More Shenanigans

"Get your damn hands off me ya weird bastards!"

A certain gray haired mage was currently fighting off the attempts of some doctors to examine him. Dmitry Kazakov and Mao Nakiri had already gotten patched up in the Hunting village after the Nightmare incident and had come to Clover Town to check up on there companion, Seikatsu, who had flown here due to the severity of his injuries. After they confirmed that he was well and recovering, Mao somehow let slip that Dmitry had practically, if not literally, dropped dead in the forest. Naturally the doctor they were speaking to at the time became concerned to say the least and soon Dmitry was fighting off the hospital staff. "I'm telling you, I'm fine! I don't need some creepy brain scan." To be blunt, Dmitry couldn't stand hospitals. The machines confused him, patients creeped him out, and he never became accustomed to needles, so that was off limits. 

"Yeesh, you'd think they'd be more worried about the guy with a hole in his gut." He said as they left. It was night by the time they exited the hospital and Dmitry's stomach reminded him of the person next to him. "Right, I owe you dinner!" He said excitedly, happy to spend time with his rabbit eared friend again. The medium wasn't sure why he enjoyed her company so much. But being around her seemed to put him at ease which, in Dmitry's experience, had only ever come about because of food or sleep. The two walked about the town, headed over to the downtown area. "So, what do you feel like eating?" He asked, hoping she wouldn't say chicken. This town brought up bad memories of chicken.

Mistake or not, Mao simply did not know what to do with Dmitry. The man turned into a child in the face of physicians, fighting off nurses left and right almost as fiercely as the entity from earlier. It left the girl a little flabbergasted quite honestly, almost wanting to conk him over the head with a bed pan if it’d let them perform a few tests to make sure everything remained functional and well. ’Granted hitting him might be a bit much…but a bed pan might not do too much damage.’ Just the recollection of their head butt unintentionally had the girl rubbing her forehead where the mildest of bruises formed.

As they left he made some offhanded comment about his friend, inspiring a small huff from the safety of her large hood. It wasn’t particularly cold and the thing hardly hid her huge tail so glances came and double takes happened all the same, but wearing it came as a sort of comfort after the recent string of stressful events. ’For someone who was dead not too long ago, he’s awfully chipper. Is this how most react? Is he simply celebrating living through it? Or is he perhaps trying to avoid thinking about it?’ The more time she spent with people, the more questions came to mind compared to before.

”I want…pork buns.” Call it being petty or annoyed, Mao charged towards the mobile cart ahead of her friend like a woman on a mission. Before the owner could utter a single word she quickly shot off her order, ”Twenty pork buns please and a bottle of water please.” Agitation had her tail swishing side-to-side a little, a small twitch here and there as eager eyes watched the bag filling after she forked over the cash. Any attempts for him to pay for her had been blocked by mostly quick action and keeping herself between him and the confused chef.

The moment that bag passed hands however her mood improved significantly knowing the prize was now hers…all hers. Nobody else’s. That first mouthful felt like a taste of heaven, if one could fathom devouring a celestial location, but it was exactly what she wanted right then and there. The fact that they tasted and smelled fresh helped all the more to bring Mao back to a relaxed stage outside of the protective way she hugged the bag as if some fool might try to plunder her treasure.

After the first three the tail ceased its swishing and flicking, and ignoring her companion finally came to an end as glittering green eyes locked onto those mismatched orbs, ”What was it like…being dead? Did you have a chance to experience any sort of...after life, or an out-of-body experience before we revived you? You fell so suddenly and were out long enough I thought you might suffer some form of brain damage or perhaps not come back at all…” ’It was likely due to Seikatsu he came back as well as he did…’

Honestly, Dmitry was stunned. Aside from when they were fighting in the woods, he had never seen Mao act with such intensity. When they left the hospital, he thought he had said something to upset her. However, after she was awarded her bounty, the girl's mood took a turn for the better. Though he didn't get the chance to pay for her meal, Dmitry was happy to see her in such good spirits. "Ten please." He requested of the chef, fairly hungry himself. After he paid for his food and caught up with Mao, he chuckled a bit at her swishing tail. When the swishing stopped, out came the questions.

"Well, to be honest, I can't really say," The medium said to Mao as stared into his. "I didn't exactly 'pass on', so there wasn't any after-life for me to see. Still, that's never happened before. I wasn't lying when I said my body was fine; that incident was caused by some physical condition. It was caused by that thing we fought." He said all this nonchalantly, completely used to weirdness on a similar scale. After she mentioned him not coming back, Dmitry put a hand on Mao's head like he did back at the library. "Don't worry about it. I'm not about to die so easily."

After that he stuffed his hand into the bag he was given and began enjoying the doughy, porky goodness contained in the buns. "Damn! This guy knows what he's doin'." He said as he consumed the bun with only half the ferocity of Mao. "Still, could use some salt..." After about a minute of silence Dmitry looked to Mao with an unusually warm smile. "Seems I owe you and Mopey my life." He said as he looked at her with genuine gratitude. "Anytime you ever need it, you've got my help." The Lamia Scale mage let out a small laugh. "I think this is the first time I've been in another person's debt. Something new I guess."

What blasphemous words, but satiated as she was with a treat Mao graciously ignored Dmitry’s criticism of the delicious food. The man probably had a few screws loose from his near death experience after all, so she permitted him the excuse of being a bit out of it. ”You might owe more to him than me as it’s likely his trick that prevented you from even glimpsing a form of afterlife. Another trip to the library of Lamia Scale will suffice for me, perhaps two if you’re overly gracious.” Of course those trips might be a bit extended, but for the most part Mao didn’t wish to ask too much of another regardless if she saved his life or not. It would’ve been a shame to be sure if she lost someone she considered a friend.

Despite the lack of information on what might lie “beyond life” there remained other queries to explore. In a small shame it was still sad he couldn’t give any answers to that, but the trick Seikatsu performed must’ve held a few side effects. The actual act remained a mystery, most of Mao’s knowledge an amalgamation of conjecture more than anything based on what little she knew and understood about the mysterious fellow. If he could view the force of souls as a type of aura as well as experience their power, perhaps it wasn’t much of a stretch to believe he could affect them to some degree as well? As far as the curious little mage could figure, he must’ve somehow temporarily connected their souls so Dmitry’s couldn’t flee.

