[Nyxia]

It was drawing close to the holidays for most everyone in the city, every one but Detective Rapp at least. For three days straight he'd poured over the Kivisto case, without sleep and with very minimal contact with his peers. Not that most would have bothered him at all since Akiba was considered a bit out there even within his own department, being known for solving the oddest of case tended to make normal cops a bit weird with him. He couldn't believe the savage crime that was the murder of Merai & Samur Kivisto, and if he had to guess it looked an awful like a chimera attack. The worst of it, the part that bothered him the most was the lone survivor of the attack; Jarmo Kivisto, Merai & Samur's only child. The boy seemed to have developed a case of selective mutism in the wake of his parents murder, and with no other family was currently at the local orphanage where it seemed he was acting out like a wild animal.

He'd all but driven himself crazy by this point, trying to sort out the information with no sense of facts. Without a statement from Jarmo, and with no forensic evidence to go by Akiba was stuck going in circles. That was where he found himself on that overcast Tuesday morning with the case file spread across his desk, going in circles with only one hope. Sighing to himself Akiba found himself wishing that Zarya hadn't gone on vacation, she was so much better at dealing with kids than he was. Still after two years who knew if the boy was now ready to talk or not, which was how Akiba ended up stepping outside his precinct on that cold December day. Case files left behind as he made his way the five blocks to the orphanage, he had small hope that the boy had changed in that two years.

Pushing open the door to the orphanage, Akiba was greeted by Sister Bayles. Her kindly smile to him did not keep him from seeing the concern in her deep brown eyes, "Good morning, Detective Rapp. What brings you here? Are you here to take one of the children out for the day like last year?" She asked in her usual gentle tone, ushering him to where the children were in the massive room just to the left of the entry. "You know how the children look forward to your visits Detective, and we've missed you these last months." She told him in a sincere tone, reminding him of the fact of his absence. Akiba lowed his head a little at the statement, but the next one rocked him harder than he'd expected it to. "Missa especially has missed your visits." She toned in with a hint of disappointment, and Akiba felt like a bullet had exploded in his chest.

His head hung in shame Akiba brought himself to speak, "I'm not here for a visit, Sister. I'm here to try and speak to Jarmo." He spoke quietly, but he knew she would hear his words. True enough she did, and her eyes grew wide as she stopped in her traces and stared at him as if he'd grown a second head since he'd come in. Her shock passed quickly enough, but she only shook her head at no one in particular at him and Akiba swore he could see her muttering a prayer. Silently she lead him to a room further back in the orphanage, where the boy sat alone staring out the window at the snow covered garden. She didn't say anything, but Akiba could tell that he hadn't made any progress at all by the sad look in her eyes. "Tell Missa that I'll be back in a few days, and I'll take her out then if that's alright?" He asked Sister Bayles as she turned to leave them alone, she didn't say anything in return simply nodded and swept back down the hallway.

Once the pair was alone Akiba took a chair from the wall and turned it around so he could lean on the back of it, "Hello Jarmo, I'm Detective Rapp." Some how he knew the boy was aware of him even before he spoke, but he never even looked over at Akiba. "I was hoping I could ask you a few questions Jarmo, would that be alright?" That got the boy's attention, and proved to be the a turning point. Instead of speaking however the boy shirked loudly, and tipped over the chair he'd been sitting in moments before as he literally jumped up from it.

[Citanul]

The holidays had always been a busy time for Saicho and his Monastery. The trip down from Nu'san was long, but never arduous. Other monks tended to the needs of the poor, collecting whatever was given and handing it out to those who needed it after sorting. It was a large task, at least seven of them came to help. Holidays were the best times to ask for donations, even if they were always needed year round.

Saicho himself always worked with the children. Two or three every year would come to the Monastery, to be helped. Rehabilitated the best that the Monks could do in the serenity of the forest. There were always those in need, Sister Bayles would write and let them know of the ones in the most need. This year, it was just one. Jarmo Kivisto had been visited before, but she had just wanted to give him more time. TLC, she said, would cure it.

Unfortunately, it hadn't. So Saicho would be the one to try now, get this little boy out of his shell. He had a way with children and had met him the previous year, but hadn't been able to get through to him. They would need to soon, otherwise it may be too late. Irreparable damage had been done to his psyche already, and they may at least be able to break through to get him to speak again. Function, even if not in traditional society, being a Monk was not so bad of a life.

Pulling his green-and-brown cloak in close he knocked on the door to the Orphanage, smiling lightly as he stepped inside. "Thank you so much Sister. Brother William will be by soon with supplies for you, we've collected many goods and canned much of the gardens to help with the children. Where is the boy you wanted me to take?"

[Nyxia]

[I'm sorry for the lateness of this]

While Sister Bayles lead the monk through the room of children and down the hall, unaware that a storm had begun in the room. "Of course, Brother Saicho. He's in the meditation room as he always is." She told the monk sweeping into the hallway. "I'm afraid he's had another visitor today, though. Detective Rapp came by for one more chance to learn what young Jarmo saw that terrible night." The poor nun shuttered a little at the thought, just seconds before the screaming was hear. Shocked, Sister Bayles gasped and then pulled up her habit enough not to trip herself up as she hurried down the hallway.

Akiba was shocked by the boy's reaction, that wasn't the least of it. Before Akiba had so much as a chance to say anything more the boy began to toss items within ease of his reach at Akiba while still shrieking wordlessly. Under the constant assault of pens, a drawing pad, and the chair Jarmo had occupied; Akiba decided the only options he had was to escape until the boy had calmed a little. As quickly as he could Akiba fled out the door in time to avoid the chair that flew out behind him. Turning he gave the shocked sister a sheepish smile and sighed, "I don't think he's changed much since my last visit, Sister." Akiba couldn't shake the feel of dread building in his chest as he spoke. If Jarmo couldn't tell him, there was a real chance that whomever killed Kivisto's would never be found. In which case they would be luck if the killer never struck again. "I'd hoped..." He didn't know what he wanted to say, what had he hoped he would get from speaking with the boy. Behind him the closed thumped and rattled with the force of the boy's fist against the wood.

[Citanul]

[No big. : ) ]

It was easy to follow the nun through the hallways, giving soft smiles and pats to the head of the little children who peeked out of their rooms. Most knew that his visits followed with good food and new clothes and he tried to never disappoint them. "I had hoped he would make some progress." The Sisters were always so caring, so motherly towards all of the little ones. It was hard to believe that a child wouldn't respond to it.

It was to be assumed that poor Jarmo was the one doing all of this ruckus - he rushed along with the Sister towards the room just as the detective moved out, the distinct sound of the chair slamming into the door, and then his little fists. Saicho could only give a soft smile to the detective.

"I am going to take him with me, Detective. I hope that the serenity of the mountains will help. He may never regain his voice, I'm afraid, but maybe he can find a bit of peace." As the banging slowly stopped he reached to open the door, kneeling with the slumped-over boy.

"Hello Jarmo... Do you remember me? My name is Saicho." He was calm, eye-level with the boy as he took his hands, unballing them and soothingly rubbing his palms.