After the trip to the Iguazu falls, they build a ship and set sail, just because Izayoi's curious about whether the world is really round. Canaria lets him name it, because she likes to name everything and anything in her efforts to get Izayoi attached to the world.

Izayoi names it Titanic II. He's probably a fortune teller or something, because they sail for a good week before a storm hits and their little ship goes down. Izayoi falls into the freezing black waters, and when he comes up, Canaria is gone.

He swims for hours in the pitch-black of night, but he can't find Canaria, can't see the flash of gold hair or white coat and for a furious, terrible moment he considers splitting the world apart.

He could do it. He could.

Instead, he swims until he hits land and stumbles onto shore, falls asleep on the sand and wakes up with the sun in his eyes and salt on his tongue and sand crusted on his arms. He yawns, stretches, tries to shake off the cold that seems to have settled into his bones. Searches for food and laughs and laughs and laughs, because maybe if he smiles enough he'll be be able to bite down that aching, animal urge to end it all.

Then Izayoi grins wide and bright, and throws himself back into the sea.

-x-

He doesn't find Canaria.

Canaria finds him, arriving on a ship and beaming down at him with her giant, stupid smile. "Izayoi-chan! We came to pick you up!"

Izayoi's been swimming around for days, and he's strong, but he can feel cold. The freezing sea has sent ice down to his bones, and he can't feel anything below his arms. He squints up at her, her shining hair and bright green eyes, and wonders how the hell she found him.

He tips his head back and really, honestly laughs.

-x-

"Jeez, Izayoi-chan, what were you doing? Why didn't you just swim for land?" Canaria demands.

Izayoi scowls, sitting on a chair with Canaria standing behind him. She's scrubbing a towel through his damp hair; he's just out from a scalding shower, any warmth burning against his frigid skin. "I was looking for you, stupid hag."

"Izayoi-chan, were you worried about me?"

He snorts. "Of course not."

"Lying is bad, Izayoi-chan."

"I wasn't." Izayoi wraps his hands around the mug of hot chocolate Canaria made him, relishing the heat that eats into his hands. "I just thought it might be fun."

"Hm." He can tell from her tone that she doesn't believe him. Stupid hag. "I was worried, Izayoi-chan."

Izayoi's thought this before, but she really is an idiot. "There's no point in that, stupid hag."

"As your future mother, I worry when you do dangerous things," Canaria chides.

"You haven't won the game yet. And it wasn't dangerous for me. Worry about yourself first."

"Hm? But I already think of Izayoi-chan as my son." Izayoi feels something strange and warm twisting in his chest, tight enough to choke.

Idiot, he tells himself. She doesn't mean it.

But she looked for him. She's been looking out for him. And now, she presses long fingers against his forehead, her skin warm against his, and he finds his eyes falling shut. He's tired, and he could fight it off, but he doesn't have to.

"Let's get you to bed," Canaria says, and Izayoi doesn't resist.

-x-

When he opens his eyes, the world is heavy and spinning around him.

Blinks, blearily, and sees Canaria sitting by his bedside. She looks up from her book, catching his gaze.

"How are you feeling, Izayoi-chan?"

"Fine." His throat is raw, his voice rasping and hoarse.

"Liar." She touches his forehead, and her hand is strangely cold against his skin.

He opens his mouth to argue, but Canaria cards gentle fingers through his hair, combing back his too-long fringe.

"Rest, Izayoi-chan," she says. Izayoi shuts his eyes.

-x-

He wakes up to hear Canaria arguing with a crew member.

A man's voice. "You didn't tell us that your brat was that freak-"

"Izayoi-chan is a child," Canaria says, voice dangerously pleasant.

"That monster is not-"

Izayoi can hear anything after that, no matter how much he strains, and before he can get out of bed to eavesdrop, Canaria is saying, bright and cheerful, "It's nice to see you understand! Please don't touch Izayoi-chan, or I'll shoot you, okay? Of course, that also includes badmouthing my son."

She hasn't won the game yet, what is this stupid hag blabbering about?

The door creaks open, and Canaria steps in. She looks at Izayoi, and smiles.

"Ah, Izayoi-chan, did we wake you?"

Izayoi sighs, turning to look up at the ceiling. She's such an idiot, and she doesn't even care. "Nn."

Quick, light steps tapping across the wood floor. In a moment, there's a hand in his hair, and he tilts his head to squint up at Canaria.

"He was wrong," Canaria says, still smiling so gently. "You're a human."

Izayoi snorts, because she says that like it's a good thing. Like people aren't the biggest monsters of all. "I don't care."

"Hm." Canaria removes her hand, settling in the chair by his bedside. "Just remember, Izayoi-chan."

"You're an idiot," Izayoi mutters. "Go away, you don't need to watch me."

"But I want to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine."

"Of course." Canaria smiles. "You don't have a fever any more. You're really resilient, huh?"

"Yep."

She doesn't leave, though. She's such a fool.

And maybe Izayoi is, too, because it settles something in his chest, and his eyes slide back shut.