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

Cala's face lit up like a Christmas tree as they realized their mistake and how what they had said had sounded. Their eyes going as wide as dinner plates as they watched Saiko lick her lips. The faintest taste of dark chocolate and cherries left by Cala there. That action, combined with the soft caress to their cheek, it had Cala feeling all kinds of things that made their mind go haywire. Their eyelids with all but a rapid blur they blinked so quickly, their confusion, embarrassment and unknown emotions swirling like maelstroms deep into those lavender pools.

As Saiko said to be careful throwing the love word around Cala couldn't help but let out a small, strange noise. Not... exactly a noise of objection, not at all, but Cala wiggled anxiously in Saiko's arms as they stopped themselves from speaking. Biting their lip with small, pearl teeth as they stared up at her, obviously warring with themselves on whether to say something or not. That thought, however, was put on the back burner as Saiko mentioned someone else.... wanted to love her too? That.... well Cala wasn't surprised at that. If anything the fact they weren't surprised is what surprised them and subconsciously sucked in a small breathe, holding it, and only exhaled when Saiko said it didn't mean they had no chance.

Cala, strangely enough, nodded before they could think and second guess themselves. An action that they would no doubt have to mull over later but they did mean it, sincerely, and as they nodded their hands gently tickled up the back of Saiko's neck to tangle in her hair as they swallowed and.... laughed a tiny, nervous laugh. Thin, dexterous fingers combing into her raven locks as Cala inhaled softly, set their shoulders, and nodded again.

"Y-Yes. I-I am. I've never.... I-I mean.... what I said a second ago..."

Cala's cheeks resumed their cherry hue as they looked down at themselves.

"It was... true but silly. I-I mean.... I mean... I think we feel the same? I-I dunno about love to say if it is what I feel. I-I just talked to my other half and they think they have found someone they love and how I mentioned you making me feel it's what they suggested s-so..... I... ermmm....."

Cala went silent, feeling like they were over-explaining things, and they pouted distinctly at this.

"All I m-meant was umm.... you're someone I want to be a-around. You make me feel better a-and if it becomes s-something else then even if I dunno what love is right now, I think I'll know it when I feel it."

Their hands stilled in her hair and Cala pursed their lips, legs kicking sheepishly in her grasp, as they lowered their hands to simply drape over her shoulders.

"A-Also I... umm... if... if there is someone else then i-it is your choice, in the end, so.... I-I mean... I dunno if it felt good for you too but I-I'll wait for you to kiss me next time."

That was the best way Cala could think to apologize for stealing a kiss and trusting the choice for pursuing things further to her. Hopefully Saiko understood their meaning.

"Hmmmmm, you probably have an infatuation with me and want to explore that feeling."

Cutting through his words gingerly, Saiko softly nodded her head along to his words as she continued.

"I'm willing to be around you if it helps you, but we should continue to get to know each other better. This is our 2nd time meeting, after all."

Ruffling his head, Saiko thought nothing of the closeness in the sense of restricting herself. So, she kissed him on the cheek so that he could feel somewhat relaxed and that this wasn't a total blow-out or anything. Truth be told, it was rather relaxing having Cala around, but the hybrid herself wasn't sure where to guide herself when it came to this whole dating thing, and it was hard for most people to figure that out. So, she just went with the punches and kept on rolling with the situation.

"I'm single, but it's a hard place since I'm determining what I want from a partner. I don't want to rush my decision, but I'll have to decide sooner or later."

Nodding, she then decided to go ahead and land near a cliff that overlooked the forest. After letting Cala back down to his feet, she shifted gears for a moment.

"But tell me: do you have a home or base or something? I think we really need to set you up with home so you can have a support system. It feels like you are really just alone and that's a terrible place to be."

Cala felt incredibly sheepish as Saiko mentioned it was their second time meeting, even though somehow in their mind it did not feel like it, but they nodded at her words. They were true, after all, and as Saiko ruffled their hair Caal blinked, confused for a moment, only to receive a kiss on the cheek as their reward. This made them feel... much better. All the drama, the confusion, the self-doubt from earlier, seemed so distant now. Cala was, frankly, more than glad to get past it themselves.

As Saiko mentioned being single and about making her decision Cala felt a bit awkward, as they were one of those decisions, and they almost hesitated getting back to their own feet. Being in Saiko's arms was very, very nice but realistically Cala knew staying in them all night wouldn't happen. So instead they hopped down onto their own two feet, released Saiko's neck, and look out over the forest as Saiko seemed almost able to read them like a book. Her question made Cala genuinely surprised, not in a sheepish or shy way, but it was a thought Cala had been having themselves for some time now. A problem they had been attempting to think of a solution to with precious few options to show for it and now Saiko was tackling it along with them as if it was a natural thing to do.

Shaking their head Cala grimaced softly, turning to look at the forest as the wind swept by, blowing their hair back in a way that exposed their face and they inhaled slowly.

