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

Were there not a gaping hole in Cala's chest proving otherwise they would swear they felt their heart swell with happiness as Saiko seemed more than pleased with their actions. Everything... everything was going so well it felt almost surreal. Granted they felt a LITTLE silly about giving Saiko their jacket when they just produced a field of nice, comfortable energy but... still. With how badly Ari had reacted they had expected dating to be a lot more.... well.... hurtful or complicated. But whether or not it was because Saiko was just as wonderful as Cala thought she was, they had met in a previous life as Saiko thought they had, or that Cala was just a natural at this 'dating' business this all seemed so amazing! Their skin felt all tingly, their chest ached in a good way, and they were excited for every new idea they could think of to surprise Saiko with!

Of all the possibilities Cala could guess between the one thing they didn't need to guess about was just how.... easy Saiko made things. Every action Cala took was reaffirmed, supported, encouraged even! This made them feel.... well... warm in ways they did not have words for. Though watching Saiko nibble on the sticky marshmallow caused a completely different kind of DEEPER burning sensation in the pit of their stomach Cala barely noticed it as Saiko rubbed their back and questioned them. Cala was a bit transfixed by her drifting hand, goosebumps flowering over their back from where it roamed and Cala's cheeks burned a dusky pink as they turned their attention to the fire, and pursed their lips.

Cala did not speak for a long moment, their eyes even closing as they started to speak, as their eyes and nose scrunched up a tiny bit in thought.

"W-We.... I mean... I.... of the two of us.... I wasn't conscious all that much d-during it. Ahhh it was mostly our other self.... you... y-you could talk to them, if you like? I-It's probably for the best it happen at some point so.... s-so...."

Cala shrugged, trailing off softly, but seeing Saiko's assent to speak to their other half Cala swallowed and nodded, a knot of nervous apprehension forming in their stomach. Somewhere, deep down, they had been anxious about what Saiko would think about there being two Calas in one body. Nevertheless Cala took in a deep breathe and prepared themselves for the rather frightening process. Their Fade would coil about themselves, the hair-pin in their hair beginning to spread as they called their other self to the surface. Their usually bright robes would tatter and darken, their hair-pin would spread down into a bone-like mask over their eyes and Fade would flood into and out of the eyeholes, blinding them as Cala curled in on themselves. Seemingly in pain for a moment, the color draining from their skin, the skull mask hardening into place, until... they went still. Now Cala's other self would raise their head, slightly, taking in their surroundings by Pesquisa alone, before they nodded and murmured.

"Hello Saiko. It is.... wonderful to meet you."

This new Cala went silent for a long moment, seemingly mulling over something, before answering her question.

"How we kept our sanity. We..... do not know that we did, in a sense, does it seem a sane thing to share your body with a separate being? Perhaps we fractured as a result of the insanity of it all but.... that is not the truth. We maintained our sanity purely because we had to. We could still speak to one another, in our mind, still plan and plot our survival, and while it was very little those rare Hollows weaker than ourselves could be made to hold conversation. Though that was more a result of the Hollow failing in ambushing us or luring us to our deaths, wherein a conversation seems a rather fair compensation for the attempted murder we believe."

Cala, this Cala, stayed silent a long moment. Studying the stick and marshmallow still in their hand before taking a bite of the marshmallow, humming, and sighed.

"Outside of this we.... lost quite a bit we believe. Memories, abilities, maybe even other personalities. We are unsure. But suffice to say we did not survive...... perfectly. It even impacted our perception of one another as two halves..... as this was not always the outlook we possessed."

The evening was going rather nicely as far as Saiko was concerned. She was relaxing, being content, and taking things as they came. Naturally, though, she was mildly surprised when Cala wanted to bring out his other self to explain what had happened to them. But, not being one to deny him that request, she agreed to let him transform and spoke on it.

"Yeah, if you feel that will help, you can bring him out."

Nodding away, she observed Cala transforming and was surprised at the change in aura that the male before her underwent. This one felt more mature in appearance, more hollow-like, and certainly didn't seem as prey-like as the previous Cala. Definitely a classic case of bait and switch, if there ever was one.

