Mages, Mothers and Dolts, Oh my!

[Anonymous]

(started a new thread continued from “Ah! I’m Freezing!!� because blue is poof’ed and we wanna get this thread movin’ again! >_</) so, this post has no mention of blues character that was in it.. except for that)

Yuuki, like a disappointed father, just shook his head at Niaakis abuse of his femminen features in getting drinks. What kind of men where here anyway? Not offering a beautiful young lady some real food, bah. Heathens! Or just horny. Good think Niaaki threw it all up! Otherwise someone might make that scary growling noise that was coming from outside. Did it just get kind of hot? And who was calling who a <I>skunk-money</I>? What kind of pet was that? And oh! A pet with the same name as him, that was kinda cool! Would have been better if it wasn’t a <I>skunk-monkey</I> those didn’t sound like they smelt very nice. It took quiet a while, of just zoning out and looking at Niaaki before he realized <I>he</I> was Yuuki. It was at that moment when he jumped up and glared at the door… And nearly ran away. Uh oh, uh oh, uh oh!

He looked at Niaaki with the words ‘Yes, I did enjoy my time!’ on the tip of his tongue, but, the lady whose time he enjoyed was right there… Naked.  Well, only slightly naked, he could see her pretty curving shoulder and liked the way her hair curled on her shoulder. While his dark blue eyes took in the view that was presented for him, the words she spoke to him never did quite sink in. He saw her lips move, could remember kissing them, but, the words she said, which made Niaaki nearly fall over didn’t sink in as far as everyone would have liked. Yuuki licked his lips, looked around and in a stage whisper said “Atachii, you’re not carrying anything, and I don’t have any children… Are you okay? Do you need a doctor? Maybe some water?â€? Yuuki cast a worried look at Niaaki. It must be really bad if she thinks the sheets she’s holding is a kid!

He got up and lightly, but forcefully pushed Atachii into a chair, adjusting the sheet so it covered her and tied it like that so she wouldn’t have to hold it. A quick hand on her forehead told him what he needed to know. She was perfectly fine and had no fever. Wait, what? If she had no fever then why was she delusional? No matter, cold water would fix everything! “Just a second!� he told the pair before quickly rushing and getting a cool glass of water for the poor lady, until it <I>really</I> hit him. Over and over again he had gone over it in his mind… but… but.. but… THEY JUST HAD SEX! How could she know! How could she melt the snow? How could she just do that in front of so many people! How could she come down stairs in a sheet!?

After coming to a realization, he simply sat down, next to Niaaki, pale and clammy and drank the water himself. Why did he get drunk <I>before</I> this happened, he really wanted to get drunk now! Leaning over the table to look at Atachii he cleared his throat, and spoke, in a high squeaky voice. “Does that mean you’re…. “ He looked around quickly, leaned closer and whispered very quietly so only Atachii and Niaaki could hear him “Pregnant?â€? he bit his lip, looking more scared than Atachii. In all his life, in all the girls he’s poke-and-humped, he’d never gotten one pregnant before! Damn these mages and being extra fertile!  Sitting quietly, he kept his tongue on the roof of his mouth and his lower lip between his lips. Gnawing on it so he didn’t tap his fingers on the table which would annoying <I>someone</I> and possibly get his ass kicked.

[Anonymous]

The noise in the bar rose and fell at intervals around her, and no one but those closest in proximity seemed to mind, or even notice, that a woman half-naked, well, completely naked save for the white sheet she was clutching to with a grip that could only be produced from rage, was standing in the room. Nevertheless, she stood there, staring down at the two, one with the burning rage of a thousand crossed women with PMS, and the other with pity for having to have known the first for so very, very long. Really, Atachii felt for Niaaki, and almost respected him for being able to put up with Yuuki for so long. Mostly, though, she wondered how much he must drink to deal with it… Which would help explain the ease with which he had slipped into a feminine charge to caress free drinks out of all-too-willing men. Right now, Atachii was wishing she hadn’t stepped a foot within the bar at all.

At her words, Niaaki was literally flung from his chair, and sprawled on the floor, and Atachii could tell that Yuuki… Hadn’t caught on. Good gods, this man was dense! And… She was pregnant with his child. Every time the thought popped into her head, she became a little bit more homicidal, and the prospect of breaking something over Yuuki’s head became more and more appealing, not that it would affect any of his capacities. “No! I don’t need water, you… Ugh!� Atachii was seriously considering it, when Yuuki pushed her into a chair and adjusted her ‘clothing’. It was all she could do to keep from clawing his eyes out, he was so close! So close! But, no… She didn’t do it. Damn her and having a conscience. As Atachii watched Yuuki walk away, she couldn’t keep the stunned expression from her face as she turned to Niaaki.

“He… Really doesn’t get it, does he?� Her green eyes turned to the dirty tabletop, home to the glasses of drunkards, the dirty hands of fatigue, and now to her confusion. She really was at a loss as to what to do with… All this. “Oh god… What am I going to do?�

Already, her abilities were beginning to take on a mind of their own, and her control was only going to drown further within her mind as the child came to term. It was a well known side effect of pregnancy for mages, and it was not something she was looking forward to dealing with. Hers’ were already starting to go haywire, and she didn’t want to imagine what it would be like when everything she wandered by began lighting on fire, or she started to cause the room to shake and tilt. And, worse yet, now she had a permanent attachment to… She shuddered. Yuuki. With a saddened laugh, she let her head drop to the wooden tabletop, and realized just how hard it was.

Rubbing her forehead, she watched as Yuuki returned in all his oblivious glory. The look on his face said it all, it had sunk in, and for some strange reason, Atachii couldn’t help but smile. She quickly fixed that, though, and stared at him with the most blank expression as he leaned over to inquire as to whether or not their rampant, drunk affair had held any fertility. And, she almost let her head fall into the table again with laughter. Looking up, she glared into Yuuki’s eyes, her voice blunt, her smile not matching the look in her own eyes.

“Yes, Yuuki, I’m pregnant, and, no, I don’t need a doctor,� she paused, leaning back into her chair and letting herself think for a moment, but she didn’t much like what was going on in her head. “By the way, Yuuki, what did you do with my clothes? I don’t really like wearing this sheet… I have a feeling it’s kinda dirty.�

Atachii looked over toward the bar, and gestured with an irritated hand movement for some sort of cold drink to head her way. The bartender nodded and turned away, and she could only assume that he understood, and that her alcohol would find its way here. But… And, it hit again. Should she really be drinking anything now? But, gods, she wanted to drink so badly. But, she was pregnant, now and she was going to be a mother soon. As the thought pulsed through her head, like a blaze that suddenly stuck and slowed, she mulled the word over again and again. Mother. It sounded so foreign now, it was foreign, never before had it had any personal connotation to her, and now… It was her.

