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 Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:08 pm
 There was a certain confidence that came with the ability to fight, and though it was a subtle change, Zweix's step had an added bounce in it that she'd never before revealed, and there was something dangerous about the way she carried herself. She wasn't a master of Panzer Kunst by any means, but she was on her way, and she knew that, if nothing else, she could defend herself.
For once in her life, Zweix also felt the need to reach out to others, stretching her network of empathy over the course of Headquarters to see what she could feel. It was a strange sensation, using what had formerly just been intuition, but in a way, it completed her, and the murmurs of activity at the edge of her consciousness added an extra layer of security. No one felt alarmed, concerned, or hurt. All had to be well.
So, with few thoughts on her mind to weigh her down, for once Zweix simply enjoyed the stroll, her tails swishing behind her in contentment. Maybe it was just something about the summertime, but everything was finally looking up.
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:27 pm
"Hmm, so this is Headquarters."
A red and white Kitsu glanced around curiously as he shifted the pack slung over his shoulder into a more comfortable position. It might have seemed odd for a Kitsu to have never seen the HQ, yet this particular one held that title. Until now, that is.
Better late than never, he thought, humming to himself and figuring out what to do next. His first big journey (in his standards) had apparently ended upon setting foot in Headquarters. Admittedly, he hadn't given any thought on where to continue his journey. "I suppose I'll rest for a moment and head back," he murmered quietly to himself. I better find something interesting here to tell Dad, too. So he'll think I really had a wonderous adventure.
With a sigh, the Kitsu brushed himself off and began his wander around the area, red eyes taking in his surroundings.
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:42 pm
Zweix found herself enraptured by the sights, smells, and emotions of the Headquarters, some of the latter two present, others lingering, hollow and reminiscent of the past. She'd seen a few of her family records, and all in all was rather impressed. How many of her cousins had walked these halls? Uncles? Aunts? The wider and wider her spectrum of relatives grew in her mind, the less she paid attention to where she was going, until finally she brushed against the fur of another. Not really enough to knock someone over, but nevertheless, she'd invaded their personal space, and felt obliged to apologize.
"Oh, sorry about that: wasn't watching where I was going," Zweix said, taking a step away to reinstate both their personal bubbles. With a sheepish grin, she shrugged her shoulders, then looked up to the ceiling, not even aware that she was more than acquainted with the kitsu to whom she spoke. "This place is so big, it's easy to get distracted."
Granted, the last time she'd seen Kyou, she was still a kit.
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 11:09 pm
He pulled a piece of bread from his pack and chewed on it absentmindedly as he made his way along. Just something for his other paw to hold and something for him to do, as he began to lose interest in what was around him and his thoughts drifted off to happier times. The red and white figure moved aimlessly, body set on autopilot and eyes not quite seeing what was before him. He smiled softly to himself as he nibbled on the crust, gliding along slowly...
The feeling of someone brushing by him snapped him back to reality. He blinked for a moment before backing up slightly and turning to face the other. Had there been someone else here all along? He'd been under the impression that it was just him in the building, poking around for a worthwhile tale to bring home.
"T-that's alright," he muttered, shyness taking over once more. "I wasn't looking either... You're right about the distracting part." He smiled unsurely, the paw that had been resting on the pack's strap raising subconsciously to his head, as if trying to block the red fur tufts from view. The Kitsu finally raised his eyes to meet the other's, and he was suprised to see only one eye looking back at him. His gaze took in the face before him. Why, she looked just like...
"...Zweix?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 11:18 pm
Zweix blinked, openly confused: how could this other kitsu know who she was? It wasn't simply the fact that he'd known her name that threw her off, but rather, something seemed familiar in the emotions he felt towards her. Curious, she squinted with her good eye, and then, after a moment, whatever synapse had fired in his brain seemed to finally work for her as well. Her expression turned to one of shock, and she stepped closer, looking him up and down.
"Kyou?"
Before Zweix allowed the other kitsu to answer, her face lit up with happy surprise, and her tails danced behind her in excitement. "Wow, Kyou, is that really you? You look--amazing! Wow!" Practically pawing at the ground with joy, she reluctantly bit back the urge to give him a friendly nuzzle, as she remembered the personal bubble rule applied especially to him.
