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a tribute to our combined effort

──● walt disney
DISNEY

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The next couple weeks were like that all the same. Rhys frequently coming over to her house to work on the painting that was bound for ultimate creation. It had taken them the first few days to properly do the dance, and adjust some things before they launched into the mini paintings of their footsteps. Rhys followed his steps, and Kasumi followed her own.

They worked for hours at times, in the silence, or Rhys talked to her. She heard about his sister, Sailor, who wanted more than anything to be a Rocket Scientist. She learned that Rhys worked every hour of free-time he had to be able to send her to science camps in the summertime. She learned his parents had divorced when he turned eighteen, and not wanted his sister to go to either of them, he fought for custody with everything he could. She learned Rhys competitively swam, and knew how to surf from when his family lived in California when he was in middle school, before hockey in New York. He likes walks at night, and dancing under the moon. He liked dad jokes, and smiled the most adorable sheepish grin whenever he was apologizing for something. Kasumi learned his laugh felt like sunshine, and he knew the constellations like he'd created them himself. He liked strawberries a lot, and refused to touch alcohol because one of his friends died in a drunk-driving accident, and it scared the shit outta him for that to happen and somehow leave Sailor alone. She learned a lot of things about Rhys Armstrong. 

The only thing she didn't learn, frankly, was a question she was oh-so-desperate to ask. 

Why the fuck had she tutored him?

It was mind boggling to her. Rhys seemed so well-versed in almost everything. He was a natural academic, and she didn't have a doubt if he wanted to follow a STEM pathway, rather than an art degree, he could do it. What could she have helped him with in high-school, if anything. The most irritating part was that Kasumi had no idea what it was that she helped him with. High school was a blurry time regardless for her, but it was exasperating to have no clue at all to what the hell they'd done.

Kasumi was going to ask him today. She'd spent enough time letting the thought linger in the back of her mind, prodding her anxiety. Rhys wouldn't laugh, she was sure of it. It was more of an annoyance than anything else, but she was getting sick of it bouncing back and forth in her head. She'd written the question on her board this morning, determined to ask him. 

Besides, they'd dropped off their finished project today. It was in the gallery just now, safely locked away until their teacher observed it officially. It was a beautiful painting, and there was an incomprehensible amount of pride that filled her to the brim when she looked at it. It was something else too, knowing she'd shared the joy, the feeling of painting. Their footsteps interlaced over the canvas, the colors of the individual stories blurring together. Kasumi loved it. She loved it more than anything she'd ever painted.

She was going to ask to have it, after all of this. Rhys had insisted that if they got to keep it, that she would be the one to do so. He wanted her to have it. It wasn't going to fit into his apartment anyway - that's what he said.

Kasumi had promised that he could visit it whenever he wanted.

That didn't matter right now. What mattered was this stupid question that had been sitting in the pits of her mind for so long, seething as she waited. Soft anxiety pulsed into her chest, rising into her throat. Habitually, she picked at the mask that covered her mouth. This one was a pastel blue, matching her scarf that sat over her grey sweater-dress. She tensed as the door to the art building swung open. Rhys had a class today, at this time, so she wanted to catch him afterwards if she could. It's true, she could just text him, but that felt cheap - especially when it considered their past relationship. At the thought she felt her cheeks half flare in embarassment, clutching the whiteboard to her chest tightly, careful not to move too much to unintentionally erase the question. 

Small groups swarmed outside of the doors, and by instinct Kas took a step back. Both individuals and crowds filtered out, and her eyes searched for Rhys' familiar face. Huffing under her breath, she quickly realized she wasn't quite tall enough to see everyone, so her only hope might be that he might see her instead. She took another step back, craning her neck and rocking onto her toes as if that would somehow make her taller enough to make the difference.

She was startled by a soft cough, turning to see a pretty blonde looking her over. "Uh, are you looking for someone?" She had her arms crossed over her chest, a borderline forced smile on her face as she cocked her head at Kasumi. Sharp blue eyes ran up and down her, and she fought the urge to squirm under the analyzing scan. Clearly, she got impatient for her answer, raising her eyebrow. "Well, are you?"

Quickly, in rapid response, Kas shook her head, once again feeling heat rise into her fortunately covered cheeks. She shook her head, stepping away from the girl instead. Just one, little one. The girl apparently thought this was hilarious, because an overly enforced giggle escaped her.

"Oh relax! It's not like I bite or anything."

