Kotori had been hesitant to seek out Ikigai but there came a point he simply had too  It wasn’t that he didn’t care about her but that he cared enough to worry about being sick around her.  The sickness had him and there was no avoiding it.  The ooze flowing through the mouth, ears, and even some from the eyes told the world he was sick but his random shifts in emotion, the lack of focus, occasional headaches, and even sometimes strange half-heard voices were all getting to him.

On the other hand, leaving Iki alone felt cruel but what if he said or did something he’d regret. Hesitantly, the horned boy would seek out the princess.  He felt guilty for not being with her the entire time but would feel even worse if he hurt her now.  ‘Focus focus focus!’ the boy continuously repeated to himself

It would be fun going out to meet Iki secretly and spend time getting to know her in their own little spot if not for how serious everything was.  An eternal night, spirits and curses, ghosts are seen walking about, and all sorts of things had him hoping and even maybe asking the spirits at points to please stop the madness.

“Ikigai?” Kotori called out as he neared their spot, his heartbeat picking up remembering how he’d seen her last and silently pleading in his own mind that she look better than she had last.  The way everyone in his pack was it seemed unlikely.


Kotori Fatalis

 

How long had she been here? It seemed as though Kotori had just left, but here was his voice again, asking if she was here. Ikigai tried to lift her head, but was unable to do so. The princess's pale body was fused to the ground, the crystals that grew off of her melded with those that grew along the edge of the stream where she lay. The liquid that poured from her nose and mouth had produced small rivers and from these rivers grew crystals. The Ashen royalty looked like some morbid piece of art, all sparkles, magenta liquid and pallid frame. The young fae's metallic silver eye opened and rolled, trying to see the horned Fatalis wolf as he came near. "Kotori," she spoke softly, still able to speak, but able to do little else. She was still so tired and in so much pain, all that she could manage was a whisper. "Am I going to die?" Dying may have been a blessing at this point. Ikigai was a mess. One or two more days like this and the crystals might very well win. | "Tanuki" | "Ikigai" | "Willa" |

Kotori had known Iki was sick and had imagined it would be similar to how some of the other wolves in the pack were sick.  When he spotted her though his opened wide, staring in horrified shock.  For a moment any confusion in his mind was brushed away from the amazement at the sight in front of him.  Kotori leaped over a large root, skipped through a small stream to stop at her side.  “Iki…” The fist part of her name was all he could get it out for a moment as he looked her over.  What the hell was this?

“I’m sorry.” The words pushed out in shame.  “I’m sick too.” As if it wasn’t obvious, the ooze now coming from his own ears, nose, and back part of his muzzle like hanging thick blue drool.  “I was scared I might do something but, I had no idea.”

Even now Kotori could fill a strain to maintain focus but looking at how she was locked into the crystals and how they were growing from the ooze she produced was too startling to lose an overly large amount of focus.  Her question was almost as mind-numbing and what answer would he give for something like that.  Sorting through possible answers was confusing.  The moment he tried one, wasn’t happy with it and thought of another he had already lost the one before.  What the hell do you say to this?  “I don’t know.” He had to fill the silence with something.  “Prince nor princesses can give up though.” That sounded alright which was good since he hadn’t thought it over much first.

Kotori moved as if he’d lay near her but backed up, brow furrowing.  Kotori had done all he could to avoid touching the contaminated and none were more contaminated than this!  Kotori’s left front paw raked the ground with frustration.  Even if he gave in and was willing to lay with her and risk himself, what if he got stupid and attacked her over an unreasonable thing.  “I don’t know what to do.” Honesty, even if it was humbling, was becoming the answer to things since he couldn’t try to find a more polite way to say hard facts.

