Tranquil Temple

Winds whistled through the wooden boards of the abandoned buildings, the weaker ones giving way with loud creaks. Neo paused at the sound, scanning her surroundings before continuing forward. Today was another food run, as the last two had unfortunately, gone sour. The first ended in an ambush, which they easily dispatched, but the supplies had been damaged in scuffle, rendering them unsalvageable. The second technically been a success, but what items they had found were so few and so poor, they were hardly worth calling rations. Thus, the God Eating pair found themselves on attempt number three. This had been their journey in the wilderness since his arrival.

The first day had been a bit hectic. While Soma's presence alleviated the isolation and kept her grounded, there was a bit of discrepancy in their roles. His protective nature, while appreciated, did wear a bit on her nerves. By the third day, they had found their stride, with Soma accepting Neo's capability with her natural weaponry, and Neo accepting his help for larger predators. By the fifth day, they had fallen into a routine that worked perfectly for both of them. Neo would scout the area with her sharper senses, dispatching anything that dared to be a nuisance as Soma acted as her shield. For anything larger than a Sariel, she would fall back and focus on support. All the while both kept their senses keen for the Nova.

In order to help remain out of its path, the pair migrated often, wandering all across the lands from the frozen tundra to sopping wet plains, taking care to avoid any signs of Fenrir and gathering any supplies they could find along the way. With their genetic enhancements, they required minimal rest which made their job tremendously easier. They did most of their traveling by morning with the rising sun. By afternoon, they would cull, keeping the Aragami population as low as possible — the last thing either of them wanted was to leave anything on the table, lest it run the risk of attracting the Nova. It was an activity that she rather enjoyed after being cooped up in Headquarters for so long. Finally, after what felt like ages out of commission, Neo was contributing, finding purpose once more.

As night fell, the pair began the last part of their day, finding a suitable place to settle down for the night in what Soma now deemed Neo's favorite place. He would never understand her obsession with the Old Temple, nor the surrounding area. Perhaps it reminded her Shio, who had also grown fond of the place. Maybe Aragami just enjoyed low temperatures. It would certainly make for an interesting scientific study.

By the time they found a place, they split up, Neo clearing out anything on the inside while Soma patrolled the outer perimeter. Upon completing their tasks, they reconvened. Their lodgings this time around were a bit smaller than the last, and the building was in pretty bad shape. It was a small one-bedroom building with a living area, a bathroom, and what was left of a kitchen. The only saving grace was a large fireplace in the sleeping quarters, a convenient setup given their current situation.

In the main area, the two sat quietly, one on the couch and the other a few feet away kneeling on the floor. In the center of the room lay the remains of a Fallen Cocoon Maiden, uprooted and dragged into the building. With their last search ending less lucratively than they would like, the two were left with what remained of their dwindling food ration which Soma had attempted to share with his comrade. Of course, she stubbornly refused to partake of his supplies. It was a short argument, one that ended when she reminded him that, at least for her, human food was optional.

Thus, he sat quietly in his seat watching her finishing up. She had finally grown comfortable eating around him, he noticed, though he wasn't sure how much of that was a result of not having much choice. For his own peace of mind, Soma chose to believe the former, that she was growing to trust him again.

Even still, he couldn't stop the slight grimace from his face as Neo licked the blood from her lips. He no longer held ill feelings toward her disturbing activity, but no matter how many times he watched her, it never ceased to astonish him, the way she feasted on them the way Shio had. She never hesitated. Didn't even think about it, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

And perhaps it was. Maybe he was the strange one for rejecting it; the three of them shared a similar biology after all. It was a thought that made him question, despite himself. That made him wonder.

"How do you do that?" he asked.

"Hmm? Do what?"

He gestured loosely to the creature's remains. "All of it. The flesh, the cores, the First Love Juice… Seriously, how do you eat that stuff?"

Neo shrugged, following his gaze to the large hunk of tissue. "I just do. It's no different than eating anything else. It's no stranger to me than a steak is to you."

Soma could only watch as she went on to further prove her point, tossing a final piece into her mouth. No doubt her sharp fangs made the job even easier, shearing through the meat with little effort. But as far as he could remember, she hadn't always had them. Before Overdrive, her anatomy had been little different from his own. It was only fairly recently that her body had begun to mirror that of the creatures she consumed. Aside from her eye and flowing coats. And that knowledge only made him even more unsure. "I just don't get it."