"What have you been up to?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 11:37 pm
Kyokujitsu's face broke into a grin at his name, his initial uneasiness disappearing quickly as his red tails swished behind him with happiness. He shoved the bread crust back into his bag, rubbing his paws together to rid them of crumbs before turning his attention back to Zweix.
"Apparently, it is," he replied. "Dad thought I caught some sort of unknown disease when tufts of red started showing up on my fur. I'm happy to say that's not the case." Kyo pawed at his hair, still not quite used to the fact of having it. "Speaking of Dad... he suggested I take a trip around the area so I don't become a total recluse. And well... here I am." He smiled sheepishly. Xelon had found him lying on the sofa one day with no books to read (as he had read them all quite a few times) and no chores to do (he'd finished them all out of boredom), and promptly dropped a traveling pack onto him with a meaningful look.
"What about you? Where've you been?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 11:43 pm
"I've just been around...I saw my mom a while back so I could train with her. I'm not clumsy anymore, Kyou!" Zweix did her best to skirt the issue of her father while she still could: she wasn't quite ready to face that problem when it came about. But she couldn't let such negative thoughts influence her when something so good had just happened. She got to see Kyou again! His fur turned fancy, but it was still Kyou, she could feel it.
Sechs had taught her that the key to being a good fighter was spontaneity, and Zweix had taken to applying it to other situations, whether for better or for worse. So, looking up at Kyou with her blue-purple eye, her expression became one of bittersweet sadness. "I really missed you, you know."
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 12:03 am
"That's great, Zweix! I guess we both changed quite a bit." He could feel the difference just by being in her presence. There was a certain edge of confidence in her voice and a sense of sureness in the way she held herself. The one thing that had plagued her for most of her early life was finally gone and Kyo felt a rush of happiness at the news.
He tilted his head at her sudden change in emotion, a slight confusion passing quickly through his eyes before he nodded in aknowledgement. "I missed you too. I'm glad my healing attempts didn't leave you crippled," he added with a small grin. Kyo hesitated for a moment before continuing softly. "Dad misses you as well, you know." He'd been there when Xelon had fallen into a state of despair upon learning that his daughter had abruptly left. His brow furrowed slightly at the memory, remembering how long it had taken before his father had shown some form of returning to the land of the living.
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 12:12 am
Zweix's body tensed in mid-nuzzle, and slowly, she pulled herself away, her gaze downcast. Xelon, Xelon...why did it have to be about him? Couldn't Kyou just be happy to see her? It seemed that no matter where Zweix went, she was always beleagered by the memories of that night, never allowing her to let it fully heal over. Nervous, she began to fidget, a bad habit of hers, until she finally regained the composure to look back up at Kyou.
"...I miss him, too." Zweix admitted, looking down at her gloved paws. "I miss him a lot. And I know that what happened wasn't him. I talked to Grandma about it. I just...I don't know if I'm ready to see him again. It's one thing to think something, and another entirely to feel it."
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 12:39 pm
Kyo placed a comforting paw on her shoulder and sighed. "But part of him has been missing ever since... then. It's like he's not really... here with us 100% anymore." Xelon's once bright and inquisitive eyes had become dulled and tired. He was thinner, more ragged in appearance, and seemed much older than he really was. And it worried Kyo. It was hard to stand on the sidelines and watch what his family went through.
"I know you're still affected by that night, but... maybe you and him should talk. Seems like everything is at a standstill until the two of you reconcile." He patted her gently and took a step back to give her some room.
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Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 12:49 pm
By instinct, Zweix flinched when Kyo put his paw on her shoulder, but she forced her shoulders to relax as she looked up into his red eyes, wondering when she had grown to be nearly his height. He'd always been the older one...but, she supposed, as time passed, the slight difference in age would come to mean less and less.
The prospect of seeing her father frightened her still, but a part of her made her stop and think. Why was she delaying the meeting any further? She knew that he would only go insane during the full moon, and that any other time, he was just Xelon. She knew that, even if she had to fight him again, she'd been training, and if nothing else, could run. She felt the sadness from Kyo, and could only imagine how Xelon felt, and all and all, Zweix had been holding the grudge for far too long. Xelon was her father, and he deserved better than this.
"...You're right," She admitted again, standing and walking closer to her adopted brother. "You're absolutely right. It's time I talked to him again."
"...Could you come with me, if I do?"
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