"Are you sure this dress isn't too much...?" Asks a red-faced Mokyu Mochizukki. Her face was practically cherry, as she wriggles in the seat of the limo nervously. "It's just so..."

"Fancy?" Chimes in Kimasu, grinning. Mokyu nods. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that's the point of a wedding dress."

"W-wedding dress?!" She exclaims with eyes wider than saw blades, like a deer in headlights. "W-what?! N-no, I-I'm not getting m-married! I-If I'm to be married, th-then who's my husband?"

Kimasu's grin only widens further. "You've never been very good at taking a joke, have you, sis?" The handsome young man leans back and lets out a laugh. "You're special, Mokyu. You should realise I don't toy like this with other girls! Only you..."

"I-idiot!" She hits him on the arm, quite hard, though since she was so much smaller and thinner, it was a very weak blow for Kimasu. "I just wanna wear my mask and hide...! This is so embarrassing...! Daaaaad~! Can I have my mask? Kimasu's bullying me!"

There's a hearty laugh from the seats ahead, and a window connecting the two halves of the limo winds down, revealing the Mochizukki girl's father. He was a very burly man. Hairy, too. Thankfully Ryoki hadn't inherited that specific trait from her father. She had, however, taken to inheriting the family's crystal blue eyes - a trait that had been passed down from an age before her grandmother. "No masks until we arrive, folks. It's been awhile since we last all got together, especially with Ryoki." The man feigns sadness and heartbreak. "To think, my own daughter, not wanting to visit her poor, sick mother and father... I'm hurt!"

"Oh, suck it up, you drama queen." The previously quiet Ryoki finally speaks up, a smile spread across her face. "It's not my fault! It's just between a new job, lack of sleep, Mokyu being a big scardy cat and very little sleep, I've had my hands full trying to recover. Be thankful we're all here together now, father!"

He lets loose another hearty laugh. "Oh, you don't need to tell me twice, dear. That's what your mother is for! How two women can look so alike astounds even me! Though it's pretty easy to tell you both apart. Wanna know how?"

"Because I've got the scarf always on me?"

The man shakes his head, leaning in and whispering: "Less wrinkles. And less violent." Laughing erupted from the back end of the limo as Ryoki's father was immediately hit, by none other than her mother. "Ow! It was a joke, dear! I swear!"

"A joke that's offensive to Ryoki, no doubt." Ryoki's mother speaks with a cheeky smirk of her own. "Saying she has wrinkles; you're going to lower the poor girl's self-esteem! Do you want that, dear? Our little Ryoki no longer as outgoing as she is?"

"Haha! I'd suppose not!"

Ryoki's jaw drops. "Ma! Why'd you turn it against me?" Now it was her turn to feign sadness, as she wept in a realistic-sounding way into her scarf. "You're so cruel, mother."

Her mother chuckles and winks. "I was only joking, dear. I suppose the conversation has taken a roundabout turn. Who shall be the next to cry?"

"Kimasu, obviously!" Mokyu squeaks with an excited gaze. She stares at her older brother and gives him a smile that makes it look almost like she were laughing in his face. "He'll be devastated if he can't charm a single lady at the ball, which we all know is exactly what's going to happen."

"Hey! Don't you underestimate me now, sister dearest! I'll have you know that, with dancing as my forte, I'm almost guaranteed a lady to dance with tonight, at the very least."

"Your own sister doesn't count, hahaha!" Their father jabs, before winding up the window most of the way. "We're almost there, kids! Just try not to get too wasted tonight, m'kay? That means you, Ryoki!" With that the window winds up completely and the three siblings were left in peace. Ryoki had zoned out mostly, though was dragged back into conversation by Mokyu and Kimasu as they continued on their way to where the ball was held: the Shine City Town House. The remainder of the drive was completed in under ten minutes, and soon the family found themselves at the front gate, having left the limo in the capable hands of their escort.

Ryoki's Dress, Ryoki's Mask, Kimasu's Suit, Kimasu's Mask, Mokyu's Dress, And Mokyu's Mask.

As soon as they enter, the three siblings immediately lose track of their parents, and soon find themselves standing at the entrance, looking for them. "I knew this would happen..." Ryoki mutters quietly, having wrapped her scarf around her dress' waist and made something of a bow out of it. "They run in there straight away and disappear until the last minute. Then they'll complain they couldn't find us. Such great parental models." She says with a sigh, scanning over the many people already at the ball. How on Earth was she going to find Yutaro here? Then again, they'd already agreed he was more likely to find her, since he'd changed outfits for the evening. Not to mention Ryoki had her signature scarf wrapped around her waist - a dead giveaway.

Kimasu smiles, gently ruffling her hair, though not enough so to dislodge the precious strands, knowing how hard it was to keep hair the way you want it well enough himself. "Don't worry, I'm sure it'll be fine." He pauses for a moment, scanning her face as he pets her. "By the way... you look like you're searching for someone... Could it be? No way! My dearest older sister has someone to dance with on this fine evening?!"

Ryoki smiles at Kimasu's overly emotional outbreak - he always knew how to put her worries at ease, even if he didn't know it himself. "Yes, actually. There's a guy who played strip poker with me. I just wondered if he was here, that's all." She giggles at Mokyu and Kimasu's shock and confusion, telling them the little white lie that it was just poker, in order to put their worries at ease. "He's a nice guy, really - captivating, even. And before you even ask, Kimasu, yes, I'm pretty sure he likes me."

"Sweet mother of...!"

"I wish I could be as outgoing as you are, sis..." Mokyu looks really nervous about the whole ordeal. Well, to any other person she would look and sound completely normal, however the Mochizukki family had long since figured out how to identify how the monotonous 21 year old displayed emotions. Generally, one could tell from the way she spoke and for how long, and how loud, though of course there were other, seemingly inexplicable features that could be used to identify how she was feeling, as well. "You both know I'm not as good at the fancy stuff as you two are..."

Kimasu leans in close to engage with Ryoki in a whispered conversation. "Ah, yes... We forgot to whom should be given baby-sitting duty..."

"What? I thought you were going to do it." Ryoki replies, looking across at Mokyu, who was simply observing the party for now. "Dad even said so."

"I have two sisters. When someone tells me to dance with them, I can't choose both." The handsome young man smiles, causing the raven to sigh as she rubs her temples. "How about we settle this the old fashioned way? Paper-scissors-rock style?"

Ryoki seems to contemplate the idea, then nods in agreement. "Alright, I'm willing to give it a shot. Best of three?" She suggests. When it came to paper-scissors-rock, Ryoki could always be confident in her win to lose ratio, being able to guess what her opponent would use at the last moment in order to win. 'It won't be that bad if I lose, so I should be fine either way!'