Atachii’s skin paled and she looked at Yuuki. And, he was the father. And, they were having a child. And… Now, it seemed real. She turned in her chair, her pale skin clammy, and rested her head in her hands, elbows on her knees, letting thin fingers run through her rebellious brown hair, tossed in rampant curls, and stared at the floor, her voice low.

“Oh god…� She swallowed. “I’m not feeling too great, right now.�

[Rhindeer]

Niaaki, who had finally managed to right himself in his seat, could only stare at Yuuki in wide-eyed horror as the whole thing flew completely over his head, and he could have almost laughed when Yuuki looked at him as though Atachii were the dense one. Well, he could have laughed. As he slammed his head against the table. He didn't do either, though, as any sounds seemed to have died in his throat and slamming his head against the table would just bring back the headache he'd finally gotten rid of. What the?! NO! He couldn't...he couldn't seriously be that stupid. Oh Gods. Yuuki. Usually his density was amusing and Niaaki had become very used to it over the years, but right now wasn't the time! Opening his mouth to speak when he finally felt that he could, the words froze when Yuuki got up, pushed Atachii into his chair, and took off to get some water.

Still painfully oblivious.

Shutting his mouth, he looked instead to Atachii. Was she...she was serious, though? She was really serious. Her insane grin before had made him hope that she was just trying to give Yuuki a much needed scare, but that grin was gone. She just looked pissed. And stunned.

With a soft groan, he rested an elbow on the table and massaged his temples with that hand, rolling his eyes at Atachii's question though he still looked just as stunned as anyone else there. "No...sorry, he is not pretending. He really is that dense," he answered dully, and winced at her next question, feeling bad for her. Yuuki wasn't the one that had to carry an unwanted child in his belly, after all...and Niaaki had warned him that his antics would catch up to him eventually, that he should take precautions! Not that he'd listened; he was terrible at that whole listening and comprehending thing.

And as Atachii gave a saddened laugh and banged her head against the table, Niaaki felt the sudden urge to hug her. He didn't know how she knew that she was pregnant so soon after their romp--he was no expert, but he'd always thought it took at least a few days--but she was so sure of it, and so depressed about it that, well...she must have a means of knowing.

Then Yuuki returned with the water, and Niaaki shot a small glare at him as he sat down beside him, though from the look on his face, something seemed to have finally registered. Yup, it had, he actually popped the question and Atachii answered that it was true. Sighing and shaking his head at the question of where Atachii's clothes had gotten to, Niaaki muttered under his breath, "He is probably wearing them under his clothes."

Nothing was too stupid for Yuuki, after all!

He fell awkwardly quiet after that, absently tracing designs onto the tabletop as he processed the whole situation, not really accepting it yet. It was...crazy. And his head was still reeling a little from the effects of alcohol. This was just...craziness. Yuuki had finally knocked up a girl and here she was, looking mortified. He couldn't blame her, either; if he was a woman he wouldn't have wanted to bear Yuuki's children, no disrespect to him or anything! And what did all this mean for them, anyway? Yuuki couldn't just leave her--Niaaki wouldn't let him, he had a responsibility toward his soon-to-be child, now, and a responsibility toward the mother...even if they didn't have any feelings toward each other. He couldn't just be one of those dead-beats, not like his father.

So, what were they going to do? Any of them. That question really did apply to them all...

The bartender finally came back with a bubbly, alcoholic drink that Atachii had apparently ordered--though Niaaki had missed that--and Niaaki was quick to snatch it up before either she or Yuuki could get to it. Neither of them needed alcohol now! They'd both had way too much already, and alcohol was bad for pregnant women, anyway.

With a warning glare at Yuuki, Niaaki turned in his seat and set the glass of bubbly alcoholic goodness on a table behind them before turning his attention back to the two.

And frowning worriedly at Atachii.

Out of anyone there, she really had gotten dealt the worst hand. He really felt for her. She'd been the one to save his life, and this was the reward karma had in store for her? Not that having a child was a horrible thing, but certainly if you didn't want one--and especially if it was with someone you didn't even like, a drunken accident. Of course, that had been both of their faults as they'd both been drunk, but Yuuki at least should have known better! He was the man! He was supposed to be the gentleman!

Yeah, right.

"Atachii..." With a sigh, Niaaki set Butch down in his chair, crossed over to her--as she was sitting where Yuuki had previously been, across the table from him--and wrapped his arms around her in an impulsive hug, forgetting the fact that the poor woman was wrapped only in a sheet that probably had some questionable stains on it. She looked so depressed and, well...weren't hugs a good cure? Well, maybe not a cure, but she looked like she needed a hug. He raised his eyes to shoot Yuuki yet another glare--he should be the one doing this, though then again she might murder him--then looked back to Atachii. "Is it nausea? I could probably help if it is just nausea. I am a healer, I might be able to do something," he offered gently, rubbing her back and subtly hoping she didn't smack him. Physical contact might be the last thing she wanted right now.

He also had a feeling that if it was nausea, it wasn't from morning sickness yet.

[Anonymous]

A distinct sound of a Yuuki-style snarl came out of the corner of his mouth, lip raised and everything as he looked at Niaaki about his little comment about Atachiis underthings. <I>He</I> didn’t do anything to her clothes, she was the one who took them off, they were probably under the bed in a pile, getting covered in gross under bed-monsters. “I didn’t do a damn thing to your clothes, but, I’ll go upstairs and look for them.� Yuuki didn’t see her do much of anything after he turned around and went back upstairs luckly he didn’t see Niaaki hug Atachii or he’d have done something drastic, like leave them both there and never see them again. Not that it would be too big a loss, they seem to get along famously.

 Yuuki landed hard on his knees, not really in the mood to be careful and tentative in his movements, mostly because he had worked himself into a bit of a mood. He made a huffing noise when he spotted her clothing, getting a hand full of it, he pulled them our from under the bed, plucking off any dust bunnies that attached themselves to it and stood up.

What the hell was he supposed to do now? He straightened her clothing and laid it on the bed in order of… use? Wearing? Screw it, he didn’t care if she put her skirt on upside down, backwards AND inside out. He’d think she lost her mind, but since when did she care what he thought? Oh, right, never. Hahahahaha. Not.