"N-No, we don't. The closest we have to home is Hueco Mundo, o-or maybe Ari's house if she let us stay, umm..... a long time ago we were also a citizen of a place called Minatumi but we never had a house there. We haven't heard anything about it recently."

Looking down and shuffling their feet Cala just decided to be honest.

"Ever since we umm... saw Ari had her own house we've been trying to think of somewhere to live, somewhere to call our home, but we're too weak to make a palace in Hueco Mundo and we don't have a lot of money here in the living world. Umm... I mean we're never really alone, we always have our other self to talk to, ya know? So it wasn't really that lonely just.... dangerous. But we have been thinking on it and we think maybe going back to Minatumi to find somewhere would be the best option."

Cala frowned softly, looking up into Saiko's eyes, and nodded resolutely.

"E-Especially if you're a Shinigami now, trying to have somewhere in Hueco Mundo now would make it too dangerous for you to visit and we wanna see you more."

Cala stated this fact with complete sincerity, an honesty fueled by innocence, that Saiko being able to visit was a major factor in where they would choose to live.

Well, with Cala jumping off her, Saiko stretched and looked at the hollow before her eyes blinked. Ari was brought up again, which made her rather curious as he mentioned that he had visited this person in Mitaumi Harbor. That was the city where Arianda resided, and she had to figure out if this was the same one she knew. So, with a nod, she decided to cut through and ask her own question.

"Oh? So this Ari person is your friend, huh? Tell me: is her name Arianda Vael and is a demon? If so, uh, I think I might know her."

And after having time to think through the other sentiments about failing to find a home, Saiko rubbed her chin and pressed ahead.

"I'm pretty well off from the money and treasures I got from being in Shadow Fall and the Gotei; perhaps I could help you find an apartment or something in the harbor? That would be good since any friend of Arianda is a friend of hers worth saving."

Though her face froze for a moment before adding.

"At least, if that's where you wanna stay. And if you did, I'd stay away from Karakura Central!"

Cala looked... very confused when Saiko asked about Ari being their friend. Had she... forgotten what Cala had said earlier about Ari being like their sister. Granted they had had a lot of heavy conversation since then but.... still it definitely seemed a bit odd. Granted Saiko seemed to be thinking about a few things so, though it didn't sit easily with Cala, they did not at Saiko's follow-up questions about Ari. Now more than a little worried Saiko had purposely forgotten what they had mentioned about their relationship to Ari earlier due to some dislike or, worse, rivalry with their big sister. That would make things.... beyond awkward but..... Ari had already said they were friends so... Cala was just plain confused.

Far from completely swept aside Cala's confusion was definitely dulled as Saiko mentioned the idea of helping buy them an apartment in Minatumi. The offer then quickly squashing Cala's confusion, for the most part, as Saiko seemed to think positively of someone being Ari's friend. That, at least, alleviated Cala's concern about them being enemies. Not quite their concern about Saiko forgetting what she had though. However, seeing Saiko freeze up made Cala blink, and when she hastily added the qualifier of Cala wanting to stay there and being wary of Karakura Cala pursed their lips. Feeling a bit sheepish and, equally, grateful before they gave Saiko a smile.

"I-I appreciate your concern Saiko, but if it means getting to stay somewhere you can come see me I don't mind. If umm.... Karakura Central is where less friendly Shinigami are then I won't go there too much and I'll be sure to be careful.~"

Glancing up the cliff they stood near Cala noted the bright starlight above and, struck by another bit of inspiration, decided to jog up to Saiko. Smiling a bit more before taking her hand, moving past her, and turning to face her as they walked backwards. Gently leading Saiko to the top of the cliff, overlooking all the forest, where the soft glow of starlight reflected off the leaves and the soft light of various insects and creatures underlit the foliage. Gently squeezing Saiko's hand Cala would look out over the forest for a quiet moment, then look down, and hum softly.

"Y-Ya know I'm... I'm not surprised you and Ari are friends now that I think about it...."

Shrugging to themselves Cala would sit, gently letting Saiko's hand go, and curling their knees up to their chest as they yawned. Resting their chin on their knees they would stay here and look out over that beautiful forest with a beautiful girl as long as she wanted. It was, to Cala's mind, a preciously fleeting moment.

Saiko was going to say something to jog her memory, but the sudden movement of Cala's hand guiding her own into an embrace distracted the woman into the present moment.

"Yeah, and if there is somewhere else you want to live, let me know, and I'll help. Otherwise, uh, I think the harbor may be a good pick."

After speaking in a surprised but pleasant tone, Saiko's gaze wandered to the natural beauty of the forest. Being able to perceive and comprehend this sight was a privilege in itself. So sharing this moment with someone else meant she was still alive in the hybrid's mind. Breathing, thinking, and feeling was all-important. It's why she gently rubbed the hand of Cala's in return before he let go and sat down.

