"I got costumes in!" I ran into the room with a few garment bags and hung them on the back of the door. I was always excited to come home. Living here was rough, and rougher on others than me. I was spry, and good at hiding. I got out of lots of scrapes. But with all of everything that went on, I was still happy to be here. Why? Airi. She was so sweet, and cute, and hard to pleasure, but she was delighted to be helpful to me. And she was my life here. She made me want to wake up in the morning, and one day, we'd do some amazing things together. Right now, though, was survival. And we were good at that too.

It had been so long since I saw Saffron! I smiled brightly as I hoped of my bed nearly tackling her in an embrace.

"Safuran watashi wa son'nani nogashi ta！" ((Saffron I missed you so much!))

I exclaimed so happy i forgot the english words as I nuzzled her neck cutely with my eyes closed

"you brought costumes?! Arigatou!"

I didn't care why she did, I just loved putting on different clothes; most of my closet was nothing but different cosplay after all.

"You aren't curious why?" I giggled as I nuzzled her back. She was a ball of cute energy, and I loved her to bits. I didn't think, and still wonder, if she knew what it meant to me when I said I loved her, but I knew she wanted to be by my side, and that's all that really mattered to me. She was here, and that got me through.

A pause as I just held my cheek against her neck hair no doubt offering a soft tickle to saffron's legs.

"Why? hmmm, just a lil' bit maaaaybe."

I offered in a slow sweet tone, is it ego to call your own tone sweet? dunno but, I thought it was anyway.

"But You know I just like getting dressed up."

my defense in something I didn't need defense for. I released saffron and brushed off my skirt looking over Saffron for wounds. I decided best not to tell her about my encounter with the pixies... or with the angel... they'd just worry my dearest friend.

How do you explain to someone who barely understands concepts like love and seems to have had almost no social interaction the idea of a prom? "There's a costume party coming up, so it's your night to shine!" That's how. It's all it really was, after all. Albeit a romantic costume party. With sex afterword. But I tried to add sex to the agenda whenever I could with my delicious little Airi, "I didn't ask, how are you? Sorry, I'm so excited I seem to have dropped my manners somewhere!" I blushed and patted down my skirt as well, more out of a nervous tick than any real need to do so.

"Oh,... uhm... I'm... well I'm well..."

I was a bad lier really I was. It was painfully bad. I shrugged faintly and tried to steer our chat further away from how I was doing.

"A costume party! Sugoi! Sounds really fun Saffron! when is it? are there going to be a lot of people there?"

I hoped this was distracting enough to keep from having to mention I'd been raped twice in the last two days.

"How about you? have you been well? I haven't seen you in forever!"

"Yeah, weirdest thing. Someone gave me detention, I went to the room I was supposed to be at, and then I woke up and a ton of time had passed," I left out where and how I woke up. I was in the middle of the woods when I awoke and was stripped bare and being utilized by the locals. But I didn't want to frighten Airi, so I made it sound like I just lost time, "I heard rumors that that happens a lot here. But enough about that! Fun party with everyone invited!"

"Everyone?! this school is so biiiiigggg though! where are they going to hold it?"

It as amazing and sounded so fun and exciting but, i had to wonder why they were doing it. ah well didn't matter Party!!!

"So what are we wearing Saffron?"

I decided to ask brushing my skirt off a little; mostly getting rid of the bit of mud I had gotten on it this morning.

"Before that..." I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her. She had dodged the question of how she was doing, and I wasn't going to pry, but I was damned if I was going to not be there for her, "I love you, Airi, and I missed you," I said before gently kissing her cheek. If it was the situation I imagined it was, I wasn't going to do too much until I knew she was all right now.

a gentle smile was offered a tear passing my eyes. I couldn't help it It was just going to blurt it out like an idiot.

"I was raped by pixies then I was raped by an angel!"

I cried falling to my knees to bawl my eyes out sniffling loudly head held to my knees.

"It hurt so much... "

it had hurt both times... I kind of wondered if that was normal.

I kinda wanted to say that that was how men were and get on my lesbian soapbox, but I went for a comforting thing instead, getting down on my knees and hugging her again, "When people don't care for you, they hurt you. And there are nasty things here that don't love you like I do and don't treat you like I treat you. Bakemono desu. But I'm here for you, and people who love one another can make pain go away with the feeling in their hearts, does that make sense?" I figured it wouldn't, but maybe just saying it would help her.

A little more sniffing and I looked to her with watery eyes. what she had said made perfect sense to me surprisingly enough. I looked to her silent for a few moments and probably for the first time took a little initiative as I locked our lips together enjoying the texture. I just wanted to be a tad selfish for once in my life.

I broke the kiss and pulled something out of my pocket though.

"The angel... she did...did give me something I wanted to share... What sort of food do you miss from home?"

She kissed me! God, I was never more proud of anyone as I was of her when she did that and I kissed back with everything I had. I knew we were getting there. She was so unusual, and so closed off, but slowly, I knew she was seeing me the way I saw her. And slowly she was expressing it. I almost missed her question in my pleasure and pride, but I did catch it, and it made me think. "Canada doesn't really have delicacies," I said in a clearly ponderous way, and it's true. We tried, with Canadian Bacon and Maple Ice Cream, but to be honest, those were ridiculous. So, what did I like to eat most? Well, besides Airi? "But I do miss cheesecake. Real cheesecake. With orange and vanilla ice cream!" I had the cheesecake here on the island, but it was so half-done and awful it was an insult to honest cheesecake, and the craftspeople that made cheesecake their lives.

I smiled slightly to Saffron taking a shoebox placing the amulet on top thinking about the cheesecake I had had from new york once, a raspberry swirl from a famous bakery... Veineros I think it was called or something like that. then I opened the box. inside was a small 10" cheesecake perfectly chilled.

"A snack while we try on clothes?"

She was amazing. Simply amazing. She was so absolutely wonderful, "I love you," I said again, kissing her lips quickly this time before smiling at her warmly. I nodded toward the cheesecake and was so absolutely happy that she seemed to be doing better already. I knew how she loved to make me happy, too, so I figured if I was happy, I could make her happier, and it would spiral until we were both fine again.