Rukiyo cautiously opened the door, the hinges creaking light as it revealed Blank standing in the hallway, his lean form silhouetted by the faint flickering light from outside.
His expression is unreadable, as usual, and she can feel his gaze flickering from her face to the room behind her, then back to her again.
"Come in." She stated and stepped aside to let him in, her expression tight.
"T-Thank you.." He murmured as he quickly stepped past her into the room, giving her the chance to shut the door once he's inside.
Without turning on the lights, she crossed the room over to the open window, pivoting on her heels once she got close enough and she leaned her bottom against the sill before folding her arms.
"What do you want?" She asked the man before her, tilting her head slightly.
Blank hovered awkwardly in the center of the room, shifting his weight from one foot to his other foot, his bangs bobbing slightly with the movement, partially concealing his face.
"I.. I-I decided to be your.. Companion." He declared, his voice barely above whisper as his hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. "I-I'm going to talk with my brother later.. About it."
It's clear that he's nervous— his voice is tense, and each word seems to stumble over itself in his haste.
Rukiyo just stared at him blankly, her eyes narrowing slightly.
What? She thought, her lips pursing as she wondered deep in her mind, unsure if she heard it right or she's just hearing things.
She studied Blank for a long moment— taking in his stiff posture, the way his hands keep twitching like he's fighting the urge to bolt out of there if she were to say something wrong.
He got guts, I'll give him that. She hummed in her mind, adding to her previous thought.
Finally, she exhaled through her nose and nodded once.
"I did say I wanted a companion who wouldn't leave my side." She acknowledged, her tone coming out a little reluctant. "But that doesn't mean you have to be the one to do it.. And I know that I asked you if you wanted to be, but Blank, you've got a life here— a village, a brother."
She leaned back her whole weight against the windowsill, her arms uncrossing as she rested her hands on the sill under her.
"You sure about this?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
To her surprise, Blank doesn't hesitate.
"Y-Yes." The man stated, his voice is quieter now, but firm. "I.. I.. I want to."
Rukiyo's mind raced, her heart hammering. She wasn't really expecting him to be this determined to be her companion, but he seemed like he made up his mind, so she shrugged her shoulders.
"Alright." She sighed, shaking her head
"Your funeral then."
Blank let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, then he promptly choked on it when Rukiyo suddenly added a quick, teasing remark.
"Just don't ask me to marry you again." She huffed, the corner of her lips twitching.
Blank's face immediately burned crimson.
"I—! Th-That was—!" He stammered and stumbled on his words, his hands flailing in the air for a moment before giving up entirely, groaning and covering his face with his hands.
"I-I'm sorry about t-that.." He muttered, voice muffled in his hands.
Rukiyo exhaled sharply through her nose, pushing herself off the windowsill slowly, her golden eyes locked onto Blank's shadowed and cowering form in the dim light.
"Alright." She started, raising a hand to rub her neck sheepishly, and cleared her throat to get rid of the playful air between them. "Since you know what I am, I'm guessing you have already figured out I can't stay here with the villagers, right?"
She paused and waited for Blank's confirmation.
Blank pulled his hands away from his face and let them fall to his side, nodding his head to answer Rukiyo's question.
"I have to leave." She uttered, shifting in her feet. "As early as tomorrow, I'll be departing. You won't be able to say goodbye to your friends or something. Would that be alright with you?"
Her words hang in the air like a challenge.
Blank's breath hitched slightly, but he didn't back down. Instead, he squares his shoulders— still, he's fidgeting.
"I.. I already said I'd go with you." He huffed quietly, stubbornly standing his grounds. "S-So it's fine."
Rukiyo looked him up and down for another moment before nodding once. "Good. Then we leave at dawn, so go and pack a bag."
Blank went still and scratched his cheek awkwardly. "I a-already did.."
Rukiyo blinked owlishly. "What?"
"I packed a b-bag.. Just in case you say no.." He mumbled, causing Rukiyo's lips to twitch— almost threatening to curl into a smirk before she shook her head with a faint huff.
Blank's face flushed at the sound. "A-Anyway.. I'll go to sleep, so I h-have energy later."
He practically stumbles out the door in his haste, only narrowly avoiding tripping over his own feet again, and slammed the door shut behind.
Rukiyo watched him go, shaking her head— only for the familiar, crystalline ding to echo sharply in her mind.
The sudden appearance of it made her blink and before she could react, the translucent blue screen of the system materialized before her eyes, its glowing text lighting up her face.
>> MAIN QUEST UNLOCKED.
Rukiyo stared at the words, her amusement fading into annoyance real quick.
Main Quest: A place to call home
Despite being welcomed by the humans of the village, they are still wary of the being who saved their human chief. Having obtained a companion, the next step is to establish a sanctuary where you and your companion(s) can reside.
Reward: ???
A home.. She thought, eyes softening.
The idea of building a home in this world felt foreign for Rukiyo— but it's not surprising.
After all, she wanted to mingle and blend in among humans, somewhere, anywhere, just to avoid the elven husbands of Ryukiyo.