Christmas RP: Cinerei and Elle - Part 1

Elle: Elle huffed softly, shaking her hand slightly as she turned away from an unconscious human sprawled across the alleyway floor. Slowly but carefully, the hitman made her way behind a wooden crate and knelt besides a young, crying female rabbit, curled up and afraid from almost being taken away earlier. “Shhh.” The redhead hushed the weeping child, brushing her gloved hand gently atop the crown of the younger’s head. “The bad man is asleep now. Time to go back to your big brother.” Elle said as softly as she could, despite her rare sign of compassion, her expression still remained the same. Awaiting for the little girl’s response, Elle pulled out a small blanket out from her weapon case. She had bought it with her own earnings… just in case she ran into unfortunate children in the streets. “O-Okay….” the little rabbit answered, reaching her arms out for Elle as if wanting a warm hug. The other however… paused and stared dumbly at the girl, yet she still scooped the little body up into her arms with the blanket, wrapping the little girl’s frail body and hiding her rabbit ears along with it.

Maneuvering through the crowd of people in the streets, Elle carried the little girl in her arms and walked her across the streets where an older boy had waited for the two. “You- You really saved her!”  the boy beamed, holding his younger sister as Elle had let her down. “Shh.” She silenced the boy, placing an index finger over her lips. “I did no such thing… now hurry home. Both of you.” she then ordered the two young children before kneeling down at them, “Whatever happens. Remember to stay strong for each other… understood?” her voice lowered, “Don’t ever let anyone take the things precious to you away. Now... hurry home.”

Quietly, the young hitman watched the children hurry off home. As she watched the two leave in the distance, something warm began to drip from her nose. She blinked slightly, blood had dripped onto her gloved hands. Great… her nose was bleeding after that guy had socked her in the face. Hah… she was going to get a bruise later.

Cinerei: A white plume of breath materialized itself in front of Cinerei’s face as he exhaled the cold air. He stood outside of a local pharmacy carrying a hand carry bag that had a medium-sized white box full of medical supplies and another much smaller black box that had his precious new hand warmers neatly stacked within. Impatience was currently an unwavering, metaphorical cloud over his head. This feeling was then enhanced by the winter wind that made its presence known by gliding past him as it flew through the city street. The brown knit scarf that was nestled around his neck could only provide such an isolated warmth. Though he was also grateful for the layered attire he wore and the black casket hat that protected his rabbit ears, his face and hands couldn’t be saved from the weather. It just had to be the one who had intolerance for cold weather to volunteer to go on an emergency medical supply run. Thankfully he had a reward for himself. As Cinerei put the bag down on the ground, he picked up and opened the black box and proceeded to stuff a pair of hand warmers underneath his gloves. He took a moment to place his hands on his face to further appreciate the artificial warmth before picking the bag up again and venturing back to headquarters.

The rabbit hole that he had used wasn’t that far from the pharmacy. A couple of blocks and street crossings were much simpler for a rabbit who often had to exert much more energy in going through obscure alleyways to avoid being detected after taking on jobs that required a crime to be committed. It wasn’t a crowded night neither. Only a few people walked alongside him as he crossed the road. This fact probably added to the reason why Cinerei couldn’t help but notice a person rush past him, carrying a child in her arms; normally he zoned out of other people’s existence for the sake of not wasting his time with the observance of mundane activities. By the time the person had rushed far ahead of him, Cinerei had already gone back to his jaded thoughts. It wasn’t until, after having walked through a couple more blocks, did he notice the same person standing some feet ahead. This time the child she was carrying was standing beside another one. He felt especially curious upon seeing their rabbit ears. Cinerei had slowed down his pace without meaning to. Despite his uncaringly cold expression, whenever there were rabbits involved he felt like he had a habitual tendency to worry for their welfare; even if he stubbornly denied harbouring this stupid feeling. He glanced at the two children that ran past him. When his green eyes returned to looking forward, he made eye contact with the person who had seemingly helped them. “Oh” he said in a barely audible way coupled by a white plume of breath diminishing in front of his expressionless face. He looked away for a moment while he went to reach for something in his coat pocket. Then he walked over to Elle and handed her a clean white handkerchief to help stem the bloodflow. “You’re a bloody mess everytime I see you” he meant to sound insulting but his voice sounded timid due to the cold weather affecting his throat. Upon realizing this oddity he scowled, looked away, and added “You’re the reason we medics have to go on these emergency supply runs. Reckless rabbits"