"Kotori Fatalis"

Kotori spoke but it was difficult to hear his voice over the throbbing in her head. The crystals thrummed in tune to that throbbing and she had lost herself within them for days. Or had it been hours? She couldn't quite remember. Iki's eye narrowed as she tried to focus on his words. He was sorry and he was sick too. She could see the blue pouring from his body and a sad frown pulled at her features. "I'm sorry," she whispered softly. There wasn't much else that she could do. Once she questioned him, he admitted that he didn't know whether or not she was going to die, but insisted that, as a princess, she should never give up. A soft smile curled upon the girl's magenta stained lips and she closed her mercuric eyes. "You're right." The smile remained. "I won't give up." She didn't catch his hesitant move towards her, and so she couldn't feel bad about it. No doubt she looked a mess. Like a crystal covered monster. Again, he admitted that he didn't know what to do. Ikigai opened her eye once more, looking upon his defeated form. "It's okay. Having your company is enough for me. I'm glad it's you, Kotori." Glad that you're the last one that I see before I die, is what she left unsaid. | "Tanuki" | "Ikigai" | "Willa" |

Kotori hadn’t needed her to feel sorry for him, as he looked at her he felt humbled and guilty for having ignored her.  What would be worst? A crazy angry bite or being alone in the miserable shape she was in?  It probably depended on how hard he bit, probably.   The fuzzy thoughts that were not generally his own offered up the notion killing her would be a kindness with the shape she was in.

Kotori gave his head a shake, splattering some ooze on the ground and shaking away they thought at the same time.  He had no intention to hurt his black and white princess.  With her words of not giving up, she showed Ikigai could fight in her own way, even if not the physical sense.  

Kotori watched Ikigai, trying to keep feelings out of it as he considered her situation.  A faint smile at her gratitude for it to be him.  He didn’t respond right away though as he was pondering where her head was stuck solidly in the ground, locked in by crystals.  However, her head wasn’t against earth but locked in the crystal that flowed down into the ground.  There was space in between that could be torn.  It wasn’t a lot though and a mistake would hurt.  On top of that when others had tried biting crystals or mushrooms out of other animals it had caused them extreme pain.

Kotori furrowed his brow, struggling to focus solidly on this one fact. A back leg stretched forward, scraping at an ear to pull out a bit of ooze momentarily.  What would be better?  Crunching teeth or slashing horns?  Biting and eating crystals was away some wolves got the sickness.  Slashing with his horns might be better.  It would be harder to just cut with one and less likely to not cut her with the other.  

So, how much did Kotori like his little princess?  Sacrificing himself for another wolf who wasn’t even in his family.  The young man let out a slow exhale, “Ikigai, this is probably going to hurt, and if you feel like you can move please don’t.  I’m going to get your head free.  You're too pretty to die like this so, let's make sure you don't.  I'm not losing you.”

This was going against everything Kotori had aimed to do since the sickness started.  The brownish wolf had done all he could to avoid contact with the crystals but now he stepped up next to her, lowering his front half to the ground, legs in the air as if some playful position.  The young man was face to face with her,  looking in her eyes for a moment before putting his attention on the crystals.  He wasn’t asking her opinion.  It wasn’t that he didn’t care for her opinion but it should be done and if she didn’t want to then there would be a debate, letting her continue to suffer in this fashion, or ignoring her preference.  Kotori twisted his head sideways and gently mouthed about the crystals till he was sure it was all crystal in his muzzle instead of Ikigai.  Would he get the crystals growing out of him next?  Kotori crunched down on the crystal, dense and thick he snarled, tensed his muscles, and crushed through it.

Kotori Fatalis

 