... Ryoki later came to regret that thought as she lost, two-three, against Kimasu. Now she was stuck watching over Mokyu to make sure the poor girl didn't become too... overwhelmed with the ball. She was never as good at receiving compliments as Ryoki or Kimasu were, and so whenever a man came up to speak to her, Ryoki was the one doing most of the talking. Again, she didn't mind, but she would've preferred being able to look around without also having to look out for the innocent, young DJ. 'I haven't been getting the best of luck lately, huh?'

"Aww, come on! You're telling me she's single and doesn't have a guy?"

"Yes, because she's not interested. Please, she's only just getting a grip with social situations. You're scaring her." Ryoki sighs as she had to lead yet another guy away from her and her sister, with him saying something or another about 'making her his'. It was somewhat exhausting. "Geez, is it me, or are all the guys here like Kimasu...?"

"Y-yeah, it feels like it." Mokyu let's out a small, nervous laugh, face only changing emotions for a brief second or so. "Thanks again for helping me, and sorry I keep pulling you into these situations." The cuteness factor Ryoki felt towards her sister had suddenly skyrocketed, and she embraced her in a soothing, tender hug to help ease her nerves... and feed her creepy obsession.

"It's not a big deal." Ryoki states with a confident smile, moving away from the hug as she gently pets Mokyu's head. "Besides, it's not like I'm not a target, either. It would've happened to both of us." She grins as she makes a ground-breaking, game-changing spot: tables! "Hey, you wanna go sit down? My legs are already feelin' it - I need to sit down." Mokyu nods in agreement, and the two ladies walk over to a lonely table and take a seat, taking a moment to relax. "Need to keep ready for the dance, after all. You prepared for that?"

Mokyu nods. "I'm... not the best dancer, at least formally, but I've been taking lessons and I'll give it my best shot...!" The answer comforted Ryoki, making her smile contentedly. She looks around at the many people attending the ball. Some looked mighty familiar; she wondered if anyone else would make it to the ball tonight, or if anyone she knew would also be here. There was only one way to find out.

'I hope tonight turns out to be a good one...!'

Nai x Vern~

After getting back to the apartment, she sighed and flopped on to her bed with a smile. She always loved to meet new clients and talk about their children with them and it was great that she owned a home business. Looking around the apartment, her eyes were drawn to the gallant New Years Eve party invitation that she had. Was I even allowed to go? It seemed pretty public and it would be a good place to meet with some new people and potential clients, though. She got off of her bed and made her way to her closet. Nai’s closet was full of glamorous clothes that she had gotten earlier in her life and she scanned all of the clothes, looking at them with disgust. Almost all of them were presents from others around her that decided that they would taunt her with lies and fake smiles. After a while, she pulled out a beautiful black dress with white laces embroidered onto the sides of it with spectacular detail. Maybe. She threw the dress on her and looked in the mirror, hating what she saw and pulling down her mask. That’s better.

Soon, she she decided to take out her violin and looked out of her balcony, one of her favorite places as of now. People may wonder why she played the violin if they knew how she had gotten into it in the first place. Her mother wanted her to, no, forced her to begin taking lessons every day but she simply smiled when she looked at the piece of art. Taking it in her hands and grabbing the bow from its place holder, placing the violin under her chin and sitting in front of the window, which had a seat placed in front and the sliding door happened to be cracked open, she began to play a song as she stared at the sky. The song (Her theme song) was one of the most beautiful songs that she could play and Nai had mastered it almost to perfection. A sad yet happy song that made tears well up in her eyes as she smiled through the mask and closed her eyes.

It had been a couple days since Vern had met his neighbor for the first time and he had become accustomed to occasionally running into her on the landing that their apartments shared. It was a simple landing, wooden and solid. It wasn't covered so it tended to accumulate ice and grow slick when it rained, not great for three stories of stairs. Still, it wasn't bad. The back of the building also had one window for each apartment that overlooked the alley, just past the end of the landing on each side. Across the alley was an apartment building, part of a complex that housed numerous people. All of those apartments had entrances on the front of the building, away from the shadows of the alley. But, a number of the higher floor apartments had balconies on the alley side that people tended to use for flowers or just getting fresh air. He had considered getting curtains for his windows but hadn't found the right ones yet so that one window was still bare, like the two on the front of his building.

That window had a perk though. It got just a little sun that snuck between the buildings, early in the morning, so that was where he had taken to beginning his day. With the morning sun on his back he practiced first his yoga and then his martial arts, finishing again with yoga. As he lived alone, he wore little when practicing. In fact, he usually just had a pair of black workout shorts on.

And so he was dressed on this morning as he moved through the slow, controlled, flowing poses of his practice. Much of his weight balanced on the toes of one foot while the other extended out in a slow and methodical arc, stretching and exercising the muscles, one group at a time. He always worked up a little sweat once he warmed up. The window was a little smudged and it diffused the light that passed through it, softening everything while dulling all sound from outside.

As Nai plays her violin, she spots something through the window and, squinting her eyes to make a picture out of it. In the end, she had to stand up in able to see that it was a man, shirtless with black shorts on appearing to be doing… Stretches? Or maybe yoga. After realizing that she was gawking at him through the mask, she quickly waved, not that she expected him to be able to see her. Nai got up and put her violin away in the corner, her blue hair hanging down and the black dress flowing by the window as she went over to the other side of her room. After a while, she finally decided that she would just wear the black dress. She went to get a glass of water and took a sip before she placed her mask back over her face and sat back on the chair and gazed at the sky once again. Completely forgetting about the fact that there was a random shirtless guy living across from her.

Vern continued his practice through the final pose. He held his breathing steady and took a minute to slow his heart rate, then he turned toward the window to savor the last few minutes of morning sunshine. It never could stay for long since it had to sneak between the buildings to get there anyway. Just as the glare faded from the glass, he caught sight of something that seemed surreal. He actually stood there for a minute or two, just staring, as he tried to figure out if he was actually seeing something real.

That was when he realized that he was staring into the apartment of a girl across a dingy back alley through two windows. Also, he realized that he was sweaty and only wearing shorts. He actually had little memory of how he got there, but he found himself standing in a closet, well out of sight of the window, with a pile of assorted clothing in his arms. To add a final note to his confusion, he seemed to have forgotten every word that wasn’t four letters long. Most of the ones he could recall started with a “d” or an “f” and were remembered with great frequency and vehemence. It took awhile for his heart to slow down.

By then, he was running late for an interview and hadn’t showered yet. He hurried to shower, called to double-check directions to his interview, and headed out. He couldn’t keep himself from checking the window as he left, but the lady in the window was gone.

