Mistakes and Memories

Iyuki couldn't respond from the pit of despair, her words showing more and more knowledge. If he could have mistook her thoughts before, now there was no ability to. It was as clear as day... However he jolted from the depths as something landed in his hand. He looked at it, it was his favorite flavor... So instead of dwelling he unwrapped it and popped it into his mouth.

How come the person who should be outraged and angry, was soothing him? Looking up, his eyes a big brighter as some of the despair lifted. He gave a painful laugh, and couldn't help shaking his head. "How come you are soothing me? I should be apologizing to you Lady Okura. It was a severe breach of any sort of discipline I had. I did not think I was so tasteless as this."

He was so forlorn, sucking on his candy as he looked out...he couldn't even stand up to properly bow to her ans ask for forgiveness. There was no forgiving what he had done.

Muika tilted her head slightly, "I...I'm soothing you b-because you're sad...a-and it's not just...your fault...it's...it's the ride's. Y-yeah." And her's a bit but she felt Iyuki would immediately deny that accusation if she were to voice it.

She was glad though the candy had at least gotten him to speak, she wasn't sure how she could have snapped him out of this even if it was only a little if the candy hadn't worked. Standing, she moved her hand to his head and patted it like he had done to her...maybe that would help? This just went to show how little she really knew about comforting people.

"Just...just blame the ride...I mean...W-why should it require people to sit that close to begin with..r-right? It's like they want that stuff to happen..." Saying that she squatted back to to look at him in the eyes before bring her finger to the edges of her lips, trying to give him a small smile...since he'd said that today she should be smiling but in all honesty she hadn't been doing much of that at all. So maybe this?

Iyuki...found something to fault. Muika had been quite observant in choosing the ride to blame, and he could easily focus the despair there. If they never went on it again... They could be free of this agony! his dark clouds disappeared almost in an instant. Those people who created such rides were evil! They should be punished. Her face as she bent over was just too precious and he was overcome with a strong urge to do... do something dramatic.

Moving from the bench to one knee, Iyuki gently reached for Muika's left hand and planted a soft kiss on it. If he could reaffirm his role, he would be okay again. He needed to do this."You are wide my Lady. And gentle and forgiving. I was wise to pledge myself to one like you. I shall reaffirm the vows I made, on that day not so long ago."

As he spoke a small audience gathered. Some took pictures and others awed at the cute couple. Public proposals were always the cutest. Iyuki carried on oblivious, staring up into Muika's eyes with pride and a few tears.

A small squeak escaped her at the sudden kiss, even if it was on her hand. She wasn't used to kisses, whether it was hand, cheek, or wherever. That was surprisingly a field she had no experience in which in a way she guessed was good as there was at least one first that hadn't been taken.

Though she became all too aware of the small crowd, causing her eyes to shift from Iyuki off to the side before back to Iyuki, who still seemed oblivious of the situation, then back to the crowd before returning to him and so on.

Her face definitely was tinted, as the crowd was what caused the most embarrassment...where there pictures being taken!? "C-Can-Can we run...?" She asked, her voice quiet to the point where only Iyuki would hear it.

Iyuki looked up, looked down at himself and swore internally. He never swore even in his head. This was bad. Standing up, he bowed formally to the crowd. "Thank you for your patronage. I appreciate the well wishers but this is a private moment. If you please?"

Grabbing Muika's hand, he gently tugged her along. Which quickly sped up once they were out of the ring of people. He pulled her into the arcade area, hoping the dark of the place would hide them for a bit. He moved them to a corner in the back, no one in here paying any mind to another set of teens or young adults in the area. As he stood there, he coughed. "I...am truly apologetic for this instance of events Lady Okura. Very. Very sorry."

The way he'd chosen to exit rather than just bolting was a bit embarrassing, but she supposed he was nice about before they got far enough to run. He pulled her along into what was apparently the arcade area, from what she could see as Iyuki pulled them into a secluded corner. Thankfully no one seemed to care, too caught up in their own games to pay attention.

"I...It's fine." She replied, feeling he didn't need to really apologize...as he couldn't control a crowd.

"I..." Iyuki stopped himself before he continued to apologize and force it on her. She really did seem okay, just a bit flustered. It wasn't as if he was in the same state as her, especially with all that had happened before. He didn't want things to change between them, he didn't want anything off like that...

