My Half Angel

II: Friendship can lead to loneliness

After what seemed like forever to Ritsuka, Canterbury finally lead her to a small room that only had a bed in it. Ritsuka carefully poked her head in before walking into the room. Canterbury watched her, his face never changing, for a moment or two before closing the door to return to his work.

Ritsuka looked around the small, gray room as she slowly removed her eye mask to reveal her violet colored eyes. They looked like pools of poison. She slowly walked over to the bed located in the far corner of the room and sat on the edge. She lifted up her doll so that it was at eye level with her.

"How many demons do you suppose lives here, Ningyou?" Ritsuka asked, fiddling with her doll.

"I sense at least five demons within the house." Ningyou said, "One female and four males."

"Really? That many?" Ritsuka asked, curiously. "Do they all have a contract with that Alois boy?"

"No," Ningyou said, "Just Claude, he's the only one that has a contract with Alois. I have no clue about why the rest are here for."

"I see," Ritsuka said, looking out the only window within the room.

Ningyou moved its head toward Ritsuka. It looked at her with sadness and empathy in its eyes.

"Master?" Ningyou said, "Are you lonely again?"

Ritsuka looked at the doll with a blank stare.

"Maybe," she said.

Night had fallen by the time the door of Ritsuka's new room opened. Ritsuka was sitting on the bed, back against the wall and her head laying on top of her knees, as an attempt to sleep like that. Her eye mask and doll laying right beside her. Ritsuka slowly opened her eyes as light from a candle entered her room of darkness. She picked her head up and saw that is was Canterbury who entered her room. Two other men were standing behind him, looking in from over his shoulders.

"Is there something that you wanted?" Ritsuka asked.

Her bangs covered her eyes from their view, but she could see them. Canterbury nodded his head to the question and held out a piece of bread. Ritsuka's eyes grew wide as she saw what she wanted.

"Is that piece of bread....still good?" Ritsuka asked shyly.

Canterbury looked at her, taken aback by her question before nodding his head. He walked over to her and held out the piece toward her. Ritsuka carefully took it from him and began to take tiny bites from it. When she was half way through it, she noticed that the two other men entered the room as well and were staring at her, making her feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Did I....do something wrong?" Ritsuka asked.

The two shook their heads and continued to stare at her. Ritsuka stared back at them for a moment before returning her attention towards the half eaten bread. After she finished, she looked up at the three men, curiosity in her eyes.

"What are your names?" she asked, "I know Canterbury's already, but what about you two?"

The one that was on her left walked up to her and lightly tapped the top of Ningyou's hat.

"Top?" she asked, trying to guess what he was saying.

The man nodded and tried to draw a circle in the air before looking like he was just getting up.

"Top....sun?" Ritsuka asked.

The man nodded and signaled her to say it faster.

"Thompson?" she said, "Is that your name? Thompson?"

The man, Thompson, nodded his head and looked toward the man who stood between him and Canterbury. That man stepped forward and pointed toward the trees. Ritsuka looked toward that direction for a moment before returning her gaze back at him.

"Your name is....Timber?" she asked.

The man, Timber nodded his head to the question. Ritsuka looked at the three men before her, studying them a bit.

"Are you three....brothers?" she asked again.

They nodded their heads together, making Ritsuka give a small smile. It looked a bit sad.

"You're lucky then," she said, "I don't have any siblings or family left."

A single tear escaped down her cheek as the brothers stared at her, remaining ever expressionless. Ritsuka rubbed her eyes sleepily, the sad looking smile gone from her features.

"Thank you for visiting me and bringing me some food," she said before lying down on the bed. "But I would like to ask you to please leave now, so I may rest."

The three demons continued to watch her as she fell asleep. Slowly, they made their way toward the door and closed it behind them once she was fast asleep.