āYouāre going to want to rein that in a little bit, lovely,ā Virgil advised dryly. It hadnāt been more than a week ago that he used his own power to unseal what in Keiraās was blocked, and in the days since, heād been teaching her to control it. The primary form of her ability, as with those belonging to most gods or god-blooded, was ergokinesis, the manipulation of energy. They could not create or destroy it, of course, but it could be harnessed and used to manipulate the environment. Each god had different ways of doing this. Inari had a flair for raw concussion, kind of like Ephraim did, and also using it to move objects with the mind, as a form of telekinesis. He had a feeling Keira would be the same, if she wanted to be. Of course, the god could do substantially more than thatāInari was, after all, a god, and while perhaps not in the first ring of them, far from minor, either.
Presently, the kitsune still occupied his humanoid form, but he looked a little different from usual. As he had advised her to do, he was dressed for physical activity, of a sort: his white-blond hair pulled into a tail high on his head, his feet bare on the grass of the field, and his clothing nothing more sophisticated than a blue t-shirt and dark runnerās pants. He might have opted to train bare-chested, as Ephraim usually did, but it wasnāt really part of his persona, as such. Also, unnecessary as he found clothing to be, he for once was not looking to distract anyone from what they were doing. Learning this was important, and so the fox was as businesslike as he ever got, which was still considerably less so than his counterpart, but Ephraim was elsewhere at the moment, as was Nerys, so it fell to him to conduct the session. Not that he minded, of course.
āIt is initially tempting to think that more power will do the trick, but allow me to make something clear: many of the creatures we face will have more raw power than you, god-blooded or no. What you must do instead is learn to be more precise. Collapsing the same amount of energy into a precision stroke will do more damage than just trying to bludgeon things with it. Think of it like the concept of densityāthe same amount of matter, in less volume. Only this is not matter, but energy. Now. Try hitting me again.ā He grinned, and despite the fact that he wore not his own skin, there was still something dangerously-feral about it. He figured making himself the intended target would be a bit more of a motivator than having her aim at an innocent tree or suchlike.
For the most part, Keira wore a mask to cover up what she really felt, pretending rather than showing herself. In the kitsune's presence, however, that mask often slipped, and after a week, she didn't even bother with it anymore. Virgil was the only one aside from Nari and Kami who actually saw her, the real her; she still was unsure of how she felt about this. As he explained, her eyes narrowed and her mouth pulled down into a frown. The ball of energy she'd been trying to control dissolved with a slight sigh. She really was starting to get annoyed with this. She crossed her arms, and then pulled out a pencil and a notebook from her bag. She was not overly good with explaining things with words, so this was the next best thing.
After she was finished, she held it up, showing it to him. It appeared to be some type of chart, and she began to explain. "Alright, let's get a few things straight. This is how I view things, because frankly, a lot of this stuff I really just don't care about. I ask myself these questions: Does it want to kill me? If no, then fine, I leave it alone. If yes, can I kill it with a sword? If yes, fantastic, problem solved. If no, then can I kill it some other way; namely my ergokinesis? If yes, again, problem solved. If no, then simply run like hell. This is my solution, so tell me, just how many things will I come across that I cannot use my blade against? And, if there are that many, is there perhaps a way to use my ergokinesis in conjunction with my sword?" That would probably be the easiest way to go about this, seeing as she was already a master of the sword by most standards.
Perhaps what made this the most amusing was the fact that her face was kept in a rather neutral look the whole time.
Virgil stared at the flow chart for a moment. It wasā¦ well, to put it mildly, it was clear that Keiraās talents did not include drawing things, or even making straight lines, really. The childishness of the illustration combined with the flat look on her face made him smile, and for once, there was nothing lascivious or even particularly dangerous about it. He just appeared to be amused. Shaking his head the fox hummed a note in the back of his throat. How to explain this? āThink of it this way,ā he said, placing an index finger gently at the top of the flow chart. āThe things Iām talking about will most likely want to kill you. Or absorb your soul, depending on what kind of thing they are.ā He traced the tip of his digit down the appropriate line of the chart and to the next question.
