I'll See You in Sierra (Cala/Saiko)

Cala had only just tried to step up into leading them somewhere when Saiko giggled at them, poked their nose, and began stroking their head. Besides feeling like a particularly lucky cat Cala could not help turning as red as a tomato at these very affectionate actions. Their eyes widening and their walking nearly halting as they simply... froze up . For as long as Saiko stroked their hair Cala, perhaps subconsciously, slowed their walking to a leisurely stroll. With eyes now firmly trained on the ground Cala would gently brush a thumb across the back of Saiko's hand and, in their embarrassed excitement, almost forget what they had just been about to do!

Shakily inhaling and shaking their mind just a bit free of Saiko's very distracting head-stroking Cala would close their eyes and make use of their Pesquisa in a similar manner that their other self used to see. In truth Cala did not have an EXACT idea of where to go, they had not been here before, but in their mind's eye they had a pretty good idea of what kind of place they were looking for. Extending their Pesquisa outward the world looked much different like this, almost like a series of constant sonar pings, devoid of color save for where the souls of other being dwelt. Saiko, for instance, was a nearly blinding, beautiful blue that Cala could not focus on too much for risk of overloading their senses. But it was not long before Cala was successful and, opening their eyes, would smile at Saiko as they shifted their path to go a bit more eastward.

"I-I think I found the right place....."

Cala had not said anything in response to Saiko calling them brave for leading them, not yet anyways, and after a bit of walking through some of the more wild expressions of nature Cala would pause in front of a steep, rocky cliff face and turn to Saiko. Their smile dwindling to something a lot more sheepish as they pointed upward to a particularly obvious outcropping from which the distant, yet noticeably, sound of rushing water could be heard, as well as the audible cue of a great deal of water being continuously dumped into a pool of the same.

"We'll... want to get up there I think. It's not much further..... Ummm...."

Cala paused briefly. Only trailing off because, truthfully, they weren't sure how Saiko would prefer to get there. No doubt Saiko was much better at movement than they were and Cala did not want to slow her down by insisting to hold her hand but.... even so... they couldn't quite will themselves to let go of her.

Saiko occasionally rested her head against Cala's as they walked and took in the sights. Nature brought a great sense of comfort, quiet, and peace in it's depths. So as he guided the way, the hybrid kept looking at the passing forest life. The lush green of the tall trees, the deers running in the streams, the air so gentle; this sight was everything she could have hoped for because her prior life with Shadow Life was filled with destruction, death, and decay. Nothing but blackness, hell, and the horrors that only devils and demons could inflict poisoned her mind for so long that she was honestly happy to be here, herself, and free of that nightmare.

So, as Cala jogged Saiko back to reality with his words, she nodded and trusted him to guide the way. It was as if he was as lost in his thoughts as she was in her past. But when they came to that rocky cliff, something had changed. Standing there in silence for a few moments allowed her to take in the sounds of gushing water as Saiko's lingered on Cala as she nodded.

"I've got this."

And, without warning, Saiko let go, moved ahead of Cala, and princess carried him in her arms. Knowing the direction of where he pointed to, Saiko wriggled her nose and leaped eastward at a steady speed but slow enough to make course corrections if the hollow had interjected. Blowing through the breeze, holding his warm body, and letting the freedom of the skies be their guide, it was a pleasant moment for the mistress of glum as she gushed with her own aqua blush back down at him.

"I hope you don't mind, right? You wanted to be close anyway."

With a smile, she giggled and observed what he would do in this instance.

"Just tell me when we are there, and I'll stop."

Cala nodded as Saiko stated her intent to handle the situation, letting go with some admitted reluctance, but accepted that she no doubt wanted to leap up separate. What could did NOT expect, however, was to be lifted into her embrace as if they weighed nothing as if... they were a princess? Or royalty? Cala, eyes as wide as dinner plates, wrapped their arms around Saiko's neck and stared at her. The wiggle of her nose was... adorable.... and despite the beautiful scenery of nature, despite the aw of soaring through the air, of the gorgeous sunset beginning to paint the sky a mosaic of oranges, red and vague purples... they stared at her.

