Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ A Country's Hope ❯ Kissed By Rain ( Chapter 10 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: EikoOmoi 
Anime/Manga: Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Romance / Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.29.2001 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.6K | Visits: 227 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Romance / Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.29.2001 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.6K | Visits: 227 | Status: Completed
Thank you all for those great reviews :D I just figured I'd take the liberty to thank you all in here and such. Personally, I didn't think Chapter 9 was all that good, and I will do my best to get Chapters done very quickly, and try not to rush anything. Well, this chapter is kawaii ^___^ atleast I think so, and anyway...enjoy! :D
Jarnuth carried himself over to the steps of the item shop, and plopped down on them with a sigh. He propped his elbows up on his knees, and stared ahead thoughtfully. Viole nudged some dirt around with the toe of his shoe, and kept sparing glances in the direction that Eiko had disappeared in. His attention was pulled away by Sorien, who tugged on the sleeve of his shirt, and offered a small smile-just as means of comfort. Asantay looked up at the two, leaning his back against the wall of a building. His eyes then dropped to the ground, and he brought his boot down on an insect, holding it there with pressure. He raised it, and watched the legs of the tiny bug crumple up with a few dying twitches. That only held his interest for a little while, and he then looked to Karyn.
Karyn stood proudly in the center, a smug smile ever-present upon those lips. Amusement danced within those hazels, which were very intent on the path Eiko proceeded up. He drew in a breath, and was about to speak, only to be cut off by Asantay.
"Don't say one word..." The boy peered over at Karyn.
"Heh...you'll see I'm right though...I know I'm right! She's never gonna-"
"Shut up, Karyn!" Viole glared over at him.
"Eiko will make it..." Jarnuth nodded confidently, looking toward his companions. "I know she will. She'll prove Karyn wrong...and he'll be mad because it'll show that a girl has more guts than him."
"Yeah! That's right...remember that time we dared Karyn to go into the castle...and he chickened out making up some excuse about having to rearrange his socks?" Sorien grinned, and nudged Viole.
Karyn scowled, "That wasn't an excuse! I really did have to do that!"
"Heh...suuure. I coulda sworn he was walking home funny...with a big, yellow, wet spot in the front of his pants..." Asantay snickered.
"I was NOT!"
"No need to get so defensive...heh. Unless it's true..." Viole smirked, joining in the fun.
"You guys are so stupid!" Karyn snarled in return.
Jarnuth sighed, and looked away from them, "Is she coming back yet?"
"...not that I can see," Viole responded.
"Where is she!" Jarnuth let his brows set together.
"I'm right here..."
The children spun around to face the direction of the voice. Sure enough, Eiko stood there with a triumphant grin, and she contemplated waving around the items, but decided against it. She just wound up holding them out instead for the awed faces to look upon. The five children surrounded her, and poked at the red-shirt just to make certain it was real. The initial shock had faded, and four out of the group grinned brightly.
"Way to go, Eiko!" Jarnuth was the first to congratulate.
"Yeah...this is great!" Sorien beamed.
"I'm glad you made it out okay..." Viole nodded some.
"Yeah...me too, Eiko..." Asantay followed up the previous comment.
Karyn stood back with his arms crossed, and a narrowed gaze. Eiko lifted her attention toward him, and then grinned proudly, "Aren't you gonna say something, Karyn?"
"....I guess you can be Van..." This was low and mumbled, as it hurt his pride to actually admit that.
"Hm...? You're gonna have to say it louder than that..." Jarnuth prodded, not missing the opportunity to see the antagonist at his low.
"Yeah...I didn't quite hear what you said...heh heh," Viole glanced toward Eiko with a smirk. Karyn deserved the torment of being bested by her. And he was honestly glad that she had made it out without getting caught-not only because he was concerned about her well-being...but because it proved that she had far more courage than Karyn ever could brag about having.
Karyn twitched visibly, and clenched his fists. Speaking through gritted teeth, he responded, "I said she could be Van..."
Eiko could see it killed him to admit that by the flickers and jerking motions of suppressed anger in his jaw, and she grinned with satisfaction. She was quite pleased with the turn of events, and the rush of it all still continued to circulate in her veins. This adrenaline felt like it would never fade, and she didn't want it to either. It felt so wonderful to see that look of disdain that spread across Karyn's features so blatantly, and the image would always be preserved in her mind. It was her personal snap shot, which she deposited away deep within the confines of her head-for when she needed a good laugh after all!