Ikigai couldn't move, so she couldn't see the miasma of expressions that flitted across Kotori's features. All she could focus on was the silence as he seemed to be thinking. Was he even still there? The pallid fae was getting lost in the sound of her own blood pumping in her ears again. Even if she could get up once more, would she have the energy to stand? Iki gave a tentative movement, pulling against the crystals that fused her to the earth. Pain began and she stilled instantly. Then Kotori's voice sounded, telling her to hold still... but he continued. Ikigai's heart hammered and did little summersaults as he spoke of her beauty and about how he wasn't willing to lose her. Lose her? Did he care that much for her? The idea of it had struck her dumb and she didn't even realize when he wrapped his teeth around one of the crystals growing into the ground. Then he bit down. An ungodly scream pulled from the girl's throat at the pain that stabbed through her skull. It felt as though she was being killed and, for a moment, she wondered if Kotori had lost his battle with the sickness and was doing just that. But the crunching and snapping stopped and soon the pain began to wane as well, though Ikigai was reduced to a sobbing, quivering mess. However... she could now move her head just a bit. There were more crystals locking her to the ground. With the progress made, however, she was willing to go through the pain again to gain her freedom. "Again," she panted and begged, breathing hard through the anticipation of more pain. Again and again Kotori snapped through the binding gems and again and again Ikigai screamed as though she was being ripped asunder. By the end, her voice would be gone and she would be able to do nothing aside from curl into a shivering, sobbing ball, but she would be free from her restraints. Magenta fluid coursed from her body, staining her snow white frame in claret. The fae's paws came up to clutch her head as she willed the throbbing, pounding pain to cease. Again, she imagined that dying would probably be more of a mercy than living at this point. | "Tanuki" | "Ikigai" | "Willa" |

The crystals had a sweet taste in his mouth and at the same time he was revolted by them.  The taste was a lie, a bit of candy to hide the poison these things seemed to enjoy giving out.  Kotori tried to get as little of the crystals to stay in his mouth or get swallowed as possible.  However these didn’t do nice clean breaks but shattered into pieces which caused some to easily slide down his throat.  Damn, was he going to end up like the rest with the crystals growing out of them?  Still, decision made he carried it out.  Ikigai also understood, despite her pain she urged him to do more.  He tried to remember she had said that when all he heard after was her screaming.

Once he was finished Kotori stepped back to look at the finished product.  There was no way he could easily get all the crystals off of her, cut down the ones on her till they were hardly visible.  They caused her too much pain for small details and he’d seen crystals would grow back when cut if he risked doing it too close to her skin.  She was a crying, goopy, tear-streaked, sparkly mess.  Kotori had called her pretty and it was true, under all the yuck there was pretty.

The larger wolf would have liked to just let her lay there and cry but he didn’t feel good about things yet, “Iki,” his voice was low but there was an edge of command to it, “you have to get up.  You can’t stay there, its probably not safe.” It seemed cruel to demand anything from her in that state but what good was causing her all that pain if she just ended up in the same situation.  A small sigh and more gently adding, “we can get you in the water, wash you off.  I can help you get to the water and clean up if you're too weak.”  He’d already bitten into the crystals at this point how much more damned could he be from possibly touching the crystals remaining on her?  Really, Kotori was glad he’d gotten stuck with madness over the other choices.  He still hated it, but it seemed a far cry better than what Ikigai was going through.

It really was hard to look at her there, crying, still hearing her scream in his mind and acknowledge he had caused it.  The fact it was a necessity did not change the fact of his guilt.  Too damn bad.  He could be soft and gentle once she was safer.


"Kotori Fatalis"

Never in all of her days had Princess Ikigai felt such pain, nor imagined that such pain could exist. She was able to do little more than sob and hold onto her throbbing skull. It felt as though the crystals were already pushing back out of her body. She knew that she needed to move and Kotori urged her to do so, but she just couldn't move. Not yet. She was too weak. Her muscles were soft as leaves from being locked in place for so long. Kotori demanded that she get up, a little roughly, too. She wouldn't hold that against him. He was infected as well. Ikigai tried to rise, planting snow dipped paws beneath her lithe frame. Her limbs quivered and shook and, in the end, she collapsed to the ground once more. As she did so, some of the broken crystals cut into the softer flesh of her forelegs, drawing a hiss from the young fae. The cuts instantly welled with rich magenta. Had her very blood turned into the putrid pink ooze? Ikigai turned red rimmed eyes up to the Fatalis boy and spoke, "Help me into the water, Kotori." It was a command just as much as he had commanded her. There was still a bit of royal strength within the girl, it seemed. As Kotori came near, she leaned into him, allowing his much larger frame to hold her up as she limped her way into the running stream. Claret ran down her usually pristine white fur, muddying the waters and turning them just as pink. Thankfully the stream wasn't deep, for the princess's strength soon gave out and she collapsed onto her stomach in the water, pulling yet another gasp from her. The warmth of the water that flowed down from the hot springs seemed to be soothing her aching muscles, however. Though her head still throbbed, Iki slowly worked the water over her body, trying to rid it of as much as the clinging ooze as she could. Perhaps the sulfuric waters of the hot springs would do something about the growing crystals that pushed from her wounded flesh. | "Tanuki" | "Ikigai" | "Willa" |

Kotori wanted to tell her to stop and rest when it was clear she didn’t have the strength but the words were swallowed down as there was no time for either one of them to be weak.  She’d have to do this and so she would.  