Sighing, Yuuki ran a hand through his hair and began his way back downstairs, looking down at them for a moment, staring at the woman who was gonna have a little wriggly pink that was half his and half hers. A teleporter mage, how interesting. Hopefully it would be a boy so it would be able to really kick butt.

A ghost of a smile covered Yuukis lips and he layed his head down on his crossed arms watching his little family. Dispite the fact that Atachii would probably stab him for getting her pregnant, the fact that she would be spittin’ out his kid made him feel all jittery. It’d probably be a good idea not to piss her off though, at least, not any time soon. Yuuki made his way down the stairs, somewhat gracefully and stopped in front of Atachii.

�Atachii, I found your clothing, and no, I wasn’t wearing them, and I put them on the bed. Want me to help you upstairs?� the question was more of a plead than an actual question, a form of asking for forgiveness for being fertile and them having sex, not that it was entirely his fault, if she’d care to remember that. Yuuki was ready to escourt her upsairs and stand guard by the door if she said okay. Which he hoped she did.

[Anonymous]

Atachii stared down at the floor, listening to her heartbeat in her ears and the bustle of people around her, ignorant to her own personal little universe. They only seemed to be getting louder and louder as her head pounded harder and faster. This was too much to take in with a hangover, and questionable amounts of sleep. Knowing that there was a little… thing growing in her stomach made her want to vomit, even if she knew there was no way that was going to get rid of it. Somewhere in her mind Atachii knew she had already decided, already acknowledged her obligation to bring the baby into the world. She could never bring herself to do anything to “get rid� of it. Groaning, she let her head fall further into her hands, pushed her tangled brown hair away from her paling face. She didn’t have the energy to do much more than glare down at the wood under her feet at Yuuki’s retort to the whereabouts of her underwear missing in action.

It was then that she realized Niaaki had gotten out of his chair and had wrapped his arms around her, and now he was talking at her, but the words barely registered, and the feel of human contact against skin that had already seen too much, and wasn’t too fond of anymore made her twitch and politely maneuver her way out of it. The last thing she needed now was someone else touching her, space was the thing she wanted. She looked up, and noticed the empty space across the table, noting subconsciously that some body or another was missing from that spot. Turning her tired green eyes back to Niaaki, Atachii only shook her head.

“I don’t think it’s anything you could help with, Niaaki… But, thank you for offering,� she smiled weakly. “Where did he go?�

She didn’t need to say his name. Niaaki, she was sure, would know exactly who she was talking about. The anger was bubbling and cooling, and slowly dissipating, leaving her tired an exhausted. As angry and upset as she was, now that her head was clearing Atachii knew how unfair it was to place all the blame for this on Yuuki. It took two people to, er, tango, right? She had been just as drunk as he had, possibly more, since she was a normally very level-head person, or at least, she liked to think that she was. Now all that was left was to come to terms with what was going to happen; with the fact that she was having a child. A child. Something living, something she would have to care for for the rest of her life, something she would be responsible for and care for and love and who would remind her of right now for as long as she would remember. Ugh, here came that illness again.

What worried her more was that she couldn’t predict what Yuuki would do, and even though Atachii knew she could handle this thing perfectly well on her own… Did she really want to? She couldn’t make Yuuki stick around if he didn’t want to, it wasn’t humanly possible, and she wasn’t sure how far reason would get with him, hell, with anybody at this moment in this situation. Sighing, she looked up as she heard Yuuki return. Well, at least if her mind was still lost, her clothing had been recovered.

“No, I’m ok-“

She attempted to stand, but, as she straightened her back, her brain twisted her surroundings and her legs gave way from under her, forcing Atachii to fall back into her chair in all her sheet-covered, dizzy glory, one hand pressed to her head, the other gripping the edge of the table. Obviously she was more exhausted than she thought. There wasn’t any rage left to give her the strength she had had earlier, and her mind was running in too many directions to be bothered about helping her with her motor skills.

“Fine, yah. Getting out of this sheet would be nice,� she said, looking up at Yuuki.

Using the table for support she lifted herself off her chair, reaching for Yuuki’s shoulder to help her stand. It was odd to have to stand to close to him, to have to lean on him, after what she knew had happened last night, but which, right now, she was thanking god she couldn’t remember. As she started to move toward the stairs, Atachii paused and turned her pale face back to Niaaki.

“Don’t you go anywhere. I think you’re the only sane one left.�

Atachii smiled meakly before continuing up the wooden stairs, creaking under her steps, and leaning into Yuuki’s shoulder to keep herself from tumbling back down them, realizing the entire eternal way up that it wasn’t just herself she would be hurting if she were to fall.

Reaching the door, her eyes locked themselves on the deteriorating three for a moment before she pushed her way in, gripping the doorframe with her pale, tired fingers. She closed it most of the way, but paused to peer out at Yuuki for a moment before shutting it completely.

“No peeking. Just stay outside and… Guard, or whatever. But, if I pass out…� She wanted to say that he should probably do something if that happened, but on second thought; “Just leave me. I need the sleep.� One last smile and sad laugh to herself before she shut the door, and proceeded to change her clothing. It felt so much better to be dressed in her own clothes, but her eyes were betraying her, and the lids felt so heavy. Laying across the bed, she pushed to sheets away, curled up, drawing her legs in tight and her arms wrapped unconsciously around her stomach before she drifted off to sleep.

[Rhindeer]

Uh oh...Yuuki seemed pissed at him. Haha, not seemed, he was judging by that lovely snarl of his. But he wasn't trying to be a traitor, he was just trying to make Atachii feel better since she was the stranger that was now all entangled with their weird little duo. And Yuuki really should have known better--even if it did take two. He winced a little at Yuuki's expression and let go of Atachii even as she maneuvered out of his grip. He could take a hint, and, erm, maybe he had been overstepping his boundaries there. After all...they were still all complete strangers, pretty much.

For now. Who knew what would happen in the future, because this certainly did change everything...

"No problem, Atachii, I understand. Still, if there is anything..." He gave a little shrug and straightened, offering a weak smile. "Ah, sorry." That said, he made his way back to his chair and plopped Butch back into his lap, absently hugging the ugly doll to his stomach and staring at the table awkwardly. Well. Yuuki had run off somewhere it seemed, he'd looked angry and Niaaki couldn't hardly blame him if he wanted to run. He supposed he hadn't helped. He'd been so surprised, and maybe he had given Yuuki a few dirty looks, but could he be blamed either? It was just...he knew Yuuki was irresponsible at times, but...sigh. Maybe he should just shut up and just...go somewhere else for now, too. Let Yuuki and Atachii sort out everything in private, because it really was just their business--at least, if Yuuki hadn't really run off--and besides, the deed was already done. Niaaki sure wasn't in any position to judge...not that he was...he just...