A few footfalls sounded behind them, and the children turned to spot a rather worn-out looking Briassa. Her arms were lax against her side, and she dragged her feet along slowly. The crystal spheres lifted toward them all, and she presented a small smile-her best effort to appear like she felt somewhat well. The blonde let her gaze drift toward Eiko, and she moved forward, inspecting the clothes for a moment.
"Whatcha got there...?" Briassa was curious to know.
"She's got Prince Van's clothes," Jarnuth replied for the girl.
"Wha...? But...how?" Those deep blue's widened on Eiko.
The raven-haired princess smiled, and looked to the bundle, "I wanted to play as Prince Van in your game. Karyn said I couldn't unless I snuck into the castle and got a set of Van's clothes...soo..."
"She snuck in all right!" Jarnuth nodded excitedly.
"And outsmarted all the guards in there...and King Goau himself!" Sorien added with a brilliant grin.
"It didn't happen that way!" Karyn narrowed his eyes.
"How do you know it didn't?" Jarnuth shot him an accusing glare.
"How do you know it did! " He snorted back.
And the two boys got into it, Jarnuth taking a surprising lead pounce for the other. Eiko hopped back to avoid being caught in this, and blinked as both collided to the ground. With a messy jumble of hits and insults, Jarnuth and Karyn rolled away, becoming a tangle of limbs eventually. The rest of the group watched for the time being. Mouths were slightly agape with surprise, and once Karyn brought a fist down on Jarnuth's jaw, both Asantay and Viole hopped in. They attempted to rip the two apart, which proved to be a difficult task, but not impossible. Asantay tugged away a kicking and punching Karyn, as Viole got the much more tranquil Jarnuth-who's jaw already began to look discolored.
"Karyn! You hurt him! You reeally hurt him!" Briassa exclaimed, wide-eyes locked on the bruised boy.
"Well...he started it," Karyn struggled within Asantay's grasp, forcing the capturer to tighten his grip. "Let me go!"
"No way...not until you calm down first...we don't need to get in trouble with anyone..." Asantay shook his head.
Viole decided it was safe to let go of Jarnuth, and did just that, sighing as his attention moved toward his fraternal twin, "It's just a bruise, Briassa...Jarn'll heal..."
"Yeah...if he hadn't jumped on me...it wouldn't have happened!" Karyn spat.
"If you weren't being so stupid I wouldn't have jumped on you!" Jarnuth growled back at him, only to feel his arm seized again.
"This fighting is dumb! Why don't you both stop it and let's just play like none of this had ever happened..." Sorien whined.
"I agree with Sorien..." Viole nodded.
"Me too..." Briassa chimed in.
Jarnuth was once again released, and he sighed, stalking away from the group. It was probably a wise choice, as once Karyn was free he may have taken out that anger on the poor boy again. Eiko frowned, and let her gaze follow him, before she glanced back at Briassa. It was her fault that they had gotten in that fight. It was her fault that Jarnuth received that bruise. She might not have done anything directly to provoke the fight, but they were fighting over her. It was a stupid reason to be fighting, however that didn't change the fact that she felt somewhat responsible.
"I'm gonna go talk to Jarnuth.." The young girl declared, and shoved the clothing into Briassa's arms, which the blonde quickly raised to catch before they dropped.
Eiko took off without waiting for a response, dashing in the direction the young lad disappeared in. The streets were rather busy at that time in the afternoon, and she had to avoid being trampled on by people as they blindly carried on their duties. The area around her slowly grew darker, and Eiko paused to glance upward. Clouds of a dark grey began their trek across the sky, engulfing the once pristine blue in a amoeba-esque fashion. The girl frowned as she felt the first droplet descend from the sky and hit her forehead. It rolled off, leaving a streak behind as it hit the ground. She had to find Jarnuth, though. She had to apologize for making him get hurt. Ignoring the unpleasant feeling of the beginning sprinkle, her eyes wandered over the ground, and then caught sight of the tan-shirted boy who ducked into one of the alleys.
Eiko brought her tongue along her lips, and then raced forward. Her shoulder knocked painfully into someone's legs, and they grumbled in annoyance after her. She blinked, and offered a quick apology as she continued on her way. The rain beat down steadily by the point she reached the area, and Eiko felt her hair grow heavy along with her clothes. Weighted down, she took a temporary pause so as to not make the fatigue greater.