Kasumi itched for her marker, wanting to write so desperately, you look like you're about to. That would be rude however, so she didn't, instead staring at her wide-eyed, and speechless. She didn't seem to take the hint, stepping closer to her instead, making up the distance and more in an instant. She smiled again, that breathless, pretty smile and hummed. 

"I'm Blair. Blair Cook." She tilted her head again, blonde curls spilling over her shoulder in a waterfall.

Kasumi looked down at her whiteboard, debating on erasing the question she'd left on for so long. It would be rude to not introduce herself, wouldn't it? She reached up, swipping across the marker with her sleeve, scribbing her own name back on it, before showing it to the girl before her.

Blair frowned, tilting her head, scanning the word before looking back up at Kasumi almost incredulously. "Seriously?" Then she shook her head, looking back at it. "Katsumi? Is that how you say it?"

She turned the board, scribbling something else before turning it back. 'No T, just Ka-sumi'

Blair stared at it again, then clearly rolled her eyes, laughing that overly bright giggle. "Okay, Kasumi, sorry - you know not everyone can read your handwriting right away. There's no need to get defensive."

Even though she laughed like it was a tease, Kasumi felt that sliver of pain sting into her soul. Just a prick of a thing.  Instead she ignored her again, turning back to the still flowing building beside her. People were still trickling in and out. Perhaps she'd gotten the wrong building?

Before she could reach for her phone, she felt her whiteboard get snatched out of her hands, along with her marker. Immediately panicked, she looked up at Blair, who giggled again, scribbling something on it instead. Blair looked up, then scoffed. "C'mon, it's just a joke, i'm writing stuff- like you do. Relax." 

Kasumi felt the tremor run through her fingers, anxious to have it back as she took a step forward, attempting to take it back, but Blair swerved, still laughing like it was some sort of joke. "What? Are you mute or something?"

Heat flared into her cheeks, and somewhat frantically, she shook her head, reaching again for it. She wasn't mute- not technically, she had the ability to speak, she just didn't like too. It made her anxious. Kasumi was consious about her voice, and her entire life had revolved around her being silent. Being a good girl, staying quiet. That panic continued to rise in her chest, but Blair didn't relent.

"Okay- so why don't you talk then?" She snorted, dodging gracefully again, holding the whiteboard to her chest. "Are you deaf or something?" She held the board up in the air, away from Kasumi. Kas felt the bitter burn in her chest, in her throat, and her vision began to blur. This was stupid. Why had she even come here - to be bullied like she was in grade school all over again?

Before Blair could utter another word, the whiteboard was snatched from above her, and her savior side-stepped as Blair turned to face him. He had a frown on his face, one of the first times she'd ever seen one there, implemented on his flawless jawline. The blonde whipped to him, mirroring the frown.

"Rhys! Give it back!" Her tone immediately turned more playful, stepping closer towards him. Rhys took a step back, towards Kasumi, ignoring her for a moment and turning to face her. Handing her the board and marker before smiling lightly, facing her. 

"Hey Kassy." He spoke softly, searching her face, like he could see her blurred vision. For some reason, knowing that he cared made her heart swell, healing over the pricks of panic that had wormed into it, rippling deep emotion into her soul all the same. Her vision stayed blurry, but this time, for an entirely different reason.

Rhys' smile faded the moment he turned back to Blair, who now had resumed her half-leaning stance. She was pouting, like some kind of child who'd gotten their tablet taken from them. "Rhys- come on, it was just a joke. Don't be mad at me." Blair pushed her bottom lip out, and Rhys rolled his eyes, his expression hardening as he walked towards her.

"That wasn't a joke Blair. Why'd you even take it?" He stood in front of her now, crossing his own arms over his broadened chest, and Kas raised her whiteboard over her mouth, fighting the mixed emotions that were beginning to swirl back and forth in her stomach. 

"Katsumi-"

"Kas. It's Kasumi."

Again, Blair rolled her eyes, an apparently common thing for her to do based on how many times Kasumi had seen her make the motion in the past five minutes. "She's deaf, does it matter?"

"She's not deaf."

She made a face that time, the blonde, scrunching up her nose, sending a scalding look over towards Kasumi before returning to Rhys, scoffing. "Okay- so she's not mute, she's not deaf. What is she then-stupid?"

It hurt. Kasumi's chest hurt. The words shot through the air, smacking her with the force of a truck, pushing the air from her lungs. She bit her tongue, refusing to give into that blazing agony that was crawling up her throat - desperate for oxygen to feed the burning fire in her soul.

