Work Text:
Touch.
It is one of the five senses that's often taken for granted, but for someone like Hyakkimaru, each sense he gains is a blessing on it's own. A newborn baby, whose eyes are not even open to see the world around them, can still survive based off touch and to find its mother. For Hyakkimaru, the novel feeling was becoming increasingly overwhelming.
It started with simple things, such as feeling the ground beneath his bare feet as he tread along a dirt pathway in a nearby town. Next, it was feeling the summer raindrops fall onto his newly acquired skin. Soon after, it was the cold chill of the water from the nearby river as he skillfully caught fish for him and the small soul that kept following him around.
As the days progressed, he felt something he wouldn't want to experience again. Pain. He doesn't know exactly what it is, but the sudden sensation he feels on the bottom of his foot from something he previously associated with keeping his chest warm caused this. It is a personal attack on his body, so he does what he only knows how to do, he steps on it to kill it. Usually it works, but this time it backfired quickly and he might add, painfully. This “enemy” was causing him pain, but yet, did not appear red to him as most of the demons do. Hyakkimaru wonders about it for a while, but decides to just avoid it all together as he doesn’t want to experience a sensation like that ever again.
Of the few body parts he does have, he feels the soul wrap her small arms around his waist, pulling him away from the impending danger. Although he can’t see her, Hyakkimaru does trust her. Enough so, that he tells her his name.
Hyakkimaru bends down and cups the little soul’s face, gaining her attention. He kneels to the floor and begins etching characters into the ground with his fingers. Jukai did not only teach him how to defend himself, but also, how to communicate with others beyond the realm of his farmland. Most people never tried to communicate with him, he guesses, based off his abnormal appearance, so he has never had the opportunity to do so before. Hyakkimaru doesn’t understand. What seems weird to others is completely normal for him. After all, it’s all he’s ever known.
The second soul that recently followed him as well leans down to assist the little soul in sounding out the syllables. “Hya-kki-ma-ru” He spells out, “I believe he’s telling you his name. It’s Hyakkimaru.”
Her eyes light up in excitement, “Biwamaru-san, can you please write my name so he knows mine too? I tried telling him the other day, but I don’t know if he understood me.” She tugs lightly on his sleeve, “It’s Dororo. Do-ro-ro.”
“I don’t think he can read it if you write it on the ground because he doesn’t have his arms or hands back yet.” He explains, “I’ll try writing it on his back with my finger.”
He places his hands gently on Hyakkimaru’s waist and spins him around, carefully etching characters onto his newly-acquired skin on his back. “Do-ro-ro.” He says, grabbing his hand and guiding him towards Dororo and places his hand on the young girl’s shoulder so he could associate the two together.
Dororo smiles as he can see Hyakkimaru physically relax, “Hi, Hyakkimaru. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
Hyakkimaru moves his hand from her shoulder to the top of Dororo’s head, ruffling the young girl’s hair softly. Although his facial expression didn’t change, Dororo knows that beneath that stoic exterior, Hyakkimaru is smiling back at her too.
/////////////////////////////////////////
Dororo doesn’t know what day it is, but she can feel the differences in weather patterns when the seasons change. Back when she first met Hyakkimaru and Biwamaru, it was hot outside and the fish in the river were plentiful. Nowadays it seems as if the weather is getting cooler and the trees are beginning to change color. Soon enough, she finds herself looking through the local town marketplace for a set of pants and a long-sleeved shirt.
This day in particular, Hyakkimaru decided to fish in the river to find food for them to eat, while Dororo and Biwamaru decided to scour the market for warmer clothes. Well, it’s not like Biwamaru could help find things to begin with, but at least he was kept around for good company and if need be, keep Dororo out of trouble.
Dororo glances at Hyakkimaru gleefully as she watches him struggle to get used to picking things up with his hands. After all, since he got his arms and hands back, he had to learn he can't just rip his arms off at the first sign of danger. She watches on as he struggles to grip his sword with the same conviction and confidence he had when they were implanted within him as before. It's amusing, Dororo can't lie, but she knows that he's a fast learner and will adapt to anything.
Biwamaru wades into the river to meet Hyakkimaru and begins to etch words into his back with his hands once more. He writes three simple words: Me, Dororo, Town. Hyakkimaru nods and turns back to resume fishing for their dinner.
After a few hours at the town marketplace, Dororo plunges herself to the ground in exasperation, “Ah, everything is so expensive! It’s not fair! Why can’t we be rich?”
“Get off the ground, Dororo. A tantrum will not solve anything.” Biwamaru’s grandfatherly side is kicking in full force from being around the child so often. “Here’s an idea, why don’t we purchase something else instead?”
“Something else like what?” Dororo asks, tilting her head to the site curiously. “Like some cooked food? Candy?”
“Hmmm….” Biwamaru ponders out loud, “Oh! I know! Why don’t we get some books?”
“Books?” Dororo repeats back to him in surprise, along with a slight hint of disgust. “Who needs books when you can get candy?”
“You, young lady. A young girl like you needs to learn how to read and write. After all, you are the only person who can see in our group. You could be a huge help one day.” Biwamaru says calmly, trying to reason with her.
“I don’t know...I’m not sure if I’m smart enough to learn how to do these things.” Dororo says dejectedly, turning her head towards the ground.
“Sure you are, Dororo. Have some faith.” He gives a small smile, “Plus, I will be here to teach you as well. Wouldn’t you like to talk to Hyakkimaru on your own without me mediating in the middle?”
Biwamaru’s last sentence suddenly struck a chord within Dororo and she begins to smile, “Okay!”
“Okay?”
“I want it to be a surprise though. Don’t tell him I’m learning!” She’s practically radiating with excitement. “This is gonna be great!”
