"Come in, please look around!" Filia chirped as the door's bell rang indicating yet another customer entering the store. Today was certainly busy, as usual, but more so due to the street festival. She was busy polishing a vase and applying glaze to it, so she didn't look up to see who'd entered the shop quiet yet.
It had been about a year since the 'adventures' so to speak had ended, and her shop was doing quite well on it's own. The people apparently loved her pottery skills, and there was always the need for cooking ware as well, so she had regulars come in all the time, even just to chat. Baby Val was growing quite well now, getting into mischief like a normal child would, and seeming to be happy with her. She often wondered how odd it seemed that he was constantly in human form, and never showing his magic, but then she thought twice and realized it made sense after all, since he wasn't dependent on it, nor fully ryuzoku anyway.
She was almost finished polishing the vase, when she realized that it was actually quite quiet in the shop, and she could hear Val burbling upstairs in loud laughter. She looked up the stairs curiously, wondering what was drawing his attention so much, and sighed wiping her hands. She put the rag and pot down, and walked up the stairs slowly, wondering if it was always going to be so difficult to care for a baby. She shook her head, and reached the top of the stairs, and glanced up... only to freeze with a disgusted look on her face. "You! Namagomi, what are you doing with him!" She hissed dangerously upon seeing her purple haired guest holding baby Val in his arms and poking his pudgy tummy.
"Entertaining him of course! What does it look like, dear Filia-san?" Came the innocent reply as the gloved hands wiggled in front of Val, and he gurgled and latched onto them with his hands. "It surely can't hurt to give the little fellow some attention."
She growled with dangerous eyes at him. "You're not welcome here. Leave now."
He turned his head and cocked it innocently to the side. "Now now, don't be like that Filia-san. I have my responsibilities to the little twerp just as you do, so you can hardly tell me what I can and can't do."
She grit her teeth in rage at his aloof behavior. "And you can't just appear out of nowhere and expect to be given the royal treatment." She snapped her nerves grating, and her tail sticking straight up behind her in anger. "I ask you again politely to leave."
He turned his head towards her, and his eyes opened slightly, showing their glittering amethyst depths. "Or what? You'll introduce me once again to mace-sama?" He smiled cruelly. "Calm down Filia-san, I am not going to do any harm this time."
She wanted to scream aloud, but forced herself to cool down. He usually told the truth, just not the whole truth, so if he said that he wouldn't' do any harm this time, then she could at least try and get him out civilly. "Fine, Namagomi." She snorted turning around and stalking back downstairs. "Have it your way."
His eyebrow twitched once again at that use of a name for him, but he didn't let it get to him, and tickled Val a bit, then followed her downstairs, much to her dismay. "So how's business Filia-san? Busy I take it?" He smiled endlessly and examined some pots while Val sucked on his hair. "You seem to have been doing quite well."
She bristled, but went back to her pot as calmly as she could muster. "Yes, I've been doing quite well, making a decent living unlike SOME people I know."
He didn't seem to hear or acknowledge that hidden threat, and just bounced Val up and down on his hip while other customers watched the exchanged with slightly uncertain looks. "Hmm, that's nice."
She grit her teeth. He was so blasé about everything! #@$# Namagomi..... She nearly paled at the realization that she was beginning to adopt dirty language, and snarled at him, blaming him for it yet again. "So what do I owe the honor of this visit?" She bit out wryly.
He just turned about with that irritating smile and tossed Val up and down as the child squealed in glee. "Well, isn't' it enough to just say that I wanted to pay you a visit?"
"I know you too well Xelloss." She hissed. "You filthy mazoku don't visit anyone just for the fun of it."
At the mention of mazoku, some of the customers were staring at the tall man with wide eyes. He didn't look like a demon.... And didn't act like one....
Xelloss pouted. "Now don't be that way Filia-chan..."
"Don't you 'Filia-chan' me Namagomi!" She barked back. "If you're really just here to visit, then you've overstayed your welcome, so good bye and have a nice day!" She snapped, yanking Val from his arms and stalking back to the counter.
He stood there watching her silently, his arms folded behind him, who knows where his staff was, looking thoughtful. Then he walked up to her and leaned on the counter, much to her annoyance as she shot him an angry glare. "You know, you really have a very attractive quality when you're angry at me."
That got her to freeze in shock. She felt as if someone had hit HER with her mace. She slowly turned to look at him, and saw slightly open eyes staring at her glittering beneath their lids. The other customers were smiling amidst themselves knowingly. She stuttered back to life. "W...what the hell are you saying Namagomi!" She snapped taking a step away from him. "Leave now! I'll call the authorities on you if you don't!" Her panic was evident.
He sighed. "Yare yare, can't have that now can I..." He stood up and shrugged closing his eyes again. "They might do something Aweful to me..." He turned and strode to the door, his staff appearing randomly, and he glanced back once before pushing the door open. "Oh, Filia-chan. I meant that." And with that statement, he left and vanished into nothingness.
Filia was simply left sputtering in anger, steam coming off of her head, while thoughts churned around in her mind confused.
It was after hours, and Filia was preparing the usual lonely dinner for her and Val, still thinking about what Xelloss had said upon his unwelcome appearance today. She lit the decorative candles halfheartedly and sighed as she set the table. What game was he playing this time? Why would he say such a thing? She sighed and served herself some dinner, then placed Val's before him, and started feeding him. Why would the Namagomi say something like that, and mean it? Why?