At her command, Kotori walked over to her a hidden smile at her commanding him.  If she could do that she clearly had strength in spirit even if her body was weak.  Kotori did his best to act as a brace, well aware of her body against his and care taken with each stride.  He watched directly in front of Ikigai where he would have her move so that she didn’t stumble over any spot in the ground.  He made sure her weight stayed even on him to help her stay up straight.  

The water wasn’t all that far but it seemed like it.  Kotori’s mind wasn’t as focused as it should be yet here he was trying to focus for both himself and Ikigai.  They got to the water without any theatric accidents thankfully and the princess lay down.  Well, splashed down but lay down sounded better.

For a few seconds Kotori just watched her try to clean herself before giving up.  He lowered his muzzle into the water, jerking it up to splash bits of the water on her.  Changing his mind he’d kick small sprays onto her back.  It was getting some of the ooze off but plenty clung to her normally perfect fur.  He’d already gone this far past his caution so what did it matter if he kept dealing with the ooze on her?  Stepping in he splashed a little water where a bit of sticky ooze was then carefully started nibbling against her fur, just enough to try and pull the stickiness from her coat.

Kotori did his best to be gentle but unless stopped in any spot he’d keep to the pattern.  Kick some water where goo was stuck then gently nibble at her fur, or down to the skin for any that was stuck there.  He started checking towards the rump, moved to the tail, went back, and licked at her recent injury more slowly.  He kept working his way up till her neck, nibbling on all the contaminated fur there.

When she seemed suitably clean Kotori gave another gentle lick and nibble behind her ear, there hadn’t been any ooze there.  “You look a lot cleaner, how do you feel?”  He could help her out of the water but if she wasn’t going to grow crystals attached to the ground here she could also enjoy the water for a while longer also.

"Kotori Fatalis"

F̷̢̢̢̨̨̢̛̛̬̜̩̹͇̝̗̪̜͙͕̝̫̟̥͖̯̱̰̹̗̺̜͈̰͚͎̜̘̩̠̱̱͈̜̭̀̍̇̋͊̉̂̈̑̓̉̄̈́͗̑͗̓̽͋̾̍͛͗͛̏̐̑͐̒̔͋̕͘͘͜͝͠͠͝͠͝ͅͅÍ̷̡̢̞̘͖͙̮̺̝̼͉͈̼̣͕̲̜̤̦̦͚̗̃̊̕͝ͅR̵̨̨̳̭͚̻̱̥̮͓̫̤̺̱͕̹͚̲͕̼̙̯̟̻̠̖͙̘̦̀́̊̒͑͊͋̏́͑̈́̔̌̈́̒́̂̑̃̅͗̅̄͆̍͆̃̓̾̀̾̒̎̾̓̿̅̏͊̕̕͝ͅȨ̸̡̛̤̬͇͍̬̗̙̠͔̓̅̄͊̀̃͐͐̄̏̈̍͗̓̋̏̀̈́̉̐͊́̄̅͘͠F̸̡̡̢̣͔͎̭̳̱̙͖͍̣̳̣͓̰̠̳̜̲̣̠̖̖͉̘̗͙̖̼̜̖̞͙͇̲̫̺̻͙̥͈̬̤̬̩͒ͅͅĻ̸̳̟̘̫̺͓̺̊̋͑̈́͊̇̽̏̒̔̉̊̽̇̉̔̑̉̔͋̈́̈́̃̐̽͘͝͝͝Y̵̡̡̛̛̦͙̬͙̮̘̺̗͕̜̜͙̟͍̺͙̖̫͕̩̆͊̊̈́͛͛̈́̌͊̀̾̿̄̅̏̿̽̑̌͂̇̋̎̐́̑̈́͂͊͒̏̕̚͘͜͝ͅ ̷̨̢̢̢̨̛̣͓̭̘̯̜̗͔͇̜̟͕͙̬̘͖̠̫̫͚̩̠̬̠͍̦̰̯̈́̂̄̂̐̆̀̅́͘͘͜S̷̡̧̡̛̬͕̫̮͖̹̣̖͓̥̹͓̹̹͉̩̠̩̻̠̝͕͐͐̈͒́̈́̄̿́͊̉͊͐̈̆͒̈́̈́̍͊̊́̾̾̄̕̕̚͠ͅͅḨ̵̪͍͓͍̓̎̽͐̐̇͊̈́̊̐̓̎̄̔̋͐̔̏̽͐̿̑̏̏̅͐̆͂̂͒͆̒̄̉̏̈́͌̒̉̎̆͘̕͝͝Ŏ̵̢̧̢̗̬̰̣̹̘̰̥̗̥̦̫̙͈̞̣̘̞̯̟̱̖̀̏͝ͅͅP̵̨͚̟͚͇͎̣̝̞̈́P̶̨̛̛̘̣͍͎̱̙̲͚͚̼̟̈̀̍͆̍̎́͐̈́͐̐̓̆͂̃́̋̍͆͠E̵̢̨̧͍͕͖͍̰̹̦͕̼̺̤̙͉̫̝̠͇̯͙̬̩͉̱͍̔̓̉͋́́̆͐̇̈́̔́̂̓̄͋̈͗͘͝ - Ikigai

