Nanba Prison (Nanbaka RP Group) discussion

There is a gigantic library at the prison, only able to be accessed by prisoners who have gone one month without any altercations with a guard or escape attempts. There are fiction works, non-fiction, and instructional works. However, certain books are off-limits to certain prisoners. If a prisoner is a sexual offender, they can't access any books that may have explicit content. A violent offender, similarly, can't access books that involve grotesque descriptions of gore.

By the time Harumu, Ila, and Keito arrived at the library, Harumu was being held in Ila's arms because his legs had been shaking too hard for him to walk. He was scared to say the least. It was his first time being so far from his cell, even the outing the day before couldn't compare. His face was buried in Ila's neck, his hands tightly gripping at the dress fabric on her shoulders. It took a moment before he nodded, signalling that they could go into the library, though he did not know the term for it yet.

Keito seemed a bit concerned about Harumu, considering the panic attack he had the night before. He watched the boy carefully, though his curiosity urged him to gaze around the room. His brows furrowed over his pretty golden eyes, he followed Ila and Harumu into the library. Despite wanting to keep an eye on the boy, despite the wish to keep him as far as possible from another attack, he lost control of his sense and ended up looking around the room just as the boy was, his jaw dropped in awe and his eyes wide. "This is amazing, Ila! I've never seen so many books in one place," he whispered, as if not trying to ruin the silence of the large space.

Ila held Harumu close, gently rubbing his quivering back. She knew this was a big outing since they weren't even in building 13 anymore. She was softly humming by the time they came upon the library. She was surprised that despite his fear, they'd gotten this far. She was so proud of him but concerned. She knew once they were in the library, he would be able to calm down a bit. There weren't many people who visited after all. Just the librarians.
Once Ila got permission, she entered the library, watching Harumu carefully.

Ila was glad to see that Harumu didn't seem to be scared of the place but when Keito spoke, she finally took her eyes off the boy to the handsome man that accompanied him. Her lips slipped into a smile upon seeing his look of awe. She was so glad she'd brought them, they deserved to experience wonderful things and see amazing sights. "There are many libraries in this world," she said, speaking as quietly as Keito did. Libraries had that effect. "Some much bigger with even more books," she informed them.

Ila waited before she moved further in, wanting Harumu to be comfortable enough and for his body to cease it's trembling. However, a few moments after arriving, a small boy approached them, holding quite a large book in his arms. He looked to be around Harumu's age with a mess of brown hair on his head and brilliantly bright blue eyes. He didn't have much of an expression on his face, frankly it looked like he was a bit displeased if anything. He stopped a few meters away from the group, his impassive gaze flickering to Keito and then to Harumu before they settled on Ila. "Miss. Vesta," he greeted formally, his gaze flicking towards Keito again briefly. "Do you think I could get permission to enter your garden?" he asked. His voice was low, a quiet tone that didn't hold much emotion but still held the naivety of a boy. His eyes on the other hand, they held intelligence, calculating and returned to Keito once again. He felt there was something off about the man. He didn't know what but his instincts were rarely wrong. The boy in Ila's arms... he must be a prisoner as well. It made the blue eyed boy cautious of his presence. Ila was the naive type so he wouldn't put it past her to hold a psychopath in her arms.

Ila smiled at the boy, but it was a more sad smile. "Rene... I can try but..." she drifted off and the boy nodded. Due to his abilities, they didn't allow him access to the infirmary without guard supervision and he knew the garden was off limits but it didn't hurt to try. He missed his plants.

Keito tensed upon sensing another presence approaching them, causing him to step closer to Ila, only to relax at the sight of a boy around Harumu's age. The look of open curiosity and fascination, along with his fear and restlessness, on Harumu's face made Keito realize suddenly that the boy had never actually met, or even seen, another person his age. With a small smile, he gave Harumu's hair a reassuring stroke and then turned to look down at the child Ila referred to as 'Rene'. The intelligence shimmering in Rene's eyes, not to mention the disinterested expression on his face, made Keito straighten as if he recognized that he was being judged. "Rene, right? I'm Keito," he greeted kindly, smiling at the boy so openly and kindly that it seemed he could almost, but not quite, compete with Tsubasa. "This boy is Harumu. He's never interacted, or seen, another child before. If you wouldn't mind maybe—"

Harumu slipping down from Ila's arms cut the man off as he looked over in a bit of confusion. He can tell, I think, he told Keito mentally, his brows furrowing and his head tilting to the side. With a cute pout on his lips, he allowed Keito enough time to say "I'll see you later," to Ila before the man disappeared. In his place, and at the cost of a little cut on his chin, Yoite, a sort of peace-offering, appeared in his arms. Harumu glanced up at Ila, his small shoulders tense because Rene, however slightly, was taller than him. His breathing still a bit rapid, his shaking noticeable, and his heart still racing, he took a small step behind Ila. It was different from what could have been expected, seeing as he pulled Keito from reality, but he'd had a more relaxed reaction to Tsubasa than other people, and that hadn't gone too well. He was just being cautious, more so than normal.

Rene, or Emerson as he usually preferred but he didn't mind Ila calling him by it. Many people made a mockery of his 'girly' name and gave him a bit of hell for it. It was just another thing to annoy him. When his question was answered, Rene took that time to look at the boy who stared at him. He understood why he had Ila as a caretaker after seeing his expression when looking at Rene. Traumatized, a victim. He was a boy, probably rape, neglection... lack of parental figures he noted, seeing the way he clung to Ila and the strange man- Keito seemed to be protective of him.
Rene looked away from the boy in Ila's arms to the man. "Emerson," he corrected. He didn't much enjoy men calling him by Rene. It was a personal thing but he could only hope the pretty faced man would respect it. He nodded, though wouldn't feel comfortable calling him by Keito. He still called Ila by her last name.
Rene down casted his gaze, not caring about what the man said. He'd already deduced that much on his own and was glad he cut himself off.... He paused and glanced between Keito and Harumu, especially when he slipped out of Ila's grasp. There was a connection there, more than just a protective urge. It was abundantly clear when the man quite frankly vanished.

Rene's expression finally changed from its indifference. His eyes widened and he looked surprised but equally curious. He looked at Harumu, connecting that it was something to do with him. He'd seen a lot of people with different abilities coming here and seeing a sudden cut on his chin and an appearance of a cat. He guessed it might be something to do with bringing beings into being.

Rene noticed his elevated heart rate, something he could deduce from the way he breathed but he could tell his fear easier than that. Shaking, hiding behind Ila and dilated pupils. Rene didn't move closer, not that he planned on it anyway but watched the other boy for another moment before back at Ila. "If it changes, tell me," he said. He looked at Harumu once more, "you should take care of that cut," he murmured before he moved to walk away.


It slipped Ila's mind completely to introduce Keito and Harumu to Rene. However, Keito and Rene himself handled it pretty well before she could. She was glad to see Harumu wasn't terrified of Rene. She probably won't be telling him right away that he's here from spreading a poison.... though she doubted Harumu knew what that was.
When Harumu slipped out of her grasp on his own accord she watched him carefully until Keito spoke to her. She turned to look at him, surprised that he was leaving but nodded, "see you," she said.

Ila nodded at Rene's request and smiled a bit when he made a comment towards Harumu's cut. The boy was a herbologist like her. She would have asked him to stay a bit longer but she knew he wouldn't be far and if Harumu was curious to socialize with the boy, they could find him. She glanced at Harumu who hid a bit behind her and laid a hand on his head. "He's like me," she told him softly with a smile. "He likes using plants and herbs to help heal people."

Harumu's eyes widened a bit and he released a small whimper when Rene turned and left. Despite his hand tightening on Ila's skirt, by the way he leaned forward, it was quite obvious that he didn't want the boy to leave. Furrowing his brows and sucking in a deep breath, he pulled away from Ila and, with Yoite as his only protection, walked off after Rene. It took a lot of courage for him to do such a thing, though he likely hadn't realized what exactly he had just done. He couldn't call out to Rene, or Emerson as he had corrected, nor could he shout for Ila if he got into trouble. Besides, the atmosphere in the library was one of peace, so it wasn't likely that he would be in distress, unless of course one of his little demons decided to torment him.

Harumu shook his head to rid his mind of those dark thoughts, giggling softly when Yoite nuzzled against his jaw and meowed lowly. Her gesture was enough to make him calm down, and realize that he had no idea where he was. Pouting again and trying not to panic, he looked around him, walking slowly through the aisles until he spotted Rene. He definitely did not want to spook the boy by sneaking up behind him, but he also didn't want to irritate him or scare him away. The last thing he wanted to do was annoy him. Clutching Yoite harder against his chest, he decided to keep silent, following Rene despite keeping a large distance between them.

