At the beginning she had confused him, then intimidated him, but when she bowed over his broken artificial body with tears in her eyes, she was nothing but gentle. Her hands had shaken as she felt the breaks in his frame, mending them with what she had on-hand as he was too heavy for her to move herself with her own injuries plaguing her. What she knew chilled him, but she had taken his blows and biting words and still tried to mend him no matter how he'd hurt her.
When his day of madness had passed, Kain had wanted to die from the shame of it. Ice water seemed to fill his stomach, the shakes overwhelming him, and the first thing he had brought himself to do was wish for his own body back. The dragoon couldn't bring himself to face Mika after what he'd done, but found he could not escape her, either. She was there, tears in her eyes as she turned a pebble over in her hands, and she hadn't turned to face him as he drew close to the pond. Kain made his wish and fled, ignoring how she called after him as the shame burned hot in his throat and stomach.
Were they even real sensations or more fabrications? He still felt ill when he laid awake at night, staring at his ceiling. It took Zephyr two days before Kain awoke to the drawing in his mailbox, both days were agonizing with the worry that the young god would be too weak to grant his request gnawing at the back of his mind. The first deep breath he took once he'd felt Zephyr's magic take hold had made his eyes sting with a dizzying mixture of emotions, relief no small part of it.
"Kain?" His name had been spoken softly--almost anxiously--but had knocked the breath from his lungs as his stomach plummeted. He spun to face her, Zephyr's drawing still clutched tightly in his hand as he swallowed around a thick lump in his throat only to feel a new kind of guilt as he watched her. Her mouth was set in a thin, wobbling line of someone trying to reign in their anxiety, and her hands were shoved deep in her pockets to keep from fidgeting. "Are you okay?"
Mika watched him as if she had been afraid to ask the question, ready to back away if he retaliated. He felt like a fool for it, his expression softening as he held out a hand to her.
"Yes, I am now." It was not wholly a lie, at least. "I am sorry for worrying you, amongst the other troubles I have caused." For a closer look had revealed she still bore the marks of his blow, her lips still swollen and freshly healed, with light scratches marring her cheekbone. Mika simply shook her head, her tail wagging.
"It's fine, we all have our bad days. I'm just glad you're safe." Hesitantly she'd reached out to take his outstretched hand, her thumb stroked his fingers. "Did your wish work?" Her head cocked as she watched him, and when Kain unconsciously drew her closer she either didn't notice or simply didn't mind.
"It did," he nodded, his heart thudding heavily against his ribs while Mika seemed to be thinking over something to say, sucking idly on her bottom lip. His stomach twinged again, half tempted to tell her not to as it might make it sore again.
"What did you wish for?" Pointed ears shifted, angling forward, and Kain quickly stifled a foolish desire to reach out and stroke one to see how soft it was. He found himself looking at their hands instead of meeting her gaze, somehow hesitant to look her in the eye.
"I wished for my own body." To see her nod in understanding without questioning him made it a little easier, but not by much.
"Does it help?" She cocked her head, then clarified as she noticed the puzzled look on his face. "Does it feel better now that you've got it back again?"
Kain paused for a long moment, considering her words before he took a deep breath and sighed. "Yes, it does help."
part 1/??? cw: violence
When his day of madness had passed, Kain had wanted to die from the shame of it. Ice water seemed to fill his stomach, the shakes overwhelming him, and the first thing he had brought himself to do was wish for his own body back. The dragoon couldn't bring himself to face Mika after what he'd done, but found he could not escape her, either. She was there, tears in her eyes as she turned a pebble over in her hands, and she hadn't turned to face him as he drew close to the pond. Kain made his wish and fled, ignoring how she called after him as the shame burned hot in his throat and stomach.
Were they even real sensations or more fabrications? He still felt ill when he laid awake at night, staring at his ceiling. It took Zephyr two days before Kain awoke to the drawing in his mailbox, both days were agonizing with the worry that the young god would be too weak to grant his request gnawing at the back of his mind. The first deep breath he took once he'd felt Zephyr's magic take hold had made his eyes sting with a dizzying mixture of emotions, relief no small part of it.
"Kain?" His name had been spoken softly--almost anxiously--but had knocked the breath from his lungs as his stomach plummeted. He spun to face her, Zephyr's drawing still clutched tightly in his hand as he swallowed around a thick lump in his throat only to feel a new kind of guilt as he watched her. Her mouth was set in a thin, wobbling line of someone trying to reign in their anxiety, and her hands were shoved deep in her pockets to keep from fidgeting. "Are you okay?"
Mika watched him as if she had been afraid to ask the question, ready to back away if he retaliated. He felt like a fool for it, his expression softening as he held out a hand to her.
"Yes, I am now." It was not wholly a lie, at least. "I am sorry for worrying you, amongst the other troubles I have caused." For a closer look had revealed she still bore the marks of his blow, her lips still swollen and freshly healed, with light scratches marring her cheekbone. Mika simply shook her head, her tail wagging.
"It's fine, we all have our bad days. I'm just glad you're safe." Hesitantly she'd reached out to take his outstretched hand, her thumb stroked his fingers. "Did your wish work?" Her head cocked as she watched him, and when Kain unconsciously drew her closer she either didn't notice or simply didn't mind.
"It did," he nodded, his heart thudding heavily against his ribs while Mika seemed to be thinking over something to say, sucking idly on her bottom lip. His stomach twinged again, half tempted to tell her not to as it might make it sore again.
"What did you wish for?" Pointed ears shifted, angling forward, and Kain quickly stifled a foolish desire to reach out and stroke one to see how soft it was. He found himself looking at their hands instead of meeting her gaze, somehow hesitant to look her in the eye.
"I wished for my own body." To see her nod in understanding without questioning him made it a little easier, but not by much.
"Does it help?" She cocked her head, then clarified as she noticed the puzzled look on his face. "Does it feel better now that you've got it back again?"
Kain paused for a long moment, considering her words before he took a deep breath and sighed. "Yes, it does help."