’It would’ve helped given the amount of time he remained unconscious, though I wonder if that had anything to do with how vigorously he returned.’ Some people started when they awoke, that much Mao knew from a time she’d been standing over Silabus, waiting for the kind man to awaken for one of her cooking lessons back before she joined Sabertooth. As those brown eyes of his slowly opened the usually energetic and enthusiastic man’s reaction didn’t disappoint as he’d jumped, screamed, and quickly ended up on the ground of his bedroom tangled in his bed sheets. It wasn’t nearly as bad as untangling Christmas lights he later claimed, but without her helped the man might’ve just given up and accepted wearing his sheets like a toga for a while.

”What did he do…do you know? In order to keep you here,” Mao asked after yet another bun of delectable delights, ”I figured it must be some form of connection, not unlike life support in a spiritual sense. Did you experience anything from it at all, or was it more like being in a black void until you regained your physical senses? What was the black out from that malevolent presence like? Sorry if the questions are annoying…I am…merely curious, as one who doesn’t experience the world quite like you or Seikatsu do.” Their magic alone gave reason for research into subjects she never considered before. Her sources would have to be picked carefully however as plenty wrote due to fascination without concrete evidence or knowledge on the matter. So much speculation would have to be sifted out to find the proper tomes.

Dmitry sighed as he could almost see the gears turning in Mao's head. He was a bit worried by her fascination; stare into the abyss long enough and you just might fall in. Still, he saw no harm in indulging her curiosity...for now. 

"I imagine he kept my soul anchored using his own, like a temporary bond." Dmitry explained, remembering the image that was left in his head upon waking, that of a burning village. It was an all to familiar sight to the tribal, one that didn't surprise him. He figured Seikatsu went through a similar experience to his own. "Still...I think it might have been more than that." His tone shifted as he became a bit curious himself. "I think...I felt them...my bonds I mean. They were...tugging at me...trying to keep me in this world. It's the only thing I remember feeling while I was out." Dmitry himself wanted to understand that sensation better, knowing full well there was a great deal he had yet to understand about the spirits. "But you shouldn't belittle your role, Mao. You helped me just as much as Mopey did. Without you, my body would have stayed that way, soul magic or none." He wasn't just saying this, it was the truth. "And besides, didn't I tell you before? You can come to the library as much as you want." The young summoner looked up at the moon, when an idea popped into his head, bringing a grin to his mace. "I've got an idea..."

Without waiting for a response, Dmitry held out his hand in front of him, his eyes changing to their typical glow. "I invoke the Lunar Horse: Alsvinder!" At these words, the smoky horse appeared, only this time it glowed with the moon. Dmitry climbed onto the beast of burden and held out a hand to Mao. "Climb on. I wanna show you somethin'." He beckoned to her. Upon helping her onto the steed, Dmitry sent a mental signal to the horse, prompting it to take off at a light gallop for about 20 ft. Then the horse picked up it's pace a bit, before slowly taking off the ground and running through the night air. It started at about 25 ft up for a minute or two, then it climbed to 40 ft. "How is it?" The one at the 'reigns' asked, wanting to hear her reaction. "Don't worry about falling off. As long as I'm riding, he'll treat you well." Dmitry had always enjoyed the feeling of the cool sky at this time of night, but hadn't had a chance to ride like this in quite a while. After about thirty minutes of flight, Alsvinder landed, slowing to a stop shortly after hitting solid ground. Dmitry got down off the horse and helped Mao down before dismissing his old friend. Judging from what he was feeling, Alsvinder was happy to finally roam the skies again, if only for a short while.

’So it wasn’t all Seikatsu, but a combined effort between him and the spirits?’ The notion that they could help prevent Dmitry dying – even if only from some other spirit’s attempt to push him from his body – sounded quite intriguing. They he was their medium by which they could interact with the physical world, it was fascinating that they could in turn affect him on such a spiritual level beyond communication.

Well he did say she could go whenever she pleased, as long as someone chaperoned her, but honestly she couldn’t fathom a wish beyond that. Asking favors of someone came foreign to her since usually the animalistic woman found herself in other people’s debt and not the other way around. There really wasn’t a lot she wanted, a curious notion that gave cause for a pause before he distracted her with a sudden and mystical horsey ride.

Up into the sky they went with her hands gripping the man’s jacket and shirt, eyes captivated by the sight of millions of twinkling lights above. Only a few wispy clouds marred the vision and even then they brought forth a sort of unspeakable beauty with their dark designs. They reminded her of something, though the vision remained foggy and unable to quite take shape. For some reason it made her feel a little silly to not remember it unlike many things, but it simply couldn’t be grasped right now as eyes shifted towards the crescent moon.

’Like a Cheshire Cat’s mocking grin,’ she thought dazedly, recalling a fun story even as her vision overlaid a grin full of wicked teeth atop the celestial being. For a moment she could imagine the mouth opening and consuming the stars in spades, always so hungry…but just as quickly the daydream left and she was left with constellations and a sliver of moon partially shielded by roaming cloud wisps. Even when they landed and she dismounted the ethereal steed with the help of Dmitry, Mao’s gaze turned back up to the stars. ”I wonder…what is it like to fly, do you wonder? Do you suppose birds feel joy when they flap their wings and rise higher?” There’d been some sort of essence of freedom up there that didn’t quite reach the ground. So curious for one who’d never been particularly conscious of restraints before, nose usually buried in a book.

’Surely another trick of the mind. Just because I’m relegated to the ground doesn’t mean I’m caged.’

Dmitry found himself staring at Mao as she looked up at the sky, unsure why he felt so entranced. Seeing her in the moonlight like this, her features lit by its soft glow, had a strange effect on him. This was an unfamiliar sensation to the mage, to say the least. It seemed like he felt something similar before, but he couldn't quite place the feeling. Dmitry was pulled out of his trance by Mao's question, startling him a bit. "Well, uh, I-I, uh..." He trailed off and looked up at the sky, letting his mind calm a bit before answering the question. 

"To be perfectly honest, I doubt it." Dmitry stated bluntly, his usual behavior showing through once more. "What seems incredible to me and you, is only such because we can't experience it normally. To them, flight is likely an average part of life. And yet..." Dmitry closed his eyes. "...that makes it all the more precious. Alsvinder hadn't flown for a long time until now, and he relished in it. If a bird loses it's ability to fly, it will most definitely die. While it is a master of the sky's, on the ground, an eagle has about the same odds of survival as pigeon." The gray haired young man contemplated what his own life would be like if he lost the ability to sense spirits. It would likely be similar, if not worse than going blind or deaf. "It's incredible what we can take for granted when we become accustomed to it. What we think of as having little worth can sometimes turn out to be of the utmost value."

