Whispered Dreams (Open Thread)

[kinome]

“It’s okay.” Kinome declined the offer of assistance. He had his pride after all. “I have to be here till a certain time anyway and if I finish sooner I will end up getting more work.” Kinome avoided looking at Adish, stepping down the ladder to pick up more boxes, placing them in the bag and climbing back up the ladder. “I can’t really show you around.” Kinome continued softly, while pushing a box into place on the shelf. “I don’t really have the time. I have class after this. Sorry.” Kinome hoped Adish would get the message. He felt guilty having to tell the stranger who had been so nice to him this but it was the sorry truth and there wasn’t anything Kinome could do about it if he wanted to live.

[Adish]

Adish frowned. "Well then, work slower and do less. That why you won't get tired so easy." The dragonis was having trouble figuring out whether Kinome was being sincere in his apology, or if he was just trying to get Adish to go away. He had the inkling feeling it was the latter. He huffed slightly. "... You know, if you don't want me around... you can just say so. You don't have to be nice about- no one else every is. It's alright, you know, to say what you're thinkin'."

[kinome]

Kinome looked down at the tone he could hear in Adish’s voice. “It’s not that.” He attempted to correct the misunderstanding. For some strange unexplainable reason, even though he didn’t have the time for him in his life, Kinome didn’t want Adish to leave. He had been lonely for so long and this stranger soothed him. He didn’t know why, he just did. “It’s just that I have serious responsibilities. I don’t have time for friends. It’s been a long time since anyone had bothered to attempt to hold a conversation with me and I’m kinda out of practice with it. I…” Kinome suddenly chocked on his words, not knowing how to say it.

Suddenly he bowed, hiding his tears of frustration and shame and carefully balancing the shaky ladder. “I’m sorry.” He finally managed. It had not been what he had intended to say, he had wanted to ask Adish to stay, but he figured the stranger was not going to be around for long anyway so perhaps it might be better for him if he didn’t get too attached. Better for both of them in fact. It was never a good idea to get involved with Kinome. Everyone knew that.

[Adish]

Adish frowned sadly. He wondered what had happened to Kinome that would make the boy so lonely. Even Adish had a friend or two and people still talked to him... of course if anyone ignored him he'd more than likely show them a piece of his mind... through his fists, besides Kinome of course- he would never hurt him.

"Are you sure?" Adish knew by the other's tone, though, that Kinome wasn't just saying it to make him feel better, he meant it. "If you want, I'll wait 'til you finish working and walk home with you, okay? Just in case you start fainting again, like yesterday. I'll make supper, too," he offered.

[kinome]

“As I have said…” Kinome responded sadly. “I have class after work. I appreciate the offer though. And…” Kinome paused, hiding his face behind his messy hair. “I think you should know… it’s not a good idea to get involved with me anyway. I’m sure you don’t need trouble on your vacation. So…” Kinome left the rest unsaid, assuming the stranger would make the correct connections and leave. He didn’t want to cause Adish any more trouble than he already had.

Stacking the last box onto the shelf, Kinome jumped off the ladder, landing gracefully on the ground. Hands together before him he bowed. “Thank you for everything. You have really made my day you know.” Kinome said with sincerity. “I need to mop the floors now.” Not looking up, Kinome turned and ran off, afraid that if the stranger saw his face he would see the longing, the loneliness and the hidden tears there.

[Adish]

Adish frowned. "Well, that's one way to get rid of someone," he said to the air. Still, the things the boy said were contradicting eachother. First, the boy said he didn't mind him, then he didn't want him around, then he didn't mind him, then he ran off. The dragonis was confused. Did Kinome want a friend or not?

And, yet, Adish figure it was less of "did Kinome want a friend" and more "Kimone needed one".

[kinome]

Kinome rushed to the backroom, hastily looking around for the broom, bucket and mop when he realized he had left the ladder behind. Flushing in embarrassment, he grabbed the broom and ignored the missing ladder. In order to go fetch it he would need to face Adish again and Kinome was not sure if he was ready for that. Adish seemed to get reactions from him, reactions he had suppressed.

Roughly pulling the elastic out of his long silver hair, Adish allowed the strands to fall into his face, hiding his features. Stepping out of the backroom, Kinome began to sweep the floor, giving the task far more concentration than it required in order to distract himself from the stranger that seemed to be turning his life upside-down.

