Chapter Text
It was a beautiful day. The birds chirped happily upon the tree branches, and flowers bloomed beneath the trunk. The rose petals fell elegantly on the floor, each giving one last dance in the wind before laying motionless on the green grass.
You felt a petal grace your cheek with softness, the cool feeling of it welcoming on your skin.
You opened your eyes, squinting before fully looking at the sky. You were laying down on the ground, the sway of nurtured plants around you helping as a soothing caress, lulling you to sleep.
But the sunlight, being as blinding as it was, left you unable to drift off. With another petal, this time landing on your forehead, you sat up.
The motion was soft. Your scalp felt the familiar weight of your hair being pulled by gravity, and your clothes rustled as you awoke from your slumber. With a sleepy yawn, you rubbed your eyes in an effort to lure your drowsiness away.
Your kimono hung loosely on your frame. The sleeves dragged on the ground as you searched around for your hairpin, gathering the slightest bit of dirt on the lavender-colored cloth. Your hand eventually found the familiar shape of the object, and without so much as batting an eye, you placed it upon your hair.
The hairpin clinked as it was swayed by the breeze, the ornament bumping slightly against your forehead.
You breathed in deep, feeling calm at your peaceful surroundings. A small smile appeared on your face, breaking the stoic mask you unconsciously held. Your eyes crinkled with delight at the sight around you. With calm movements, you stood up. Your hair swayed softly, and you adjusted your disheveled clothes.
With a side glance, you looked toward the spot you were resting on. The plants were smushed, the darkened area where you were previously sleeping closely resembled your shape. You weren’t worried for the plant’s survival, though. You knew they’d be standing upright in a matter of hours.
You turned your head away, and brushed off the petals that were sure to be on your hair while you muttered your first words of the day, “Resilient little things.”
Your stomach felt empty, you noticed. Your senses were still dulled from being asleep just moments ago, but your body was slowly waking up. You recalled eating yesterday around this same time, yet it appears what you ate wasn’t enough to sustain you for more than 24 hours.
You glanced around, noticing the distinct lack of food, and sighed. It seemed you’d have to hunt for something. As you walked with no direction in particular, you tried to feel around your clothes in search for your trusty pouch.
Sometimes, when fate encountered you with wounded people, you’d help them recover in your little sanctuary. You’d feed them, heal them, and give them company. Be it an elder, an injured soldier, or a common joe, you offer to help everyone.
That little pouch is a reminder of your kind-hearted feats, as it contains the monetary reward for every injury you’ve treated. When you don’t feel like hunting, you just reach into the little bag and whip out some coins. They’re usually enough to buy you a bowl of food or two at any village.
You reached into a pocket hidden between the layers of your loose clothing, and felt the worn-out fabric of the pouch between your fingertips. It was incredibly light, you noted, once you held the small bag in your palm. The contents were few, and you hoped you had enough for at least some chicken broth.
You opened the pouch and curiously peered inside. There were four silver coins left. You mused at the amount, reminiscing about the times when that same pouch was filled to the brim with shiny gold coins. Times change, you suppose.
You emptied the contents of the pouch, now holding the four coins in your hand. You clasped the money with careful consideration, wondering if it was enough for a bowl of food.
In truth, you knew nothing about money. You never learned about human currency, as it wasn’t something you ever needed. A Yokai such as yourself could fend alone in the woods—you could hunt, cook, and identify plants that are safe to eat from those that aren’t. Sure, it was tedious work, but necessary for living.
Besides, you weren’t around humans a lot. Apart from when you were healing them, you usually held no contact with people. And no sane person would think to teach a Yokai about human customs, which hold of no importance to the spirits.
Although it would certainly be of use to you now, you thought bitterly.
You knew, of course, that with your current appearance, entering the village and keeping a low profile all the same would be a difficult task. The inhuman marks on your skin and your unnatural hair color would definitely catch the attention of the villagers, be it with good or bad intentions, you didn’t want to risk it.
So, with a swift motion of your hand, you transformed.
The marks upon your skin blended colors and ceased to exist, transforming your skin into only one color. Your hair was the same. The color changed from the root, all the way to the ends of your hair. You now looked like an ordinary woman, with brown-colored eyes and straight black hair.