"What's not to get? I'm half Aragami. It should stand to reason that I would consume the same as my counterparts."

"Yeah, so am I. But still, I…" his words trailed off, looking once again at the creature before them. Neo watched him, shifting her eyes between its body and his. His posture was rigid, every muscle tense and stiff. His face wore a mask of revulsion. But in his eyes; she could spy a familiar hunger. No doubt the same one that Shio had seen during that fateful mission. Slowly, she tore a tiny slice from her meal, carefully carved with a sharp claw. Then, she crossed the distance and offered it to him, a bite-sized piece, no larger than a crumb of bread.

Soma stared incredulously at her, gaze falling down to the bloody lump in her outstretched hand. Surely, she couldn't be suggesting what he thought she was. But even after a few moments, her hand didn't falter, holding insistently toward him. And somehow, despite his better judgement, despite every corner of his mind screaming to do otherwise, he found himself plucking the lump from her palm. Staring at it, he examined the flesh, taking note of its shape, its color, and texture. And the smell… a part of him — the more familiar one — was disgusted and repulsed, but the other… even he couldn't deny that it was tempting to him. Intoxicating even.

Neo watched his process, waiting patiently as he lifted the offering to his lips with all but the slowest motion. She could almost see his two sides battling each other, human and god at war. She could see the meat jiggle in his trembling hand, inching, moving ever so carefully inward. Soma's lips twisted and curled with determination; he could almost taste the blood on his tongue. Finally, he wretched, pulling it away with a grimace. Nope. Absolutely not. There was no way.

His friend, however, didn't seem offended. Instead, she only giggled, plucking the meat from his hand, and tossing it into her mouth. "Can't do it, huh?"

Soma shook his head, wearing a surprisingly apologetic expression. "…Sorry."

Neo blinked, tilting her head in momentary confusion. "Why are you apologizing?"

"Because I…" Honestly, he wasn't entirely sure. Maybe because part of it felt wrong. Like somehow, by rejecting her offering, he was rejecting her as well. But the New Type only shook her head.

"Soma, you don't have to force yourself to try and make me feel better. You and I are different. I've come to accept that."

"But we aren't," Soma argued, wiping his gloved hand against his pant leg. "Biologically, we're the same."

"So is the domesticated feline and the feral one. They are of a singular species, yet they are nothing alike."

Soma scowled. "You're not an animal, Neo. And you're not feral, either."

She shook her head. "I didn't mean it that way. I'm just trying to say that our lifestyles are different. You rejected your other half, whereas I embraced it… I had to. I didn't have a choice."

While he wanted to argue, he knew she was right. The two of them shared a Bias Factor, or at the very least a component of one. Both had Aragami capability, though unlike her, he seemed unable to harness it. But despite all their similarities, the reality was that they had lived completely different lives. Though Soma had also spent much of his life in isolation, he had still done so in comparative safety. Within four walls where he could rest, bathe, and recuperate after a long day's mission.

But Neo had had no place to truly call home. Even her bedroom, which had been designed as normally as possible, was ultimately a containment chamber. And after escaping the confines of her prison, she had only what she could find in the wild for shelter. Whereas he could come home to a warm meal, she was left to eat what meager rations she could find, which in the frozen wastelands of former Canada, probably wasn't much. He had lived his life as a human, in a human world, following human customs, rejecting his other half as the enemy. But Neo never had that option. Unlike himself, she had been left with a singular choice: assimilate or die.

Now, in human society, she was learning. She was growing and changing, following his lead as a fellow Managarm kin. But that part of her would always remain, awakened by the trials of her life. And Soma refused; he couldn't, wouldn't dismiss that part of her. Because it was just one of the many things that made Neo who she was. Yes, it was tragic in a sense, but it had also made her inarguably stronger, stronger than he would ever be. More clever, more resilient. While his comrade was trying her hardest to learn from him, he was beginning to wonder if perhaps he could learn something from her.

With their little experiment at an end, Neo dragged the carcass from the center of the room before tossing it off into the corner and out of the way. They had only finally gotten the front door to remain shut. She wasn't about to undo that progress by opening it again. Soma just watched her, his mind running through all the possibilities.

