Someday, It'll Be Different.(Private)

The three kids jumped slightly in surprise. They hadn't expected such a stern response. Akua was taken completely by surprise by the ticklish assault. "WaAaAa~hahahaha!" Isao scrambled from beneath the Nosferatu and darted away from her. He was shaking a little, rattled from the sudden tickling.

"H-ha, ha! The shoe is on the other foot!" He said shakily. He stood and dove for Akua's feet. "Retaliation Strike!" Isao tickled her exposed soles.

"Hiiii~yahahahahahahaHAHAHAA~!!" Akua was beginning to tear up from the onslaught. Mary giggled from the side, pleased the group was getting on so well. Technically, she already knew they would. It was much different to actually see things for herself.

Aya continued this for a moment before relenting. "Okay Isao, that's enough. I think she learned her lesson." She went to help Akua up. "I already ate before I came here but I could use something to drink at least. Lead the way." She was enjoying her time with all the children so far; it brought back fonder memories when she was back at home.

Mary started down the hall, with an excited Akua in tow. Isao hung back and walked with Aya. The kitchen area was downstairs, connecting to a large room housing a long dining table with numerous chairs. Claire was making her way down to get things started. A few other children were up and helping out. Isao joined the cooking crew, as did Mary. Akua faced Aya, presenting the room to her. "Thi~s is the mess hall. Everyone'll come here for breakfast, lunch and dinner." She shifted her weight and blushed a little. "If you know how ta coo~k, you can help. I'm not allowed in there~."

Mary came back quickly with a glass of water and kindly offered it to Aya. "Here."

Aya gently ruffled Akua's hair, before accepting Mary's glass of water. "Thank you sweetie. I would go to help cook but someone needs to keep a eye on everyone here." She put a hand on her hip. "And I'm having too much fun to leave you guys right now anyway." She wasn't really being sarcastic either. "Say..is there any children that are like me around here?"

To confirm what she meant, she pointed to her feet; Aya looked mostly human save for her arms and legs. "I mean looking like me a bit..like androids or anything?" She tried to explain. She doubted there was any Reploids around here but similar children would be of no surprise; she was curious.

Akua smiled broadly as her hair was tussled, her fangs showing in her toothy grin. She thought hard about Aya's question, looking at her racial gear. "I don't remem~ber ever seein' anybody with clothes like yours~. There u~sed ta be more android kids but they got adopted." She looked around the kitchen area and in the mess hall. "Reyla and Varij aren't down yet~. Do you wan~na go find them?"

"Ah I see. And I'll check on them. Why don't you lead the way Akua?" Aya was curious about the other two children. She had been meeting many races around here, many of which she thought that were once nothing but myth but turned out to be real, living beings.

"Okay~! Let's go see if they're in the bedroom!" Akua led Aya back upstairs, this time a little further beyond the playroom. There were two doors at the hall's end; Akua peered into the door on the right marked "Boys". The door was open, but the room was already empty. Akua turned to open the left door bearing a sign that read "Girls". She opened the door to a long room. Numerous beds lined either side with desks sitting adjacent to them. There were personal items and chairs strewn about the room. It seemed the kids were allowed their own personal belongings in their spaces. Akua's face brightened as she noticed one of the few girls remaining in the room. She rushed over to a blond girl sitting in a beanbag chair. One look at the girl would instantly give away her origin.



"He~y! Reyla!" Akua's bare feet padded on the floor as she came to a stop. Reyla's eyes had been flashing rhythmically in processes before Akua's approach. She blinked; light and depth returned to them as she looked over to see the young Nosferatu.

"Good morning, Akua." She greeted. Reyla then stood to meet Aya. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Aya. Mary has spoken of you. We are well met." She bowed before looking at Aya, her eyes blinking for just a moment. Reyla's smile broadened. She was pleased to see another 'android'. "I see you are composed of highly advanced synthetic material. My data logs have no information regarding a model resembling your design. Might I inquire the nature of your physical structure?"

Akua mussed her own hair in a bit of confusion. "Uwuu~ too many big words, already~! And you're not supposed ta ask about what someone is unless they wanna tell~." She reminded the android. Reyla's smile was quickly replaced by a frown upon realizing her blunder.

"I mean you no insult. I was aware the rule applied to peer children, but in my excitement, forgot to exercise tact. I beg your pardon." Reyla apologized quickly.

"Design? Oh! You mean like my android race?" Aya asked. "If that's what you mean, I'm something called a Reploid. We're not from here. Make a long story short we function a lot like humans mentally. Some of us are built for combat, and others not. I'm a civilian model, but I'm still stronger then normal humans. May I ask about yourself?"

"..." Reyla's eyes, again, appeared to be flashing ever so slightly. This lasted for only a second after Aya's explanation. "I cannot find any data in my registry regarding 'Reploid'. Interesting! I will make a new entry." She smiled. "Put simply, this model is a standard civilian unit conjointly powered by solar energy and mana." Reyla looked down at her hands and feet. "It is minimalist, but I like it!"

Akua shifted her stance and pouted enviously. "It's not fa~ir knowin' you're younger, taller and prettier..."

