'[/i] Ryoki shook her head, the urge to vomit welling up inside her. No, she couldn't think like that; she absolutely [i]could not think like that.[/i] Feeling lightheaded, she sucks in a gust of cool air, which chills her lungs and provides it with oxygen that had been deprived in secret; she'd been holding her breath without her knowing. Wrapping the scarf around her neck another layer, Ryoki shivers as she suddenly felt unnaturally cold... She was scared... [i]'Calm down, Ryoki... People die all the time... Remember, you're Ryoki: the Friendliest Shinigami. You can't live up to your namesake and become cold toward others. You need to remind them the afterlife is a nice place...'[/i] Despite the positive thinking, Ryoki didn't feel positive. In fact, she felt worse than she did before. She stares up at the roof in which she was seated under, the pitter-patter of the rain echoing from beneath the metal roof. It was beautiful, and yet at the same time it was sad. [i]'Just like an angel's tears...'[/i] She thought, once again zoning out, this time the sweet embrace of sleep slowly seeping in, as reality began to fa- “Hi there, miss!” "Eep!" Ryoki exclaims with a jolt, her surprised little squeal actually sounding rather cute for those who managed to hear. Dammit, this was the second time she was woken with a start. If this was going to keep happening, Ryoki would never get the chance to rest! Then again, she thought, sleep was generally done at night, not during the middle of the day. The girl who stood before her... was [i]incredibly[/i] cute. Yet, as this thought rang out in her mind, she couldn't help but feel a pang of regret in her chest. She looked familiar, a little too familiar. Like they'd met sometime before. [i]'The casino...'[/i] ... And then she remembered last night... [i]'Oh god...'[/i] “Thank you for yesterday." ... Wait, what? "Oh sorry, you might not even remember who I’m right? Even if it’s so, I’m thankful.” Ryoki stares at the girl with bleary eyes. Her stare was blank, and it wouldn't take much for one to see, or at the very least assume, that Ryoki was pretty tired. Though, for Iruka, it might not have occurred to her. Ryoki knew who she was. She was the cute bunny girl from last night that she couldn't quite remember the name of just now, and she was searching every nook and cranny of her brain to locate it. There was the blackjack game... flirting... then the walk back to the boss... [i]'Oh shit... I applied to work at the casino last night...'[/i] Despite the regret that filled her inside, Ryoki smiles kindly at Iruka - a king, albeit tired smile, that might look more normal to the young girl than expected, perhaps to the point of it being off-putting. "No, I remember you." She replies, as she finally remembered the name of the cute bunny girl. "Iru-chan." As soon as she said that, Iruka's stomach grumbled. Ryoki raised an eyebrow at the young girl before adding: "Skip breakfast? Don't worry, so did I." The woman stood and, just like last time, gently pat the girl on the head. It was strange, sure, but Ryoki didn't really care. She just loved watching Iruka react. That, and [i]somebody[/i] had to ruffle that hair a little. The temptation could only be quenched that way. "It's pretty rare for me to run into someone after a night out. Why not make the most of it and get you something to eat, hmm? You'll starve at this rate!" Though her tone implies that she was trying to be a bit more happy towards the end, in reality, Ryoki [i]really[/i] didn't want Iruka to starve. She would buy her a delicious meal, and have her eat until she was full, at least that's what she wanted. She just couldn't have it any other way... [@KoL]