You feel as if you, yourself, are actually a conglomerate of fireflies... now where's your trenchcoat?

You gain:

• Crystals (8x) - Used in Firefly Shoppe, or perhaps elsewhere...
  

You blink, and you're face to face with a figure who seems as if it's clipping through d̴̰͚͖̮͙̥̥̙̥̬̬̼̙̟̤͖̘̺̩͓̙̣͙͇̤͓̰͕̺͉̳̰̰̺̠̠̟͓̘̭̘̿̈́͛̈́̇̈͗́́͂͌̓̈͛́̀̿̽̓̈́̈͘͜͝͝į̸̡͔̖͈͕͙̺͈̺͔͇͍̭͖̖̟̙͚̠̯̻̘̼̙͇̮̬̳̹̼̣̻͖͉̪̾̀̆̔̉̽͋̄̇̄͂̈́ͅͅm̶̧̢̱̯̲̻̳̞̦͚͖͎̼̹͙̩̹̟͕̥͉̤̭̠͔͎̜̪̲͈̰̼͙̟̱̺̯̼̐̿͛͑͛̅̍́̇̔̎̀̾̉̒͋̾̒̿͛̀̕͠͠͝è̸̢̡̧̥͓̩͉͉̙̺̫̦͍̮̤͙̩̭̹̬̰̭̮̫̹͉̦͔̘͛̈́̍̓̒͌͊͌̌̍̽̓̏̎͘̚͜͝n̴̢̧̝͕͇͚͉̩̱̫̭͇̬̹͎̈ͅś̷̨̨̡̖̩͚̖̱͇͇͔̪̺͎̮̤̻̹̯͔̺̰̯͉͔̼̗̙͈̯͙̮̳̤̹̳̹̝̝̦̻̃̇̌́͒̊̓͋̌̍̐̕͜͝͝ͅi̸̧̧̨̧̭̳̦̲̣̜̼̙̅͛̓͊͆͌̔̿̋͆̑̍̏̔̏̓̌̕̕̕̕͠͝o̴̧̢̦̗̘͔͕̮̼̣̬̥̠̱͚̱̣̩̭̟̺̲̠͕̹͓̲̜̙̝͇͓̩͚̦̿̇̽ņ̶̧̢̢̛̥̣͎̦̬̫͍̪̣̣̦̜̹̝͖͚̟͕̮̫̣͉̗̘̼͎͕͈͉̇͂̊̒̅͛̄̄̅́͂̍͌̌̀̀͂̎̍̆̉̈́̐͋͂̍̈́̽̌̽͘̕͘͘͘͜͜͠ͅs̸̢̧͚̖̟̞̲̥͔̣̼̰̥͔̲̟̮̟̹̠̱̩̬̹͉̯͇̣̭̦̪̱̣͉̭̖͖͚͊̃͋̐͑͌͋̊̕͝ͅ. In front of him, a small wooden stand, which thankfully looks firmly placed in your dimension. On the table lay three items, with their prices beside them. "Choose