Still, when he greeted her, she responded with a smile.

"Hello, other Cala. It's a pleasure to meet you as well!"

Once she gave him a wave, the woman hugged her knees and remained quiet as she listened to his story. Being alone in a place like that must have taken a lot out of them. You were losing yourself, stuck in a tomb, and endlessly trying to sustain your existence in the hope of a better tomorrow. These sentiments rang true even in Saiko as she briefly thought of her human life to where she was now as a hybrid creature.

With a gentle tap of his shoulder, she decided to speak.

"You must have been through a lot then. I'm sorry that all happened to you, but with whatever you are now, I hope you can find happiness as I have. I had to undergo a similar process as I feel the essence of who I am has changed from growing from a human to a shinigami and into a half-blood. That demon blood felt like it possessed me, changed me, and drowned me in infinite sorrow that I only had my zanpukto spirit to keep me balanced and sane."

After tapping her chest, Saiko paused before speaking.

"So I do get it, and it's not strange to have another entity in yourself. Even if he is still part of my soul, it can help to have something to ground you."


Now remaining quiet for a few more seconds, she then asked a question of her own.

"But as you are now, where do you two intend to go from here? Just from your transformation, it feels like I'm talking to two people. Do you believe the two of you can have a good future?"

Masked Cala nodded respectfully, but their demeanor would change in a multitude of ways as they began to speak and Saiko began to listen. As perhaps the greatest example of how much the being before her changed where as their Maskless self had been eager to touch, to speak and obviously rather infatuated with her their current form was, to put it mildly, clinically detached. Their posture was more rigid, they did not lean forward to add weight or eagerness to their words, they did not fidget or look to her for her reactions, her feelings, and instead stared placidly across the pond before them.

Even her touch to their shoulder, which no doubt would have earned a blush or a smile from their previous self, was simply nodded to as if she had shown them a leaf or rock. They were cordial, they were polite and maybe even a bit studious of her, and especially as Saiko spoke, tapped her chest, and mentioned that their other self was now a part of her soul as well and could act to ground them.... this made them hum in rumination. Only for that hum of thought to deepen into something almost approaching a rumble of contemplation as they crossed their legs in front of them and leaned forward. Elbows resting on their thighs as their ashen skin grimaced along their jaw and they.... thought.

"You ask a very heavy question, two really, but two questions for two beings is more than fair."

Masked Cala idly skipped a rock across the pond, considering.

"Where we go..... it is not only my decision."

They nodded at this, finding that bit correct, before shrugging softly.

"I cannot answer for my other self, I think, though we share a body we are far from sharing a mind, or emotions, or a.... heart.... as poor taste as it might be to mention it."

Cala made a show of pushing a finger into the chest of their robes, sinking their hand into their Hollow hole, before pursing their lips.

"Regardless, for now my primary concern is with one I care about. It may seem strange to hear, and be even stranger to say, but fate works in odd ways in that both of us have found someone that.... well... I will leave them to describe their emotions. I suppose it is important to say I have found someone rather wonderful, someone worth caring about, protecting and.... cherishing. I am not the best at expressing these emotions, you are in fact alluring to the more emotionally intelligent of the two of us and, frankly, perhaps the more intelligent in general. Even if they're not the best at using their words. Thus, for now, my path mirrors her own. For however long that takes, anyways, until we are comfortable being apart again."

Masked Cala would offer Saiko a rock to skip before skipping another across the pond and humming.

" As for our good future..... I think you're closer to having an answer to it than I am. I would almost call it, as our other self has shared, ironic that a potential piece of their future would ask me about how well theirs will turn out."

Masked Cala actually smiled, a small thing, but they would turn their head in a hollow gesture to look at Saiko, more for the emphasis of the action than anything else.

"If you are interested in our other self, don't you think it would be more worthwhile to ask them, seeing as how they are the one that wants to make you the most important part of their future?"