You hummed in approval of yourself. Sure, your clothes were a little eye-catching, but there was nothing you could do about it.
You pocketed your pouch and money, letting yourself walk once more. Having lived in this earth for so many years, you eventually learned the location of many things. One of them being a small village near your little safe spot. It was a calm, rural place near a river. You rarely visited. You found the crowds to be unpleasant, and besides you had other stuff to tend to—like your garden.
You walked underneath the many trees, stepping on branches and fallen leaves alike. You barely noticed already arriving. The change in scenery was slow. You saw less trees around you, and started noticing more open fields with crops, and animals roaming around. In the distance, you saw the usual huts where the people resided, with humans roaming the village like usual, loud and bustling.
When you neared the village, you started noticing the slight stares of the people around you. You paid them no mind, however, for you were sure they only noticed your strange attire.
You glanced around, trying to find some place where they sold food. Eventually, an enticing smell reached you. You sniffed the air a couple of times, turning your head to focus on a small food stand, with a single merchant in front of it. He beckoned loudly for the people to try his food, but no one seemed to pay attention.
Your feet moved before your mind could process it. Rapidly you moved through the crowd, focusing on the young man while you approached. He caught your intense gaze and beamed as you got closer.
When you were both at a normal distance, he spoke with a polite smile. “Hey! What can I help you with?”
You nodded in greeting. With calm movements, you retrieved the coins from your pocket. You showed him the amount and spoke. “I’d like to know what I can buy with this amount.” You spoke, and before he could reply, you added: “How many bowls of noodles can I afford?”
A moment passed in silence between the two of you, before he covered his mouth to laugh at something. At what, you were oblivious. You regarded him with a level-headed stare while he shook his head with a smile. “Miss, that amount isn’t enough for a single bowl.”
You widened your eyes ever so slightly, the gesture almost unnoticed by him, but he caught the change in your expression. You stood there stunned by his rude attitude, and crossed your arms with a huff, hiding the money under your arm. “Then what can I buy, young man?”
He looked weirded out by what you called him, but brushed it off pretty quickly. With a pensive hum, he stroked his chin in thought. “Well, it’s certainly not enough for a whole bowl of noodles…” He drawled out, while he walked to the back of the cart and rummaged for something.
You eyed him curiously, watching the man dig through some more stuff, before letting out a small, victorious smile. The alluring smell from moments before now intensified in your nostrils. He whipped out two roasted fish, both pierced by a single stick.
You tilted your head at the display of food, and let the man smile at you. “But that amount is just enough for two roasted fish skewers!”
You hummed, licking your lips while you looked at the food in front of you. With little to no hesitance, you took out your coins once more. The man caught onto your silent purchase, and held the two ‘skewers’ in one hand, while reaching out the other one to take the money. When his palms touched the cool metal of the coins, his smile widened.
He handed you the food and bowed his head. “Thank you for buying!”
You nodded back. “Your welcome.” And turned around. You were unaware of his confused expression, nor did you catch the way he shrugged it off.
You walked around, trying to find a place to sit down and enjoy your food before it got cold. Every sitting spot was already occupied by someone else, and while you did contemplate sitting on the floor, you didn’t want to be surrounded by so many people while you ate. If you did, you wouldn’t be able to enjoy your meal.
You were getting frustrated by the minute. The smell did nothing for your impatience, and your hunger was only growing.
Out of the corner of your eye, you saw a river. Perfect, surely there aren’t many people there.
With newfound purpose, you stride to the little river, planning on sitting next to it while you enjoyed your roasted fish. You found yourself questioning the name the man had given it.
Roasted fish… skewers. What a funny name. Humans and their creativity never ceased to amaze you.
You eventually made your way to the river, feeling a lot better without the crowd all around you. You heard the sound of water moving, the chirp of birds scared away by your presence, and fish jumping out from the currents here and there. You sighed contentedly at the familiar sounds of nature.
You found a nice, big rock to sit on top of, letting your loose clothes drape around you. Your long hair touched the rock you sat on, and you were careful to not pull it on accident.
With peaceful satisfaction, you were ready to eat your food. And just as you were about to take a bite out of the fish…
You felt a stare on your back.
