Enigmatic Spaceholder

Upon that moment, she slowly pulled her head down onto the table, just resting it there, setting it to think about what she said. She did never think before she spoke… It was just natural to talk. Trying to make the position a bit more comfortable though she now felt as if she didn’t deserve such for making silly mistakes…

That was what annoyed him so, when another disillusioned themselves over a piece of their body that deserved respect, not dismissal.

Quiet actions that drew out a sound from her, in this case being the setting of her head against hardened materials that created the table in question, were enough to falter his step and turn his head back to look over her, uncertain over if pity should be felt, or annoyance at himself for pushing her to the state she was in.

....Both?

“Other than that, you should know that if you need me, I’ll be right here being an idiot as always.” Before she could say anything else, her stomach growled. Hands quickly went over her belly, trying to quell the sound as she lowered her head. Even though this had happened so many times around him, that sound always embarrassed her.

Quickly though, as she transitioned to making light of herself in some foolish attempt to alleviate the tensions rising up like a wave between them, aurum optic threw itself down to stare at her, almost making a glare, unhappiness driving into existence at her words. "An idiot, Kaida?" His voice was low, icy, angry, if not at her than the idea she had shared.

"You are not an idiot, Kaida. You never will be, not now, not later, not ever." Leaning forward enough to allow him chance to stand without pressing against anything else, left digits raised upward and pulled upon the empty air, drawing out transparent cubes from the sky, of which they conglomerated into a massive bastion of perfect patterns; Drawing closer and closer to the ground until it blossomed into the kitchen she had seen so many times before.

Being content with the soft scratches to his throat, one of his hind legs begun to beat against the ground in a loving manner. He couldn’t truly smile but it was obvious in the wagging tail and closed eyes that the canine was at peace. "Rules can threaten him to the point of his love ones death… He’s been waiting for a long time to come and see her but… He doesn’t want to endanger her anymore than what is."

Speaking the truth with more knowledgable thoughts, his blue hues opened only for him to tilt his head. "I can’t even tell Kaida that I am from him, nor can I speak of the pendant she wears being a ‘be safe’ charm from him… Rules are hard."

Licking the man’s hand again, the large puppy rolled over, exposing his stomach though with a bit of hesitation. This wasn’t Kaida— who was more than gentle when she nuzzled up against him, this was a man who threatened to kill him for doing something stupid. 

It was almost adorable how creatures of such simplistic reasoning found it a great deal easier to show their contentment in front of others, happiness taking root in moving features of Yuki's leg, mistakenly coming off as more dog-like than a creature of shadow, but that was what gave him his appeal. "Rules, rules, rules. That's what make up the world, really, and makes everything a bit of a pain in the ass to deal with. 's why I stopped listening to the rules, makes life much more enjoyable."

Behind his mask of lax care, though, he hid away resentment towards those that would imprison a father from a daughter, knowing how much it was needed to enforce balance, control, even at the expense of other's emotions.

It was torture, truly, nothing more to it than that truth.

Aurum hue fell over across eased features of the other as he retold of but a few rules carried out by another's will, not addressing them by anything less than a passing pause.

Yes, they certainly were.

How in the world was she going to pick herself up from this one?

Her body slipped into a near chair and she continued to watch the cube that glowed in a blue light like the rest of the area. “You haven’t lost your friends anyway… No matter if memories slip away, your heart will always remember them.” 

Odd hearing that come from herself, but that was when she moved slightly to grab the small journal from her pocket. Saying a mix of words in dragon tongue to make it larger, she reviewed the first few pages, only looking up to Glave once more when she had other words to say. 

"They're not truly friends, Kaida. Simply that of watchers, spaceholders, extrusions of my will. I can't count them as friends, not really." 

Allowing her to ease away from his touch into a chair that probably was a bit more comfortable than walking, he took refuge by leaning against one of the arm-rests, arms crossing over his chest as he looked upward and away. She seemed to sure of herself, so sure that what she was saying was the right way to look at it all.

"Your heart can forget, Kaida. If you don't think of your friends for a long enough time, you don't remember to offer them your thoughts or repeat their names beneath your breath every once in a while, your heart forgets.

I've lost most of mine now anyway."