A short pause would follow before they turned their head away and finished with a dry, neutral comment.

"That seems most sensible to me......"

You'd have to be a fool not to notice the stark contrast between the two Calas. From the perception of Saiko, this Cala was stiff, calm, and less fidgety than the previous incarnation she had interacted with. And as the male started to hum and speak, there was a sense of directness and lack of hesitation that Saiko took notice of. Maybe that's not how she saw it, but there was a lot less stumbling over his words than anything else.

"It's more than fair! Haha, if I'm gonna get to know you both, don't you think I should know all there is to know about you? It's a packaged deal, I think."

Saiko couldn't help but snort playfully at him after talking. But, she kept her touches away from this Cala as he didn't seem as attached to them as the previous one. And rather than superimpose on him, she just watched the male from a distance as he skipped a rock across the pond. Following that action, she nodded and decided to listen further to his words.

Above all else, it seemed that these two were separate beings that just happened to share a body. At least, that's the gist that Saiko got from how he explained things. And although he seemed more straightforward with his words, the individual in front of Saiko felt the maskless Cala was far more emotional and intelligent than him, even if he lacked the best words to say.

And while she wanted to interrupt, there was still more to tell, so she just accepted the rock that the masked Cala gave her and let it skip upon the pond. In doing so, streaks of aqua and snow hues filled the pond due to the rock becoming gently enveloped by Saiko's aura. This produced particles of beautiful light to flow into the night sky as she looked up to the heavens, closed her eyes, and took in more of what the masked Cala had to say before finally speaking her peace.

"Hey, Other Cala, you mentioned something about the other Cala having more intellectual and emotional intelligence than you if I heard you right. But let me tell you something: comparison is the theft of joy. I may be a stranger to you, and this is weird coming from someone you don't know, but I hate when others put down their own intelligence and emotion. You both have good heads on your shoulders, so keep your chin up, please."

With that out of the way, Saiko opened her eyes, leaned back, and looked up at the masked Cala before nodding and carrying on with the conversation.

"But thank you for clearing that up. If I understand, you two seem more like two people who happen to share a body than really being connected to one another. If that's the case, I hope you two can find their own bodies or something one day. That sounds like a nightmarish existence to be trapped with someone that isn't part of your soul. It's not like that with my Zanpukto spirit as it's pretty much just a reflection of my soul."

Tapping her chin for a few moments, Saiko found herself becoming looser with her words as the night went on. But at least it was better that she was getting comfortable, right?

"You are right, though. You should bring the other Cala out. If I want to know about his future, I need to ask him. Thank you for giving me so much-needed insight, Other Cala."

There was a pause, then Saiko looked at him weirdly.

"Errrrrr, or is there something else you'd want me to call you in the future? Other Cala just sounds weird!"

It was a small wonder that, as Saiko seemed to agree with this Cala, she skipped her rock across the pond. Her energy flowing over the water and then up into the sky caused this Cala to pause, intensely, raising their masked face up to look into the sky and, despite having no eyes, one would be forgiven if they had simply begun to stare at the plume of beautiful aqua energy. This Cala would, of all things, chuckle and shake their head. Letting Saiko respond to all they had said this Cala nodded and stood, their head turned down as if to look at her and smiled softly.

"It is.... endearing you would know us. Thank you. As for the comparison in our intelligence I believe you misunderstand. If I were to state the fact you were more powerful than us would you think we were downplaying our power? I do not. Now, envision the same situation but you are not able to properly harness your power due to anxiety and fear..... would my words not only then be speaking a truth but, in fact, be buoying the heart of one who needed it dearly?"

They would grimace a bit next and shrug their shoulders, cross their arms, and turn their head skyward again.

"Not of one soul, or of one soul, but one body regardless. I.... wish we possessed an answer to that, either of us. Are we two souls entwined helplessly forever, bound by suffering and circumstance, or merely..... one soul tore itself asunder but could not bear to finish the act? I do, truly, wonder......"

As Saiko thanked them Cala nodded slowly, and in response to her asking if there was something else she could call this self they pondered for a moment.