Soon, Dmitry noticed how late it was, remembering that not everyone shared his sleeping habits. "We should probably find you an inn or something," he said looking around. "There should be something around here...somewhere." The Lamia Scale guild member began leading Mao about the area, trying to find a place for her to stay tonight. As much as he had gotten used to Hargeon, Dmitry had forgotten just how confusing towns could be for him, despite his usually excellent sense of direction. Try as he might, he simply had no clue where he was going, demonstrating how much of a country bumpkin he really was. Finally, Dmitry accepted the futility of trying to find anything on his own and asked a local man for directions.

"Excuse me," he petitioned the man. "You know where someone could maybe find a place to sleep, like a hotel or an inn?" The man turned and looked at the two before making certain...assumptions. "Oh I see," he said with a suggestive tone. "I think I know what you mean, pal..." He then continued to give Dmitry a set of instructions that  lead to a specific that lead to a 'hotel' of sorts. Dmitry would precede to lead Mao on a path following said instructions, not truly understanding where that path lead until they reached it's end.

(OOC: Up to you what kind of 'establishment' they find)

’I suppose that’s true.’ Mayhaps things truly did seem incredible when out of one’s grasp. Mao never painted, but she definitely admired those who could recreate scenes of life or create a fantasy within a picture using the tools of their craft. Maybe flying to a bird really was just a means of survival, though she couldn’t fully agree on the example since an eagle would ensure with its dying breath that the predator suffered for its choice whereas a pigeon…would merely give a final “coo.” As he finished his thought Mao’s tail curled around, one of her hands lightly petting one of the ends: she’d never take it for granted. She felt very sure that despite the loss of memories, she’d always been fond of the extra limb people gave her weird looks over.

The reminder only set the fatigue back in that their little jaunt temporarily cured, the trials of the day starting to weigh a little heavily again. An unfortunate reminder, though she could only fathom how he might be feeling at this point. She’d mostly run around and received a few cuts compared to the mental blow he experienced – plus the little bout at the hospital that only caused an internal sigh at the antics. Wracked with a small yawn, the woman obediently followed the silver-haired gent as they proceeded to get lost around this foreign town until some fellow finally gave them directions.

’What a curious reaction, why did he wink?’ Winking, at least in books, signified some unspoken message between two or more conversational participants implying something so others wouldn’t be as readily privy to the secret. So…what did Dmitry know that she did not? When they reached the destination she turned to him, a brow quirking up in a silent question of her own: why did they come here? The place possessed an overused heart-motif that gave off the strangest of vibes, and for reasons she didn’t want to contemplate for once the place kind of smelled of “shame and sweat.” Not to be intimidated – and likely because neither spotted a place along the way – both entered the din of disgust to find a balding man behind the counter reading a sleezy magazine.

”Iz two-thousand jewels a’hour, take it er leave it,” the man grumbled without so much as a glance at the pair, more interested on turning the page.

Tugging on Dmitry’s sleeve, Mao whispered, ”We should try to find someplace else…hotels shouldn’t charge by the hour and this place…kind of wreaks in ways I don’t know how to describe.” Tired as she was, Mao’s “desperation levels” would never permit her to sleep in such a dump. The forest floor would provide more than any bed in this place…even if she really would like to avoid getting her favorite pillow dirty because of the ground.

Dmitry had noticed seediness of the area they went through to get to the 'hotel'. However, he was quite unprepared for the smell that greeted him when they arrived. As someone who's sense of smell had been trained through many years in the wild, Dmitry's nose was telling him that he should most definitely turn around, walk away, and never return. "Let's go...now." He said as he turned for the exit, placing his hand on Mao's back in an effort to speed up the process of leaving. His instincts, which he placed great value in, were telling him to leave this place. 

The man behind the desk seemed to utter something, but the medium was no longer paying any attention to what he was saying. When they got outside, they began putting as much distance as possible between them and the establishment. "Look...I'm sorry about bringing you there. I didn't think it would be...whatever the hell that was." He said with an apologetic tone. They continued to walk until they were out of the strange district. "Dmitry?" He heard a familiar voice say. Dmitry cringed a bit and turned to confirm the source of said voice. As he did, he was answered by a women pulling his face into her fairly well endowed chest, muffling the subsequent protests. "Oh, little Mitry, it is you!" The women assaulting the mage was a women with long, blonde hair wearing a leather jacket, sweater, and blue jeans. Despite looking in her mid 20's, she was in fact 42. "Oh it's been way too long Mitry!" Dmitry, having finally broken free of her surprisingly deadly grasp, put at least four feet distance between him and the women. "Oh, so who's your friend..." she said with a suggestive tone. Normally, such hints would have blown right over Dmitry's head. However, Dmitry knew this women quite well and knew exactly when she was hinting at something. Dmitry sighed, before turning to Mao. "Mao Nakiri, this is Veronica Banfield, owner of Banfield trade company." He said unenthusiastically. "I used to do some work for her back in the day." 

Veronica walked straight up to Mao and gave her a bear hug. "Oh, it's so good to see little Mitry finally found somebody!" The merchant said while embracing the bunny eared girl, Dmitry giving her a look over Veronica's shoulder that said 'sorry about this'. "I was worried he be a broody loner his whole life." Dmitry, tired of the aunt like figure's lunacy, pulled her off his friend by her jacket. "Alright, you crazy old bat, I think she's had enough." He said, a little embarrassed that this part of his life made itself known. "Aww, but she's practically part of the family now." Veronica pouted. "Who said I was part of your crazy-ass family? And if I was, do really think I would inflict that on someone else?" Dmitry retorted. "You don't have to be so mean..." The older woman said with a look of feign dejection. "Look I'm looking for a place for her to stay tonight. You know of any inns?" Immediately, a look came onto Veronica's face. "No, not like that." Dmitry stated firmly, causing the woman to pout again. She then gave them directions to a much nicer inn, where the cost wasn't horrible and Mao could sleep without the fear of developing flesh eating bacteria from the bed. "One room." Dmitry requested of the clerk, not expecting to sleep in said room at the time. He then walked Mao to her room and handed her the key. "Well, that happened," the now sleepy mage said to the girl in front of him, referring to the events that transpired after the horse ride. "Hope you sleep well." 

Dmitry was turning to leave when...