He was sad to have, actually, to forget to remember all of the people he once knew as a human, a mortal. Even past that, during the beginnings of his duty, he had made friends, but forgotten those ones as well.

It was hell.

  "I guess so…” The canine mumbled, tail wagging gently as fur relaxed itself. "Though, I can’t help but to wonder…”  

Yuki settled himself on his haunches just then, sitting like a regular dog as he tilted his head to the side. Ears were up and alert but in a sense of playfulness instead of being wild. "But… I want to thank you for protecting Master for so long… Papa can’t because of the angels… So he is thankful as well…"

"Wondering too much can be bad for your health, Yuki. Don't let yourself fall too heavily into that pit." He'd done so, many times over, and all had let to consequences and issues.

Most of which continued to stain his psyche, but he hid them well enough.

When a thanks of true feeling escaped past the other, golden hue shifted away to peer far, far away, moving himself to take a seat on the ground, left foot resting against the ground much closer to himself, parallel arm falling over it as his opposing leg stretched. "Don't thank me, idiot. Makes it sound like I'm going to stop sometime soon." 

At the mention of her father, however, he tilted his head up to allow straight rays of light to bounce atop his mask, as if searching the sky for the Angel. "...Keh, wouldn't peg him as a guy to let himself be stopped by something as petty as angels." Unfortunate that he shared their lineage, but that was what death did to you.

When the question asked, her smile only grew more. Tipping her head back to get a full glance of his face once more, she shrugged. “I don’t know what you like to do for fun but… hm…” Attempting to take a step on her own, she accomplished it but quickly became ill-balanced once more. “We gotta’ find something somehow, but what…?” 

The girl’s head kept tilted as she tried to get an answer from her mind. There wasn’t much she could think of before she blinked and looked to the floating cubes that were everywhere to be seen. “Maybe something with all your friends?” 

Hints of attention mirrored themselves back to her by a measured turn of his head downward to encompass her within the passing views of an aurum optic, truly curious to see what she believed it to be. "Well, that makes two of us, then~" He wasn't afraid to condemn himself as lost within the matters of personal entertainment, having never before viewed it as needed within his life. "Perhaps after you've eaten your fill, we could bounce around a few ideas."

Better to think with a full stomach, after all.

Mentions of friends, even if only spoken towards in the context that, he believed, pertained to the simplistic minds of floating emissaries of energy that rotated around them all, hardened his smile to lose most of its warmth.

"… She still has a better mind than most may think and though she may stick her snout in the wrong places at the wrong time, she can always smile once more… That’s where I don’t understand; Master Kaida can become happy with thoughts that are darkened with just a few hopes and dreams… 

I simply don’t understand.” Yuki gave out a soft whine after that, blue hues looking to the ground as tail curled up at his side. He was said to be just a shadow and yet, he had a thought process and emotions— something only ‘living shadows’ had. With a small huff, his head shaking for a just a moment to readjust, looking up to the man. 

"A plus of her entire being, yes. She's remarkable in that sense, having such a gift of extraordinary meaning, even if she won't admit to the idea that it actually can be valued as anything more then a simple necessity of life." 

One of the many prevalent mysteries of life, specified to encompass those of more humanistic heritage, he was along the same vein as the pup as to lacking understanding. What drove him differently, however, was a distinct uncaring attitude to wishing to understand it in the first place, finding no suitable need to justify an extended time of research or thought.

"That makes two of us, Yuki. But really, do we need to understand it more then we already do? We know that it allows Kaida to stay happy, no matter what's thrown at her.

He got her with food— he had any dragon wrapped around his finger with the mention of food. 

Taking a deep breath to fill her lungs, she let fangs show without a care as she spoke once more. “Maybe some breaded chicken with noodles like old times? I-I would help you cook but I don’t think standing by m-myself is a good idea.” 

Rather, instead, some idea of pity, knowing her ordeal was something like that of legends.

"Even chicken~" Such an old favorite of hers, one he hadn't indulged in for nay over a few months, and that was before she'd gone missing. Really, it left no idea of surprise to him when she listed off the highest idea of decadent intake that could be surmised, laugh falling past as she relented in being unable to help him cook. "No matter~ I'm used to cooking without help, seeing as you have such an aversion to some of kitchen equipment."