--

Two mornings passed by without him catching a glimpse of her. And, in spite of his best efforts to avoid being distracted from his job related efforts, he still found his eyes twitching over to glance at her window every time he was in view. It was actually starting to bother him.

On this particular day, Vern had finished his practice away from that window since it had become a persistent distraction. He had purchased some aluminum furniture and other lightweight items the day before but they had only been delivered to the bottom of the stairs. He wasn’t very happy about having to carry this stuff alone. It ran the risk of him being spotted and identified. Showing off his strength was not something he felt comfortable doing. Still, it was an alley and the furniture was light anyway.

He was dressed in his usual attire. A red, button down shirt with only the top button open, made him look like he was far better off financially than he was while it suited the black slacks and shoes perfectly. It was not the kind of outfit that most men wear when carrying a bed frame and a high stool up from the street to the fourth floor, one in each hand. He didn’t show any sign of distress until he was almost at the landing. That was when the wood, slippery after the morning fog and slow to dry in the alley’s shade, finally managed to get him.

His right foot slipped backwards. His right knee fell to the wood with a thunk. The bed frame that had been in his right hand and over his right shoulder swung out over the alley and, for an instant, he lost his grip on it. But, before it could freefall into someone’s window, his hand snapped out and caught it. So, there he was with a bed frame hanging over the railing from one hand and a stool still held firmly in his other hand. He took a moment to breathe. It was a long way down.

Nai awoke from her bed and yawned, getting out of the bed slowly. She started her normal morning routine and then headed over to her closet to pick out her clothes. Soon, she had chosen to spend the day wearing a long and flowy white skirt along with a light pink and loose shirt that hanged off of her. The shirt bothered her a lot. When did this get so stretched out? Who bought me this in the first place… Is it a new style of showing off your bra? Sighing, she grabbed a white laced tank top to go over her bra. After she had finally put on her clothes, she headed over to the window to breath some fresh air. After a while, she heard a noises from below and looked down, quickly pulling down her mask as strands of her hair fell to the side of her face. “Eh?” Shocked, she stared at him for about 40 seconds. Wh-what? Is he going to carry that alone? As she was staring at him, she felt afraid for him when he nearly hurt himself.

She quickly put on her boots and raced down quickly. When she finally spotted him, she went up to the man and looked at him, wondering where she had seen him before. “Ah, you’re the man from the window! Well, do you mind if I maybe help you out a bit? Two people is better than one when bringing all that furniture in.” Her voice was a bit quieter than usual and she even realized it herself. Business was one thing but socializing with strangers caused her to get a little nervous, not that anyone would be able to tell.

Vern froze suddenly at a voice from just a little above him and to his right, her window. He looked up but missed what she said as she vanished back inside quickly. Still, he saw her. There was that mask, and that hair that shimmered softly in the shadows. Then, just when he was about to haul the bed frame up again and hope to decorum that nothing else would happen to make things more awkward, she came up the stairs behind him and started talking to him. She was offering to help. He appreciated that. But her voice was soft and her energy felt shy and nervous from this close. His pulse quickened a little. Then the rest of what she said hit him. The man from the window. His pulse started racing.

His ears turned red, then his cheeks. She saw him practicing. This mysterious girl had seen him in renamed underwear.

With a sudden motion, Vern lifted the bed frame from dangling into the abyss up to the landing and he took the next step while turning to answer.

“Ah, thank you! Help would be goo…d!” He was blushing outrageously and catching a glimpse of her eyes through the mask did nothing to calm his pulse. Was there nothing about this woman that would not make him act foolish? He couldn’t even talk right! He cleared his throat and tried to calm himself. Remembering to center himself helped. Also, the current outfit was cute and attractive but it wasn’t on the same level as the dress from the first time he saw her.

“Thank you, miss. Help would be good.” He climbed the last steps onto the landing and set down the stool while doing his best not to think about being the man from the window. “Up stairs is one thing but through doors, that’s something else.” He finished with a subtle smile. Damn blush, go away already!

She could tell that he was strong but since Nai had been watching him for a while, she had realized two critical things. He may be sick. She couldn’t help but worry when his face suddenly turned red, causing her eyes to widen a bit. The second thing was, he was very clumsy.

She smiled once he seemed to have calmed down a bit, perhaps he was uncomfortable around strangers. Quickly, she grabbed the other end of the bed frame and lifted it some more. He seemed to be a proper man but maybe not the most stable with this bed frame… Nai had already seen him nearly drop the frame twice and didn’t feel like watching a third time. “No problem. I’ll take this side, might make it easier, no?” She smiled, waiting for him to continue walking.

Vern finally managed to calm his confounded blood pressure and the blush receded to his ears. He should have known better. He never could be dignified and talk while doing anything physical. This time he just smiled and picked up his end, leading the way into his apartment.

It was still empty. The suitcases were put away in the closet but that just made the emptiness of the place that much more felt. It didn’t even smell lived in yet, even with him working out every morning. Then again, it was very clean too.

The kitchen had just enough dishes for the space, but some of them were a little different. He had a few less common ones and more measuring tools than many men would be likely to have. There was one cabinet open. It was full of spices, top to bottom. There was a full shelf of salts ranging from the himalayas and the mediterranean to hawaii and the middle east.

He led the way past the kitchen and through the empty living room until they reached the bedroom. It was not a big one but it doesn’t take a big room to feel spacious when nothing is in it. The addition of the bed frame diminished the room’s apparent size considerably.

During all of this, Vern displayed no clumsiness at all and controlled his end of the bed, and his pulse, with finely tuned dexterity. However, he also said nothing at all, preferring to communicate with subtle gestures. He hoped that he didn’t come off as creepy.

She smiled, setting the bed frame down and going back downstairs to get more of the furniture. Nai was pleased that he seemed to have been more composed now than before. After a while, they finally finished and she sighed, happy that she could help the man out. He didn’t look to be too much older than her so she wondered how old he actually was but quickly discarded the thought. “Well, I’m glad I could help! I think it’s about time for me to depart but I do hope that I was of good use.” With that, she headed towards the door, bowing her head a bit before she began to leave.

Vern smiled faintly. He first raised a hand, then broke his silence. “Thank you. I’m sorry if I was a... ” He paused for a moment before letting out a single hopeless breath. “buffoon.”

While they had been moving the furniture, he had become acquainted with her. To him, people weren’t faces and names. A person was a pattern of movement, energy and sound. In fact, he had completely lost track of the fact that she was still wearing a mask. But, he hadn’t lost his manners.

“My name is Vern. I’m looking to make my fortune here.”