Ila was shocked to see Harumu go after the boy on his own accord. She couldn't believe it but she could feel tears pooling. She was just so happy he was curious about meeting him and taking the initiative to do so. She couldn't deal! However, out of worry, she made sure to keep an eye on Harumu. Not following but following. She was looking at books but she knew where Rene usually camped out so she didn't have either of them in her sight the entire time.

Rene knew he was being followed. He felt as if he was but it was confirmed when he heard the faint giggle. He kept his pace, not sure what would happen if the boy [since there wasn't anyone else to follow him] knew that Rene knew he was there. SO, he pretended he didn't. He didn't go too far but far enough to the back. He eventually came to an aisle with shelves filled with old, big books. It had a heavy scent of musk and old books which was a comforting smell - to Rene at least. At the back of the aisle, which was a dead end being there was a wall, there were books spread around on the ground in an odd rectangle shape with a hollow center. He stepped over the small pile of books in the front, sat down facing Harumu and placed the large book he'd grabbed earlier when he caught sight of Ila and flipped it open.

Harumu came to an abrupt stop at the strong smell of the books, though he definitely didn't dislike it. In fact, he stretched up on the tips of his toes to smell at one of the particularly old books, as did Yoite, though she reached up on the palms of his hands. Only when Harumu lowered himself back flat on his feet did he notice that Rene had turned toward him to sit properly in what seemed to be a book-fort, not that he knew the term. He bit his bottom lip slightly, questioning whether or not he should move closer before inching slightly nearer and then sitting down on the floor with his legs stretched out in front of him. Opening the Harry Potter book that he had brought with him, he allowed Yoite to circle up in his lap. Though it was sort of cheating, despite Harumu trying his hardest to read the words on his own, Keito read the book to him in his mind, helping him along and filling in what he couldn't understand.

Rene was quiet as he read through the book he'd grabbed, often skipping through many of the pages. Eventually, he stopped to glance around his book fort to find where he put his notebook. It took him a bit to find it in his pile and had to pull it free from some other books. He was glad he was allowed to keep his books. He knew in any other prison they would have been confiscated.
He untied the string that wrapped around the leather binding and flipped to an empty page to make note of a few important facts he'd discovered from the book. He then paused, looking up to see Harumu sitting across from him reading as well. That what wasn't what his mind focused on it. It was the cut. Sure, scratches could be left alone since they usually could heal on their own if they weren't deep but a cut was a cut because the wound cut into the skin. High pain tolerance, he wouldn't have just left it alone otherwise. It's not like he could help though but it did nag at him. He froze, what gave him any right to want to help anyone... after what he'd done... Rene's brows furrowed and he looked back down at the book he'd been reading. He took the fact he'd hurt people, killed people really bad. He was worse when he first arrived but meeting Ila had helped a bit but the guilt still ate at him...

Rene swallowed thickly, trying to shake it off so he could continue going through the new book he'd found but it was a lot to ask for.

Harumu flinched when he felt Rene's gaze on him, blushing lightly and then questioning why his face got hot. He peeked at the boy quickly only to do a double-take at the somehow pained expression the boy wore. Tilting his head curiously, Harumu leaned toward Rene, wanting to ask him what was wrong but being physically incapable of doing so. Looking back down at the Harry Potter book, he bit his bottom lip softly, petting Yoite gently as he thought. He said Emerson, right...? I can't say Rene, but... Maybe...? "Mmmm," he hummed, blushing brighter despite how quiet he already was. "Eh-mmmm..." He shook his head, his brows furrowed with self-consciousness. "Ehhh-mmm... E...eeehhhh...mmmm... Eeeehmmm... E-E-Emmmm... Emmm... Emm! Em."

Harumu's eyes sparkled with excitement, but when he looked over toward Rene, he realized that the boy probably had no idea what he was trying to do, nor did he seem to even care. Closing the book and setting it gently on the floor, he nudged Yoite out of his lap and stood up. With a short, shy glance at Rene, Harumu left the book aisle in search of Ila. Luckily, it didn't take too long to find her, as she was nearby. Eyes still sparkling with excitement, he hummed, "Em!" It was painfully obvious that he was looking for her approval, but when he said it a second time and pointed toward the way he had come, it was clear that he wanted help concerning the strange boy. A cut appeared on his cheekbone and he flinched, Keito poofing into existence to Ila's left.

"Haru-chan's having trouble. He wants to speak to Emerson, but he obviously can't. The boy also doesn't know that he can't speak, so it's troublesome. He would have me help, but I think Emerson is suspicious of me... And he trusts you... Oh, Haru-chan's also excited because he discovered he can at least say the 'Em' part of Emerson's name, but he still can't say the full thing and he doesn't want to offend Emerson or irritate him," Keito explained as Harumu instructed in his mind. The man gave Ila a soft smile, as welcoming as it always seemed to be when directed at her. He'd only had a face for an hour at most, and yet it seemed natural to see him smiling at Ila. With his gorgeous golden eyes directed at her, and his looks in general making him fit into their surroundings, it seemed almost difficult to picture him without a head. It was honestly fictitious how well he looked with books around him.

Rene paused, his concentration wasn't at it's best. He could read for hours tuning everything out but his mind was too conflicted. This meant, he looked over at Harumu with his blank expression, watching the boy. He began making quiet noises, blushing and trying again. Rene wasn't very good at socializing, not really perceptive of most things but he was observant and smart. He realized that Harumu must have some trouble speaking. An issue that wasn't with his vocal chords and he had teeth so it must be either he didn't know how to pronounce words or he has something amiss with those tongues. He recognized that he was saying Em.... em in Emerson?

However, the boy's excitement threw Rene off, he wasn't in on what just happened and he didn't have much of a reaction. So he jumped when the boy suddenly took off without his cat. He blinked then looked at the cat. He clicked his tongue, wanting to call the cat over. He was curious about animals but wasn't too good with them. Didn't stop him from liking to pet them.


Ila was looking at some books when Harumu came over. She turned and beamed at him when he said that to her. "That's right!" she said and looked over. She assumed he wanted to talk to Rene, they were the same age and he wasn't someone that talked first. However, Keito appeared and explained it to her in much more detail. Ila straightened up, "I wouldn't assume anything with Rene," she told Keito with a smile, "and you know more about what's going on in Harumu's mind," she pointed out. She then turned to Harumu, crouching down, "let's all go talk to Rene, okay?" she asked, both Harumu and Keito. She glanced over at said man and paused when seeing his smile. She looked away with a blush, surprised at the little heart skip she experienced. Her health was good so she wasn't sure what it was. Either way, she pushed it aside and stood up.

Yoite perked up the second she heard Rene calling her over, hesitating only a moment before trotting over to the boy. She had been originally planning to follow Harumu, but seeing as Rene seemed willing to pet her while she waited for her owner's return. Once she was close enough to Rene to still be able to run before he could try anything funny, she stretched her neck out and sniffed gently at his hand. With a cute little chirping meow, she fixed Rene with an oddly intelligent gaze. It only took a moment before she squinted her eyes and then nuzzled her head against his hand.

Harumu seemed to sparkle at Ila's praise, giggling happily. Unfortunately his cheer didn't last too long. His anxiety hit him full-force all of a sudden, making him lose all of his excitement in a split second. One hand gripping at the shirt fabric on his chest and the other curled to cover his mouth, he zoned out a bit, thinking too hard about interacting with Rene. After Ila stood, he finally made up his mind. He shook his head furiously, pressing his hands gently to her stomach and nodding firmly at her as if telling her to stay. Looking back the way he came, he began gently chewing on his bottom lip, both of his little hands now gripping at his shirt. After a long moment of hesitation, he made his way back to where Rene had his book-fort, peeking into the aisle for a second before finally moving to sit down. Sitting on his legs and facing Rene eventually led to him crawling a foot closer. He paused there, only then realizing that Yoite was curled up in Rene's lap, purring loudly and looking very pleased with herself.

Keito chuckled softly at Harumu's indecision, placing a gentle hand on Ila's shoulder once the boy left. "He wants to try by himself so we don't overwhelm Emerson," he informed her, seemingly unfazed by her cute blush. This, luckily, was a lie though because he couldn't stop thinking about how cute Ila looked when her cheeks were red. Unfortunately for Ila, despite his face not giving away that he noticed her flushing, he addressed it openly in that blunt way of his. He gently brushed away some of her hair from her face, his fingers stroking her cheekbone softly all while he smiled gorgeously at her. "You're blushing, Ila. Is it good, or bad? Am I the cause?" he asked, his tone soft, if not a bit teasing.