So instead he nodded, gave her a sort bow and waved her ahead of him. "So, if you would like we could try some of the other smaller rides and then move on from there?"

"S-sure." Muika gave a nod.

It seemed the best place to start, a few of the smaller rides and then keep moving on. Seemed like a plan. After their previous experience it was safe to assume they'd avoid rides like that from here on out, which was a relief for both of them it seemed.

"What do you think s-should be next?"

"I have a few ideas! All of them perfectly safe and not like that." Iyuki ticked off a few rides he was planning on them riding due to those issues that came up. He truly hadn't thought them all through.

However a few minutes later they were in line for the first of the list. It was a large octopus style ride, and as they sat in it with the separated seats, it seemed that that Muika was enjoying it from the looks he gave her around the small noises he made from it. He smiled the whole time and when they got off, the young man was back to his earlier excited self.

They went on a few of the smaller rides like the large swings, which Muika seemed scared of a bit and the carousel though she seemed a bit...embarrassed to be on it. Iyuki had no idea what was wrong, as he sat majestically on a seahorse, his hair blowing in the wind and smile on his face. He loved both rides, though he had felt a bit bad after the swings. She really had seemed like she was too scared.

Finally after those, he decided to take them on the rafting ride before heading to the bigger roller coasters. However he did not...think ahead. The ride did warn of getting wet or soaked, but he had assumed they would be the lucky ones and only get a bit wet. The heat was annoying and it would help them... But as they walked out of the gate, both came out dripping wet.

Iyuki pulled his vest over his head and gently squeezed it, wanting to murmur apologies to the poor thing while he unbuttoned the white shirt a bit to get the clinging off his neck more. Rolling the arms up after unbuttoning them as well, he sighed, his hair clinging in purple tangles as he smiled wryly down at Muika. "I suppose this was a big mistake, but I do feel refreshed. It makes the heat bearable at least."

He swung the vest over his shoulder, looking far more casual than he ever had, and also oddly relaxed. He had dumped his shoes out already, socks hanging from his pockets...

Muika had thought the damp hair from earlier was the most she'd have to worry about, but after the rafting ride wet hair was really the least of her problems. Now it wasn't just her hair but she was practically soaked now.

As Iyuki busied himself with wringing out his vest Muika looked down at herself. Her hoodie was clinging to her and it felt gross to be in, the water had been cooling but if she kept it on that could also mean taking the risk of catching a cold and she could only imagine the things she'd need to worry about then...and Iyuki probably overreacting...

Her hair was clinging to her face and neck, some of it still dripping water. She wanted to sit down and untie the longer part to maybe wring it out. It'd feel strange to have it untied, as she rarely ever untied it, but it needed to be done. Perhaps they could sit somewhere next and do that?

Just as Iyuki turned to her she was in the midst of removing the hoodie, moving it to tie around her waist at least. She could take it off and hold it if they had to sit anywhere. The black tank-top and bra clung but it at least they didn't feel as bad as the hoodie.

She only had to glance a second before she had to avert her gaze, that annoying red tinting her face again. Really how much of that was going to happen today for ridiculous reasons...

"C-Can we go sit somewhere? I need to wring out my hair..."

As Iyuki looked down he ended up looking straight down into... Nothing. He saw nothing. His eyes carefully on the cream colored hair of his companion and his face tinted red for a brief moment before he started scouring for a seat. He missed the look of Muika and her red face, instead focused on her wish.

"Here, this way." Iyuki led them over to a shaded seating area near a food stand, where he waited for Muika to sit first at the table. His hair still dripped, but he could deal with it for now. In fact, around the round table were a few of those nonmovable chairs. Laying his vest on one along with his socks, he tried not to glance at Muika's shirt again in case he got another bad look as he bent over to check his shoes. He was very careful about. Very careful to not think about things.

"Would you like help with anything? I can help if you have trouble with your hair, my hair was long for most of my life to be honest. I am used to dealing with such hassles Muika."

When they reached the seat Muika untied her hoodie, laying it out as she sat down. Iyuki was checking his shoes as he began speaking, and she glanced off to the side his question. While she'd lived with this style for most of her life it was sometimes difficult to manage as embarrassing as it was to admit...the longer part anyway. She'd been tempted to just hack it off with her blade on more than one occasion but the lengthier part was really all she had left from how it used to be, before everything...so she regrettably felt some attachment.

