Aishiki padded into the shop, her nose still tucked in a book. She'd felt almost pulled there, the faint scent of smoke ghosting over her nose, though no one else could smell it. Salvus had, for once, been uninterested in accompanying her - he was far too busy playing tag with Trinity - so she'd come alone. Once the shop's door was propped open to welcome in the spring air, and the windows opened wide, she dropped onto the soft couch in the main room, tucking her feet beneath her as she waited.
There was a girl, and a smoking stone.
Zero didn't know what to do, seriously. She went down, sheilding the stone from the rain with her jacket, then just... felt herself pulled to the building. Well, it was the *only* hutch she had...
So she went inside.
Hearing someone enter, Aishiki glanced up, blue eyes curious as they peered at her. "May I help you?" she asked, her voice a soft sound floating through the room.
Zero tried to regain her composture, and blinked. Where had she seen her before... ? Beh.
"Well, im not sure if you can..." She blew some smoke away from her face, then took the stone out of its shelter. "See, I found this stone... or ratter, tripped on it... some time ago, and then it just started smoking... Do you have any idea what it could be ?"
Aishiki unfolded herself, padding forward. It took a moment of peering at the stone before her eyes widened. "You... stumbled over it, you say?" she asked, reaching out to take the stone from Zero. "How... We had one go missing a few weeks ago, but I never expected it to find someone to bond with!"
Zero had this "talk english, please" face as she handed the stone over.
"Say wha, now ?"
"You... don't know what you've stumbled across, do you?" Aishiki asked softly, marvelling a bit at the thought.
"Well, I wouldn't have been running around like an headless chicken for the past 15 minutes if I did, didn't I ?" She sighed. "I tripped on it. I saw the kenji and brought it home trying to figure out what's written, but I couldn't figure it out. I kinda forgot about it until it started that smoke show and made me think my room was on fire."
Aishiki winced, a tiny smile playing over her lips. "One of us has bonded to you, and they're ready to arrive from Shisei." Her eyes were soft as she reached out to set the stone on the ground. "I suppose the question is, are you ready to meet them?"
"Or ratter, what the heck is going on ? Shisei ? What ?" Zero was deeply confused.
"I am a Juusanshi. We come from Shisei," Aishiki explained, gesturing to the couch beside her as she explained. "There's a plague in our world, one that can only be healed by bonding our souls to the soul of a Gaian."
Zero plopped down, and listened quietly. She was familiar with the whole concept... Gaians seemed popular when it came to that whole bonding thing, or what is just her.
"Ahhh." She nodded. "That sucks. Im sorry to hear that..."
A shadow passed over Aishiki's eyes, and she nodded, glancing away. "One of us has chosen to bond with you..."
"Uh, that's not a bad thing, right ?" She asked. "Im not exactly.... normal."
"Is anyone here normal?" Aishiki asked, glancing down as the smoke began, finally, to thicken. "Looks like it's going to happen shortly..."
"More than I do, miss."
She wrinkled her nose as she smoke tickned, and she placed the stone another way to that she wouldn't get a facefull of free smoke.
"Is there anything im supposed to do ?"
"Wait," Aishiki murmured, glancing sympathetically at her companion. "And try to be gentle - I'm not sure how far gone he or she will be upon arriving." She was about to say more when the smoke suddenly poured from the crack, filling the room. Aishiki was grateful for the way she'd opened the door and windows. While it billowed around them, it wasn't too thick to breathe through, and it was only a moment before it began dissipating.
In the place of the stone stood a tiger-striped person, sash wrapped loosely around the lean body.
"You m-" Zero was cut off as the whole thing unfolded, and then she dashed to him.
"Well, he's breathing.... but he doesn't look like he's concious."
Aishiki nodded, moving forward without touching him. "Your soul will help strengthen him."
"Hm, right. Well, is there somewhere we could lay him down ?" She didn't feel like carrying a tiger-boy taller than she was home under the rain.
"There's a back room where we sometimes house those who need immediate rest," Aishiki nodded. "Can you carry him, or shall I help?"
"Ill't be fine." She nodded, sliding her metal hands under him then lifted him with relative ease, heading to the backroom.
Aishiki's eyes widened, and she padded after them, grateful that she knew Trio to change the sheets on the back bed once a week, in preparation. "I think," she murmured, after a moment, "that he's in good hands."
Zero just giggeled at Aishiki's reaction, setting him down in the bed, and pulling the covers over him.
"Well, I told you I wasn't exactly normal, didn't I ?" She grinned.
"Well, my bonded isn't precisely normal, either. Nor is my brother's, though his is less so, I think," Aishiki pointed out calmly.
"We're all different." Zero pulled a chair, and leaned back. "Even if we may look similar."
Aishiki nodded, folding her hands on her lap. "As are we," she agreed. "Though the plague binds us all together, too."
"What is this plague all about, anyway ? If you don't mind me asking. What caused this ?"
"We don't know the cause," Aishiki admitted sadly. "We only found the cure after many of our people died. It's been... a rough time."
"Oh..." Zero trailed. "Im sorry. I know how it feels to have to flee your world."
"You do?" Aishiki asked quietly, tilting her head in askance.
"Yeah." She had the chair backyard, and was laying against the back, arms folded around the top.
"...My... creator was murdered because they couldn't accept my existence. I left partly because the pain was too strong, partlys so more that I care for would not die because of me."
"I'm... sorry," Aishiki offered, knowing the words were woefully inadequate.
"It's allright." She said. "...It's been a few years... the wound's as closed as its ever gonna get." She sighed, then glanced down at the tiger's face. "We have to focus on those who are still there, as much as it does hurt. I don't know why he decided to choose me... But ill do my best."
Aishiki smiled at that, nodding solemnly. "I think you'll be good for him, then."
"I ratter hope so." She smilled faintly.
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