It was pretty insane. This whole thing. And for so long it had just been he and Yuuki, carefree, no responsibilities. But now...Yuuki was a father, and he had a responsibility toward Atachii for at least as long as she carried the kid. His responsibilities toward the child, on the other hand, would be lifelong.

"Hm? Oh...he probably ran off somewhere to brood," Niaaki answered, looking up again and returning her weak smile. Yeah. He knew who she was talking about.

He returned shortly after, and Niaaki looked up at him as he offered to help Atachii. Heh, well, at least it was good to know Yuuki hadn't been wearing them, he guessed. Niaaki grimaced sympathetically when Atachii tried to stand but instead fell back into the chair, but she at least got it the second time. Good idea, getting into real clothes; being in this kind of a tavern dressed only in a sheet, around men who were too plastered to realize they were even hitting on other men, yeah, not a good thing!

Niaaki only gave a small chuckle and nodded at Atachii's words when she looked back at him. With Yuuki standing there, it was probably best not to verbally agree lest it tick him off more--no matter how much Niaaki agreed with that statement! Then again...if he was the sanest one there, that was probably a little scary. He was the one that looked like a girl and carried a doll around. Ah well, you couldn't fight genetics, so at least he had an excuse.

With a tired sigh after the dysfunctional "couple" vanished up the stairs, Niaaki folded his arms on the tabletop and rested his head on them.

Oh good Gods...this entire thing was insane.

[>_> Short and crappy, but...just wanted to get it moving! xD]

[Anonymous]

Yuuki rolled his eyes a little at Atachii, it wasn’t his fault she was completely wiped out. He leaned against the wall beside the door for what seemed like an eternity before he peeked into the room and found her sleeping. On that gross filthy bed. Yech. Ew, they’d been naked on that. Yuuki suppressed a shudder. Despite the fact he had gone days at a time without bathing, the stains on that bed were just… Disturbing. Yuuki sat back on his heels and looked at this unknown lady. So far, he only knew three things about her… She was a Mage, her name was Atachii, and she was pregnant with his kid. The first and last one scared the crap out of him, he was surprised she didn’t turn him into the scum he was.

Yuuki ran his hands over his face and groaned quietly, more of a huff of breath than anything and noting how her arms were wrapped around her abdomen. As if protecting the little clump of cells from him. Probably a good idea too, considering how odd Niaaki was, but, he’d given Niaaki his protection and love, and Yuuki really wasn’t as evil as Atachii thought he was, so maybe she’d see that and at least bother to get to know him a little.

After watching Atachii sleep for a good few minutes, Yuuki sighed and looked off to the side, unconsciously staring at her tummy. “ I don’t have anything to give either of you, but, I’ll protect you both as long as I live, and give you any kind of comfort I can, and I promise not to make your mother grumpy…� Yuuki looked back at Atachii, not sensing any really deep feelings for her other than a tenderness because she was carrying a little clump of cells made of both of them. Maybe it would grow, Yuuki was sure he would like her if she gave him a chance to get to know her, and Yuuki had only met a few people who seriously hated him. Atachii seemed too soft-hearted to hate him forever. A slight unhappy smile and Yuuki stood up and left the room quickly and quietly closing the door softly on his way out of the room. Pushing both hands through his short black hair, causing it to stand on end because it was a little greasy from being on the trail for days, then in a prison. He walked back downstairs with a Mohawk like hairdo, and sat beside Niaaki.

Seeing his poor little friend in such distress, Yuuki pulled him into a one armed quarter hug. Resting his chin on Niaakis head and then let go quickly before people would notice and stare, because the last thing Yuuki wanted right now was to be stared at. Pressing his hands to his face after he rested his elbows on the table, he rasped out to Niaaki. “This isn’t a dream, is it? She’s really… really… <I>that</I> and I’m going to be a dad, and you’re going to be an uncle and… and… We’re gonna have to get a real home, and I’m gonna have to get a job to support her and… and… Niaaki…� Yuuki looked over at Niaaki with an expression on his face between joy, some sort of worry, and fear. “Niaaki, what the <I>fuck</I> and I gonna do?�

Yuuki, in all his life, even when he was told his sword was being melted for nails had never felt so helpless in his life.

[Anonymous]

((It's 3am, and my brain is so definitely not focusing right now XD So, you can expect some really weird typos and a very meandering post. I won't blame anyone if the get a bit lost, hehe.))

The air in the room was chill as Atachii lay there, soundly asleep and hiding from the teeming thoughts spasming over each other in her mind. Her breathing was low and rhythmic, and her face was calm, as calm as it had been in the past hour or so. She was exhausted with the problem, she never knew that stress could make a person this tired, could make her this tired. All she wanted was to slip away into sleep, where she wouldn’t have to dwell on it for just that small bit of time, that short reprieve. It was time to herself, away from everyone else, away from the wayward thoughts that were trying to encroach on her nap. As her muscles calmed with sleep, her knees drew in closer toward her, her arms loosening their grip around her now precious stomach. Already she had decided, whether she acknowledge it or not, that she would protect the child growing inside her, as only a parent’s instincts can compel them to do.

She did not hear when Yuuki entered the room, her mind was floating away and around elsewhere, far from the dirtied sheets and unsolved tensions of the hotel room. What was she to think of this Yuuki? Really, she didn’t know him at all. She had known him for all of one day, and now she was going to be giving birth to his child. The thought angered her and struck her with fear all within the same moment, and the pictures that wavered across her mind left her thoughts trembling with the fear of having to find herself alone with a child she hated. And, what if she did hate the child, the innocent thing? Could she really help it? Was it her fault if every time she looked at it, it made her ashamed and angry? No, if she were alone, if she had to deal with it, she would do it. She had never needed any help from anyone before, why should now be any different?

Atachii would never admit that she was lying to herself.

The words drifted into her dreams, slow like thick honey dripping into still waters. They spread and enveloped and registered in sleepy, lilting tones. I don’t have anything to give either of you, but, I’ll protect you both as long as I live, and give you any kind of comfort I can, and I promise not to make your mother grumpy… The words were comforting, and as Atachii pulled herself up out of sleep, brushing her hair away from her face, she smiled grimly to herself, surprised at just how foolish her dreams really could be sometimes.

