After the episode with the fireflies and her koto, Ikigai has been sticking close to home. However, with the nights barely ending, the moon never leaving and the strange occurrences becoming more of a normality every day, the young princess decided that she couldn't stay locked up at home forever. With determination, she ventured out into a land that she knew was relatively safe. The Weeping Woods were like a playground for the wolves of Ashen and the Armada. Often she had seen members of both packs beneath the hanging branches of the willow trees. Just in case she didn't see anyone today, Iki had sent Willa, her white, antlered cat, to see if Kotori would meet her here.

The sky was dark and bright all at once. The moon hung big and fat in the sky and the stars seemed to streak across the darkness in arcs of light. Sometimes when looking up, it was difficult to tell if the lights were far off stars or the blue fireflies that were everywhere these days. Along with the fireflies, strange crystals had begun to grow on everything. Iki had noted their growth on the trees around the shrine at home and was curious if they would be on the willows as well.

They were.

As the moonlit princess moved through the wood, she stopped to inspect the many different variations of crystals growing from the different trees. Some seemed to be pushing from the inside of the trees themselves, while others seemed to embrace the pale, white trunks. Crystals also grew from the hanging branches which made traversing beneath the canopy a little dangerous, but Ikigai managed. The horned girl lay at the edge of one of the slowly moving streams. All around her the world seemed to glow and pulse. It was beautiful, she thought.

"X"

Kotori had been surprised at the sight of the white antlered cat coming out to see him.  The antlered cat wanted him to go so another antlered wolf huh?  He had thought of Ikigai more than once since that night.  Admittedly he had also thought of that boar spirit and all that had happened.  What would have happened he had tried eating a spirit?  She must have been right about that even if he didn’t like being the one wrong.

Kotori followed the cat into the weeping woods and to the spot where Iki was watching the water.  He had noticed the crystals had been sprouting up everywhere and all the oddities had kept him at home.  Kotori was interested in it all but at the same time felt wary of going out to far alone when things were so clearly not right.  What would happen if you did fight a spirit?  Were all spirits peaceful?  What was with everything glowing?  

The boy looked up at the sky to where the moon seemed to be looking right back.  It was always in the sky, even when the sun was out.  Being cautious was smart but at times he grew irritated himself for the wariness as if to be to careful bordered on cowardness.  His eyes roamed the willows now even as he approached Iki.  On the ground, the tree bark and branches all seemed determined to grow the strange crystals.

“Ikigai,” the wolf greeted the lady as he approached, a friendly pitch in his voice. “I like your cat,” his gaze glanced to the water she was near and even there spotted some crystals sprouting from a rock that was partially submerged. “Did you need help?” the brown wolf asked and followed up with, “I wonder what they are.  I wonder if they’ll keep spreading.” Could it get to a point where they would become an actual problem?  The fireflies were becoming a normal sight and when they were at the brightest as he went off to sleep he had kind of learned to enjoy the bright specks seeming to float in the air.


Kotori Fatalis

 

Willa had done her job and soon the cat returned with the Armada boy in tow. Kotori ducked below the willow branches and Ikigai smiled up at him, the corners of her red tipped eyes lifting. The boy complimented her cat and Iki grinned again. "Thank you. Willa is a great help to me." The feline picked her way up the crystal covered tree and disappeared into the branches above.

Kotori asked if she needed help and the pallid princess gave her head a shake. "No, I just wanted to get out of Ashen for a while and thought you might need a break from the Armada?" It was a question. Had he needed a break just like she had? Hopefully she hadn't pulled him away from something important. Suddenly the girl was a little less sure of herself. Dark ears swiveled backwards and she looked away.

What were the crystals? Iki didn't know. She gave her head a little shake before extending one paw to gently touch the crystals that had gathered upon a nearby rock. As the soft pads of her dexterous digits made contact, the crystal flared to life. Bright blue light poured from the gemlike growth and a soft gasp pulled from the girl. "Did you see that?" As if on cue, tons of the blinking blue lights that pretended to be fireflies appeared beneath the willows canopy.