if you ḑ̴̛̠̲̰̪͎̮̻͕̝̻͉͇̳̙̗̬̤̖̙͚̰̲̑̆̎͆̉̉̈́̍̂̑͂̽͐̽̔͌̈̈́̓̒̂̅͘͘͜ͅą̵̪͙̦̖̮̮͈͖͇̭̗͈̖̫̲̗̜͍̀̾̾̎͂̈́̓͗̎̎̿͋͛̒̑̅̐́̔́̓̕̚͠ͅŗ̵̧̧̛͉̝̰͉̖̯̘̜͉͍̥̟̖̫̤̪͖̬͇͖͓̪̩̫̊̍͂̄͘͜ę̴̡̢̧̢̳̲̹̬̻̫̦̣̣̠̳̼͍͇̜̓͌́̚͜͝, and if you can a̵̘̜͇̱̽̌̇̅̐̏͗̑̂̽̊͆̏̒͝f̵̨̨̜̭̬̠̞̫̮̲̺̼̝̻̟͖̯̼͚͕̻̤̤͉͉̯̈́̾̈́͐͝f̷̟͓͖͔͕͎̥̖̝̞͈͆́̏̀͐̌̈̀̓̎͒̾̃̊̏͛̍͗͜ơ̷̡͓͙͓͚͙̪̖̻̣̞̹̻̻͇̫͓̟̹̔͌̑̈́͛̀̀̀̑̚͝r̷̢͈̝̝̲̼̦̺̜͔̲̳̀̈́ḑ̵̣̜̤̲̹̠͖̪͖͔̗̫̮͎̼̯͎͕̫̭̣͈̥̏ͅit," the figure says. You can't bring yourself to look away without some effort. You are keenly aware of his gaze. He does not seem like he's in the negotiating mood...


Į̴̧̘̹͙̘̲̤͖̔́͑͌̅̾̊͐̍͋̀̓̅̉̇̑̍͠͠ń̶̯͉̫̤̳͚̣̖̳̯͍̤͓̟͉̥̩̀͋̌ͅv̵̡̧̳̠̬̰̺͔̖̠̳̥͉͉̜͕̗͕̋̈͘ͅę̸̧̢̢̯̠̜̟̘̺̳̟̃̑͌̀̉̓͋͊̃̍̑̂̐̇̓̌͆̈́́͗̓͘͠n̵̡͙̲̞̰̭͖̠̮̺͊̉̑́͒̓͌̈́͐̅̚͝ţ̶̢̛̠̮̼͙͙̗̣̘͇̘͓͈͈̱̮̩̲̩̱̠͎͌̽̈́̒̍̎̀̋͗̇̔͊̇̀̀̋̈́͋̉́͌͜͝͠ơ̸̢̨̨̱̟̹̘̩̤̠͈͕̠̪̥̥̙̓͋̎͛̌͐̓̈́̐̌̂͂͑̋͘̚͜͝͠ȑ̴̠̬̫̻̠̘͔͖̦̰̩̖͎̜̞͉̘̭̙̮̰̹̙͔̳̬̱̆̎̍̿̌̇́̍̒͆͗̀͒͐͋̄̓͆́̕͘͠͝y̴̧͎̟̦̘̝̠̣̮̻̥̰͆͆͋͐͂̈́͊͛̈͋͆̊̇̄̾̈́̔̓̽͂̋̽̚͘:

• Coat Hanger- 3 /
  It’s just an everyday coat hanger, but you are a wolf, and you do not know that.
  
