Heeeyyy, look…another new story! ^^ I love muses. *huggles Tsubaki* Title may change…and no prologue! *audience gasps* I've decided not to waste a short snippet opening up the story, but not to fear…I haven't left any bit of information out!
~Aitsu Mune~
Chapter One: Tantou
A small child, perhaps six or seven, skipped through the dirty alleys of a small but prestigious village of Chigiri, singing loudly. She dragged a filthy blanket behind her, not much better than the rags she wore as a dress. Her eyes were bright peridots, easily revealing her undoubtedly cunning and energetic nature.
"Drorsday, Drorsday!" Came the words, to the familiar childhood tune of teasing. "Iiiiit's Drorsday!" She announced with a little jump, sliding through an obscure doorway and into a very gloomy-looking blacksmith's shop. An old man with pincers for hands and spines growing out of his hunched back turned to look at her, bulbous eyes repulsive to everyone but the little girl.
"Ah…Miss Merliliti!" He said in happy surprise, releasing the hammer he had been using to forge a severely curved sword over a hot anvil. His hardened skin was the color of rust.
The girl stuck out her lip, slouching. "Don't call me that." She insisted. "My name's-"
"Yes, we all know your name." The crab-man waved a pincer at her in a spiraling motion. It obviously meant something, for she ran off and returned a moment later with a large flask. The man took it from her, patting her head. "That's good, Miss Merliliti."
Miss Merliliti did not protest the usage of her last name at the second mentioning. "Is it ready, Giwaku? Is it? Is it? Is it?" She leapt around excitedly, curly copper-russet hair flying around her face as she did so. "I've been waiting forever, is it ready?"
Master Giwaku laughed, leaning back into an unsteady wooden chair. He reached one double-jointed arm expertly behind its frame, drawing out a small hide bag with slow movements. It was obvious that he enjoyed making the little girl wait, for a moment later he burst into even more laughter, taking another swig from the flask before tossing it to the girl.
She nearly tore it open, eyes even wider (if at all possible) in delight as she drew out a twisting dagger, the wooden hilt carved to model many scuttling crabs.
"It's perfect!" She cried, flinging herself at the old blacksmith. "Thank you!"
"Hey…hey!" Giwaku protested, eyes watching the dagger still clasped in her hand. "That thing's got a sheath, y'know." He dug in one of his many pockets with one mottled-brown pincer; it emerged clasping a leather sheath attached to a thick belt.
"Oooh…" Her eyes went even wider as the Master helped her buckle it around her waist. "This is the best. Really." She smiled in a moment of rare tranquility, still clutching the ratty blanket.
"You're very welcome, Miss." He patted her on the head, giving the empty flask for refilling. She scurried off yet again to some unknown source, reappearing in front of him with it filled to the brim. Raising an eyebrow, the blacksmith drank deeply. "You're getting better at that."
She nodded, eyes twinkling. With a twitch of an eye, the hammer rose from its resting place and pounded halfheartedly at the spiraled sword before falling to the dirty ground.
"Well…you could use more work on that, girl." Giwaku winked, smiling as she replaced the hammer to its proper position. "Now, tell me about today."
She settled down on the ground in front of his chair, hands folded obediently over her knees. "Well, Sama's got a cold, and I think your anvil needs a vacation."
Giwaku listened intently, not one bit condescending or confused. "Good, good…"
"And I'm going to make my blanket into a grand dress; I want to go watch the parrots with Mergi soon, and practice with my dagger!"
"Now, what do parrots have to do with daggers?"
"…nothing. Should they?"
"In a perfect world, my dear…now please continue." He leaned back, closing his eyes and running a pincer through sparse silver hair.
"I think someone important is coming to the village soon. There's a party tonight at Kajou's, I can't wait."
"Well, don't drink yourself sick this time." He grinned. Although she didn't look it (or act it), the little girl was just about his age. "Remember what you learned?"
"Uh…" She thought hard. "Don't tease the clock?"