. . .

After their meal, the two spent a brief time relaxing in silence until the winds disrupted it, rattling against the wooden walls. A heavy draft eventually forced them backward, pushing them into the other room for shelter. It was a sudden and harsh reminder that while Neo was immune to the freezing elements, Soma was not. But retreating further into the house barely helped. The house was too small, and the temperatures remained frigid. And as the hours went on, it only continued to drop. Thus, he eventually found himself wandering around the rooms searching for anything he could find to achieve some level of warmth. She had long since given back his dark blue hood, but unfortunately, it was doing little to mitigate the environment. He almost envied Neo's utter disregard, wearing nothing more than a thin shirt and leggings when she disappeared into the other room.

Crack!

The sound of snapping wood startled him and sent him rushing back into the bedroom, grabbing his Arc along the way. But he slowed his pace as he entered the other room, pausing when he saw Neo against the wall crouching on the floor. Her hand was digging around inside of the wall. "What are you doing?"

A loud snap echoed through the quiet room, a long string dangling between her fingers when she pulled them out. A wire she had torn from the wall. "Starting a fire so you don't freeze."

Soma was tempted to ask her how she planned to do that with no flint, but quickly decided against it. Neo had lived alone in the wild for years, he was sure her survival skills were better honed than his own. He watched her walk to the fireplace, stocked with the closest things she could find to firewood and kindling; books, newspapers, chair legs, damaged planks from another room; anything that would burn. She knelt to the floor again in front of the fireplace this time, carefully feeding the wire into the bottom of the pile near the kindling. Small sparks jumped along her scarf. Neo focused, concentrating a current through the wire into the pile.

Ah. She was going to start an electrical fire. He watched with fascination as Neo controlled the flow of electricity, slowly amping it up the hotter it got. Within moments, a small stream of smoke was rising from the center of the pile, and his eyes caught the first sight of a flickering ember beneath. With a few careful breaths on the kindling, the little flickers spread, reaching out and licking anything they could reach. Within minutes, what was once a desolate soot-filled opening was now a hearth with roaring flame.

He shook his head in astonishment as she rose to her feet, backing away from the fire as it rose. Every time he thought he had seen it all, she would come up with something new to surprise him. Neo's resourcefulness was truly something to behold. But to his surprise, when she turned to him, she regarded him not with an expression of triumph but one of disappointment. "I'm sorry, this is all I can do. If only one of my elements was fire…"

Soma shook his head, stepping closer to the fireplace. "This is fine." The gentle warmth was already starting to permeate the room, seeping into his pores, thawing his chilled hands. Rustling from behind him drew him from the flame, turning around to see what she was doing now. Neo was in motion again, wandering around the room and patting anything she could find, cloth, towels, paper, into the crevices, trying to insulate them as best as possible. He fought the urge to sigh, walking over as she finished covering a crack in the window as tightly as she could. Despite already doing more than enough, she was still worrying about him. If only that woman cared half as much about herself.

Neo startled when her hand came forcibly to a stop. It took a couple of seconds for her to register that it was Soma's hand, wrapped around her own. She stared up at him, befuddled, as he lowered her hand back to her side. "Relax."

He frowned slightly when she tensed, stepping away from him and brushing the dust from her shirt. "Just trying to make sure you make it out of here in one piece."

"It's not like something is going to separate my limbs. I'm pretty sure I'll still be whole by morning."

"Doesn't do any good being whole if you're frozen solid."

Soma sighed. Not his usual one filled with aggravation. There was no anger there. Only exhaustion. "You've done enough. You need to rest."

"And you don't?"

He twitched, meeting her defiant gaze. Always so stubborn. "Fine. We'll both relax. Come on."

Using his body, he invaded her space, herding her from the windows and toward the fireplace. When she had clearly gone as far as she was willing, he sat cross-legged on the floor, gesturing for her to follow before lifting his hands and absorbing the heat. "Come on… sit down."

"What if —"

Soma halted her growing anxiety with a stern glare. "Neo, you really need to start trusting me. It'll be fine. Just sit down."

"But —"

"Sit. Down."

