1-2-3 Wait, Where's JOHN?! [MISSION/COMPLETE]

Taking it step by step, we’ll always move ahead Our love is growing red need me more need you more Cry to me, know that I care lean on me and I’ll be there As we keep trying, we’ll find you’re always gonna be there too singing the same tune

RAYNE HERMES || 2/5

Her eyes lay low, but not to low till she literally looked at the floor instead of the three young kids in front of her. Her eyes bear no emotions except wonders on what and how she should handle these kids. Introduction was properly done by their mother and grandmother. They knew each other's name and Rayne was pretty much sure that was all they needed to live through the day. She stood straight, but not too straight like a flag rod. She relaxed her body a bit and has her left leg slightly in front to support her standing pose. She hated crossing arms over her chest or putting her hands on her hips- not in front of kids. She considered it rude and a bad example to pose such ways. They will get wrong messages.

"So," she began. "What should we do today?" She asked, wanting to hear their ideas. This manor was after all theirs. She was simply watching over the house and the youngsters. It would be impolite to disregard the kids' rights just because they were minors. Her eyes moved to her most right, where the youngest one among the three siblings was standing. She was holding a creamy-coated stuffed bunny that has a ribbon attached on top of its head. According to her mother, she was only reaching four and she has speech disorder. It could be because she was too young and too shy. Still, Rayne would like not to treat her differently. Normality would probably what the youth seek for she has been treated strange by her family for few years. So, the young Hermes knelt down to allow their eyes to be at same level. The girl squealed and hid her face partly behind the bunny. Was she afraid of her? Soft chuckles heard behind the woman's shut smiling lips. "Hey there. My, what a cute bow you have there. Can I have one like that?" She asked the bunny, pretending that the bunny was alive. The little girl did not response the first few seconds, but she slowly brought down the stuffed toy to reveal her face. She looked at Rayne with those cute big eyes.

She stared at her wanting to speak but in the end she simply nodded- slow but still a nod. Rayne chuckled and smiled brightly. "Why, thank you milady. I shall treasure the bow till the end!" Her bright radiating smile made the girl blushed and hid her face back. Watching the youngest sister got all the attention, the second child sulked. She crossed her arms and said, "This is stupid. That bunny belonged to me but I gave it to her anyway. You should have thanked me and called me milady instead!"

Rayne turned her attention to Alis and raised an eyebrow slightly. What is this? She tilted her head and pretended she was curious of what she was saying. "Why did you give the bunny to her then?" She was the one who tossed the cute toy away and now she wanted to earn credit for something that does not belong to her anymore? Rayne closed her eyes few a second, mentally chanted words to simply ignore this foolishness for they were still children. She adjusted her position of kneeling so she could face Alis. Alis has this attitude of a cit girl. She knew she was born a noble and so she made sure everyone knew this. The way she talked, the way she flickered her hair, the way she closed her eyes and had her head slightly facing the shoulder- they screamed superiority which made Rayne wanted to roll her eyes. "I gave it to her because she has no beautiful toys to play with and I have plenty new ones. I can't keep the old ones!" Instantly, Rayne replied, "So you threw it anyway which, in my understanding, an act of disowning. The bunny is now Aldreda's, therefore Aldreda deserves my thanks." It was a little bit foolish of her argue with a small girl but she needed to understand she was wrong. Aldreda widened her eyes and turned her head to face Rayne, who simply smiled in victory, instantly. "You insolent--- Do you have any idea who-"

A female servant interrupted them. The four looked at the servant who bowed and politely announced breakfast has been served. Rayne turned to the three siblings and got up from the floor. She fixed her ribbon choker and said, "All right then, let's eat and have some activities afterwards." John hung his head in the air in surprise, "Activities?! But mother never allow us to- " Rayne laughed and tilted her head a bit. "I'm not your mother, am I? Some fun won't hurt." Centuries long passed since the era of her as a child playing inside the manor. She waved her hand a bit and called them to follow the servant to the dining room.

Taking it step by step, we’ll always move ahead Our love is growing red need me more need you more Cry to me, know that I care lean on me and I’ll be there As we keep trying, we’ll find you’re always gonna be there too singing the same tune

RAYNE HERMES || 4/5

"I want to play hide and seek!"
That was what little John proposed. Rayne was still trying to understand what exactly she has gotten herself in while watching the kids skidding and jumping in joy outside, in their residence yard. Two female servants and a butler were asked by Rayne to help her in taking care of the youngsters, making sure they were not left alone. Because of that, the workers were told teamed up with the kids.

"Mr butler here will be your partner, John. You will go together with Alis and you with Aldreda," Rayne decided who on whose team. John and Aldreda both shouted alright, the latter was slightly lower and more timid than her brother. Alis, as usual, sulked. She did not look at Rayne at all and was ignoring everyone. Rayne sighed. "What's wrong now, Alis?" She asked. The girl turned her head to face Rayne when she noticed the older woman was coming towards her. Her eyes glowed in dissatisfaction. "I don't want to partner with a maid!" She shouted. That shocked both the maid and the ravenette. They looked at each other and the maid lowered her head. Rayne gave a shoulder hug to the servant as comfort and to cheer her up. She then glared- literally glared daggers at the young girl, which made little Alis jolted a bit at the sight.