Rene held out his hand for the cat to sniff, not wanting to frighten it after it had approached him. He was very cautious, tense and all as he met the cat's gaze. He wondered if all cats had eyes like this one, he doubted it for some reason. Though, this one could disappear and reappear so it wasn't a stretch. Once she nuzzled against his hand, a smile touched the boy's lips. It wasn't something that happened often but the cat was cute and soft, he couldn't help it. He gently pet Yoite's head, not wanting to hurt it and he wasn't sure what it liked from what it didn't.

Ila looked at Harumu, concerned seeing the lit dim in his eyes but she nodded at his determination. "Okay, good luck," she told him with a tender smile. She was so happy that he was trying but she also didn't want him to push himself too far. She'd make sure to keep an eye on them.

Rene, on the other hand, had almost panicked when the cat climbed onto his lap. His eyes had widened and he hadn't known what to do at first. But he calmed down when it just began purring giving him enough invitation to continue to pet it. Rene was absorbed in petting the cat, watching its reaction that he didn't notice Harumu's return at first. He eventually did and looked at Harumu. He stopped his petting for a moment, looking at the other boy with furrowed brows. The boy had trouble speaking, he was basically mute... could he read and write? Rene wasn't sure nor did he have enough confidence to confirm. He was a shy kid and was awkward at socializing with others at best. He then looked away, down at his lap to be more precise and began petting Yoite again. "Em is fine," he muttered, his ears turning a bit red.

Ila nodded, almost glowing from a sort of motherly pride. She also pouted, knowing Keito was right. Rene wasn't too good with people. It was a miracle to get him to talk to her at first. He honestly only began talking to her at first because he learned could produce plants on her body and it had absolutely fascinated the boy. It was nice to have a fellow person who was obsessed with plants. She looked at him, "you'll know if he needs us at any point right?" she asked, biting her lower lip. She was worried, but she always was.
Her eyes widened slightly when he brushed back her hair only to stroke her cheekbone. She just barely quelled a squeak though her blush only brightened and spread. "Yes," she said, not really thinking about what she had said and not even sure herself what it referred to if not all. She tucked a lock behind her ear, needing to look away from him. She felt like if she didn't she'd be stuck in his eyes forever.
"Rene's a good boy," she stammered, changing the topic, trying to hide her burning blush, "he's probably more consumed by plants than I am.."

(RENE IS SO CUTE, I'M GONNA DIIIIE!!!!!)

Harumu's cheeks flushed brightly due to the realization that Rene had heard him talking to himself. Luckily, a bright smile broke out on his face and he nodded, his blush tamer now. "Em!" he replied, giggling softly. Though he couldn't be too sure at the moment, he was hoping that this interaction was the beginning of his first true friendship. Keito was like his guardian, and Ila was more of a mother figure, or an older sister, to him than she was just a friend. He had only just met Tsubasa, so he could not befriend him, nor did he exactly want to, considering what he had gone through during their meeting. Rene on the other hand... He was Harumu's age, if not slightly older, and he was his first encounter with another child. Harumu was hopeful, mostly due to the fact that he wasn't as anxious as he was with others, though he did feel a bit shy and awkward.

Yoite leaned into Rene's touch, meowing softly upon seeing Harumu's smile. She stretched out a bit on the boy's lap, purring louder as she did so. One ear flicking at the sound of Harumu inching a bit closer, she practically threw herself back against Rene's chest, nuzzling against him adorably. Despite being ageless, she was a little thing, all black save for white mittens on her forepaws, a white spot on her chin, and, of course, her bright green eyes, which she squinted lovingly at Harumu.

Keito tilted his head when Ila looked away, pulling his hand away in fear that he had made her uncomfortable. "Ila, I'm not talking about Emerson, or Rene as you call him. Nor am I talking about Harumu, which is...out of character for me. I'm talking about you, or at least, the situation. You didn't answer one of my questions," he countered, his voice still gentle but his bluntness probably not understanding that she was trying to change the subject. He wasn't dense, but he surely didn't catch everything. "You said yes, that I caused you to blush, but... Was it good or bad?" His eyes seemed a bit concerned, or even saddened by the thought that he could have done something to make her embarrassed. Did she not want him so close to her? He wasn't too close, but he guessed that half a foot was still a bit too much for some people. He took a small step back. When he touched her, her blush deepened, so did it have something to do with him in general? People could flush for many different reasons, but he didn't sense that she was angry with him, or even annoyed. Could he possibly think that she was embarrassed by his actions? Was she even embarrassed? She had averted her eyes... He'd need more information if he was going to start looking for answers.

Rene peeked up at Harumu, knowing he needed to at least observe the other boy. Communication was hard enough with people who could speak... but someone who couldn't was an entirely different story. It made him nervous so all he could do was observe and try to think of all his previous interactions to get some sort of clues on how to decipher this.
He was surprised to see a blush, wondering if his words could have angered the boy... or maybe it was embarrassment? Rene found he blushed sometimes for the reason... why was that a human response..? He decided to leave that wondering for a later date. However, he was put a little at ease when the Harumu giggled and said Em.
Rene nodded, but he didn't know what to say. Was he supposed to say something else? He felt like he maybe should but didn't know what. It couldn't really be a question since he wouldn't exactly be able to answer it if it wasn't yes or no...

Rene's never ending questions were paused for a moment when Yoite suddenly was pressed to his chest, nuzzling him. He looked at her wide eyed. He wasn't used to this type of reaction and responded by petting her. His brows were furrowed, lips pressed together thoughtfully as he looked down at the feline. It was very cute but he didn't know much about animals. The human body, yes but not a cat's. Her colours looked nice together so she'd be a desirable pet right? "Catnip," Rene suddenly murmured, recalling a few plants named with the use of cat. Cattails being another one. However, catnip... he'd grabbed a book with that in there. He paused for a moment, looking for the book in one of the piles, to pull it out and flip to the page. "Nepeta cataria, catnip..." he read, looking through the information, curious to know why cats supposedly reacted to them. "Oils... artificial cat pheromone...." he hummed and looked at Yoite. "Would you react to it?" he muttered to himself, ignorant to the fact he was lost in his own world... again.

Ila swallowed hard. He was making this hard, saying it so nicely but being so blunt and not letting it go. Ila's job was to know about her patients, to make sure all their needs were met. They needed to talk about themselves and that's how she liked it. She only ever wants to help people. However, when things turn the other way other and the attention turns to her... she would rather avoid it. Talking about herself in most ways had her embarrassed and shy. It didn't help that she wasn't sure if it was good or bad. It felt... like it was good but did that mean it was good? Why was she even blushing? He was just smiling at her and being kind. Tsubasa did that all the time so why was Keito.. different?

Ila couldn't look at him, biting her lip as she tried to puzzle this out. She could tell by his tone that he wanted it answered. Was she embarrassed? But.. over what? Could it be a more primitive response? That thought had her ears red and her eyes wide. "It.. it wasn't bad," she said quickly, looking at him to see his expression. She moved closer to grab his hand with both of hers. "I'm sorry for trying to change the topic... I'm just not... too comfortable talking about myself much..." she admitted softly then added with a bit more urgency. "I'm not sure why I blushed... or maybe I'm just hiding it from myself... I don't know but it's not a bad thing, trust me." She wanted to reassure him he'd done nothing wrong and she was the one being weird, she just hoped that's what came across in her ramble.

Harumu titled his head curiously when Rene began speaking softly to Yoite, an odd heat welling up in his chest and making his lips turn down in a frown. Before he knew it, he was thinking about wanting Yoite's attention on him, or maybe what he really wanted was Rene's attention. Confusion settled over the burning of what he couldn't name and quickly quelled the fire with a wave of questions. What was this feeling? Did he want Yoite's attention or Rene's? Was Rene ignoring him? He was used to it, but after Ila's attentive nature for an entire month, the simple idea of being purposefully forgotten hurt him more than he had thought it ever could. Did Yoite like Rene more than him? That thought made the cat whip her head around to look at him, not that he noticed. He was too caught up in over-thinking the situation. Was he just annoying them?

