Blowing Things Out of Proportion

"...But once you drink enough you'll sing for me won't you?" Aoi's voice was sweet as she smiled, her hand sliding into his hair as she found his white ears. It was a bit harder than before, but they were a pure white while the rest was a sort of blonde.

Slightly red, Aoi nodded at Rin's words. "Mhm. It makes sense to have some sort of musical skills for an assassin. I could pose as a few types of people really, though those kinds of jobs weren't my specialty... B-But flutes! Not any of the modern ones, though I suppose it would just take practice..."

Switching the subject from 'I was sent in mostly to slaughter, not undercover', she tried to remember some of the modern ones. They were different from what she was used to, metal and longer? She knew a few of the older types, easier to hide on your body when working or storing than stringed instruments.

"I...I might." So there was no watching his drinking then...if she actually wanted him singing then he'd have to actually get drunk to do so, otherwise the embarrassment levels would be much to high for him to do so properly.

He listened to her words about the flutes as she played with his hair, giving a smile when she mentioned she probably just needed practice with more modern ones. If she wanted to attempt that, it might be fun to hear.

"Might?" Aoi's face fell slightly, but she quickly smiled once more and gave a small laugh as her fingers teased his hair lightly. Rin got nervous around just her! So with Ruka there it might be worse.

"I understand, its fine. You can sing for me in private, even only Ruka might be too much and make it that much harder?" She had no idea there would be others, assuming Rin and Ruka would be it this time.

"Ruka might bring friends, so, I'm not absolutely sure if she will or not though." Rin replied, giving a small, sheepish laugh at the mention of it being hard for him. Unless he were completely drunk...singing would be near impossible in his opinion.

He just...became way too embarrassed about it.

"...Oh." Aoi's voice shifted to shy and soft. She might normally be excited by new people to meet and become friends with but... if they were Ruka's it was almost assured they would be perfectly normal.

"...What do we tell them about me then? I-I look like a high schooler."

"Ah...well...I suppose we should make something up." Rin replied, thinking, considering...Aoi was right. "Some people just look younger than they really are, so, maybe the age thing won't be too much of a problem..."

He could only hope anyway.

"I-If I was another couple hundred years older I might... Might look in my twenties!" Aoi sniffled, aging in the afterlife was weird, it seems she had gotten the short end of the age stick. Mia was younger than her by almost a hundred years and LOOK at her!

"...What can we make up? My ID says I am 20. But... we told Ruka about the cults. What about what I do? We...always dance around that subject with her. Making up things about my work, how are we gonna keep this all straight Rin?"

"If you're ID says you're 20, then go with that." Rin stated, "It's alright, you'll just appear younger than you really are. There's plenty of others out there like that, so it's nothing too strange. Just remember the age on your ID."

He began thinking on the cult thing, thinking of what they could say...

"Ruka would probably cover for that, and not make any statements about it; it's not something people are very comfortable talking about, so she'll understand...as for what we could say...for here at least that you have a job somewhere? The question is...where, that or a college student perhaps..."

He was mostly musing aloud, but he was sure they could come up with something.

"We can keep our meeting story the same if we're questioned, just that you were working, and you were new to the city, and after we met I agreed to show you around."

"Twenty. I am twenty..." Aoi muttered to herself. She was twenty, a normal twenty year old girl. Nothing abnormal about her. They could do this. It would be easy... Easy as pie... but pie was hard to make! Oh no...

She froze as Rin gave her options, shaking her head at the final one. Her blue eyes were wide and a bit nervous as she moved to leave Rin's lap. "N-No I could never pass as a college student! I don't know enough to. I mean I know more now but I am still really... clueless about things and that is easy to mess up."

"J-Job though..." Slipping from the bed, Aoi started pacing and staring at the ground. "Meeting story is the same, got it... But what was I doing working? A-Am I...a um... what kind of worker would I be? I-I know my looks are European but I only know Japanese for languages... I can't be a translator or something. Think Aoi think! What could you do that would account for your skills... All I can think is stripper!"

"Eh.." Rin moved his hand back to her head, hoping maybe it would help her calm down...as he could see the panic clearly. "It's alright, mmm...job..."

He would have liked to reassure her on the knowing things thing...she knew stuff about old traditions, didn't students sometimes study on those subjects?

Job though...

"Hmm, perhaps...Well, you could have been born here, and have some European genes within you? That's not entirely unheard of. Ruka and I aren't full Japanese either, so it's alright.

You don't have to say you're a stripper, we can come up with something that works! I'm sure, it'll be alright."

He looked thoughtful again, trying to think of other jobs...

"Perhaps...Desk work? It's not the most interesting, but..you do do that sometimes...You deal with all sorts of paperwork, and such...?"

"Ah! That would make sense. J-Just born here. Orphan maybe? R-Raised japanese... I-I mean I know all those old traditions, maybe an older house or something. I might slip up so I need something to cover for those." Aoi gulped, pacing more and more. This was so nerve wracking! How was she supposed to react and deal with people who were utterly normal!?

"Stripping is the only thing I know how to do in the modern woooorld Riiiin!" Giving an anguished cry, she covered her face. "I made so much money that night..."

Desk...work? What kind? Blinking, teary blue eyes turned to Rin from the woman pacing on the floor. "I do but its mostly paperwork for human world things like going out and doing jobs or reports on the events that happen and stuff. Its...nothing I can talk about. Like... I can't say I am a worker at an office because I don't know how those ARE!"

