Fix the Roof I Think the Universe Fell In
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
A/N: Hello! Sorry I took so long, I was waiting for a query of mine to be answered, now I'm back and here's chapter 10! Thank you for your patience! Read, enjoy, and REVIEW!!! =)
Chapter 10: Help of a Motherly Nature
It felt as if everything had just frozen, Kyoko stared at Kurenai and vice versa.
Though Kyoko was the only one who could hear him, Bob spoke cheerfully, "I bet ten thousand imaginary ryo that she's gonna make you take a bath!" Kyoko resisted the urge to glare at him and looked at Kurenai for a brief millisecond.
Then she turned around and started up the wall only to have the edge of her ragged brown shirt caught and she lost her grip on the wall.
"Hold on, calm down." Kurenai's voice was oddly soothing, Kyoko shook the feeling off. Great, now an adult's involved, as if she doesn't have enough problems…
Bob snickered, have you ever seen a snickering unicorn?
Somehow, by some odd twist of fate, Kurenai had gotten Kyoko up to her apartment. It had happened so fast that, well Kyoko couldn't remember how she had gotten there.
Kurenai on other hand, she had overheard some conversations for the past month about a ratty trash digger. The particular genin boasted that he had chased the child away with his kunai throwing skills, it had made Kurenai angry. How anyone could take pride in chasing a child away from trash cans by knifepoint was beyond her.
Seeing the girl digging through the trash cans, had started up her maternal instincts. She led the girl into her apartment, who surprisingly didn't resist. Though Kurenai was impressed with the wall climbing skill she had attempted, Kurenai found it, unique.
First she had dug out some food from the fridge and she started cooking, during that Kyoko spoke to her for the first time.
"Um, I don't wanna be rude but, this is kinda weird." Her voice was shaky, it's just that, well Kyoko wasn't used to anyone treating her like this, I mean come on she heard that Kurenai was the motherly type but she didn't expect this! It was so, warm and fuzzy, and it made her uncomfortable. Usually adults were perturbed by her strange eyes, now even more so, but she was still mud covered, so it was just her eyes, for now. "My name's Kyoko, what's yours?"
"Kurenai." She moved the cooked noodles into a couple of bowls and set them on the counter in front of Kyoko. She nodded reassuringly, but Kyoko was skeptical, it was just in her nature.
"Um, wait a sec, is this for me?"
"Yes, now eat." It was more of an order than a request really. Kyoko gripped the chopsticks and attempted to eat slowly, but it tasted sooooo good compared to trash can gourmet. Kyoko started to gulp it down, she was doing so well, then she started choking on the noodles.
Kurenai slapped Kyoko's back, dislodging the obstruction in Kyoko's throat as it went down.
"Gomen Kurenai-san." Kyoko mumbled apologetically. About one minute passed and the two bowls were empty, Kurenai didn't know whether to be worried or impressed, "Um seriously," Kyoko began, "you haven't passed out from the smell yet?"
Kurenai had a look, it was pure evil in Kyoko's opinion.
"Oh no," Kyoko stood up and took a few steps back, "I've been planning to knock out people with the smell! I'm not taking a bath! I'll just get dirty again, so what's the point?"
But after some wrestling, struggling, and fleeing attempts on Kyoko's part, Kurenai had achieved what no adult had ever achieved before, she had gotten and unwilling Kyoko to take a bath, it must be the end of the world.
After Kurenai had made sure she would take a bath, she left Kyoko alone in the bathroom. Though Kyoko hadn't said much, Kurenai dug out a loose t-shirt and shorts, though they'd be really big on Kyoko, they were the smallest clothes Kurenai had on hand. Besides she'd buy some more later.
She turned and looked at the pile of mud brown clothes and felt a stab of pity enter her gut. Then remembered a conversation she had heard amongst the genin (who by the way have been genin FOREVER) about them chasing some little devil away from the trash cans by throwing kunai at her.
Yet for some reason for all the shinobi reasoning she could muster, she could only imagine what the child might've gone through…
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Kyoko's POV…
I sat in the tub and scrubbed away the accumulated grime on my skin, turns out that once it hardens, dirt, mud, and other assorted things considered dirt, they're really, really hard to wash off.
But eventually, I could see her skin again.
But as I studied it, I noticed that I'd retained her scars from back home. Well, so much for the 'catapulted into another body' theory.
Let's see, the scar on my right knee from when my Mom was drunk and had a gun. Check.
Scar on my stomach from when a wild boar almost mauled me.
Scar on left forearm from when I hit it on an electric fence.
Scar on the left side of my abdomen from when a car backed into me.
And a few others I don't care to think about the how's and why's as to where I got them.
I thought about Kurenai, she was well different than what I'd expected, a lot more enforcing with those motherly instincts of hers too…
I used only one towel, no sense in over-doing it and looking like an ungrateful hog right?
//Kyoko-sama, we think this Kurenai-san would be a good influence on you.// The Kouchuu said, //we sense power from her, though not a great as your wonderful aura of pure-//
"Stop it, just stop it." Kyoko said, "stop droning on about 'my greatness okay? It gets a bit annoying, no offense."