Harumu flinched when Yoite meowed loudly all of a sudden, shocking the boy out of his thoughts. He looked over at her quickly, as he had zoned out and had been staring darkly at the floor. Meeting the cat's gaze made her mewl softly, her eyes sympathetic, though that seemed almost impossible for a feline. He forced a small smile, despite the fact that he knew she would see through it. She may have the appearance and communication skills of a cat, but she was far more intelligent than that. She had to be if she was to do her job properly. When he sat back against the bookshelf and started drifting off again, she gave Rene's hand a gentle nudge and then trotted over to Harumu. She caught his attention with a soft meow and a light headbutt to his arm. He smiled sadly and gave her a scratch under her chin.

Harumu saw Rene's confused but happy expression in his face when he had come back and saw Yoite in the boy's lap. He stood up and, with a flinch and a cut opening up on one of his legs, a fluffy calico cat appeared in his waiting arms. The female cat, who was a bit bigger than Yoite, was meant to be a sort of peace offering between Harumu and Rene. He inched closer to Rene slowly, anxiety making him freeze about four feet away from the boy. Lowering himself onto his knees, he set the new cat down on her big paws, allowing her to rub against his hand before nudging her toward Rene. Without an ounce of hesitation, she trotted over to Rene, meowing loudly, more needy than Yoite but still just as sweet. Harumu smiled, hoping that Rene would understand.


Keito blushed lightly, surprisingly enough, when Ila grabbed his hand. "To be quite honest, I didn't realize that you were trying to change the subject," he sighed, laughing softly at himself. He pressed his free hand against Ila's cheek, the opposite to the one that had brushed her hair away just before. His thumb stroked gently under the woman's eye, is own warm like a nice, spring day. "If it was not bad, then can you please tell me what made you blush?" he asked softly, the flush to his cheeks faded a bit into simple, rosy circles. "What, exactly, are you hiding from yourself, Ila?" His voice was a whisper now, as if to not ruin the moment, his smile gentle but shyer than she had seen so far.

Rene was lost in his own little world for a bit, researching catnip and wondering if it had any other properties other than making cats display similar behaviors as when they're in heat. Rene didn't mean to ignore anyone, he'd even forgotten about the cat in his lap. He tended to get consumed with what he was doing to the point where he just forgot what he'd been doing before. It was an awful habit but it had gotten him this far in life, however tragic it turned out at this point. He didn't notice he was pulled into his mind again until Yoite moved and brought him back to reality. He blinked, following the cat's movement over to Harumu who he noticed looked much different from when he was giggling. Was he sad? Did he do something to make him sad?! Guilt and confusion ate at him, making him panic a bit. He didn't know how to fix someone who was sad. He knew how to use plants and chemicals to create pills or teas and salves to help heal people or make them feel better... this was unknown territory.

Rene was there puzzling over people's emotions and how they can change so suddenly when he noticed Harumu flinch after standing up. His gaze was on the cut. Another one... and now a bigger cat that looked so warm and fluffy appeared. Rene's mind was very conflicted. He wanted to deal with that cut, was confused on what Harumu was trying to do, wanted to snuggle the cat and still trying to figure out what he'd done to make him sad. If it was even sorrow that he saw. He felt like he needed to get Ila to deal with the cut, since Rene didn't have the materials to treat it properly but the boy could barely be four feet away from him. If he suddenly stood up he was sure the boy would panic.
Rene looked at the cat then back at Yoite and then to Harumu. His brows furrowed, this was similar to gift giving... right? Peace offering? For what... because the other cat left? He wasn't sure but it could be that.
"Thank you...?" Rene decided was the best response, looking back at the cat and held out a hand for it to sniff. "Your cut," he murmured, glancing briefly at Harumu, then to his leg. "It hurts, right? You should get it bandaged."


Ila looked at him surprised and then giggled, "so that's why it didn't work," she said with a smile, unable to help herself. To plow right by her topic change without realizing was so like him that it was perfect.
She was still smiling a bit to herself when his hand caressed her cheek, causing her to freeze for a moment, looking at his eyes. She felt like she'd melted for a moment or two, swept by his touch and the warm glow of his eyes. She found herself leaning a bit into his hand.
What had made her blush. It was him. She knew that much. Over this last month, even without a face, he was someone she'd grown to like seeing. She felt comforted when he was there and enjoyed talking to him. He and Harumu had made her happy. Healing and helping people made her happy too of course but this felt different. Keito was different than how she felt about Harumu. "It made my heart flutter," she murmured softly finding her hand rose to lay over Keito's.
What was she hiding? Feelings she doesn't think she should have? She froze for a moment, eyes widening a bit and her breath caught in her throat.
It couldn't be. No... but how would she know? She'd socialized with anyone until working here. "Feelings..."

Harumu smiled a bit at Rene's words, nodding and then picking Yoite up as he stood to move back to where he had been sat. He froze, however, when Rene mentioned the scratch on his leg. He had forgotten that his pants needed to be rolled up and pinned, despite all Ila had done to make the waist fit. His cut was only just visible from the cuff of the pants, on his right calf. Almost desperately, he shook his head, blushing a little, hoping that Rene would get the message. The cut honestly did not hurt him that much, considering he was used to ones of those size thanks to the constant disappearance and reappearance of Keito and Yoite. Unlike the normal ones, the deep one the day before in Ila's office had been ripped deeper thanks to his struggle with Tsubasa, and the monster that haunted him thanks to his past experiences. Not all of his injuries were that bad, but they could definitely get far worse.

The fluffy calico cat that Harumu had created whined impatiently up at Rene, obviously wanting his attention. She butted her head against the boy's hand until he moved his arm enough to allow her onto his lap. Once she was able to settle down, she curled up in a tight ball of fur, her face nestled against Rene's stomach. He could feel her purrs, as loud and rumbling as they were, in his legs and likely even in his stomach. The moment Rene turned his attention away from her, or forgot to continue petting her, she meowed loudly at him, once even pressing her paw against his stomach, nudging him to make him look down at her before meowing again.

Keito's blush became ten times worse, if not more so, his eyes wide and suddenly averted with shyness thanks to what she told him. I...I made her heart flutter...? What? H-how? She never acted like this around me before... I don't understand... What changed? Is heart fluttering even necessarily a good thing? Despite all his scolding of Harumu for his over-analyzing, the boy likely got some of it from him. The final word Ila whispered only made Keito's blush darker. He hid his face against her neck, his hand still on her cheek, but now trembling a bit. "U-um... Is... Um... You're s-s-sure...? Sorry, that seems rude. I didn't mean for it to sound rude. I, um, you see... Um..." For all his stuttering and effort to make out a full sentence, he ended up shutting his mouth, nuzzling his face into her shoulder to keep Ila from trying to look at him.

Rene's brows furrowed a bit but he nodded in reply to Harumu shaking his head. If he wasn't concerned about it then it should be fine. Children did heal rather quickly and it couldn't get too dirty in this sort of place. It needed air to breathe and heal too... He fiddled a bit, feeling slightly uncomfortable in the silence. He felt like he should say something but still didn't know what. "Does that always happen when they appear?" he suddenly asked, recalling how the cat appeared in time with the cut.

Rene glanced at the feline when it whined, looking at it for a moment before he began petting it after it butted his head. He did move his arm and watched the cat curl onto his lap. He returned to petting the creature and ended up smiling a bit from how warm and soft she was. She had his attention for a bit before it moved back to Harumu a few times but the cat warned him away from getting distracted enough to forgot to pet it. Cars had their own personalities as well.

Ila blinked when he averted his widened gaze and realized what she said. Eyes wide, she blushed brightly and felt the need to get away. Her heart was beating a million times a minute and she felt flushed. Her hand dropped from his only for his face to tuck into the crook of her neck. She froze, her breath stopping in her lungs. Him stammering only made her blush more. He sounded as unsure as she did. It made her feel comforted and equally more shy. She gasped when he nuzzled her shoulder, bringing her hand up to grasp his. She blushed, closing her eyes and tried to just calm her heart, hoping he didn't hear how fast it was beating.

(Ila is too pure XD!!!)

Harumu touched his side, where a bunny band-aid covered one of his scratches, pausing for a moment before nodding in response to Rene's question. He couldn't verbally answer him, but even if he could, he probably wouldn't have. It was rare to have reality hit him, ironically enough, but when it did, it made him solemn. He forced a smile up at the boy across from him, luckily giggling softly at the attention-hungry cat's insistence. An idea popped up in his mind and he picked up the Harry Potter book he had left near him on the floor. Inside of the cover, he hid a piece of paper, where he had random, sloppy words written. He also had a thin pencil he always kept with him. Using the book to support it, he very carefully wrote the word 'name' on an empty space on he paper. Luckily Ila had taught him enough to allow him to communicate simply. He pointed at the word, showing Rene and waiting for him to see what he was gesturing towards before he pointed at the cat in the boy's lap. A shy smile spread across his face as he gazed expectantly at Rene, waiting for an answer.