Fresh air never smelled sweeter than after something so unpleasant, the first inhaled breath bringing a smile to her face. Relief quickly faded in the face of light confusion and curiosity as a new voice called out to Dmitry before a strange woman all but attacked him. At least…at first glance Mao thought the busty blond mounted a surprise attack that turned out to be little more than a very, very affectionate hug. Although, she wasn’t entirely convinced, ’Looks more like she’s trying to suffocate him possible…should I help?’ Without any aid he broke free however and the woman didn’t go for a second attempt at snuffing him out against her bouncing chest, but Mao remained a little tensed…unsure…what to really make of this scene.

”Ah, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Mao bowed her head a little when he introduced them, though sounding somewhat exasperated with her for whatever reason. Much to Mao’s discomfort the woman latched onto her next, the short mage’s arms stretched out to the side unsure what to do in this situation. Beyond inanimate objects and the occasional cat or small dog Mao rarely hugged anything biological, let alone other people. What possessed this woman to randomly hug strangers? What granted her the bravado to do such? Slightly inspiring as it was, it mostly alarmed her as she caught Dmitry’s eye and he apologized with his mismatched eyes.

Thankfully he freed her from the awkward situation, the woman apparently oblivious to it all, though the statement shortly after caught her attention. ’Family?’ What a curious notion… When did this woman decide to adopt her? She certainly didn’t ask. What prodded one into accepting another as “family?” Mao’s mind continued to wander even as she coughed up more useful directions than the last person, though even as they parted ways Mao darted a quick look back at the exuberant woman.

”Wait,” she called out before he could get far, a hand latching onto one of his sleeves, ”You’re not tired? I thought we would split the room, or do you prefer sleeping outside?” When they first met he had been trying to catch a few winks up on some stranger’s room so she wouldn’t put it past the Lamian mage to be up on the roof when she awoke in the morning…He paid for the room however, so it felt wrong to not permit him a comfier bed than tiles.

Once again, the young lady grabbed his sleeve, something Dmitry was becoming oddly comfortable with. Nobody had ever invited him into their room before, and Dmitry was unsure how to respond. He never really had a 'preference' to sleeping outside, he was simply used to it. After all, for ten years Dmitry mostly slept on the cold hard earth, now founding himself able to doze off on just about anything. Still, for once, sleeping in a room was...appealing. Was it because he was tired? Was it because of the events that had transpired earlier in the day?

Was it her?

"Um...sure," Dmitry managed to get out. "I'll sleep here tonight...why not?" What in the Hell had him feeling so nervous. It wasn't that big of a deal right? It was then that Dmitry walked into the room and saw that there was only one bed. Still, that wasn't much of a problem as the medium was perfectly fine sleeping on the floor or up against the wall. If he recalled correctly, women typically preferred not to share their bed with someone they weren't intimate with. And certainly they weren't like that...right? Dmitry suddenly remembered the look he got from Veronica and had to shake away a light blush creeping up his face. What the Hell's wrong with me? We're friends, damnit! He thought in frustration at his own line of thought. 

'Ah, to be young...' A certain wolf spirit said.

'Yes, something you will never experience.' Dmitry said back.

"That crazy old bat..." Dmitry muttered. "Sorry about all that. Veronica always was...enthusiastic. Still, despite how immature she acts, she's a damn fine business women. Banfield Trade was a much smaller outfit back when I worked for her scouting new routes. Nobody thought she'd take off on account of her treating her employees like family; even I had my doubts. But she made it work, somehow. Now Banfield is one of the biggest trade companies in Fiore." Dmitry realized he was rambling and walked over to the corner of the room, sat down and leaned against of the adjacent walls. "I'll leave you the bed," he said to his temporary roommate, thinking she'd prefer to sleep by herself.

The man acted…a little strange? It was hard to rightly say, but he seemed to stumble a bit on his words and spoke as if to reassure himself for whatever reason. Perhaps he was uncomfortable? ’He must be used to being more alone,’ though as she thought about it, it’d be the first time Mao shared a room with someone else as well. She certainly didn’t have a roommate back at Sabertooth and most of her jobs to date were either done alone or during the day with her partner ensuring she never spent the night at any inn with anybody else.

Reaching the bed, the spiritual mage started apologizing for his friend – or family as she’d claimed – and her overly touchy-feely ways. Her face showed little to no emotion as he explained in greater detail who she was, merely revealing she was listening and when Dmitry finished he opted for a corner of the room. The action made her smile, ’Maybe he agreed thinking I’d be lonely or be scared after today?’ More than that it helped her relax thinking he preferred the corner over the exposed bed even as she tossed him one of the pillows from the bed and the top blanket as well.

”It’s no worries,” she tried to soothe his worries, smiling at the man even as she stripped the bed of its other pillow and sheet, ”I’m just…not used to affection…I suppose?” It sounded silly to say it aloud now that she thought about it, not witnessing too many cases of people freaking out about it outside the occasional surprise hug that usually turned happy. ”I must not be from a very affectionate family, or perhaps one that doesn’t express it through touch like she does.” It hadn’t felt wrong per say just…strange. Alien. Unfamiliar. The action came so suddenly Mao couldn’t even prepare herself in any way for it, but generally people used hugs in a positive manner. She’d witnessed people embrace to say “hi” in sorts, to comfort one another, to express happiness so it mustn’t be a negative thing.

Yet her skin cried out at the act every time like it felt wrong and the notion evoked emotions she deemed to be some minor form of sadness. It was like being caught with your hand in the cookie jar, like Mao broke some small rule.

Lost in thought as she was, Mao made little comments as she veered towards the closet in the room and dumped the extra blanket and pillows on the shelf to the ground. Moving things around with a foot and mostly her tail the pillow from the bed soon joined the bundle as she extracted a small item from the satchel dumped next to the closet door. “Poof!” went the cloud as a body pillow appeared – easily Mao’s favorite traveling companion to date…well aside for the friends she seemed to be making. However she couldn’t very well hug her friends to sleep so it remained her favorite bedtime buddy as she curled up on the comfy pile, the sheet from the bed pulled over her after the long tail curled atop her small body.

Shaking her head a little to cast aside the depressing thoughts, she smiled at Dmitry again, ”I hope you have good dreams. If you need me I’ll be in here.” And with that she closed the door to the closet, happy to sleep in the makeshift den. Definitely not as good as the walk-in closet she slept inside back at Sabertooth, but it worked well enough.