Giwaku roared with laughter, wiping a tear of mirth from his beady eyes. "Exactly."
~Aitsu Mune~
Chapter One: Tantou
A small child, perhaps six or seven, skipped through the dirty alleys of a small but prestigious village of Chigiri, singing loudly. She dragged a filthy blanket behind her, not much better than the rags she wore as a dress. Her eyes were bright peridots, easily revealing her undoubtedly cunning and energetic nature.
"Drorsday, Drorsday!" Came the words, to the familiar childhood tune of teasing. "Iiiiit's Drorsday!" She announced with a little jump, sliding through an obscure doorway and into a very gloomy-looking blacksmith's shop. An old man with pincers for hands and spines growing out of his hunched back turned to look at her, bulbous eyes repulsive to everyone but the little girl.
"Ah…Miss Merliliti!" He said in happy surprise, releasing the hammer he had been using to forge a severely curved sword over a hot anvil. His hardened skin was the color of rust.
The girl stuck out her lip, slouching. "Don't call me that." She insisted. "My name's-"
"Yes, we all know your name." The crab-man waved a pincer at her in a spiraling motion. It obviously meant something, for she ran off and returned a moment later with a large flask. The man took it from her, patting her head. "That's good, Miss Merliliti."
Miss Merliliti did not protest the usage of her last name at the second mentioning. "Is it ready, Giwaku? Is it? Is it? Is it?" She leapt around excitedly, curly copper-russet hair flying around her face as she did so. "I've been waiting forever, is it ready?"
Master Giwaku laughed, leaning back into an unsteady wooden chair. He reached one double-jointed arm expertly behind its frame, drawing out a small hide bag with slow movements. It was obvious that he enjoyed making the little girl wait, for a moment later he burst into even more laughter, taking another swig from the flask before tossing it to the girl.
She nearly tore it open, eyes even wider (if at all possible) in delight as she drew out a twisting dagger, the wooden hilt carved to model many scuttling crabs.
"It's perfect!" She cried, flinging herself at the old blacksmith. "Thank you!"
"Hey…hey!" Giwaku protested, eyes watching the dagger still clasped in her hand. "That thing's got a sheath, y'know." He dug in one of his many pockets with one mottled-brown pincer; it emerged clasping a leather sheath attached to a thick belt.
"Oooh…" Her eyes went even wider as the Master helped her buckle it around her waist. "This is the best. Really." She smiled in a moment of rare tranquility, still clutching the ratty blanket.
"You're very welcome, Miss." He patted her on the head, giving the empty flask for refilling. She scurried off yet again to some unknown source, reappearing in front of him with it filled to the brim. Raising an eyebrow, the blacksmith drank deeply. "You're getting better at that."
She nodded, eyes twinkling. With a twitch of an eye, the hammer rose from its resting place and pounded halfheartedly at the spiraled sword before falling to the dirty ground.
"Well…you could use more work on that, girl." Giwaku winked, smiling as she replaced the hammer to its proper position. "Now, tell me about today."
She settled down on the ground in front of his chair, hands folded obediently over her knees. "Well, Sama's got a cold, and I think your anvil needs a vacation."
Giwaku listened intently, not one bit condescending or confused. "Good, good…"
"And I'm going to make my blanket into a grand dress; I want to go watch the parrots with Mergi soon, and practice with my dagger!"
"Now, what do parrots have to do with daggers?"
"…nothing. Should they?"
"In a perfect world, my dear…now please continue." He leaned back, closing his eyes and running a pincer through sparse silver hair.
"I think someone important is coming to the village soon. There's a party tonight at Kajou's, I can't wait."
"Well, don't drink yourself sick this time." He grinned. Although she didn't look it (or act it), the little girl was just about his age. "Remember what you learned?"
"Uh…" She thought hard. "Don't tease the clock?"
Giwaku roared with laughter, wiping a tear of mirth from his beady eyes. "Exactly."