"X"

She had just wanted to spend time with him? Kotori offered a lopsided grin, “Oh, I’m always happy to get away from home for a time.” Not to insult his home it just didn’t offer the surprises of the unknown when he roamed.  Home was necessary to grow stronger though and get help with learning to hunt better.

Kotori still remembered her first words to him or at least her tone.  She had spoken down to him as if he was actually below her and now that had changed.  Was it due to his own title, their experience, or just knowing each other a little better?  Either way, as her ears turned back and she looked off it really seemed a different wolf.  
Kotori moved beside her, sitting down with a companionable bump to one shoulder to try and ease any uncertainty. His gaze glanced to the crystal as she touched it, head pulling back on his neck in surprise somewhat at how the light pulsed out.

“That’s,” he was going to say ‘normal’ then realized how redundant the statement was. She probably wouldn’t have been able to pay attention anyway if he had finished his sentence for then all the glowy rock gems were brightening up. “Woah,” Kotori stood right back up, his body wanting him to be ready to defend himself once surprised.  Silly.  Glowy gems weren’t a real threat.  After a second he reached out a paw and gave a sideways whack to one of the gems.  They were sharper than he expected, or perhaps that one was chipped, either way, there was a cut on his paw.  It had barely cut the paw, rather like a paper clip but it stung and left a single red drop of his blood on the blue glow.  “Woops,” the boy said sheepishly.

She was gentle with her taps and polite to boar spirits whereas he wanted to fight or whack things.  It was really about as different as two wolves could get as far as he could imagine it.  “You know, I didn’t believe in spirits until that one day.  Now, I mean glowing objects can't be spirits but I feel it's safe to say this isn’t natural, right?”  It would be one thing if they just glowed but the glow was weird.  One had gone bright from her touching it and then afterward ones they hadn’t touched had gone off.  It didn’t make any sense that Kotori could think up.

The fireflies were still all about them but he had forgotten about their presence with this new bit of mystery.  “So, you know about spirits, do you know any stories of weird myths and stuff?”  


Kotori Fatalis

 

Kotori settled down beside her, giving an amiable bump of shoulders and a bit of heat flared in the pale lady's cheeks. She'd never been this close to anyone that wasn't family. It was a strange feeling and Ikigai didn't quite understand it. All around them the fireflies and gems pulsed and as the princess focused on the gems, they seemed to pulse in tune with the beating of her own heart. Iki gasped lightly and sat up just as Kotori rose and looked alarmed. Why was it doing that? "Do you... Oh, of course not." Iki's ears dropped dejectedly. Of course he wouldn't know if the gems were pulsing to her own heartbeat. He couldn't feel her heartbeat.

Kotori batted one of the crystals and pulled his paw back in alarm. Iki noted the droplet of blood clinging to the crystal and somehow it seemed to glow more brightly because of it. "Oh, Kotori..." Iki spoke sympathetically. Scanning about, the girl plucked a clump of moss and moved back to the boy. Sitting on her slender haunches, the young fae took the earthen boys paw in her own dexterous appendage and turned it over. She placed the moss against the small cut on his paw and applied a bit of pressure.

As Kotori continued to speak, Iki raised her mercuric gaze to meet his. They were so close that she once again felt heat in her cheeks, but she answered him in her soft, even tones. "I didn't believe in spirits either until I saw the boar. I had heard stories though. Stories from my father's homeland." Ikigai's gaze shifted and she looked at the crystals again. It was difficult to avoid looking at them. She felt compared to stare into their rhythmic, pulsating luminescence.

The boy asked if she knew stories and myths and Iki nodded, though she was still looking at the gems. "I know many myths and stories. I'm named after a story, actually. Legends and tales are very important in my heritage." Not able to help herself, Iki reached out one paw and gently stroked the nearest crystal, bringing the gem thrumming brightly to life once more.