"Her friends don't pry too badly, so they won't ask much..." Rin reassured, hopefully. "So you might not even need to worry much about some of these things."

Rin averted his eyes for a moment, his hand itching to go to his scarf but he turned back to her.

"If you just say desk work I'm sure they won't pry, most of the time when people here that they simply nod and go about their conversations. It's nothing to worry too much over, r-really."

"Oh...okay..." Aoi tried to be reassured, but she was nervous and unsure as she had ever felt. Stopping her pacing she moved towards Rin, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his neck and scarf as she crawled onto his lap.

Cuddling up to him, she took comfort from the man. "I-I'l stop freaking out then. Nothing to worry...over..."

"It'll be alright." Rin nodded, wrapping his arms around Aoi as she settled into his lap, one hand moving up to her head as he attempted to sooth her. "We don't have to worry about it."

It was a few days away, and he didn't even know for sure if Ruka even was bringing anyone else. Her main focus was to cheer him up probably, that and she also probably wanted to go herself since she really enjoyed it, so there was a chance it'd be just them.

Aoi was soothed, relaxing against Rin immediately once his hands went to her hair and he held her. She laid against him, pleased and content since he had assured her.

She trusted him... so completely it was kind of scary. "Okay... I won't worry at all."

Rin gave another nod, running his fingers gently through her hair as he continued to comfort her. Things would be fine, he thought so anyway. He'd need to ask Ruka later though if it was going to be just them, or if she was bringing others.

"Mhmm. It'll be alright."

Nodding into his neck, Aoi's arms loosened their hold on Rin just a bit. Her voice may have been a bit muffled but it seemed she wasn't moving even as her head leaned against Rin's hand.

"So if I am staying...what are we going to do about Ruka? She can't see me... Or I think she can't."

"We could do as we did last time...though...it was much later at night then, and we had the excuse of you being asleep...hmm..." Rin thought, "I don't think she'll be able to see you, I mean, I haven't noticed anything strange about her...like if she's becoming aware.

I could say I'm working, I'd let her know we were able to talk, of course...so she won't be worried anymore. Hmm..."

"But she'll be able to hear you talking to me... It feels so cruel to keep her in the dark about this stuff Rin. Its not very nice at all..." Aoi muttered softly, she felt wrong for keeping all this from Ruka. The woman deserved to know at least, it was her potential future as well. Rin was getting stronger, he could be altering her and not know it even now.

"I know...but..." He had his reasons for not telling her; she wasn't spiritually aware now, and if she were to know then she'd be worried. He felt he'd worried her enough over the years, and she was happy now...and while she worried sometimes, she didn't worry as much...if she knew...

"If something happens to you...and I have to explain to her all of this? I swear Rin you will be sleeping on the afterlife couch for the next decade. Maybe century." Aoi muttered, rather grumpy with that thought. Moving to nuzzle the side of his head, she kissed it a few times before smiling. "I can be quiet. I promise, since I want to stay with you again. I like having you by me..."

"..."

Rin still wasn't sure about telling Ruka about any of this, having had those previously thought concerns for years now...they weren't exactly easy to just let go of. Glancing to the side at Aoi as she moved to kiss the side of his head, he gave a nod after she'd spoken.

"Thank you, I...one day, maybe, I'll be able to tell her; it's not exactly easy letting go of my concerns with this..." He replied, voicing his previous thoughts. "I'm happy you're staying though, I suppose it goes without saying that I enjoy having you beside me as well?" He added with a small laugh.

"It isn't easy for you... you worry too much." Aoi just laughed lightly at that, Rin really did. He worried too much about... He accepted her words though, so now he was stuck dealing with the consequences if something happened... It was a promise really. "You know, for all you worry about others you don't save enough for yourself. I worry about you for that..."


Moving slightly back so Rin could see her face, Aoi shook her head before staring directly into Rin's yellow eyes with a large smile. "Nuh uh, nuh uh!You have to tell me! It doesn't go without saying, I need to hear that. It makes me so happy when I do, I'm not a bother to you."

"I suppose so...I'm sorry for that, aha..." Rin knew he tended to worry more so for others over himself. He didn't particularly think it was something he could fix though, it was just how he was. Though he did feel a little bad about that making Aoi worry.

His chuckle became less sheepish, and more genuine at Aoi's following words before he gave a nod, a smile appearing on his expression to match.

"Then I'll say it then, especially if it makes you that happy." He replied. "I love having you beside me as well, Aoi."

His face was tinted lightly due to using that word, but, he wanted to at least attempt to say it more...

"Now that is something I'll accept an apology for." Aoi pulled one hand back, reaching up to booped Rin's nose with a soft smile. He apologized for silly things sometimes, but worrying too much hurt him. If he could worry just a tiny bit less sometimes he'd be better off. She doubted he would though, so it was up to her to make sure he had less things to worry about towards her at least.

Rin looked so happy, his laughter nice to hear... She never wanted to see tired or upset Rin, though cold Rin was...

Not something she needed to be thinking of right now.

Shaking her head lightly, she pushed away the slight blush and smiled brightly as Rin's words affected her. Her hands buried in his hair, she loved it way too much to resist always touching it, smiling as she moved up to place her forehead against his. "I...love to be by your side. I'll stay there as long as you let me...I have a game I could be playing, so don't worry. I can keep busy here?"