Memories Unbound

Inside the city of the Ace of Spades rested a house. This house was not an ordinary one, now. This place of living belonged to the Ace of Conviction for Sabertooth; Aiyana Shuer. The young woman was wrapped in tails upon her bed, but not just her tails. The guild ace had gotten Mao to spend the night, and the celestial spirit had awoken first to look into the sleeping face of her mate. A few blinks to clear her vision would be made before she slowly moved her tails out from around them, being careful so as to not awaken the woman she was wrapped around. Once she had successfully done that, Aiyana stood up and went into a large stretche; a yawn stifled so she wouldn't be too loud.

Small, quiet, steps would be made as the nine tailed fox made her way to the kitchen. The young woman knew how to cook, and she planned on a little lunch surprise for her love; pork buns! A few minutes later she would be working on the delicious food, and Mao's favorite, and if everything went as planned she would be able to awaken Mao with the food's smell alone!

Slowly but surely something felt amiss, a certain lack of warmth and presence slightly prodding the woman back to the waking world. However that feeling of comfort and safety continued to keep her lulled and forced the young woman into an odd and new little limbo. Should she wake and figure out what caused this initial conundrum? Should she continue to sleep and hope the minor unsettling feeling went away? Mentally the woman tossed and turned over the decision, a small frown marring her face as a hand absentmindedly reached for something she couldn’t seem to find. The decision became easier however as a wondrous smell wafted under her nose, head lifting a bit from a fluffy pillow to better steal a whiff.

Foggy green eyes opened reluctantly as the tailed mage slowly accepted she wasn’t in her customary sleeping place, hazy mind slowly reminding Mao where she was and why. Any worries melted away upon recalling she currently laid in Aiyana’s bed, the notion of having a mate still fresh alongside sleeping in their abode. Peering lazily about she liked it overall, the place cozy before that scent called out again, grabbing the crystal user’s attention back to the other matter at hand.

’Aiyana must be cooking.’

Stretching various muscles and tugging the long shirt down eventually Mao managed to remove herself from the warm bed, a mild shiver going through her at the loss of that enchanting warmth, but the promise of food and seeing the other woman proved more tempting. Besides something about the smell struck her as not only familiar, but particularly tantalizing as she shuffled her way into the kitchen and up to the cooking woman. Not wanting to distract her too much, Mao lightly pushed aside her hair while dodging the tails and kissed the Ace on the back of her neck, mumbling a quiet and sleepy, ”Morning,” before moving to plop down in one of the chair’s, stifling a yawn. Perhaps after food she’d be able to convince the fox woman to return to bed for more cuddling, or at least a light doze on the comfy couch.

The food was coming along great! She had found out a while back that it was Mao's favorite food, and with her good cooking skills she decided to actually learn something to please her with edible love! The pork buns smelled amazing, and it wouldn't be long before she could plate them up and bring them to her love as a wake-up call! The original plan would not come to pass, however, as she felt a kiss on her neck; Mao was awake and right here. A warm smile would come across her face as she did the finishing touches on the food, a mumbled "morning" the only word from the other woman before a butt hit a chair; the other tailed girl sitting down.

The clinking of plates could be heard as they were shuffled around to have food placed carefully upon them; tenderly laying them upon the glass objects while making sure not to burn herself in the process. Experience in waitressing was not needed for two plates, even if she did have it, as she placed a larger portion in front of Mao before kissing the sitting woman atop her head. "And good morning to you too. I meant to have them ready to bring to bed and surprise you with it as a wake-up, but this works too." The table was small, as Aiyana had gotten it when she had not planned on having many guests at her place, so she sat directly across from Mao so they could happily eat.

’What did I do to deserve this?’ Mao thought hazily, having glimpsed breakfast – at least if one went by breakfast being the first meal of the day, Mao holding a few suspicions that noon crept near, but she wouldn’t worry about that. Trying to decipher how she’d come into this bit of happiness enraptured her more as she watched the foxy mage finish their meal, the scrumptious food so close to being within reach. The woman couldn’t recall any particular event she might’ve performed enough good to gain sufficient karmic funds, but if some deity or life decided to grant her this then perhaps she shouldn’t question it too much?

As the sounds of tinkling dishes tickled its way down her ears the dark-haired woman perked up a bit more, sitting up a little more in her chair as the time grew nigh. ’This must be what they call “being spoiled.”’ At least it was the closest thing she could liken to the notion as her mate placed the plate before her, steam rising up from the delightful looking pork buns. A small, quick purr slipped out as she felt the kiss atop her head, ear easily moving out of the woman’s way with the barest of touches.

