The man came to.

"Thanks for the compliment Kurai, but it'll still be a while. Whilst we're waiting, could you tell me about Ryuu?"

He hoped she wouldn't lose interest and leave. That would be bad.

Kurai shrugged her scaly shoulders, wings loosening as she did so, "Kurai doesn't know much about Ryuu. He's like Kurai, but looks more like Kou-chii. He also seems nice, but scary at the same time."

Speaking about Ryuu had reminded the youngling about her previous thoughts, she wiggling in excitement, "Kou-chii! You're old, so that means Kou-chii can help Kurai get stronger! Will Kou-chii help Kurai get stronger?" The hollow really didn't mean to seem rude by pointing out Yoshiya's age, but she was too excited to actually think about her wording.

Yoshiya gazed forlornly at Kurai. He was not stable this night. Data and feeling cascaded upon him, drowning in a sea of mist. Even so, he rose to his feet.

"Why do you seek to become stronger? So you can protect what you held dear? I tell you, everything has its time. Some day we will become like the dust running through these streets. Death is a constant for us all. Still, if you wish to fight, I am willing to teach you. But, there is a problem. You are rather large, and even if you were smaller, my house would be too cramped for it."

If they had space, it would be possible. And if he were to be eaten by her, so be it. He had played his fate.

Kurai tilted her head at the man's words, thinking to herself that something bad must have happened to him. "What about kitty? You'd try to keep her safe, no? Kurai would like to become stronger so she doesn't have to run all the time."

The dragon would give the Yoshiya another smile, "Kurai already knows that things go away forever, but Kurai will always be happy, because things are more fun that way." As for the training, the hollow would plop down in a seated position, tapping a clawed digit on her chin.

"Kou-chii could come to Kurai's home to help train her, if Kou-chii wants? Kurai doesn't live to far in the wastelands."

Wastelands. Not too far. Could it be done? Data. Good. Data. Data. Data. Power. Strength. Duty. Will. Change. Destiny. Fate.

Data.

"FOCUS"

He would need to snap to.

"What is my purpose in this life? Is this what I am supposed to do? Train this Hollow?"

He was being an idiot. But he didn't have anything better to do, though he wasn't sure if that was 'than being an idiot' or 'training Kurai'.

His mind went fuzzy as he took his hand away from Kurai and curled up on his bed, sobbing slowly. Yggdrasil leapt up onto him.

Lowering her forearm, the hollow's brow would furrow in shock. Did she say something that offended the man or was her presence too much for the man and he was just now reacting to it? Either way, Kurai would stand, head low to the ground as she made her way back to the ladder from which she had fell down from, "Kurai is sorry for intruding. She'll leave if Kou-chii wants and never come back to bother Kou-chii."

Truthfully, the hollow didn't want to leave, especially when it was getting really close to daylight, but she would leave if it was what the man wished.

He was curled up, tight, rocking in his bed. Sobbing. He turned. He let out a scream. Audible. It...was enough of a release to function. For a time.

He sat up. Rocking. On his bed. Back and forth. Room was spinning. Unable to focus. Auxillary. Use. Backup.

"I'm sorry. Kurai. I'm...not. Feeling very well right now. I would. Yes. Train. We shall. But. Tired. Need rest. Would you stay the night? May I ask you. To hide. My larder. No. Food first. Lamb done."

Yoshiya, with glazed eyes, focused enough to manage to stagger to the pot, remove the leg of lamb, and hand it to her. He shifted oddly on his bed, his eyes blank.

The dragon jumped at the shriek tearing out of Yoshiya's throat, she letting out a whine in concern. She would make her way back towards him when she heard his request, nodding her head. Kurai would watch the man with sad ruby eyes, nuzzling his hand once more before partaking in the meal Yoshiya had so gratefully made for her. The hollow took no time at all before she had stripped the leg of its meat, working now on cracking open the bones to get the marrow.

Once finished with the bones, Kurai would move towards the fireplace, curling up next to the flames as she continued to watch the man closely, refusing to comply to his request of her sleeping in the larder. "Kurai will be here if Kou-chii needs anything."

He was visibly shaking, trembling, rocking.

"I'm sorry Kurai, but I'm scared of you getting caught here. The larder is hidden. I must insist you stay there. May I ask what your objection is though? Maybe I can fix it?"

He needed to end his consciousness. ASAP.