Rhys was speechless, staring at Blair like he'd never heard such a thing. Blair didn't seem to relent, sending another scrunched-up look her way. "Why are you wasting your time on a stupid-"

"She's not stupid." He spoke before she could finish, and his voice was nothing more than a hiss. "Her name is Kasumi. She's not stupid. She's not deaf. She's not mute. She just doesn't like to fucking talk to people - " he huffed a laugh, incredulous, "And frankly, if you're the kind of people she runs into, I don't fucking blame her. I don't want to talk to you either, Blair." Without another word, he turned from her, and stormed towards Kasumi.

Behind Rhys, Blair stood there open mouthed for a moment, then turned, and looked at Kasumi with what only could be described as a murderous glare, and stomped towards the art building. She turned her eyes to Rhys just as he stepped to her, his gaze softening, voice turning lighter. He stayed a little bit away, but still close enough to be within just arm's reach. Kasumi's heart pounded in her chest, staring up at him.

Fuck. Fuck, that was hot.

"Are you al-"

Before he could finish the sentence, Kasumi's arms were around his neck, hugging him as tight as she could manage. Emotion bellowed into her chest, and she fought the urge to cry. It took a moment, but nothing more than that before Rhys' arms were around her as well, holding her to him. He was warm, and it chased away any of the bitter cold that had started to settle into her bones while she'd been waiting. She felt his head drop into her shoulder, and that negative pressure that had deepened in her heart was replaced with the explosion of butterflies in her stomach. 

She heard him then, felt him speak into her neck. A breath of words. A whisper. "I'm sorry." He was quiet for another second, then pulled back, arms sliding from around her to fall on her hips. "You aren't stupid Kas." Kasumi's own arms slid from around his neck, resting against his chest for a moment as she stared up at him, warmth lacing his words as they ran through her head. "And, I don't mind, really, that you don't talk to me. You do. Just." He shrugged. "You do it in your own way. And that's okay too."

Kasumi was going to melt. She was going to die right here on the spot. Rhys was just so - Rhys. That question, the one she was planning on asking earlier played at the tip of her tongue. She did think about it. Just for a moment, but reached for her fallen whiteboard instead, picking it up, and rewriting the question that had been on it not all that long ago. 

'In high-school, when I tutored you, what was it for?'

Rhys stared at the question, then looked back at her for a moment, then back at the question. For a moment Kasumi was worried that she'd made a mistake, but when he looked back up again, he smiled at her. "Kas- you really don't remember?"

She felt that embarrassment flare into her cheeks, but she slowly shook her head anyway.

Rhys wasn't deterred, lightly laughing, shaking his head. "It was for art, Kas. I-I'd seen you drawing in class, you were so good at it. At first, it-it was just to get closer to you, but I really did want to learn, and you told me you'd show me the basics." He shrugged, sticking his hands in his pockets, "You kinda started my life for me, Kasumi."  Her heart swelled, and she felt her cheeks flare up even more, right up to the tips of her ears. Unfortunately for her, Rhys must have seen, because his grin shifted - into something more charming. Wordlessly he took her hand, beginning to pull her towards the building. "I'll show you. I bet my art still has some of the elements you taught me, because it's kinda hard to let it go. Iv'e always admired your art anyway." 

Kasumi, for a moment, stared at their enclasped hands, letting him tug her down the hallways of the building, towards the galley where their masterpiece was kept. Warmth flooded into her stomach from her face, igniting the butterflies that had just begun to settle.

If Rhys noticed, he made no comment, because he pulled her to the door of the galley, throwing it open with that classic smile of his. The one that Kasumi now knew, he could light the city of New York City with it.

After all, it lit up her mind, and that was one of the darkest places Kas had been.

Kasumi almost laughed at his dramatics. Almost. And she probably would have if every thought was struck from her head the moment she stepped in the eyeline of of their painting. She would have laughed if drips of paint weren't scattered over the ground, buckets of opened colors tipped on their sides.

She would have laughed, if their painting, their pride and joy, was not absolutely drenched and completely covered in buckets of kaleidescope. 

Kasumi would have laughed, if she was not staring at her masterpiece, absolutely, horrendously, ruined.

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✦ OPHELIA ✦

- i have no words

- maybe i have a few

- how many times do i have to
say this - to my readers who
have been with me for a long
time and know i thrive on 
nothing but energy drinks, 
spite and tragedy - BOOKCASE
IS MY HAPPY BOOK, any and 
all trauma I put in here is 
nothing compared to what
i could. that being said
ily allll, ty for reading <3

what is one thanksgiving dinner item that is a necessity for your character ?

──● answers