"Th...The tie is hard to undo." She admitted, which was the truth; whenever she did untie it it was always hell to tie back since it was a hair string rather than a band or something and she always ended up knotting it to where it was hell to get out as well, especially since she couldn't see what she was doing.

Ah! She needed him for something! Something he could easily do, something that would help her and be personal! Iyuki hadn't cooked for her in a while or helped her in many butler ways, so this pleased him. A large grin on his face, he nodded happily as wet drops sprayed around a bit. "I would be honored my lady."

Moving to her back, the young man bent over slightly and his long fingers quickly helped untie the horrible and tight knot. As he undid the tie and unwrapped it from her hair, without thinking he then ran his fingers through the sopping strands to try and loosen them and make them nice again. Her hair was such a nice color... Without thinking, Iyuki gently ran his hands through the red of her hair at the back, teasing out any small knots with delicate care as he sang softly under his breath.

When Iyuki moved to help her with the tie, saying he was happy to help...with the 'my lady' thing...Muika kept her eyes down and hands in her lap. She couldn't really mess with the ends of her hoodie like she usually did since she wasn't wearing it, so her hands were still, balled up as Iyuki untied the knot and tried to straighten her hair out.

It felt strange feeling it down, she kept it tied because with the way it had been cut, or more so hacked, back then it was a rather odd style and a bit of a messy cut in some places. She'd never bothered fixing it because she didn't want to go through the trouble of interacting with people to fix it...and since she'd had it that way for so long she'd just grown used to it having it this way.

Coming out of her thoughts she realized Iyuki had taken to singing as he worked, she supposed it was a better alternative than just silence, and it wasn't like his voice was bad. She felt weird just sitting there being quiet herself, even if she wasn't the most talkative person around...

"Y...You have a nice singing v-voice." She muttered, though as soon as the words left her mouth embarrassment overtook her. She felt dumb for even saying it. Saying that was probably weird and she hadn't even thought about it. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

If he had thought to bring a comb, Iyuki would have been able to take good care of the hair. He was rather picky about his, and thus carried that over to others. As he sang, his hands reached forward and he pulled bits from the front back gently, easing any tangles out. It was still sopping wet, but the long strand was dryer from his gentle work and squeezing.

He hadn't realized he was singing until Muika spoke, jolting him from his ministrations. He flushed scarlet, his hands shaking a bit as his voice stopped and he bit his lip. He let go of her hair and moved to a seat, burying his face in his hands. "T-Thank you."

He couldn't believe he had sung, had been heard and caught singing! He didn't sing in front of anyone. Muika had heard though... And maybe he had gone a bit overboard with his hair playing. He rather missed how hair felt in his hands and had imagined it while dry. It was more in a wondering if it would be soft or not, and not imagining it in any sort of creepy way.

Now though he was stuck feeling like a weird pervert and blurted out "I'm sorry for the hair!", while he was at it.

She instantly felt another wave of embarrassment as Iyuki reacted to her compliment, becoming embarrassed himself as he sat down and covered his face. She wanted to apologize but before she could he let out his own apology.

"E-Eh? It-It's fine...I don't...I don't really take care of it...the way I should so..." No way was she going to admit she'd liked the hair thing. She absolutely would not. When he'd been doing it she'd gotten caught up in her own thoughts, which had pushed her away from the embarrassment if only for a moment, but there was no way she could admit it'd relaxed her. No way. No how.

"No it is fine. Do not worry. I'll make sure to be careful in the future though, I forgot you may dislike such touching. I used to do it to my sister and brother though, so do not worry. I was just reliving some things. It wasn't meant..." Iyuki felt ashamed and hoped she wouldn't take it the wrong way. He didn't want her thinking he was a predator or after her or any such awful things. He was just her butler, he would help her in any way he could.

His face slowly cleared as he forgot about his singing and how silly he had been, and glanced at Muika only to have to look away again. He wasn't used to seeing her so...bare. The shirt was clinging and her hair was drying but still quite wet. His eyes refused to stay on her at all, even her own eyes for now. It was a tainted and dirty soul he had.

"I...It's fine...I...I may freeze or something sometimes bu..but I'm not so easily bothered by simple touching l-like that." She tried to explain, though she felt it was a poor job. Despite her experiences and how she reacted to things she wasn't off as bad as she seemed...she could handle things like hair touching, hand touching, and hugs those were fine...she may freeze up because she wasn't expecting it but it wasn't like she that fragile.

