The sesshouseki didn’t understand happiness. It didn’t comprehend gratitude. There was only clawing, black malice and the desire to ravage the world with hundreds of years’ worth of venom. Before, the old Yomi might not have found the female’s pleasure to be so odd, back when she knew happy emotions. But the sesshouseki was a part of her now, and seeing someone smile like that was little more than a distant curiosity, like watching clouds settle into funny shapes.

A small smile appeared at the corner of Yomi’s mouth, a little amused and a little nonplussed all at once. Getting an odd duck had been her win, she supposed. Someone who didn’t want anything, didn’t expect anything, and only wanted to help… well, that kind of person was easy to deal with. It meant Yomi could walk away without an agitated prisoner hounding her for compensation.

That wouldn’t have ended well for the other party, so in this case everyone won, right?

“'Helping others', huh? How admirable. Careful with that, or you might have people taking advantage of a nice girl like you.”

In the low light, Yomi’s smile grew, becoming slightly cat-like. Oops, too late.