"I am not going to take any more of your nonsense now, young lady," She began. She would not like to put her hands on her hips but in this situation, she could not help it but did it. Her eyes locked sharp on Alis whose head was about the same level as her hip. Realizing the situation might get worse if she did not speak, she quickly explained herself. "No, it's not that I don't want to play, I just- I thought I want to team up with you, Rayne!"

Again, Rayne and the maid were shocked. They looked at each other once more but this time the maid chuckled slightly. Rayne blushed. She dropped her hands to her sides. "Oh. Uhm... I see. I never thought you want to..." She never considered the girl would want to pick her own partner. She thought she was too uptight that she wanted everything according to her, not others. Not even her big brother could have the fun. Rayne was wrong about her. Perhaps she was uptight for so long because she felt lonely.

Yeah. Maybe that was it.

The young Hermes knelt down and rested her arms on her bent knee close to her chest. She looked at Alis right at her reddish face and smiled. "Thank you, Alis. I'm honored to be in your team. Let's do our best all right!" She said, took a hand out for the girl's and gave a gentle kiss on her palm, instead of her back palm. Alis turned redder and was too shocked to say a word. Rayne chuckled and explained the reason she gave her a kiss.

"My brother used to give me a kiss on my hand as a good luck kiss. It's a kiss to say thank you too. He gave me the same kind of kiss before he left on a journey."

Rayne got up and was ready to talk to the single maid who has no partner to watch over the game when Alis asked, "Where is he now, Rayne?" The lady stopped her feet, turned a bit to look at the wondering girl and smiled as sweet as she could without giving any the taste of bitterness lingered on her lips away.

"He's somewhere where I can't be for now. It's a bit unfair he got it there first but--- I'll get him for leaving me alone here one day." She chuckled as the girl giggled and said 'serves him right, Rayne' under those happy giggles. 

Yeah. Serves him right.

Taking it step by step, we’ll always move ahead Our love is growing red need me more need you more Cry to me, know that I care lean on me and I’ll be there As we keep trying, we’ll find you’re always gonna be there too singing the same tune

RAYNE HERMES || 6/5

"Young master John!" "Young master John!"
The two screamed out the same thing, turning from one direction to another and screamed the name again. Rayne leaved the screaming job to the two, for her mind wandered on its own about where could the child be. Little John was missing after he caught a butterfly flying near him. The butler kept sighing in remorse, blaming himself for the missing young master. To Rayne, it was partially his fault but she could not blame him further because thing had happened. All they should do now was to find the boy.

Rayne tilted her head a bit. "This should not be hard. The garden's not big," she exclaimed with her hand rubbed behind her neck. She looked at the butler who was sweating bullets at the moment. "Hey, it's all right. We'll find him. Now do you recall which direction the butterfly heads to?" She asked with both hands rubbed together. The man looked around and pointed at one direction. "I think it's that way," he was unsure. Rayne smiled and muttered, "good enough. Let's start from there." She hopped off the trunk and jumped down in the direction he pointed. The maids and butler were astonished at how quick she reached at the particular area. They looked at each other, wondering.

She wandered around, looking and embracing the green view in front of her. Something about the scenery made her feel emotional inside. Her eyelids closed half-way as she was carried by wind of nostalgia. Her eyes began to see different landscape of the garden. The green ground remained green but with few red wild flowers bloomed here and there, like spots on a perfect green canvas. Her eyes looked up to see there were green arches, one on each of her side. She smiled little bit.

Ah, she got it.
The garden was almost like the garden back in Asimi.

She walked further in, enjoying the visual scene played by her mind. Garden was the best part of the house, where she played hide and seek with Arthur and her younger siblings. Faint chuckles heard halted her from moving.

"Aurora, Aurora! She's coming!"

She narrowed her eyes and turned her head behind, slowly turning her body as well. Her eyes widened at the sight of her younger brother and sister, chuckling behind the entrance arch of the garden. They looked at each other and chuckled.

"She looks surprised."

Rayne was indeed surprised. Without a second to consider if this was real or not, she reached out for them but they both ran to the right out of her sight. She chased after them, thinking she would find them behind the rows of tall grass fences, but when she made the turn, they were gone. She heard chuckles again.

"Aurora, we're here! We're here!"

She looked back form the direct she was standing before. The siblings were there, laughing. Rayne stared at them quietly as they looked at each other and back at her.

"What's wrong, big sister? Why are you looking sad?"

Rayne could not utter a word to reply. She simply continued to look at them with sad and longing face. The two turned to one direction together and started smiling wide.

"Big brother's here!"

The two ran to the direction, and somehow deep in her heart she wanted to do the same. She slowly moved aside to take a peek of whoever that was going to appear from behind the grass fence. "Brother?" she called, almost hoping Arthur would answer.

Silence. She heard nothing else but silence, followed by shuffling sound of small footsteps. Her eyes widened, anticipating a familiar figure she wanted to see but instead she saw a butterfly flying out from the direction, and a boy followed after.

The boy has his hands up in the air, trying to catch the beautiful insect in his palms. He noticed the woman and turned to her. A big smile appeared as he greeted her, "Rayne! Look! It's a butterfly!"