"Truly as long as we are in one body I see no issue but, well, the prospect of receiving a name from someone precious is strangely appealing. Perhaps I shall ask Aina......"

This Cala shook their head and glanced back up at the now-fading aqua light of Saiko's energy before humming.

"In any case, Saiko, I would ask one favor before I subdue my consciousness. The two of you.... may very well think more alike than it seems so.... if we ask as our other self.... this self did not give you any hints or spoil anything.~"

With that somewhat cryptic request done Cala's body would simply... freeze into it's stance, muscles stiff and unmoving for a moment.... before their robes began to lighten and the dark, tattered attire of Masked Cala began to fluff out, smooth itself, in time with the mask upon their face shrinking down to a small hair-clip and, dropping heavily to their knees, Cala would slowly return to the form Saiko had been on her date with. Color slowly returning to their skin, their head hanging forward limply only for them to jolt as if roused from slumber and blink rapidly. The first thing Cala noted was the very last flickers of Saiko's dying energy in the night sky and, pouting, would open their mouth, snap it shut, fidget their hands, and swallow rather noticeably.

Sitting rather close to Saiko Cala would then turn and blink, their nose wiggling softly like a rabbit, before they took in an uncertain breathe and murmured in a VERY distracted voice.

"D-.... Did it go well? Ermmm.... was it interesting?"

Suddenly blurting out with a rather intense eagerness Cala's emotions would boil over somewhat as they bit their lip.

"A-Also if not then... then I wanna show you my idea now! I-I mean... please...?"

Cala's voice softened near the end and they felt... a tiny bit bad about gotten so riled up, their hands clutching to their chest for a moment before they slowly, gently, extended a hand to Saiko, palm facing up.

"Hmmmm, maybeeeeeeeeeee I overspoke a wee bit. After all, you know the situation better in yourself than me. You've spent your entire lives together. I figured I'd chime in as an outsider, is all~"

Nodding along, Saiko relaxed, leaned back, and just listened to Cala for a bit before raising her eyebrow and responding to the notion of their two souls.

"It doesn't matter how you spilt it; you two are linked. But maybe there will come a day when you two can separate if that's what your hearts desire. Weirder things have happened in this bizarre world of ours."

For now, it seemed like he had no issue sharing a body with the other Cala. Though, it did appear as if the prospect of receiving some unique name did intrigue the male. This caused Saiko to wriggle her nose as a cheesy grin appeared on her face, and she gently nudged him before speaking.

"Maybe you should ask Aina to give you a special name. If you are not the other Cala, it's weird to call you that."

Playfully laughing, Saiko moved her elbow before contemplating how she and Cala thought alike. There wasn't much for her to process at that moment. Saiko assumed she would learn more about the other Cala's thought process, personality, and history as they interacted. Things like this took time to develop and getting to know a person couldn't happen in a few days.

"Hmmmmmmmmmmm. Well, thank you for sharing that nugget of information with me! I will keep that in mind."

After patting Cala on the back, she carried on.

"I wish you the best, and I hope you have a good slumber and apologize for disturbing you!"

And with that, she waved, let Cala do his thing, and reverted to the sweet little bubbly thing he was before. It was honestly a weird but amusing process to watch unfold. She just couldn't be comfortable with anything other than her Zanpukto spirit living inside of her. It was bad enough that she already had demonic blood within herself, making her body a foreign place. But that was a problem she would hopefully fix later.

Of course, he sprang to life like a jackrabbit jumping out of its hole for the first day of spring and filled with so much energy. For this reason, Saiko gave a gentle nod and answered his questions.

"Ohhhhh, don't worry Cala, we had a good time. It was interesting. Sure, your body is totally weird with how you have two people living in you, but I've seen weirder in demon world."

Not holding back on her truths, Saiko giggled and then tilted her head at what Cala wanted to show her.

"By all means, though, show me what you want to show me, Cala..."

