[Kaguya]

He looked back over his shoulders sighing silently stopping hearing her request "How about I walk you home and then you leave me alone?" he asked turning to walk back to her. He had no intention of staying in a house with people he didn't know for any reason. "You don't know I'm smart." he stated bluntly, he hadn't shown that he was in anyway all he had shown was that he was cold and emotionless.

[Scintilla]

" W-well," Mei stammered, " I-I mean, I.."

In reality, she was just hoping that he would take it as praise and stay home with her, but his reaction was unexpected, " You..just..seem like a smart person, I guess."

Smiling as she registered his first comment, Mei clapped her hands in excitement, " Yay! Let's go, let's go!"

She then dragged the poor boy towards her house, where she would introduce him to her father, and (hopefully) convince them both to let him stay.

However, when she reached her home, Mei was greeted by a glare from a very angry papa, standing by the gate, " Mei...why were you home so late?"

Mei's eyes clouded with slight alarm, " I..I was just out having fun, Papa, that's all..."She tugged on the hem of her dress, which had been soiled by her running around.

" You insolent child!" bellowed her father, " How could you dirty your dress!? I paid so much for it!"

Angrily, he raised a hand, and slapped the girl, sending her tumbling onto the ground, clasping her cheek in tears, " Sorry..papa..."

[Kaguya]

He sighed shaking his head walking with her "Only reason people seem smart is because they are surrounded by people who don't understand fully." he stated walking with her believing she really was a fool, but then he guessed he was like that too as he didn't understand fully why Mei was acting the way she was. he stood at the door watching and listening "Goblin." he said silently walking into the room "It was my fault, she tripped over my foot."

[Scintilla]

" YOU BROUGHT A BOY BACK HOME?! HE IS FILTHY!" he thundered, " STUPID GIRL!" Mei's father lunged forwards to hit her again, " I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU, NO VISITORS! NO ONE SHOULD BE ALLOWED HERE! NO ONE, UNDERSTAND!?" He slapped her once, twice, and three times, then turned towards the boy, " No, it's the stupid child's fault for being so...clumsy! How many times have I told you, watch where you're going?!"

Tears had formed in Mei's eyes as she was beaten, holding her hands above her head, she managed to squeak out, " I'm sorry, Papa!" She was shaking, and braced herself for the next blow.

[Kaguya]

He moved further into the room "I've been sitting in a park since four in the afternoon yesterday, it's been raining of course I'm dirty." he stated his tone not changing as he spoke "Well that explains a lot..." looks at her "You look so pale because you are locked away, you wouldn't leave me along because your lonely and you want me to stay because you are hurt." he said walking next to her his eyes dead as he stopped ready to pull her back if he struck forward again. "She says you are kind and like smart kids... I wouldn't know about kind.... but I can forfil that second part." he said.

"My intellegence quota is close to three hundred" he said with a silent sigh "Is that more to your liking?" he asked looking to Mei "No I'm not over exagerating and yes I do believe in goblins considering what they done to my family." with that he fell silent, he wanted to leave and never look back but here he was ready to protect this girl for reasons unknown to him.

[Scintilla]

" Over three hundred?" The father's eyes seemed to spark for a moment, weighing his options, " You'd make a good son; unlike this whining, sniveling idiot." He glared at Mei, who was still shaking and in a stage of shock, " Very well then, I will keep you, and spare the girl, for today. I happen to be in a good mood."

Relieved, Mei began to stand, " What should I do now, Papa?" she managed to say, wiping her tears off her face as she attempted to stay on her feet, which were like jelly from being knocked to the ground so hard.

[Kaguya]

He looked at him for a moment before looking around "Not over three hundred, almost at three hundred... and I'm eight." he said knowing with the right nurture it gould get better. "I don't want to be someone elses some, I have a daddy... but the goblins got him." his voice remained calm as he helped her to her feet "Um... I don't even know your name." he just began to realised that they hadn't introduced themselves "Good mood why?" he finally asked looking back to the elder man.