• Glittering Concoction- 2 /
  Smells like mushrooms, glitters like crystals.
  
• Elixir of agility- 3 /
  This bottle of milky blue liquid has a shoe etched onto it… whatever that means.
  

Kotori helped the weakened fae into the warm water of the stream and she slowly began to cleanse herself of the filth and magenta muck that clung to her usually pristine pelt. Much to her surprise, the larger wolf moved into the water with her and began to... groom her fur. A soft gasp parted the girl's obsidian lips and she didn't move. Instead, she simply gave herself over to the feelings of much needed care. As the earthen brute's teeth and tongue slid over her long fur, ridding her of snarls and crystal remnants, Iki's heart threatened to explode out of her chest. She didn't understand this rush of feelings and sensations at all but... she liked it. Yes, she had been bathed by others before. She was a princess and her coat needed a lot of care, but this was different. Iki's eyes closed as he continued and she simply gave in to the sensations of care. His last bit of affection, because that's what all of this felt like, was a nibble to the base of one onyx ear. As the young man stood before her again, questioning her well being, Ikigai searched his turquoise eyes with her own metallic orbs. Had he felt the same things that she had felt? Was there some strange stirring in him as well? Unable to answer him, Ikigai simply followed instinct. The now, much cleaner, princess leaned up and placed a gentle lick to the underside of her horned hero's chin. "Thank you," she whispered softly. One paw reached out to rest upon his own larger appendage and she lowered her gaze, still so incredibly unsure of the miasma of emotions inside of her. And then the world shifted. The scenery changed and Kotori was gone. Instead, reality blinked in and out before settling. Straight ahead stood a cloaked figure, the empty hole of its hood glowing with the light of the fireflies that they had all become to used to. The weakened girl fought her way to her paws, intent on showing reverence to the spirits. Who else would have the power to alter reality in this manner? She struggled slightly in her state of fatigue, but in the end managed to stand tall. The being offered items to Ikigai and she inspected each. There was one item that she had never seen before and it's unique nature drew her to it. "Arigatou, Seishin," the pallid princess bowed her head to the cloaked spirit, offering him the reverence that he was due. Ever thoughtful, Iki wondered if this spirit suffered like they suffered. His cloak was tattered and his disposition seemed terse and tense. Taking the Coat Hanger in her dexterous paws, the girl bowed low once more again, her crystal covered crown nearly touching the ground between them. "Take care in the Long Night, Seishin." | "Tanuki" | "Ikigai" | "Willa" |

Ikigai remained still for the tedious process of getting cleaned up.  Right next to her he could hear that heart pounding away.  The larger wolf could have thought about how he should feel but he fought off his emotions in the early stages, it was as he got closer to her neck that his own heart picked up the pace.  Maybe it was from the way she let him gently clean her, the smell of her coat under the smell of the ooze, hearing her own heartbeat or just the closeness.  Something about it all had him far more aware of her every motion and expression that passed over her once he could see his face.

His eyes met into hers.  His tail lowered but the end of it swayed rhythmically back and forth.  Her touch was gentle but he was more aware of the feel of her paw than some of the bashing that came in spars.  Kotori lay down in the stream, his side pressed up against hers, “Of course.  Well, princess, you look beautiful once more.  I’d say you're going to live.  Feel better?”  Admittedly crystals still attached was disconcerting but it was a serious improvement.

Had she heard him?  Kotori’s brow crinkled as for a moment she seemed to have spaced out.  Was the sickness messing with her?  “Ikigai? Are you alright?”

"Kotori Fatalis"

Firefly Shoppe- Ikigai

The respect given toward him didn't go unnoticed, and the cloaked figure tipped his head toward the ground in response. "It is yours," he instructs her, leaving the item placed carefully at her paws before disappearin


You gain:

• Coat Hanger- It’s just an everyday coat hanger, but you are a wolf, and you do not know that.
  

You lose:

• Currency (x3)- Used in Firefly's Shoppe, and perhaps elsewhere...
  