She looked at him, flabbergasted “A buffoon? Haha, of course not.” she chuckled a bit through her mask until she heard him introduce himself. “E-eh? H-had I not introduced myself? S-sorry… My name is Mirai Nai. I just moved into Shine city recently! Ah, since we’re neighbors of some sorts, why don’t we go ahead and exchange emails or cell numbers? I hope we can become great friends.” She had completely lost her sense of self and was replaced with rambling and over-friendliness. Nai had thought about removing the mask for a bit but disregarded this quite quickly. I finally made a friend… Maybe. Why would I mess it up by taking my mask off?

Vern relaxed a little when she laughed. It was a pleasantly hearty sound, healthy and honest. And she was honestly distressed by failing to introduce herself when they first met. “I didn’t introduce myself either. I think we were both distracted by me trying and failing to drop furniture.” He said with a short laugh of his own. It opened his features a bit when he laughed and made them seem more gentle. “That sounds good. I know that I could use a good friend. Here.” He pulled out his simple cell and pulled up his number so she could see. People read faster than they talk anyway. “I don’t have a landline yet so this is it. Heh, I only got a job today. At least it pays well.” It felt like he was babbling but it was more likely that he was just too used to not talking to people, especially girls.

She watches him take out his phone and quickly takes out hers as well, punching in the numbers as a new contact. V e r n, and done! She looks up at him and was glad to have met him. She felt like she needed someone to become friends with. “I had to meet up with a cute man today and after that i got to make a new friend!” She smiles brightly. The cute “man” she was referring to was an adorable 8 year old that she recently began babysitting. Kids loved to be treated as adults and she had gotten in a habit of calling them this way. He was the sweetest kid ever! She was then reminded of an event. “Oh! Are you going to the ball?”

Vern added Mirai Nai to his contacts list and added a note that she was a personal contact. He managed to stay composed when she started talking about the cute man she had met earlier. There was something in how she said it that just didn’t feel like it was an adult. Usually, cute is used for boys, not men… unless it’s a child. Babysitting maybe… given what he could tell about her age from her hands she was probably several years younger than him, still likely to be in her twenties though. Her tone was bright and cheerful, and so was her energy, like a sudden burst of sunshine punching through clouds. It made him wonder if she’d been feeling lonely lately.

He paused a moment before walking over to a closet and opening it to reveal the pieces of an outfit. Between the black silk and the well matched subtlety in the mask and the embroidered silver, the overall look should be elegant, formal, and dashing. Well, if everything worked well. There was one last touch. A small box on the high shelf in the closet that he took down and opened to show it to Nai. It was a white rose, mostly closed, made of shining porcelain. It was also fitted with a discrete pin. This would be either on his collar or his lapel, he hadn’t decided yet.



“If I can decide between lapel and collar for this, then I’ll go.” He said with a look of subtle frustration. “Any preference?”

Hm? She wondered what he was doing when he walked over to the closet with no warning. Nai watched him pull out a small box and gawked at it as he opened it rather carefully. The beautiful rose made her smile once again, full of pure bliss. Flowers always made her happy, like she could go to another world as she stared at them, admiring their unique beauty that each and every one of them had. “A white rose...purity, innocence, spirituality, and new beginnings” she said in a hushed voice, almost a whisper. Remembering the question she replied right off the bat. “Collar” with a gentle smile, she looked back up at him “it's beautiful.”

Vern watched her carefully, every tiny movement and sound. Her knowledge of the details involved in his choice brought a small smile all the way to his eyes. The subtlety of the chosen blossom and the particular degree to which it was opened might have been missed in her initial viewing but still, she knew the general meanings. That drew happiness up from its sleep, deep inside him. She also knew exactly where she would have it put. Well then.

“I’ll go with this at my collar then. I’m glad you like it.” He said with satisfaction. “Will you be wearing that black dress, then? That is, assuming that you’re going too.”

Nai smiled once, blushing a tiny bit. “You saw me in that dress? I didn’t think you actually saw me. But yes, I think I will be wearing that dress.” Thinking about it for a while, she figured that she might as well invite him if he was going to be there as well. “How about meeting up or going together? Haha, I only know one man that may be there but I would love to go with a friend.” With this, she waited for his response. I think it’s almost time for the ball.

He was happy to hear that he would have the chance to see her in that dress again. Though, he was probably going to trip over his own feet. She was lovely and dressed modestly. Those characteristics were not often found together, at least in his past experience. She was strong and healthy too. The only odd bit was the mask. And, that gave him a slight sinking feeling that she wouldn’t accept anything she heard about her appearance. But, after all, he hadn’t actually seen her face yet so such compliments would necessarily have an element of fiction to them anyway. This mask was the face she allowed him to see, so it would be the face he knew until she desired to change that. And, if such a face was attached to the qualities that he had been able to confirm so far, then it was a beautiful face indeed.

Vern’s left leg swung out and back as he dipped into a theatrical, but perfectly performed, bow. “I am already honored to have been so fortunate as to gain the friendship of so elegant and refined a lady with such well formed taste in fashion while I am still so new to this illustrious city as to lack a pillow.” He paused to take a breath. “But, my honor would swell nigh unto the bursting point should I be granted the great pleasure of being the escort of my newest and dearest friend in the city to this masquerade.” His voice was sincere but laced with happy humor. He was well aware that jumping into such a theatrical mode was silly, but, there was only one person watching and that was the person who saw him at close to his most clumsy ever, though there was the cars and cakes incident. Best not to think about that right now. He extended his right hand, palm up, to ask for hers as he said. “Might this clumsy, and excessively theatrical, oaf have that pleasure?”

She giggles at his response, very entertained by his short act. “Yes. Yes you do.” She replied with a smile, handing him her hand.

--

After she had left his place and went back to her apartment, the clock ticked silently as she counted down the hours until the ball. Of course, that didn’t last long before she heard the doorbell ring and opened it to see a package and no one around. Hm? Did I order anything? Looking at the box, it appeared to be from a cutesy store with a large heart on the top of it as well as the words “Yours truly” . As she opened it, her face turned to fear as she realized what it was and who it was from





The things that were inside of the box were small and sentimental things that her mother used to own. A small teddy bear with a heart in the middle and two of her so called “lucky” pens.

She had been just sitting there for a while until she began to feel like crying. However, she quickly smiled and stood back up on her two feet, putting the stuff back inside of the box and neatly putting it over to the side. Hehe, I guess he decided to start doing this again…

He had already done this when she was younger and had just run away, not knowing where to actually run. He quickly tracked her down and started to send letters and packages to her home but by now it was just something that she deserved. Well, it-it’s not his fault I suppose. Nai knew what he was referring to when he said that there was something that she needed to remember. “You should have died instead.”