’Oh…’ the short mage looked up from the plate, temporary hypnosis broken as Ai admitted her intended plan, ’well…at least it shouldn’t be hard to convince her to return then.’ “Sorry,” she mumbled the apology around a bite, sighing a little at the perfect taste. Eyes turned back to the plate as a spot of embarrassment hit, cheeks lightly turning pink, ”I’m still new to having a mate so I just really wanted to be near you.” Taking a large bite she’d savor the taste as beneath the table her oversized tail sought out one or two of Ai’s to curl around.

Warmth covered Aiyana's face as she listened to Mao's apology between a bite of food that she took. The forced celestial spirit was used to the closeness and contact of others, but for Mao it was something new that she would most likely always enjoy; though Aiyana enjoyed it just as much as anyone could imagine. The warmth of another, the feel of their skin touching yours, the sound of their breathing, it was all she could ask for.

Aiyana slowly flavored the food she had made for them, eyes trying not to stare at Mao too long at a time to appear rude while they ate. Food would be eaten with a wide smile for the entirety of it, her tails feeling the others tails as they wrapped around. It was the same as holding hands, but it felt much more intimate with the extra appendages. It didn't take long for Aiyana to finish of the food, it was really good after all, and her tails would drag slowly across Mao's gently as she looked at her for a bit before speaking up. "Anything you want to do today? It's all you today."

Watching Aiyana might never be boring, the other woman pleased and yet seemed careful not to stare for too long. ”…endearing…” That was the word she’d been searching for, a small smile appearing before more food found its way into her cheeks, at one point Mao turning a bit squirrel-like as she savored the taste…and found her cheeks a little puffed up from it. However all good things must end as she swallowed, just as eager to finish her plate as she was to enjoy every last bite as it was a meal made for her personally without the expectation of money exchanged.

At some point though she’d have to work on her small talk, the long-eared woman a bit worried the silence may have been awkward.

’Well…something to work on,’ for now she’d allow herself the excuse of still being a bit tired, the silent siren call of the bed beckoning her back for perhaps a nap before truly waking up. And yet another part of her wanted to perhaps spend a lazy day in, wanting to savor Aiyana’s presence, feeling, and scent as much as the pork buns. As smooth and silky fur glided along her’s a small bit of purring bubbled up, the sensation pleasant. ’And yet some people think tails are strange.’

As Aiyana gave her the choice the short mage perked up, eyes glittering a little as she hopefully suggested, ”Can we spend a lazy day inside? We can relax in bed, read, nap, cuddle, and other things you want to do too of course.” Purely from excitement her tail slipped from Aiyana’s white bundle of fluff, the thing curling up behind her and wiggled side-to-side in her version of tail wagging, the thing unfortunately a bit large to get any quick momentum going. Just the promise of sinking back into that comfortable bed and soaking in the delightful warmth, huddling beneath the covers nearly brought out a stream of purring from her, though it only came out in a quick burst.

It seemed Aiyana would have to get used to the awkward silence that came with Mao. She seemed to have a problem with small talk and simple conversation, though really the simple fix was to keep her in situations where the tailed woman would have to speak up more often. Maybe s wedding? Or they could go to a party...No, the party would be something Mao would hide from. They could always go to a book club and let Mao pick up a book to discuss there! Yeah, that would work perfectly. The nine tailed fox swished a few tails as she happily thought about it before the other woman responded to what she had said before.

The amount of excitement could almost be seen emanating from the woman as her tails left the touch of Aiyana's and wiggled behind her in happiness. The light burst of a purr that came out was the last straw, Aiyana's smile becoming wider by the second as she stood up and walked up enough to take her by the hand. "Well, if a day in bed is what you want," A pause in speech would result in a light kiss before more words happened. "then a day in bed will be what you get!" With that said she would lightly lead her to the bedroom, where she intended to enjoy Mao's company.

The returned smile was one of pure delight and soft happiness, the girl pleased to return to the safe haven of bed and again experience the foreign pleasure of feeling someone else nearby. There came with it a strange pleasantness and soothing quality in knowing she wasn’t alone, one that permitted the more open room of the other woman’s bedroom to seem less intimidating considering Mao’s usual closet dwelling chambers. All too readily she followed Ai until the excited woman all but tugged her back onto the bed, quickly burrowing back under the plush covers before ensuring her mate was just as tucked in them as herself, though perhaps it amounted to little more than an excuse to cuddle up to the dark haired vixen.