Keito pressed his free hand against the bookshelf behind Ila, which he was quite close to accidentally pinning her against. "I...I'm sorry, Ila, I'm... I d-don't want to say confused, nor do I want to say uncertain... The only person I have really had contact with besides Harumu is you, and... I-I can r-recognize that the relationship I have with Harumu is far different than the one I have with you, but I don't know to what extent, n-nor...nor do I understand exactly how to interpret....f-f-feelings...from physical reactions, like a blush or something, whether they're someone else's or my own... I'm sorry, I don't know what I'm saying," he rambled, forcing himself to stop before he could make a complete fool of himself.

Rene hummed to himself. He didn't really understand the nature of abilities and how they could logically work. He didn't have many references and texts that he could read to learn about it. He was the type of person that wanted to thoroughly investigate everything he didn't understand until he understood it at its fullest. Each ability was unique to its own end and learning about each would consume all the time he had dedicated to researching more about plants. Ila's was much different from Harumu's, that much was obvious and he was sure other people's were much different as well. The whole thing was overwhelming.
This distracted caused the cat to meow at Rene, since he had stopped petting her for a moment. He murmured an apology and continued to pet her. Hearing a ruffle of paper, he glanced back up at Harumu to see him holding a sheet of paper with a messy scrawl spelling the word 'name'. So he did know somewhat how to write but Rene could assume that he didn't know a lot.

He was confused at first. Name? Seeing Harumu gesture to the cat Rene began to puzzle it out. "You want me to name her?" he asked, wanting to confirm what he assumed the boy was trying to communicate. He'd never named anything before so he was hoping a bit it wasn't the case. He would probably name it something that could be considered stupid.


Ila's delicate grip on his shoulder tightened a moment as she bit her lip. She felt a pang in her heart that she didn't completely understand from his 'sorry'. It didn't help that she felt his breath as he spoke and the vibration from it. She moved her hands to his head, pausing there for a moment to marvel at the feeling of his hair. Could she have felt this if she had reached for the empty space above his neck? She gently guided his head away from her shoulder, shivering when the heat was gone but looked at him with a small smile. "Don't think about it too much," she said softly, brushing his hair back a bit. "You don't need to say anything. You're here for Harumu. I'm sorry for being so weird," she apologized and released his head. She stepped back, aiming to get some distance and calm her heart but found her back pressing against the bookshelf. She squeaked in surprise, a hand on her chest to calm her heart which had nearly leaped to her throat. She hadn't known they'd moved so close to it. For a moment, she felt like a trapped bunny.

Harumu smiled when Rene managed to puzzle it together, nodding at his question as his answer. He was glad that his first attempt at communicating with someone using his writing had gone so well. Of course, he had tried with Ila before, but seeing as he had never successfully made it out of his cell before yesterday, he only counted this his only attempt. He waited eagerly for Rene to name the cat, as did she. She meowed loudly to regain Rene's attention and then nuzzled her face into his hand once she got what she wanted. Her tail flicked impatiently.

Keito's face was as red as it had been when he had hid his face as it was when she moved him. The brushing of his hair only made him look away, his cheeks getting impossibly redder. "Ila, I..." And then she squeaked, making his gaze shoot to her again. He tried to stop it, but he couldn't keep from laughing softly at her shock. "You're too cute," he chuckled, not seeming to realize what he had said, as he was in the midst of laughing. "Ila, I exist, as of now. I am a living, breathing person, and I am not meant solely for Harumu... Of course, it seems like that, but... Once I am solid, once I am alive, then I am, technically, not tied to him anymore. I can get hurt and not have it harm him. I can cry and not have him feel my pain. I can do so much separate from Harumu. I...I can...have feelings for someone in a different way than he can..."

Rene looked down at the cat, brows furrowed in concentration. He had no clue what to name it but he wanted it to be a good name that fit the needy and precious kitty. He also wanted to take her personality traits into consideration. Rene began going through plants in his head that needed a lot of care and attention. He knew bonsai trees required a lot of care, more than most house plants so he began thinking about the names of those types of trees. He couldn't think of anything he particularly liked so he almost threw the idea away until he thought about spelling bonsai backward and rearranging it a bit to make it sound nice. Isano? He thought hard about it, making sure it was what he wanted to go with before he looked at the cat and then to Harumu. "Isano?" he offered, watching the boy's reaction carefully to see if he liked it or not.

Ila looked at his reddened face when he laughed and couldn't help herself but join in, giggling at her foolishness. She'd gotten worked up enough to jump from bumping into shelves. However, her giggling stopped when he called her cute. She blushed and looked down at the ground, hands clasped in front of her, fiddling shyly.
She wanted to say that it didn't change the fact he was still here for Harumu. Even if he wasn't apart or even meant for Harumu, the reason he was here was to look after the little boy he loved. That wasn't going to change and she didn't want it to. Harumu needed Keito in his life, even if Keito himself often thought himself inadequate. Heat continued to rise in her cheeks and she felt like she wanted to run away. Was it just fear? Why was she so afraid then? Of her own feelings for someone else? This would be the first time for her so he wasn't alone there. She was confused as he was but she had the knowledge of attraction symptoms on her side.
"Then you should try meeting more people," she offered softly, unable to look at him. "Experience more and all..."

Harumu watched Rene think over his request, finding it hard not to giggle at his scrunched, concentrated expression. He didn't particularly understand why, but he found Rene's thinking face to be quite adorable, not that he knew the word. When Rene finally said a name, Harumu tilted his head, humming a bit as he looked at the whining Calico in the boy's lap. Pursing his lips and humming a little more, he then broke into a big smile and nodded. His eyes were surprisingly warm despite their icy shade of gray-blue as he grinned happily at Rene—there was something impossibly inviting and kind about him, which seemed a bit sad and ironic considering the unimaginable things that were done to him.

Keito couldn't help himself. His brows furrowed slightly, his lips turning down in a sad, almost hurt frown. "I don't understand, Ila," he replied in a hushed voice. "You just told me that the reason why you blushed when I got near or touched you was because of, quote, 'feelings', but you never specified what type of feelings. I got flustered for reasons I don't understand, and I'm only trying to understand the situation... But... If these...'feelings' you're referring to have so big a meaning that we both are flushed and stuttering, making fools of ourselves, then why are you trying to brush me off with the excuse of meeting new people?" He took a pause to breathe and to calm himself before he got too worked up. Luckily, it was obvious that he wasn't angry, just confused. "Are these 'feelings' different from what I may feel from other people, or are you just trying to change the subject like before? Am I making you uncomfortable and that's why you brought up a different topic, or...? I... I'm sorry, I just don't understand."

Rene waited for Harumu's response to the name, finding himself unusually nervous with whether he accepted it or not. It didn't help the other boy dragged it on making Rene more and more nervous as the time passed. Upon seeing Harumu smile, Rene relaxed and smiled as well. It was a small smile but it reached his eyes. Rene felt odd smiling in any capacity. It wasn't often he smiled but there was something about seeing Harumu smile that made him want to smile. Rene momentarily turned his attention to Isano to pet the needy kitty. Trying to keep his hand moving along the fur, he glanced shyly at the other boy, his expression returning to its impassiveness. He felt like he should probably say something but he wasn't sure what. Should he thank him... maybe... or talk about something. He talked about plants or treatments, that's what he knew and what anyone had ever talked to him about.

Ila gently grasped her arm, her other hand tightly gripping onto her skirt. Little pinpricks poked her as he talked, her heart squeezing. She didn't know, she had the same amount of experience as he did which was none. Even when she had attended college, she never noticed or talked to anyone about liking others, about crushing on people or love. "I don't mean to brush you off," she exclaimed a little desperately, finally looking at him, tearing pooling in her eyes from seeing how sad and hurt his expression was. "I have no place to try and monopolize you," she said. "I know that I like you," she murmured softly, "and to answer you, you may feel differently for different people... hence why meeting other people to try and grasp what you're feeling for me is something significant to you, was something I suggested...." she said, drifting off a bit with a blush. She was not used to being so frank about this topic. "I know little about this and I am not comfortable talking about myself in really any capacity," she admitted, rubbing her arm. "Please don't apologize... I'm sorry for being incompetent," she said, knowing she wasn't at all helpful.