Reyla giggled. "My projections of your growth predict you will be just as tall within 2 years. You are already very pretty." Akua's grin returned at this.

"Hee heh. Oh, ye~ah! Where's Varij? Aya wants to meet him too~."

"He is outside on the basketball court. If you wish to meet him before breakfast, now is the time."

Aya thought about it, and nodded. "All right, you'll have to lead the way so I can introduce myself. I'm trying to get to know all the children here. I'm going to be working here from now on, so might as well get to know everyone huh?"

Akua started for the door, bursting with energy as usual. "The~n let's go!" She skipped down the stairs two at a time. Reyla calmly led Aya downstairs and through the back door. A handful of children were playing a small skirmish basketball game. Each of them were oblivious to the girls exiting the building until Akua rushed the court. "He~y, Varij!" One of the players stopped upon hearing his name.

"...What is it?" His voice came quietly. His body was mechanical, but appeared much more advanced than Reyla's. He wore a designed coat along with, strangely enough, earmuffs.

Aya wasn't sure what the other child was like, but she kept a fairly open mind when it came to these sorts of things. If you kept your mind close all the time you would miss out on a lot of things in life. At the least that was her own philosphy and the way she had been raised up. This world was infinitely more diverse then her old home, and she had barely scratched the surface of things here.

The Reploid came over, smiling as she crouched down. "Hi. My name is Aya Hoshi. I'm going to be working here; I just wanted to get to know everyone. I hope we can be friends."

The android took a step back at Aya's approach. His eyes quickly shifted from her to Reyla, then back. He was clearly skittish, for what reason remained to be seen. Reyla appeared calm in the situation; his tension subsided, but only slightly. "...Varijaset Zamani. 'Varij' is shorter." His greeting was quiet and he was having a difficult time looking Aya in her eyes. Varij's nervous demeanor got the better of him in a matter of seconds as he darted past Aya with a panicked "Excuseme!" He disappeared into the building. Reyla frowned after the encounter.

"Perhaps it would have been more tactful to warn him beforehand?" She asked Akua.

"I dunno~. I thou~ght he'd do better with Aya." She turned to Aya after this. "He's kinda sca~red of new people. Don't worry, he warms up fast!"

"I must apologize again. In hindsight, we should have warned you of his behavior as well. It is fortunate you did not attempt physical contact. He would never hurt you, but I fear a 'freak out' would be the minimal response." Reyla informed Aya; in a way she thanked her. The Reploid was very tactful in meeting the new children there.

Aya slowly got back to her feet as she dusted herself off. "Hm..we'll, that's okay if he's just shy. I won't push him about it." She wondered if the young boy was naturally like that or there was some other factors in place she didn't know about. There was a lot of things she didn't know but she would in time. Something's though, were best left alone for the most part.

"I guess I'll try again later. We could head back for now."

A loud bell chimed from within the orphanage. Akua's mood immediately perked up. "He'll be alri~ght. Breakfast ti~me!" Akua charged off for the building at an excited pace. Reyla calmly walked with Aya into the mess hall. This was typically how the children started their day, as Claire explained to the new Reploid caretaker during breakfast. A short recess before breakfast, then they were free to conduct their own activities, individually or in groups. Lunch was served around noon, but the kids didn't have to eat then if they didn't want to. Dinner was served later in the afternoon among more free activities, unless a field trip was scheduled. Those were sometimes held because of the orphans' collective interest.

For the rest of the day, the kids were a handful. They seldom caused any real trouble, save for a reckless action here and there. Such was to be expected from children after all. The kids were manageable and kind to Aya. Mary had a wide spread of friends there, as did Akua. They ensured the other children behaved themselves around their new caretaker to the best of their ability. Reyla could be commonly found cleaning the home throughout the day. It was something she enjoyed and found useful. Varij avoided direct contact with Aya, but was less inclined to run away as quickly as he had during their first meet.

It was getting later in the evening; the sun was starting to set. Some kids had actually gone to sleep early, while others stayed in the playroom or in the back area (under Claire's supervision). Mary, Akua and Isao were idly spending their time with Aya at the day's end.

"Haaa~! Today was a lot a' fun!" Akua sat on the ground happily, wiggling her toes and relaxing her feet after a long day.

Mary nodded in agreement. "It's amazing that you kept up with everybody Aya." Mary was impressed at her energy.

"...Speaking of which, how did you meet Junpei, Aya?" Isao asked.

"Hey, that's ri~ght. It's hard ta believe someone as nice and sunny as you is friends with ol' grumpy 'Jumpy'." Akua added, stealing Mary's nickname for him.

"That is not what I said!" Isao quipped defensively.

"But it's what'cha mea~nt." Akua teased.

Aya was amused by the last bit, smiling before she answered. "Junpei might seem grumpy but he has a good heart. I met when I first came here. You see, I'm from another world where there's a more people like me. I'm not sure how I got here..but I like it more here. Anyway, there was some bullies that were picking on me and Junpei saved me. I ended staying with him and his father since then."