āSome of them, though only the very weak ones, will in fact be killable with human weapons and human strength and speed. I will also be able to teach you to sense relative power levels, so youāll know those ones when you see them. Most, however, will have speed too great or hides too resilient or intangible to fall to such mundane methods.ā Virgil slid down the ānoā side of that branch to the final question. āThis, Iām afraid, is where the answer is always more complicated than a simple confirmation or denial. As I mentioned, there are a number of creatures that would be able to shrug off a blunt concussive blast. However, many of those same creatures would be susceptible to a more concentrated, compact bit of energy, one that could pierce hide, for example. Soā¦ no if you continue to use your power as you are using it now, and yes if you can master the lessons Iām giving you.ā
He moved his hand back to his side, canting his head slightly to the side. There was mischief in his aquamarine eyes, though, and the plain amusement had once again taken on a different cast. āDo be warned,ā he said playfully. āWhile running may sometimes be wise, there are creatures who very much enjoy the chase.ā Heād leaned progressively closer to her as he said it, steadily invading her personal space until his nose was only a few inches from hers. With the upward quirk of an eyebrow, however, he pulled back.
āNow, concentrate your energy. If you can master this, Iāll teach you how to use it to hone the edge of your beloved blade, which should help with some of those armored beasties.ā He moved backwards again, standing far enough away from her that she wouldnāt be caught in the blowback of her own energy if something went wrong when it came for him. He was more than durable enough to withstand anything she was capable of at this point, though he was interested in seeing just how well she could hone this link to her ancestral power. āHit me with everything youāve got, lovely. You know you want to.ā
[font=candara]Keira's face remained rather neutral as Virgil spoke, explaining more. She supposed she really should have expected such an answer, especially for one such as him. She cocked her head slightly as she listened, giving her the look of a curious fox, which was actually slightly ironic, given the person she was looking at. When he leaned in towards her, however, she felt heat snaking up her neck and face. Her eyes widened, and she fought not to take three steps back. She did, however, lean back away from him slightly, being able to breathe again when he stepped away.
For a second, she pursed her mouth in a thin line. She'd never reacted like that to anyone before. It was...highly annoying. Usually, she didn't really react at all to Virgil, whereas with everyone else she would flinch and shrink away. But this...this was new to her, and she wasn't sure she liked the way her heart sped up. Narrowing her eyes, she scowled at him. Why did he have to be so damnably persistant and annoying?
She didn't think about it, she really didn't process anything, really, she simply reacted. The energy formed around her hand rather than in it, the edge, where normally it was fluid and moving, like water, was fine, sharp even, and she used an upwards slice, much like as if she was using a blade. Her form was impeccable; it should be, after almost sixteen years of training herself, and she blinked in surprise, looking back at her hand. She sighed slightly. She really did not like this man, even if it did work this time.
Virgil took the energy attack square in the chest, having made no attempt to move away from it. While it did succeed in tearing a long gash in his shirt, the skin beneath was unbroken. Sheād hit with force, though, more than heād expected, even, and her form was undoubtedly good. That was fortunateāit was one less thing to work from, one less thing he had to teach. Not that he minded teaching, especially not when he was teaching her. He raised a brow. āSo bothering you is the best form of motivation, is it? You and I are going to have so much fun, darling.ā He hadnāt missed the way her face and neck started to turn pink; the process was more gradual than heād usually bother with, but she was coming around. He hadnāt lied, after all, when he said that some people enjoyed a good chase. He was absolutely one of them, and he made no apologies for that.
He smiled, then seemed to disappear. When he reappeared, he was holding her sword loosely in one hand, though how exactly heād managed to slide it from the sheath she was wearing with absolutely no disturbance or notice was hard to say. Turning it so that the edge faced the sky, he ran a thumb experimentally along the sharp end, cocking his head to the side when a small trickle of blood escaped the digit. He raised the pad of his thumb to his tongue and swiped the rest off that way, satisfied with the condition it was kept in. āOrdinary steel is not the most effective of conduits,ā he remarked conversationally, ābut if you can convince your ancestor to consecrate it, it will channel your power quite effectively. There is a way to make the request, if you would like to attempt it. To put it in your termsā¦ it would increase the number of things you could kill with it, human strength or no.ā
Making bargains with gods was always a little iffy, but they tended to favor their own descendants more than ordinary supplicants, and were more likely to offer them gifts of this nature, to ensure they remained alive to spread the blood another generation down. āInari actually likes consecrating weapons, being the god of smithing and whatnot.ā Deftly, he flipped the blade so that he held it between his fingers, hilt towards Keira so she could take it back. This time, he did not cut himself, a sure indication that heād meant to the first time.
Keira blinked, realizing that her blade was gone. That alone left her with a rather large sense of unease. Ineffective as it was, perhaps, it was still what she was most comfortable with, and she was not overly pleased by having it taken, especially not with the deft skill the kitsune had. She narrowed her eyes, watching as he tested the blade. She raised an eyebrow as she took it back from him, sliding it home into its sheath.