//None taken.// The Kouchuu answered back good-naturedly.
"Wonderfulness!" Bob said.
I swear I think I had an anime vein twitch in my head, "you again?!"
"Yes me!" Bob smiled his unicorn smile, "Aw I knew you missed me."
"Stupid hallucination." I muttered irritably to myself.
Then I realized that Kurenai had left clothes outside the bathroom door for me as I peeked out. I snatched them and hastily dressed myself. I looked in the mirror, my odd eyes, the stripes on my face, even my hair. Damn I look cool, but damn do I stick out…
I'm wearing some loose fitting sweatpants and a t-shirt now, and damn does it feel great to wear clean clothes again... Though I will miss the ability to knock a person out with my stench… Oh well, beggars can't be choosers.
I took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom. I really hope I don't get a bad reaction just 'cause of my looks, I mean I looked weird enough back home, but my new look is a bit much.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
With Kurenai…
She heard the door open, and there stood a blue haired girl, with two duke blue stripes running down each cheek. She looked a little worried, possibly that was why she kept the mud on her face?
"Um I'm done." Kyoko looked behind her, and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, sorry about the mess, I tried to clean it…"
Kurenai could've sworn that she must've been from a clan, or something related to shinobi. Her eyes were also very unnerving, the pupils were blue instead of black.
Kurenai had also heard her saying something about a 'stupid hallucination', probably from the lack of food.
Kurenai also wanted to ask about the scroll, it was the only possession the Kyoko had on her plus an odd looking fold out knife. Maybe she had parents somewhere?
"Um, Kurenai-san?" Kyoko spoke up unexpectedly, "why'd ya take me in? I mean, you know why didn't ya jus' give me food and let me be on my way… Not that I don't apuh- apppreci-apreeee," great Kyoko was having her gratitude issue again, "appreciate it but, um well, why?" She finished weakly.
"Because children shouldn't be left out alone like that." She answered, bending down to Kyoko's level.
"Pffft, that's what all the adults who come to the orphanage say." Kyoko said without thinking, "oops, um I, I didn't mean that."
'Well that provided a little insight about her.' Kurenai thought.
"You're from an orphanage?" Kurenai asked.
"Um yes and no." Kyoko looked like she was looking for something.
"Looking for these?" Kurenai held both the small scroll and the army knife to her. Kyoko took them and hugged them to her chest, time to pull off the ultimate act.
"Oh arigato Kurenai-san!" Kyoko said joyfully, "for a minute there I panicked and thought I lost them."
Kurenai smiled softly, "don't worry I found them wrapped in a cloth with your clothes." Kyoko looked at her suspiciously.
"Oh no, I know that look, it's the she's so small, kawaii, and helpless look, well lemme tell ya right now that I don't do cute and helpless." Kyoko's face was so serious that Kurenai couldn't help but let an amused smile.
Kurenai had set up a futon for her to sleep on. Kyoko looked between her and the futon, unable to belive that anyone, even a TV character could be so nice, well, to her anyways. She just had the luck (or lack thereof) of meeting adults who acted like they were complete assholes and that they were Kami's gift to mankind.
"Seriously, you didn't have to go through all this trouble just for me." Kyoko said embarrassedly rubbing the back of her head.
"Well no guest of mine is going to sleep on the floor." Kurenai said curtly, like it was an open and shut case. Unable to hold back the yawn, Kyoko did so, then blushed.
Kurenai laughed and Kyoko looked insulted. But eventually, (well sooner actually) Kyoko was tucked under a warm blanket drifting off to sleep like a rock, well, she was tired, okay more like exhausted.
But for the moment, Kyoko felt safe.
And really that was all that mattered at the moment.
Then Bob broke the peace, "yeah but there's still the issue of getting into the academy, escaping the clutches of being adopted, oh and let's not forget your training."
"Shut up, Bob." Kyoko mumbled.
"Just stating the obvious Doe." He commented cheekily.
"Whatever…" Kyoko rolled her eyes beneath her closed eyelids and her world drifted off into the land of dreams…
A/N: Yes, Kyoko's mind was most certainly not catapulted into a completely different body, the plot is too interesting to reveal now. You'll all find out later, no, she's not getting adopted, Kurenai does act motherly and all but that kind (any kind really) of affection kind of makes Kyoko uncomfortable as you can plainly see. Yes I know, I haven't updated in forever, I can't used the computer at all from Monday to Wednesday so I only have four days to write and post. Sorry, but them's the rules in my house. It sucks though… Homework is evil and time consuming, it eats up the whole day… Anyways, please review! I love getting feedback from you wonderful peoples out there. I'm writing the next chapter as we speak. Thank you for reading and once again PLZ REVIEW!!! =) (Note: Sorry if I wrote Kurenai out of character, I tried not to make her sound stupid, but I'm not sure how to write her, it's the first time I've actually written her character you know? Sorry, please tell me if I made a mistake or have some types of tweaks to make, or better yet, give me pointers on how to write the characters without making them OOC.)! ;D