Neo huffed, slowly sinking to the floor beside him. She had no more energy to argue. After spending days in the wild, she was physically exhausted and emotionally drained. Finally, at least for the moment, she was still.

. . .

The next couple of hours were spent resting in front of the fire, chatting idly back and forth. They reminisced about simpler times, when both of them were thoughtless children without a care in the world. She asked him of his childhood, receiving stories she had not yet learned of his time in the Far East. Before the two of them met. Before his power turned him into an outcast. He listened to her own tales of adventure and the wacky hijinks she got into in North America. He snorted when she told him of the rice ball incident, the pair of them being found raiding the food ration. He tried his best to imagine a younger Ichiro; a playful trickster alongside his partner in crime, getting into all sorts of mischief as opposed to the reserved, careful guardian he now knew him to be. He couldn't do it. It was impossible to imagine that man as anything other than a pillar of order.

After talking for a while, sufficiently warmed, the two decided to call it a night. They weren't sure what tomorrow would bring, it would be best for both of them to get as much sleep as possible. Thus, the two made their way to their opposite resting places, Soma's the small bed against the wall and Neo's a broken-down armchair on the other side of the room. He had insisted that she take the bed, but she refused, citing her small size was more conducive for the spot than his larger frame. More importantly, the bed was closer to the fireplace, and whether he liked it or not, he needed the warmth more than she did. He couldn't argue that logic nor could he physically move her. Even if he managed, she would just return again. It was a fight he couldn't win. Thus, after saying their goodnights, the two finally laid down to rest.

Or at least… they tried to.

Soma's eyes gazed up at the ceiling, slowly counting the varied angles of splintered wood up above. He had counted thirty-seven when the sound of rustling fabric interrupted his place once more. On the other side of the room, Neo was shifting, curling herself against the cushion. Sitting up, he looked over to see her bundled in a tight ball, a glimpse of violet poking out at armrest. She was trembling ever so slightly, though her teeth did not chatter. It was just as well; Neo didn't get cold.

He could all but sense her discomfort as she curled herself tighter; she would have been nearly invisible in the faint light had he not known where to look. A few minutes passed while he observed her, watching her shuffling around on her makeshift bed. His eyes rolled in exasperation; he had told her that the chair would be uncomfortable. He wasn't sure why that woman never listened. He was about to tell her as much when he heard the sharpest intake of air, a shuddering breath. Not a sound of discomfort, but one of distress. The sound he had only heard during her most vulnerable moments. Neo wasn't in pain.

She was afraid.

The wind rumbled against the walls, forcing her ball even tighter and confirming his theory. What he wasn't sure of was why. The Nova had, surprisingly, not encountered them once during their trip and for the most part, their adventure had been uneventful. Neo wasn't afraid of storms, as far as he knew. She had never displayed as much. She didn't fear the cold, nor the wilderness, and certainly not him, he would hope. So, what could possibly make her so afraid as to literally lose sleep?

He thought back to all the times he had seen her in a resting state, quiet and peaceful. A small, adorable bundle of tranquility cocooned within her sheets, fingers gripping tightly around a small animal or comforter. Or… Soma twitched. Or her guardian. The realization crashed over him like a tidal wave, looking over at her trembling form with narrowed eyes. What was the one thing Neo feared most? The same thing she had experienced so many times before throughout her life, and never more severely than after Hiroyuki's death. Isolation. Separation. She feared being alone.

But she had been alone over the last few nights, and she had been sleeping fine… hadn't she?

Soma thought about it for a few minutes, realizing that he wasn't certain how she had slept. Neo never offered the information, and he had never asked for it, focusing only on their survival. And if there was one thing that woman was infuriatingly good at, it was suffering in silence. A habit that apparently still hadn't broken despite the passage of nearly 10 years. Because somehow, having an entire coalition of willing participants offering their assistance in her recovery still wasn't enough to convince her that she wasn't a burden. Was this what she had been doing the last three nights? Lying alone in her bed shivering in the darkness? Of course, it was. Because she would rather do that than reach out to him.

He waited for another three minutes, watching her toss and turn before finally deciding he couldn't take anymore. His own feelings aside — he was more than a little irritated that she was so apprehensive to rely on him — he needed to do something about this. If only to allow her, and himself, for that matter, to finally get some sleep. "Neo."