The young mage found himself a bit disturbed by something Mao had said. "Must not have"? Did that mean she didn't know? Dmitry began to feel a unfortunate familiarity with his own mistake. But this was her business and he had no right poking his nose in it, especially since he felt like the answer would seriously piss him off.  

Dmitry watched with a confused look on his face as Mao began to strip the bed of it's contents, as if she were stealing them. After passing some to him, she then went over to the closet and began assorting hers, along with the sheets in the closet, into some kind of new bed. On top of that, she pulled out some type of dispensary from her bag and with 'poof', an unnecessarily long pillow was deposited on on the makeshift quarters. For the first time in his life, the word 'cute' came to Dmitry's mind as he watched Mao curl up in her personalized bed.

"Sleep tight, Mao." He said before she shut the closet. Dmitry then put the blanket back on the bed along with his hat and coat, before putting the pillow sideways against the wall facing the bed, leaning his back against the adjacent wall and his side against the pillow. He thought about sleeping on the bed, seeing as Mao had no interest in it. But after of all his time sleeping outdoors, it was unlikely that he'd be able to sleep on something so...squishy. Dmitry closed his eyes, thankful that both his friends were in one piece. He could faintly here the peaceful breaths of one of said friends in the adjoining closet, adding comfort to Dmitry's already assured sleep for one reason or another. Soon, the spirit mage drifted off into his favorite activity as his world continued it's spin.

'Sleep well boy; you've earned it' 

Waking up was one of the hardest things to do sometimes, the act a little unpleasant even as Mao accepted the inevitability. During the night she’d found a comfy enough spot, but this little den remained a bit tight – especially when compared to the one back home. Muscles cried for a good stretch, her tail especially eager to experience relief from the kinks of slumber. Slowly she pushed the door open after a gentle ‘click’ of the knob turning, peering out to spy Dmitry’s feet from beneath the bed.

’Hmm…maybe he really is unused to using a bed.’ The ironic thought didn’t faze her in the slightest as the open space allowed for both legs and tail to achieve proper space. A little flexing this way and that, and the aching muscles ceased their unpleasant chatter as she observed Dmitry’s sleeping form with a small frown, ’That looks uncomfortable.’ Sleeping on a floor would come as a last resort, the comfort of cushions and blankets very much preferred by the girl. If she couldn’t fit the mattress into the closet then she likely would’ve, but the pillows had to make do.

Shrugging, rather than immediately go to wake him despite her opinions, Mao set about reorganizing her bed into folded blankets and replacing the pillows to their proper locations. Everything she did with as much quiet movement as she could manage, the shuffling of fabric impossible to completely avoid simply to allow the man a few extra minutes. Sure the girl didn’t exactly plan to go yelling in his face or ringing a loud bell nearby, but she could easily recall how ticked off he’d been by the rude awakening from those thugs so if he liked sleep as much as her – possibly even more – then there was no reason to interrupt it.

By the time she went to retrieve her personal traveling pillow, it seemed she needn’t worry about waking the gray-haired gentleman as they gathered up the last of their belongings. However he surprised her when by adamantly refusing to allow the injured woman to travel alone. ’I feel like I should be escorting him…’ Yet he refused much to her bemusement and eventually she acquiesced, though insisted on buying their pastry breakfast. Flaky croissants and cream-filled bread sounded simply too delicious to pass up.

It was on the road, shortly after they’d finished devouring the freshly baked goodness that a question occurred. Turning to stare at him as they continued, Mao frowned slightly in curiosity, ”If you don’t mind my asking, how did you come to be in that woman’s employ? And…did she adopt you into her family?”

Dmitry slowly opened his blue eye, roused by the sound of rustling sheets. The gold one soon followed as Dmitry remembered where he was, yawning loudly as he stood up and cracked his neck. "Morning..." He said lazily. It had been a while since he slept that many hours straight, the feeling leaving him groggy. After he put his coat and hat back on, they left for breakfast which was to be eaten on the road. Dmitry of course, not even thinking of letting a friend of his walk home with this many wounds by themselves, was escorting young Mao to the Sabertooth Guild hall. Seikatsu would likely be in the hospital for a bit longer, after which he would hit the ol' angsty trail. Along the way, while Dmitry was having trouble eating the confounded cream-filled bread, Mao asked about Veronica. The mage had been dreading this topic and was hoping she would simply forget, as unlikely as that was.

"Alright, let's see..." He said, trying to remember the details. "I think it was about...2, 3 years ago? The bat was mapping out a new route for trade...

Three years earlier...


A caravan of traders was making it's way through a deep forest in what was, for this particular outfit, uncharted territory. There were eight well seasoned guards posted around a wagon, two on each side, two in the rear, and two in front. In front of this little band, was a blonde haired, well endowed, and incredibly enthusiastic women leading the merry way.


"C'mon, guys! I'm sure we're almost there!" She shouted back to her men. Suddenly, a large vulcan appeared seemingly out of nowhere, prompting the guards to take defensive positions and pull there employer to safety. However, nobody there, not even the vulcan, noticed a figure land behind it. Before the big guy could take another step, a foot made it's way up and into the ape's exposed crotch, followed up by two quick punches to the kidneys. While the blows were not of any superhuman strength, they were effective in their precision, causing the vulcan to fall over backwards, holding it's back and groin. The young man, about 15 with gray hair and mismatched eyes, stared down on the ugly beast's face with incredible fury. 


"You just couldn't keep it down, could you?" The enraged boy asked. "You just HAD to wake me from some of the best sleep of my life, didn't you." Dmitry then proceeded to pummel the vulcan's face with balled fist after balled fist. Eventually, he ceased his assault, panting heavily from the beating he gave."Well, what do you people wa..." He said as he looked up, only to be nearly suffocated by the balloons. "Oh, thank you so much for saving us." 


Present...

"She gave me a job and that was all she wrote" Dmitry said to his bunny eared companion. "As for why she calls me family, she pretty much treats all her employees like that, official or otherwise."

’I…think I sense a trend…’ At some point the woman would have to find a private moment with Seikatsu to see how he first met Dmitry, curious to see just how far this trend went. Maybe it was sort of like a qualifier to meeting the spiritual mage? ’Like those video games where you have to do something special to find a new party member?’ She’d never played one, but there’d been a strategy guide or two read by accident as she wasn’t aware of the genre nor the purposes of these “guides” – initially believing them to be really strange magic or life guides.