Nestling her head upon the other woman’s chest a full-body sigh escaped as the gentle thrumming of Aiyana’s heart could be both felt and heard. That beat acted as an affirmation that a certain special someone currently laid next to the tailed mage, the scent of rainfall becoming all the more common to the girl’s senses as she smiled into Aiyana’s skin and broke out into a low purr. Beneath the blankets swaddling the pair a large bump would rise up as she wound her dark-furred tail around the ace’s legs before settling again. Quickly that pleasant warmth washed over her, acting as if Mao had only just woken up and now taunted her back to sleep. A sleepy fog began to settle over the mage’s mind again, and briefly she entertained a saddening thought that this might all be little more than a dream, prodding her to murmur before falling asleep again, ”If this is a dream…I don’t want to wake up. Just five more minutes…”

It didn't take much effort to bury both of them under the covers again, both woman ready for a day spent solely in bed with each other. A head rest upon her chest, one that brought a warmth to her whole body as she realized how lucky she was to have her. The soft scent one smelled after the rain filled her nose as she breathed in through her nose before sighing, the intoxicating smell making her eyes close as she felt, more than heard, Mao begin to purr. The celestial spirit would feel a tail wrap around her legs, her's moving in kind to wrap both of them in even more warmth as the two slowly began to quickly drift towards slumber yet again. A mentioning of a dream would reach her ears, though she was unsure as to what it meant, before Aiyana mumbled one last phrase. "This is no dream, and even if it was I'd hate to ever need to wake up from it." With that everything went dark, sleep taking hold for who knew how long.

A few hours later...

THUD THUD THUD!

That was the noise that brought Aiyana out of the sleep she had been so willing to stay in for all eternity, had the option been given. A tiny groan would leave her lips as she slowly untangled her tails, and herself, from her partner before sitting up to sleepily rub her eyes. A look at a lacrima powered clock would show it was well into the evening, a time where no one should be knocking at the door. Another trio of knocks, much too loud to try and ignore, brought her to her feet to sluggishly move her way to the front door; a door that cracked open to see who it was. "Can I help you?"

"Sorry mam, I was sent here by the guild to see if you were all right. You haven't been seen in the guild for a couple days and they were worried." It was obvious the man was nervous, he was at the ace's house unannounced at the behest of another. It wasn't like he had any choice in the matter.

"Mm...let them know I've had...things to do and I've been...at home talking with people about plans for the future. That should set them at ease, for now. And try not to knock so loud, I was in the middle of the best nap in a while.' The man simply nodded his head as he ran off, a courier delivering a message, as she shut the door. 'Now to get back to Mao before she realizes I left the bed...'

Again the sense of comfort diminished, though this time it’d roused Mao enough she knew why her mate left, the woman huffing a little as something else made itself known. Given the choice Mao wouldn’t even leave bed this time, the dark-haired mage burrowing a little deeper into the comfort of bed as if it could stave off the encroaching problem. No matter how much the woman wanted to remain where she currently laid there remained the impossible to avoid truth and general life issue: she needed to use the bathroom. As Aiyana left the room the other Sabertooth mage finally forced herself out of the bed and into the adjoining washroom to relieve herself. Besides she was a little thirsty and could use a quick cup of water from the sink.

Quickly done with her business and eagerly hoping that whatever roused them left soon, a few thoughts flittered through Mao’s mind, slightly tugging at the long shirt she often wore to bed, the sleeves going so far as to cover most of her hands. ”Hm…? What’s that?” Head tilting the easily distracted woman caught sight of something peeking out from beneath the bed and pulled on the strap to reveal a satchel, at first thinking one of them had perhaps kicked it under the bed. The thing appeared quite worn however and bore someone else’s scent on it completely unrelated to Aiyana.

’I shouldn’t snoop, I shouldn’t…” she chanted all the while slowly opening the thing and pulling the contents out, some loose note papers trying to fall from her hands as a journal sat beneath. They held some interesting tidbits, though the girl couldn’t make heads or tails of them and put them on the nightstand to flip through the journal even as she ultimately knew she couldn’t. Such were the pains of being an information gathering tool.

Such were the great pains of being an information gathering tool.