((Finally, took me a bit to write >~<))

(I'm gonna make Ren, from RWBY, my face claim, the librarian. As with all other charries in the works, he'll take a while to create. I'm only going to use him here, not as an offical participant in the rp. His name, for the time being, will remain Ren)

Keito shook his head and pressed his large hands to Ila's cheeks. Unfortunately, while his golden eyes remained warm, his smile did not reach them. "Ila, please don't cry," he whispered, softly brushing away her tears. "As you wish, I will interact with other people. If you prefer, we can keep our relationship professional. After all, as you stated, I...am here for Harumu." His face became blank, despite the smile displayed on it. He let his hand fall away from Ila's cheeks, sighing softly and then nodding to himself. "Other people... I guess I shall start right away." Swallowing in an uncharacteristically nervous manner, he made his way over to the librarian's desk. The young man seated there looked up with his bright pink eyes and a wave of calm washed over Keito, making him suddenly aware of how tense and anxious he had been. "Excuse me, but would you help me find a children's book? Anything is fine really, but I would prefer simpler ones. They're for my...companion," he asked kindly. The librarian, by the name of Ren, smiled and nodded. Instead of responding, he answered Keito by leaving his chair, and led him over to the children's section. "Oh, I forgot. Let me contact him," Keito said, pausing near a bookshelf.

Harumu, who had been oblivious to Rene's glance and was busy playing with Yoite, suddenly froze at the sound of Keito's voice in his head. He pursed his lips, turning his gaze onto Rene. He stood slowly, watching the boy near him carefully before inching a bit closer. A rosy blush broke out on Harumu's cheeks as he lowered himself back down into a kneeling position before reaching a hand out to Rene. Shyness kept him from looking directly at the boy for too long, but soon his arm started hurting. Luckily, he got some help. Isano and Yoite nudged the boys' hands together, only brightening Harumu's blush. With a gulp, he pointed at the book in Rene's grasp and then down the isle, trying to be as clear as possible.

((KK))

Ila's hands tightened to keep herself from lifting one up to touch one of his. She felt so foolish. Why was she crying? She had no reason for tears right now and she must be making him uncomfortable or feel bad. She swore she heard something inside break a bit at his words but she gave him a smile, one that had her eyes closing. "Anyone will be lucky to meet you," she said softly and finally moved her hand away from her arm to lay on his arm but she stopped herself at the last moment. "Good luck," she bid softly and once he was out of sight she found herself on her knees. She had never felt such a selfish desire before. Sure, her ambition to save every life could be a selfish desire but it wasn't for personal gain like this was. Did it make her a bad person?
Ila wiped her eyes, breathing in deeply. She braided back her hair, something to ease her rapidly beating heart before she got back onto her feet. She paused a moment to recall what she'd been looking for and debating on checking on Rene and Harumu.

Rene tensed when the other boy stood up, watching him as carefully as Harumu looked at him. It only made him more nervous to see the redness develop on his cheeks. He had no clue what he was thinking about, he never did understand people. Plants were easy to understand, it was probably why he preferred them to humans.
However, he relaxed a bit when he went back down and only held out a hand. He must be leaving then. It took a bit for Rene to react, too busy in his thoughts while staring at his hand when he felt the cat nudging his hand. Blushing, he brought his hand cautiously up, not wanting to scare the other boy and clasped hands with him. He froze after that, not knowing what to do and awkwardly looked at the other boy to find him blushing before he pointed at his book. "Going to get some books...?" Rene spoke, brows furrowed in concentration, trying to figure out what he meant. He suspected he was leaving, hence the handshake and the motion towards the book meant he was going to do something with them at least... right?

Harumu nodded quickly, clamping his eyes shut for a moment. He couldn't understand why his heart was racing. Despite his caution when moving around Rene, it was clear that he didn't fear the boy, so that couldn't be it. It didn't seem to be embarrassment over his lack of proper communication skills either. His eyes fluttered open, his cheeks darkening as he met Rene's gaze. Squeezing the boy's hand softly, he pointed down the aisle again, he hoped to convey that he wanted Rene to go with him. Before he could try and elaborate however, Keito insisted again in his mind. The man's tone was, as always, gentle, but it's suddenness made Harumu flinch. Giving his bottom lip a soft bite in thought, he again stood. He continued to hold onto Rene's hand, hoping the boy would get the point and follow him.

Rene was relieved a bit when he understood him. It was curious how difficult it was to communicate with someone who couldn't speak but it wasn't impossible, even for someone as socially inept as him. It wasn't enough to peak his interest though. Rene didn't look away from him though, finding the fact their hands were still clasped to be rather embarrassing. It didn't help that the boy was as shy as him, well more so and his face practically red. It only made the heat in his own cheeks uncomfortable. He didn't understand what Harumu wanted though, something that was apparent by his furrowed brows. He only understood when Harumu stood up but continued to hold his hand. Taking the hint, the impassive boy put down the book awkwardly with one hand, made sure Isano wasn't on his lap so she wouldn't fall before he stood up and stepped over his book fort. He then looked at Harumu expectantly.

Harumu's brows lifted in surprise when Rene caught on, a brilliant smile expressing his joy thoroughly. He nodded, giggling and squeezing Rene's hand, his blush not nearly as bright as it had been only seconds before. Despite his lack of confidence and his overall unease due to interacting with someone other than Ila or Keito, he gripped Rene's hand as if it were natural to do so and then led the boy down the aisle to where Keito told him to go. On the way, he found Ila standing near the end of a bookshelf and he walked over, tilting his head at her, his brows narrowed. The gentle tug he gave the skirt of her dress was enough to ask her if something was wrong. His expression alone conveyed his concern.

Rene was a bit startled at Harumu's smile, nearly tripping over his own feet when he began to walk forward. It was so odd. He never felt the need to follow anyone before. Usually, he just ignored them or didn't allow himself to get involved enough for them to find an opening to ask. Rejecting people was uncomfortable and made Rene feel awkward. However, he felt like he'd follow this kid wherever he wanted. Was it because of his curiosity? It was very likely.
Rene stopped when Harumu did and looked at the nurse who did fascinate him. Not many people did but that was because she was basically part plant. He was confused at their interaction but silently watched them.

Ila nearly jumped out of her skin when Harumu tugged on her skirt. She looked down to see him holding hands with Rene. She was shocked to see that kind of interaction between those two already. More surprising that Rene was okay with it. It made her smile but recognized that look on Harumu. "You don't need to worry," Ila told him softly with a smile. She didn't want to lie and say she was completely fine. "Off to find some books?" she asked.

Harumu nodded at Ila's question, pressing his free hand against his mouth as he looked around them confusedly. Where was Keito? Why wasn't he with Ila? He gently bit down on one of his fingers, obviously starting to get anxious. Yoite, who had sneakily followed the boys, rubbed herself against Harumu's leg in a reassuring manner. That alone was enough to tell Ila that he was starting to worry, not to mention his tightened grip on Rene's hand and his slight trembling. Luckily, neither his grasp on Rene nor his shaking were too bad. He shifted his gaze toward where he guessed Keito was. I am in the children's section. I'm not too far. But I am with someone else. I want you to pick out a book, Keito had told him when he was sitting with Rene in the aisle. He had little to go off of, and the fact that Keito aas with someone made him all the more anxious. "K-k-k... Keh...," he muttered, biting down a bit harder on his finger. Yoite's meow did nothing to aid him in his confusion.

Ila smiled, happy to see that he'd befriended Rene and wanted him along in his search. He was a safer course, not many in this prisoner were trustworthy, even she knew that but despite the fact many of them are nice, Rene was someone she was sure would be a good influence for Harumu.
However, she noticed that Harumu began to become anxious, probably over thinking on something. She had to stop it, she didn't want him to overwork himself again.

Rene felt his hand tighten and frowned, he looked at Harumu. The slight trembling, but Rene had moved his other hand to Harumu's wrist to check his pulse. "She told you not to worry," Rene said in a soft but monotone voice.

Ila crouched down a bit and put a gentle hand on Harumu's cheek. "It's okay, Keito is just that way," she said, nodding towards the direction she meant. 'Like you, I'm picking out some books too," she said with a smile. She didn't want him to worry. She was sure Keito was likely waiting for him. With his concern over the fact he wasn't with her. She was a bit concerned though if Keito was off to meet other people...