"So how would one go about making such a request? Descendant or not, Inari is still a god, and I am merely human." That, and she was not particularly sure she wanted to meet her anscestor. Gods were not beings she wished to meddle with, probably for good reason, as well.
Virgil snorted. āHow does anyone talk to a god? You pray. Of course, there are a large number of other things that have to be done to actually open a channel that will allow for the transferal of the necessary energy, but if you want to do it, I can arrange that part of things.ā Truth be told, he was not terribly thrilled about the idea of speaking to Inari againāthe god was still undoubtedly very upset with him and would probably ask for truly ridiculous things of him in exchange for the consecration, but this was not something he could simply do himself. He had not the divine energy required. His was demonic, and infusing that into a sword would poison and eventually kill the wielder, were they not youkai themselves. He was not really inclined to do such a thing.
Keira raised a brow. You prayed? She would have thought such measures were only human-based, though she supposed it did make sense, in a way. She had been about to respond when a beeping noise caught her attention. Her face pulled down into a frown. Nerys was the only one who had her cell number, and she was with Ephraim. Why would she...?
She blinked, the number reading unknown across the screen. She let out a slightly irritated sigh and answered it. The reaction was almost instantaneous. Shock flashed over her face as she realized who was speaking on the other end, and with every word, her face darkened. Her eyes flashed, and she shut the phone, hanging up rather than responding to him. How had he gotten her number? Well...it was on record at the Institution, seeing as they were the ones who had provided it. He also was still her father, so they had probably just handed it right over.
She clenched her jaw, pulling her sword out once more. All it took was one stroke, and the cell phone lay in two pieces on the ground. "I'll have to remember to tell Nerys I'm changing my number." She muttered darkly.
Virgil only blinked slowly at the rather rapid series of events, tilting his head slightly to one side and sighing. āAnd here Iād rather hoped I was the only person who made you that angry.ā It was hard to tell what he meant by that statement, as it could have been interpreted many ways, including as, of all things, an expression of a wish for her happiness, which would not have been like him at all. āWellā¦ I think weāre done for today. Time to reap the rewards of hard work.ā He let that implication hang in the air just long enough to sink in, then disproved his own innuendo by simply trotting over to his bag and rummaging around until he produced a small object. As he returned, it became evident that it was a woven band of cloth, modest in design and dark blue, mostly. Without asking permissionābecause when did he ever?āhe put the end between his teeth for safekeeping and raked his long fingers gently through Keiraās short hair, straightening it and pulling it away from her face. The band, he tied neatly, though not into a bow, as he doubted she would appreciate that. It was designed to keep her visibility intact during the vigorous movement of training, really, but of course he did not say this in a straightforward fashion.
āThere,ā he pronounced softly, but the mischief was right back in his tone thereafter, when he stepped back to study his handiwork. āNow I can see your lovely eyes.ā He wouldnāt ask her about what was bothering her, not at this stage. But that didnāt mean he wouldnāt offer a distraction, even if it was relatively innocent for him.
Keira was not the type of person to talk about her feelings, and that was not what she did now. Really, at the moment, she was thinking. It had been a week since she had started this training, and if she was showing any progress, considerable or otherwise, Virgil had not said, nor had she asked. She didn't really care overmuch, so long as it kept her alive. She cocked her head slightly about his statement about making her angry. No, anger was not the correct term. She was furious.
Even so, she said nothing as he went rummaging and returned, stepping up to her in the process. Most people probably would have objected to this, but she, as usual, said nothing. This had not been the first time Virgil had touched her, yet it still surprised her that she had no such desire to shrink away from him. She couldn't even stand within three feet of Ephraim without flinching.
She blinked slowly at his comment about her eyes, her grey orbs meeting his liquid aquamarine ones. It had been quite obvious over the last week that she was, indeed, taking better care of herself, and the training had helped a lot as well. She didn't have such a frail, waspish look to her any longer, even if she did still hide her face from the public with that fake smile. It was only with Virgil that the mask slipped and fell away. He was the only one who ever saw her, for who she really was. Even so, the need for comfort, for acceptance, had been something she'd lost sight of a long time ago, and given up on. But he made her remember, and she wasn't so sure that was a good thing. She was going to lose herself if she wasn't careful.