"Huh, what makes me and Ari likely to be friends then?"

Now sitting on her knees, she sat next to Cala and had one of her wisps of energy gently pat his head as she looked up at the sky and let out a gentle sigh of relaxation.

Cala gave a soft nod at Saiko mentioning the harbor being a good place to live, and joined Saiko in gazing out over the gorgeous scenery, taking some time to inhale gently. The gentle rubbing she did to Cala's hand made them regret letting her hand go but between the hand holding, the carrying, the caressing, Cala felt like they might have been being too touchy-feely, too eager to feel Saiko, so they withheld that desire sternly. With their thoughts quieting down for once Cala blinked a bit as Saiko asked exactly made it likely she and Ari were friends.

Cala, turning to look at Saiko with something resembling innocent surprise, would shrug and answer honestly.

"W-Well, you're both strong, pretty and very sweet. I mean.... in different ways but it makes sense to me you two would get along if you met and... umm.... lots of the strong people I have seen before seem to know one-another already, or at least be familiar. Like with strong Hollows the stronger you get the bigger the target you are, the more you stand out in general s-so.... I dunno. I just thought it was likely you had met a-and if you did meet you'd get along."

Smiling a bit more Cala would enjoy the soft pat to the head before neatly tucking their hair on Saiko's side behind their ear. Meeting her eyes sheepishly as they shrugged.

"I mean, in the end I was right.... r-right?"

Cala giggled softly, though it was short-lived, and they would idly pick at the grass around them. Not quite sure what to do now as they gave another gentle yawn. Scooting a bit closer to Saiko if for no other reason than to start pointing out particularly pretty sights in the distance.

"That pond looks nice with the stars in it..... oh and that tree has lots of fireflies in it..... it's all really pretty.~"

Calm. That's all this moment was to Saiko. There wasn't much chatter in her mind, nor were there distractions in the air around them. It was just two beings relaxing with each other and conversing into the night as the distant echoes of their voices reflected against the forest walls.

As Cala seemed to lose himself in the visage of the hybrid before him, Saiko opted to listen and took in the hollow's perception of her. He spoke of Saiko being strong, pretty, sweet, and familiar. And because of that, the woman gave him a ginger smile as what he said was straightforward and honest at least.

"You are right, Cala. Sometimes your instinct knows best."

Not disagreeing with him, Saiko nodded and closed her eyes for a moment to take in the ambiance of the moment before opening back and looking back at the pond Cala mentioned. As in this time of serenity, the hollow seemed to be inching closer after his little yawning spell. So, she stroked his hair again and spoke.

"That's the purpose of nature. Whenever we are overwhelmed by all the junk in the modern world, we can escape that hell and connect with the stars, the trees, and all that is natural to find peace."

Nodding, she continued.

"But mystic woo-woo talk aside, tell me, are you getting sleepy? We can head back to our site and get settled in if ya want."

Cala smiled gently as Saiko told them their instincts were correct since, even if Cala already knew it, hearing it from her made it feel more real to them somehow. After they had pointed out the pond, simply enjoying the moment and relaxing with her, Cala smiled gently as Saiko played with their hair in soft motions. The gentle touch only making them feel even sleepier and their eyelids would flutter noticeably as Saiko gave her thoughts on the purpose of nature, about how it relaxed and comforted her away from the modern world, and in that moment Cala felt that had made the right choice in coming here with her. If for no other reason than it made her happy.

When Saiko then dismissed her "woo woo" talk Cala giggled and smiled softly, biting their lip as she questioned if they were sleepy, and it was rather obvious they were. Cala, however, gave a nervous little wiggle and looked down, nodding. Instead of lying to try and stay out longer they simply decided to be honest with her.

"Y-Yes we are.... umm....."

Tilting their head bashfully to touch their cheek to her shoulder before sitting back up straight Cala would smile sheepishly.

"B-But.... well... if we go to sleep it means today will be over. R-Right? So in that case we don't want to be tired."

Nodding in approval of their own assessment Cala would glance at Saiko and then down at the ground in front of them.

"So if... if you want to stay out longer we ca-....aahhh..."

Cala was interrupted by another yawn, their lavender eyes closing in the process, before they shook their head and blushed in embarrassment.

"U-Umm... if you want to stay out longer we can."

"At least you are being honest with me."

Saiko snickered and ruffled the hair of Cala as he stated the tiredness beginning to come over his body. Though, he seemed to be fighting sleep to want to spend more time with the hybrid.

"You don't have to force yourself to stay up if you are tired, Cala. Wouldn't want ya to die."

After wriggling her nose, Saiko nodded, stood up, and had her energy gently pick up Cala and place him on her back if all went smoothly. Now making sure he was secured, she'd carry him like a living backpack and gently levitate up in the air as she glanced back at him.

"If you are that insistent, do you want to go on a late-night flight and see more of the forest ground before I put you to bed? Hehe."