Kurai defiantly shook her head, "If Kurai gets caught, then she gets caught. Kurai is concerned about Kou-chii. Kou-chii doesn't look very well, and would like to help in anyway she can. Please don't force Kurai to sleep somewhere else."

He looked at....no, it was more sort of past her.

"Miss Kurai, if you get caught then I am in deep trouble to. I will be fine, this happens regularly. If you are insistent on keeping watch, then I shall sleep in the larder too."

He felt faint.

The hollow let out a small whine, picking herself up from the floor. When he put it like that, Kurai had no other choice but to sleep in the larder. "Kou-chii needs to stay here, where it's warm. Kurai will go hide."

The hollow made her way towards the stairs, claws clacking against the floor and disappearing from the man's sight.

Guilt. The feeling gave Yoshiya enough negativity for him to function for a while.

"Imbecile."

As she left the floor Yoshiya ascended to the roof and shut the trapdoor. Afterwards he tipped the pot slightly, spilling enough to put out the fire. He always slept with it out anyway.

Afterwards he would trundle down the stairs to the kitchen. The larder was hidden, and he hadn't told her ladyship where it was.

"Kurai, I usually sleep in the cold anyway, so don't worry about heat for me. However I am now worrying about your comfort."

He was a host. A bad one, but still a host.

Glancing over her shoulder, the hollow would give Yoshiya a small smile, shaking her head, "Kou-chii doesn't need to worry about Kurai's comfort because Kurai sleeps in a cave with Cheema. Or if Kurai stays out too late in the forest she'll sleep in a tree."

The dragon moved further into the kitchen, claws clacking as she tested the air, "Where is Kurai hiding again?"

"Wait here Kurai."

Yoshiya opened a cupboard and withdrew a number of blankets, sheets and other cloths. He pushed away the wall hanging and slipped into the hole beyond.

Yoshiya descended the ladder into the cavern. He had a bit of house-keeping to do. With sadness in his eyes the sick man covered up his deranged scribblings. No-one should see the messages he wrote in his darkest hours. If he did not have company, he would be adding to the etchings.

After that was done he arranged the remaining blankets into a pile to provide some comfort for his guest.

"You can come down now!" he called to the Hollow. "Just mind the drop down"

The dragon plopped down into a seated position, watching Yoshiya move around the kitchen with curious eyes. Her attention, though, would soon be captured by the feline form of Yggdrasil. Kurai flicked her tail in the direction of the cat, a giggle escaping her maw as Yggdrasil crouched into a stalking position.

Before the cat could capture her prey of scales a fur, Kurai heard herself being summoned from the hole Yoshiya had disappeared from. Giddy with happiness, the hollow ignored the warning, only to result in her tumbling down into the larder, 'oofs' expelled from her throat. Her tumbling stopping at the feet of the grumpy man, Kurai would place a clawed hand on her muzzle, "S-sorry, Kou-chii."

She was met with a steely glare.

And then...nothing. The small flare of emotion caused by this was unexpected. He could not harness it. It overloaded the already exhausted man. He wobbled for a bit, then collapsed, unconscious.

Startled by the sudden fainting of Yoshiya, Kurai would nuzzle the man's shoulder, hoping he would wake. Seeing that he didn't, the dragon would let out a whine, curling her body against his. She tried to keep watch over Yoshiya, but she felt that the sun was coming up, making the young one extremely tired.

"Kurai is really sorry, Kou-chii, but Kurai is really sleepy. Please wake up soon." And with that, the hollow would fade into sleep.

[Exit]

His dreams gave him little sanctuary. Throughout the night he was tormented with dark images. His mind dwelt on his own failures, how he was unnecessary in, and a liability to, this world. Eventually his dreams found comfort; in the cessation of his own existence, in the sweet rest, free from the pain and torment that ate away at his soul.

Death could not come soon enough. Though by duty he would fight it off. By duty, and by nothing else.

Kurai would find him a less than stellar sleeping companion, tossing and turning throughout the night, screams echoing throughout the cavern.

---

And then began a new day. If Kurai awoke, she would find Yoshiya gone, replaced by a slip of paper which read:

Gone out, back this evening. Please try to stay in the larder until my return. Feel free to help yourself to food.

~Kouhei

[EXIT]

Thread Rewards:

Yoshiya - 25 RP

Kurai - 24 RP

Points added, thread locked.