She stepped forward, reacting rather than thinking, and found herself leaning against him, her fingers curled into the material of his shirt, her forehead against his chest. She wasn't hugging him, exactly, but this, initiating any sort of contact, was far more than she'd done in several years. "Thank you, Virgil." She whispered softly. She did not specify just what she was thanking him for.
For once, he didnāt take advantage, simply laying a palm on the crown of her head, his other arm loose by his side. āYouāre welcome, Keira.ā
Presently, the kitsune still occupied his humanoid form, but he looked a little different from usual. As he had advised her to do, he was dressed for physical activity, of a sort: his white-blond hair pulled into a tail high on his head, his feet bare on the grass of the field, and his clothing nothing more sophisticated than a blue t-shirt and dark runnerās pants. He might have opted to train bare-chested, as Ephraim usually did, but it wasnāt really part of his persona, as such. Also, unnecessary as he found clothing to be, he for once was not looking to distract anyone from what they were doing. Learning this was important, and so the fox was as businesslike as he ever got, which was still considerably less so than his counterpart, but Ephraim was elsewhere at the moment, as was Nerys, so it fell to him to conduct the session. Not that he minded, of course.
āIt is initially tempting to think that more power will do the trick, but allow me to make something clear: many of the creatures we face will have more raw power than you, god-blooded or no. What you must do instead is learn to be more precise. Collapsing the same amount of energy into a precision stroke will do more damage than just trying to bludgeon things with it. Think of it like the concept of densityāthe same amount of matter, in less volume. Only this is not matter, but energy. Now. Try hitting me again.ā He grinned, and despite the fact that he wore not his own skin, there was still something dangerously-feral about it. He figured making himself the intended target would be a bit more of a motivator than having her aim at an innocent tree or suchlike.
For the most part, Keira wore a mask to cover up what she really felt, pretending rather than showing herself. In the kitsune's presence, however, that mask often slipped, and after a week, she didn't even bother with it anymore. Virgil was the only one aside from Nari and Kami who actually saw her, the real her; she still was unsure of how she felt about this. As he explained, her eyes narrowed and her mouth pulled down into a frown. The ball of energy she'd been trying to control dissolved with a slight sigh. She really was starting to get annoyed with this. She crossed her arms, and then pulled out a pencil and a notebook from her bag. She was not overly good with explaining things with words, so this was the next best thing.
After she was finished, she held it up, showing it to him. It appeared to be some type of chart, and she began to explain. "Alright, let's get a few things straight. This is how I view things, because frankly, a lot of this stuff I really just don't care about. I ask myself these questions: Does it want to kill me? If no, then fine, I leave it alone. If yes, can I kill it with a sword? If yes, fantastic, problem solved. If no, then can I kill it some other way; namely my ergokinesis? If yes, again, problem solved. If no, then simply run like hell. This is my solution, so tell me, just how many things will I come across that I cannot use my blade against? And, if there are that many, is there perhaps a way to use my ergokinesis in conjunction with my sword?" That would probably be the easiest way to go about this, seeing as she was already a master of the sword by most standards.
Perhaps what made this the most amusing was the fact that her face was kept in a rather neutral look the whole time.
Virgil stared at the flow chart for a moment. It wasā¦ well, to put it mildly, it was clear that Keiraās talents did not include drawing things, or even making straight lines, really. The childishness of the illustration combined with the flat look on her face made him smile, and for once, there was nothing lascivious or even particularly dangerous about it. He just appeared to be amused. Shaking his head the fox hummed a note in the back of his throat. How to explain this? āThink of it this way,ā he said, placing an index finger gently at the top of the flow chart. āThe things Iām talking about will most likely want to kill you. Or absorb your soul, depending on what kind of thing they are.ā He traced the tip of his digit down the appropriate line of the chart and to the next question.
āSome of them, though only the very weak ones, will in fact be killable with human weapons and human strength and speed. I will also be able to teach you to sense relative power levels, so youāll know those ones when you see them. Most, however, will have speed too great or hides too resilient or intangible to fall to such mundane methods.ā Virgil slid down the ānoā side of that branch to the final question. āThis, Iām afraid, is where the answer is always more complicated than a simple confirmation or denial. As I mentioned, there are a number of creatures that would be able to shrug off a blunt concussive blast. However, many of those same creatures would be susceptible to a more concentrated, compact bit of energy, one that could pierce hide, for example. Soā¦ no if you continue to use your power as you are using it now, and yes if you can master the lessons Iām giving you.ā
He moved his hand back to his side, canting his head slightly to the side. There was mischief in his aquamarine eyes, though, and the plain amusement had once again taken on a different cast. āDo be warned,ā he said playfully. āWhile running may sometimes be wise, there are creatures who very much enjoy the chase.ā Heād leaned progressively closer to her as he said it, steadily invading her personal space until his nose was only a few inches from hers. With the upward quirk of an eyebrow, however, he pulled back.
