Another day in the yard, with a few hares bundled up in a dirty, brown bag. Verelik had just come back from the forest, after snagging some hares from some traps he had set up the previous night. It wasn't necessary to bring a rifle for this particular task, but he brought it as usual, in case an early bird deer strolled by. After all, he had left at five in the morning, as those hares came out just as the morning dew would settle. 

He had already collected them though, of course. Now he was in the yard, skinning them each one by one, a task he had performed countless times already. It wasn't yet seven, so Alyssa would still be asleep. Verelik finished the first hare and hung it up by the legs on his second clothes line, which he used for hunting instead. Since he had only recently moved into this particular house, nothing here was yet second nature. He'd have to fix this all up and make it feel like home for the third time again. 

By the time the clock tower's bell rang, he had finished. Blood dripped onto the concrete beneath the hares. As a kid he had learned there used to be vegetarians, though of course food is not so easily forged these days. Good thing, too, or he'd probably lose his job. He arched his back and rolled his neck, before heading back inside.

The house wasn't very furnished, but it did its duty. Verelik dumped his bag near his rifle and walked over to the kitchen. [i][color=39b54a]Guess we'll have hare kebab again.[/color][/i]

He began cooking, occasionally letting it cook while he looked out the window, watching settlers head to their respective duties. He had a coffee mug in his hand, and took a sip every now and then. Occasionally, he heard footsteps from Alyssa's room. She was awake, so he finished up with the food and set them down at the table. As if on cue, she stepped into the main room, her hair tied back into a simple ponytail that reached just below her neck, save two locks of hair let loose at the sides, followed by side-swept bangs crossing to her left. She shared the same brunette hair as her father, along with the blue eyes. Without saying much of a word, she sat down at the table, made a slight grunt, and began eating, all while Verelik sipped coffee and read some paper. This was their way of signifying the two's relationship, while seeming dormant, it was rather caring. 

Halfway through eating her meal, Verelik spoke. [color=39b54a]"Looks like Fay's still teaching. She'll probably be your teacher."[/color]
Alyssa had to quickly swallow what she had in her mouth before responding. [color=6ecff6]"You didn't think she'd be there?"[/color]
Verelik looked up from the paper, his eyebrow slightly raised. He hesitated before speaking. [color=39b54a]"That's not what I meant. I don't know, it was idle talk."[/color]
[color=6ecff6]"Uh-huh."[/color] Alyssa continued eating.
Verelik put down the paper and gulped the rest of the coffee. [color=39b54a]"Come on, Aly, it's only been a year."[/color]
She finally looked up at Verelik, with a slight raised eyebrow. She was in the middle of chewing, but her face still screamed "I'm pouting right now".
He sighed, then got up from his seat. [color=39b54a]"Sure, be like that. I'm getting my jacket, make sure you wash up, 'kay?"[/color] Without waiting for a response, he walked off to his room. Alyssa shrugged and finished her meal.

It was almost 8, but luckily the school was of walking distance. Verelik had been in the shower for long enough now, even though he had said he'd only grab his jacket. In the mean time, Alyssa had washed up and was now enjoying a simple hobby. She was good at lots of things, thanks to her father's skill teaching, and one of those things was darts. That, along with the standard survival skill set that Verelik would of course teach her. Darts however was simple to play, and easy to set up. There was no time to enjoy a song on the guitar or climb the tree in the back. [color=6ecff6]"501, let's go!"[/color]
At that moment, she heard Verelik finish his shower. She groaned. [color=6ecff6]"Alright, let's get at least 100 then."[/color] She had three darts. She pulled her arm back, then let it fly. She aimed for the inner 20, but got the non-ringed patch. [color=6ecff6]"80."[/color] Another dart flew, this time aimed for the outer 20. It landed, and she smiled. [color=6ecff6]"Niiice, 40! One more!"[/color] She held the dart up, took a breath, an--

[color=39b54a]"Hey, Sweet Cheeks, what're you doing there?"[/color]

The dart flew off into the wall rather than the board. She slowly looked at Verelik, who was smirking with his arms crossed, while leaning against the wall. She tried to be angry, but she lost her composure and giggled. He smiled back. [color=39b54a]"Okay, I owe you one. Remind me later, but for now, let's go."[/color]

The walk to the school was brisk. It was known to both of them that the Lover's Incident ended up lowering their reputation, though the looks weren't common, most likely due to the morning rush. They arrived at the school, just as a group of other kids crowded Fay. The clock tower above them rang, signalling that 8th hour. Alyssa and Verelik walked up to the group, and Verelik patted Alyssa's back and slightly nudged her forward, while smiling in the general direction of Fay and the kids. [color=39b54a]"Good luck, try not to beat the boys up."[/color]
[color=6ecff6]"Dad..."[/color] She looked sheepish.
Verelik chuckled. [color=39b54a]"Alright, alright, have fun now, yeah?"[/color] He looked over at Fay and nodded. [color=39b54a]"Nice to see you again, Fay. Look after Aly for me."[/color] As he said that, Alyssa walked over to the group, looking for familiar faces.