The rest hadn’t been the longest she’d ever had, but her head was clear now, and the air had a lingering scent of freshness as it drifted through the window. Everything had settled, and the chaos was falling back into stoney calm. The light filtering in through the dusty window was beginning to glow with predawn, although the sun was still a few hours off. The best thing to do now, was… Well, to decide exactly what to do now.

Atachii stretched, pulling her arms taught over her head, as she stood from the bedside, yawning and shuffling her way over the dirty, ill-kept mirror that stood across the room. Her reflection was slightly disheveled, but, at least not she had her own clothes on, and that gave her some sense of comfort. An unconscious tug pulled her eyes to her now flat stomach in the mirror. She knew it wouldn’t stay that way for long, and again the thought scared her. Impulsively, a pale hand reached up to press against the soft black fabric that hid flesh enveloping the microscopic little thing growing in her belly; and she couldn’t help but look down and smile. It was a calming feeling to know that, right now anyway, her mind held no contempt for the child. Yuuki, on the other hand… She was still not sure where her mind was going with him, and the easiest thing seemed to be just to get angry. She had to be mad at someone, and this was all his fault anyway. The thick dolt was probably just going to run off as soon as the opportunity presented itself. It wouldn’t be a big surprise if she went downstairs to find him already gone.

Lingering in the room for a few more minutes before she left, Atachii snatched her fur-trimmed jacket from the end of the bed, holding it against her as she shut the door behind her and made her way slowly down the stairs, casting a glance at the bartender before continuing on to the table. The guy had to know that something was up by now, if he had been paying any attention at all. Turning at the bottom of the stairs, she was relieved to see the two men still sitting, in all their brotherly glory, at the same table she had left them.

Atachii’s eyes were still weighted with worry and sleep as she took a seat across the table from them, yawned once more, and laid her head down on her arms, crossed over the rough wood, looking up at Yuuki through dark lashes. Yuuki looked just as worried as she felt, but, there was an odd sense of happiness that lingered behind his features, and she wasn’t quite sure what to make of it.

Blinking the puzzled look from her face, and not bothering to wonder too much over it, she leaned back against the chair, her arms crossed over her chest.

“So…� she looked up at the both of them, feeling a lot like she was negotiating with an opposing team. “What do we do now?�

[Rhindeer]

[...Any weirdness in this post is Draco's fault since she Goosed me. I've thought and thought and thought about how to make this work and, well...>_> here goes.]

Niaaki had actually started to doze off, all the excitement and stress from the last few days finally catching up to him, when he felt an arm go around him and pull him into a hug. With a soft hiss of breath, Niaaki's eyes flew open and he had been on the verge of shoving away whoever was hugging him (or zapping them with a good dose of unpleasant magic), assuming it was one of the horny old men that were still sitting around and getting drunk and seeing him as a female, when at the last second he realized it was Yuuki. Relaxing against his friend, Niaaki exhaled quietly and brought an arm around to hug him back, frowning. He wasn't really worried about anyone looking at them and thinking they were a male couple, which would be just weird and disturbing. After all, Niaaki was mistaken for a woman more than anything, so...actually, that didn't make it any better. He didn't like being mistaken for a woman, and he did not want to be thought of as being with Yuuki.

Because that would just be creepy...even if they weren't related, it would still feel like incest. Ew. Yuuki was his brother and friend, and it always made Niaaki defensive and moody when people suggested their relationship was anything but platonic.

Niaaki let go of Yuuki when he released him and mimicked him, resting his elbows on the table and propping his chin up on his hands. Then he gave a bitter laugh at Yuuki's question, shaking his silver-haired head. "Afraid not, Yuu. I thought about that a lot, too, wondered if maybe it was a dream, but...I just woke up from a dream, so this cannot be a dream. Even more, I dreamed I liked blueberries and whipped cream and chocolate...on my chest. Which...I do not. That was completely out of the realm of possibility for me and completely out of character, you see. But Yuu...you getting a woman knocked up, on the other hand...that is entirely within the realm of possibility as a consequence of you and Atachii's actions, so...I...do not think this is a dream. If any of that made any sense. Yeah, I gave it a lot of thought," he added, completely deadpan through it all and rubbing his left temple.

And then he just managed to keep from slamming his head against the table. Oh Gods. This really did change everything and--uncle? He was going to be an uncle...and...home...supporting the family...jobs...

Finally looking up from the table and looking over at Yuuki's joyful and fearful face, Niaaki mustered up a brave grin. Okay. It was Yuuki and Atachii that were the ones in deep shit. He wasn't the one having a baby. Yeah, it was a shock to him, too, but...from the looks of it, with Yuuki stressing out and Atachii stressing out, he was just going to have to be the tough one here that could look at everything from a more...objective viewpoint? Yeah. He'd have to be the support system here. Or...try to be.

"Well, Yuuki, you just answered your own question. We will...we will have to get a home and jobs," he said slowly, then reached out and pat Yuuki's shoulder. Brave face! He had to act calm and collected about this whole thing. If they all freaked out, they'd just...well, they'd just freak out and get nothing done. And if there was one strong point Niaaki possessed, it was the ability to stay calm even when under a lot of pressure. Sometimes it made him feel...strange and detatched. But it was also a useful "skill" to have. "At least, if she agrees to that, otherwise, well...that may change things a bit. Just, Yuuki, remember, you are not going to have to do this alone and...and...you are going to be a father! You are going to have little Yuukis. Just think about that! But he or she cannot play with Butch and--"

He trailed off when Atachii reappeared and took a seat at the table and quickly smoothed out his features, hiding the smile that had started to form as that last little thing he'd said really sank in. Yuuki was going to be a dad. And he was going to be an uncle.

No, no, now wasn't the time to be showing excitement about that when everyone--himself included--was stressed and confused all to hell.

"Well, Atachii," Niaaki began after a long pause, collecting himself. He felt almost like the negotiator between two parties. "We...ah, Yuuki mentioned something about a house and getting a job..." At that, he looked over at Yuuki, then back to Atachii. "But we also have to know what you want to do."

[Anonymous]

Running a hand through his already messy black hair, Yuuki covered his mouth and looked over at Niaaki, pausing with his hand over his mouth and his mouth still hanging open at the comment about Niaaki and whipping cream. Yuuki lifted a simple eyebrow and looked away for a moment before clearing his throat and resisting the urge to give Niaaki a very sleepy smile and simply rested his head on his hand and listened to his little friend chatter on.  It slowly sinking in as well that he’s going to be a daddy and have a little Yuuki running around and- well, maybe the little Yuuki part was a bad thing, but as long as they weren’t as scary as Atachii, it’d be okay then.