Elle: “Ah.” A small sound escaped her lips once she caught the eye of a familiar face. It was that brunette medic once again. “Good evening.” she said calmly, hardly minding much about her bloody nose. The younger stared blankly at the handkerchief handed to her, which she gratefully accepted and cleaned the bloody mess her nose had made. “I apologize. Sacrifices are always need to be made. The girl would have been taken away from her brother if nothing was done.” she responded, the insult the other had thrown was uneffective on her. “You don’t need to pay any mind whether I’m bleeding or not. There are others in far more need of you than I.”

Elle soon checked her nose again and found that her nose had finally stopped gushing with blood. A very small sigh escaped her lips, evident from the puff of white drifting in the cold air, the young hitman shoved the bloody handkerchief into her pocket and looked back at the brunette, “Nevertheless, I am grateful for all you can done for me already. I am in your debt next time, if there is a next time we meet…..” It was only now that it hit Elle that she had never gotten the name of the medic after their encounters… How rude of her… She highly doubted there was going to be any close relation to this man… or anyone else really… but knowing one’s name wasn’t going to kill her in anyway. “How thoughtless of me. I never learned your name- if you’re willing to tell me that is.” she said very casually, yet painfully pointing out the fact that Cinerei didn’t seem interested in her really. Not like it hurt or bothered her, it was simply a silent observation she had made, an honest one.

Cinerei: He looked down at the ground halfway through listening to her say the reason as to why she’d incurred her injury. There was unsaid acceptance for her decision to act upon the cruelty that befell the two children. Though upon hearing her disregard her own health he had to make eye contact once more; this part he can’t accept. He narrowed his eyes at her “If I had that mindset I’d kick my ass. I wouldn’t be a respected medic if I didn’t pay attention to bleeding comrades.” he smirked, somehow looking sarcastic for a moment before giving off a half-hearted shrug. “It’s so much more time consuming if went around being selective of who I should tend to.”

Cinerei stared at the bloody handkerchief before it vanished from sight as it was kept in the confines of a pocket. It wasn’t that much of an injury, there wasn’t too much bloodshed, though that bruise needed to be iced. He looked like he wasn’t listening to her voice out her gratitude, but he eventually blinked and looked her in the eye once more. “Yes, you can pay me with hot tea or if you’re truly grateful you can buy me a heater” he said seriously at first, then shifting to sarcasm for the latter suggestion. “Oh?” he looked at her incredulously, as if he hadn’t realized himself that names hadn’t been exchanged despite the fact that he’d met this red-haired rabbit more than twice. “Well, you can call me Cinerei” he said dismissively, grounding himself back to his uncaring demeanor. “You are?”


Elle: “I see.” She answered, not having much to really say. The hitman tilted her head slightly and stared at the man, quietly listening to what he had to say. “Each mindset differs from one person to another does it not? Nevertheless it’s still admirable that you tend to comrades in need.” she added, even though her expression had not changed even once, Elle had meant what she said sincerely rather than to carelessly toss the man a compliment. Was there any point of throwing meaningless words around? Most probably not, she thought to herself. That’d be a waste of energy and a big fat lie, that and did she hate lying the most.

The red head’s ears twitched slightly under her beanie, it seemed the other answered to her gratitude. Tea? Heater? She was really expecting something work wise to repay the rabbit… but to repay with something materialistic? Was a cup of tea or a heater something of equal value to the medical care done? It didn’t seem like Cinerei was very serious with his words, but still- Elle dug her hand into her pocket and pulled out her wallet, opening it to check how much money she had. She didn’t have all that much, but after saving many of her small paychecks over time, she suppose she would able to repay Cinerei for all he had done for her. “Very well.” she told the other. Even if the brunette wasn’t as serious, Elle was. She wasn’t joking about repaying for his services, in fact she was more than willing to comply to pay him back one way or another. She never was one to joke or fool around... ever.  She was completely serious through and through.

The young female took a few steps forward and over to Cinerei, only stopping a few mere inches away from the elder. “If a cup of tea or a heater is what you desire, than so be it. You have my gratitude after all.” she stated. “Ah. My name… It’s just Elle. Pleasure to meet you.”