She began to hum and opened her closet, revealing the black dress that she had worn before. Looking at it, she couldn’t help but feel a bit disgusted by herself. You are going to wear that? It’s like a beautiful dress on the wrong model. Not everyone can pull off something so beautiful but… I suppose you know that, hehe. You’re abhorred by him. The thought quickly disappeared as she hummed a bit louder and got dressed for the ball and applying some light lipstick.

Her hair was something that she didn’t know what to do with. Brushing her hair lightly, getting rid of all the tangles and putting it up in weird positions to maybe find an acceptable hair style. Nai’s hair was lengthy, passing her butt as well as thick and sleek. Shortly after, she styled her hair properly and added some accessories, placing a masquerade mask over her face, which revealed a bit more of her eyes then she would have liked. She had an entire box brought over from her other home that was full of only masks. I think I’m ready. About ten more minutes I suppose.







Vern used what time remained before the ball to eat, make a couple calls, and dress himself. He made sure to eat food that he prepared himself because, quality or not, he could not be sure of the ingredients in ballroom cuisine. The calls had to do with getting an asking price for a store that he had scouted earlier that week and getting a cab ordered to pick the two of them up outside Nai’s building when the time came. The suit fit well and the look came together perfectly, largely because of the full length mirror being present.. But that porcelain rose on his collar made all the difference between being merely dashing and being a dashing gentleman. To that final detail he added a subtle surprise. The essential oil of wild roses, a bit pricey, natural, and wonderfully aromatic. It only took a few drops at the root of the petals and he was able to carry his own human scent along with a rose accent.

The time approached and he made his way quietly out of his apartment, carefully down the stairs, quickly around the building, and calmly up the stairs to the fourth floor. Then came the hard part. He hadn’t asked her which apartment she lived in. At least he knew how many balconies were between hers and the end of the building. So, he walked to the end of the hall and worked his way back until he stood in front of, what should be, the correct door. Then he put his mask on and knocked evenly, suppressing his nervousness. But his mind started running sideways in the quiet of the hall. They were going as friends. It wasn’t a date. Nevermind that he’d never gone to a big party with a friend either. It still wasn’t a big deal. Stay centered and stay a gentleman and everything will be fine. And, above all, keep your muscles under wraps. That means all of them, no matter how insistent.

Nai was sipping a cup of tea when she heard a knocking at the door. Happily, she went over to the door, opening it to reveal her prepossessing beauty without even showing her face. “Hello~ I'm ready to go! I cannot hardly wait to get there!” She curtseyed elegantly with a small giggle. As she pushed her hair out of the way of her mask, she held out her arm for him to link with, “Shall we go?”

With that, Vern simply smiled and took her arm in his and led the way to the cab that was waiting downstairs. It wasn’t a limo but it would do. Her appearance was positively perfect and her hair was splendidly adorned with blossoms that framed her glittering mask and enhanced its glow. But, there was something about the way she felt that made him a touch uneasy. It was actually a little annoying being so sensitive to energy. Sometimes he actually wished that he wasn’t. But, ultimately it came out to a net positive since it helped him realize when things were wrong before other people did. This didn’t feel like something he could help with. It felt like she had an old wound that was aching. Well, that wouldn’t change anything. He would still be her escort and friend tonight. That was what he had offered. That was what he’d deliver.

The ride was short and simple. Little was said but the silence was comfortable. Neither of them had anything to prove to the other at the moment. There is something to say for being able to share silence without being disturbed by quiet company.

When they arrived, Vern got out first and went around to get Nai’s door and give her a hand out. Keeping dresses nice was never easy, just like finding quality men’s clothing that wasn’t in either primary colors or earth tones, only harder. He paid the cab driver in cash without taking change and escorted Nai toward the entrance.

Soon after the car ride, Nai was just about to get out of the car herself when Vern beat her to it. Nai gladly took his hand, staring in awe at the grand building that they had arrived at. As they walked into the ballroom, she saw practically everyone dressed gallantly in black and white, they were all beautiful. She smiled to herself, loving the fact that they all seemed to be enjoying themselves greatly.

Her emotions were mixed, between the package and having fun at the ball, she wasn’t quite sure if she deserved to be escorted by such a nice man as well as the pleasure of being here at all. Soon, her phone began to vibrate, causing her to look over at her bag but ignore it, not wanting to get sidetracked by her phone. However, it wasn’t much of a choice when the vibrating continued multiple times, causing her to put a finger up apologetically, whispering the words “Excuse me.” as she checked her phone.

From: UNKNOWN

•Hey sweets, just checking up on you. How are you doing?

Nai couldn’t finish after the words “checking”, turning down her phone and putting it back into her bag swiftly, turning back to him. This just won’t do… This wasn’t the time! Why does he have to get in contact with me, today of all days? I don’t really want my escort to have to deal with these types of personal problems. Her “daddy issues” wouldn’t be a very good thing to start a night off on. Sighing mentally, she turned back over to him, attempting to clear the air with a bit more enthusiastic energy. “Shall we get some drinks?” She said with a smile. If drinking was the so called cure to most of the world’s problems, let’s drink! However, what would she do about her mask?

The view from the entrance was stunning, and a bit bewildering. Everyone was in black and white, with the occasional accent color thrown in tastefully. Though, some of the people were… not dressed tastefully at all. There were at least two women present who were wearing dresses designed with holes at one hip or the side of the chest. They weren’t modestly cut otherwise either. That was sufficient distraction for Vern to not notice Nai’s phone until she apologized and checked a text.

Vern managed to stop most of his body from reacting to what that text did to Nai’s aura. She… tightened, coiling inward with distress and self-conscious fear. She covered it quickly with cheerfulness but Vern was her escort and now he knew something was wrong. Well, he was escorting her as a friend and he had asked her in an aggrandized, though knightly, fashion. So, how to protect both his new friend and her good time without violating everything he valued. She was inviting him to get drinks. She likely wanted something to help her settle her nerves and let her cover the rest of her disquiet.

But, Vern didn’t drink. Ever. In fact, the more he wanted to, the more vehemently he would avoid or oppose it. So, what to do. Well, first things first. He motioned to one of the staff nearby, indicating subtly that the lady shouldn’t have to carry her purse around at a party. The staff member was quick of mind and responded softly, coming around them to offer a hand to take the lady’s bag to the cloak room. Vern’s role was next.

“I have rather exalted tastes when it comes to crafted beverages. But, shall we venture forth together to see what this gathering has to offer?” He said in high fashion as he began to lead her toward where the beverages were being served.

He hadn’t even lied, well, not literally. He preferred highly valuable teas, medicinal and therapeutic, to anything with alcohol. There was just not enough benefit to drinking booze for the cost to be worth it. Still, he was her escort for the evening. As was his gentlemanly duty, his pleasure was to be hers. The more fun she had then the better his night was. Though, he did wonder how she was going to get around the mask.