"Jarnuth?"
No response.
"Jarnuth...where did you go?" Eiko scrunched up her nose and continued to look around.
A clap of thunder sounded behind her, and she jumped at that. It became difficult to see as the water drenched everything in sight, pouring down and filling dips in the path quickly with puddles. She frowned, and raised her hand to sweep soaked tresses away from her vision; atleast she could make her sight a little better. It didn't help that much, and she squinted somewhat, continuing to sweep that gaze around. He couldn't have gone far!
"...why don't you just go back to the others, Eiko...?" The voice responded after that long pause.
"Jarnuth...? Is that you? Where are you!" Her eyes lit up, and she searched frantically.
The boy stepped out from his hiding place, equally as drenched as Eiko was herself. A small smile came to rosy lips, and she made her way forward, the soles of her shoes slapping against the wet ground. She watched a few drops spritz aside as her feet hit the dampened ground. Jarnuth watched her move closer, and made no effort to back up as much as he seemed to want to. Eiko paused once she was directly in front of him, and then clasped her hands in the center of her skirt.
"Why are you here...?" Jarnuth finally asked.
"I..." She stopped, and then dropped her gaze. "I had to apologize. It was my fault that you two fought like that...I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you got hurt."
There was silence, and the sky flickered brightly as a streak of lightning went across. Eiko looked toward it, and then around for the expectant rumbling that needed to follow. The anticipation was great, and even though Eiko knew it was going to happen, the booming thunder still managed to get her to flinch. Jarnuth regarded this with a slight sigh, and then he shook his head softly.
"You didn't need to. It...wasn't your fault really. It was mine...I shoulda known better..."
"Hm? Oh...you know that's not true. Karyn's temper is really to blame...to hit you like he did..." Eiko pursed her lips, and raised her hand hesitantly. The cold fingers were slowly placed upon the upraised mark on the side of Jarnuth's jaw. She raised her attention toward him for any sign of reaction. The boy only winced some. "Does that hurt?"
Jarnuth appeared uncomfortable with her touching him like that, and he shifted some but still made no real effort to get away, "No...it's fine."
Another clap of thunder. This time, Eiko didn't jump, "It doesn't look fine. It looks like it's quite sore and irritated..."
"I-I feel fine, Eiko...really..."
"You know...no matter how good you might think you feel...your body probably doesn't think the same..."
Eiko's voice caught on the last part...where had she heard that before? Her brows furrowed in confusion, and the link that their gaze held was broken as she dropped her eyes to the ground. The raindrops beat steadily down on her back, but she was already soaked so it really had no effect. Shivering slightly, she suddenly felt a warmth being brought around her shoulders. She glanced up quickly, and found that Jarnuth had brought an arm around her. Despite how cold her face was, she could feel it heat up with warm embarrassment. Jarnuth offered her a light smile, and said something about her catching cold if she didn't get inside. She didn't quite hear the words correctly as they mixed with several thoughts and strange feelings. It was odd...for two children...a boy and a girl to be standing together like that. But, Jarnuth was different from a typical boy. He wasn't as boorish as most, and he didn't seem as hostile towards girls. It wasn't like Asantay or Viole really acted like that either, mostly Karyn...but Jarnuth was far more gentle than the others.
Eiko found her eyes on Jarnuth's face, watching his expressions. He appeared to want to say or do something, but he fidgeted uncertainly. The rain seemed to wash everything away except for that brown-haired boy and herself. His hair, she noticed, curled strangely when it was wet. It clumped and matted itself together in coils which scattered across his forehead. A small smile of amusement graced her lips, and then faded once she noticed a single driblet catch on the side of his brow. It trailed downward slowly, and moved over the curves of his jaw. Lingering there briefly, the drop slid down and collected at the start of her fingertips, thus making her realize she had yet to move that palm. Eiko was about to do so, but something happened-so quickly that she didn't even have time to react. A sudden pressure came to her lips, and her eyes went wide as she realized just what was going on. Jarnuth had bent his head forward, and connected his mouth with hers. Deep sepia spheres followed a line of pink that spread across the young boy's cheeks and the bridge of his nose. Eiko felt the warmth reach her hand, and collect in her palm, but still she was frozen with surprise. The boy quickly pulled back once his nerve fell, and his eyes settled on the shocked young girl-who's mouth was agape and her fingers were glued onto the side of his face. Highly flustered, Jarnuth stepped back and fumbled through muddled thoughts only to utter a quick apology, and then run off in the opposite direction. She still stood there, watching him leave. The sound of thunder was far too distant for her to even react to....and Eiko couldn't help but notice that Jarnuth's bruised jaw had completely healed.