The thought of little Yuukis running around scared <I>him</I>, so he could only wonder how badly it scared everyone else. Another light smile, as he began to run through names in his head, when he caught movement on the stairs and everything stopped. If breathing wasn’t an automatic thing, that’d have stopped too. His breathing was a little rough, and you could hear it. He felt so nervous, hell, he wasn’t even this nervous when he had impending doom-butt-smex via the scary spider people, maybe because no one would get pregnant that way. Hmm, maybe he’d try that o-NO! Yuuki put his hands to his head and rested them on the table and closed his eyes. No freaking out. No letting all of this finally sink in.

Sometimes having a skull as dense as mercury was sometimes a good thing, but, when things finally sunk in and it hit his poor inactive brain it stung like a nasty bitch during her period. Which was pretty bad. Yuuki looked at Atachii worriedly after she sat down, he quickly stood up and rushed outside with a quick side of “I need some air� even though the air was freezing and he would be shivering within seconds. Yuuki moved to the side of the door, crouched down and wrapped his arms around himself. So overcome by emotions he was getting a headache, owwie. Hopefully he wouldn’t randomly poof somewhere then get sick. That would suck.

While crouched down, Yuuki talked to himself. What would he do? He needed to clear his head before he went and made a stupid choice, he wouldn’t let Atachii get rid of the baby, if she wanted to do that he’d make a deal with her to let him keep it or something. A few more deep breaths and he’d be fine, Atachii and Niaaki could talk things out rationally without him there, and then they can explain it to him slowly. Yeah.

Yuuki liked that idea.

[Anonymous]

It was barely a moment after Atachii had taken her seat at the table that Yuuki made his sudden rush from the room and out the door, into the frigid cold that surely awaited him outside. She didn’t need anyone to interpret those actions for her; it was obvious to Atachii, even in her state of mind, which was, basically, fried, that Yuuki just wasn’t quite ready to deal with this yet. Thus far, she’d managed to keep herself generally detached from the whole awkward situation, but the it was dripping into her mind, slowly and persistently, old rain falling from a decrepit rooftop corner in through the cracks of her thoughts, but, still it was just a liquid shape at the back of her mind, and her automatic instinct was to plan it out and leave the emotions for later. Leave them for privacy. Nobody needed to know and nobody wanted to know.

Atachii nodded slightly to herself, a physical reassurance of what was racing back and forth through her mind, only turning to look at Niaaki, sitting rather calmly across the table from her, when he spoke up about a house and a job. Oh… So, they had been talking about it. She was sure whether that was comforting or not, only that it was good to know they’d done a bit of the thinking for her. But, she thought, both those things sounded rather permanent and concrete. Her head turned away, gazing out across the few straggling people that were left over, and it was nice to just give herself a moment to breathe. Everything was moving at heartbeat pace and now she was struggling to process all these monumental events. It was too big to fit in her brain.

“Well…� She was quiet, and her voice still sounded more tired than she had thought she was. “I’m not exactly sure what I want to do.�

Atachii rested her head in her hands, her elbows propped against the table. She hadn’t really thought about what she was going to do. Of course, it wasn’t as though she had never thought about what it would be like to be a mother, and truthfully, she had always looked forward to the day when she would have a child of her own. But in her little fantasy world, things had come about much differently than this. The biggest difference glaring out to her now was the fact that she had planned on knowing her little child’s father far better than she knew that man who was now probably sulking or fretting or running away outside. In her mind there had already been a house and job, they hadn’t been propositions thrown down on a dirty bar room table after the fact.

“I mean, a house and a job both sound nice, but I’m not exactly sure that would… Work…� She paused. “I mean, come on, I barely know you guys, I hardly know him. Ugh.�

Her head and her hands collapsed to the table, and she let herself be buried there for a moment. It was more the frustration than anything that was getting to her. She wanted out of this deal. What did she ever do to deserve something like this? Not so say she’d been the most upstanding citizen to ever grace the planet, but, still? This? This sucked. Big time. It was a few slow breaths before she looked up again.

“Well, I guess we have to do something, don’t we? And, we definitely can’t stay here forever. We need to go somewhere… Find a place to stay. I’m not having this kid at an inn…� She looked up at Niaaki, her green eyes looking the clearest that had in the last day or so. “Any suggestions on a destination?�

She couldn’t say she knew anywhere she particularly wanted to go, but, she didn’t want to stay here. Atachii wanted to get out of this place as fast as she possibly could, and she was just about willing to accept any place that happened to be presented to her. Just so long as she could get out, and move, and not be standing still in this mess anymore.

[Rhindeer]

Niaaki frowned worriedly after Yuuki when he dashed off, hugging Butch closer to him and idly playing with the doll's ugly yarn hair. It was a bit obvious that despite what Yuuki may have previously stated and despite how he may have previously acted...he really wasn't feeling as calm as his words said. Niaaki bit the inside of his cheek. He wanted to stress out and flip out just like Yuuki was because what would this mean for them? Alright, maybe he was a little jealous. Yuuki was like an older brother to him, maybe even a little like a father since he'd never really had one of those and Yuuki had kind of filled in that role. Maybe he was a little worried about being replaced or abandoned again and just selfishly wanted Yuuki all to himself.

He knew it was stupid, but growing up with the family he did hadn't really done much in the way of self esteem. And then he'd finally gotten a stable family (well, stable as far as Yuuki went) and now it had been turned on its head. He liked the idea of being an uncle, though, but...gaaah. Yuuki could have decided to make little Yuukis with someone he was actually planning on sticking with, not some one-night stand!

Niaaki sighed and sank his cheek into one hand, his other arm still wrapped around Butch. "I know..." he said, peering up at Atachii and frowning. "But it is the only thing I could think of. None of us know each other, but you are still going to have Yuuki's child. So it is basically a choice between you raising the child on your own, or you getting to know us and letting Yuuki be involved in his child's life. I would personally slap Yuuki upside the head if he planned on being a deadbeat."

He gave a little shrug. "I have no idea where we should go, but...wherever it is, Yuuki can get us there easily. Ahm..." He rubbed at his temple. "We do not have to live with each other, you know; I think that may be asking a bit too much for all of us right now, since we are all strangers. I mean, it could be the same neighborhood, same town...even different towns within traveling distance. Oh, hell, it could be different countries. Yuuki does not travel by...conventional means, so you do not have to feel pressured into living anywhere near us if you do not want to. You can choose to go where you want, and we can come to you. We'd just need an address, basically."

