Alone

"He's actually a Kishin egg, but he's pretty harmless. Coco. We're gonna need to get back there." He says sternly, and the massive Kishin egg makes a few odd noises, then backs up and turns around, and begins walking away. "I'm not sure how he got down here, but he got pretty big by eating all the fungus and subterranean animals down here."

"Is he your only company around here?"

"Yeah. I mean sometimes frogs come in here, and cats come in to the mansion, but they aren't very talkative. I'm not sure how I understand him though. We must have made our own language while I was crazy, or something like that."

"It's good you had something here to keep you from dying out of loneliness."

"Nah, I was too crazy to die, Coco just helped me get back on my feet. Isn't that right Coco!" Somewhere in the cave an odd growl echoes.

Koizumi was about to smile, but she quickly frowns after realizing what she was doing. "That's, uh, nice"

[Why the sudden mood shift? She's playing to my hand... Well... two can play at that game.] After a while they get to the end of the current hall, and come to a spot with a miniature piano, and very little light.

"Nice piano.." she says, trying to sound emotionless

"Thank you. Any preferences?"

"Not really." She says, playing a random key

A growl of the same pitch mimics the key. "He's a very musical rat. Sometimes he even sings with me. Though it just sounds like gurgling."

She stiffens a laugh and smirks "What a genius."

He smiles a little. "Yeah. Here, I'll play something and show you what I mean." Ace begins playing Toccata, (You've probably heard a little bit of it in old vampire movies, but the song is pretty badass if you listen to the rest of it.) with Coco growling back the notes in response, eventually catching up and playing in sync with Ace.

"That's so cool!" She says in amazement "I mean... that thing got some talent I guess."

[And she just showed me her hand. Not a very good poker face.] "You aren't fooling anybody. So drop the whole cool girl act." He stands up and turns to face her.

"I'm sorry.." She starts, looking down at her feet "I wasn't trying to act 'cool', I am just so use to trying to hide my emotions..."

"Same difference." He waves his hand. "You don't have to hide anything here. This place doesn't judge."

"I know...I'm just so use to it."

"You really are like the little sister I never had." He smiles.

"Don't say that..." she says, shaking her head "You don't want me as a 'sister' "

"Why's that?"

"I'm broken... I can't talk to someone without shaking on the inside, I can't show my real emotions well, I can't smile or laugh, I can't do anything..."

"What's your point?"

"My point is you don't deserve such a punishment, no one does..."

"Hey, come one." He puts a hand on her shoulder. [Eh... on second thought...] He then takes his hand off, and puts it behind his back.