As Masked Cala relinquished control of their body and heard Saiko apologize to them they would chuckle if they still had enough control over their body to do so. But without it, instead, all they had was their last conscious thought to themselves regarding her.

'Apologizing for something as simple as a conversation? Truly you two may be more similar than you imagine.....'

Once the Cala she had begun her date with sprang back to the surface, heard Saiko giggle and felt almost what felt like their heart fluttering in time with the tune of her voice they did, noticeably, blush with bashful abandon as Saiko referred to their body as 'weird' even if she had seen weirder Cala wasn't sure about how they felt being weird to her. It made them feel.... itchy, filled them with restless energy that, once Saiko allowed them to show her what it is they had planned since she carried them to this place Cala nodded and looked down at the ground for a long moment.

With a motion as deliberate as it was timid Cala slid closer to Saiko, to sit beside her all but touching shoulders, their hand still offered to her would then gently take one of her own. Their wide, lavender eyes asking permission before their skin genuinely touched, but, once the softness of their bodies joined Cala gingerly lifted her hand with their own. Despite her being so much stronger than they were, able to no doubt endure anything they could ever throw at her, they were still as ginger with her as they would be someone more fragile than themselves. If for no other reason than sheer, genuine care for her well-being.

Once Cala raised Saiko's arm that was closer to them, Cala shyly hooked their closer arm past Saiko's arm, so that it was closer to Saiko than her own arm, and gently took her hand so that their fingers intertwined and Cala's palms were.... well.... sweaty. They were nervous, after all, but they were also pleasantly soft and warm. Nonetheless Cala would fidget softly as Fade slowly coiled up that arm and stopped short of touching Saiko. Cala's voice was stammering, their anxiety over Saiko enjoying this mixed with the rather intimate motion making their voice quaver.

"I-I umm..... I'll need some o-of your energy... b-but I won't take too much! Just..... Just enough for it to work, o-okay?"

Once Saiko gave her permission the Fade would then expand and coil around both arms, binding the two of them together as it slithered out toward their joined hands. A soft, slightly numbing but altogether tingling sensation prickling Saiko's skin where the dark substance went. For how gentle Cala was being and for how little effect it would have on Saiko it wouldn't be inaccurate to say it felt nice. Nonetheless once the Fade reached their hands it would pool and flow between their fingers. Cala's fingers would slowly, as Cala obviously did not WANT to let Saiko's hand go but for the sake of their idea they did, peel themselves from her own.

With gentle focus a new, familiar and pleasant warmth would alight upon Saiko's palm. An odd, condensed ball of lavender energy sprouting into existence above Cala's palm, exuding the Arrancar's energy even as the sphere divided itself over and over again. Becoming a mass of conjoined spheres and, slowly pulling the energy from Saiko, the Fade would not only drain and suck the energy up to hover above her own palm, but work to bind and keep their hands together even after Cala had released their fingers. The ashen substance would push, manipulate and draw the energy into Cala's own before funneling their energy together, even draining Cala's own energy back into them when necessary and altogether conjoining their energy into a similar pattern. Like a mass of orbs glued together did deep, gorgeous aqua and bright, warm lavender mix before Cala would have the Fade raise their arms toward the night sky and set their plan in action.

In all but the same place where Saiko's energy had once traveled alone did Cala focus, draw in a deep breathe, and exert themselves in firing off both their own, and by extension Saiko's joined, energy. A dazzling mix of lavender and aqua arcing into the backdrop of the night-sky, back-lit by the stars as it flew into a nigh-endless expanse of dark before.... erupting. Flooding the world below in perfectly joined lavender and aqua, the lights reflecting and dancing in Cala's wide eyes.... even as the small Arrancar was sent flopping back onto their back by the force of the conjoined energy with enough force to blow their shrine-maiden ensemble from their shoulders!