His eyes widened for a second, then slid closed long enough for him to silently curse himself. She was flustered. Of course she wasn’t going to have a plan already set up. Maybe a straw? Tacky if plastic but elegant if glass, they might just have one.

Nai looked around the ballroom, a bit lightheaded from all that her father was throwing at her. “Sure.” She replies, following him over to the beverages. They sat down and she ordered a simple cocktail, not wanting anything too strong to make her lose her reigns. Soon, the drink came, placing it in front of her. She stared down the glass, as if she was inspecting it and began to chuckle a bit, pushing the drink to the side. “He won't leave me alone either way… Why do I even bother wearing the mask?” She mutters to no one in particular and more aimed towards herself.

It was funny and quite frankly compelling. The fact that all these years she had to deal with wearing a mask that wasn't the most comfortable accessory to have placed over her face while she sweat and yearned to have fresh air blowing at her face. However, she already knew it was too late. It was too late, wasn't it. He had already obtained complete control over her, without even being there with her physically. She just loved him so much, even if all he felt was total repugnance towards her.

She looked towards the man that had bothered taking her to the event and began to speak. “Ah, my apologies.” She said sympathetically. “Honestly, I am just being a horrible guest, aren't I?” Nai added lightly with a smile. She needed to lighten the mood, fast.

Vern tried to look like he was absorbing the atmosphere, sitting beside her and watching the drink come. Then he watched it sit there. Then he watched it get nudged aside like it had failed to meet the dress code. He caught Nai’s rhetorical question but he did have an answer for it. Still, he waited for a few moments to let her handle whatever memory she was wrestling with.

When she apologized he simply put his left hand on top of her right one. Then he raised a hand casually to a server and had the man bend down to hear a whisper. With a single nod, the man left with long strides that carried him out of the main party area and through the door that led to the kitchens. Vern turned his head so that his eyes could meet those of his friend.

“Masks are pretty on the outside because they’re aimed at the person wearing them instead.” His voice was certain and level. This was a thing that he knew personally. “Everyone wears some kind of mask. But, only those who... can’t dare to take them off can understand what a prison they can be.”

A moment later the server returned with a small object wrapped in fine cloth. He approached Nai and carefully unwrapped a glass straw, delicately bent to allow for unusual costumes to remain unmolested during parties. The items weren’t often asked for but they could come in handy when guests took their costumes too far for practical consideration. After placing the straw in the lady’s drink, the server bowed and returned to his rounds.

“And, no. You’re being an absolutely lovely guest. My friend is doing her best to have a good time. And that is what’s most important to me right now.” This he said with a smile, an honest one.

He knew he had just tipped his hand a little. Perhaps, it tipped too far. He hadn’t intended to give away what he had noticed. He also hadn’t intended to sound philosophical at a ball, or preachy. And, he hadn’t intended to reveal any of his own problems. But, he wasn’t used to talking with a mask on. Before, the mask had always meant silence and concentration. Now he was trying to be a good escort to a friend and the crowd was messing with his head at the same time. There were too many energies all crowded together. His less well known senses were getting disoriented. With his hand on hers he could anchor his awareness in her aura and avoid the anxiety and confusion that used to plague him. Hopefully, he’d adapt to this quickly. Nai had enough to worry her and this was supposed to be fun. He managed to pat her hand lightly and throw a quip her way with a grin that was only slightly forced.

“Now don’t let that poor cocktail get warm. They start tasting… well… less vigorous if you let them slack off for too long.”

He was sweet. He was kind hearted. He was trying his best. However, Nai understood that she couldn’t actually take the mask off when she went out. Not in actuality. Running the risk of being seen by him without her mask on wasn’t a chance worth taking. But, this wasn’t outside and Vern was trying to help her as much as he could. She lifts the mask a bit, slipping the straw under the mask and drinking the cocktail. It tasted devine. She forgot that alcohol, even a simple cocktail was strong for her.

“Is that not a good thing?” she asks, turning back to see the water was starting to roll over the top of the pot. “I thought the box said it was supposed to boil?”

He seems to be panicking over this so Nori quickly goes over to the stove top and cranks the heat down, picking up the pot and moving in another burner. The blonde digs through one of the drawers beside the stove until she finds a towel and swiftly slides it over the surface, quick enough so it won't burn her but still collecting the spilled water.

“I get it now, that was too much,” Nori replies bashfully, moving the pot of water back onto the appropriate burner. “I’m sorry Oliver, I’m pretty shit at cooking.” The water is now at a pretty good boil but it doesn't seem like it is going to repeat it’s earlier display of coming over the top, so the DJ adds the noodles and sets the timer to the time indicated on the box before moving on to stir the sauce.

“Eh, don’t worry about it. A little shitty cooking won’t be the downfall of me.” He waved his hand dismissively, flexing his arm as he tests out his stitch work. He wasn’t bleeding anymore, so mission accomplished, he guessed.

“Actually smells kinda good.” Holland raised his head as he caught a whiff of the dish, “Plates are in the cupboard above the sink.”

He pauses bandaging his arms for a moment as he continues, “Are you sure you want to stay here? Really, you don’t have to if there are better places you could be right now.”

Nori pulls down the plates and sets them next to the stove, pausing to mull over the last part of his comment. “There is a masquerade ball tonight,” she divulges, starting to pull down two glasses as well.

“But I decided not go. Someone asked me to be their date, but I bailed at the last minute. His best friend didn't like me very much and…,” the blonde trails off, casting her gaze over to where the detective is surveying his handiwork.

“I sort of thought you were dead,” Nori admits, before continuing, “Back when we first met at the shop, you said the weatherman might go after anyone who knew me. I didn't want to be responsible for killing him too. Minimize the damage, you understand,” she tells him, her voice going quiet at the end.

She starts to think about the other American man that she knew and how he had looked so destroyed in the driveway earlier that afternoon, but she squashes it out before she can dwell on it for long.

The timer beeps so Nori goes to drain the noodles and doesn’t make a complete idiot of herself, which is a plus. “I’ll be a pro at this in no time,” she jokes, piling the spaghetti onto the plates before she goes to ladle out the sauce.

“That is quite unfortunate.” Oliver comments, knowing all too well the feel of rejection. “Of course, I wouldn’t do it at the last minute, but I understand your reasoning.” He gave his arm an experimental stretch, letting out a sigh he didn’t realize he had been holding in. “Thank Christ, I half expected something to rip.”

He grabbed a plate that had been prepared, jabbing a fork into the noodles and twirling. Undoing the bandage around his lips, he blew on it, and, saying a silent prayer, took a bite.

“...”