’Sounds…wonderful, in a way.’ Mao couldn’t imagine suddenly hugging strangers and treating them like family, only knowing a vague and distant sense of family through her observations. Sometimes it looked wonderful, other times questionable, but more often than naught it appeared to be a happy coexistence. Still the woman couldn’t imagine randomly hugging Dmitry, let alone some random fellow or lady off the streets. Even being tossed randomly by that newcomer at the guild hall threw her for a bit of a loop.

Curiosity gnawed at her as usual, though Mao fretted about asking the questions let alone how to even word them. What if she pried too much and annoyed him? Some people she learned quickly weren’t so fond of having every little bit of their existence questioned, one time someone comparing her to a toddler stuck in their “Why?” stage. She may attach more words, but sometimes her questions could be summed up in that single word.

’Maybe a little more wouldn’t hurt?’ Biting her lip, Mao watched the ground pass by her soft boots as they continued down the dirt road. To ask or not to ask danced around that silly noggin before her gaze drifted off to the side. This might’ve been the sensation of ‘nervousness’ rearing its ugly head. ”Was it at least…fun? It must’ve been nice to some degree to know someone cared, right? What…erm…what was it like? To be a part of a family I mean even if not biologically. Was she the only one, or did some of the other employees follow the same trend? Err…well…sorry this might be personal, so you can feel free to tell me to stop.” As words started tumbling out faster than she could control them, Mao managed to halt her tongue to some degree and apologize for her nosiness. ’At some point he’ll lose patience, I’m sure of it.’ Everyone held a threshold, though to date he was probably the most lenient about her numerous questions bordering on interview levels.

Mao seemed a bit off for some reason, like she was in the process of making a difficult decision. Once again, the gray hair's thoughts were treated to the rare appearance of the word 'cute'. Eventually, she decided to ask her question, still looking at the ground. "Was it fun...?" Dmitry thought about it, before chuckling a bit at his own revelation. "Heh...yeah...I guess it was, wasn't it?" He had never realized how much fun his time with veronica was. Slowly, his laughter died down.

"Still...there's something I have to correct you on: I was never part of that family." He stated bluntly. "I told you before that all sentient life can sense spirits, but most aren't consciously aware. As a result, their subconscious mind develops a sense of foreboding when around spiritual beings. It's different with mages because they're already used to the unknown. But normal folk, they instinctively fear it. On top of that, most of these guys were hardened veterans and their instincts had already been sharpened by combat." Dmitry looked up at the sky as he walked. "I'm not sure why Banfield didn't feel it. Maybe she had poor instincts or she was good at ignoring them. Maybe her sixth sense was abnormally weak. Whatever the case, no matter how much she considered me 'a part of the family', the others would never accept what I am." His eyes went back to the rode in front of him. "Only natural; it's easy to fear what we don't understand. I didn't exactly bridge the gap myself either. Actually, I preferred the distance they kept. At the time, I didn't have any real desire to be around people. So I kept my distance and they kept their's." 

Dmitry looked down at Mao. "You know, you don't have to worry about bothering me." He told her. "These aren't exactly painful memories." The subject of the interview smiled. "To be honest, for some reason, I really like talking to you, Mao." It was the genuine truth. He usually didn't have the patience for people asking questions. But with Mao, he felt an urge to indulge her curiosity. He liked to see those gears turning and the questions she asked were always interesting ones. Though, there was something else about her, something he couldn't quite figure out. Something that made him feel more comfortable around her than others. It was a feeling he was still trying to understand.

That made a lot of sense now that she thought about it. Mao didn’t like to try and guess too much if she could get the answers from the source instead, but he didn’t come across as the friendliest of people at first meeting. ’Come to think of it, he lectured me back then, didn’t he?’ A giggle escaped as she relived the memory a little, the man who insisted on escorting her back home having once advised her to be more careful since she stuck out in a crowd. Amusingly a few questions came to mind, but ultimately they were self-aimed as she now pondered whether or not she was as oblivious as Veronica might be in regards to the spirits. Sure there existed an “otherworldly” quality to Dmitry, but it hardly bothered her. ’Unless that’s just the gem stones soothing me. I’m sure some of them must be aligned with spirits to some degree.’

”Huh?” The word came out slightly squeaked, surprise etched on her face as she stared up at her traveling partner. Warmth then spread to her face, a curious sensation she couldn’t name welling up. She…felt pleased? At least it wasn’t much different than finishing a fun book or obtaining a lot of answers to a string of questions, just a stronger sense of it. She wanted to analyze it, just in private later when she could review the emerald and try to be more objective about it.

Maybe he’d noticed however? A small mix between a sigh and laugh escaped as her eyes lowered towards some of the passing grass and flowers, ”Thank you…I am sorry though if at any point I go too far. Please don’t be afraid to tell me to stop because I know I can be a bit…much, especially when I get going. But…” her gaze turned back to him and a small smile played out, ”thank you for indulging all my questions. You’re the second person to not feel so bothered by them or chastise me about it. I’ve annoyed plenty though so when possible I like to avoid going over someone’s threshold or prying too deep into things people don’t want to revisit. Life isn’t always pleasant I’ve learned, I just don’t know where the boundaries are with people.”

Perhaps her friend spoiled her somewhat with his constant acquiescent nature, answering all her questions to his best ability. The thought brought a chagrined smile to Mao as she chose to stare up at the clouds, pondering how he might be doing right now.

Again with the cuteness. The little squeak she forced Dmitry to stifle a laugh, she introduced some type of laugh-sigh hybrid. She then went on to apologize for something she hadn't yet done and wasn't likely to do in the future. The mention of this 'second person' roused his curiosity, prompting a rarely, if ever seen playful side to come out.

"So, who's the first?" He asked with a mischievous grin. "You already know the old bastard who taught me what I know; I think I deserve some info for myself." Dmitry through out a hint and wondered if she'd figure out who he was talking about. This was very unlike him, but he simply couldn't resist. Being around her made him feel light, at least when there wasn't any danger. Now he wanted to indulge in his own curiosity and maybe tease the bunny eared girl along the way. "I get it if it's a secret...but I might develop some suspicions..." He intentionally trailed off to see how she would react. 

'Having fun are we, boy?' Hati asked, a bit surprised.

'And what would be wrong with that, old man?' Dmitry answered with a question.


