The Light of my Life

For Sahar, it was quite a sight being able to see Illyana stand up for herself. She had always been the quiet and kind one. While she is far from being the youngest of his four children, she always seemed to come off as the most naive and thus vulnerable to the machinations of man. She grew up with a privileged lifestyle that most youkai weren't lucky enough to experience.

Sahar was from an old Bloodline that had been active members of their country since before the Bronze Age. It wasn't until the European Industrial Age that his family was able to move further into the Asian territories where they married into lesser royalty and soon after departed the lands as they became Islamic states and put into question their Vampiric traditions. As technology advanced it became easier for monsters to hide, Vampir already having an untold number of centuries to practice.

Though Vampir and their related kin have been a part of human history for as long as modern man occupied the Earth, perhaps longer, demonkind weren't easily accepted by greater society as a reality up until recently. Laws concerning their numerous races were shaky at best so it made the ancient lord sick with worry knowing his girls were at risk. He went to great lengths to ensure the legality of his businesses and made sure the provisions were for the sake of his offspring. Some demons had gone as far as to fight to prove their blood connections to ancient humans in order to survive. Vampir had the greatest luck in this, but youkai like Werewolves struggled as men did not want to be associated with animals.

This eventually created a conflict between Vampir and Werewolf, as despite their links to human roots, one looked more like a beast. Vampir, ironically, refused to stick their necks out for the Lycanthrope, creating a deep rift between the two species.

It had only been about fifty years since the first laws were written that officially allowed Youkai into human society and the current laws that limited them beneath that of second class citizens and just above slaves. Sahar wasn't young at the time, but cared little for the politics of man as he had ways to do and get what he wanted. He was not yet married and knew nothing of thinking of others. He was an only child to his mother and father so learned to be deeply focused on his work and possessions. It was daunting how hectic being a new father was and he had wished he was more mindful concerning the passed Iaws. 

That feeling of possessiveness ended up passed onto his daughters, making him sometimes unreasonably critical.

Sahar took a sip of his drink. "Well try not to take that to heart, Illyana." The older male spoke up, feeling a little relaxed seeing as his wife was put in her place for the time being. "The reason we chose Mori-kun was because he has shown skill and experience. Taking it personally can lead to misunderstandings." He didn't want his daughter to be hurt. "Besides, Mori-kun is a working man, so he usually doesn’t have time for frivolous activities. Right, Mori-kun?"

When the Vampir lord turned his attention to Tamotsu, the man set his utensils down in their place. Tamotsu rolled his dark brown eyes up to the lord who seemed to be suggesting something with his gaze. "Are you implying I cannot balance my work and personal life Sahar-san? I do well to keep them separate." But why did saying that feel like a lie?

He had let Lily see a darker side of him. His personal hobbies were for him alone and were occasionally shared with his grandfather, despite his lack of taste, but that was on his off time and wholly accidental. It had happened at home and there was not really much he could do to prevent it. Mind you he tried everything to stop Lily from finding out. Lily's curiosity was, in the end, overwhelming.  But Tamotsu still didn't like it. He didn't mind that Illyana knew about it, about his obsessions. Honestly it felt a great deal easier that it was communicated because she was far more accepting of it than he could have imagined and it brought a sense of inner peace to his heart. Something about her knowing his deepest secret made him feel closer to his ward, like they were really friends. 

But what Sahar was alluding to was that he couldn't separate work and his personal life. As if he was some sort of maniac that couldn't recognize Illyana had responsibilities he was supporting her through. It annoyed him, but Sahar was looking for that, looking for him to slip up wasn't he? They all were. Fruitless. 

"Sahar-san, please. I am a proper Japanese man. My work is important and I make sure that I do it with respect and perfection. Are you insinuating that just because I accompany Illyana to dinner occasionally that I am forgetting my place?" The man felt his hackles rising at the accusations. 

Sahar smiled. "Far from it Mori-kun. I understand the kind of man you are and you would never be remiss with your responsibility. I value that in a worker, in a man."

That made Tamotsu angrier for some reason. As he stared at Sahar he would be pulled from his darkening thoughts as a coolness settled over his hand. Looking over he would realize he had grasped his knife and Illyana's hand had come to rest over the back of his own. Her skin was much cooler than his own, but they say a man was much warmer than a woman in terms of body temperature. Didn't it also have something to do with her being a youkai? Most youkai were not very warm. Furrowing his brows Tamotsu moved to raise his thumb and brush it along the knuckles of her hand. Everything about Illyana seemed so small, but as of late she was much bigger in terms of her personality.

It was only a matter of time until those blowhards would have no choice but to recognize her for what she was truly made of. 

"Illyana?" Tamotsu didn't realize his voice had come out so softly.

She didn't respond, instead she looked at his face with a gentle smile filling up her features. Why couldn't anyone seem to understand Tamotsu and what it was he meant to her? It had taken her so long to recognize the feelings in her heart but it seemed no matter where she turned these fiends just wanted to tear her chance at happiness to shreds. Was it because they knew Tamotsu was a Werewolf? Adult Vampir are said to be able to recognize one by its scent. But to Lily, Tamotsu smelled of warm summer petrichor. It was uniquely his and something she found herself more and more attracted to with every passing moment. It was why she couldn't stand by and let everyone try to tear down what she was building. She was going to create the perfect relationship.

"Father, I don't think you're looking at the situation well." Illyana raised her head to the older male, the man who was not used to ever being told no. "You're either drunk or blind to how special Tamotsu is. He isn't just any worker." Illyana trapped her father.

The man was too proud to admit he was wrong, but he was also not so weak as to be altered by a single drink. But his daughter set the challenge and he would meet it. Tamotsu was a good worker, a good Japanese worker, but he wasn't ambitious. His entire resolve to do his job revolved around the praise he'd receive in the end. He never seemed to try and cut ahead or snap down those in front of him in order to achieve his goals. Sahar was a worldly man and he could taste the ambition others had, but Tamotsu was a weakling in that he had nothing he chased. He was a hound chained to a post on the side of the road feeding off scraps. A slobbering beast that had no choice but to sniff after his predecessors. 

"Actually I was thinking a lot about this." Sahar met his child on the line she drew. "The one who helped you out before Tamotsu, before your accident. He had worked for the family a long time, but had that personal emergency. When you were left on your own you ended up hospitalized and I'm worried that it will just happen again. Mori-kun does have an elderly grandfather to take care of and a younger brother in his home to worry about. I feel, regardless of how much he works, he shouldn't ignore his family. Wouldn't you like him to come back? You were so close and had even played with the idea of marriage when you were children." He chuckled at the memory.

Illyana felt Tamotsu's grip tighten over her hand. When she looked over to him he was smiling, but it was full of disappointment. "Surely I would like Illyana to be happy and would never deny her anything she needed, but right now she is focusing on her career. She doesn't have time to date."

"That isn't your decision to make Mori-kun--" Sahar tried to defend.

"But it is mine." Illyana intervened, turning to look at her sire. "I want to achieve my dream and reach my goal, not some childish determination to stay with my childhood friend. Besides, Nuki-kun hasn't contacted me since. All that matters is this, here, right now." She looked to Tamotsu, determined.

"Oh? Strange." Sahar breathed out as Lilitu filled his glass back up. The man raised the cup to his lips. "Nuki-kun contacted me yesterday saying he's had difficulty getting through to your phone."

That certainly had nothing to do with Tamotsu vetting all of Illyana's contacts.