He was speechless. He cut off a piece of noodle dripping with sauce. He tried to make his face right. He tried to smile and didn’t grimace, tried to close his eyes in delight , not panic; tried to swallow, not gag. She watched him like a hawk. “'Delicious,'” He said, still chewing. This spaghetti tasted like salt and shit and gristle.

He got through two plates. He drank a lot of water. He broke them down into fractions of themselves, sixteen noodles more to go, fourteen more, eight, one. In his head he said sorry to Nori, and to the dog or abysmal mixture of creatures he was eating. He put his knife and fork together with four of them still swimming on his plate.

Nori doesn’t start on the spaghetti yet, instead turning her attention to the dirty dishes that had started to accumulate in the kitchen. When she’s finished with them she moves on to sterilizing the needle and tweezers Oliver had used to patch himself up and then packs them away neatly in the med kit.

The blonde grabs her plate and carts it over to the table, plopping down in the chair opposite of the detective. The DJ shovels a mouthful of noodles into her mouth and her delicate features immediately morph into a horrified expression.

“This tastes like garbage and dirty socks!” Nori wails around the noodles in her mouth, pushing back her chair and sprinting over to the trash can to spit it out. “Why the hell did you eat that? You’ve survived too much to let yourself be killed by a plate of spaghetti.”

“I think I should probably stick to making sandwiches and ordering Chinese food, at least until you recover more. I imagine food poisoning on top of third degree burns wouldn’t be a pleasant experience.”

Oliver could only stare at his plate, lost in his own train of thought.

How do you fuck up spaghetti?

He looked up, a single tear falling down his cheek.

“I’m upsetti over this spaghetti.” He murmured to himself, reaching for the phone that he placed next to him on the table. “I know a nice take out place that makes practically everything.” He said as he dialed the number, lifting the phone to his ear as it rang.

“I’m just gonna order an extra large pepperoni or something.” He informed her, his stomach growling. You really start to feel not eating for a couple of days the moment you taste food. Perhaps he could show this Nori girl a nice restaurant, or at least a decent cooking channel.

“You want anything in particular?”

“Pepperoni is good, it's my favorite,” she tells him, binning the plates of questionable spaghetti and finishing washing away the evidence of her failure in the culinary arts.

“My mom always jokes that I’ll have to rely on my other assets if I ever want to find a husband,” she jokes, coming back to sit across from him again. “Sorry I wasted your food, Detective Holland.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it. That sauce expired last year anyway.” He chuckled, crossing his legs and leaning back, sending his order to the pizza place via app.

“So,” He began, attempting to make small talk, “What do you look for in a man, anyway? What’s the girl of today want?”

“Why were we eating it if it was expired? No wonder it tasted awful,” Nori asks, feeling a little better that her poor cooking skills hadn’t been the complete reason for that disaster.

He asks her what her type is when it comes to men and Nori chews at the inside of her cheek for a moment, mulling over the question before she says anything. “I don’t know that I can speak for all the girls my age, but one of the things I like best is when they can make me laugh,” the DJ tells him, hopping up onto the countertop.

“And that they’re honest with me, I guess. I hate it when a guy isn’t upfront about something, it makes me feel used,” she admits, scrunching up her nose at the thought of it. “Looks aren’t as important...I do sort of have a thing for blue eyes though, now that I think about it,” Nori realizes, thinking back on her more recent dating prospects. Nick and Kyle both had lovely, expressive sapphire eyes.

“And not clingy,” she finishes, shooting him a glance and tilting her head a bit as she regarded him. “And what about you? Is there a Mrs. Holland out there somewhere?”

“Ha!” Oliver cried out, slapping his chin as he let loose a mighty chortle. “As if. I don’t have time for all that lovey dovey shit in my line of work.” He wipes away a tear, calming down as he leaned forward on his chair, his hands in his lap. “Girls haven’t changed a bit. Everyone loves an honest heart. Sincerity is the sweetest thing known to man.”

So she likes blue eyes, eh? Not bad. He had them himself, but wished they’d been a lightish brown instead. He hated to stand out. It was incredibly bad to stand out if you were a detective.

“Blue eyes are fine, I suppose.” He acknowledged, rubbing his eyes to make a point. “But it’s really shocking to know that looks aren’t everything for you. That’s actually quite nice for a girl your age.”

She was opening up to him. Good. The more he knew about her the better. If what she had said was true, then he’d already failed to protect her once. He supposed allowing her to stay with him was acceptable in the long run.

Shit, he was doing it for free too. Maybe he should’ve been a bodyguard.

Detective Holland rubs at his eyes and Nori notices that they too are a brilliant shade of azure. They stand out starkly against his now clean face wrappings. She huffs a little at his last remark, quirking a brow at him. “It’s not like I’m a teenager or anything, I’m twenty two,” the blonde replies, lips turning up into a crooked grin. “That’s plenty of time to learn pretty faces aren’t what’s most important.”

Nori stops here, her words making her think about his face and how it was scalded because of her. “So, do you remember what happen at all, back at my apartment? Did you get a chance to see him?”

“I saw him walking away from my flaming corpse.” Oliver muttered, his mood all of sudden changing with the topic. “He watched as the rain put out the fire. He could have killed me then there.”

His fists clench as he shakes his head angrily. “The bastard wanted me to live. Not for any ideal such as mercy or being a male.” He turned his head and glared at her.

“Stay the fuck away from that madman.”

“It’s not like I’m going out looking for him,” The blonde replies, her eyes shying away from his as they go cold.

“I didn’t put an advertisement in the Shine Chronicle for a ‘Serial Killers Wanted’ ad, he picked my apartment.” Nori scratches at her nose and studies her shoes, swinging her feet listlessly as she waits for the tense moment to pass.

“Do you remember what he looks like at all?” She presses on after a moment, her voice soft as she looks back up at him. “Is he as tall as the bogeyman stories say he is?”

“He’s a mountain of a man draped in a green trench coat. Nothin’ much else to say, other than the late night criminal shows actually portray him correctly.” He leans forward, resting an arm on one of his knees, his gaze shifting upward. “I’m starting to wonder if he’s even human. Think about it; for over five years this guy has been at large.”

A sigh.

“I’ve always gone through all my casework as confidently and cautiously as I possibly could. But...I was just not expecting that last case to go down the way it did. Fuck, I’m starting to count my lucky stars every single night.”

He extends a finger, pointing at her. “What about you? Anything life changing outside of a serial killer after you?”

“Life changing?” Nori parrots, trying to think back on anything she had done differently in the past few months. “Well, I met Kyle, the guy I was telling you about earlier. But like I said, I like him enough that I didn't want him to die, so that's not happening right now.”

Again, she tried not to dwell on Kyle too much, she would never forgive herself if she did, but Nori still felt the sting before she could press on.

