Eye of the Needle: Into the Reikai

DeMain XII: Angler's Lure

The town's help came, strangely enough, from the Albatross Spirit. It was an Anchor Spirit that called its home to some rather open communities down in both Hawaii and New Zealand... however that worked. While not everyone agreed to leave, it was at least a majority of the townsfolk who followed their elder's leads and left alongside them. The Albatross Spirit itself didn't look very miraculous, but something about it struck DeMain as prideful despite the trash bag wrapped around its right leg. It screeched at him, then perched higher in the trees in preparation to set off and guide the villagers to a safer homestead.

DeMain, Kaiyo, and Yolanda, despite their disagreements, all agreed this was the best they could do given the situation. Kaiyo seemed to have let off the brakes a bit and cut DeMain some slack for the whole disaster, but he honestly would have understood even if she didn't. Before they set off, he managed to catch her packing the few things she had in a backpack with hipster pins and extra black pockets sewn in.

"Hey, listen, I wasn't trying to be stupid on purpose—"

"I know, DeMain. But it just... god it fucking sucks. I still miss him and I don't know if I can just let that go. I know it's not your fault but it feels like the universe is giving me a big 'fuck you in particular'" Kaiyo huffed, setting her packed bag down and landing herself on the old bed she probably shared with Kurt not even a few hours ago.

DeMain sat down on the floor, he didn't really feel comfortable trying to mosey on in next to her. She'd probably stab him. Actually she definitely would, DeMain had partially heard the very colorful plans she had for Avery when she got to him during her conversations with Yolanda behind closed doors. It wasn't like he was creeping in to listen, she was just very vocal. Kind of hard to ignore a girl spouting things DeMain wouldn't wish on the worst of people while he carried people's bags nearby.

"What was Kurt like? I only knew him for a little bit, but he seemed cool."

"He was, in all the good ways." Kaiyo reminisced, watching the webs wrapped around her hands with empty eyes. "Kurt wasn't afraid to stand up for things, even if it got him in trouble. Lots of trouble. I... I guess weirdly enough, I knew he wasn't going to last very long. Twice as hot, twice as short type of guy, but I loved him for it. It pulled me out of a lot of dark holes I didn't think I could keep digging for myself, much less climb out of. He told me all the time he thought his soul was pretty boring compared to mine. I could do all these things with runes and silk and he just... got cooler fists. He 'basically just punched hard'."

DeMain listened. There wasn't much else to do and frankly he didn't feel like doing anything else in the first place. He could feel Curiosity staring through his eye, giving DeMain a facet of attention he never thought possible given his difficulty with schoolwork. Kaiyo seemed a little happier that she could fill the silence with adorative memories, even if just to talk to herself.

"I liked Kurt a lot, and I know that sounds kind of dumb since we were dating but he was... simple. I liked it. I knew what would make him laugh and how he would approach things. I guess I would have tweaked his fashion a bit, but you can't have everything."

Kaiyo began to falter and break into tears, sinking deeper into what would never be again.

"Kurt was... he was my friend when I didn't really know what a friend was. We started dating because I really felt like I could be myself and do things with him. I found out about his Awakening and... I don't know. I felt like I wanted to help stitch a bunch of tears back together in my favorite teddy bear. It's... a stupid analogy, I know."

She put her face in her hands and shook as tears overtook her, deeply set doubt and shame clawing at her from within. DeMain could feel it radiating off of her, a cold that raised your hairs and consumed you from inside. He realized he could see Kaiyo's soulform, but he wasn't sure if he should look at it. Yolanda had mentioned it was a private thing. DeMain averted his eyes.