Cinerei: There was a visible glimmer of interest in Cinerei’s green eyes when he heard the other rabbit acknowledge his suggestions for repayment. He couldn’t seem get used to receiving what he wanted without much complication arising. Ever since he had joined the brigade, the things he demanded to receive in life had become so easily available; however simple these were such as money, free medical supplies, plants, or warm drinks. Cinerei watched as she approached him. The steps she took appeared to be soundless and light against all the other noises floating around the street. There were a number of pedestrians passing through the same sidewalk. Some were conversing with their companions while the others were lost in their own thoughts. Vehicles’ tires made small crunching noises on the asphalt road as they revved up their engines before the stoplight turned green. As Elle’s voice blended with these noises, Cinerei placed her name into the list he had filed in his mind carefully memorizing it.

“Just the tea. I wasn’t serious about the heater.” he forced out a smile. “Let’s go, there’s this coffee shop near the rabbit hole we can pass by.” with that he started walking down the path he was originally taking before he ran into Elle. The thought of not only having hand warmers to comfort his cold hands, but also having a hot beverage to surely heat up his entire self, lightened up his mood. There’s no longer any complaints in his head about having to venture outside tonight.

Elle: For a brief moment, Elle eyes widened slightly, looking a tad surprised that the other decided to accept her repayment… in the form of a cup to tea. Was that really payment enough? She could only wonder. People were so different from one another… it was really fascinating. She wanted to know more about others, learn what others think, learn what makes them so different, there was so much that the rabbit didn’t know about others or anything in general- and she wanted to learn... but yet she knew she had to keep her distance with others even if her childish curiosities did not agree with her. She knew that once she allowed herself to grow attached to others, one day they will break. Humans… rabbits… all forms of life were fragile and fickle things. If not careful, they will crumble and break like glass. Especially when life comes with a cruel fate; everything will one day die… and no one will know when. She knew when there is to love and care about the things precious- the more painful it would be when she would hold it close and it will just slip out of her hands and disappear the next second. She didn’t want that. Not again. The rabbit softly shook her head and followed Cinerei to this coffee shop he mentioned about. Tonight was a colder than usual, especially when during the day, the sun did not peek out of the grayish cloud to provide any it’s natural warmth to the busy city, the redhead only huff at the cold and shiver at the icy breeze brushing against her pale cheeks.

The walk towards the coffee shop was not much of a long journey, rather- it was quite a small stroll before the rabbits stood before a small coffee shop emitting a soft, caffeinated scent seeping from it’s doors. Once Elle and Cinerei stepped into the small building, the cold that had previously haunted them soon melted to the warmth of the heater on. The place was so warm- it was quite surreal to believe that it was just cold outside.

It was very shortly after the two entered that a young girl in a uniform came up to them with an energetic smile on her face. The little waitress led them to the back of the room and to a secluded table with a booth seat against the wall and a regular wooden seat right across, all this was just right next to a large window. Elle of course choose to take the booth seat, but before she even sat down, the younger removed her winter coat and the leather casing strapped on her back, making sure to set her weapon case gently on the floor and her folded coat atop. As Elle finally sat herself down and curiously looked at her surroundings, the coffee shop was different compared to a restaurant she had been to before, it was very… quiet here- just the way she liked it. Not only that, the coffee was designed in a way to give off a very warm, homey atmosphere with Earthy and subtle colors, wooden floorings and little display shelves filled with plants, flowers, books, and the occasional toys and figures to give that spark of being in one’s home. Even the walls were elaborately decorated with shadowed paintings of a flock of birds and plaques of clever wordings or scenic pictures. Just being in this one coffee shop… it was just breathtaking, she had never seen something like this before. “It’s beautiful here. It’s almost like… another world.” she said, unaware that her stoic face had slipped into a fascinated expression that was almost childlike. “...Pardon me. It seems like I’ve gotten carried away.” The hitman continued, clearing her throat while she picked up the menu into her hand and scanning through it. “Certainly feel free to order anything you like.”