Niaaki tilted his head, tapping a slender finger against his chin. He was pretty proud of himself for sounding so calm, but that came from his noble upbringing. He was pretty skilled at faking his true emotions when need be, smoothing on a mask of placidity even when inside he was panicking. Like now. Always the impartial diplomatic negotiator. It was a role he fell into quite comfortably. "I am not sure if that helps much, but it is a thought. Basically, what I am guessing is the choice is on you. Yuuki seemed pretty willing to do whatever it takes, so...I think it is your call, Atachii. But I know I would personally prefer somewhere much warmer."

[Anonymous]

Freaking out was a good word for what Yuuki was feeling.

Freaking out a lot was better.

Possibly a mental breakdown.

A kid.

Whoa.

Running his hands through his unruly black hair, Yuuki slowly stood up, paced back in forth in the snow until there was a good clean path into the endless white abyss... And teleported into the room behind Niaaki. "Okay! I can handle this." He said, then opened his eyes, swore and paced behind Niaaki again hands at his head, the butt of his full-body tanned suit wet from where he sat, and his legs wet up to the knee. "Okay!"

Taking a deep breath, Yuuki sat beside Niaaki and looked at the table. To Atachii, to Niaaki again, then back down. How do you... Jump into a conversation with a woman you just knocked up? He could do it though! He knew he could! Yuuki quieted his thoughts, took a deep breath, and let his head thump to the table. Groaning in mild pain afterwards. He couldn't do this, not... While he had such a raging hang over. Argh.

Okay. Breath. In, out, in, out, in, in - no!  that was an out! Dammit. Frowning deeply, Yuuki sat back up, his lower lip stuck in his mouth and his hair stuck up at odd angles, the belts and buckles that held his suit together half open and done up too tightly.

"Okay."

Another few minutes before Yuuki could look at Atachii. His mouth went dry. She was so pretty. He swallowed and his hand went and grabbed at Niaakis elbow, looking for some physical link as support. "I... I support any choice you make with the child." Another deep breath. C'mon! It was just a life you were talking about. A life she could feel. A life that would be a child, a life that would turn into an adult and, Yuuki almost passed out at that thought. Whoa. Babies were cool.

"But, please, let me ... help you decided. If you let me, I'd very much like for Niaaki and I to be part of it's life." A puff of breath, his face was pale and clammy, his palms sweating. He felt like he was trying out ask the prettiest girl to dance. He almost was, only there was no dancing, just... The Ball Room of Life! Yuuki blinked a few times, amazed at how cheesy he could be. It was like magic. His feet bounced up and down against the floor, the ball of his foot on the ground at an odd angle making his knee twitch.

"Atachii, if you don't want us to be part of it, if you don't want me please... Tell me. Tell us." His head bowed slightly and he chewed on his lip again. "Niaaki and I are a package deal. He's the only family I have, but we would be more than happy to add you to it."

Swallowing again and looking at Niaaki, at his doll, the poor ragged thing. The thing so well, loved as it were, that it was falling apart. Oh god, could that happen to babies? Yuuki went another shade of white and looked back at Atachii. "I suppose I should tell you what I am. There's a slim chance you've ever met someone like me." A solemn nod. "I'm a Teleporter. I can move myself and anything that's in skin-to-skin contact with me over a great distance. That's how we got into the ... this place." Swallowing and looking around, Yuuki ducked closer. " I get sick though, so I don't do far distances often."

Of course he'd have to to get out of this god forsaken place. Yuech.

"Once I get us out of this cold place, we can... Think better. Well get supplies and leave as soon as possible, okay?" Yuuki said, looking from Niaaki to Atachii, waiting for them to confirm before he rand around and got new things.

Those bastard Drow had everything they used to have except for a few pennies in a hidden pocket.

[Anonymous]

[[Whoo! This post seems weird, haha, but it is done! >_</) ]]

A strange sort of calm was starting to take over Atachii's thoughts, and she let her tentions out through a long, low breath, her eyes closing for a moment before she fixed her gaze on Niaaki. Yuuki had escaped outside, in a hurry to get away from everything that was building up at the table. She almost felt like she was sitting around preparing a plan for battle, pushing the pieces across a twisted map of life gone askew. The chaos seemed to be settling, though; their thoughts clearing with the lightening of the sky. She could at least say that her anger was subsiding, replaced only by a slight anxiety, and she knew one thing for certain: Yuuki and Niaaki were the only people she had to help her in this frozen wasteland.

She pushed her hands through her hair, letting it fall back into her face, leaning her elbows on the table and resting her head in her hands. She didn't look at Niaaki while he was talking, only stared at the abused and splintered surface of the table. The calm tone of his voice helped to soothe her nerves, and god was she glad he was here. Their moderator of sorts, she supposed, someone to keep it all in perspective, because she knew damn well that her view was probably far off from normal.

One pale hand moved unconcsiously to rest in her lap, pressed against the silent life she knew was there. Before she could organize her thoughts to answer Niaaki, though, she was thrown off again by the sudden appearance of Yuuki.

Out of nowhere. Right behind Niaaki.

With a rather wet bottom.

She blinked once, slowly, as it registered in her brain and he planted himself next to Niaaki. This pair was just a bundle of surprises, weren't they? She could see the nervousness that was almost radiating off of Yuuki as he started to lay out his plans, drawing out his terms, his wants, and, suprisingly, his sincerity on the table in front of them.

His whole speech left Atachii with a guilty knot in the pit of her stomach.

For the last few hours she'd been marching around here with a rage unbridled, unleashing onto Yuuki's head without concern or regret, almost as if by tearing stips out of him would somehow grant her retribution for her stupid decisions. Or, maybe she was just trying to deny to herself that she'd had any part in this. It was easier to blame it all on him, wasn't it? If it wasn't her fault she didn't have to accept it, right? Atachii knew that child was her responsibility, for the rest of her life now, it was her's, and maybe that was why she wanted to let that weight rest on someone else's shoulders, even if it were just for a little while. Yuuki was the perfect scapegoat.

Damn... She could be a harsh bitch when she wanted to be.

Atachii glanced down at the inn floor before looking back up at Niaaki, and then to Yuuki. It seemed to be the first time she'd actually looked him in the eyes. Well, the first time she could recall, anyway.

She pulled her hands in closer to her stomach before she spoke, her mood lightening a bit at the prospect of getting out of here.

' I... No... I think I want you to be a part of it. No, I do," Nothing was certain in her head. "I just need to... Get to know you, I guess. I mean, you guys are like family, right? Makes me feel a little bit like I'm... I don't know... Trespassing?"