They felt, for a long moment, lost..... the blue blush on Saiko's cheeks was answered in kind by one from Cala, salmon and aqua answering in kind, and as Saiko asked if they minded being held Cala required no thought in shaking their head. Their entire body felt like stone filled with lava, frozen and burning at the same time. Thrumming with energy while also being all but locked in place. As if their joints had been turned to stone. As Saiko mentioned stopping Cala almost shook their head on instinct, and their breathe hitched, their head turning away to look at how rapidly close the cliff was approaching and... and.....

In a spur of confusion brought about by a rapidly approaching deadline, or in this case a rapidly approaching cliff face, one of Cala's hands around Saiko's neck would caress up the back of her, softly tickling the nape of her nape, as they quickly leaned forward and placed their lips on her blushing cheeks for a brief, soft, world-freezing moment. That simple, gentle touch ending the very second Saiko's feet touched down on the cliff face and Cala hiccupped a quiet, nervous noise as their mind..... exploded in ideas, in possibilities and worry. Had they done too much? What exactly had they done!? What if she was mad about that o-or what if.... their closest thing to answer if they minded being held was a kiss to the cheek?

Wiggling anxiously Cala would consider wiggling down from Siako's grip, but only do so if she didn't maintain her hold, regardless their mind was going a million miles an hour and spit out a... nice idea. One single, central thought like the churning center of a maelstorm of worry and, whether set down or not, Cala would murmur in a quaking, cracking voice.

"I-I think... we're here.... and... I-I have another idea...."

Saiko blinked for a few moments before smiling at Cala afterward. It was a surprise for the hollow to have suddenly decided to kiss her cheeks, but she didn't seem to mind. Given the closeness of their body, it was almost expected in some ways, shocking in others, considering the timidness of the individual before her. So when they landed, the aqua gaze of the woman lingered on the sight of the hollow before her as she pondered what to think, say or do afterward.

"That was sweet."

Giving him a peck on the cheek back, the hybrid chuckled and let him down and had some thoughts swirling in her head. So many different people seemed to be pursuing her in romantic and other devious ways that it was hard for her to make a decision. The woman's consciousness didn't want to play with anyone's heart and didn't want to let her own weakness of being unable to make a choice hurt anyone. And, while she didn't show it outwardly, there was a conflict in her soul, and she knew after this day, a choice would have to be made.

Still, for the moment, it was nice to savor it. Sure, Cala and her would have to talk about their future, but there was no point in spoiling the mood now. So, she would pat his head and nod.

"But what did you have in mind for your idea? Once we get to camp, perhaps we can relax and have some good conversations under the stars or something."

Hearing Saiko's approval of their kiss as sweet and feeling the touch of her lips to their own cheek did wonders for releasing the squeezing, anxious feeling that permeated Cala's being in that moment. Even beyond that it seemed to make Cala.... blossom with energy. That timidity and anxiousness being funneled into a sort of happy exuberance as the Arrancar approached the cliff face before them and looked about for a moment, leaving Saiko to her thoughts, before with a quick series of Bala, cleared out a small growth of thorns and vegetation covering a narrow channel that seemed to go... into the cliff. The vague sound of impacting water coming from beyond and Cala would nod, turning back to Saiko just in time for the pat on their head, and this would make them blink their large, eager eyes. Their cheeks turning a hue of lavender to match their irises and Cala would gently take Saiko's hand, the smile that came next something between eager, anxious and... excited. Cala even laughed softly as their Fade pushed the supplies through the crevasse ahead of them, almost mumbling to themselves more than Saiko.

"Something tells us we should keep that a secret....."

Shaking their head and causing their own raven locks to whip gently around their head Cala would turn their body sideways and begin to slide into the opening in the cliff face before pausing and making sure they could continue onwards okay before chirping.

"I-it's just in here."

Cala would wait until Saiko joined them as, perhaps more than a little foolishly, they still wanted to be near her and make sure she was okay moving through here. To say nothing of her being the far more capable of the two. Cala was so eager to continue onward they had all but forgotten Saiko was much, much tougher than she seemed and so softly tightening their grip on Saiko's hand Cala would shimmy their way deeper and deeper into the cliff face for a solid minute before stumbling free, the sound of pouring water escalating more and more, until the tight confines gave way to a particularly interesting ecosystem.