Harumu's gaze shot to Rene upon hearing his voice, a light blush heating his cheeks only to fade away at Ila's gentle, motherly touch. His shaking did not calm, nor did his heartbeat, but his nod was surprisingly certain all thanks to a few words from the woman. Swallowing nervously, he switched which hand was gripping one of Rene's so he could use the right to hold onto Ila's skirt. He nodded again, clearly telling her he was ready to go. As they walked toward where Keito said he was, he relaxed a bit, his hold on both Rene and Ila calming him slightly. That is, until he saw the man standing near Keito. He froze in his tracks, eyes wide, heart racing so fast that his trembling followed it's rhythm. Shaking his head slowly, he took a few steps back, until he was mostly behind Ila. The strange thing was that he carefully, slowly pulled Rene behind him, just enough for the boy not to notice and for Ila and Keito to be able to.

"Don't be scared, Haru-chan. He's very kind, he won't hurt you," Keito told the boy gently, prepared for his rejection of the man beside him. Seeing the way Harumu put himself between Rene and Ila made him think at first that he was shielding himself on both sides. But the sharpness of his eyes, despite the cold hard fear in them, told him that he was moreso shielding Rene than anything else. His blank expression changed only slightly upon that realization. "Ila, you know Ren, right? He is the librarian here? I feel that Haru-chan will have a better time interacting with him than with Tsubasa-san."


(Can Rene maybe know Tsubasa and like him? 'Cause he's so nice or whatever?)

((Totally.))

Rene watched the two carefully, his brows furrowing a little. Was this a mother-son relationship? It looked very... nice. His adoptive parents had always been busy with their careers, something he never held against them but it meant he was never really close with them. He was glad that Harumu seemed to calm down a bit but his heart rate didn't alter too much. Rene kept his free hand on his wrist, monitoring him out of an unusual concern for another human being.
Ila kissed Harumu's cheek before she got up and a bit reluctantly, headed off in search for Keito with the other two. She couldn't get over the fact the two boys holding hands were so cute! She felt like squishing them both into a hug but contained herself. She didn't know how Harumu would react to that and knew Rene would not be over the moon with the contact.
When they reached Keito, she noticed the librarian and gave him a smile in greeting. She was aware of Harumu moving behind her, something she was used to this point. However, she noticed the fact that he'd moved Rene behind him, something the boy didn't seem aware of himself. She couldn't help but smile. She was so happy that he'd found a friend.
She turned back to Keito and Ren and nodded, "Yes," she said for both, "that would be up to Harumu," she mused and turned her head to look at said boy.

Rene was looking at Ren, wondering if he'd returned all the books he'd taken out two weeks ago but couldn't recall if he had gotten all of them. He was pretty sure. In this debated state, it wasn't surprising he fell behind Harumu without really noticing.
"Mr. Ren," he voiced, "I have returned the books I had taken, correct?" he asked. Rene was completely oblivious to the tension between Harumu and the librarian at this point in time.
Then he paused, realizing what the not-person Keito had said and looked at Harumu.
"You met Tsubasa?" he asked. He liked the man, he was good at his job and nice enough to let him stay in the infirmary even if he wasn't allowed to be in there. Rene had made sure to return the kindness by not touching anything.

Harumu was too terrified to make a move to answer anyone. He could feel Keito's expectant gaze, and he wanted to respond to Rene's words, but all he could do was stare at Ren. His wide eyes, his racing pulse, the sweat beading on his forehead, the rapidity of his breathing, all of it were signs of a sure panic attack. He gripped at Ila and Rene just a bit too tightly, unsure of his own strength in the moment because all of his focus was on the strange man far too near him for comfort. It seemed to him that hours had passed, but only a few seconds after Rene's question, Harumu's knees buckled. The memories came flocking in all at once. His hands released both Ila and Rene, his arms wrapping around his small body protectively. He slowly rocked himself, his eyes on Ren but his gaze far away. It seemed to be a perfect replay of what had happened with Tsubasa, only it escalated more than it had then.

Harumu couldn't stop himself from crying, not at the feeling of hands raking over his clothes, trying to pull them off—not at the unmistakable heat of old man's breath on his ear. He clamped his eyes shut, taking trembling deep breaths to try and calm himself only to find his breathing worsen with each sob. The cut on his collar bone, that which had needed stitches, suddenly ripped open. A cry of pain left him as it widened, the entire library darkening and an eerie laugh hissing through the air. The sound of soft footsteps danced on the edges of his senses, causing him to shake his head furiously as he clearly thought they were a lie. When a large hand rested on his shoulder however, a wave of calm so powerful washed over him. It left him choking on air, on his tears, trying to collect his thoughts only to find every dark memory gone for the moment.

Ren did not remove his hand from the shocked, frozen-faced, but forcibly relaxed boy until Ila had a good grip on him. The effects of his ability remained despite the contact being severed. "You did," he muttered in response to Rene's question. Then he handed Keito a children's book he had picked out and silently returned to his desk.

Now that Rene's had turned to Harumu, he noticed how terrified he looked. It was worse than what he'd been when he first met him. It was ten times worse. Rene winced at the tightening of Harumu's hand but stifled a whimper from it. He doubted it would help.. but he also didn't know what would help the boy. He was completely breaking down right before his eyes. Rene knew remedies that would help ease anxiety, to calm people but he couldn't talk his way out of anything.
Ila tensed, recognizing that what happened with Tsubasa was only repeating itself. She couldn't touch him, knowing if he was too far gone that it wouldn't be her touching it would be someone else. "Harumu," she called softly, "It's okay, we're just going to look for books," she said, trying to draw his attention to keep him from thinking about anything else. It was futile and she knew it but it didn't stop her from trying. She couldn't just stand there and do nothing. When he'd released Ila, she was down on her knees by his side, trying to snap him out of it.

Rene gasped when he was let go, stumbling back and could only stare at the younger boy. He could hit a pressure point to knock him out but he didn't think it would help nor could he find it in his legs to move. His attention moved when the library darkened and the laugh sent goose bumps writhing across his limbs. A fear that Rene hadn't known before seized him until he noticed that Ren had moved.

Once Ren had forcefully calmed Harumu, Ila lifted him onto her lap, holding him tightly and wanted to get him to the infirmary or somewhere she could restitch the wound that had opened. "Harumu," she said softly, stroking his hair gently, wishing she wasn't so useless when these incidents happened.

Rene's gaze snapped to Ren and he nodded mutely before he looked back at Harumu and noticed the wound. "Miss Vesta," he murmured, eyes wide. That needed to be treated. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked her. He wasn't a doctor like her but if he could handle Harumu somehow... maybe... while she restitched it then it was something...

(There's an adorable virtual youtuber that I just started watching. Ai-chan? She's a Japanese youtuber, and I think you should check her out! She has english subtitles!)

Harumu simply allowed Ila to hold him, completely limp in her grasp. In his head, fear raged on impossibly behind an air of calm, as if that was the only thing keeping him from screaming. Blood soaked his shirt, but that terrible force of relaxation kept him from releasing a single sound to voice his pain. He never knew that being calm could feel so utterly horrible. One of his hands shakily inched up to gently hold onto Ila's arm, the other remaining immobile in his lap.

Keito sighed softly and made his way over to where Ila and the boys were. "I didn't think that Ren-san would have this big of an effect on him... Tsubasa-san was making progress until he got too close... I just hoped the same would happen with Ren-san, but I think that, after he gets stitches, he needs to stay in his cell for a while. We...we've been pushing him too much," he rambled softly. He gently began rubbing Harumu's back, but the boy was so out of it, mumbling to himself, that he didn't even notice his touch. "I'll hold him. Emerson, you could hold his hand. It might make him easier to handle once Ren-san's effect has worn off. Ila, do you have the supplies to stitch him up properly? Or do we need to go to the infirmary?"

((Oh? What are her videos about?))

Ila had never seen Harumu like this and it was horrible. She only prayed that he could escape from the nightmare he'd found himself in. She nodded mutely at Keito's words and reluctantly but gently passed Harumu to Keito to hold. "I think so..." she whispered but she'd left her bag by the entrance.
"Rene, by the front..." he was already moving before she could finish. He returned quickly with her bag and handed it to her before he crouched down by them though not too close. He wasn't sure if he should grab Harumu's hand.

Ila checked her kit to see if she had everything she needed but first she handed Rene a cloth. He moved a bit closer to press it against the wound and clean up a bit of the blood, enough so that Ila would be able to get in there to stitch it close and actually be able to see what she was doing.
Ila had just enough for this wound but she'd have to go to the infirmary after taking him to his room. She grabbed the bit of salve she still had and moved to apply it. Rene adjusted, pulling the cloth away and moved back just as she moved to apply it. He took Harumu's hand that was limp on his lap. Rene watched while Ila prepared the stitches, letting the salve do its thing. She then removed the stitches that had snapped before she quickly restitched the wound as gently as possible. While she did that, Rene found a notebook in her bag, pulled it out to write specific ingredients for remedies that he knew that could help, adding in sweeteners that wouldn't hinder the effect of the teas. He was someone that would rather do it himself, being a bit of a perfectionist but he wasn't allowed to have any contact with plants.