She sighed and continued feeding Val as he burbled happily, and never noticed the small draft coming from the door making the candles flicker more. However, she did notice when someone stepped into her line of sight, and stopped. Her head jerked up in shock to see Xelloss standing there, but not dressed in his usual garb. He wore a simple black silk suit and no gloves..... and his smile wasn't as annoying and wide, but almost gentle and serene. "You look depressed tonight."
She straightened up. "You.... What are you doing here..." She hissed, pausing in her feeding as Val giggled and reached up for Xel with gooey baby hands. "You have a lot of nerve Namagomi."
He simply smiled a bit more and gestured. "May I join you?"
She blinked. May? He was asking? That meant if she said no he'd leave? She eyed him warily. He was awful dressed up... what was he up to? She wanted to tell him off, saying to beat it and find a nice garbage heap to crawl in, but she was curious as to why he was suddenly acting so nice to her. She sighed. "Fine." She snapped. "Do what you want."
He pulled the other chair out and seated himself down, then watched as she continued to feed Val with a quiet smile on his face. "He sure eats a lot.."
"Baby's do." She snapped. "Why are you here Namagomi. I told you to leave, and now you're back."
"I did leave. And yes I am back, since you didn't say for how long I should be gone." He smiled infatuatingly and she growled. "So you see, I kept my promise."
"Feh, you twisted it around."
"Well yes, but did you except less?"
She snorted. "No, certainly not." She scowled more as Val clapped his hands and refused to eat, but reached for Xelloss. Filia growled. "Don't pay attention to the Namagomi, Val." She tried to get him to eat it, but he avoided her and reached out to Xelloss with a pudgy hand. She scowled and thrust the food in Xelloss' hands. "I think he want's YOU to feed him, though I can't imagine why." She stalked away from the table to go and warm up her cold meal.
Xelloss shrugged, and began feeding Val, who giggled happily and let him feed him, much to Xelloss' amusement. "I think he does like me... what do you think of that?"
"I'd rather not." Came the snippy reply from Filia as she walked back with her supper. "How long are you going to grace us with your presence?"
"Hmm, I don't know." He said with a smile. "You seem in need of company."
She scowled. "Not yours."
He didn't answer to that, but kept feeding Val as the baby giggled happily. After some time in silence where Filia began eating, he glanced at her slightly. "Ne, Filia-chan...?"
"CHAN? Don't you wish..."
"Fine fine, Filia-SAN...." He replied calmly. "I've been meaning to ask you something for quiet some time now."
She glared suspiciously at him. "What is it Namagomi? It better not be anything kinky."
He chuckled, but shook his head and finished feeding Vas, wiping the baby's face off with a napkin, then taking him onto his lap. "No.... it's not."
"Well then, spit it out."
He was silent as Val sat there banging his tray for attention in the interim. Then he turned his face towards her, but his eyes were shadowed. "It's about the Ancients."
Her heart paused a bit in its beating as it did whenever that topic was brought up. "What about them." She asked trying to keep her voice even.
He was silent for a while longer, and in that time Val started reaching for things on the table, being troublesome. "Why did the Golds wipe them out anyway?"
She tensed and grasped her hands in small fists as she closed her eyes. "You know why, Namagomi."
"No, actually I don't."
"Because they were after the fifth weapon of light."
"Yes, but that doesn't explain why they committed the genocide of an entire race of people."
She looked up surprised at him. He was being so serious and asking questions that were straightforward rather than twisting things around and other such manners. "Why do you ask...." She suddenly became suspicious.
He didn't look up however, and when he answered, she could feel a sliiiight bit of uncomfortability beneath his words. "I'm not sure." He said softly. "I just need to know."
She regarded him carefully, her blue eyes seeing more than was there, and doubting what she saw.... He was confused himself.... But why? Why would the ancients bring up such feelings in him? Feelings.... Yes she could feel them. He defiantly radiated some strange feelings..... other than curiosity, there was confusion, and slight doubt. She frowned lightly, then sighed. "Well, it's not really much of a case as why they did it, it's just... well...." She trailed off then lowered her eyes. "Greed can do things to people, but you're right, it doesn't' explain their actions..." He sat silently, not moving for a long time, and she began to really wonder why he was so interested... no, worried was more like it.... "Xelloss? What is it?" She frowned slightly, not really concerned so much as curious.
He finally looked up, then waved a hand. "Iie... nothing really..." But she could see he was distracted. "I'd best be going then!" He stood up and smiled brightly. "The dinner was lovely!"
"Ano, you didn't eat."
"Details details! Ja ne." And with that he vanished instantly from sight.
Val wasn't happy with that, and started sniffling. She sighed and picked him up, then took him off to bed and laid him there, and then returned downstairs to clean up. She couldn't get her mind off of what he'd said that night. She hated the Namagomi's worthless hide, but.... Something bothered her. Why would he be WORRIED about what happened so long ago? The Golds didn't know of Val's existence, and he was not about to be a threat to them, and so then why would the Mazoku be involved? But then, he'd not asked about what was happening, but what had happened. She sighed. Maybe he was just curious..... She frowned, then pushed it out of her mind as she blew the candles out, and made her way upstairs to bed. She lay there after undressing, and tried to forget it, but it kept popping into her mind again. Why.... Why was he so worried..... well, maybe she could figure some things out tomorrow... it was her day off when the shop was closed, so she'd go to the library and do some research. Yes... that's what she'd do...