Namely anything that had a flame.

Yuki grew scared as the older went to his level, ears staying pinned back before the tap made his fur stick up. There was a nod though, a recognition of what his order was. "Of course.” 

The telepathy of the canine did not end there though as he looked away, not falling in love with the soft pats on the top of his head. "I will tell you when she’s in danger, no matter what."Though, the wolf was unsure how to get to the man’s domain. He couldn’t phase through time and space but… he could travel through the shadows that anything had. Thinking about it, the canine answered his own question before he even had the chance to ask it. 

"Good." There still lingered clipped suffixes to his words, lessened only by having reason to actually be positive towards the umbral wolf, if not only for a second of passing time.

Digits relinquished perhaps a half-minute's worth of continued motions to lightly brush across darkened fur, stopping to rest lightly against his head as a promise filtered through a lightening psyche. Amends were being made without complaint, effort and care excluding itself from behind aquatic hues whenever they actually were captured by the singular color of gold that he was privy to. 

Perhaps he'd been too harsh to the creature initially....

It brought so much back in just a little moment, making her want to cry out as the small child who had lost her mother. She stopped herself before she could though, listening to every word that he said before seeing a grin pull itself across his face. A small nod came as she was brought back to the nurturing motion, her head resting against his chest as body gave quivers.

She was finally able to feel what she lost. Her heart pattered in an odd fashion that she loved, tears slowly stopping to role down her cheeks as she attempted to pull herself together for just this one time. Hues growing puffy from the emotion that was released, they looked tired up to the father figure and just then… 

That smile of pure delight. 

What more was there to do after that, though? 

Had she fallen to the vice of emotions and let out that which had been remembered in full, he would have still seen her as someone to be proud of, to be happy for. Showing emotion, though he didn't condone it in excess amounts, was necessary to vent out buried sentiments of unease and doubt, of which he believed she a fair amount of. 

Chin fell downward to rest lightly atop her crown as she fell back to using him as something to hug, to rest against. aurum optic hiding away behind a lidded eye as he rocked slowly from side to side, feeling her heart announce itself as erratic in idea and action, the beginning motions of her head making him move slightly away to give suitable space, expectant hue looking downward to see how she would speak.

And thereafter having his heart skip a beat as she showed such happiness, a feature of hers that had long since been buried.

"I am a shadow that was made by her father to protect her… I am supposed to keep my master safe as that was what Master Rinku had in mind.” The wolf still was scared, pupils within blue hues small as he tried to communicate what he thought was right. Body barely made a movement, almost as if he was a statue, still scared that he was stepping on the grounds of suicide. 

Yet… If there was anything that he could do, that the other couldn’t… 

"You can tell when she’s in danger through spells that drain too much energy when… I have a direct link… It might not be useful now since Master Kaida has already spoke about staying her but… Wherever she goes, I can tell what condition she is in.. what she thinks what she’s doing… but locations are hard for both of us to locate unless she’s not playing hide and seek—." 

"And should your duty be nonexistent for a time? Are you to do nothing as days pass by into weeks? Surely you have some semblance of free-will to be able to come to a conclusion as how to spend your time more constructively." Continually looping the conversation back to that of the most glaring issue that had been given away by the pup was wrongful, in the way that it would only guilt the wolf to fall lower and lower into a mindset of having to do whatever he should to appease the one he'd angered.

Which, in this vein, was far more manipulative then he'd usually do.

Features were held still as he listened to the rather intriguing explanation of how his adoptive daughter and this shadow were connected, already buzzing with how it could be used to make to so deplorable conditions were never encountered again without his knowledge.

"...You have some uses after all, Yuki." His name was finally relinquished in full, dropping down to a knee as covered digits reached forward to tap lightly upon the wolf's head. "If you sense that she is in danger, then you are to come to me. I am your first stop, no matter what it takes to get to me.

Her mind continued wanting to add a single word to the end of several sayings but… she was uncertain of what response she’d get around this time. Taking a steady breath and standing on her own for the moments that made her heart race with fear, her lips said words that were more than such. 