Cinerei: Outside everything under the dark shroud of night was at the mercy of the winter elements. Even the city lights seemed dimmed in comparison to the light inside the small coffee shop. The place was like a lamp sitting in the middle of a cold and dark world. The immediate transition between the chilly outdoors and the warm indoors caused Cinerei to breathe out a small sigh of relief. With the bag being carried in one hand, he used his other hand to rub at the tip of his nose that had become slightly pink the same as his cheeks due to the cold wind outside. Just as he did, a petite waitress proceeded to lead them to their seat all the while maintaining a smile on her face. It seemed that even the people within the shop emitted a less cold aura. A handful of people were taking up the coffee shop’s numerous seats. Most had steaming hot beverages sitting on their wooden tables sipping their drinks at key moments, and some were busy with either their laptops or books. The warm colors that engulfed the small shop gave them a much more lively appearance, compared to the people outside that hastily passed through the sidewalk with serious expressions swathed with the combination of dark blue nighttime colors and dim city lights. The coffee shop’s hospitable interior was truly much more relaxed. It was sanctuaries such as this that grounded Cinerei to a better perspective of the world. Even though he publicized himself as someone who did not, by all means, care, Cinerei couldn’t deny his acquired appreciation for peaceful places and as he spared his comrade a glance, he saw that she too appreciated such a place. It was good to be in company that didn’t just mindlessly drown themselves in their usually morbid paths in life, but also stop sometimes to be thankful for the flowers.

After placing the bag down on his side of the booth seat, he also removed his coat and folded it neatly before stacking it on top of the squarish bag. His hat and folded scarf followed thereafter before he proceeded to sit down beside the items. Cinerei couldn’t help but observe Elle’s open fascination for their surroundings. His blank facial expression followed Elle’s openly fascinated gaze. She was looking at the decorations that hanged on the wall. He then looked back at her again when she voiced out her thoughts. Cinerei didn’t respond, choosing not to show her that he too appreciated this peaceful place, because that would reveal that he had a weakness for such. He picked up the menu and flipped it over to the beverages section. Once he’d read the list of tea that they sold, he closed the menu. The waitress with the smiling face had returned to their booth holding a little paper pad in her left hand and a black pen on the other. Cinerei ordered himself a cup of green tea.

With their orders taken, the waitress left them in their isolated part of the coffee shop. A momentary silence befell the two rabbits. Cinerei had trained his eyes to stare outside of the window where the view of the familiar city laden with darkness presented itself. He’d placed his elbow on the table and now had his head cradled on his hand with a bored expression on his face. Without thinking he had muttered out loud “It does seem like another world”

Elle: “Lavender tea for me if you’d please.” The redhead politely told the young waitress while handing her the menus. It was a fact that she hated humans down to her very core, but as of currently, within the serene atmosphere of the coffee shop- even the hitman knew that as long as the waitress had done nothing wrong to either rabbits, then there was no reason to not be polite even if such action was habitual.

Taking notice of the silence between the two, Elle followed the brunette’s glance to the window. Amongst the dark reality that stood behind the glass, speckles of white powder fluttered from the skies and onto the earth. It had started snowing so it had seemed… Memories of a raging fire crept at the back of her mind, black ashes and soot were scattered and tainted the white fields of the place she thought about. She remembered that night very clearly, the moment where all the water in her frail body spilled out of her eyes, her voice growing weak after crying her lungs out. She even remembered feeling like her heart was torn apart mercilessly at that moment. Everything was so vivid, even till this day, she remembered every second of it. It’s a bit hard to believe that it was almost that time of year again, the anniversary of her precious friends who died and returned to the soils. Elle could only stare calmly at the falling snow, the memory left a deep gash, but it had not bothered her anymore. She learned to accept what had happened, no matter how many times she could possibly cry or sulk about it- she didn’t feel the need to. Nothing was going to bring her friends back after all- there was no time for her to casually sit around and mope about the past.

Just as Cinerei unknowingly responded to the redhead, their waitress came back and set their orders down on the table before them. Giving her thanks, Elle lifted her tea cup with one fluid motion and brought it up close to her lips. The scent of the lavender was subtle and soft, a wonderful aroma it was… how very soothing. It was an excellent remedy to relax herself from all her countless days and nights she spent training, to the point of sacrificing the sleep her sickly body very much needed. All that was clearly evident from the bag under her eye.

