Old Scars and New

Deimos assured Ikigai that her father would get the message. The snow and shadow woman smiled and nodded her head in thanks. She didn't know why, but having the purple man at her back made her feel better about the whole ordeal. It was as though he was lending her his strength and for that, Ikigai was extremely grateful. Only Kotori might have made her feel more empowered, but it was better to avoid the Fatalis man for now. The wounds upon them both were too fresh.

Mist obscured the path before them and Ikigai slowed her pace a bit, though she eventually came to a stop as the path branched in two directions. The fae cast a questioning glance at her traveling companion, wondering if he might know the way. "I've never been through this place before, but I've heard stories of many wolves getting lost." Up ahead a pale ghost cut through the low hanging mist, pink eyes meeting Iki's. She nodded to Tanuki and began moving forward again as the albino akita led them down the proper path. She was thankful for the dog and his forward thinking.

After she thanked him, Deimos joked with her once more. Ikigai huffed, but there was a grin on her obsidian lips. "Don't misunderstand," she began, her pale body cutting through the foggy landscape. "It rarely comes to the point where I'm forced to be confrontational." Her mother was the Empress. Ikigai wasn't a pushover. She wasn't a physical fighter, but she battled in other ways.

"Ikigai"