Within the cliff face and cascading up, or down depending on one's perspective, the cliff was a small waterfall that deposited itself into a sizeable pond. All around the two did the cliff form a circle of rock walls, save for where the waterfall sloped over a foliage-covered incline. Plant and animal life flourished beautifully here and the incline of the side of the cliff the waterfall fell from was shallow enough off to one side that animals could climb in and out of the bowl-like valley the two were in. Perhaps most pertinent to Saiko however, with her mention of watching the stars, was that those same rock walls rose high enough with the cliff to form a very large, semi-circular view up to the evening sky. Gentle, translucent rainbow-colors spiraling through the air from the spray of the waterfall and Cala would smile brightly as a bird winged through the spray, scything the rainbow in two briefly, creating a slightly mesmerizing worble to the array of colors.

Squeezing Saiko's hand excitedly Cala would turn back to them and nod their head, their energy dying down just a tiny bit as they cleared their throat, sheepishness humming through their body as they glanced around.

"I ahh... I hope you like the place we picked out...."

A helping hand went a long way, as the sight of Cala clearing out all the thorns and veggies from their path was a welcomed thing for Saiko to see. So, she would hum a cheery tune, walk up to him, pat the hollow's head, and speak.

"Thank you so very much for your service~."

Giggling, she followed Cala through these tight spaces and blinked when he muttered something about keeping this a secret. What? His powers? Ah, that was no big deal to Saiko. So, she smiled and nodded before talking once more.

"My lips are sealed if yours are as well."

After saying those words, Saiko just accepted the small space they were venturing through. Luckily for him, she wasn't claustrophobic, as that type of training was common for Shadow Fall. If you were going to be a soldier from hell, you better not be afraid of being in tight spaces. With all the debris and mountains chucked at her that cemented the woman into the earth itself, there wasn't much fear for this as she felt like she could just destroy anything she wanted if it got too much.

Regardless, a sight of beautiful proportions met the woman's eyes when they got through it all. Seeing the pond, the animal life, the water, and the endless skies above them made Saiko's eyes twinkle with happiness. She knew this was the right place and gave Cala another kiss on the cheek.

"Yes, you did a good job, Cala! I think we can certainly set up shop here."

At having their head pat upon clearing the branches and being thanked for their services Cala did not quite get the joke but they did like having their head pat so.... it as a win in their eyes. Once the two intrepid love-birds joined the rest of the wildlife in the vista beyond the cliff-face Cala smiled as they saw how overjoyed Saiko was with the choice. The added kiss only made Cala blush and duck their head, looking around for a nice, elevated spot beside the pond that was also flat enough to begin setting up their camp. Cala would, however, take a few instances to glance up at the opening in the roof of the bowl-like area they were in as they laid out a nice, comfy air mattress. Big enough for both of them of course and positioned well enough to see up and out of the opening as Saiko had mentioned wanting to see the stars.

Once that was situated as perfectly as Cala could get it they nodded, smiled, and began to clear a nice spot to begin building a fire. They had only really watched videos and researched on how to do such a thing so sadly for Cala they were far from any sort of boy scout or survivalist. and starting a fire by hand was, well, clearly after a few failed attempts and a pout from the Arrancar, still outside their very basic skillset.

"Umm... I-I don't suppose you know how to start a fire?"

Cala felt strangely.... bad for having to ask Saiko for help, and they took the time to glance into the small pond of swirling water. Softly gasping at just how clear it was Cala could see down.... however deep it was anyways... and furrowed their brow as it looked like the stone at the bottom had been eroded down to a sort of underground funnel depositing the water somewhere else. It's clarity, combined with the small fish swimming within and lack of any larger wildlife intent on living in it, made Cala consider that it might also be a nice place to swim. At least.... if they knew how to do so. But, shaking their head softly, Cala would smile sheepishly at Saiko and ask.

"So umm.. h-have you ever gone camping before?"

Saiko was glad they were getting settled into their camp for the evening. If nothing else, it provided a sense of comfort, security, and time to unwind in nature, as the best way to disconnect from it all was to lose yourself in the natural earth itself. Society, electronics, buildings, and all that stuff clouded the mind, and she was happy the hollow made time for her.

