My Gift
Ryoko Avalon
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Authors note: Okay, since Ryuiji Otogi belongs to Mr. Takahashi, and my dreams belong to me, I can't be sued for this fic! So there! Alright, the mysterious child and several other unfamiliar characters belong to my head, so good luck picturing them. This fic is an actual dream I had awhile ago when I was in bed with a really bad flu. I actually saw all of this! So therefore it's totally original. I know a lot of you otaku would be pissed if I had the girl's mom turned out to be Otogi's girlfriend, like in my dream, so I had to change it just slightly so nobody would start planning to kill me. Otherwise, NOTHING at all is changed. This is all just what I saw. And one more thing...enjoy!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Fate plays your strings like a violin, starting out easy and slow. Only to suddenly turn into an impossible symphony, racing against time.
If only life were as easy as playing a violin...
"See ya tomorrow Ryuiji! Be careful on your way home, ya hear? It's late!" the boy's employer ordered, seeing his best employee off for the night.
Otogi smiled, tossing his school bag over his shoulder and focusing on where he was walking in the deep snow as he slowly walked home.
He had to admit, the old man was generous. He'd offered the boy a job as a bartender even though he was just barely able to buy liquor himself; he was only seventeen, after all. And with his job, he was able to easily keep his gambling skills sharp on his break time, and use the money to support his life at home, alone. Since he was the only one able to help the man after school hours, he was paid slightly more than the law and the bar would allow: $7.95 an hour for working three days after school for 8 hours. He also had to admit that working as both a bartender, and a bouncer wasn't all that bad; in fact, it was pretty fun watching people stumble aimlessly around because they were so drunk. Plus, his adrenaline was never used enough, so he loved it when he was called to break up a rumble - especially when there was more than two guys or girls involved.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Before he knew what happened, the teenager found himself face-first in the snow on the ground. What could he possibly have tripped on? He climbed to his knees, wiping off his frozen face and looked back to find out what, exactly, he fell over.
A large mound of snow was covering the object. He reached out and clawed off several layers of the powder off of...a child?!
The tiny girl, no older than three or four, was huddled in a fetal position, frozen and nearly completely blue. She had almost no clothes on and appeared to not have eaten in weeks. He held a finger to her throat, actually catching a very weak heartbeat.
"Oh god..." he gasped, tearing off his leather jacket and wrapping it around the child's frozen body.
Holding her close, Ryuiji ran as fast as he could the few more blocks home. She had to be warmed up fast, or she would most definitely die.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
She groaned weakly as the child finally awoke, buried in several warm quilts and towels. She was facing a fireplace from her position on a chair in the corner of the cozy room. Never before had she felt so warm and safe. Drawing in a shaky breath, she burrowed deeper into the comfortable cocoon and looked around slowly.
The room had no lights, heated and lighted only by the fireplace, with a dark maroon wall to wall carpet underneath her. Lining the walls were three bookshelves filled with more books than she'd ever laid eyes on. She liked it here, and definitely didn't want to leave.
"Hey!" a sweet and quiet voice came from the doorway, appearing to be coming from a shadow. "You're awake!" Ryuiji walked slowly into the room, smiling slightly with sympathy and relief, as not to create a bad first impression. He knelt before the girl and lifted a hand to her forehead.
"Hmm...You're still running a fever though. But it's good to see that you're okay. I was worried, you know. What were you doing outside in this weather?"
"I..." she averted her gaze from his worried emerald eyes.
"Your parents don't take very good care of you. I should have a long talk with them about the way they're treating you."
The child swallowed the lump in her throat, failing to hide her face fast enough as tears streaked her pale face.
"What's wrong little one? Did I say something wrong?"
"My parents..." she sobbed, turning away and shaking her head.
"You were orphaned. Weren't you?"
"They left me alone...a long time ago..."
"Abandoned. I see."
"What?"
"That's what we call being abandoned...when..." Otogi dropped his eyes to the chair. "When your parents don't...want you anymore..."
"They don't love me?"
"No...When they can abandon their own child like that...no...They don't love you."
He completely expected the child to burst into tears, but instead, looked up to find her smiling. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing. I knew my daddy and mommy didn't like me. Momma and Papa fighted a lot, about me most of the time, and papa always hurted her...when he hit me...I ran away. Papa was the one that pushed me out the car door when he was driving. Momma stayed quiet in the back seat. She let me fall out. I haven't seen them since then. I knew momma and papa didn't love me."
"Do...you have a name?"
"I dunno. Mommy used to call me Brat or Slut."
Otogi's eyes widened at the last word. She's no older than four or five...and has already been abused...this poor little girl... "So...you don't have a real name?" She shook her head questioningly.
"Well let's see...what name could I call you? Hmm..." He held his chin in thought as he sat cross-legged in front of the chair.
"Alright; I've got a few. Stephanie?" She shook her head.
"Heather?" She shook it again.
"Alu?" Her head popped up at the ring of the new name.
"Oh, you like that one?"
"Yeah!" She giggled, tossing her arms in the air in celebration.
"Then I'll call you Alu, after my closest friend back in England." He smiled, smoothing out her short, tangled sandy blonde hair.
"Alright, Alu. You try to get some rest okay? I'll get something for you to eat and change into. Be back in a few minutes." He winked, leaving the room just as suddenly as he'd come in.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Game Over?