Quick to read, by the time Aiyana came back Mao read enough to know of what was perhaps the Ace’s greatest pain, wide eyes turning to stare like a deer in the headlights when she returned to the bedroom. There certainly hadn’t been enough time to hide it, though the idea neither struck her nor could be a possibility as she digested this information, barely able to hollowly call the other woman’s name, ”Aiyana…”

That had been aggravating, being driven from comfortable sleep and into conversation with someone over a silly, and trivial, situation of needless worry. She had much better things to do today, like sleep with Mao! Tails swished lazily in her happiness as she reached the door, only to be given a deer in headlights expression from her love. Had Aiyana done something wrong? No, they were in her house and there wasn't anything done other than her leaving the bed. Mao wouldn't act like this over that. That was when the woman spoke her name, in a way that scared Aiyana. "Mao...what's wrong?" The words came out with as much worry as one could into them as she quickly made her way over to the tailed girl, only noticing the small journal as she got closer. "What's...this?" The question was one of multiples, was the book the cause of Mao's reaction? Even then, WHAT was the book? Looking around would show the satchel from her uncle, who had died during a job that she had been sent out on. It had gone unnoticed under her bed for some time, and Mao must have noticed it; not that she could blame the curious being for it.

A gentle touch would take the journal from terrified hands as Aiyana looked down to the pages, and what she saw did not do well for her. "Damion Shuer, I know what you did to Aiyana. There is no excuse for that kind of interaction between you and someone that young! And the fact that even your wife, Cassandra, helped cover it up. Had Aiyana not come to me to ask about the physical things you did I would not have ever known about it!" That was as far as Aiyana managed to get before a flood of memories rushed from the dark recesses of her mind, memories best forgotten for all of eternity. Feelings, senses, touch, a father abusing his daughter but not with the normal punches. No, this involved pain and confusion of a different kind, something even worse.

What started off as a moan turned to a shriek as pent up feelings from childhood, mixed with adult understanding, turned into a feeling between rage, terror, and sorrow as everything struck at once. Hands went to her head to cover her ears as if blocking them would stop the memories from coming back as she dropped to her knees; head almost hitting the ground as she leaned forward. Her body froze, the initial shriek only lasting but a few moments, as the woman remembered everything that had happened to her. Her body ached, her mind was numb; a victim to a man who did not care.

Gods above what could she say? The woman sat stunned as her mate gingerly took the book from her, the small journal slipping easily from her hands as part of her mind screamed out not to let her read it. Intense self-hatred spread when the little book finally left her fingertips, a sense of dread growing inside. She shouldn’t have snooped as the woman didn’t even need the ability of foresight to know this would probably not end well, not with such a secret revealed. Pearly whites pressed lightly against her bottom lip as first a moan of pain slipped from the celestial spirit, biting down as the shriek struck both her ears and her heart.

Panic settled in over the sense of horror and dread, a great sadness welling up even as another, far more foreign emotion settled into the pit of her stomach. Briefly her eyes flashed to red before returning to their usual, pale, soft green as Mao shakily rose from the bed. Before her sat her mate, hunched in pain and shock from memories she must’ve locked up. And who could blame her? At the time the young girl doubtfully had the experience and abilities to overcome such a trauma, though to go through such a pain…’No, no one should have to suffer such.’

If she could undo it in any way, shape, or form Mao would’ve done it in a heartbeat. There were few costs she wouldn’t be willing to pay in this moment, but no salesman to make the offer. Mao hesitated to touch Aiyana, reach out to her in this moment of pain, afraid it might only incur greater heights of agony, yet she couldn’t leave the other to suffer alone. ”I’m sorry,” she whispered, coming to sit on her left, lightly pressing her torso against her mate’s back to provide warmth as her tail curled over the bundle of white ones. Normally left with a feeling of utter uselessness for most jobs, Mao focused her magical energy towards the creation of three crystals. While it wouldn’t be an immediate cure all – as lovely as one would be in such times – the crystal user wanted to provide any small aid she could for her troubled mate.

Normally one of her more aggressive stones, Mao allowed ruby’s energy to flow through her, the passionate crystal’s warm energies meant to convey her feelings in a supportive manner. Its innate power would hopefully leak through the other woman slowly to try and redirect the flow of anguish and pain towards a more positive path. Yet Mao didn’t want to waste any effort for Aiyana as a sapphire appeared in one of her hands, glowing softly as she held it against the troubled mage, moving the hand to hold it gently against Aiyana’s head and pet her hair softly with the gemstone resting between palm and raven locks. The cool, blue energy was meant to help soothe her chaotic mind and perhaps bring back a bit of focus to help her get past this horrendous recollection. As a soft, forest green glow emanated from Mao’s left hand, she placed it atop Aiyana’s back, resting it around where her heart should be.