"X"

Ikigai’s partial question of ‘do you’ had Kotori at first assume she was responding to his jumping up but that was ruled out as she negated whatever she would have asked.  He might have asked her on it but then he had gone and cut himself.
“It’s not bad,” He assured Iki as she took his paw.  Kotori had been fine with sitting near her but he felt a bit silly as she took his paw to treat it.  Her touch was far more gentle than required and it felt nice in a way he couldn’t explain.  The boy’s tail wagged behind him, sweeping up a layer of dirt off the ground, helping another gem behind him sparkle.  “I’ll be fine but, thanks.”  Kotori certainly couldn’t say no one cared for him or would have patched up an injury but it was just different with Iki doing it like this.  Then again it could just be because they were so close or the strange night and oddities around them setting a mood.

The stone got more than a glance from Kotori as she was treating his paw with the moss, at first he glared at the offending one that pulsed brighter after it had a drop of his blood.  What was up with that?  It was a dumb rock though and he was more interested on the wolf that was so close to him.  Still, it wouldn’t of been so hard to ignore them if not for the colors shifting.  They didn’t just glow but the light would grow in intensity and then fade again, and repeat.  

“So,” he said after she told him about knowing stories and myths “You seem really smart.  I want to hear,” He cut himself off as his attention had turned back to the gems, “you know, I know they don’t look like they taste good,” Kotori admitted, “but when it pulses I feel like,” he hesitated on how to say it, “I don’t know, like it wants me to try and eat it.  I guess that’s stupid, maybe I should have just ate a bigger meal today or something.” It was like they demanded his attention which was all the more strange with how much attention he felt like putting on Iki right now.  Reality check was that he was curious and hungry and that could easily lead to wanting to bite something that had cut him.  Made much more sense.

He had planned to ask for the stories but somehow the need to admit to his urge to eat one had come out instead.  Kotori had no plan to try it, logic prevailed against eating an unknown glowing substance that came along with an all around eerie atmosphere. “I feel like the land itself is laughing at us.”  When things weren’t so strange he’d have to have a normal day with her.  Hear about her stories and what she did like to do.  He wanted to get to know her better.  


Kotori Fatalis

 

Ikigai

You feel the crystal pulsate beneath your paw rhythmically and realize your heartbeat synchronizes instantly to the pulsations. The thought that something outside your body seems to be controlling a part of ought to be concerning.

Maybe you shouldn't have done that...

Kotori

You feel heavy very suddenly, as if the cut the crystal inflicted upon you has sucked all your energy from your body. Some part of you feels as if you could reclaim that energy back with a mere taste or two... but perhaps you have better judgement then that?

Kotori wanted to hear her stories and already Ikigai was thinking about their next meeting. Perhaps she could invite the young prince to Ashen so that she could play her instruments for him and tell him the stories of her father's homeland. Would he like something like that? The girl didn't have time to ask, because suddenly, things changed.

All the world seemed to begun pulsing in rhythm with her heart. Or maybe her heart pulsed in rhythm with the world. Either way, Ikigai released a soft gasp and bowed her head. The snow and obsidian princess began speaking in her father's native tongue. Her words were soft, yet strong. Her dialect and inflection practiced and perfect. With her mercuric gaze closed and her head bowed, Ikigai thanked the spirits for showing her their power. She thanked them for choosing her as a vessel for their will.

The Armada boy voiced what he thought the crystals wanted him to do and Ikigai's silvered gaze shot open once more. She pulled her attention from the pulsating view, though it was difficult. He wanted to taste them? She wasn't sure that this was a good idea, but Iki had a strong feeling that the spirits didn't want to hurt her. She wasn't sure if the same could be said about Kotori. He didn't have the same respect and reverence for the spirits that she did and she couldn't speak for them.

"X"

What had happened?  Why had things changed so fast?  He was fine a moment ago, they were conversing a moment ago but then she was suddenly speaking in strange words and Kotori felt his energy-sapping out far too fast.  It had been a small cut!  Hardly more than a drop of blood!  Still, his energy was drained as if he’d lost a bucket of blood instead.  It didn’t feel right to say it was blood loss causing this drain in energy but he also couldn’t fathom any other logical reason.

