That was until he felt no weight, and after a moment of assuming it might've been delayed somehow, Noah opened his eyes stunned. Tulip stares at him with her tilted head and confused expression as to why she was getting carried and why his eyes were closed.
"Huh. You're really light!"
"No, I got stronger!"
"Strong!!"
The realisation struck him and Noah smugly pointed his nose up. Tulip who watches him has no idea of the reason for his silly behaviour but giggles after repeating after him. Noah then grasps her hands that stay still on her lap.
"Wrap your arms around my neck, yes, like that. Hold tight!"
Patting and pressing her hands that hold tight around his neck, Noah climbs up the ladder with confident steps. The ladder isn't high, high enough to take time to climb but not high enough to break a limb unless you're unlucky.
Clasping each step one at a time with one hand and then hauling his feet with him, Tulip who supervises him gazes at Noah's concentrated face, not understanding the objective but intrigued by his vigour. Eventually, they reach the top, the latch already unlocked so all Noah has to do is shove the hatch open.
"Haa.."
Noah with Tulip in his arms breathes in the cold air that blows their hair away and dries their slightly damp bodies. Setting Tulip down, he waits for her to collect herself then goes over to the railing. Tulip follows him, watching Noah who balances himself on the railing, leaning with his eyes closed with an exhilarated complexion.
Tulip copies him, hopping on the rail and leaning forward, sailing with the wind that presses them back and the rail that pushes them forward. Feeling the wind weave through her damp bathed hair and taking bliss in the sensation that embraces her, the cold wind of the night is not unpleasantly cold nor humid and sticky but refreshing and reviving.
Tulip gasps, smiling from ear to ear. Turning her head to Noah who is observing her with a grin. Both of them radiate despite that being impossible when it is dark out.
"Nice, right?"
Noah affirms, Tulip doesn't understand but feeling like it's a good thing, she nods. Noah wide-eyed that she reacted even though he was mindful she wouldn't understand, relaxed himself, leaning further against the rail and letting slip the widest grin he's ever had. Their feelings of happiness were monumental, Tulip admires the boy who has shown her experiences she has never even begun to imagine ever in her life, in less than a day. The boy catches her stare and laughs, throwing his head back in gratification.
The two who at last mutually enjoy each other company, are interrupted by a gust of wind that feels different. Intense as if it has the intent to take them away. Both Tulip and Noah think so and twist their head to what's in front of them.
"A storm? Again? The last one was only a month ago!"
Noah howls out, grasping and squeezing Tulip's hand who looks ahead. Tulip who has eyes that can see a distance that one would call inhumane, zooms into the sky that's pitch black to others but shows many details to Tulip. Though she's in another world, the abilities that are attached to her body, live with her.
"Wind. Just.Wind"
Tulip mumbles. Noah who's close enough to hear her turns his head to her.
"What was that? Do you think it's just the wind?"
"Mm!"
Tulip replies, eagerly shaking her head and squeezing his hand that holds tight to hers. Noah who's scared and worried calms down, he knows only professionals will know but he's glad Tulip who he believes would be more scared than him, isn't.
"You're right, it's probably just wind. Let's get dressed!"
Noah pulls Tulip to the shelter of where his room is located on the rooftop, Tulip who doesn't stop him only looks between Noah and the weather. The wind that has Noah harbor that anxious face.
Tulip doesn't get it, what's so bad with the wind? She has seen worse. However, Tulip was anxious too. As she said; she has seen worse, but felt nothing before, but now she is getting pushed back by mere wind.
Frowning, the little girl clenches their hands harder. Noah then closes the door, retracting his hand that's red from her grip.
"Ow! That hurts Tulip.."
Noah mutters inspecting his red hand and swinging it forward and back to ease the numbness. Tulip realises what she had done and takes hold of his hand, not knowing what to do, she starts blowing on it.
"Hey! It's okay, don't worry about it. I'm a boy you know? You're pretty strong though, although you definitely don't look like it…."
Noah rambles to Tulip who blankly stares at the boy's hand. The red hand that's suppose to get it's colour back from one blow, does not no matter how many times she blows.
Noah's talking start to blur in her ears, her eyes scan his hand closer, zooming into the little details of his hand. Nothing is happening. Nothing at all.
What's this? Her eyes work like normal, so why do her powers not?
These powers that was born with her, powers that are part of her body, powers that got her through when she transported into this wicked world!
Noah who chatters to Tulip takes notice of her sudden heavy breathing, her eyes that were bright were now swirling but empty and skin that was glowing is now pale.
"Tulip? Tulip?"
Tapping her, Noah waits for her to react. Not reacting, he places his hand on her shoulder, and she continues to stand still. Concerned, Noah looks at her from below, crouching and looking up at her who has her head down low.
"…Tulip?"
Sincere concern over Tulip deviates to shock. Failing the balance of his feet that urge him to step away, instead, he backs away. Inching away from Tulip.
"Tulip."
"Hp..!"