Emerald held a special place in Mao’s heart despite how it’d been used against her and others, the crystal used to store her memories and subsequently her knowledge. It brought a lot of joy to her when the woman wanted to recall a good book or fond moment, giving her some hope for the future as she hoped it would for Aiyana. A gentle stone, it could help relieve some of the weight of this pain, dull it down in a way that might offer the slayer a chance at breaking through the moment. It wouldn’t be immediate like the flip of a coin, but it was a start and it was the only other solace she could provide beyond her presence and a steady stream of “I’m sorry” for all the pain she’d gone through.

The numbness was powerful, so powerful that her face locked into a pained expression as her body refused to let tears flow. Her entire body was tensed, painfully so, as both mind and body reacted to the abuse she had suffered so long ago. Then there were sounds, a voice she knew to her left. Were those words? Yes, yes they were. Her mind seemed to move in slow motion as the words 'I'm Sorry' reached her ears and registered properly. A mouth would open, Aiyana's brain telling her to respond, but nothing actually came out from the parted lips. A feeling of something touching her made her flinch slightly, the image of her father covering Mao as she blinked quickly for the mirage to fade. She felt warmth on her back as her mate pressed up against her, tail wrapping around her stiffened tails as a show of support that she would come to respect for years to come. And then things started to feel different.

A warmth covered her, making the darkness she felt falter a bit as her body unfroze from its terror. Tears began to flow as she began to cry, the initial stiffening of her entire body undoing itself as what she assumed was Mao helping as best she could. She wanted to say something, do something, but her mind still had not come to terms with the things she had been reminded of. How could her dad have done that to her, and why had her mother have let it go? Aiyana had been just a kid, not even old enough to know any better about what was going on. But now she knew, and that made it hurt even more. Her mind raced until she felt a cooling sensation on her head that slowed her thoughts slowing down greatly before she felt another touch on her back. The final touch helped the most, bringing forth thoughts of Mao and their time together. Mao was here for her, and the woman understood that. Everything still hurt, and tears still flowed, but the celestial spirit felt her throat unclench as she spoke in a horse voice. "Just...just hold me please...Stay with me for a while..I need you." The words would have been lame in any other situation. But for once she actually meant them. The woman wasn't sure what she would do if she were to be left alone, not with that sudden bombshell of information.

Finally some of the tension left, enough to pave the way for a proper road to recovery. Everything would be baby steps, but first and foremost the pain needed to be shed. Despite this sign Mao continued to flow power through the two gems while her body continued to provide ruby’s healing and supportive powers of the mind. She focused all her thoughts towards the crying woman next to and beneath her, her steady power aimed at helping even as the sensation of jaws snapped at the outer recesses of her mind. If not for the magic itself some unsavory emotions might’ve taken hold, but the same power she used to help her mate affected Mao on a near constant level, staving off the more worrisome instincts and desires.

It was probably the first time she’d been thankful for the abilities forced upon her.

Words slipped out, the dark-haired celestial spirit capable of a few words, pleading for the other woman to stay. ”Of course,” came the audible whisper, voice remaining gentle as she kept up the minor and soothing ministrations, ”I’m not going anywhere.” The hand holding the emerald left it to rest atop the wounded woman’s shoulder blade, moving to lightly curl around the ball of her shoulder to further reassure her mate. Mao would not leave Aiyana’s side until she’d settled down some, and even then it would only be to retrieve something for the sake of her mate. All the while she kept up an even, calm rhythm of breathing, trying to make her presence as soothing and gentle for the fox spirit.

The tears continued to fall, finally free from the wells that had been holding them up inside. A steady stream wet her face before dripping onto the floor as she sniffled. Her body slowly, yet surely, was loosening up; the tension slowly starting to drain from her as Mao continued to pour what must have been the magic of crystals she had into her. It was a welcome relief for the traumatized woman, her mind slowly overcoming with the help from her better half.

The woman, though still crying, sniffed once before looking to her left. While her head didn't turn all the way around, Mao being on her shoulder making that impossible, the girl could see the other with her peripheal vision enough to get a sense of where she was exactly. Upon that, and hearing the reassuring words that she wouldn't be leaving, the nine tailed fox celestial spirit moved a hand out to bring the other into a close hug; Aiyana's head over the others left shoulder before she sniffled once more. "I don't know what to do...I've never been through this and don't know what to do...