Continue?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Authors note: Okay, since Ryuiji Otogi belongs to Mr. Takahashi, and my dreams belong to me, I can't be sued for this fic! So there! Alright, the mysterious child and several other unfamiliar characters belong to my head, so good luck picturing them. This fic is an actual dream I had awhile ago when I was in bed with a really bad flu. I actually saw all of this! So therefore it's totally original. I know a lot of you otaku would be pissed if I had the girl's mom turned out to be Otogi's girlfriend, like in my dream, so I had to change it just slightly so nobody would start planning to kill me. Otherwise, NOTHING at all is changed. This is all just what I saw. And one more thing...enjoy!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Fate plays your strings like a violin, starting out easy and slow. Only to suddenly turn into an impossible symphony, racing against time.
If only life were as easy as playing a violin...
"See ya tomorrow Ryuiji! Be careful on your way home, ya hear? It's late!" the boy's employer ordered, seeing his best employee off for the night.
Otogi smiled, tossing his school bag over his shoulder and focusing on where he was walking in the deep snow as he slowly walked home.
He had to admit, the old man was generous. He'd offered the boy a job as a bartender even though he was just barely able to buy liquor himself; he was only seventeen, after all. And with his job, he was able to easily keep his gambling skills sharp on his break time, and use the money to support his life at home, alone. Since he was the only one able to help the man after school hours, he was paid slightly more than the law and the bar would allow: $7.95 an hour for working three days after school for 8 hours. He also had to admit that working as both a bartender, and a bouncer wasn't all that bad; in fact, it was pretty fun watching people stumble aimlessly around because they were so drunk. Plus, his adrenaline was never used enough, so he loved it when he was called to break up a rumble - especially when there was more than two guys or girls involved.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Before he knew what happened, the teenager found himself face-first in the snow on the ground. What could he possibly have tripped on? He climbed to his knees, wiping off his frozen face and looked back to find out what, exactly, he fell over.
A large mound of snow was covering the object. He reached out and clawed off several layers of the powder off of...a child?!
The tiny girl, no older than three or four, was huddled in a fetal position, frozen and nearly completely blue. She had almost no clothes on and appeared to not have eaten in weeks. He held a finger to her throat, actually catching a very weak heartbeat.
"Oh god..." he gasped, tearing off his leather jacket and wrapping it around the child's frozen body.
Holding her close, Ryuiji ran as fast as he could the few more blocks home. She had to be warmed up fast, or she would most definitely die.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
She groaned weakly as the child finally awoke, buried in several warm quilts and towels. She was facing a fireplace from her position on a chair in the corner of the cozy room. Never before had she felt so warm and safe. Drawing in a shaky breath, she burrowed deeper into the comfortable cocoon and looked around slowly.
The room had no lights, heated and lighted only by the fireplace, with a dark maroon wall to wall carpet underneath her. Lining the walls were three bookshelves filled with more books than she'd ever laid eyes on. She liked it here, and definitely didn't want to leave.
"Hey!" a sweet and quiet voice came from the doorway, appearing to be coming from a shadow. "You're awake!" Ryuiji walked slowly into the room, smiling slightly with sympathy and relief, as not to create a bad first impression. He knelt before the girl and lifted a hand to her forehead.
"Hmm...You're still running a fever though. But it's good to see that you're okay. I was worried, you know. What were you doing outside in this weather?"
"I..." she averted her gaze from his worried emerald eyes.
"Your parents don't take very good care of you. I should have a long talk with them about the way they're treating you."
The child swallowed the lump in her throat, failing to hide her face fast enough as tears streaked her pale face.
"What's wrong little one? Did I say something wrong?"
"My parents..." she sobbed, turning away and shaking her head.
"You were orphaned. Weren't you?"
"They left me alone...a long time ago..."
"Abandoned. I see."
"What?"
"That's what we call being abandoned...when..." Otogi dropped his eyes to the chair. "When your parents don't...want you anymore..."
"They don't love me?"
"No...When they can abandon their own child like that...no...They don't love you."
He completely expected the child to burst into tears, but instead, looked up to find her smiling. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing. I knew my daddy and mommy didn't like me. Momma and Papa fighted a lot, about me most of the time, and papa always hurted her...when he hit me...I ran away. Papa was the one that pushed me out the car door when he was driving. Momma stayed quiet in the back seat. She let me fall out. I haven't seen them since then. I knew momma and papa didn't love me."
"Do...you have a name?"
"I dunno. Mommy used to call me Brat or Slut."
Otogi's eyes widened at the last word. She's no older than four or five...and has already been abused...this poor little girl... "So...you don't have a real name?" She shook her head questioningly.
"Well let's see...what name could I call you? Hmm..." He held his chin in thought as he sat cross-legged in front of the chair.
"Alright; I've got a few. Stephanie?" She shook her head.
"Heather?" She shook it again.
"Alu?" Her head popped up at the ring of the new name.
"Oh, you like that one?"
"Yeah!" She giggled, tossing her arms in the air in celebration.
"Then I'll call you Alu, after my closest friend back in England." He smiled, smoothing out her short, tangled sandy blonde hair.
"Alright, Alu. You try to get some rest okay? I'll get something for you to eat and change into. Be back in a few minutes." He winked, leaving the room just as suddenly as he'd come in.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Game Over?
Continue?