“We need to talk.” She muttered in a hushed whisper. Ayaka knew it hadn’t quite been a month, but it was close enough and she was in the area. She thought she’d drop in on the two, she thought she’d see no change, and whisk her little sister away kicking and screaming. In and out, nice and simple. This….wasn’t the case. why isn’t it ever fuckin’ nice and simple when it comes to my sister?

Nevin led the way to his workshop. Two doors down at the end of the hall. She was greeted to the site of a workshop. Long, low wooden tables were covered in paraphernalia, bunsen burners next to gently simmering vials and strangely colored fluids in tubes. A station where he did prep work had a rack with recently washed tools behind it - knives, a mortar and pestle, and the like. At the far end was what looked like an open ended cabinet, and upon it were magical symbols intended to chill whatever was inside the cabinet. Her eyes darted to the table where something was cooling in a chamber to one side. It was a little difficult to determine what it was just from smell, because everything in the workshop had a damn smell. But a quick look over the herbs that scattered the table, and Ayaka could tell it was some sort of antidote. Nevin gestured for her to sit at one of the two chairs that were near the table. Great. They really were like a fuckin’ perfect little couple.

Ayaka sat and crossed her legs, then her arms. Carefully folding the white fabric of her priestess dress into her lap. “Right. I want to know what you have been pouring into my sister, and why she practically reeks of…” Ayaka paused. “You and your….activities.” Ayaka held up a single dainty finger. “And I don’t fuckin’ want the details, I don’t mean just physical shit. I mean her-that thing inside of her. What the fuck have you two been doing?”

“She was kidnapped. I saved her. She got hurt, I poured my life force into her to keep her alive. If she or that thing are changed, that is the reason. And since then, the two of us have been happily living together. She considers this place ‘home’. Has a key and everything.” He pointed over to the bed where Eteri slept while he was working, then leaned against a wall with his arms crossed over his chest. “That's all I know.”

“I didn’t ask for yer fuckin’ life story. All I needed to know was what yer did. Right..life force…” Ayaka pursed her lips and tapped her chin lightly. “It hasn’t exactly gone down, or shrunk or anything of the sort.” Ayaka could detect the dismay in Nevin’s body language, the way his shoulders sagged and his eyes fell to the floor. “But - it’s more contained and it’s not spreading. It’s like it’s benign. Of course - that won’t be the case forever. I honestly think it best I take her back to Akashima. If you two are a couple, and you love her - then surely you’d understand this is important.” Nevin’s body had stilled. He took a deep breath, and as he let it out he seemed to deflate for a second before straightening up.

“You are right.”

“Damn right I am.” Ayaka went to stand, but Nevin stopped her, placing a palm out to gesture her to sit back down. Her eyes narrowed.

“You can take her, but I’m going too.” His voice was steady, and firm.

Well that was just fan-fuckin-tastic. Ayaka didn’t want to play babysitter to an insolent shit of a sister and a tall brute with a messed up soul. “Fine. Whatever. Be ready by morning. The both of you.”

And...by morning - all three of them were on a carriage heading for Akashima. Ayaka sat opposite a very embarrassed and flustered looking Eteri, and a very sheepish looking Nevin. The two looked like a couple of deviants who just got caught out. Damnit… Ayaka didn’t want to admit it, but Nevin seemed to be grounding her. That was something at least.

“Ya can talk...don’t make this any more fuckin’ awkward than it already is.”

Nevin took a deep breath and looked out at the countryside that they were passing through. “What is it like there? I've been to several of the lands around here, but Akashima is further than I've roamed.” His eyes swung back in to switch between Ayaka and her sister.

Eteri pursed her lips. “Prettier than anywhere. We going to the Ninyama.”

“It’s ‘we are going to Ninyama.’” Ayaka corrected, her golden eyes shifting out to watch the countryside. “It ain’t as lavish as some o’ the other places, and actually - our town is just outside of Ninyama, but it’s easier to say that. Yer a couple o’ freaks. One without a soul, and one with two. Don’t expect pleasantries.”

“I've been treated as a freak more than I've been treated as a man. In that regard, I have a thick skin.”

Ayaka shrugged. Why did this man have to constantly whittle on about his pissy life story? Gods...Ayaka hoped that Eteri didn’t drone on about her past like that. Speaking off… Ayaka glanced over at her sister.

Eteri didn’t seem too happy to be going back. Ayaka knew this. Ayaka knew how people treated Eteri when she wasn’t around. Ayaka switched to their native tongue, not giving a damn what Nevin thought of it. <“They won’t mess with you when I’m there. You know I have work to do in the temple when we get back - so the day will be yours. You should show Nevin around.”>

<”W-what? But...I don’t really-”>

<”Oh don’t be such a fuckin’ pussy. If someone gets all high and mighty just kick em in the balls, or roundhouse kick them in the tit. That shit hurts.”>

<”What! I can’t do that!””>

Ayaka smirked as her eyes landed on Nevin. He looked lost. This pleased the sadistic catgirl. “I can think of a few people who’d benefit from that….”