āNow, concentrate your energy. If you can master this, Iāll teach you how to use it to hone the edge of your beloved blade, which should help with some of those armored beasties.ā He moved backwards again, standing far enough away from her that she wouldnāt be caught in the blowback of her own energy if something went wrong when it came for him. He was more than durable enough to withstand anything she was capable of at this point, though he was interested in seeing just how well she could hone this link to her ancestral power. āHit me with everything youāve got, lovely. You know you want to.ā
[font=candara]Keira's face remained rather neutral as Virgil spoke, explaining more. She supposed she really should have expected such an answer, especially for one such as him. She cocked her head slightly as she listened, giving her the look of a curious fox, which was actually slightly ironic, given the person she was looking at. When he leaned in towards her, however, she felt heat snaking up her neck and face. Her eyes widened, and she fought not to take three steps back. She did, however, lean back away from him slightly, being able to breathe again when he stepped away.
For a second, she pursed her mouth in a thin line. She'd never reacted like that to anyone before. It was...highly annoying. Usually, she didn't really react at all to Virgil, whereas with everyone else she would flinch and shrink away. But this...this was new to her, and she wasn't sure she liked the way her heart sped up. Narrowing her eyes, she scowled at him. Why did he have to be so damnably persistant and annoying?
She didn't think about it, she really didn't process anything, really, she simply reacted. The energy formed around her hand rather than in it, the edge, where normally it was fluid and moving, like water, was fine, sharp even, and she used an upwards slice, much like as if she was using a blade. Her form was impeccable; it should be, after almost sixteen years of training herself, and she blinked in surprise, looking back at her hand. She sighed slightly. She really did not like this man, even if it did work this time.
Virgil took the energy attack square in the chest, having made no attempt to move away from it. While it did succeed in tearing a long gash in his shirt, the skin beneath was unbroken. Sheād hit with force, though, more than heād expected, even, and her form was undoubtedly good. That was fortunateāit was one less thing to work from, one less thing he had to teach. Not that he minded teaching, especially not when he was teaching her. He raised a brow. āSo bothering you is the best form of motivation, is it? You and I are going to have so much fun, darling.ā He hadnāt missed the way her face and neck started to turn pink; the process was more gradual than heād usually bother with, but she was coming around. He hadnāt lied, after all, when he said that some people enjoyed a good chase. He was absolutely one of them, and he made no apologies for that.
He smiled, then seemed to disappear. When he reappeared, he was holding her sword loosely in one hand, though how exactly heād managed to slide it from the sheath she was wearing with absolutely no disturbance or notice was hard to say. Turning it so that the edge faced the sky, he ran a thumb experimentally along the sharp end, cocking his head to the side when a small trickle of blood escaped the digit. He raised the pad of his thumb to his tongue and swiped the rest off that way, satisfied with the condition it was kept in. āOrdinary steel is not the most effective of conduits,ā he remarked conversationally, ābut if you can convince your ancestor to consecrate it, it will channel your power quite effectively. There is a way to make the request, if you would like to attempt it. To put it in your termsā¦ it would increase the number of things you could kill with it, human strength or no.ā
Making bargains with gods was always a little iffy, but they tended to favor their own descendants more than ordinary supplicants, and were more likely to offer them gifts of this nature, to ensure they remained alive to spread the blood another generation down. āInari actually likes consecrating weapons, being the god of smithing and whatnot.ā Deftly, he flipped the blade so that he held it between his fingers, hilt towards Keira so she could take it back. This time, he did not cut himself, a sure indication that heād meant to the first time.
Keira blinked, realizing that her blade was gone. That alone left her with a rather large sense of unease. Ineffective as it was, perhaps, it was still what she was most comfortable with, and she was not overly pleased by having it taken, especially not with the deft skill the kitsune had. She narrowed her eyes, watching as he tested the blade. She raised an eyebrow as she took it back from him, sliding it home into its sheath.
"So how would one go about making such a request? Descendant or not, Inari is still a god, and I am merely human." That, and she was not particularly sure she wanted to meet her anscestor. Gods were not beings she wished to meddle with, probably for good reason, as well.