As the woman beneath her began to shift the crystal mage moved to allow her, eventually giving way completely as Aiyana returned to a vertical stance and pulled the shorter woman into a hug. Gem stones clattered to the ground, the pair dissolving away with their magic flow gone and purpose expended for the moment. Her arms locked around her distressed mate, one hand gently holding the fox spirit’s head as Aiyana rested it upon Mao’s left shoulder. ”I know,” she murmured softly, stroking the back of one of those fox ears to try and soothe her further, ”We’ll figure it out step-by-step…”

Fatigue stepped in from the rush of so many emotions and the toll it all took on the woman’s mind and body, her form slumping more and more against Mao. She managed to usher her mate to bed, tucking her in and promising to be back in a moment as she double checked the doors were locked before returning. While normally the bookworm loved to rest her head against Aiyana’s chest and listen to her heartbeat, this time she cuddled the woman to her’s, resting her chin atop the spirit’s head. Eventually she succumbed to sleep after ensuring her mate fell into a restful slumber.

As the sun came to rest higher and higher up in the sky a certain animalistic woman fought the urge to awaken and lost, barely refraining from holding back a groan. Normally she would’ve simply fallen back asleep, but as memories of the night prior came filtering back to the forefront of her mind Mao accepted that she should get up regardless of her whims. A small idea flitted before her, the woman still new to trying to console people, yet she wanted to do at least something for the sleeping vixen next to her. ’I don’t want her to wake up alone though…’ The conundrum took a few minutes to solve, the mage recalling her travel pillow sitting in it’s compact, traveling form in her bag. Escaping Aiyana’s grip, she fetched it and allowed the tuckered celestial to glom onto it in her stead. ’Hopefully my scent will help a bit.’

Moving into the kitchen she scratched the back of her neck, the other hand moving to open and close cupboards gently and take note of where things were and what Aiyana had. ’Pancakes should be relatively quick…and delicious. I hope she likes them.’ While she couldn’t do anything too fancy Mao summoned up the emerald that retained memories of a cookbook she’d read, whipping up a quick batter as the skillet heated. The first one found its way into the trash, the heat up a tad too high, but the ones thereafter stacked quickly and yet retained a nice, fluffy look that had the girl’s mouth near drooling at the thought of drowning them in syrup. She held back sadly, placing the plate onto a tray instead with the bottle of syrup following thereafter. While batter remained, Mao opted to place a lid over it in case her mate wanted more and turned the stove off. She made it halfway to the bedroom before the thought of juice finally struck her, a small, incoherent mutter drifting out as she doubled back.

Returning with the complete breakfast she tiptoed into the room, not yet wanting to disturb Aiyana and yet not sure if she’d already awakened or not.

Whispers reached her ears, ones with Mao's voice, about figuring it out as a hand rubbed against the back of one of her ears. The touch was soothing, more than she had ever expected it to be. After a while, due to the mix of stress and the comfort from Mao, the woman succumbed to a sleep that would keep her out for the rest of the night. Her distress shut her mind down for the entire night, no dreams or nightmares reaching her, until something woke her. The scent of her love reached her nose, but so did something else. Both smelled great, but the foggy mind of the woman chose to try and snuggle closer to the more familiar of the two smells. The resulting surprise made her eyes shoot open to realize that what she had assumed was Mao was actually the woman's favorite pillow.

Then memories flooded back to what happened last night. Had Mao turned tail and ran? Aiyana couldn't blame her, she was damaged merchandise; and because of family no less. Her fears she had grown up with made sense, but now she wished they had remained a mystery. A sniffle as tears tried to overcome her made her realize what the other smell had been; food. Mao had stayed! Who else would be cooking inside of the house right now?! The girl fought the urge to run out to her. Surely Mao had expected her to stay asleep, as Aiyana had tried to do yesterday. Instead, Ai cuddled the pillow as close as she could and breathed in deep; the act calming her body and easing her mind enough to relax slightly. The pain was there, but with this woman with her she knew she'd eventually be okay.

It wasn't long before the door opened, the young woman's heart skipping a beat in happiness that she had come back. Still under the blankets, Aiyana moved so that her head could poke out and see Mao and the delicious smelling food she had brought with her; pancakes! "You...you didn't have to...but thanks." Her voice was horse and scratchy, most likely due the events of last night and not drinking anything since then, as she spoke; he eyes showing her sincerity as she stayed near tears.

Whether she just woke up or had been Mao couldn’t tell, but the tears hadn’t flowed yet so perhaps she hadn’t been awake long? Placing the tray down on the end table Mao softly held Aiyana’s head as she kissed the woman on the forehead, ”I wanted too…and you deserve the pampering. I’m sorry for using the substitute…I wanted to try and surprise you.” She smiled, neither of them quite pulling off the ‘waking up the other with food laid out before them’ maneuver. It amused her even as she brought the tray over, letting it sit on her lap while her mate shifted to a more upright position.