Landing now on their back with a small 'oof' Cala would blink their eyes as they had.... not really been able to handle Saiko's energy , They were, for a moment, startled but as the pieces fell into place and mass of energy continued to erupt and sparkle with energy, all but a beautiful fireworks display reflected in Cala's eyes as they looked at the energy, then at Saiko, and..... they laughed. A genuine, happy and admittedly sheepish laugh but it was one full of joy. So much so that Cala would raise their hand not attached to Saiko to cover their mouth, eyes closing, before a small snort left the Arrancar and their embarrassment redoubled. Their face flooding with emotion as they stopped laughing and looked away timidly. Their fingers quietly, slowly rejoining with Saiko's even as the Fade receded. Leaving the only thing keeping their grip together to be Cala's fingers attempting to lace with Saiko's and, should she do the same, hers as well. Cala's voice would come out, small and hopeful, as they squirmed in place even as the 'fireworks' they had made continued to light up the night.

"I-I hope you like it Saiko.~"

Hm? Cala was intent on being near and staying with Saiko. She could feel his hand slipping into hers, which had a warm, sweaty grip. Yet, simultaneously, his palms were soft, welcoming, and most likely trying to find their place to relax with her. So, she allowed the hollow to hold her as she giggled.

"Nervous, are we? Don't be shy. I may have demon blood in me, but I'm not a devil that's gonna gobble you whole."

With a snort, she continued.

"Also, you can take what you want. I have more than enough energy to keep myself going for days and days."

Patting his head, she just relaxed, looked up at the stars for a moment, and closed her eyes as she let the fade crawl up her arm and feel it nibbling against her skin. To Saiko, this wasn't even really that bad. It was similar to having a pet like a cat or a dog come up, rest on your arm and lick you lovingly. So, if nothing else, she could sense the affection coming from Cala through this act.

"You worry far too much, silly."

Gently flicking his nose, Saiko chuckled and let him amass all the energy he needed to unveil quite the beloved spectacle afterward. Of course, she didn't pay too much attention to when he was feasting, gathering power, but her focus seemed to be captivated as the streaks of fireworks from their plum and aqua energies collided against the night sky. It lit up the forest life around them, mended with the dark heavens above, and drenched the atmosphere in quite a lovely feeling that was hard for words to describe.

Everything -- was terrific! This is what life was about. Seeing such beautiful wonders of the soul, gestures of kindness, and taking a moment to breathe, be in nature, and stay in the presence of another to keep the woes of the spirit at bay. It is here where both men and women find themselves bonding, connecting, and experiencing life together, making this existence remarkable.

And it seemed that even Cala himself was caught in the moment as she saw the rare sight of him having a genuine laugh, and it was a rather cute sight to see. Letting loose, relaxing, and lowering his guard was wonderful, as there was no need to be so wound up and tense. Hence, she slapped his back jokingly and spoke.

"Cala...you overthink things too much. Can't you see it in my eyes? I'm having one hell of a time here. Thank you for showing me something so awesome!"

With a big smile on herself, Saiko nodded self-assuredly before remembering the other Cala's words and pounced on the moment before she forgot.

"But I have a question the other Cala told me I should ask you: where do you see yourself in the future? Do you think you will have more moments like this in the future?"

Granted, Cala had not been expecting the flick to the nose prior to making their fireworks with Saiko but that only made them wiggle their nose once everything had calmed down. As Saiko stared at the fireworks, her happiness evident in her face, Cala was as captivated by the wonder-filled smile on her face as she was by the fireworks. Indeed though Saiko would call it a waste most likely Cala hardly looked at the fireworks as they sat up, only to be slapped on the back by Saiko, her thanks making a bubbly feeling flood the pit of their stomach and their nose crinkled softly. They nodded, humming, before murmuring.

"Y-You're welcome ummm...."

Cala had been about to say something else when Saiko seemed to pounce on a question that came to mind and as the swells of light in the sky continued Cala tilted their head curiously. Their other self had told her to ask them this? How odd. They did not respond now to their gentle mental nudges so.... it must truly be meant for Saiko to ask. As Saiko asked her question Cala blinked, rapidly, and their entire body was flooded with a shock of warmth as, for a moment, Cala misunderstood the question to be asking for more dates but as they took a deep breathe and calmed their brain down they licked their suddenly-dry lips and.... thought.