Taking a small sip of the warm beverage, Elle turned back to the window and glanced over the books lined up against the window. She traced her fingertips at the spines of the books, looking for anything interesting she could possibly read. It had been a while since she leisurely sat down and read a book. After shortly glancing through the titles, her fingers stopped at a thick spine with the name ‘Grimm’ printed on it. Why on earth would such a morbid book end up in such a nice coffee shop? ... It was most probably for decoration purposes, seeing how physical books were inferior at this time. Regardless of such, the younger took the book out and placed it onto the table, opening it up and scanning through the text. “To be able to sit around peacefully, it certainly feels like a luxury to momentarily escape from our own world, feeling like we never lived like the way we do now. All of this is just a mere fantasized illusion in the end, a lie of the reality beyond these walls.”

Cinerei: Two white tea cups were perfectly balanced on their saucers as they were placed in front of each rabbit. Trails of white steam fluttered upwards from the hot beverages as the waitress turned and left them only to return to her designated station behind the counter of the coffee shop. Seeing the newly fallen snow appear had made Cinerei feel a bit disheartened for he knew that the weather could only grow colder for the night. He would have to visit the headquarter’s garden tonight to make sure that the plants were well-adjusted to the upcoming wintery temperatures. Ever since the coldness began to infiltrate the entire city, Cinerei had been busy tending to the plant’s welfare. Even with this beforehand preparation, he just had to keep an eye on them; he knew what it was like to wake up to a garden destroyed by cold weather, his mother would look as if the world betrayed her a bit more every time winter did that to her hard work. Just as quickly as the memory appeared in his mind, he picked up the cup of tea and took a hasty sip. The impulsive action only earned him a burnt tongue and a hissed out expletive to go with it, before he placed the cup back down and scowled at it. He rubbed at his mouth in a dire attempt to heal the temporary burn or somehow hide his slight embarrassment. He was too impatient to wait for anything to cool down, so he fidgeted in his seat and ended up shifting to an observing stance as his red-haired comrade took interest in the shop’s books. He caught a glimpse of the title she picked out before she placed it down onto the table with a soft thud. Cinerei raised his brow, intrigued at the fact that she just randomly started reading the book aloud. He had never touched any book that wasn’t about technical subjects such as botany, pharmacy, medical practices, or weaponry handling. Poetic books such as this were strange to him. The artistic flow of the words combined sounded very different from the mechanical informativeness of things he read. Though he found it even more strange how much the phrases coincided with their current sanctuary and how the both of them viewed it; otherworldly.

“So you like reading books?” he asked, keeping a calm disposition as always. He hesitated before sitting back and adding “Most people I’m with are either starved to death or too hyperactive to read books."

Elle: “The words were my own.” She spoke up in a softer tone, different from the one she had always used. The young rabbit was poor when it came to displaying emotions, of course… so instead of smiling at the man, she shifted her tone slightly. She does experience emotions like anger or unease- the sorts like anyone else…  it’s just-- when it came to display those emotions especially ones like happiness… to smile- all of that was a very foreign concept to her. Come to think of it… she couldn’t even seem to recall a time where she once smiled.

Despite her eyes spent most of the time scanning through the words of the thick book, Elle looked up at the brunette every now and then, observing Cinerei’s reactions, being simply curious as to how others reacted so differently… basically studying him quietly.  “This place. It really is like an illusion to the world we know. It’s nice, not having run or to wonder if we’re going to survive to see another day.” she continued, taking the tea cup in her hand and carefully took another sip of the hot beverage, not planning to burn her tongue like her comrade had just did. While merely glancing at the rabbit sitting across from her, Elle noticed a brief change of one expression to another, ones that were not of calm demeanor. Cinerei’s expression… looked anxious for a moment, then soon changing to one of embarrassment after burning his tongue. Ah… he was blushing slightly even..

The hitman opened her mouth slightly, about to ask if the elder was alright, but the feeling in her gut told her that she had to immediately closed it up again in case it was something personal that should not to be touched upon. Elle knew everyone in the brigade had all carried some kind of tragedy- a common story; she was not alone and she knew that well. But unlike herself, who was open to share her own painful memories as if it were nothing… others were not able to just bitterly swallow the pain and keep trudging forward like her. To some, those wounds remained and prefered them not to be touched upon. Even if it was all an assumption, the red-head wasn’t planning to stick her nose in somewhere it didn’t belong- it wasn’t her business anyway. So instead, she pretended like she didn’t notice anything that happened just then.