”Here, perhaps some juice first?” Perhaps she should’ve brought some water first, or left a glass on the table before she started cooking? Things to consider next time the woman decided, placing her glass on the nearby nightstand so she could shift the tray of food to sit partially on both their laps. ”There’s more batter if this isn’t enough for both of us, but I figured we could start off with this,” Mao offered Aiyana a fork, though hesitated a bit, ”Err…I suppose I should’ve divided it between two plates instead….I hope this is okay though? We can use as much syrup on them as you like, I’m fine with any amount…mmm…oh! I forgot butter, I can go get some if you want!” Various emotions played over Mao’s face as she second-guessed her original decision to simply share the plate of food, to smiling at Aiyana over the syrup, and then a small frown that transformed into a light bulb going off in her mind. Finally it settled towards sheepish as her eyes drifted off to the side, ”Err…I suppose I could’ve just stayed here and ask you what you like on your pancakes when you woke up…I can get something else too if you like?”

The kiss on her forehead relieved the negative thoughts that ran through her mind as Mao spoke about Aiyana deserving the pampering today. In her opinion she deserved nothing, but Mao was completely sincere with what she said. The celestial spirit couldn't just deny her like that. "Thanks, you really did surprise me though. I didn't expect to wake up with you anywhere in the house today, especially after last night..." A small, throat clearing, cough would fail in its endeavor as she sat upright so Mao could sit beside her. A glass of juice was offered, the dry-throated woman happily accepting as she took a few small sips of the cold liquid.

Setting her drink down Aiyana would feel something make contact with her lap; the tray with the pancakes and syrup. The food smelled amazing, though she didn't really need to eat to survive, as she listened to Mao worry about small things. She paid attention to small details, sometimes to much of them. It wasn't necessary now so after watching the wheel of facial expressions, and the question with it, Aiyana simply gave her a kiss; one hand making sure the plate in their laps didn't fall. After holding it for a while, Aiyana stopped the kiss as she reached for the bottle of syrup. "Now, if you're done thinking of things we might need, shall we eat this food before it gets cold?" The words were said as the syrup was opened, a hand holding down a bit too hard as some squirted out to land on Mao's face and neck. "Oops! I guess I can take care of that too! A dessert to go with breakfast." The wink that went with it was a joking one, one made before she went in to lick her love's face and get some of the syrup off.

Mao held her tongue on the comment, her mind a bit jumbled and emotions even a bit mixed…it left her unsure how to respond or in some odd ways who to say it too. Aiyan hadn’t asked for that, and to be fair she hadn’t asked to be reminded of it either…that’d been the brilliance of her greedy curiosity poking out. Even though there now existed some things Mao wished to remember – primarily the times and things she’d forgotten about her growing bunch of friends (and possibly people she’d forgotten altogether because of the wipes and alterations), but overall Mao didn’t want to recall her past. With one gem on a job with Niyol she’d been regaining knowledge on plans she’d put into motion, ones that could take her life to accomplish. Knowing she was little more than a “drone” though…she didn’t wish to remember the times before this…

And then there was a part of her who wanted to see the man behind all this and…

And…

And…

Slowly those dark feelings vanished, dissolved by the very same powers she’d used to dislodge some of the pain blocking Aiyana’s mind last night. A part of her disliked it, reminded of the way she couldn’t fully escape control, but this wasn’t the time for that either so Mao relinquished to that same power to return to her more natural state.

After her flurry of thoughts and worries spilling out over potential “carelessness” they fled a thousand miles away as the other woman kissed her. ’Well…if we decide we want more I can always go get it anyway.’ Maybe she’d thrown in some surprises if they made it to another batch of pancakes and make some sort of light game out of it? A part of her considered getting a bowl for them to merely dip the pancakes into instead as they could eat it with their hands like pizza and wouldn’t make as bad of a mess…sort of like what happened. Instinctively she’d blinked, one eye remaining closed as she felt a glob of syrup ever so slowly beginning its descent down her cheek, sighing with a half-smile. About to tell her mate she’d be right back – about to use the bathroom to get the uncomfortable splotches off – the dessert comment left her confused long enough to give Aiyana opportunity to clear away the glob and some other residual dots from her cheek. It enflamed the spot as both cheeks lit up, though air lightly nipped at the wet spot on one. ”Oh…err…ah! Yeah, um…I suppose that is the less wasteful method…” Gods could not give the woman the ability to speak properly as her eyes shifted away, an embarrassed smile locked in place, ”and it’d be a shame to waste syrup, almost as bad as wasting honey. If we make it to another batch I may get us a bowl so we can just finger food it next time…”

The little things were always fun, making Mao forget the constant troubles and actually making her smile was one of those things for Aiyana. Hours passed as they enjoyed a decently clean breakfast after the single mishap. Words were spoken, laughs were made, and the things she had learned were avoided for a decent amount of time.