Tulip who stood eerily still, darts her wild eyes to Noah who backs away from her, then lifting her head and moves her body towards Noah who watches her do so. Raising her arm and offering him a hand like he has done to her.
Noah waits for her to say, or do something, before he takes her hand. Not believing what he saw would go away so quick. After a while, until the sunrise beams through the cracks of the curtain. They watched each other like that, not daring to move, not wanting to move.
"..Thanks."
Ultimately Noah grabs hold of her hand, thanking Tulip who smiles softly like she does usually. Tilting her head making clear she doesn't know of what he said.
"Okay. I'll teach that too, after we change."
With that Noah gives Tulip a t-shirt and a pair of his old small shorts, demonstrating to her how to put each clothes on one at a time. Turning his back each time, he's a boy after all.
They then sit down on the floor where a table is.
"I do everything on here. Study, draw, game, eat, you name it. I even sleep on top sometimes."
Tulip doesn't understand, but he tells her anyway and she listens.
Pulling out books, Noah stacks them on top of each other. Tulip tilts her body to the side to see what he's doing, watching him pull these books from a cabinet behind him. After placing 5 books out on the table, he separates them placing two closer to Tulip, and the other three closer to him who sits opposite side of her.
Noah then holds up one of the two books, this one being way thicker than the other. Smiling at her sinisterly, he extends this to Tulip who looks at the book, and him, cluelessly.
"Ah, my arm hurts! Take it!"
Squirming on his seat and was about to drop the book in case she doesn't take it, Tulip takes it and stares at it interested. What about this book make Noah squirm?
Noah grins scooting to her side. Tulip lifts her gaze to him and smiles, patting the space left between them for him to take.
"I can't be too close, it'll be distracting for you and me."
Pouting at his head that shakes, Tulip looks down at the book that he gave her. Flipping its pages over and over. Engross in the act of it being a thing.
In her world she was taught to flip it with your mind like it's as natural as walking and blinking, there's no point in using your hands. Some books would open by itself if she just thought about wanting to, that's all it took. Yet in this world she had to use her hands. It's not a big deal to do so, it's not like it'll be the end of the world.
Yet it's frustrating nonetheless. What else has she lost that was part of her, no, what else will she lose?
"Th-a-nk-s"
Noah taps each letter of the word on the lined paper with a pencil, repeating the words like his teachers would so him and his classmates can understand. After repeating three times, he turns to Tulip to tell her it's her turn, but sees her lost in thought.
Turns out she wasn't listening at all.
This time, Noah only stares at her who stares blankly at the books placed in front of them. Laying his head on his arm that he placed on the table. Studying Tulip facial features.
Looking at someone and noticing their features is a waste of time for anyone to do, some do for whatever reason, preference, insecurity, something like that. For Noah who just gets through day after day forgetting whatever happened the day before, not bothering having thoughts like those that'll occupy his mind and ruin things that were simple, by turning them complicated.
It sounds like he's thought about it a lot to come to the decision that is how he'll go through his day every day, but no, not really. It was one of the many options that everyone gets, the option to make things complicated, or simple. Simple can be complicated to some, and complicated can be simple or natural to some, but that only happens after many times of picking complicated. It'll mess you up, like that.
That won't happen to Noah though, who continues to pick the simple option, starting young.
That was until Tulip. It has only been a day, less than a day. Yet he has never experienced something so complicated without picking complicated. Yeah, fate is it? It feels like he can't pick, instead it's meant to be, meaning he doesn't get the option to pick. Tulip has Noah feel there was no option after all, or the belief it was only simple or complicated.
When people talk about fate, or destiny, they link it to love, or the afterlife. However Noah who's young, but has feelings and instinct. Is certain that it isn't any of those. It was strange, unfamiliar, distant, exotic? Or it wasn't any of those, she is.
"Thanks?"
A feminine voice says, Noah stuck in his thoughts comes back to the actuality and looks at Tulip. Tulip grins at him who was lost in thought with her, except she seemed to still know of what was happening.
"Mm. Good job, Tulip."
Noah sits up, laughing with her who giggles and repeats the word again and again.
"Tulip! The break is over, school will start soon. You know what school is right?"
Tulip and Noah is outside playing at the playground where they have been going to play as usual. Making sand castles and snow angels. Tulip is lying on the sand with her legs and hands spread out to make a snow angel, sits up.
"School, start?"
"Mm!"
Noah carves his castle with his hands that smooth edges, nodding his head to Tulip who understands. Tulip stares at him with her big eyes, inside she feels complicated. From what Noah has told her about school, it sounds similar to the academy she goes to in her world, she practically lived there instead of home. Will that be the same for Noah?
Grabbing hold of Noah who was shaping his castle, the sudden action causes Noah to accidentally hit his castle. Resulting in it falling apart.
"Aw…"
Noah deflates, turning to Tulip who looks at him with furrowed eyebrows and pressed lips, shaking her head. Noah is confused and was about to ask what is wrong, instead looks at the people behind Tulip who is running towards them. Recognising his friends.
"Noah!!"