“I do. Reading helps keep my mind active and busy.” She responded, flipping to another page in the book. Her mismatched orbs looked up at the man and she tilted her head slightly. If she had recalled... it was extremely rare to see anyone in the brigade read… most of the time, whenever she walked in the hallway, many of the brigaders were often goofing off and laughing- causing unnecessary noise and mischief… Elle did not mind per say as long as it did not pertain her-- though... she did admit she was a little envious of them in fact, being happy around the people they love… but still- she’d rather enjoy huddling up to somewhere secluded, somewhere quiet and peaceful, with a nice book to read. “Ah. Thats understandable. Not many read now-a-days and thats perfectly fine.” she looked back down, already turning to another page. “I do in fact, enjoy reading. It leaves me in peace, and theres many things I want to learn, to understand. I have never been to school before, so I grew up teaching myself by reading.”  again she had flipped to another page, focused on reading the text- but still able to converse naturally. “And you? Do you like reading?”

Cinerei: A literate person, wasn’t usual for Cinerei. He couldn’t help but regard Elle with a bit more respect. Not only was this female rabbit skilled in combat, she had time to hone her manner of speaking in a way that was somewhat poetic; he’d thought she’d read from the book. For a brief moment he glanced back outside the window where the city was slowly becoming consumed by the veil of winter. During this brief moment, his fingers clasped together on his lap before he rubbed his gloved hands for warmth as if the mere sight made him cold. He turned his gaze back at Elle and replied “That’s true. It’s nice.” he hesitated before forcing out one of his insincere smiles “Even more reason to not be too attached to these sorts of temporary places.” he lost the smile halfway while he looked down at his green tea. He wondered whether the slightly translucent green tea had passed it’s scorching state and was hesitant to take another sip.

He’d just taken another much more careful sip of his tea, made sure to cool it off with a few blows of air, when Elle responded to his inquiry. The more he listened and took note, the more curious he became. The curiosity that usually bloomed whenever he got a chance to list down not only informative things about comrades that he could use for practical reasons during missions, but interesting things such as their ability to appreciate what he appreciated; in this case: reading, peace, and quiet. “Yeah, which is why there’s so many idiots. They don’t take it upon themselves to study. Knowledge is very important!” his nonchalance started to give way to his passion for knowledge; brightened expression and all. As a child, there were botany books that his mother brought with her to his hospital room. With each book he finished, his mother would give him hands-on practice with actual bonsai plants. Eventually, the many books he’d read equated to the number of plants he had in the room. Each plant signified how he tried, despite his wearisome health, to pursue knowledge. For as long as he could remember, he always looked forward to studying. It was his lifeline when things looked bleak; he still had books to learn from, so he couldn’t have given up.

Then as quickly as he’d let his calm mask fall away, he tensed up in his seat and suddenly looked annoyed, pursing his lips and looking as if he just did something regrettable. He feigned coughing in his hand before continuing with a serious tone “Yeah, it’s important - what you’re doing.” he trained his focus on his cup of tea. He fiddled with the spoon that had gone untouched on side and stirred the tea. The little black green tea leaves danced at the bottom of the cup. Cinerei spared her a suspicious glance when Elle asked her question. “Yeah.” his tenseness waned away a bit as he responded “Medical books and a lot of botany books.”

Elle: “I see. I do agree- the fact we must not grow attached to these temporary place… or people for that matter.” she replied calmly, taking another sip of her fragrant tea before setting it down at it’s saucer. “Life is a cruel thing. The moment you grow very attached to something, it comes in and takes whatever that attachment is, just like that.” Her eyes lowered slightly as she explained, but that sudden air of sadness did not last for long, the younger simply too a gentle breath in and sent it right back of her system the next, allowing her to resume her calm demeanor again rather quickly. But attachments… hah… that was one thing she feared the most- with people especially. She could just hear familiar voices calling out her name, ringing in the back of her mind. They didn’t exist in this world anymore but in her memories. They were the reason she feared attachment so much.