/////////////////////////////////////////
If anyone ever thought that due to Biwamaru’s age, he would be a pushover for a teacher, they would be completely and utterly wrong. Dororo was drilled, day after day, by the blind Biwamaru as Hyakkimaru sat nearby ignorantly. By this time, snow began to fall from the sky and most of the bodies of water near them were completely frozen.
Perhaps, she thinks, it’s for the better since now Hyakkimaru has regained all of his limbs, skin, and nervous system. All he’s missing now is his sight, smell, and hearing, but she is sure that is soon to come with the pace they were steadily going.
Dororo sneezes from a sudden cold chill, “Biwamaru-san, I don’t want to do this anymore!” She whines, pulling a good over her head and pulling her knees close to her chest.
“Why not? You’re doing great. You’ve learned a lot since we began!” He encourages her, “I suppose we can take a break from the lessons for a few minutes. You hungry?”
“Yeah.” She frowns.
Biwamaru walks over to Hyakkimaru and taps him lightly on the shoulder to gain his attention and he bends down to be closer to his height. It’s a fairly new routine they’ve all silently established during their months traveling together, so by now, it’s basically an instinct for the all of them. After all, communicating through their palms only came to fruition because Dororo was so short compared to the other two men. When Biwamaru talks to Hyakkimaru, he flips his hand right-side up and traces words on his palms, and he does the same. When Dororo talks to Hyakkimaru, she establishes shortcut vocabulary words for each other’s basics needs: taps on the stomach for hunger, one tap on the palm for tiredness, and two taps for sleeping since she was not the most adept at spelling words yet.
After Hyakkimaru leans down, Biwamaru quickly uses traces the word ‘food’ onto the palm of his hand and he immediately gets up and heads into the forest. Meanwhile Dororo begins to set up the fire for whatever he catches. After she lights the fire, both her and Biwamaru sit together and await for his return.
It’s silent for a few moments before Biwamaru finally opens his mouth to speak, “You know I’m leaving soon, right?” He asks her quietly.
“Huh?” She cocks her head towards him. “Are you really?”
“I’ve followed you two long enough. I’m sure you knew in the back of your mind that I would have to go my own way eventually, so I’m just telling you now.” He gives her a small smile. “Maybe when the weather begins to warm up, I will think about going back home.”
“I don’t want you to go!” Dororo begins to sniffle, “Hyakkimaru and I need you to be around! It’s not safe by yourself!”
He chuckles at the young girl’s innocent, but yet heartwarming concern, “I’ll be fine, young one. Even if we part ways, I’m sure if fate allows it, we will meet again. I’ve taught you all I have to offer.”
Dororo’s eyes fill to the brim with her tears now, “But...but...but--”
“Hyakkimaru will protect you.” He assures her, patting her on the back gently. “Even if it meant putting himself in harm’s way, he would be there for you, you know that right?”
Just as Dororo is about to respond, Hyakkimaru leaps from the bushes near them with three rabbits in hand. She quickly wipes the tears from her eyes and stands up to meet Hyakkimaru. Maybe, just maybe, they will be alright.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////
“It seems as if this is our final stop.” Biwamaru offers a smile to both Hyakkimaru and Dororo, who is of course, beginning to bawl at the scene unfolding in front of her. He walks to Hyakkimaru and writes a series of characters on his palm.
“Hyakkimaru, I am going home.” Dororo sounds out the characters as Biwamaru writes them with his fingers, “Thank you for everything.” She finishes reading what he writes and looks at the old man, tears staining her cheeks as rapidly as they came.
Biwamaru pats her head proudly, “See? You’ve learned how to read. I’m proud of you.”
Proud? That’s the first time in her life that Dororo had anyone in her life say that about her. She doesn’t know how to feel and it’s bittersweet.
Hyakkimaru turns Biwamaru’s palm to write a response, but he hesitates to write any feelings he has out in the open. Instead he opts to just gather Biwamaru’s hands together with his, and he bows to him. He steps back and then places his hand on Dororo’s shoulder. At the moment, Dororo thought that he was offering her some form of comfort, but suddenly she is jolted forward after he gives her a light push towards Biwamaru. He leans back down to etch another message in the ground this time:
Please take care of her.
Dororo looks at his message and back at Hyakkimaru in rapid succession, darting between the two, trying to believe the words he just wrote. “Take care of me? Are you trying to get rid of me?” She says exasperatedly. But obviously, to no avail, Hyakkimaru doesn’t know that Dororo was even talking to him.
“Why? Why are you doing this to me?” Dororo pleads with tears streaming down her cheeks once again, “I thought we were close, Hyakkimaru! Why are you trying to get rid of me?”
Hyakkimaru looks at the small, flickering soul in front of him and he can see that it made her sad. He can physically see the sadness he had caused himself and he tries to explain himself by adding to his message.
Dangerous journey. Dororo safe with Biwamaru.
Dororo begins to respond once again to his message, but she feels Biwamaru rise from behind her. “Go and tell him how you feel…..how you really feel.” He gives her a slight push back towards Hyakkimaru’s direction this time.
Although he doesn’t say it directly, Dororo feels as if she gets what Biwamaru is implying. She walks up to Hyakkimaru and tugs on his sleeve, signaling him to lean down and he does. She flips his palm upwards, and he expects a series of taps from her, but is pleasantly surprised when she begins to trace words into his palms as well. It was short. It was simple. But most importantly, it was honest and genuine:
I want to stay with you.
Her hand lingers on top of his palm for a few moments. She finds herself waiting for a response from him, but at the same time, afraid of the answer. Could she even face rejection from the person she’s grown the closest to?
Hyakkimaru hesitates for a bit, but then gently wraps his fingers around her smaller hand. He ensured her everything would be okay, and they didn’t need to say any words for that.