Wait... He was a what? Teleporter? Oh my... A smile spread across her face, the first relaxed expression it had made room for in what seemed like forever, and she looked down at her stomach.

"Hm. I almost feel bad for this kid; a mage and a teleporter. That'll be... Interesting," she looked back up at them, still smiling. "But, getting the hell out of here sounds like the best plan I've heard so far."

Maybe once they got out of this place they'd all feel a little better. Just the thought of it was already brightening her spirits. Or maybe it was just helping to distract from what was going on, giving her something else to think about for the moment so she could feel just a little bit normal.

She stood from the table, maneuvering into her jacket and resting a hand on her hip.

"I say we get going."

[Rhindeer]

"You are not trespassing, Atachii," Niaaki said calmly, looking over at Yuuki as though to confirm that. His sudden appearance in the room hadn't startled him for he was quite used to him popping up and vanishing, and he was just more concerned with how Yuuki was handling this, anyway. He looked like he wanted to throw up, all pale and clammy, and Niaaki didn't think it had anything to do with teleporting this time. He pat Yuuki's hand where he was gripping his skinny elbow, trying not to wince at his rather firm grip there, and decided to just suck it up and let Yuuki use him as a living stress reliever.

He needed it; he was a father now, after all.

And he was an uncle.

Whoa.

"We are brothers, we are family, but that does not mean I expect Yuuki not to have a life of his own, you know," he said, looking again at Yuuki and then back to Atachii. "That would be exceedingly selfish--and now he is a father. You would not be intruding; you are the mother, and just because we are a family does not mean it cannot be added it. It already has, anyway." Niaaki gave a meaningful glance down at her belly and pat Yuuki's hand again.

"Of course we want to get to know you; I think that was part of the plan, anyway. It would be awkward to just stay strangers, right?" He offered up a little smile, still trying hard to be the calm, cheerful one since everyone else was in a panic. Someone had to be level-headed one here. "You can start out as our friend! Ah, if you want to I mean. I understand if that is a bit much and a bit too awkward a title so soon, but at the least accept 'acquaintance'?"

As Atachii rose to her feet, agreeing to the whole offer of at least getting out of here, Niaaki gently pried Yuuki's fingers off his arm, rubbed the slightly sore skin, and stood up as well, Butch cradled in his arms like a child. A child. Yuuki's child. A mage and a teleporter. Niaaki hadn't even thought of that until Yuuki had brought it up and Atachii had repeated it, but he didn't really see the danger in it except--ohhh.

What if the child could teleport after it had been born? While it was an infant? What if it could do that and it ended up teleporting across the world into like...a volcano or the ocean or somewhere they'd never be able to find it again? How would you track someone who could teleport and how would you stop them from teleporting to begin with? Erk. Then again, nah, if that was the case Yuuki probably wouldn't even be around. Maybe they just didn't get their teleporting mojo until later, when they were older.

It was a concern for another day, though. Right now? Getting out of the cold was their priority.

"I say that sounds like a good idea. Yuu?" Niaaki smiled at his friend and brother, supportive. Honestly, Niaaki was proud of him. Poor guy was stressing out so bad, but he was being admirably brave about the whole thing, too, wanting to be included, part of his kid's life. He'd make a good father. Gods knew he'd been a good brother and, in a way, father, too. Yuuki had filled that hole in Niaaki's life in a way his biological family had never cared to. "Will you be okay? Will you get sick if we leave now? We probably should not go too far, just far enough to be well out of this climate."

He chewed on his bottom lip worriedly. Yuuki was already a ball of nerves so add puking his guts out to all that didn't seem like a good idea.

[Anonymous]

A deep calm breath.

Yuuki could do this!

Sort of.

Okay, probably not.

A moist tongue swept over chapped lips and he closed his eyes for a moment, just listening to the two of them. Their voices, they each had such nice voices. Melodic, nice notes. Yuukis was lower, was it just as soothing as theirs? He doubted it. It was the kind of voice that could scream commands over an armys roar and still be heard over every voice. Hardly comforting.

Good thing Yuuki wasn't really the screaming type. Poor eardrums.

A good idea. What was a good idea? Oh, teleporting. "Eh? Oh yeah, sure. I can." Yuuki nodded. Teleport. He could do that just fine, second nature and all that stuff. It was normal for him to get sick after long distances, so a raging hang-over and throwing up won't be too much of a problem. Slowly, Yuuki stood up and stared at Niaaki for a moment.  "Um... Atachii? Niaaki? Do you guys have everything you need? If you don't, go grab it, 'cause we're going somewhere else in... a few minutes." A slow nod.

The sooner he got this done the better.

Because that meant the sooner he could stop feeling like shit and stop dreading throwing up in front of two people and crying out like a baby.

[Anonymous]

Atachii kept her eyes on the table, picking distractedly at a loose chip of wood while Niaaki went on about their family. Hm, family. It would take awhile for her to wrap her poor little brain around the full consequences of that concept. If she could call them consequences... Niaaki's words were warm and inviting, she just couldn't feel them yet. With any luck, she hoped, it'd seep through to her bones sooner or later. Hopefully sooner.

Slowly, she moved her tunnel vision from the - as she was now realizing - rather gross tabletop, to Niaaki, to Yuuki and to the door. They all needed a little room to breath. This thing had turned into the gigantic pink elephant that had one leg jammed in ever corner of the room and it's trunk splitting the mortar in the chimney. In other words, it was weighing down like a crushing, fleshy weight on all of them.

"Well, I didn't really bring anything with me...," she thought, but I'm leaving with a  whole lot more. She could feel the warmth of flesh under her hand, and wondered if it would get warmer in there for a baby, to keep it safe, and content.

Atachii turned to the door, shoulder to shoulder with Yuuki, and bowed her head slightly to the door.
"I'm... Sorry," she said under her breath, barely audible, before walking away. The inn was empty, more or less, now. Everyone had abandoned it along with whatever they'd gone through the night before, left to be cleaned up with the dirty dishes and mugs. Luckily for the staff, they'd be taking all their baggage with them.

Everything before this now seemed slightly..... Well, unimportant. It had been solely for her own gain, her own purpose. In a way, everything now was co-dependant, and worth so much more. The thought was comforting, and brought a smile to her face as she paused at the doorway. Turning back to make sure the two partners-in-crime were following along, her smile widened.

"Well, I'm good to go. So, we're off, yah?"

With that, the three sordid souls stepped into the elements of the outside world, and left the tundra behind them.