First things first: warn Yoku. The moon sits high in the sky, accompanied by its two closest acquaintances, chill and quiet. The latter is rather avoidable depending upon where a person chooses to spend their night. One can always find an after-hours establishment where the tired and wearied utilize careless methods with the desire to drown their pain or bask in a freedom from responsibility. Escaping the silence of the night requires no effort within the walls of Eclipse Residence or in the heart of Crescent Village. Whether it's the swarms of businesspeople migrating back to their homes at the end of the night or loved ones soaking in the festival of lights, the two regions monopolize all sound after dark.
The chill is an utterly different beast. The temperature never drops down to the point of freezing, but when the sun goes down, the warmth from the island's light rapidly diminishes. A Human left out in the dark of night doesn't last long before symptoms set in. The cool sea air sends shivers coursing throughout the body. If a source of warmth isn't secured, before long the breeze grows more ferocious, biting at any exposed skin. Just one full evening outside is not enough to kill or seriously damage anyone, but there is no pleasure in undergoing the experience. Calm is rather fortunate on this night, for neither of the two friends of the moon stands in her way. She welcomes the peace and quiet after what has transpired the last few days; finally, the opportunity shows itself for her to get away and be one with her thoughts. As for the harrowing chill, well, heated emotions do a fine job for countering its longing embrace. Her increased body temperature boiling from within after the confrontation with the brutish Bruno shields her like a sun-soaked blanket.
Fear and anger fill her head. She doesn't fear for herself or for her own family. Bruno proved to be a despicable man but revealed no desire to bring harm to them. She assumes as much, anyway. Besides, he wouldn't do anything serious enough to turn Winter against him. The whole point of her inviting him to dinner was to advance their relationship and gain favor with her family. He isn't the type to jeopardize his opportunities intentionally. Rather, she fears for Yoku's safety. In her chest the fires of rage churn, and she feels it crackling for release. Calm, unavoidably, lets out some tension on her neighbor's front door. Her left-hand taps feverishly at the side of her leg. Her right-hand beats on the door. "Yoku! Please let me in," she cries out, trying to keep her voice hushed. Some time passes, and Calm waits impatiently, until the door finally scrapes slowly open. Yoku, his blue skin still a bit flushed, invites her in, "S-Sorry. It takes a minute to get up. Come in."
Once inside she heads directly to the kitchen and finds herself a chair to relax on. This marks only one of a few occasions in which she's been inside of her neighbor's home, but the layout is close to identical to her own. The internal design of Yoku's house differs in just two significant ways. For one, the kitchen and entryway are free from scattered newspapers and marked up letters. Being inside doesn't generate the same claustrophobic response. However, there is only so much a young boy with no parents or greater support structure can accomplish on his own. The place is in serious need for cleaning and maintenance. In previous instances the state of disrepair has caused Calm some discomfort and queasiness, but for now she doesn't even register it.
Calm focuses herself with a deep breath, attempting to replace the fire in her chest with a stream of refreshing air. Her hands relax and she exhales, "Shahhhh..."
Yoku joins her at the table, wobbling over slowly, coughing here and there. He asks "Is everything okay? How come you've come over?"
Her eyes dart up at him. "I needed to warn you about Bruno and the Residence," she tells him with a calm voice soothed by cool breaths.
He tilts his head downward, deflated, "I already know. I won't go there again."
"You know? How?" she asks surprisedly.
YOU ARE READING
Gardens For Guardians
AdventureCalm lives a quiet life on Moonfall Island, but lacks purpose. She may want everything to stay still, but what happens when the world around her goes topsy-turvy? At a young age her father left. And things may not be as peaceful as they really seem...
