[reserved] Ian + Arden Black Heart Event

[Kazu and myself]


Arden sighed as she swirled a long-handled spoon in her cup of coffee. She didn't usually drink the stuff; she believed all the old-wives' tales about hyper-activity and caffiene and such. But she was in a coffee-drinking mood.

Taking a sip of the warm beverage, she stared out the window. It was still fairly early in the morning, and the sun had just risen over the horizon, painting the clouds with shades of oranges and pinks. Dew was still on the windows and leaves on the trees.

She shivered, suddenly cold, and pulled her thin jacket tighter around herself, cupping her hands around the coffee mug to extract as much heat from the beverage as possible.

"My my, are you cold?" Ian asked gentley. He walked in and put his jacket around arden. A soft smile appeared on his handsom face. "it's not good for a young lady like you to be cold." he chuckled. "mind if i sit down down, Ms Arden?" he asked softly. "it would be my pleasure." he bowed slightly.

Arden raised her eyebrows. "Uh, thanks," she said, shifting her weight a little uncomfortably beneath Ian's heavy jacket. "You're awfully forward, you know." But she scooted her chair aside nonetheless, and nodded her head at the empty chair. "Be my guest," she quipped, taking another sip of her coffee. She was warming up, and the addition of Ian's jacket was a bit...much.

She shrugged it off and handed it back to him. "I have weird temperature swings," she explained. "But thanks, anyways. It was a sweet gesture."

"no problem." he said taking back his jacket and sitting down. Ian ordered some coacoa for himself. "so, it's a prett morning." he said as he waited. He put some orange hair behind his ear. The waiter brought him his coacoa and he sipped it. It had whiped cream on top. "It's perfect for hot drinks."

Arden nodded somewhat solemnly. Her coffee was a bit on the low side, so she raised her hand in a small wave at the waitress, who quickly came over and refilled her cup, splashing a bit on Arden as she did so. Not noticing, the waitress hurried away, obviously flustered by the small early-morning crowd gathering.


Bunching up a napkin and dabbing it at the coffee spots on her arms, Arden said, "So, what brings you here, Mr. Ian?"

"i come here when i can." Ian noticed when the waitress spilled coffee on arden. "you ok?" he asked gently. "you're not burned, are you?" he frowned. The orange-pink sunlight shone through the glass and pured onto the spot they were on. It felt warm. And it was beautiful, too. 'do you want to use my jacket?"

Arden shook her head. "I'm okay. Just a little liquid. I won't melt." She smiled crookedly at Ian. "Sitting right here in the sunlight is plenty warm for me." Her hair was hanging by her face, since she hadn't bothered to put it up in her usual ponytail that morning. She pushed a curl behind her ear, which allowed even more to fall in front of her face. She sipped her coffee, which was rather bitter, but she didn't bother to sweeten it. She kinda liked the bitterness.

Ian chuckled. "very well then, miss." he said with a smug smile. It was kind of a gentle smug smile though...if that was at all, possable. "So tell me, what are you doing here?" He asked. He took another sip of coacoa. he disliked coffee. Even with suger and cream in it. The sunlight felt good. It was rather cold. Ian felt tierd. He could fall asleep right there. It was the right temperature, after all.

Arden set her coffee cup down on the table gently, adjusting it so that the handle pointed directly at Ian. "I don't really know what I'm doing here," she said after a brief pause, answering honestly. "I don't really like coffee. I don't really like being up early in the morning. I just...felt like getting out of bed and coming here this morning, I guess." She frowned, bitting the corner of her lip. It was hard to explain the reason behind her unusual appearance at the small restauraunt.


She motioned again to the waitress, who sighed, annoyed, but came over to Arden's side nonetheless.

"I'll have what he's having," Arden said, handing the waitress her used coffee cup. Turning back to Ian, she explained, "Like I said, not a big coffee person."

Ian smiled helplessly. "than don't drink it." he said bluntly. She chuckled to himself. "you look tierd." "you should probably get more sleep." he scratched his head and then yawned. It had stayed up late, again. "it's not really good for your health, y'know." he yook another big swig of coacoa. Slightly burning his tounge. He pretended not to notice.