"Oh I see. Well I would not wish to make you freeze for something so small. However if you needed my help redoing your hair, I could once we dried it." Iyuki reached out as if he wanted to play with the hair some more, still rather curious over it. He coughed and pulled his hand back, moving his arms due to the slowly drying clothing. His underwear was uncomfortable while he was sitting and he rather hoped he wouldn't get a rash.

"The only reason...I freeze is because I don't expect it..." Muika explained, "b-but y-yeah...I can't really tie it back that well..."

Well all in all it wasn't a lie, considering the horrible knot she'd had before he'd untied it. Though did that mean she had to keep it untied for now? It was weird...she usually tied it back up right after, though she guessed by doing so that wasn't exactly proper care...which she'd already admitted to not doing properly.

Not just her hair but her clothes still felt weird too, but mostly because they were still drying just like her hair was...though considering she was wearing leggings they just felt...horrible...like they were making an extra effort to stick to her...but unlike the hoodie they weren't something she could just take off...even if she was wearing a skirt and underwear...

"Oh! Well then I will have to help." Butlers helped with hair all the time, especially if they had female wards. However he wasn't a full butler yet. He needed a mistress to help him along his way. If only they gave out butler licenses...

Iyuki stood, his pants clinging to his body and he tried to move so it would fall off. No such luck. Carefully looking at Muika's head, he moved back behind her, his hands running through her hair and fluffing it out to try and dry it faster. He was very gentle and hummed this time. His own purple locks, almost black when entirely soaked, were drying in a fluff around him. The chlorine would make them so annoying to deal with, he would have to wash a lot at home.

"This might take a bit, but I assure you I will speed up the drying as best I can. However your hair will be gunky with chlorine. It'll have to be rinsed later and washed well. If you want, once its properly cleaned as well I can show you some hair techniques. We can also get you some hair ties that are stretchy and don't require a lot of work. It would allow you to do this yourself."

As Iyuki went back to her hair, trying to get it to dry quicker by fluffing it out some, he began humming again and Muika sat still; her disposition relaxed rather than stiff, but she still didn't move just in case it might make Iyuki mess up.

"Then I'll go to the bathhouse tonight..since pond water wouldn't work." She replied to Iyuki's suggestion of washing it. "If you want you can come too...the woman that works the place won't mind giving you your own room since it'll be late. No one's there when it's late."

If she or they planned on going though they'd need to stop home first for extra clothes...she also needed her swimsuit so she could bathe properly...

"I always go to a bathhouse... Muika, you shouldn't use ponds for washing. Your soap could harm the ecosystem in it. They have lots of chemicals and would harm the animals living in it." Iyuki frowned, he hadn't said anything before this but... With his job going very well, they could afford more bathhouse trips. He didn't know which bathhouse she used...

"That would be nice, I could make sure you are safe on the way home then. We could get some snacks and walk home from a shared bathhouse trip... That could be rather nice, it should be something we do more often." Most of his happiest memories were such small things like that, and if he wished to make those with her to help her...such things must become common place. Yes.

Without thinking, Iyuki was braiding her hair and unbraiding it. Intricate little braids, tying into others as he spoke.

She usually just washed up in the pond, though, the soap could be potentially harmful...even if it was the cheap kind.

"'Kay...As long as we can stop by home first since we need a change of clothes." She didn't have that many spare clothes, but she had at least a set she could bring, her hoodie though would need to dry itself.

It was only after she'd said that though that she realized stopping there first would be obvious, she mentally scolded herself for her momentary moment of stupidity.

"You need a change of clothing, we can pick up a regular set on our way back. There is a cheap shop, and we can get you something that is nice. It would be silly to walk all the way back and then head back into town. You did hide the cabin well." Iyuki's voice was firm. He would not budge on this. She needed something else... There was a shop that sold cheap resale clothes on the way home. He would have to stop in, and if she wouldn't go in with her he would have to figure out her sizes.

A few more braids were made, long and thin, out of her hair. He undid those and then realized she was sitting up. Too tense by far... Sighing, he reached his hands out and started rubbing her head gently in circles, trying to relieve tension. His sister had told him he gave the best massages in the world. "Here, relax more Muika. I can help."