"That's why I'm friends with him. I can see a little bit of behind the mask he hides behind and I want to help him. I think he's a bit lonely and doesn't even realize it but he has a hard time trusting people. But I have to try." She said in a determined tone.

Mary clasped her hands together after Aya's explanation. "He found you by chance and saved you... Now you wanna open his heart and save him back! It's soooo romantic!" Her eye was filled with sparkling stars. To her, the world was still full of magic and fairy tales.

Akua wasn't quite of the same level of amusement. "He can be secretly nice a~ll he wants, but he's still a grouch. He ne~ver smiles or nuthin'."

"I do not think there's anything wrong with the way he behaves. He appears happy the way he is." Isao observed quietly.

Mary pouted at her friends' interjections. "You guys suck the magic out of everything. I think it's sweet Jumpy's got a friend!"

Aya blushed slightly. "Ah..hah..we'll we're just friends. I do hope he smiles a bit more but that's up to him.." She wondered why Junpei was the way he was, she wasn't so much trying to change him as she just wanted him to open up a bit more. "Say, Mary. I was wondering why you wear that eyepatch? If you don't want to talk about it, its fine."

Mary's disposition faltered. She hadn't exactly been expecting the question. She instinctively brought her right hand up to cover her eye. Akua fidgeted nervously while Isao gave Mary a steady glance, awaiting her response. After a few nervous "Um's", she answered clearly.

"Th-there's something under it that's really ugly. I can't really see from it anyways, so I wear it." She liked Aya well enough to answer that much. She was nice and seemed pretty respectful toward the children, regardless of their looks/background. Akua visibly relaxed. Isao sat quietly, not speaking. "It... it doesn't l-look weird, does it?" Mary couldn't help but be self-conscious. She always felt nervous meeting strangers because of it. Aya seemed different, however.

Aya only smiled and gently pulled Mary into a hug before pulling away. "Nothing strange at all Mary. You're fine the way you are and don't let anyone tell you otherwise, okay? If I ever have a daughter, I'd want her to be like you."

She looked at the clock. "Hm..I should be heading out. We'll talk again Mary and everyone, I promise."

Mary broke into a warm smile and returned the hug. Her trepidation swiftly melted away as she giggled at the compliment. "Okay! We'll all play next time, too!" Mary said happily.

"Come back soon~! It's funner with you here, Aya!" Akua waved enthusiastically as she left.

"Goodbye. It was nice meeting you." Isao bid farewell politely and headed up to the playroom after Akua.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The scene at home was different yet the familiar in comparison to the past few interactions Aya had witnessed between Junpei and Hiroshi. In the hallway just beyond the front door, Junpei held his father on the floor in a headlock. While it looked like he was angry, as usual, Hiroshi was being his usual strange self. He was flailing about wildly, not exactly giving his all to get out of his son's threatening grip. The reason for Junpei's anger was relatively apparent; he was soaked from head to toe in water. Neither of them noticed Aya's entrance.

"What the HELL is your problem, old man?!" Junpei seethed with anger.

"Letting your guard down so soon? You so sloppy!" Hiroshi taunted with improper speech from his son's grapple.

"The fu-?! Can't I be home for more than ten minutes before suffering your crazy bullshit?!"

"Such a lazy boy! You dare neglect your training?!" Hiroshi was actually quite the slippery bastard. Junpei was having a hard time maintaining a solid lock. The two were literally tumbling through the hall.

It didn't take long for Aya to reach the household; she had been in a good mood since leaving the orphanage earlier. When she reached the household, she knocked then waited for someone to open the doors. Since she didn't yet have any keys she had to come on their time and not hers. She'd have to see about getting their cell phone numbers. She had what essentially counted as a cell built in so there was no worries there.

The two wrestling goons jumped in place upon hearing the knock. It would be embarrassing to be caught in such a position. Well, for Junpei, anyway. He released his foolish father and started upstairs. He needed a shower. Hiroshi bounced to his feet and walked to the door, scatting a silly tune aloud. With his usual enthusiasm, he opened the front door.

"Aaaaaya-chaaaan!! No need for you to knock! Mi casa es su casa!" He greeted while presenting the hall for her to enter. "Come in, come in! Tell me about your first day with those little rascals down at the orphanage. I bet ya have a blast. Those kids are pretty damn precocious for their age!"

Aya's face couldn't help but twitch into a small smile at Hiroshi's normal siliness. "It went well.." From there she proceeded to tell Hiroshi about her day and the things she had done with the children. She got wrapped into things so she briefly lost track of time. "Is Junpei home?"

Hiroshi listened intently to Aya's recollection of the day's events. He smiled giddily as she wrapped up. "He he he~! Beautiful! You're a natural!" He thought to himself as she asked Junpei's whereabouts. He should be finished with his shower by now, but likely in his same dull mood. "Indeed he is. Bet'cha anything he's up in his room prattling away on that key n' switchboard he's got." He covered his eyes with his arms and spoke with feigned sorrow. "Guuh... My son's grown to be such a power-nerd! A certifiable recluse! A veritable hikikomori!" Fake tears rolled down his cheeks. He could really turn on the theatrics when he wanted to.