Night walk in the city (open)

Yami snorts as the fat slug steps back, giving up, getting out one last insult." Do yourself a favor and show some respect..useless roach.By the way...don't think of adopting anyone else..you're not fit to be a caretaker." He turns, dismissing him and looking at Xi,seeing her pain."...It'll be okay...it hurts, but, people who cast you aside so easily aren't family. Trust me on that, okay?...Do you want any help?"

XiFeng shook her head. "I can survive in my other form for awhile...probably. If not, I'll come get you. But there is one more thing you can do for me. If it's not too much trouble, could you beat the crap out of him anyways?"

The father blustered and raised up a beer bottle for a preemptive strike. "No fu(dg)ing way. I'd beat the %#!@ out of both of you if you even tried!"

Yami nods." If that is what you wish. He needs a lesson, as is." Concentrating his breath, he let's the white mist like substance pour out, forming a baton and casually shattering the bottle, destroying the drunks only means of defense, then following up with a rapid series of literally punishing blows. As he swings, the mage speaks calmly." This pain you're feeling? Its what she felt. You're helpless, aren't you? You can't do anything, can't fight back, can't run away....This is how she felt. This is the fear that coursed through her.... You understand now, don't you? You know what its like now...don't you?"

The father whimpered and trembled pathetically at first. Then he grew angry and cursed the cloth mage. Stupid freaks beating him down. Nobody wanted some strange mutation like that in their home. His glare of hate landed on XiFeng and she grabbed Yami's arm.

"Stop! I was wrong! I was really wrong! I thought it would make me feel better, for him to get what's coming to him, to get revenge but...I was just wrong. This doesn't make me feel empowered. I feel like dirt." XiFeng shook her head. Why were things never easy? Watching her father reap what he sowed should make her jump for joy but everything was just so messed up. She took one last look at her father and mumbled, "I'm sorry." before bolting out of the door. She had to get out of there. That place was poison.

Yami nods, stopping as she grabs his arm.Ignoring the man, he examines her. Good...she felt guilty. That means she hasn't given into the dark, like him, even if he did deserve it. He follows her, leaving the father with one last peice of advice." There's always bigger fish." Catching up to her he taps her on the shoulder." Hey...."

XiFeng ran a hand through her hair, feeling the stress of conflicting emotions and a lose-lose situation. She just wanted to run at this point, fly away and forget everything and never come back. Yami put a hand on her shoulder, calling for her attention. She turned and answered.

"Yeah?"

Yami bites his lip, hidden beneath his scarf, and thinks. For the first time, he was ackward, mostly because he was trying to figure out how to reassure her. Usually, he helped,then he left. Simple as that. But,this girl was making him want to help, for some reason."Look....Uhm..I know its bad right now..There's probably nothing you want to hear from me..But, itts....good..you feel guilty. Not good like you deserve it,but...good..that you're able to feel like that. It shows you're not...broke. You still have a...chance..for things to get better. You're still in the light."

XiFeng blinked as he was stumbling through his words. Yami was...comforting her? Well he was trying, and the effort was so awkwardly sincere and unpracticed that she let loose a little chuckle and relaxed.

"Thanks Yami. I- I guess that's still a good thing. Honestly I'm lucky you even showed up. Otherwise I'd be in that house right now probably being beat for running out last night."

Something nagged in the back of her mind. Saying she was still in the light...the unsaid words had meant that Yami had already fallen. That wasn't true. Even if he had been hardened by battle, which was obvious in his threats and demeanor when confronting her father, he still had compassion. He wasn't as lost as he thought he was. She gazed speculatively up at him.

"You're a good person Yami."

Yami nods as she relaxes, though he twitches as she chuckles. His efforts weren't that bad..were they? Then, she says something that gets to him. She says he's a good person. He takes a gasp, closing his eyes tight, as if in pain, and shakes his head."No........no, I'm not." He looks at her, years of pain and rage gleaming in his eyes." You haven't seen me at my worst....you haven't seen how easy it is for me to fail."

XiFeng confirmed her thoughts in his eyes. A lifetime of torment swirled in their depths. She had no doubt Yami could be the devil himself, dangerous, destructive, merciless. But then why would he save a random teenager who was obviously going to amount to nothing in life from a mugger? Why open his home and his help and ask nothing in return?

"The funny thing about people, is that they function a lot like light and dark." XiFeng paused. "Lot's of us are sort of a slightly dim or slightly bright light. But I believe people who have the lowest lows also have the highest highs. So when people are really dark, like you, it's easy to tell if they have any light. I think it's like a contrast thing you know? Anyways I'm off topic, I'm not very good at this comfort thing either. The point is that even if yesterday my dad beat me, if tomorrow he saves someone's life, in that moment he is good. Even the majority of a persons life and how they spend it doesn't quantify their entire existence. I think your like that. You messed up probably. More than once. Knowingly. It was probably really bad. But yesterday and today too, you saved me. To me at least, that makes you a good person."

XiFeng paused for a moment. Her advanced way of speaking had come out in the middle there. Bad, bad bad, but she didn't think he would notice. Right now, the topic was on him. He really hoped he didn't ask how she came up with this stuff. She didn't really have an answer for it right now.

Yami stands and listens as she explains her way of speaking, as sdhe trys to tell him,convince him, that he had light light, that he was good. He breathes in, then let's out a breath."......Maybe, just maybe...you're right. Maybe I do have light inside me still, no matter how dim....But, there is one mistake I made, one that erased my entire life, and...others...For that mistake, I deserve no forgiveness, I deserve the darkness." His fists tighten, and he says nearly under his breath." I should be dead...But, I have a job to do...." He closes his eyes, pushing the rage and self hatred back like he always did, then looks at her,reassuming his usual persona." Is there anything you need from that.....cave?"

XiFeng listened a bit disturbed and unsure of what to do in the mountain of Yami's problems. Before she could formulate any kind of a response to that he had already retreated back into his neutral demeanor. She sighed mentally and let it go, deciding not to push the issue. If she were Yami, she wouldn't listen to herself either. XiFeng was only sixteen and had only been pushed around her whole life, who was she to try and sound wise?

She just shook her head and answered. "No, I think I'll make it somehow. Even if I have to find a new city."

Yami nods, hiding how shook he still was. What was it....why did she effect him,get to him,so easily?Why? He mentally shakes,letting it go for now. He'd puzzle through it later, right now he had to try not to fail on this."My offer...it still stands. I..know I'm not the best company...but you'll be safe.You wouldn't have to....worry...about...that...kind if thing anymore."He jerks his thumb back at the direction of the Cave." I don't know why I want to help you so much..but I know I do."

XiFeng contemplated his offer. Not for long though. She would take four walls a ceiling a floor and someone who cared even a molecule over the streets any day. Still they needed to get supplies.

"Do you know anywhere we could get another bed...or like a bird cage or something I guess?"

Yami thinks." There might be places I can retrieve a cheap sleeping bag..but I wish more comfort for you than that...If we can't figure anything out today, I can always let you have my bed." He shakes his head." I dontbsleep well anyway...not normally,anyways."