Virgil snorted. āHow does anyone talk to a god? You pray. Of course, there are a large number of other things that have to be done to actually open a channel that will allow for the transferal of the necessary energy, but if you want to do it, I can arrange that part of things.ā Truth be told, he was not terribly thrilled about the idea of speaking to Inari againāthe god was still undoubtedly very upset with him and would probably ask for truly ridiculous things of him in exchange for the consecration, but this was not something he could simply do himself. He had not the divine energy required. His was demonic, and infusing that into a sword would poison and eventually kill the wielder, were they not youkai themselves. He was not really inclined to do such a thing.
Keira raised a brow. You prayed? She would have thought such measures were only human-based, though she supposed it did make sense, in a way. She had been about to respond when a beeping noise caught her attention. Her face pulled down into a frown. Nerys was the only one who had her cell number, and she was with Ephraim. Why would she...?
She blinked, the number reading unknown across the screen. She let out a slightly irritated sigh and answered it. The reaction was almost instantaneous. Shock flashed over her face as she realized who was speaking on the other end, and with every word, her face darkened. Her eyes flashed, and she shut the phone, hanging up rather than responding to him. How had he gotten her number? Well...it was on record at the Institution, seeing as they were the ones who had provided it. He also was still her father, so they had probably just handed it right over.
She clenched her jaw, pulling her sword out once more. All it took was one stroke, and the cell phone lay in two pieces on the ground. "I'll have to remember to tell Nerys I'm changing my number." She muttered darkly.
Virgil only blinked slowly at the rather rapid series of events, tilting his head slightly to one side and sighing. āAnd here Iād rather hoped I was the only person who made you that angry.ā It was hard to tell what he meant by that statement, as it could have been interpreted many ways, including as, of all things, an expression of a wish for her happiness, which would not have been like him at all. āWellā¦ I think weāre done for today. Time to reap the rewards of hard work.ā He let that implication hang in the air just long enough to sink in, then disproved his own innuendo by simply trotting over to his bag and rummaging around until he produced a small object. As he returned, it became evident that it was a woven band of cloth, modest in design and dark blue, mostly. Without asking permissionābecause when did he ever?āhe put the end between his teeth for safekeeping and raked his long fingers gently through Keiraās short hair, straightening it and pulling it away from her face. The band, he tied neatly, though not into a bow, as he doubted she would appreciate that. It was designed to keep her visibility intact during the vigorous movement of training, really, but of course he did not say this in a straightforward fashion.
āThere,ā he pronounced softly, but the mischief was right back in his tone thereafter, when he stepped back to study his handiwork. āNow I can see your lovely eyes.ā He wouldnāt ask her about what was bothering her, not at this stage. But that didnāt mean he wouldnāt offer a distraction, even if it was relatively innocent for him.
Keira was not the type of person to talk about her feelings, and that was not what she did now. Really, at the moment, she was thinking. It had been a week since she had started this training, and if she was showing any progress, considerable or otherwise, Virgil had not said, nor had she asked. She didn't really care overmuch, so long as it kept her alive. She cocked her head slightly about his statement about making her angry. No, anger was not the correct term. She was furious.
Even so, she said nothing as he went rummaging and returned, stepping up to her in the process. Most people probably would have objected to this, but she, as usual, said nothing. This had not been the first time Virgil had touched her, yet it still surprised her that she had no such desire to shrink away from him. She couldn't even stand within three feet of Ephraim without flinching.
She blinked slowly at his comment about her eyes, her grey orbs meeting his liquid aquamarine ones. It had been quite obvious over the last week that she was, indeed, taking better care of herself, and the training had helped a lot as well. She didn't have such a frail, waspish look to her any longer, even if she did still hide her face from the public with that fake smile. It was only with Virgil that the mask slipped and fell away. He was the only one who ever saw her, for who she really was. Even so, the need for comfort, for acceptance, had been something she'd lost sight of a long time ago, and given up on. But he made her remember, and she wasn't so sure that was a good thing. She was going to lose herself if she wasn't careful.
She stepped forward, reacting rather than thinking, and found herself leaning against him, her fingers curled into the material of his shirt, her forehead against his chest. She wasn't hugging him, exactly, but this, initiating any sort of contact, was far more than she'd done in several years. "Thank you, Virgil." She whispered softly. She did not specify just what she was thanking him for.
For once, he didnāt take advantage, simply laying a palm on the crown of her head, his other arm loose by his side. āYouāre welcome, Keira.ā