The redhead did not pay much mind to the haunting voices in her head, they were a figment of her imagination- her memory- manifestations of her deep desire to see them again. Instead, Elle gave her fullest attention to the brunette sitting across from her, a spark of surprise gleamed in her eyes just watching the man glow at his passion for knowledge. How frightening… it was almost like looking into a mirror- both so calm and collected, enjoying peace and knowledge… and that beam of childish... excitement peeking through their calm demeanors whenever it came to their passions or interests. It was most definitely terrifying to find someone so similar to her… it makes her rather curious to what else the two had in common. “Mm. Knowledge is indeed important. Without such necessity such as that, how can anyone function properly through life? Needless to say, everyone is free to choose whether or not to sit and learn. But as for myself, I’d rather read and feed my childish curiosities.” she went on, watching the elder fumble in embarrassment. She really didn’t bother to question him on that either.

Soon, the female rabbit turned her attention back to the thick leather bound book in front of her, proceeding to read where she had left off and turning the page yet again moments after. “Medical books and botany you say. Medical books, I’m not surprised. Botany suits you. You have a very pleasant and peaceful air around you, it’s calming I must say.” she lifted her tea cup again, bringing it up to her lips and sipping the contents before shifting her gaze back to the window. It seemed  like the snow wouldn’t be stopping anytime soon… not that she minded. “I like reading anything, but I suppose I have this exceptional fondness of children’s storybooks and fairy tales. The ones of princesses, knights, and princes.” Elle returned her attention to the book and gently stroked her glove hand over the bittle page, “But I enjoy the morbid versions of those tales, not because of the blood and death- because it’s closer to the nature of reality. There are no happy endings here.” While going on, Elle came to a halt with reading and closed the book, lifting it from the table surface and slipping it back to where it belonged. “Besides. I’ve always hated how the childrens’ tales went. It’s unreal, and the princesses were always portrayed as helpless dames waiting for their beloved to come and rescue them, only to live happily afterwards. Women are just as capable to fend and help themselves just as well as any man could.” As soon as the younger realized that she was going on for too long, she paused and thought to herself for briefly. “I apologize. That was rather long winded was it not?”

Cinerei: Once more there was silent agreement to what Elle had said. It may have seemed like Cinerei didn’t hear her for he hadn’t even spared her a look of acknowledgement and was staring jadedly at his cup of half-finished tea. He knew these words and there was normalcy with how Elle chose to follow it up with silence. It wasn’t strange to respond to their cruel existence with quiet acceptance. It had become a part of their nature to live this way, to bear witness to cruelty, to be driven to convince themselves never to be attached to any temporary solace they could find, and just accept in the end that that was the way things are.

The more he listened to Elle, the more information he gathered about his comrade. Along with her opinions about knowledge, it was also steadily dawning on him how open-minded this other rabbit was. She considered multiple options on the topic of knowledge; how others can choose not to, how important it is, and how pure curiosity plays a part in how she pursues it. In the face of such an understanding person, Cinerei couldn’t help but feel at ease. It was as if he’d just been convinced that he wasn’t wasting his time with this one just because he found this one piece of evidence. He picked up the cup of tea and took a sip, appreciating the warmth.

The silverware resonated with a tiny clinking sound when Cinerei carefully placed the nearly empty teacup back on the saucer. He stared at Elle, confusion masked under a blank facade. He then placed his elbow on the table and rested his head on his hand. “You think botany suits me because of my calming presence?” he asked, voicing out his confusion with a very slight head tilt. The basis of his confusion was that he’d never heard such an observation before. It could also be that he wanted to hear her compliment him again.

At first, Cinerei blanched at the thought of such fictional reading and sat back. He had never focused on those unrealistic genres before because he felt that it did not benefit him in any way; probably the reason why he didn’t have a colorful imagination and why he viewed most things in black and white. Then she mentioned the morbid versions, such that didn’t give out fancy promises. His interest veered into the topic once more so he kept on listening. It was no mistake to take in what she had to say because truly he had no idea that there was a difference going on under all the books in the fairytale section. He’d never considered the existence of the darker fairytales amongst the common happy ones. And by the looks of it, the darker ones must have given her a lot of insight on something less magical, something more real.

“It’s fine, Elle” he responded calmly, it was good to know she held such self-respect. “I’ve never read fictional books before because they’re useless to me.” he flatly stated as he sat back and briefly folded his hands together before burying them in his pockets. “I kind of find it interesting that there’s an opposition under the same genre. What else do you learn from them?” he had his green eyes trained on hers once more, always making sure to have eye-contact when he had questions.