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“If I said yes, would you believe me?” She rested her hands on his wrists, and in doing so he could feel how her hands trembled now that they were no longer moving.

With a sigh, her shoulders sagged and as she closed her eyes Laven leaned her forehead against his shoulder so he couldn’t see her face. None of that story was supposed to actually be real, it was just a joke… or at least she thought it was. It wasn’t a lie when she said that she believed in the paranormal but that by no means meant that she was brave in the face of it.

“This was a mistake…” Her voice was quiet as she continued. “I’ve already had my life turned upside down once this year,” going from being a normal young woman with an almost completed college degree to a half youma that was scared of her own reflection. “I don’t want to add ghost to the list.” Although, her skin was noticeablly more pale than usual which actually was saying something since her skin was already fair. At this rate she would be as translucent as a jellyfish if she wasn’t careful.

“I’m only allowed to fall through a house once each year and that quota was used up last summer.” With all these broken floorboards and no indication of there being a ground beneath them she lifted her head and reached up to remove the cuff from her ear then placed it on one of his.

I’m not as brave as you.

“You’ll find her… it… whoever is making the sound quicker if you’re not dragging me around. I’ll just stay here. When you find her we will both see her and we can get out of here.” That is, assuming ghosts played by the rules. But when the house was more like a shifting labyrinth she had to wonder if there were really any rules to begin with.

In all honesty she didn’t want to leave him but maybe his idea was the right one to begin with. At least this way they would have eyes in at least two places of the house at the same time. If one spotted her, with the earring, they both would win.

Hopefully.

Although it was hard, with a defeated look in her eyes Lavendulan met his gaze when he pulled away. He sounded confident that he would be able to find the little girl if they stuck together but there was still a shadow of a doubt that made her heart feel like a lead weight sinking in her chest.

When all words seemed to be lost small whimper escaped her unparted lips.

Monsters weren’t supposed to be real. However, youma, and half-youma as they were, existed.

Magic wasn’t supposed to exist. Yet she could move water and change forms with little more than a thought and wave of her hand.

Stories were just that. Stories… But this house just proves that wrong too. For as brave as she appeared to be when telling him of the legend, it became quite painfully obvious that her belief in it only went as far as her arm could reach.

Wolframite’s last words echoed in her mind and because he had been speaking to her with his voice rather than thought, Laven forgot that she had literally just shared her earring with him not even a full moment ago. That, or that she didn’t affix it on his ear properly and wasn’t working and as such did not guard her thoughts or feelings as carefully as she should have.

It was her fault he was here in the first place, all because she shared that stupid story from college and baited him into seeing if it was true. If her remaining here meant he wouldn’t leave then she had no choice but to follow down this hallway of madness where doorways disappeared and holes in the floorboards threatened to swallow them whole if they so much as took a wrong step.

“Just like the hallway,” she nodded numbly, agreeing to stay with him as best she could. “But if you hear her then you have to run. Hunt her down so we can get out of here.” While her water form granted a speed increase that helped her keep up when sparing, Laven did not know if she could keep up with him at a sprint or race as it was something she had never tested against another Captian before. But if push came to shove and he pulled ahead she would not call out for him to slow down or wait.

There were times where it was ok to act selfish and while she honestly felt the same as he did in not wanting to be apart, if the moment came where a choice had to be made where he could escape Laven would have to let him go even if it meant being here alone. She would have to find solace in that he was safe back in the barracks among the other agents and youma rather than this haunted labyrinth of a house with a bored little girl desperate to play with someone.

Laven shifted, wrapping her arms around his torso she buried her head against his shoulder again and held him there for a moment. “After this,” she mumbled, “no more paranormal s**t, ok? Leave it to someone else.”

It felt like the world around her was spinning when she opened her eyes.

Thick grey clouds loomed overhead, the sight of them broken up by the knotted limbs of one of the deciduous trees that had already lost most of its leaves which crunched beneath her weight when she shifted.

Laven’s head felt like she got roundhouse kicked in the side of her face when she tried to get up. “Wolfy?” she groaned, pressing the heel of her palm against her temple she slowly leaned forward to rest her forehead against the cool damp ground.

He did it, Wolframite found the girl and got them out just as he said it would. But just because they were free did not mean that she felt ok by any means; if anything it felt like she was going to lose her last meal if he shouted her name again.

“I’m over here.” With her free hand, she grabbed ahold of a fist full of dead grass and shook it so he could come to where she had ungraciously been dumped. This has to be punishment for following him and not actually playing.

Somewhere between their signatures, Laven heard the disappointing sound of the young girl’s voice. “I guess you win,” she watched Wolframite with a pouted expression. “Here, for you.” At her feet was a small white box with a gold ribbon tied around it. “Come play with me again some time!” The child laced her fingers behind her back and danced in a circle then disappeared as the sun peaked over the horizon painting their surroundings in brilliant orange hues.

“Mmmhmm…” She agreed with a small nod of her head. “Yes please,” Laven whimpered beside him and gave his hand a weak squeeze to let him know she was ready.

For all the times she had been taxied both to and from Destiny City, Laven should have been used to the sensation of being teleported, and for the most part she was, by now, immune to those unpleasant after-effects except for instances like now when she could already feel the burn of bile in the back of her throat. However, when she opened her eyes, she felt somewhat relieved that all his practice was most definitely showing in that rather than being in the near vicinity of the barracks Wolframite managed to bring them righto the front door.

They were both exhausted but each for a different reason; hers was more mentally while his was more from physical exertion with all the running he had done. Either way, it was late, or early depending on how you looked at it since the sun was just now rising in Destiny City, and they were two tired half-youma on the verge of passing out in the hallway between their two doors.

Lavendulan reached for her door and stumbled into her room after catching her toe on the rug upon entering. Thankfully the bed broke her fall and she groaned, crawling under the covers without even bothering to power down. If she got dirt, or mud, on the sheets she would deal with it later. Right now she just didn’t give a damn.

She waited until Wolframite got settled and rather than curling up beside him as she usually did, her forehead pressed against his back or side, Laven waited for him to lay down first and get settled. Without a word she tugged the fabric of his sleeve gently so he’d roll over on to his back, a silent request for him to lay in a way that would allow her to rest her head against his chest.

Usually, his weight on the bed beside her was enough for her to easily fall asleep but tonight was different. She needed more than just the weight of his tail draped over her legs or paw over her side. She needed more than the sweet scent of almonds or warmth he offered by his nearness.

No, what she needed was to hear his heartbeat, that simple reassurance that he was alive and here and that whatever the hell just happened last night was over and done with. That her stupid idea hadn’t gotten him killed.

”I’d rather be here with you if we lose than be without you if I win.” His words echoed in her mind and she realized that, even though she hadn’t said anything at the time, she wholeheartedly felt the same way.

Laven closed her eyes and allowed the simple rise and fall of his chest to calm her down enough for the steady, yet strong, beat of his heart lul her into what she hoped would be a dreamless sleep.