Ila soon finished and bandaged the wound. "We should get him to his cell now," she said softly, stuffing everything into her kit or bag in hast, planning to fix it later. Rene handed her, her notebook without a word but had the pages bookmarked.

Harumu gave no resistance when he was passed to Keito, and despite the screaming in his mind, he did not let out a sound, even as Keito restrained him. He knew that the man didn't want to get bitten, but he also didn't want him to hurt himself should he gain control of his body again and start thrashing. Keito kept a large hand on his cheek, holding his face toward the right, away from the wound on his collarbone while using his free arm to hold down both of the boy's. They got a flinch out of him when Rene wiped away the blood and put the numbing agent on the injury, but other than that, Harumu was still and relaxed—or at least his body was. The only thing that helped to calm his mind was the little hand that closed around his smaller one. Once he was able to, Harumu gently squeezed Rene's hand, both for strength and to reassure the boy that he was alright.

However, the actual stitching was a far different experience. The needle pinched despite having a numbing agent to help, and the position he was being held in did nothing to aid his PTSD. Surprisingly, what really set Harumu off mentally was when Rene let go of his hand. He couldn't see what the boy was doing, and his mind didn't allow him to think he had any positive reason for releasing him. It wasn't long before Harumu clamped his eyes shut and began to fight against Keito's hold. His movement caused the needle in Ila's hand to scratch him just outside of the numbness, making him hiss softly. The tightening of Keito's grip only brought back worse memories, resulting in him fighting harder and, unfortunately, crying.

When it finally ended, Harumu had tears drying on his cheeks, his breathing was harsh, and due to his fight against Keito, he had bruises on his arms and left cheekbone from the man's hold on him. He tried to calm himself down with several deep breaths, but the flashes in his mind of events that only took place around a year ago kept him from returning to the state he had been in with Rene in the book aisle. Keito slowly loosened his hold, releasing the boy carefully. He crawled over to Ila, nuzzling his face against her stomach and grabbing big handfuls of her dress in his tiny fists. The child shook incredibly hard, but at least his tears were gone, and he had not blacked out as he had with Tsubasa.

Ila never wanted to stitch Harumu up again if she could help it. It put him through too much and when he was unwillingly freaking out, it only caused him more pain. She just hoped the wound wouldn't open again and stay closed until it could heal.
"I'm sorry Harumu, she whispered when she'd finished, feeling completely drained. She was grateful he had stopped crying but the shaking boy in her lap broke her heart. Every time, they'd pushed too hard. She gently ran a hand through his hair, not moving until he was okay.

Rene, who had been oblivious to being the reason he panicked further, looked at them. He wasn't sure what exactly happened, besides Harumu experiencing PTSD symptoms. Rene didn't want to ask, it wasn't his place despite how curious he was about it. He didn't move from where he sat, not sure if he could or should. He didn't know the protocol for this situation.

Keito's brows furrowed, the sheer concern and guilt on his face unmistakable. "We...should probably take Haru-chan back to his cell. I thought that he may be able to handle Ren-san, being in so open a space and because of the man's calmness, but... I'm sorry, Haru-chan. I didn't mean to push you too far," he told the boy softly, his shoulders tense in fear of rejection, but eyes still accepting and gentle, albeit remorseful and solemn. Unfortunately, at least for the time being, Keito's words were not enough. Harumu tightened his grip on Ila and, despite being even more fearful without his protection, forced Keito to vanish.

He took a deep breath, holding onto Ila for another minute before pulling away just enough for him to wipe at his tear-stained cheeks. With a little sniffle, he carefully made it to his feet. Sadly, there was nothing cheerful about him, unlike how he had shined when he and Rene had been alone. Not looking at Ila nor Rene, he stared back the way he and the other boy had come from the aisle. Isano, in her fluffy white gloriousness came trotting over and eventually made it to Harumu. He picked up the large cat and then, with a cute blush on his cheeks, carefully held her out for Rene to take.

Ila looked over at Keito and leaned a bit to place a hand on his arm. She didn't say anything, she doubted she could say anything to relieve the guilt he was feeling. She didn't blame him for this though it was clear he blamed himself. He only wanted what was best for Harumu and it was easy to see that. She was sure Harumu will be okay after a bit. Baby steps, they got some success today and Harumu was still conscious.

Her hand fell slightly when he disappeared and pulled her arm back just as Harumu moved away. She looked at the boy and saddened to see his previous expression gone. He still made a friend, that was good for the both of them.

Rene was just watching all this silently. Something he tended to do, he wasn't a talker. He was a bit concerned about the whole ordeal and decided to look into some books about PTSD and maybe some hallucination stuff as well. He could see a link to that and Harumu's ability.
When faced with the option to take the cat, Rene stared at him with wide eyes. He didn't know how to look after a cat, or even if he was allowed to have one. His dealings with poisons seemed to make people hesitant to be near him, especially during meal times. People were idiots. However, he didn't want to offend the boy and the cat looked fluffy, he ended up gently taking her from Harumu, holding her close before looking back at the boy with an unusually innocent expression. "Thank you," he said.

Ila stood up then, just barely containing the grin on her lips. They were so cute! However, she wanted to take Harumu back to his cell. She just prayed he was able to endure the travel there. She picked up her bag and looked at Harumu. "Do you want me to carry you back?" she asked softly. She'd ask him later on what he felt about getting Rene to visit his cell sometime or the other way around probably much later on.

Harumu cracked the barest of smiles at Rene when the boy accepted the cat, and though it wasn't nearly as bright as his smiles at been before, at least it was something. He turned toward Ila, picking up Yoite from the floor and then nodding at the woman's question. After he was picked up, he did something incredibly bold by his standards. "E-Em," he called softly. He waited for Rene to look over and then waved shyly at the boy from over Ila's shoulder, a cute blush on his cheeks.

((*internally dying from cuteness overload*))

Rene felt himself finally relaxing since the beginning of this ordeal. It was a small smile but a smile all the same. It was probably one of the first smiles that Rene hadn't hated. People smiled condescendingly down at him, mocking him because he was young. He hadn't when people smiled. It was odd at the very place he never wanted to be, to find people who smiled at him in a way that made him want to smile in return. Rene shifted a bit, cradling Isano and began petting her as he watched them begin to take off. He glanced down at the cat, wondering how this was going to work.

Ila scooped Harumu up once he was ready, making sure he had a good grip on Yoite and paused when he moved in her grasp. Hearing him call to Rene and noticing him waving from the corner of her eye had her smiling. Today was progress.

Rene looked up over at Harumu when he heard him call the first syllable of his middle name. Seeing his way, Rene lifted his own hand to clap his fingers against his palm, bidding him a goodbye. He hoped he would like the tea Rene suggested Ila make.

She waved a bit to Rene before she headed out of the library and back to Harumu's cell, going slow at first to see how he was handling it. "Should we invite Rene over some time?" she asked Harumu while they were making their way.

Harumu's small smile returned upon seeing Rene wave back, and he nuzzled his face gently into the crook of Ila's neck. Smiling dreamily at the floor behind Ila, he zoned out, tapping lightly on the woman's back in tune to a song that wasn't recognizable just from his rhythm. Her voice cut through his thoughts, but only made him smile wider. The cute blush on his cheeks darkened a few shades, a soft giggle escaping him. He nodded eagerly in response to her question.

Ila was glad that he seemed to be bouncing a bit back from his encounter with Ren. He reminded her of those TV shows she'd seen when one person fell head over heels for another. It had her mentally squealing when she felt him tapping some sort of tune on her back. She was able to pick up the pace to get Harumu back in his cell in a decent amount of time and was glad he seemed out of it enough not to notice anyone that they passed. For now at least. Hearing his giggle at her words made her day. She was so glad they had decided to go to the library despite that incident. Ila smiled brightly, "feel free to ask me whenever you feel like inviting him over, I'll be sure to see if he can," she told him happily. Was this what love was? Or was it admiration? Or the friendship type of love?

(Wanna switch to the cell? Or maybe skip a few days before Harumu is stable enough to go back to the library? Also, I wanted to ask if you were down to rp Em and Lottie? I really want to...)

((We could skip a few days and Rene comes by the cell?
What's the plan?))