Sometimes, when he was able to take a break from his studies in En, Rakushun found Youko sitting at her desk, chin in hand, her eyes glazed over and glanced at nothing. Usually a frown graced her face, and her eyebrows were drawn close together.
It didn't surprise him. Enki had reported something along the lines of, "Youko's trying, but it's taking her longer than usual. And of course, you know Keiki -" and here he pulled a face, so appropriate upon his childlike face, "- he's as serious as she is. She never gets the support she really needs."
"And what kind do you think she needs?" Rakushun had asked.
Enki smiled, his eyes glittering. "The kind that isn't serious."
Even as he shadowed the doorway, Rakushun wasn't quite sure what that meant. But he knocked on the door anyway, hoping that he could at least distract her for a while.
Her eyes came to life as she jumped from surprise, her head jerking towards him. As was her style, she wore robes suited for someone lower-class, but that was just her way - she didn't like the robes suited for a king, preferring the simpler kind, or even men's clothes. He knew it drove everyone crazy, but he really admired her for it.
"Rakushun," she murmured, sounding dazed, as if she were miles away while lost in her thoughts. "What are you doing here?" Then her face scrunched up in displeasure. "Don't tell me - Enki sent you."
He took that as an invitation and walked into the room, smiling a little and twitching his whiskers as he swallowed his urge to laugh. "Well, in a way," he admitted, causing her to roll her eyes and place a hand on her forehead. "But you have to admit that I've been more tardy than usual lately."
Youko lowered her hand and blinked at him, as if confused by this. "But you have school. I know that. How is it going?"
Rakushun paused, recognising her tactic. She did this every time he came by - in order to keep him from discussing her own progress, she wheeled the conversation towards himself.
He decided to humour her for the moment, since talking about school was always such a delight. He had been held back for so long when he lived in Kou that it was still a novelty, even after a couple of years, that he was being educated based on his intelligence instead of his species. He discussed at length with her about the many odds and ends about his daily life, the people he had met, his rather flattering nickname, and so on. She listened with a smile, her cheek back on her hand, only it was a gesture of great concentration rather than boredom.
When he ran out of words, she smiled wider. "I'm so glad you're happy," she said, her eyes shining.
"What about you, Youko?" he answered, scratching at his nose a little in shyness from her compliment. "How are you doing?"
Youko/Rakushun - Friend-shippy, Part One
It didn't surprise him. Enki had reported something along the lines of, "Youko's trying, but it's taking her longer than usual. And of course, you know Keiki -" and here he pulled a face, so appropriate upon his childlike face, "- he's as serious as she is. She never gets the support she really needs."
"And what kind do you think she needs?" Rakushun had asked.
Enki smiled, his eyes glittering. "The kind that isn't serious."
Even as he shadowed the doorway, Rakushun wasn't quite sure what that meant. But he knocked on the door anyway, hoping that he could at least distract her for a while.
Her eyes came to life as she jumped from surprise, her head jerking towards him. As was her style, she wore robes suited for someone lower-class, but that was just her way - she didn't like the robes suited for a king, preferring the simpler kind, or even men's clothes. He knew it drove everyone crazy, but he really admired her for it.
"Rakushun," she murmured, sounding dazed, as if she were miles away while lost in her thoughts. "What are you doing here?" Then her face scrunched up in displeasure. "Don't tell me - Enki sent you."
He took that as an invitation and walked into the room, smiling a little and twitching his whiskers as he swallowed his urge to laugh. "Well, in a way," he admitted, causing her to roll her eyes and place a hand on her forehead. "But you have to admit that I've been more tardy than usual lately."
Youko lowered her hand and blinked at him, as if confused by this. "But you have school. I know that. How is it going?"
Rakushun paused, recognising her tactic. She did this every time he came by - in order to keep him from discussing her own progress, she wheeled the conversation towards himself.
He decided to humour her for the moment, since talking about school was always such a delight. He had been held back for so long when he lived in Kou that it was still a novelty, even after a couple of years, that he was being educated based on his intelligence instead of his species. He discussed at length with her about the many odds and ends about his daily life, the people he had met, his rather flattering nickname, and so on. She listened with a smile, her cheek back on her hand, only it was a gesture of great concentration rather than boredom.
When he ran out of words, she smiled wider. "I'm so glad you're happy," she said, her eyes shining.
"What about you, Youko?" he answered, scratching at his nose a little in shyness from her compliment. "How are you doing?"