But, as soon he mentioned for her to start a fire, Saiko couldn't help but laugh as her right eye became devoured in a bright oceanic fire. With her sight now aimed at the group of sticks where Cala was trying to make a little blaze, the hybrid squinted her face, directed her energy, and soon had a beautiful white and blue fire around the two. If anything, it brought its charm as the embers of these rich flames contrasted nicely with the twilight skies above.

"Hehehe, easy peasy, Cala."

Nodding and proud of herself, Saiko sat down and pulled out two sticks. After putting a glob of marshmallows on the sticks, she offered Cala one of the sticks so they could roast them together. Though he seemed intent on asking more questions, she was eager to respond.

"Of course~ Though, they weren't camping trips you'd enjoy. They were more like camping trips to observe the enemy when I worked for Shadow Fall."

Shuddering at the mention of that name, she continued.

"How about you?"

Cala blinked as Saiko giggled and remarked on how easy the fire would be. Cala scooted back and, watching her work, blinked rapidly before smiling more than a little sheepishly. Mumbling internally to themselves that they really shouldn't be surprised by a girl so dreamy being able to do things they could only dream of. Though it did make Cala wonder at exactly how large the gap must be between Saiko and those Shinigami they had already met. If they had just had the ability to light them on fire their encounters certainly would have gone differently! Though, they supposed, the blonde girl did have the ability to shoot lightning so.... Cala's thoughts trailed off and they shook their head, instead moving to sit with Saiko and smiling as they accepted the marshmallow stick.

"Thank you.~"

As Cala listened to Saiko's explanation they at least recognized she did not enjoy talking about this 'Shadow Fall' stuff. Cala was only very vaguely aware of it, and not at all connected to it, as it had been before their time. This made Cala decide against asking after it, as they felt that their date now was more about getting away and enjoying each other than talking about bad parts of their past. Cala did misunderstand Saiko's shiver though and, gently removing the coat they had worn over their robes, put it around her with gentle, careful motions. It was a bit colder in here near all this moisture and especially as night fell it would continue to get chillier.

Scooting a bit closer to help keep her warm, at least until their hips and shoulders touched, Cala hummed at Saiko's question. Taking a moment to think as Cala's jacket carried their scent only faintly, vague and of something like dark chocolate and cherries. Glancing up at the quickly-darkening sky Cala would shrug their shoulders.

"I.... I suppose in a way we did. Ermm.... but there's not really anything in Hueco Mundo like this except for the forest of Menos. But even then..... to call that the same thing as this...."

Cala trailed off, looked at her, before blushing and looking at their marshmallow as it browned over the fire. Their voice growing quieter and more meaningful as they murmured.

"... it doesn't feel right...."

Whether or not Saiko felt the same about her own examples Cala would pull their marshmallow back and, smiling softly, hummed. Instead of eating it themselves, however, they giggled and gingerly offered it to Saiko instead. It was just barely past a dark brown, only crispy on the very ridges closest to the flame and somewhere between fully melting off the stick and complete solid.

"Well, that is sweet of you. Thank you I enjoy that."

There was a gentle smile that came off the face of Saiko as she patted the head of Cala and enjoyed the warmth of his jacket around her.

Yes, calm, quiet, and relaxing, this evening was turning out to be something Saiko did need to de-stress. So, she would notice Cala getting closer to keep the two warm and allowed it. In fact, he would soon find himself coated with a gentle blanket made from the aqua aura of Saiko's energy. It acted as a means to keep the hollow from getting too chilly since her energy could run hot or cold.

Remaining silent for a few more moments, Saiko kept looking at Cala as she gave him her attention when describing what Hueco Mundo was like when camping. And based on his reactions, it was doubtful that it was a good experience to her. Though, when he gave her a piece of his marshmallow, she graciously accepted it and nibbled a bit since she could obviously eat anyone out of house and home.

"Hehehe, you know I needed that. I like to eat..."

Giggling to herself, Saiko looked shifty eye for a moment before gently rubbing her hand on his back. She didn't want to lose her train of thought, so even if the moment was sweet, she wanted to speak more personal level.

"Hueco Mundo seemed like a coffin whenever I visited there on Shadow Fall business."

With a nod, she continued.

"Tell me, Cala: how did you keep your sanity? No light, no sun, no changing weather, just constant sand, and darkness. As terrible as Shadow Fall and Demon World were, I'd still rather live there than in a state of constant decay and silence."