"I sealed Hikari, the goddess who I was supposed to serve but was abused, away. I fought her… I fought the goddess of light and sealed her away so T-Telemora won’t be ruined but she no longer can hurt me… I’m free from the so called legend that was destroying everyone I cared for." Looking up to him, it was the first time that her hues were full of an adult-like gaze, the first time that she was truly saying what was what. 

"If I didn’t, the king in Telemora would have used her to gain immortality and… I couldn’t let that happen. I had to stop it. I might have talked to a man who is the devil himself yet, he helped me Glave— without him Telemora would have been gone by now and… I guess he was right with him just spilling tea, not lies." 

Hands clasped together as weight shifted on feet, she gulped down what worries she had, muffling a yawn and continuing. “I had my reasons… I knew I could beat her after I finally got a hold of myself. I know I should have told you but at the same time, I was worried I would get you involved something that I should handle on my own. I’ve been… really wanting to come home though…” 

Slowly, she moved back to his being, arms wrapping around his waist as she closed her eyes. “… I love you Glave and I… I missed you so much…” Her voice quivered slightly, emotions getting the best of her as tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. “I wanted to come crying back here and tell you that I was a complete fool… I still am but… I also wanted to prove that…”

Letting his steps slow down to a complete stop, no resistance afforded itself to stop her from pulling away and standing tall, he let his hands fall away as he called close a few errant cubes, preparing to catch her should her strength falter before it was all said and done.

For now, though, she would take center stage as the narrator of her own life.

Unblemished features were quick to adopt a look of neutrality as she launched into the heart of the matter, perhaps wrongfully, names and reasoning as to why she sought out her end-goal running parallel to what he'd come to glean from her over their time together. But to seal a Goddess....as one of non-divinity, the taxation of such an act were nigh-unimaginable.

Golden overtones widened slightly in surprise at the intensity of the gaze that she tried to reach him with, not used to, nor expecting, the ravages of adulthood to having stained her hues so much. She truly was older because of this, if not overly so in a more physical sense, her mind had matured and come to terms with what she'd done.

No words were offered away as she dwindled away into lower echoes of speech, arms widening to embrace her as he would any other time, save for a slight differential of the way he held her, as that of an equal and daughter in the same duality of seconds, head shaking slightly as she tried to explain herself even further and give way to reasoning that he already understood.

"You're not a pushover, Kaida. You never were a pushover. You just lacked confidence, a steady foothold on to which you could run forward and do what you had to do.

And yeah, you're a fool still, but I don't care. I'm a fool too, and that wouldn't stop me from doing anything.

But ultimately," Gentle touches of his hands shifted her to pull slightly away from the connection she desired, needed. Cupping her cheeks in a warm barrier of tear-stained gloves, he leaned down and kissed her forehead, lips barely pulling away before speaking once again.

"I love you for you taking the matter into your own hands. And I'm so, so proud of you for doing it.

Why did such thought make her stomach twist…

Taking a breath to settle darker thoughts, she could feel the grip of her hand slowly reach to a gentle state. Grabbing her attention more than the other thoughts that lurked within the darkness of her mind, she gave a bit of a tug, as if reminding him that she was indeed, here with him. Her eyes looked out for the little and big floating shapes of parallel. Catching a few floating by, their blue tint made her grow calm. 

Steps were growing harder to take yet to fix such problem, she leaned against him. Support. It was an interesting thing that did wonders when at limits that shouldn’t have been passed. She didn’t show much of her breaking limit; pushing the moment aside as she focused on just getting a bit more out of her energy. 

Which, he believed, was something she didn't really need right now.

A turn of his head was afforded as she gave nonvocal confirmation that she was there to stay, small smile thrown over his shoulder at how normal it seemed to be. Familial actions had reasserted themselves as commonplace thought, just in time for them to cross over the threshold of greenery into a landscape of varying blue, cubes floating around in languid rhythm, some small enough to be caught by their passing and circle around her like children would to a mother, before floating away, a bit brighter then before.

Some small discrepancies in her steps, usually unable to be picked up by untouched beings, were becoming louder and louder as she was forced to use his services as an unrelenting pillar of stability, not truly minding that she did, hand freeing itself from the connection he'd aspired to hold and draping over her shoulder.