  

The careful touches and the beating of the young man's heart beside her had the girl in an internal panic. What was all of this? Why was her own heart hammering so fast? Placing her paw atop of the earthen boys brought her pulse to quickening and she just couldn't understand any of it. Ikigai, pure, pristine and wholesome, had never felt attraction before and so she was entirely caught off guard by it. She couldn't deny that she was drawn to Kotori. Aside from Pontifex, he was her only friend. The pallid princess spent most of her time at home learning rather than out meeting new wolves, and so Kotori had a special place in her life, but why had the feelings between the suddenly changed like this? She hoped that her anxiety didn't show in her eyes. And then his words, of thinking that she was beautiful, met the girl's obsidian ears and she inhaled lightly, her lips parting just a bit. Heat filled her cheeks and she simply didn't know what to do with herself. He asked if she was feeling better and she couldn't even answer, but for more than one reason. One moment she was there with him, her heart slamming in her throat, and the next she was with the cloaked figure. A deal was struck and the scenery changed again, plunging Ikigai back into the present. The princess gave a small cry of alarm, her brows knitting together. Kotori asked if she was okay and Ikigai looked down below the water. Grasped in her paws was a strange metal frame with a curved hook end. She lifted it up out of the water and showed it to her friend. "A spirit just took me. It gave me this." She was glad that she had been chosen yet again by the spirits, but gods... this was so exhausting. Reaching aside, Iki placed the metal object on the bank. Then, as though the shock to her system had erased all of the anxiety that she'd felt previously, the snow and onyx girl tucked herself into Kotori's side like a little white puzzle piece. As though seeking comfort, she slid her cheek against the side of his neck, holding him close. "I'm so tired," she admitted in a whisper. "I just want this all to end." | "Tanuki" | "Ikigai" | "Willa" |

Kotori was concerned when she seemed to zone out.  Was she catching his sickness, or was this a spirit’s doing? They had been having, something, together and now she was there but not there. Then from wherever her mind had been, it returned, prompting a sigh of relief from the concerned boy.

When Iki mentioned spirits and showed him the wirey thingy his face scrunched up, leaning his nose in to sniff at it, tap it with a paw before looking at her in confusion “what is it?”

Interest in the metal thingy was tossed aside as Ikigai tucked in against his side and he just looked at her aware of how small she seemed at that moment, small and fragile.  His little princess.   He had been shocked when they first met and he’d learned she had no intent to learn to fight or hunt.  The surprise of how princesses, where she was from apparently, didn’t do those things.  Now, looking at her he couldn’t imagine her doing such things.  She needed to be protected and let others do the work.

Carefully he tilted his weight enough that he could raise up his front leg, wrapping it around her neck in an embrace. Licking her ear again gently.  “Me too,” he agreed on wanting it over. “Go to sleep.  I’ll stay with you and keep you safe.  No one can harm you right now.”

"Kotori Fatalis"

Kotori asked what the thing was and Iki shook her head. She didn't know. Sitting it on the bank, she curled up against his larger frame, content to let him embrace her and hold her close. She needed this more than she cared to admit. Though she was delicate, she was still a proud Ashen princess and did not like to admit weakness. In this moment she was tired and she was more weak than she'd ever been. Being here with Kotori though, it felt right. She felt so incredibly safe and warm and comfortable. Another gentle lick was given to one obsidian ear and Ikigai's eyes drifted closed. She enjoyed the sensation immensely and leaned closer into him. The boy insisted that she get some sleep and that he would keep her safe. There was no doubt in her mind that he would hold to his word. Wrapped one slender foreleg around one of his thicker limbs, Iki pulled the boys leg close and curled her neck around so that she could use his leg as a pillow. Her chin touched water, but it was too shallow to do any damage. "Thank you, Kotori," she whispered softly. "You truly saved my life and I owe you a great debt." She would repay him somehow. Some way. Iki's eyes drifted closed and it took her no time to fall asleep, safe as she felt. There were no dreams for the alabaster princess. There was only deep, healing sleep. A sleep that she needed unlike any sleep she'd ever needed before. All the while she knew that she was safe. Any danger that came their way, Kotori would protect her. Somehow... she knew that he would always protect her. | "Tanuki" | "Ikigai" | "Willa" |