[DISCONTINUED]Pride and Apple Juice (Part 2 of Apple Pies Tell No Lies)

Fresh (new, invigorating)

     Golden eyes slowly blinked open, allowing the teenage boy to refamiliarize his surroundings. White morning light shone through the window beside his bed and he groaned. Ah, yes. The human realm. Crisp sat up slowly and held his aching head. His blond bangs hung in his face and over his pale hands. The boy had never experienced pain quite like that before, the shinigami realm never really dealt with pain or death beyond writing names in the death notes the creatures kept by their sides. His parents knew he was fragile and told him about pain. He never thought it would feel like this.

     The door opened suddenly, causing Crisp to jump in alarm. Ji entered the small room with a cheery look on his face. "Mornin', sunshine! Rem insisted she wake you but..." The man looked up at Crisp in suprise. "Well...Rem didn't tell me you could do that, but that's cool. Probably should inform your parents of this later, huh?" Crisp looked down in confusion and realized once he had jumped from Ji entering the room he never came down. Rem floated in and gazed at the shinigami boy. "Yes...interesting. Looks like a human but acts like a shinigami. Ryuk would be proud."

Crisp beamed at the mention of his father. He was a kind and just king. Along with his love for apples, Crisp was happy he had inherited some shinigami traits though he was half human.

With that thought, the boy's eyes widened in realization. If he could hover in the air, what else could he do?

     His pale hand slowly reached towards the wall on his left. Glancing at Rem, he placed it on the wall. Solid. His eyes narrowed. "Think of your hand as transparent. Liquid smoke going through the wall," Rem instructed. Crisp breathed out slowly and closed his eyes. He visualized her instructions and did as she said. A gasp came from Ji and a squeal followed. "He's doing it, Rem!" The shinigami placed a long hand over his mouth to silence him. "Shush. Let him focus."

Crisp opened his eyes to see his hand submerged in the wall. A small intake of air and a nod from Rem prompted him to continue. His arm, followed by his torso, then the rest of his body passed through the wall.

Ji ran from the small room to the main area and laughed. Rem followed, not laughing.

"There's something strange in the neighborhood. Who you gonna call?"

Rem and Crisp blinked at the human.

"Oh come on! Ghost Busters???"

The two creatures stared in confusion.

"The...floating through wall thing...? Nevermind. I expected at least you, Rem, to get that," the man said with a huff as he sat down on a couch.

Crisp looked at the two beings in puzzlement before walking to his room and appearing with an apple.

"So," he paused to take a bite from his delicious apple, "are we going out to test this theory of my parents?"

"Hmm...yes, but I honestly don't know how to go about it," Ji rubbed his chin.

Crisp looked towards Rem.

"I personally think you cannot be seen by humans. You have too much shinigami in you. You have Ryuk's eyes."

Ji glanced at the half-human.

"Oh yeah. Your eyes are yellow and the pupils and irises are red. That's the only physical shinigami feature you have, huh?"

The blond looked out the window of the apartment then towards the door. "Can I at least try?" The couple gazed at each other for what seemed like forever before Ji nodded.

"Of course, prince."

***Chin up. Don't let anyone beat you down. Be proud.***

"(Y/n)!!! Look at this dress!!!"

The (h/c) girl swiveled aroumd to face her annoying younger sister.

"Lydia, we can't buy anything else! Stop gazing at shop windows and come along!"

"But I need it," the fifteen year old insisted. "There's a dance coming up and I..."

"Don't need it. You can borrow one of Mary's dresses."

"But I'll look like a nun!" she cried.

     (Y/n) sighed and drug her sister to the shopping district for food. Their family hadn't had much money but they new how to save. Well, her father new how to save; her mother did not. And that is why Lydia was so spoiled. Their mother could no longer do the shopping because of that fact so (Y/n) did it for her.

As the two girls moved on to the different stalls, Lydia again got caught up in her school drama.

"I can't wear Mary's prom dress because it's so stuffy! It's completely black--you know she always looks like she's going to a funeral--and has a high collar! Those were in fashion in the 1500s you know not this period! And Denny will be there before he goes into the military so I have to show off! Anyways Kitty said she was going in a mint but I think it would be better if we matched to pale pink..."

It would be an understatement to say that her sister was annoying. She just wouldn't shut up. (Y/n) guessed it was a good thing that she learned how to tune her sister out.

Finishing up her shopping, the (e/c)-eyed girl noticed a familiar face.

"Ji! Over here!" she exclaimed with a smile.

The man had been walking alone as usual but noticed her right away. It always seemed to her that he liked people but there was never someone with him. Weird.

"What's up, nerd?" he asked as he ruffled her hair.

"Not much. Does Georgie need babysitting?"

(Y/n) watched Ji's neice often as a pastime besides her studies. Even though the girl was fourteen, she was a little scaredy cat and got spooked if she was by herself at home. So ever since she was eight, (Y/n) babysat her.

"Yeah my brother was going to contact you later on today to see if you could watch her this weekend. He has a date with the wife and it's a big thing for them," he winked at the girl.

(Y/n) nodded and smiled.

"I look forward to it."

Ji's expression changed slightly, almost hesitant. He nodded slightly to the air. (Y/n) had been told by her friends and others rumors of Ji seeing spirits. It was a crazy idea. It kinda made sense. But spirits do not exist.

Something brushed her arm and she looked around quick. There was no one around. "Did you see something?" Ji asked in a strange tone. Confusion flashed upon her face. "No, why?" The man's features went from serious to splaying a lazy grin on his face in a couple of seconds. "I dunno. Just seems like you were supposed to have Lydia with you."

(Y/n) spun around in a circle only to not find Lydia.

"Oh, crap. Thanks, Ji!" she yelled over her shoulder as she went to find her sister.

The man looked up at Rem and then at Crisp.

"What did you two do?"

Rem smiled and Crisp gave off one of his dad's signature smiles.

"Don't worry," the two said in unison, "we have this covered."