A HAZY SHADE OF WINTER // o, dual joiners

[AKUMA HIMURA B.]

[shadow=CD8C95,right]AKUMA HIMURA BASKERVILLE[/shadow]

IT'S GOOD TO MEET YOU, MY CRIME AND PUNISHMENT !

Losing Riku the first time had been a tragedy, and seeing her look upon him with puzzlement and confusion, not remember her own name or who she was had made his heart ache and twist in agony. A father should never have to watch as his child cower away from him, expression barren as he tries desperately in vain to entice the fond and loving memories of their time to return. Akuma could not - would not let that ever happen again. He would never let anyone take his daughter away from him again; not while he was living in this vessel of his. However, as much as he tried to keep a careful eye on his beautiful princess, he had failed. At the mere age of three months, her life had been ripped away from her unfairly by a lower-than-dirt murderer. A stake stabbed through his chest, the loss of Riku, however temporary it was ( they were Baskervilles after all, one does not simply stay dead in this family ), the agony that proceeded upon seeing her limp body, dashed in her lifeblood, was simply unbearable. No amount of physical pain he had endured in his entire lifetime could ever amount to the emotional pain he felt that day.

But, as he predicted, she had came back. It was all well-timed, it seemed. There had been a disturbance in the Way, a tear where the dwellers of the Abyss could slink through and transfer themselves across any dimension they saw fit - and Riku was brought back to him but not as a mortal, no, but as a Chain. Nevertheless, he was breathlessly relieved. The day she was brought back was the day tears pooled forth from golden eyes and that same day they departed. The place they had formerly lived in had been dubbed too dangerous to raise his daughter and he was going to make sure no one could ever take his child - his dear, dear, Riku - away from him again.

And yet, somehow he had managed to get lost in this new place.

Snow crunching loudly under ashen colored paws, his expression turned into one that reflected worry as he turned his head this way and that. Riku was gone from his side. I really am a horrible father aren't I? He thinks bitterly to himself, biting down upon velvety lips as he whips his head around at the sounds of which billowed around him. He had looked away for a moment - only for a moment - and the vermilion colored femme had disappeared again. His panic had set in immediately, his mind jumping to the worst possible conclusions. His heart thrummed wildly like a hummingbird in its cage until his chest hurt, breaths drawn in quickly as he shuffled through the snow, and eyes flitting across the surface to pick out her small form among the stark whiteness of the background. Where was she- where was she? There!

"Riku . . ." His voice, light and faintly raspy, was touched with relief as his eyes landed upon her. Even though he has her back in his vision, his heart would not slow down. Just the mere thought of losing Riku again made him want to scream and yell in anguish. He just . . . couldn't have that happen again. Ever. He loved his child too much. She meant so much to the servacal, it broke his heart thinking about how he's failed her twice already as her supposed "guardian." Akuma steps closer to the girl, a tentative frown pressing onto feminine features as he brushed against her, sharing his warmth with the chilled cub. A shaky sigh leaves him as he looks to her, eyes half-lidded in obvious tiredness but still loving all the more. "It's alright, I'm here." He cooed, pressing his nose into her side. "I'm . . .  sorry." He whispered under a broken voice. It was funny how he always found himself saying those two words. "I'm sorry." He always messed up, it seemed. He knew he wasn't cut out for this ( living or parenting? ) and yet he still tried even though the results were visible even from far off. He sits up now, brows creasing his forehead as he finally takes a look about this unfamiliar wintry land. Ah . . . they'd made it, it seemed. He notes this in the back of his mind, gold eyes fluttering about to take in the scene. "I . . . guess we're here. I'm sorry, watashi no ōjo, but it seems like we'll be waiting out here for a while." He turns his gaze down onto Riku, finally, smile apologetic. "Is that okay?"

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