Jarnuth carried himself over to the steps of the item shop, and plopped down on them with a sigh. He propped his elbows up on his knees, and stared ahead thoughtfully. Viole nudged some dirt around with the toe of his shoe, and kept sparing glances in the direction that Eiko had disappeared in. His attention was pulled away by Sorien, who tugged on the sleeve of his shirt, and offered a small smile-just as means of comfort. Asantay looked up at the two, leaning his back against the wall of a building. His eyes then dropped to the ground, and he brought his boot down on an insect, holding it there with pressure. He raised it, and watched the legs of the tiny bug crumple up with a few dying twitches. That only held his interest for a little while, and he then looked to Karyn.
Karyn stood proudly in the center, a smug smile ever-present upon those lips. Amusement danced within those hazels, which were very intent on the path Eiko proceeded up. He drew in a breath, and was about to speak, only to be cut off by Asantay.
"Don't say one word..." The boy peered over at Karyn.
"Heh...you'll see I'm right though...I know I'm right! She's never gonna-"
"Shut up, Karyn!" Viole glared over at him.
"Eiko will make it..." Jarnuth nodded confidently, looking toward his companions. "I know she will. She'll prove Karyn wrong...and he'll be mad because it'll show that a girl has more guts than him."
"Yeah! That's right...remember that time we dared Karyn to go into the castle...and he chickened out making up some excuse about having to rearrange his socks?" Sorien grinned, and nudged Viole.
Karyn scowled, "That wasn't an excuse! I really did have to do that!"
"Heh...suuure. I coulda sworn he was walking home funny...with a big, yellow, wet spot in the front of his pants..." Asantay snickered.
"I was NOT!"
"No need to get so defensive...heh. Unless it's true..." Viole smirked, joining in the fun.
"You guys are so stupid!" Karyn snarled in return.
Jarnuth sighed, and looked away from them, "Is she coming back yet?"
"...not that I can see," Viole responded.
"Where is she!" Jarnuth let his brows set together.
"I'm right here..."
The children spun around to face the direction of the voice. Sure enough, Eiko stood there with a triumphant grin, and she contemplated waving around the items, but decided against it. She just wound up holding them out instead for the awed faces to look upon. The five children surrounded her, and poked at the red-shirt just to make certain it was real. The initial shock had faded, and four out of the group grinned brightly.
"Way to go, Eiko!" Jarnuth was the first to congratulate.
"Yeah...this is great!" Sorien beamed.
"I'm glad you made it out okay..." Viole nodded some.
"Yeah...me too, Eiko..." Asantay followed up the previous comment.
Karyn stood back with his arms crossed, and a narrowed gaze. Eiko lifted her attention toward him, and then grinned proudly, "Aren't you gonna say something, Karyn?"
"....I guess you can be Van..." This was low and mumbled, as it hurt his pride to actually admit that.
"Hm...? You're gonna have to say it louder than that..." Jarnuth prodded, not missing the opportunity to see the antagonist at his low.
"Yeah...I didn't quite hear what you said...heh heh," Viole glanced toward Eiko with a smirk. Karyn deserved the torment of being bested by her. And he was honestly glad that she had made it out without getting caught-not only because he was concerned about her well-being...but because it proved that she had far more courage than Karyn ever could brag about having.
Karyn twitched visibly, and clenched his fists. Speaking through gritted teeth, he responded, "I said she could be Van..."
Eiko could see it killed him to admit that by the flickers and jerking motions of suppressed anger in his jaw, and she grinned with satisfaction. She was quite pleased with the turn of events, and the rush of it all still continued to circulate in her veins. This adrenaline felt like it would never fade, and she didn't want it to either. It felt so wonderful to see that look of disdain that spread across Karyn's features so blatantly, and the image would always be preserved in her mind. It was her personal snap shot, which she deposited away deep within the confines of her head-for when she needed a good laugh after all!
A few footfalls sounded behind them, and the children turned to spot a rather worn-out looking Briassa. Her arms were lax against her side, and she dragged her feet along slowly. The crystal spheres lifted toward them all, and she presented a small smile-her best effort to appear like she felt somewhat well. The blonde let her gaze drift toward Eiko, and she moved forward, inspecting the clothes for a moment.