It was as Mao was leaving the room to clean dishes that Aiyana's mind began to allow the memories she had released. Maybe she should have asserted a bit more to do the dishes, but Aiyana wasn't the fan of cleaning up anyway; she just used cleanliness of her places as a way to throw off others that didn't know her that well. The Celestial Spirit disliked the way she was feeling, it wasn't her normal self and she didn't want that at all. The fox featured girl would have to confront her parents about this, she had to get it out in the open with them that she remembered. She NEEDED to hear them talk about it with her, to at least get him to admit his guilt! Now she understood the real reason she had run away, and it wasn't at all about becoming a mage. Her mind had subconsciously gave her that idea while hiding the truth from herself. Thoughts about how poorly that meeting would go ran through her head as she silently looked up to see Mao looking at the one that was in the midst of silent contemplation.

Should she ask Mao to join her? No, that was asking too much right now. Her parents didn't know a thing that had happened since she had left. Now with a changed body they wouldn't even recognize her, as even her voice was different now. Asking Mao to join could also strain their relationship...on top of the fact that Aiyana was not sure when she would confront them. Right not it would be too much, not after just remembering. She needed to recuperate and prepare herself or she'd break down at the very site of the man. Thoughts raced as she just looked at Mao quietly, something the fox girl was not known for.

Able to forget any worries Mao simply enjoyed the rest of her breakfast with her precious mate, the two able to bask in a cloud of happiness. The fact that she could help the celestial spirit forget about her woes for a little came as a relief, though she did have to fight Aiyana a little on the dishes. More of an insistence met with a tiny bit of resistance, the animal woman reminded herself that the intention for that day had been to spoil Aiyana as part of her attempt to comfort her, letting the other woman know that she was loved regardless.

Returning though she found the usually energetic and talkative woman quiet. It wasn’t that she perceived the ace as a constantly active woman and incapable of different emotions or anything of the like, but after last night it came with a hint of worry. Dwelling could be good or bad, a way to heal and yet a way to deepen the wounds and darker emotions related to the wounds. It was hard to tell which way Aiyana’s mind went however, causing the other tailed woman to fret a bit as she gingerly climbed back onto the bed and reached out, lightly stroking her arm to try and awaken the fox spirit from her thoughts. ”Are you all right? What are you thinking about?”

Eyes met eyes in silence before Mao asked two questions that had a lot more answers than the other woman might have expected. But how to word such answers? Should she come out directly and just ask the one who loved her to go and help her deal with this? Or gradually mention it over time? No, over time was too long, she would have to do this now or it would forever bother her.

"I...I think I'll be all right. But I need you to do something for me. Not now, not any time soon, but I want you to go with me. I NEED to confront my parents about this, but I can't do it alone. I want you to go with me when I do this, I can't do it by myself and I can't do it with anyone else."

It was stated quickly, eye contact breaking as she spoke to look down at the ground, in a lower voice that was just barely audible for the other to hear. Now was when she needed the answer of 'yes' from Mao. If Mao wouldn't go Aiyana would never do this, and she would end up dealing with this the rest of her life without getting asnwers from what she thought were a loving family.

’Of course she’s still dwelling on it…it’s so fresh in her mind now.’ Yet the fact she wanted to confront her problems Mao decided to view positively – despite all the darkness involved – though luckily it wasn’t something to tackle immediately. Going close to her attacker so soon would only revive all those chaotic emotions, ones the long-eared woman wanted to mend first so they would dull with time. The request would be met with only a few seconds of silence, long enough for the studious woman to process it all before gently lacing her arms around Aiyana, tail doing the same unto the bundle of pearly white tails, ”Of course, I wouldn’t let you go alone, even if you wanted it…no offense to your wishes. But if I can be there for you, then that’s what I want most.”

For once she didn’t fret about the future possibilities, Mao’s mind set on being there come hell or high water for her mate. Despite a small part of her worrying over the event itself, she pushed aside that in favor of simply being there for the foxy Celestial Spirit. She’d never been particularly fond of thinking too far in the future anyhow, the murky mysteries always too daunting. Pulling Aiyana back down into the covers, she set about tucking the woman back in, almost adamant about keeping her relaxed and comfortable for the moment. The future could wait.