[Adish]

Adish 'hmph'ed and left the store, heading through town back to his ship. Once he was inside, he grumpily plopped down in a chair. Zelat appeared on a screen on the wall. The comm frowned when he saw Adish.

"What happened to you?"

"Well, apparently no one needs me- not Momma, not Eade... not Kinome."

"...Who?"

Adish sighed. "Kinome is... the one I was talking about this morning. I thought...." He stopped and shook his head, laughing humorlessly. "I guess I'm a worthless as he says, huh?" Zelat frowned.

"Your mom is fruggle old hag that wouldn't know character if it slapped him across the face. You mean something to that guy... I'm sure you do. If nothing else, if it weren't for you, I'd be wholed up in your Grandfather's garage waiting for nothing." Adish sighed.

"Great. The only person that needs me isn't even really a person." Zelat rolled his eyes.

[kinome]

Kinome set to work, moving from one side of the store to the other. Just before setting out to mop after his sweeping, he looked up, silver eyes searching. It took him a moment to realize he was searching for Adish. Not seeing him anywhere in the vicinity, Kinome placed the broom down and walked through the store, peering into all the isles. Adish was gone. A sharp pain began somewhere in the region of his chest. What had he expected? It wasn't like he had time for the damn stranger anyway, but did it have to hurt so much. Growling in frustration Kinome resumed working, trying to forget Adish and the tears in the corners of his eyes.

Finally, inevitably, his shift was over. Running to the back room Kinome collected all his belongings, and ran out the door, heading to dance class. Once there, he dropped his bag, changed, effectively and efficiently did his hair up and ran into class where he proceeded to make demands of his body that his weary, still recovering body could not deliver. Half way through his first class of the evening his dance intrustructor pulled him aside. Spotting Kinome's unusually flushed features, he rested a hand briefly on Kinome's forhead before suggesting the boy go home and rest and not come back for at least the next four days. More hurt coursed through Kinome as eyes flashing in anger and tears, he turned and stormed out, barely grabbing his belongings and changing his shoes before walking and and heading towards home. No one wanted him. He guessed he would clean the house and prepare a big dinner.

[Adish]

Adish fell on his bed with a loud sigh that made Zelat grunt. "Dude! You're making me depressed! If you want to see the kid just go see him!"

"It's not that easy Zel! I can't just waltz right into his house! What am I supposed to say? 'Hey! I'm really depressed and bored out of my mind when I'm not around you, so even though you don't want me around, I'm gonna follow you like some love sick Zercan'?!"

Zelat sighed and shook his head. "I doubt he even knows what a Zercan is."

The dragonis growled, "You're not helping!" Zelat rolled his eyes.

"Tell you don't have anywhere to stay."

"...What are you talking about? I can sleep here."

"..." Zelat grunted. "I'm kicking you out. You're making me depressed so I'm making you leave," he stated with finality. Adish blinked.

"Can you do that?" Zelat shrugged.

"I guess so...."

"Ookaaaayyy. Well then, I'll just pa-"

"No! Go! Now!"

[kinome]

Kinome slammed the door behind himself as he stormed into the house, finally letting his tears of frustration and sorrow fall down his face. Dance was the only thing in his life that still gave him any true joy and now it had been taken away from him. True, it was only temporary, but how on earth was he going to survive five days without driving himself to exhaustion while training to dance? He had nothing left to distract his thoughts from travelling down paths he did not want them to take.

"Okaeri Ki-chan." His fathers warm voice broke through his misery.

Hastily wiping away all traces of tears, Kinome turned hopefully towards the kitchen. That was when he realized there was a loverly smell coming from there. Walking in he watched his father as the man prepared food, occasionally splattering it all over the apron he wore.

"You're mother should be back soon. Would you mind setting the table for dinner?" The man enquired warmly.

Kinome gave a small smile, moving to do as his was told. "Sure dad." No trace of the pain he felt coursing through him was audible in his tone. Swallowing past the lump in his throat Kinome set about setting the table for dinner, lining up three places. The man contunied to humm happily, moving around the kitchen in obvious joy. "Won't your mother be surprised when she gets home and realises we have prepared dinner? Right Ki-chan? It's nice to surprise her once in a while, right?" The man leant over the pots to sample to food, smiling in satisfaction at the flavour, not really expecting a response from his son, too absorbed in his happiness to notice the lack of one. Silver eyes watched him in sorrow, quickly masked every time the man turned towards Kinome to shoot the boy an absent smile.Kinome returned the smile, the fact that it was strained also going unoticed.