Your eye twitched before you stiffened, letting every muscle tense in your body. Unconsciously, you held the skewer tighter.
The stare on your back was heavy, still, and boring into your skin with intensity. It didn’t move, and neither did you. You narrowed your eyes, and not knowing what to expect, turned around slowly to meet the person’s gaze.
You expected someone to attack you as soon as you locked eyes. But what you saw instead was… a child. A little girl, staring right back at your narrowed gaze. She seemed defenseless, her face beaten black and blue.
You felt your body relax once you realized it was just a little human girl.
The two of you stayed in silence for a while. In that brief moment, you kept noticing things about her. Her hair was messy and unkempt. Her clothes were torn and dirtied, along with the rest of her body. Bruises covered almost every surface on what should be pale skin, but instead it was littered with cuts or specks of purple and red.
You didn’t know what to say. The kid had managed to throw you off-guard. “Uhm.” You cleared your throat, gaining the girl’s attention. You just noticed she seemed to be staring at your food moments before. With a small raise of your brow, you moved the roasted fish around.
Up, left, down and right. Her hungry eyes followed every movement.
…Huh. You thought all the kids in this village were well cared for. You’ve never encountered an injured child. You wonder, will she offer you coins if you treat her?
With this in consideration, you extended the hand that held the skewer. She took a step back, almost on instinct, before she realized you were offering her food. She looked from the fish to you, and back to the fish again. She hesitated.
You waved the fish in front of her, beckoning her to take it. She seemed extremely troubled. “Go on, take it. It can’t harm you.” You insisted. The girl’s worried eyes met yours, and you paused. “…I won’t harm you, either.” You spoke.
That finally made the girl reach out, slowly and carefully getting the skewer from your hand. You let it go, making the weight of the fish sink into her hands. She used both hands to grab onto the small stick, and her eyes lit up with excitement.
She looked up at you with caution, as if asking for permission.
You nodded once toward the fish in her grasp. “Go ahead.” You said simply. And that was all she needed.
She took a big bite out of her fish, and she beamed like she won the lottery. You watched her scarf down her fish, curious eyes trailing over the little girl. She seemed too skinny, meaning she probably hadn’t eaten well recently. Her cheeks were sunken, and her arms trembled in an effort to keep them steady.
Your eyes narrowed, now looking beyond the girl and to the village behind her—the same one you had been in moments before, and the same one you frequent. How had you never seen this child before?
You noticed she had gone quiet, the noise of munching and biting all but gone. With a glance, you looked at the little girl. She gulped, and wiped her mouth with her bare arm. The empty stick now laid on the ground beneath her feet, discarded. She gazed up at you, her eyes briefly landing on the skewer on your other hand, before catching your gaze once more.
You let out a small chuckle, now waving the skewer in your other hand. Her eyes tried not to follow the movement, but she couldn’t resist the temptation. Her hunger betrayed her once more.
You let out a resigned sigh, looking at your own skewer. You were hungry. So hungry in fact, that you contemplated not giving her the fish and eating it yourself. Your eyes sharpened as you took in the girls features, and then your own.
You had a lot more skin on your bone. You knew how to hunt and how to cook. The girl, on the other hand, seemed incapable of even running, let alone hunting animals on her own. She couldn’t even beg for food, for it seemed she had no voice!
Before you could fully process it, you handed her the skewer. She caught it, shock evident on her face as she stared at you with awe. You huffed, looking away. Your voice came out low, but surprisingly accepting. “Eat, little one. Before I change my mind.”
She hesitated for a few moments, before hurriedly eating the roasted fish. You watched her eat in silence, eyes no longer analyzing her, just observing. With a hum, you spoke absentmindedly. “You… don’t have any coins, do you?”
She gulped down a piece of fish, and took another bite while she stared at you in confusion. You huffed out a laugh, before smiling slightly at her. “Never mind…”
She finished the food quite quickly. Hey smile got brigher and her stomach was now fuller. She gazed up at you with twinkling eyes, admiration etched into her features. You let out an exhale, and stood up from the rock you were previously sitting on. You stretched your limbs with slow movements, briefly glancing down at the girl who was still looking at you. She appeared to be expecting something, but you weren’t sure what.