Iki had her head bowed and was speaking in some language he didn’t understand.  It sounded pretty but it sure wasn’t very helpful at the moment.   “What are you saying?” Kotori tried to pull his attention away from this lack of energy, tried to pull his focus back on her. “Did something happen?”

An inner argument was working through his brain on whether or not it was smart or stupid to risk eating a crystal.  Some plants could be life-saving but some were deadly.  This was a rock thing so it would be questionable if it followed those principles and which way it swung even if it did.  The boy focused his attention on Ikigai thinking of how she had reacted to the boar and now she was acting strange here.  She had obviously been the one right last time.

Kotori grit his teeth as the proud wolf had no desire to humble himself to anything or anyone.  What if she was right again though?  None of this made logical sense so maybe it was some spiritual thing.  Kotori didn’t have to like it to make it be real.  He’d ignored the boar as a spirit last time and ended up feeling a bit foolish for it.  The horned boy let out a slow exhale of resignation, started to lower his head thinking he might try humbling himself also.

A moment of hesitation and the wolf’s head looked back up, “No,”  Kotori was fairly certain if he lay down he wouldn’t be able to get up.  “Hey, Spirits.  I’ll say sorry if I pissed you off in some way but I’m Prince Kotori Fatalis and I choose to bow my head to no one.  If you want to humble me come and face me.” Kotori wasn’t sure he had the energy to beat up a lame rabbit at the moment but every fiber in him refused to submit if that’s what they wanted.

His eyes went to the crystal he’d cut his paw on earlier and bit into it but instead of swallowing the pieces as it broke he’d spit them out.  He wasn’t going to do what some spirit tried to will him to do.  How strong were spirits anyway?  Did they fight physically?  They could make him tired but they couldn't make him drop dead right?  All Kotori knew was that if he bowed to them he’d never forget and always regret it.

Kotori Fatalis

 

It Continues for Ikigai...

Huh? It doesn't seem like anything happened... Well, maybe that's for the best...

It Continues for Kotori...

Huh? It doesn't seem like anything happened... Well, maybe that's for the best...

Kotori asked if something had happened and Ikigai stopped speaking for a moment, her mercuric gaze opening to fall upon the larger wolf. "The crystals, they're beating in tune to my own heart. The spirits are trying to communicate. Letting me know that they're aware of us. " After her explanation, the girl's gaze drifted closed once more and she continued speaking to the spirits in her father's tongue.

With her eyes closed, Ikigai didn't see what was happening to Kotori. She didn't notice his sudden lack of energy, his lethargy. It was only when his resounding "No" sounded, that she looked up. His words brought a soft gasp from the girl. "Kotori, no!" The pale princess rushed to his side, her gaze pleading with him. "Stand for yourself but don't goad the spirits. They're more powerful than we are." Iki didn't know what these particular spirits were capable of, but the stories of her father's homeland were filled with very powerful spirits. The way that Kotori brazenly challenged the crystals made Iki afraid for him.

"X"

The crystals were beating to her heart?  That was beyond strange and all the more reason for the challenge he gave.  None of this was normal and Kotori preferred a bit more normalcy to things.  Then again last winter had been abnormal as well.  Kotori still hadn’t lived through a normal winter and he was damn sure ready to be done with it.  Hopefully, all the strangeness faded with the snow.

Kotori turned his head at Ikigai’s concern with some surprise but as she spoke it made sense.  The boy couldn’t stand it anymore and sat his rump down.  He was tired and honestly laying down sounded better but he’d be damned if he did.  It wasn’t safe enough to lie down.  “I get that Ikigai, I get it,” the young man responded, “but better for a fighting to lose a fight than be too cowardly to even stand up for myself.” Kotori let out a slow sigh, “You keep praying, maybe they’ll listen to you and not hurt you.” He didn’t add on how hindered this exhaustion would make him.  


Kotori Fatalis