The shifting stopped, confirming not only that she had heard him but also his suspicion that she was wide awake, and had been the entire time. She remained frozen for a few moments before finally rolling over, just enough to glance at him with her golden eye. "Is something wrong, Soma?"

"Yeah, your tossing is making it impossible to sleep."

He cursed himself as the woman deflated slightly, curling back into herself. Once again, his words had failed him; for some reason, it was exceedingly difficult to articulate his thoughts properly when she was involved. What he had meant was that he couldn't sleep knowing she was so distressed. Not a difficult thing to convey. So, why was it so difficult to say?

"…I'm sorry. I'll be still." Neo retreated back into her corner, her body tense but unmoving.

Soma wasn't having it. Not this time. He was going to get his intentions across, one way or the other, and he was going to get through to her. To make her understand that he was there for her when she needed him. "Neo," he called to her again. She twisted her head once more, though she didn't speak. This time, he didn't bother with words, instead beckoning forward with his hand.

Her eyes widened in confusion as she regarded him, clearly unsure what he wanted her to do. The hesitation in her movements was visible even in the near darkness, afraid of doing the wrong thing. She was nervous, and the thought of her being frightened of him only bothered him more. "Just… come over here."

At his insistence, she slowly rolled her way to the edge and rose. Her feet padded softly across the floor in careful motions as she approached. She came to a stop a few feet away. It was as though there was an invisible barrier keeping her back, halting her progress toward him. But it was a barrier of her own making. One that he couldn't entirely blame her for. He had, in fact, toward the beginning of their reunion quite literally told her 'stay the hell away from me.' Perhaps it wasn't a wonder she was so evasive of him.

He beckoned her again, waving her forward. "Come on."

Her eyes shifted briefly, darting to the side and back again; a sign that she was definitely unsure, and her tilted head meaning she was confused. Still, at his request, she continued forward, slowly making her way toward the edge of the bed. When she could go no further, he beckoned her yet again, shifting his positioning and leaning back against the wall. Neo's eyes widened into a pair of miscolored saucers upon finally realizing his intention, gaze locking on his extended arm. He said nothing more; he let his offer speak for itself, his arm an open invitation. The offer was there should she choose to take it, but the decision was hers alone.

Soma watched as she deliberated, going back and forth in her mind trying to decide what to do. She was torn; she didn't want to sleep alone, but she wanted to upset her comrade even less. When the wind howled against the walls, her anxiety won out. Slowly, she climbed onto the bed, crawling toward him with careful steps. He did his best to ignore the implications, holding perfectly still as she turned around and leaned against the wall beside him. She finally joined him, but her body was rigid; she was unsure where her boundaries lie.

So, he set them for her. Losing his patience, he shook his hand and pulled her toward him, an arm around her own bringing her to rest against his shoulder. She tumbled over with a startled squeak, tensing even further as she leaned against him. "S-Soma…?" she questioned; uncertainty palpable in her voice.

The veteran averted his eyes from her widened ones, feeling his face grow warm beneath her gaze. "Just — just go to sleep."

"But —"

"It's fine."

Neo fell silent, staring up at her childhood friend in astonishment. Then, slowly, her eyes softened, her lips pulling into a grateful smile. Soma kept his gaze away from her as she snuggled against him, settling in comfortably at his side. His eyes remained facing the wall, even as he felt her curling into him. When she spoke, her words were nearly inaudible over the winds. "Good night, Soma… thank you."

He only grunted in response, keeping his eyes stubbornly affixed now on the ceiling. The last thing he needed was her eagle eyes catching a glimpse of his reddening face. But in hiding his own, he failed to see the faint blush coloring her own cheeks as her eyes slowly began to close. Within minutes, he felt her breathing fall into a slow, steady rhythm. She had all but passed out. She was exhausted.

With his comrade finally fast asleep, he braved a glance in her direction. He felt his hardened gaze soften as he looked at her sleeping form, relaxed at his side. Though his original intention had been to console her only until she fell asleep, it evaporated upon taking one look at her gentle face. Despite telling his body otherwise, it ignored him, holding her even tighter against him. He couldn't let her go. He didn't want to. Leaning his head back against the wall, he exhaled and closed his own eyes.

"…Good night, Neo."