Now biting those same lips Cala would draw their knees up, wrap their arms around them, and rest their chin on their knees as their eyes gazed up the fireworks. Their mind was... strangely quiet as they thought about this. Their focus only one that question as it could have meant a lot of things. Their body felt very odd during all of this. Their scalp and head seemed to buzz and thrum with electricity, the hair on the back of their neck standing on end while their throat felt strangely constricted. While their mind was strangely quiet it was not a peaceful quiet, only a focused one, an intense one. Like a silent stage-play of a vicious debate.

Truthfully Cala sat there for a while, not saying anything, and eventually their eyes even fell away from the fireworks before they turned their head. Resting their cheek on their knees to look sideways at Saiko and sigh.

"W-We do overthink things. When.... When we think about more moments like this... it's not j-just this moment."

Cala would sit up more and chew on their lip, thinking, and hug their arms to their chest now.

"There is this moment, here with you, that we enjoy so much. If it didn't end we'd be okay with that for a long time, we think. But....."

Cala swallowed dryly, slowly settling on the words they wished to use.

"..... We.... think that there are a lot of different versions of this moment, and what really makes them special is who we are with. It wouldn't be the same if we brought A-Ari here. She's like our sister..... and.... umm...."

Cala's eyes closed gently and their blew a small, tiny breathe out their nose. When they spoke again their voice was more quite, wistful even, but they did not open their eyes.

"A-Anyways. W-.... I... I can think of a lot of reasons you could ask me. A-A lot of them but.... it's not my question to answer. If... If seeing myself in the future, in moments like these, were the ones I wished for..."

Now Cala opened their eyes, lavender meeting aqua, even as their features did not blush for once.

".... they would be with you."

Cala could not speak for a moment, their voice catching in their throat as they let those words hang there in the air for a moment. There was a quiet, undeniably timid, but present determination in their small voice as they made that statement. Their other self, no doubt, would have kissed Aina in that moment after saying something half as romantic but this Cala.... could not. They were not their other half and though they did sorely wish to do something, anything really, to prove the point it was intrinsic to their nature to wait for her, to see what she did, and respond accordingly. But for now Cala would not be, could not be, the one to move. They felt vaguely nauseous, yet energized, hyper-aware, but with an undeniably heavy feeling in their gut. Every combination of conflicting that bade them to sit, to watch and to wait as they murmured.

"S-So... Saiko.... do you think you'll have more moments like this in the future?"

Cala was beginning to grow more withdrawn into himself as that question lingered out. Knowing questions like these often left the poor thing flustered; Saiko gave a roll of her shoulders as she happily giggled and waited for the hollow to gather himself. And after remaining in silence for a few moments, her gentle aqua gaze looked back at Cala as he began to talk.

At first, as the hollow began to speak, he spoke of the typical things Saiko already knew. Things such as knowing that Cala was an overthinker. So there wasn't much surprise there. And beyond that, he expressed sentiments of wanting this moment to last with her forever, which was rather adorable to the woman. However, what shocked her was that he mentioned knowing a woman called Ari. Saiko often called Arianda that, but did she really have connections to this hollow? That was something that she'd touch on later.

As-- above all else, he wanted to spend those moments with her.

That statement cleared the air in Saiko's mind and caused her to blink a few times to register it herself. So, for once, she was the one who had nothing to say and was gathering herself internally. Eventually, however, she did come to an answer and nodded.

"Of course, we can have more moments like this in the future."

Now resting her head on his shoulder, she pondered for a moment before speaking further and placing her hand on his heart, which was thumping with excitement.

"Relax. I can tell you are scared, uncertain, and unsure of how to process things. However, you can't live in constant anxiety if you want to be your own person and enjoy life."

Now looking upwards at Cala, she continued.

"Be honest with me: where do you feel your anxiety comes from? Not from this moment, but as a person in general? You've had this immense fear around you from the moment I met you. What happened to you to make you this way, Cala?"