[Adish]

Adish trecked grumpily down the sidewalk and glared at everything he saw. He really hated Zelat right now. That stupid comm started blaring a siren throughout the whole ship to make him leave. The dragonis frowned. His ears were ringing; he had no clothes besides the ones on his back; he had no one to talk to; and he knew, just knew, that Kinome would slam the door in his face when he saw him. He couldn't see how this whole "vacation" could get any worse. And it was only the second day! He probably had another month before his mom could even begin to stand the sight of him. Sometimes Adish really hated being who he was.

Finally, he arrived at Kinome's house. It had taken him quite awhile longer than it had yesterday mostly due to the fact that he got lost a few times. Adish sighed morosely and approached the house before knocking lightly on the door.

[kinome]

Kinome jerked in surprise at the knock on the door, momentarily frozen in disbelief. Who on earth could that be? They hadn't gotten visitors in years! "Aren't you going to get the door?" Kinome's father's soft tone shot him into motion. Kinome approached the door slowly, warily, almost as if he believed the door were going to bite him or do him some other form of severe harm.

He stared at the door for a few moments before reaching out and drawing it open, only to jerk once more, this time in disbelief. Standing before him he found Adish. Why was it that the stanger was there at every turn he made? Better question yet, how was it that he was relieved instead of annoyed to see him?

Suddenly the door was pulled out of his grasp and opened further. "Kinome." Kinome's father reprimanded softly. "Don't keep the guest outside, let him in. Ask him if he wants to join us for dinner. I made plenty." He turned to face Adish smiling. "You will have to excuse my son, sometimes he forgets he has manners. Do you want to join us for dinner?"

Kinome continued to stare in silence as his father, not even waiting for a response dragged Adish into the kitchen. "Ki-chaaaaan, set up another place at the table!" His father called back. Kinome followed at a slower pace, reaching blindly for an extra placemat and cutlery while his father continued to ramble. "I'm assuming you are here to see Ki-chan. Are you a classmate of his? He behaving himself?"

[Adish]

Adish smiled reluctantly at Kinome. He waved hesitantly, not sure if the boy would be mad at him. "I-" The door was swung open to reveal a man, probably Kinome's father.

"Kinome, don't keep the guest outside, let him in. Ask him if he wants to join us for dinner. I made plenty." This was the man Kinome was afraid he'd see? The guy looked like he would snap just by someone looking at him! "You will have to excuse my son, sometimes he forgets he has manners. Do you want to join us for dinner?"

"Well, I-" Before Adish could say anything the man was pulling him down the hallway. He looked back at Kinome with question and surprise on his face.

"Ki-chaaaan, set up another place at the table!" Adish watched as Kinome moved around the room. He would've gone to help, but the older man still had a grip on his arm and he didn't want to be rude to Kinome's father. "I'm assuming you are here to see Ki-chan. Are you a classmate of his? He behaving himself?"

Adish looked over at Kinome, unsure of what to say. Should he lie? ... Well, he certainly couldn't tell the truth! "Eh... Y-yes sir. He is. He's working very hard." He tactfully released himself from the man and moved over to Kinome. "Do you want some help with that? You look tired," he said softly.

[kinome]

Kinome shook his head in negation. He was just about done anyway. Before he could move to respond, however, his father spoke, turning to stare at Kinome in puzzlement. “Do you know where your mother is? It’s very late. She should have been home hours ago.”

Kinome’s breath hitched in his throat. His father had asked the dreaded question. The question he was terrified of every time his father got like this. Kinome wearily shook his head. “I’m not sure.” He responded softly. “She said something about going to aunt Karo.”

“Aunt Karo?” Kinome’s father heaved a defeated sigh. “Why didn’t she tell me sooner? She won’t be back till late if that’s the case, if not only tomorrow morning. Those two have been best friends for ages and are rather incorrigible when together. Oh, well. No use waiting then. Let’s eat.” Kinome’s father began to dish up generous portions of food onto three plates and placing the plates on the table.

Kinome nodded, sighing in relief. Disaster seemed to have been temporarily avoided. Hanging his head he slipped into the chair and picked up his fork, only to play with his food. Kinome’s father looked up in puzzlement at the unusual silence. “Ki-chan? Are you alright? You are awfully quiet.”