You crossed your arms and peered down at her vibrant, brown eyes. “I’ll be off, now.” With a little pat on her head, you bid farewell. The girl scrambled as you turned around, and she looked for a way to get your attention. With all her bravery, she softly pulled on the fabric of your clothes. That managed to get your attention.
You turned your head, looking down at the girl with curiosity. She seemed apprehensive, clutching your kimono tightly in her frail hands. You tilted your head to the side. “Do you want me to stay?” You asked her.
You knew you’d get no response, seeing as the girl was mute, but her hand gripped the hem of your kimono tighter at your question. You pursed your lips, looking troubled. “I can’t stay. I have to eat, too.”
Her eyes widened, a flash of guilt crossing her darkening expression. Her hands lost their strength, and she eventually let you go. You didn’t move just yet, though. You looked at the little kid, her puffed out cheeks a sign of sadness. You were sure she had a lot of things to be sad about, but you weren’t sure why she decided to show her emotions now of all times.
You carefully considered what to say, before settling on something appropriate. “Hey.” You whispered to her, crouching down so you were at eye-level with her. “What if I come back tomorrow?”
She blinked at you, her face slowly but surely lighting up. She beamed at you, hope radiating off her like waves. You smiled despite yourself, and swiftly stood up. “It’s a promise.” You said.
She nodded rapidly, her smile growing. With a quick motion, she raised her hand in a fist, only holding up her pinky finger. Her gaze on you was now expectant. You were… confused.
With a tilt of your head, you watched her. She waved her hand in the air, eager to do something.
With curious eyes, you wondered if she wanted you to copy her. Watching her hand, you did. You slowly clenched your fist, and only held up your smallest finger.
She smiled, carefully moving her hand to grab your wrist and guide it down to her. Her motions were slow and deliberate, as if not wanting to catch you off-guard. She held your hand near hers, and intertwined your pinky fingers. Her skin was cold, you noted, as her finger wrapped as tight as it could around yours.
Carefully, you curled your finger around hers too, mimicking her movements. You watched her hand and yours. How her fingers were calloused and shaky, trying her hardest to hold onto your steady hand.
That tugged at your chest, for some unknown reason.
She eventually let go, letting her arm fall to her side, and rubbing it with a slight wince. But her smile didn’t completely fade away.
You looked at your hand, that was still holding its pinky up while the rest remained clenched. You let your grip relax, now bringing down your arm and letting it rest. You curiously looked down at the little girl. “Was that some sort of salute?”
She looked up at you, and tilted her head in confusion. It appears you were wrong. You rested your hand on top of your stomach, now feeling in urgent need of food. You spared one last glance at the girl before turning around, walking past the river and to the forest on the other side of the water.
You felt the child’s gaze on your back through the whole way, until you could no longer sense the little frame peering behind you through the dense woods. You continued walking, the illusion of normal skin and dark hair fading away as you settled deeper within the trees.
This time, you noted, the stare on your back didn’t feel nearly as threatening. It only felt inquisitive. Like a small child poked your back with a stick. Harmless.
You caught a boar in no time, feeling how your claws dug into the animal’s flesh until it went limp in your hold. It squirmed and thrashed in your hands, until it eventually lost all will to fight as its life faded.
You regarded the boar with indifference. Such is the way of life. Animals, just as much as people, can die. Just like that.
You lit up a fire, roasting the boar meat while you waited for it to be edible. Your mind kept drifting back to that girl. The one who’s hand you held in yours just moments before. She was weak and kind-hearted. A truly dangerous combination if one wished to survive.
You yawned, and tears pooled in your eyes. You noticed the meat was cooked, and you ate fervently, like a woman starved. You devoured almost the whole boar in one sitting, and once you were satisfied, you let out a small, satisfied sigh. You leaned back, looking at the darkening sky. The sun had just set, and the orange hue from moments before was quickly disappearing.
You glanced around, noticing how quiet it had gotten. You closed your eyes briefly, and made the decision to return to your little safe haven. You put out the fire, stomping over it repeatedly. And once you made sure there was no chance of another one starting up, you nodded and headed back. You stretched your arms as you walked, feeling another yawn climb up your throat.
With your stomach full, you’re certain to have a good night’s sleep.