Another night has come and gone, and yet... Rukiyo hasn't slept.
Instead, she spent the night awake, staring out the window at the flickering eternal flame and just pondering on what to do from there.
She should probably feel exhaustion creeping up on her at this point— after all, she has been awake for nearly two days straight, but as if to mock the very concept of fatigue, her eyes remained sharp and alert, fixed on the fire below.
Then, slowly, the darkness began to fade.
Knock, knock, knock.
Rukiyo snapped out of her trance when a soft knock on the door broke the silence.
She pulled her gaze away from the window and strode over to the door, her footsteps soft and silent, then she opened it to reveal Blank standing there, a small pack slung over his shoulder and a nervous expression on his face.
He took one look at her.
"You.. D-Didn't sleep." He mumbled, sounding more like a statement than a question.
Instead of answering, Rukiyo let her gaze travel over him, taking the small pack on his shoulder down to his outfit.
She lifted an eyebrow and he shifted awkwardly under her assessment.
"That's all you're going to bring?" She asked, tilting her head in confusion and Blank nodded hesitantly, shifting in his feet.
"Y-Yes.." He muttered, glancing at the pack. "I just.. P-Packed the essentials."
Rukiyo hummed, pleased. "Good job."
Blank nodded again, his hair shifting with the movement, then he cleared his throat. "A-Anyway.. I told Orion about us leaving.. H-He said he wanted to talk to you."
"Really?" Rukiyo clarified as she looked over her shoulder to look at the room to check if she left a mess before turning to Blank. "Do I have to?"
Blank fidgeted with the straps of his pack and shifted on his spot awkwardly, his bangs seemingly covering more of his face compared to earlier. "Yes.. S-Said it was.. Important."
Rukiyo exhaled through her nose. "Alright. Where is he?"
Blank pointed toward the staircase at the end of the hall, his finger shaking lightly, causing Rukiyo to look in that direction.
"D-Downstairs... He made you tea..." He muttered, as if that fact might soften whatever Orion wants to say— or maybe just stall Rukiyo's departure a little longer.
Rukiyo blinked at him for a second before huffing, but she didn't argue.
Instead, she stepped past Blank and headed for the stairs without another word, leaving him standing there awkwardly.
However, as soon as she walked away from him, Rukiyo heard Blank scrambling after her, his footsteps hurried and slightly uneven, the bottom of his boots thumping on the floorboards.
He catched up just enough to hover behind her on the stairs, wringing his hands nervously in the air.
"B-But if you don't want to.." He blurted out, stammering on his words. "T-Then it's okay! You don't have to talk to him—!"
"It's fine." Rukiyo stated and cut him off with a glance over her shoulder. "He's your brother. It makes sense he would be worried about some random woman dragging you away. I would be, too, if I had a sibling."
Blank choked on air at the bluntness of that statement, but doesn't argue further as they reach the bottom step.
The kitchen is quiet except for the sound of something porcelain hitting a wooden surface.
Rukiyo and Blank rounded the corner to get to the kitchen, seeing Orion sitting at a small table by the window— two porcelain cups already set out in front of him, one steaming hot and another that looked suspiciously like coffee.
Rukiyo shot Orion a glance before taking a seat across from him without another word.
She was trained to please on a daily basis when she was still working, always smiling, bowing, and trying to please whoever for the sake of a good relationship, but she's not on earth anymore.
It may have been considered disrespectful, but seeing that Orion didn't say anything, she couldn't stop herself from relaxing on her seat.
"I.. I-I'll be waiting by the village g-gate.." Blank called softly, turning in his heels and bolting out of the house without waiting for any response from either of them.
The abrupt exit did little to ease Rukiyo's discomfort, but she shifted her attention back to the small, cozy space— the rustic wooden table, the simple kitchen items, the faint scent of coffee mixed with the fresh tea in front of her, before meeting Orion's steady gaze across the table.
For a moment, they sat in tense silence, as if two wild animals sizing each other up.
Then, Orion breaks the silence with a small, humorless chuckle— the sound catching her off guard.
"Well... this is awkward."
Rukiyo was so caught off guard that she ended up staring at Orion for longer than necessary, trying to gauge his intentions, before nodding.
"So you say.." She echoed dryly before getting straight to the point. "Anyway.. Why did you tell Blank you wanted to talk to me? What do you want from me?"
"Ah. Straight to the point, too." He muttered, reaching for his cup. "I was hoping we could talk.. About your intentions with my brother."
Of course that's what this is about.
Rukiyo locked eyes with Orion, understanding his wariness, because just as she had said, she would be worried, too, if she had a sibling.
So, she didn't try to sugarcoat anything— she's tired of beating around the bush.
"I asked your brother to be my companion." She stated bluntly, her gaze flickering to her cup. "I meant it as a friend, but your brother mistook it for something else."
She paused, letting the information sink in, then he continued, slowly. "I explained it, of course, but he still wanted to come with me. I seriously thought he was joking— turns out, he's actually serious about it."
"..I know it's his decision." Orion mumbled and paused as he took a sip on his drink before adding. "But I can't stop worrying about him."