Giving a small nod, the canine did not make a sound. Shadows at it feet did not even stir as he listened like any good dog should. He knew he had it best of all that he was supposed to tell but… something kept him at that spot. It was hard to explain for the pup who was about to be a year or so old soon so he just kept quiet, with his head down.

He was just a dog who was supposed to follow orders after all. He disobeyed and deserved this. The wolf’s tail slipped away from between his legs at that moment of understanding, just laying lifeless as his ears stayed pinned down. This was his fault… But he really did want to fix his sin… 

Relinquished facets of foolish happiness at the other's groveling served to act as that of a warning that he was beginning to tread too far into a realm he had done his best to stray away from for the better part of his existence. Letting anger control what you did, what you said, that was the cause of genocide, ideas that left millions dead.

He would know, he'd done it.

With the tirade gone and complete, with a few choice words having been removed to allow some sense of decency to remain, he simply looked over the overgrown pup as it cowered beneath weighted words of justified merit. His age could only be guessed at, truly, but past indicators of it still being a puppy lessened all rage that had been forced upon Yuki's shoulders. Not enough to dissipate it all, but whereas he could actually breath and not be met with a thought of how quickly he could disintegrate the other.

Brow raised behind a mask of faked indifference, steel perfectly hiding all features away from that of alien eyes, even if they weren't looking up to him out of fear.

"Anything? That's hardly a promise one should make, you know. Besides, what can you offer me that I don't have?

Besides, she didn’t want to black out and scare the man half to death. Making another firm smile, she rose her hand for him to lead the way. She’d trust her feet and all to lead herself but, instincts were starting to slowly become quiet, seemingly acting more as to human instincts than anything. It was nice so, she wasn’t complaining. 

Too much care was placed over her within his heart to allow any negative tendencies that surfaced with others, forgoing outward signs of superiority and treating her, for the most part, like an equal.

Agonizingly slow, his touch removed itself from her features and fell downward to take her hand within his own, ivory cloth intertwining themselves with her digits as he began to pull her along towards the doorway he had made to get here. They were going home, and it was paradise all over again.

"Of course~ They never forget a pretty face~" Such a tease had been preceded by a nod of agreement to the uncertainty that marked her question, no other place being seen as suitable to allow her decent rest with him also able to remain by her side. A squeeze of resurfaced attachment was required to fulfill his rather malnourished sense of love,  the lasting several seconds before he softened his grip, though not enough to slip his hand away.

"Oh come on, I just got back an’ yer making me doing such silly things as that!" Crossing her arms, she knew she needed it and was just acting like her old self. It was almost a reminder in that way; she wanted him to be happy. Letting her hands fall back to her sides, she felt her stomach growl and let out a quick huff. "Alright, so I might actually need to eat some food but there’s no way ‘m sleeping just yet." 

Red strands swayed off her shoulder as she tipped forward, falling and stopping as she swayed to change their directions. She was proud to be balanced at that moment, not falling over and being the usual klutz that she was though, there was that moment that the wind suddenly had to have a go. 

She nearly landed on her face but she caught herself on the last second. Letting the shadows simply keep hold of her feet, she pulled herself back up and puffed her cheeks in embarrassment. Her luck didn’t change much. 

Ah well, he found it endearing anyway.

"Silly, yes, but also functions that are needed to make sure you don't wither away and lose strength. Rather important, yes?" Reasoning out the decisions he made always got back at her, he knew, spot-on in logical deduction as to why she should do something, even if she wasn't entirely willing to submit to his decision. As recognition of part of his suggestion was agreed upon, he gave a light nod in acknowledgement, chuckle assigning itself precedence as imperative in that moment. "Yes, yes. Whatever you say, Kaida~"

Though his words were allowing her leeway into the matters of him believing the fact that she may not need rest, her next actions, only reassessing the need for it and placing it rather high. If such a simple action as that of nature, and a mild expulsion at that, was enough to drive her against what she wished to do, she was tired indeed.

Keeping his head dipped down to look at her as she replanted herself solidly atop the ground, a hand rose up to cup a puffed out cheek, thumb reassuring her that he thought no less of her then he had minutes before.