“Then the apartment got set on fire, but you know that, you were there,” Nori muses aloud, pursing her lips together. “Then I went back home to see my folks. They gave me enough money to rent a small place on the edge of town.” Small was a kind word for it, her bedsit was minuscule. “But that's fine, not like I have a lot of stuff anymore, right?”

Oliver couldn’t help but fall silent, glancing away as he rubbed the back of his head. “I’m uh, really sorry about your apartment. I wish I could have done more.” He felt tentative, to say the least. After all, the girl was a reminder of a mistake he had made in the past, adding to the long list of failures he had in his life.

“Listen,” He began. “You don’t have to go back to that place if you don’t want too.” He advised. “You could, uh, move in here with me if you like. No rent of course, seeing as I’m still agreeing to protect you.”

Nori blinks at him, trying to figure out if he’s serious or not. “Where would I sleep?” She asks, tilting her head to the side curiously. “You don’t have to do that just because you feel bad for me, you weren’t the one that set my apartment on fire.”

“But I was the one that could’ve prevented it, Miss Haywood.” Oliver murmured, burying his face in his hands. “I have a guest room, you know.”

“If I say yes, will you let me help you with your work?”

“Heh, you make it sound as if you're sacrificing something by living with me.” Oliver chuckled. “But I’m open to the possibility. What can you bring to the table?”

“I’ll just be a fresh pair of eyes. And I can fetch whatever supplies you need. I won’t cook for you again though, now that I know you’ll eat whatever I put in front of you despite the very real danger of food poisoning.” She stops here to flash him a cheeky grin.

“I make alright coffee though. And I can help watch the entrances on your next grand plan, so no one lights you on fire again.”

Oliver leans back in his seat, placing a hand under his chin as a whimsical look appeared beneath his bandages. “Well, I reckon that does sound pretty handy. But are you sure about this? You could get seriously hurt. Hell, just look at me.”

He adjusts himself.

“That, and your loved ones might also be in danger. What about your parents? What would they say about their daughter fighting crime and chasing serial killers?”

“I don't think I’d tell my mom and dad,” she admits, sliding off the countertop and coming over to the table so she can sit across from him again.

“...And I know it will be dangerous. But I can't handle the thought of him hurting the people I care about. I can't even have a boyfriend because I’m worried they’re going to get killed just for hanging around me. He has to be caught or I’m never going to be able to have a normal life again.”

“Alright, Miss Haywood.” Oliver finally relented, extending his hand. “You’ve convinced me.”

His brows furrowed together.

“But I hope you know that if it comes down to it, you will have to be willing to take another human life. It ain’t easy, I know, but sometimes it has to be done. After all, I’d say you’d enjoy putting a couple of slugs into this bastard.”

’Could I kill someone?’ she muses and the question makes her hesitate. Nori had always been really squeamish about seeing other people getting hurt physically in any way.

It wasn't so much the blood or the gore that freaked her out so much, it was more that she couldn’t understand what would drive someone to violence on any large scale.

’I’ll make an exception, just this once,’ she tells herself. ’So he can't hurt anyone else.’

“Deal,” she says, taking his bandaged hand in hers and giving it a shake, a little more gently than normal in consideration for the damaged skin that lay underneath. “You’ll have to teach me how to use a gun though.”

Reaching down to his side, Oliver pulls out his Colt 1911 semi automatic handgun.

"Two and a half pounds, nine inches long, with a five inch barrel to boot. Chambered in.45 ACP."

He dumped the magazine and pulled back the charging handle, effortlessly catching the ejected shell in midair. Flipping the gun over with the handle facing her, he shrugged.

"Wanna hold it?"

“None of what you just said makes any sense. It sounds like you're making up words,” Nori teases as she reaches out, gingerly gripping the handle of the firearm and pulling it free from his grasp. The florist is slightly caught off guard by the weight of it, but she doesn't do anything completely humiliating like drop it, which is a blessing.

“How'd you learn how to shoot, anyways?” she asks, genuinely curious as she inspects the gun, careful to keep her finger away from the trigger even though the magazine and the chamber are empty. The blonde stands up and walks a ways before turning so that she's facing away from the detective. Nori holds up the gun like she's seen action heroes do in the movies, but she feels like she looks ridiculous, so she tries to adjust her stance a little, but it’s still off. “Should I use one hand or both of them?”

"Smartass." Oliver smirked, reclining in his chair and watching as the DJ fumbled with the weapon.

"You can either use two hands or one, if you're strong enough, of course. But- here, your stance is a little off."

He rose from his seat, taking a position behind her as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her arms in place. He would slowly guide her grasp outwards, sweeping in with one of his legs in order to push back her own.

"It's really simple," He spoke in a low, hushed tone, almost growling. "You just have to know where to start, really. The police academy teaches you these things."

Oliver stands up and crosses over to her and even though she knows it's coming it still manages to catch her off guard when he presses his front against her back, arms wrapping around her's to adjust her grip on the gun. 'He's just helping, no need to get weird,' she tells herself as she brings her other hand up to help steady her grasp.

Then he slides one of his legs between her's, bumping against her right one to prompt her to move it where he sees fit. Nori can feel the beginnings of a blush start to creep up her neck as she lets him arrange her into a stance that feels much more comfortable.

Damn nerves.

“Right,” Nori answers, the word coming out more hushed than she had intended as she turned her head a little to peer back at him. “So then I just pull the trigger and kill all the bad guys?” she jokes a little lamely, raising her eye eyebrow at the detective.

Oliver couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "You only point a gun at things you're willing to shoot. Remember that."

He takes a hand off hers and points at the reticle sight near the end of the barrel. "You line the target up with those crosshairs, making sure it's all in the center."

His grip grows a little tighter.

"And then you squeeze the trigger."

Resting a bandaged finger on her own, he pushes down on it, adding more and more pressure until the gun emits an audible click.

"That's all there is to it. Only when you do it for real with rounds in the chamber you'll find that the gun weighs more, and that you have to take recoil into account. However, I'm sure a strong girl such as yourself could handle it."

The doorbell sounds and Nori jumps, taken aback by the abrupt ringing. “That’s probably the pizza,” the blonde tells him, lowering the gun and disentangling herself from him. “I’ll go take care of it.” The tattooed girl turns the gun around carefully, handing it to him handle first before she pads over to the front door, grabbing her purse when she passes it on the counter.

Nori checks the peephole before opening the door and accepting the food from the delivery girl. The taller girl looks a little miffed when the DJ pays and only leaves her a three dollar tip, but Nori ignores it. It’s not like she has a lot of money she can spare right now.

Payment taken care of, Nori carries the pizza box over to the table and sets it down before going over to fridge and pilfering a root beer. “What do you want to drink?”