"Whatcha got there...?" Briassa was curious to know.
"She's got Prince Van's clothes," Jarnuth replied for the girl.
"Wha...? But...how?" Those deep blue's widened on Eiko.
The raven-haired princess smiled, and looked to the bundle, "I wanted to play as Prince Van in your game. Karyn said I couldn't unless I snuck into the castle and got a set of Van's clothes...soo..."
"She snuck in all right!" Jarnuth nodded excitedly.
"And outsmarted all the guards in there...and King Goau himself!" Sorien added with a brilliant grin.
"It didn't happen that way!" Karyn narrowed his eyes.
"How do you know it didn't?" Jarnuth shot him an accusing glare.
"How do you know it did! " He snorted back.
And the two boys got into it, Jarnuth taking a surprising lead pounce for the other. Eiko hopped back to avoid being caught in this, and blinked as both collided to the ground. With a messy jumble of hits and insults, Jarnuth and Karyn rolled away, becoming a tangle of limbs eventually. The rest of the group watched for the time being. Mouths were slightly agape with surprise, and once Karyn brought a fist down on Jarnuth's jaw, both Asantay and Viole hopped in. They attempted to rip the two apart, which proved to be a difficult task, but not impossible. Asantay tugged away a kicking and punching Karyn, as Viole got the much more tranquil Jarnuth-who's jaw already began to look discolored.
"Karyn! You hurt him! You reeally hurt him!" Briassa exclaimed, wide-eyes locked on the bruised boy.
"Well...he started it," Karyn struggled within Asantay's grasp, forcing the capturer to tighten his grip. "Let me go!"
"No way...not until you calm down first...we don't need to get in trouble with anyone..." Asantay shook his head.
Viole decided it was safe to let go of Jarnuth, and did just that, sighing as his attention moved toward his fraternal twin, "It's just a bruise, Briassa...Jarn'll heal..."
"Yeah...if he hadn't jumped on me...it wouldn't have happened!" Karyn spat.
"If you weren't being so stupid I wouldn't have jumped on you!" Jarnuth growled back at him, only to feel his arm seized again.
"This fighting is dumb! Why don't you both stop it and let's just play like none of this had ever happened..." Sorien whined.
"I agree with Sorien..." Viole nodded.
"Me too..." Briassa chimed in.
Jarnuth was once again released, and he sighed, stalking away from the group. It was probably a wise choice, as once Karyn was free he may have taken out that anger on the poor boy again. Eiko frowned, and let her gaze follow him, before she glanced back at Briassa. It was her fault that they had gotten in that fight. It was her fault that Jarnuth received that bruise. She might not have done anything directly to provoke the fight, but they were fighting over her. It was a stupid reason to be fighting, however that didn't change the fact that she felt somewhat responsible.
"I'm gonna go talk to Jarnuth.." The young girl declared, and shoved the clothing into Briassa's arms, which the blonde quickly raised to catch before they dropped.
Eiko took off without waiting for a response, dashing in the direction the young lad disappeared in. The streets were rather busy at that time in the afternoon, and she had to avoid being trampled on by people as they blindly carried on their duties. The area around her slowly grew darker, and Eiko paused to glance upward. Clouds of a dark grey began their trek across the sky, engulfing the once pristine blue in a amoeba-esque fashion. The girl frowned as she felt the first droplet descend from the sky and hit her forehead. It rolled off, leaving a streak behind as it hit the ground. She had to find Jarnuth, though. She had to apologize for making him get hurt. Ignoring the unpleasant feeling of the beginning sprinkle, her eyes wandered over the ground, and then caught sight of the tan-shirted boy who ducked into one of the alleys.
Eiko brought her tongue along her lips, and then raced forward. Her shoulder knocked painfully into someone's legs, and they grumbled in annoyance after her. She blinked, and offered a quick apology as she continued on her way. The rain beat down steadily by the point she reached the area, and Eiko felt her hair grow heavy along with her clothes. Weighted down, she took a temporary pause so as to not make the fatigue greater.
"Jarnuth?"
No response.
"Jarnuth...where did you go?" Eiko scrunched up her nose and continued to look around.