"So, let's have it," he said as he continued his investigation, taking a sudden, dramatic step away from his companion and pointing a finger for added effect. "Who's this suspicious accomplice of your's and what crimes are you hiding, Miss Nakiri, if that is your real name!" The normally closed off mage couldn't believe his own behavior. Once again, Mao managed to  make him act in a way he himself hadn't expected.

The way he acted prompted further giggles as the man exaggerated suspicion and mockingly referred to one of his precious spirits again. For all the name calling, she felt pretty sure that he treasured the wolf regardless, their relationship reminiscent of some of her favorite novels. She’d be happy to tell him as soon as the giggles ceased, the action cutting off abruptly at his accusation. ’Real name?’ Cold water struck her, shocking the woman into a dazed state as her body fought to process this claim. ”I…believe it is…” she stammered, only half her attention spent staring at Dmitry’s feet as she sought the real answer internally.

It was the only name she could recall since that time.

”I…suppose…it might not be? It’s the only one I remembered, so I suppose I just assumed it was mine.” Both ears lowered as she contemplated it further, worry gnawing at her insides. It felt right, and at the time she didn’t think to question it in the slightest. When asked her name by the kind gentleman who helped her, Mao answered him without the slightest hesitation, ”Mao Nakiri.” It rolled of her tongue normally and with familiarity.

And crimes?

”I don’t think I’ve committed any crimes. I don’t know of them if I did,” she answered honestly, forgetting that it’d been a joke more or less. Finally her mind bounced back and she frantically waved a hand, ”Ah sorry…you didn’t really mean that, did you? I shouldn’t have taken it so seriously.” Eager to keep walking she continued the pace, letting Dmitry fall back into step beside her in the hopes of brushing off that awkward moment if not completely ignoring it.

’Don’t question it,’ she chanted, trying to stave off the further ponderings of her identity.

Instead she focused on the happier thoughts, the smile returning slightly, ”His name’s Silabus, he runs a library in a small town. I don’t recall how I got there, but he was the first person to help me when I was so lost. I must’ve asked him a hundred questions a day and he’d answer all of them with a smile. Between that and letting me stay with him I always felt so grateful for his help. I aided him a bit with the library, but honestly it feels so pitiful compared to what he did for me that I’m still unsure how to repay him for all that he’s done. It’s been awhile since I last visited him as well…I should probably drop by in the future so he knows I’m doing well.” A small part of her wondered how the man might be doing as well. ’Hopefully he’s still in one piece…’ Remembering how clumsy he could be she fretted slightly, but he’d never been harmed beyond a few bumps and bruises so the worry subsided easily enough.

Those ears were drooping again...

Mao's reaction shocked the recently upbeat man, but also confirmed a suspicion he'd hoped was wrong: she had some form of amnesia. It upset him a bit that she had to suffer through something like that, though he wondered if it was the same as his situation. Dmitry shook of the thought, remembering what he told himself the night before. After all, he had no right to talk on this subject after what he let happen. Dmitry's eyes drifted over to Mount Hakobe and the valley beyond it. From what she was saying, this Silabus person meant a lot to Mao. "I might stop in myself and meet this guy," the summoner said. In truth, he thought it might be better to ask this guy for details instead of going to Mao. He would ask Mao, but he didn't want to see that face she made ever again, as something about it killed him inside. Dmitry needed to figure this out without bringing it up around her. 

Once again, he put his hand on Mao's head in some strange effort to comfort her. Dmitry didn't really understand the habit himself, his hand just popped up whenever she looked down about something. "Don't worry," he said, seeing the concern on her face. "I doubt you can get into to much trouble in a library. And if my word means anything, helping you comes with it's own rewards..." He didn't elaborate on that, feeling like he'd regret saying more.

"If you want, we can make the trip." The hat-wearing medium offered. "I don't really have any plans, so I'll be happy to come with you." Dmitry wasn't sure if this was a good idea or not. Still, it felt like it might put her mind at ease, though he'd have to talk with his guy in private if he wanted to get answers without disturbing Mao. The trip would be longer, but Dmitry had no problem making that trip with Mao. If anything, he liked traveling with her and he'd probably go himself after escorting her home anyway.

Comforting as it was, the statement confused her, ’What does that mean? “Its own rewards?” ‘ What rewards came with helping her? Ultimately it was a very vague and strange claim to make. Not willing to pester him with further questions, at least for the moment, Mao pushed it to the back of her mind as he continued. Ears perked up at the suggestion though she looked off to the side, ’But…he’s already going the extra mile to escort me to the guild. It would be selfish to accept, wouldn’t it?’ Though at the same time she couldn’t resist since it wouldn’t be totally out of the way. Peace Village was just a bit south of the guild hall really…they could even catch a carriage or train, some form of transport.

”If you don’t mind the detour…though I should easily be able to make it back to Sabertooth from there, and it won’t be too far for you to return home to Hargeon since he lives in Onibus.” Well whether he’d agree to it or not mattered little, the notion of seeing her friend again perking Mao up. It’d definitely been too long since she last saw the friendly, bumbling fellow. ’I wonder if he’s found any new, interesting books lately?’ Eagerly Mao changed their destination, excited to reach Oshibana so they could get there a little faster. She didn’t mind spending a little money and allowing the two to rest at the same time.

She tried to keep the conversation more neutral and avoid interrogating the man since it felt like she’d started overstepping the bounds at some point. Any further and she may as well be holding an inquisition on the innocent medium rather than having a casual chat. When the train pulled into port she almost dragged poor Dmitry off the train in her excited state, rare as it was for the woman to resort to a child-like state. It wasn’t the library she led him to however, veering towards the residential portion until they neared the outer reaches of the town.

Standing just a few yards from its neighbor sat a cozy two-story house, curtains drawn over the large windows framing the door of the red wooden building. A few weeds and flowers sat in the small front yard, gardening not exactly the man’s strong suit or interest beyond admiration, broken only by a small and short dirt path leading to the door. A few staccato knocks and then she stood on the small stoop, tail quivering with the desire to almost wag and yet she refrained from the action. ”Just a minute!” a voice called out followed by the sounds of something falling to the ground, a chair clunking against a wooden floor, and an “Oomf!” accompanied by stumbles. The door swung open, a tall brunette man smiling even as his hair jutted about wildly from the kafuffle. Yes, it was definitely the man she remembered.