Arden smiled wryly. "If only it were that easy to sleep. I have nightmares a lot." The waitress slammed the cup with Arden's cocoa in it on the table, and then turned around and stomped away. Arden stared after her, eyes wide, before taking the cup and turning back to Ian. "I think the waitress is kinda stressed," she said, lowering her voice a little bit and raising her eyebrows.

But, when she thought about it, she realized that she was pretty tired...

Ian chuckled. "yes, i do beileve so." he raised an eyebrow. "so, nightmares, huh/" he asked in a whisper. "if you don't mind me asking, miss arden, what would those dreams be?" "is it re-occuring?" "maybe if you tell me, i can help you." "i've had nightmares before, too." "re-occuring."

Arden bit her lip, before sighing and setting her cup down on the table once more. She folded her hands in her lap, and twiddled her thumbs, stalling for a minute. Then, she looked back up at Ian, sadness and seriousness clouded in her eyes. "I've been having one nightmare since I was young," she started. "I was in charge of watching my littlest sister at the beach one day, while the rest of my family was at the Snack Shack. And, while I was watching her, she drowned." She ducked her head, exhaling harshly.

"In my nightmare, I'm at the beach, and my little sister is there. And it's basically the whole scene over and over and over again. And each time, right before she drowns, I wake up in a cold sweat." She breathed out again. "I'm still afraid of the beach."


It was a heavy statement that she had just made, and to an essential stranger, nonetheless. She blushed. "S-sorry."

Ian looked at her with a serious face. then, it turned to rather thoughtful. he jammed his tounge to the side of his mouth, like he always did when he was thinking. after a few moments and a few more sips of coacoa, he said. "tell me more about you sister.' His expression was still hard to read.

Arden blinked. "Well..." she bit her lip, thinking. After a minute, she said, "She was adorable. Always singing, and dancing. Sometimes in the middle of the store, and strangers would smile at her. I was really protective of her. She was like my baby." Tears suddenly started stinging in her eyes. She didn't bother to blink them away. "She had the cutest little baby face, and blonde hair, and the palest blue eyes. She was perfect. Everyone loved her." She paused again, tears sliding down her cheeks at that point. "She was five when she died. Five years old."

Ian's expression softend. "i'm so sorry.." he said gentley. "Well, honestly, it's not that hard to tell what's going on here." he said. Ian reached over and dabbed the tears off with his napkin. "you feel responsable for your sister's death." "like it's your fault becuase you couldn't be there with her, you couldn't protect her." "so you're blamming yourself." Ian shook his head. "but it's not your fault." "if sure your sister would have been able to understand." "do you think, even at her young age, she would want to see you brood over her death like it was you yourself who killed her?" "you've been carrying this burden for a long time now, and your whol body is telling you this through your dreams." "i know this sounds harsh, but you have to let it go." "not her, not the memory of her, but that guilt." "the idea her death was your fault."

Arden sniffed, wiping at her eyes with her sleeve. How mortifying.

"Sorry," she said, laughing softly as she picked up a napkin and dabbed at her eyes once more. "I don't...cry that easily, most of the time. It's just...a sore spot." She ducked her head and looked at her lap.

"But you're right," she sighed. "I do blame myself. And I...it's easier said than done. Letting go the guilt. I've tried." She shook her head, then looked out the window.

"Can we...change the subject? Please?" she asked softly.

Ian smiled gentley. "alright." "but promise me you'll try." he said whiping awya the tears with his thumb. "you're sister..she wouldn't want this...would she?" a hopeless smile appeared on his face. "y'know, i can't see to stand a girl cry." He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "please try to calm down."

Arden, slightly dazed, nodded numbly. "Uh-huh," she said, disguising every emotion that she was feeling at that point and taking a sip of her cocoa. She sniffed, and then looked back up at Ian with a shaky smile. "Thank you," she said. "Sorry for the random crying. I promise, I don't do that a lot."

He closed his eyes and smiled. "it's not a poblem." "in fact, i'm glad you opend up to me like that." "there are people who think pride is more important than emotion." "so they hold back their tears and anger for the sake of their pride." "but i think thta's all wrong." "crying, anger, sadness, it's all part of being human, isn't it?" "i thiink crying in front of people, only goes to show real strength." a sweat drop appeared on his head. "i'm sorry, i'm i being a little to over-dramatic for you?" "i'm sorry."