A clap of thunder sounded behind her, and she jumped at that. It became difficult to see as the water drenched everything in sight, pouring down and filling dips in the path quickly with puddles. She frowned, and raised her hand to sweep soaked tresses away from her vision; atleast she could make her sight a little better. It didn't help that much, and she squinted somewhat, continuing to sweep that gaze around. He couldn't have gone far!
"...why don't you just go back to the others, Eiko...?" The voice responded after that long pause.
"Jarnuth...? Is that you? Where are you!" Her eyes lit up, and she searched frantically.
The boy stepped out from his hiding place, equally as drenched as Eiko was herself. A small smile came to rosy lips, and she made her way forward, the soles of her shoes slapping against the wet ground. She watched a few drops spritz aside as her feet hit the dampened ground. Jarnuth watched her move closer, and made no effort to back up as much as he seemed to want to. Eiko paused once she was directly in front of him, and then clasped her hands in the center of her skirt.
"Why are you here...?" Jarnuth finally asked.
"I..." She stopped, and then dropped her gaze. "I had to apologize. It was my fault that you two fought like that...I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you got hurt."
There was silence, and the sky flickered brightly as a streak of lightning went across. Eiko looked toward it, and then around for the expectant rumbling that needed to follow. The anticipation was great, and even though Eiko knew it was going to happen, the booming thunder still managed to get her to flinch. Jarnuth regarded this with a slight sigh, and then he shook his head softly.
"You didn't need to. It...wasn't your fault really. It was mine...I shoulda known better..."
"Hm? Oh...you know that's not true. Karyn's temper is really to blame...to hit you like he did..." Eiko pursed her lips, and raised her hand hesitantly. The cold fingers were slowly placed upon the upraised mark on the side of Jarnuth's jaw. She raised her attention toward him for any sign of reaction. The boy only winced some. "Does that hurt?"
Jarnuth appeared uncomfortable with her touching him like that, and he shifted some but still made no real effort to get away, "No...it's fine."
Another clap of thunder. This time, Eiko didn't jump, "It doesn't look fine. It looks like it's quite sore and irritated..."
"I-I feel fine, Eiko...really..."
"You know...no matter how good you might think you feel...your body probably doesn't think the same..."
Eiko's voice caught on the last part...where had she heard that before? Her brows furrowed in confusion, and the link that their gaze held was broken as she dropped her eyes to the ground. The raindrops beat steadily down on her back, but she was already soaked so it really had no effect. Shivering slightly, she suddenly felt a warmth being brought around her shoulders. She glanced up quickly, and found that Jarnuth had brought an arm around her. Despite how cold her face was, she could feel it heat up with warm embarrassment. Jarnuth offered her a light smile, and said something about her catching cold if she didn't get inside. She didn't quite hear the words correctly as they mixed with several thoughts and strange feelings. It was odd...for two children...a boy and a girl to be standing together like that. But, Jarnuth was different from a typical boy. He wasn't as boorish as most, and he didn't seem as hostile towards girls. It wasn't like Asantay or Viole really acted like that either, mostly Karyn...but Jarnuth was far more gentle than the others.
Eiko found her eyes on Jarnuth's face, watching his expressions. He appeared to want to say or do something, but he fidgeted uncertainly. The rain seemed to wash everything away except for that brown-haired boy and herself. His hair, she noticed, curled strangely when it was wet. It clumped and matted itself together in coils which scattered across his forehead. A small smile of amusement graced her lips, and then faded once she noticed a single driblet catch on the side of his brow. It trailed downward slowly, and moved over the curves of his jaw. Lingering there briefly, the drop slid down and collected at the start of her fingertips, thus making her realize she had yet to move that palm. Eiko was about to do so, but something happened-so quickly that she didn't even have time to react. A sudden pressure came to her lips, and her eyes went wide as she realized just what was going on. Jarnuth had bent his head forward, and connected his mouth with hers. Deep sepia spheres followed a line of pink that spread across the young boy's cheeks and the bridge of his nose. Eiko felt the warmth reach her hand, and collect in her palm, but still she was frozen with surprise. The boy quickly pulled back once his nerve fell, and his eyes settled on the shocked young girl-who's mouth was agape and her fingers were glued onto the side of his face. Highly flustered, Jarnuth stepped back and fumbled through muddled thoughts only to utter a quick apology, and then run off in the opposite direction. She still stood there, watching him leave. The sound of thunder was far too distant for her to even react to....and Eiko couldn't help but notice that Jarnuth's bruised jaw had completely healed.