[Scintilla]

" You will be my stepson, then," replied he father, squinting in disgust at the sight of the boy helping his pig of a daughter up, " I am Sunosuke Saito. The idiot there is Sunosuke Meirin. Little bitch she is."

He turned, " I am in a good mood now that it seems the girl has rethought her actions," Sunosuke-San pointed towards Mei, who was shivering and clinging to the emotionless boy, red marks all over her body, " And may I ask, what is your name, boy?"

[Kaguya]

He blinked listening "I don't want to be a stepchild either..." he stated looking "Nice to know your name princess." he stated his eyes closing "I ask that you don't call her by such names, it's demeaning." his eyes opened revealing two icy blue orbs looking to him. "If you wish me to remain hre as your son all I ask is we are both respected." he didn't know if this was a traditional household if it was then he knew their was nothing that could be done as the man was the head of the house and his word was law. "You can call me Gekido, I am not comfortable with my name being said... the Goblins might find me."

[Scintilla]

" I will call her what I want," snorted Sunosuke-san, rolling his eyes, " But I will respect you, and attempt to treat the girl in a kinder way." Of course he was lying, as he would never treat Mei with generosity or patience, but this Gekido kid didn't have to know that. He glared at Mei, as if to say, " If you tell him I am lying, there will be a punishment. "

Mei responded by shivering more, and giving a slight nod of her head.

" Now, you two, go upstairs," the man commanded, " And don't come back down until I call for you. "

[Kaguya]

Gekido sighed a little nodding to his words from what he seen this guy wasn't a goblin, at least not fully in his mind. "Thank you for trying at least... may I enquire as to what you would like me to call you, the last thing I want is to be hit for calling you the wrong thing." he asked his hand going to cover his mouth as he yawned silently "As you wish..." was his reply to the request given "I am sorry for being a burden." with that he turned moving out of the room waiting for Mei to show him where they where going.

[Scintilla]

She quickly led Gekido up the stairs, urging him to go faster. Mei was afraid her father would change his mind and start beating her again. Once in her room, she sank to the floor, shaking in a heap. Tears flowed out of her eyes as she realized that her father had hit her again. " He said only once..." Mei whispered, shivering and shaking, " Papa...hit...me.."

[Kaguya]

He allowed himself to be led upstairs his eyes closing as he was pulled along faster, he would stay until she fell asleep then he would leave, there was no way he was going to fit into this life and he knew that for sure. When they entered the large room he looked around in bewilderment he was pretty sure he could fit his family home in that room Hearing her crying he leaned against the door frame "Stop crying... he isn't a full goblin or you'd be dead" he said calmly "Thank you captain obvious I'm not blind I seen he hit you."

[Scintilla]

Mei sniffed, " A..goblin..?" she was confused by this statement. What was a goblin? Weren't they evil creatures? " But papa...he isn't a goblin," Mei replied, " He just gets mad at Mei because Mei is a bad girl, that's all.." She sniffed, and stood up, " I'll be fine. I..I'm sure I'll be fine as long as Ge-kun is here."

Mei looked towards Gekido, and gave him a shy smile, " ..right?"

[Kaguya]

Ge looked at her as if she was strange "Is that so hard for you to understand?" he asked his eyes closing "Goblins hurt without thought of their actions... he hurt you, like the two goblins hurt my family and myself." his voice was cold almost dead as he spoke "Even when I was bad my parents never turned into goblins they would take my books away from me." he explained. Listening to the last thing she said to him 'Pressure much.' he thought to himself rolling his eyes while his eyes are closed "I don't have a choice do I, the chances are if I do then he will hurt you until I am retrieved."

[Scintilla]

MeiI gasped in horror, " Your parents were hurt by goblins?!" Her large brown eyes opened wide in shock and disbelief, " That's horrible!" After hearing Gekido's comment about saying, her eyes brightened, and Mei tackled the young boy, throwing her arms around him, "Thank you, Ge-Kun!"

Mei didn't want to like pressure or guilt onto Gekido, she was merely scared of what would happen if he ran away and left her all by herslef.