Chocolate eyes widened as they noticed who was at the door, the smile turning into a beaming one, ”Ah, Mao! It’s been awhile, come in come in-oh! You have a friend too, please come in and make yourself at home as well. I’ll go put some tea on.” The man waved them inside, leading them through the living room towards a table near the kitchen. Upon entering the man’s love of books became all too apparent as shelves covered almost every inch of wall, leaving only the windows exposed and each packed to the brim with volumes upon volumes of literature. At the same time one could easily figure out where he’d been thanks to the chair still sitting forlornly on its side, a small laugh escaping from the librarian as he righted it, ”You guys surprised me I must say, but you couldn’t have come at a better time. I see you still recall the library’s schedule Mao. Here you two are.” He placed two mugs of freshly brewed tea on the table for the pair, the female mage happily taking a seat to enjoy it after adding milk and honey.

”So who’s your friend Mao?” The smile stayed in place as he turned his gaze to Dmitry. One could almost see a visual question mark, though he bore nothing but a curious and friendly demeanor as he asked. She couldn’t hear him over the slurping of the last dregs of her tea, delighted over the comfort and familiarity it brought.

After the change in direction, the conversation shifted and had less questions, though he really didn't mind her questions. In fact, Dmitry just may have felt a little flattered by the interest she took, though he knew it was a result of her curiosity. Furthermore, she was clearly holding back and he preferred to see her in full swing, so to speak. Dmitry had been sleeping when the train pulled in and Mao pulled in him out of his seat and off the vehicle. He had to struggle to put his hat back in place and shake off the grogginess, Mao showing a level of excitement he hadn't seen before. Even in Zuo's Library, what she emitted was more of an admiration than outright excitement. Dmitry smiled, glad to see this side of her. He never had anybody he missed that much, so it was good to know at least Mao had that much.

When they got to the what was apparently the man's house, it seemed like his companion would explode with anticipation as she knocked on the door. The sounds the two were greeted with concerned Dmitry a bit, but those worries left as their reason for visiting open the door. As they walked in, the spirit user looked about the house. It was...exactly the kind of place he would expect one of Mao's friends to live. Soon they were sitting in front of hot tea when Silabus turned his attention to Dmitry.

"Dmitry Kazakov," he said as he held out his hand to shake, remembering how people typically introduced themselves. "Nice to meet you." Suddenly, Dmitry felt a pressure on him, as if he were being assessed or judged. What was even stranger was the fact that he seemed to care. Normally, when someone judged him, he would introduce them to his middle finger and be about his business. But now it seemed like that would be a horrible idea, one that would somehow hurt his standing in something important. The suddenly nervous visitor paused, trying to think of something to start a conversation with, when out of nowhere salvation appeared within his noggin. "So, Mao told me she used to help out in the library."

It would do for now.

”A pleasure,” the man responded, shaking the proffered hand, ”I’m glad to see Mao’s made at least a friend since she left.” He positively beamed at Dmitry then as if the man might be some form of treasure or rare commodity, which knowing Mao as the fellow did the mage was. Words fell for a few moments, though Silabus busied himself with pouring his friend another mug of tea shortly after the last drop faded. Sharing a slight oblivious trait like the other two, Dmitry’s comment caught him by surprise as he stared blankly at the gray-haired visitor.

Then a laugh slipped out, ”Ah yes, she did…well, in between books grabbing her attention of course. For a fair while I’d say she was more a patron then helper.” Caught in the pseudo lie Mao blushed and tried to hide behind her mug, opting to observe the design closely rather than the conversation. The laughing smile turned from Mao back to Dmitry, ”Not that I minded at all, it’s always a pleasure to see someone excited by a book: it’s why I became a librarian in the first place. I told her that it was fine, especially since she was always careful about putting it back in its proper spot, but eventually she insisted on helping to put other patrons’ books back as well as guide them to their desired literature. I suppose it helped her too however, since she could question each person on what they were looking for and start small conversations about why they wanted it or why they were interested in a subject.”

”It was still rather selfish of me though,” the girl felt the need to point out, speaking over the rim of the ceramic mug, ”but it was nice since their desire to know more or love of a book would in turn make me curious to learn about other subjects or grasp what they liked so much about a series or author. I’m still grateful that some of them indulged my whims as much as they did.” Her voice came out a little shy, child-like in her lack of confidence.

Another laugh slipped out as Silabus patted her on the head, the hand then rubbing the base of an ear and eliciting a small, almost purr-like rumble, ”You forget how passionate some of them were about their research and to have a young, eager mind inquire? Sometimes I get questions about what happened to you, you know? They were happy to spend as much time as you’d give them going on and on about their subjects, sometimes I worried they might bore you or you might’ve been too polite to make your escape!” He chuckled, recalling other instances where hapless people found themselves victims to long sermons from those same fellows. Again that kind gaze turned to Dmitry, ”I hope her questions don’t bother you too much? She really doesn’t mean any harm by them, but I guess if you’ve come all this way with her you’ve probably figured that out by now, haven’t you?

Dmitry sighed as the pressure to keep the conversation going was lifted from his shoulders. He still had no idea what he was nervous about, but decided it would be best not to dwell on it. A chuckle escaped his lips as he imagined Mao interviewing the patrons of this library, smirking as she blushed from behind her mug. Then their host did something with Mao's ear that, for reasons he couldn't fathom, made him the slightest bit ticked. It wasn't so much that Silabus did it, but that he managed to elicit such a reaction from Mao. In that brief moment, Dmitry like this person just a little bit less and had no idea why. However, he was pulled out of his dark moment as Silabus showed concern for Mao's curious ways.

"Ah, no, it's fine," Dmitry said, waving his hand in front of his face to dismiss any concern. "To be perfectly honest, I really like the time I spend with Mao. I'm still not all that good when it comes to dealing with people and I tend to either get folks mad or just lose interest." he looked out the window, thinking back on how he usually feels around people and how he subsequently acts. "See, I usually feel out of place around people, like I'm not one of them. I didn't exactly grow up around a lot of people because of a...an incident." Dmitry didn't want to pull that particular story at the moment, feeling it wouldn't be fair to dump that on them. "It's nice to have someone I can be so comfortable around. To be honest, I think it's a little flattering to have someone take such an interest in my business, even if it is only out of curiosity. It's certainly something I'm not used to." His face got a tiny bit red at that sentence, for reasons unbeknownst to him. In truth, he would normally hate to have people taking that sort of interest in him. But for some reason it felt different with Mao, like her questions were less of an intrusion. 

"You know, I should actually be thanking you." Dmitry said as he turned towards Mao. What he saw was something his density left him unprepared for...