Kotone sulked alone in the corner of the tent she had to share two other younger women that evening. She pulled out the new sword Izo's father, Hiei, had had made for her out of two damaged and broken swords from the ice maidens who attacked the castle. She felt flushed when he gave her such a gift, explaining she also needed armed and ready to protect herself in the North. She was not to rely on Izo or anyone else to defend her. Izo had been with her when she received the sword, and she could not help but notice he was jealous at the sight of impressive gift. She thanked Hiei as thorough as she could muted. He seemed to understand.
She admired the handy work of the reforged blade to say the least. She missed her old sword from the floating island, but that, along with everything else, had been taken away when she had been imprisoned. The ice blue grey color of the steel shone as she caught it in the dim light in the tent. A slight cold radiated off the blade pleasantly. She felt an ache in her arm wanting to test it out at swordplay. It had been so long since she sparred with another...
"What's that there?" the voice of Airi startled her out of her memories. The young woman had come into the tent, rubbing at her eye. She stepped closer to Kotone, eying the blade. "Looks like one of nasty blades those nasty women had used on us. Take my word for it that you do not want to be at the wrong end of one of those blades." Kotone watched Airi settled herself down on her sleeping bag in the middle of the tent, not moving with her sword. "Where'd you get it?" she asked.
Kotone moved her hands, to explain, wondering if Airi had learned any sign language. The others seemed to overly rely on Izo to translate. 'H-i-e-i,' she spelled out clearly. Airi frowned in puzzlement. 'Hiei,' she mouthed.
"Ah," Airi said, cluing in. She looked over at the blade. "Ever use one of them before?" she asked curiously.
Kotone nodded, pulling the sword closer to herself.
"We could spar one of these days, see how you fair against water," Airi suggested bubbly, holding up a tiny, liquid ball of spinning water in her palm. Kotone narrowed her eyes at the water, freezing the ball. Airi gasped, "fuck." She dropped the ball on her sleeping bag, flinching at the sudden cold of it. Kotone smiled over at her playfully. Airi picked up the ice ball and threw it at her. Kotone caught on reflex, looking it over. She froze it well, feeling an urge to spar over taking her melancholy about not being allowed to share a tent with Izo.
Hikari walked in the tent just then, noticing the two of them. She zipped up the tent in a huff, looking them over carefully. "What are you two doing?" she asked, looking weary and wary.
"Reading some of your weepy husband's poetry," Airi jokingly lied.
Hikari's eyes went wide in panic. "You did not," she said viciously.
Kotone shook her head rapidly.
"Aye, no, that we didn't," Airi replied honestly.
She reached over to Kotone, snatching the ice ball out of her hand and threw it at Hikari. Hikari caught it clumsily, nearly dropping it twice. She held it in her hand, looking it over with a frown. She tossed it back over to Kotone is an easy lope. Kotone caught it with two hands, batting it around in her palms.
Hikari looked over at Kotone's lap. "So that's the sword my dad had made for you. Izo seemed a little annoyed that he didn't think to have that done for you first."
Kotone smiled softly, nodding. She bit her lip shyly. Kotone gave the blade one more look before sheathing it and setting it next to her sleeping bag.
Hikari settled down on her sleeping bag. Airi looked between the two of them. "So I've got a question for the both of yous, but your going to think me bold of me for asking."
Kotone looked from Airi to Hikari and back again. "What's the question?" Hikari asked dryly.
"Well..." she pointed over at Hikari. "You're married." She pointed over at Kotone. "You've been 'sharing a room' with Izo. What's it like... with a man?" She pointed over at Hikari once more. "Or in your case, a weeping elf?"
Hikari sneered at her. "Elves are open and honest about their emotions. I thought you were quarter elf, and yet you don't seem to know that."
Airi shrugged the harsh comment off. "Grew up demon surrounded by demons. My granny would have beat anything elvish out of me if she saw anything like that from today, she would," Airi explained. "Your ma's a shinobi, your da's a shinobi, so act like it," she quoted. At the mention of her parents, she seemed to get a little bit quieter. She shook her head. "Anyway, what's it like?" she asked in a softer voice.
Hikari opened her mouth, and then closed it again. "It's interesting, a little painful at first, awkward. Pleasant once you take the time to learn one another," she rambled with a flushed face. "Loving... grateful."
Kotone frowned to herself, not quite sure what she was going on about.
"Wow, what great details," Airi said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. She huffed and laid herself down on the sleeping bag. She brought her arms behind her head. She looked over at Kotone. "What about Izo? Is he also loving and grateful and painfully awkward?" She looked up at Kotone expectantly. She nodded over at Kotone's notepad and pencil. "You can write it down if you like. We can compare it to the prince's poetry."
Hikari grunted, muttering, "don't know of anyone writing you poetry..."
"Haven't had a shot at your husband yet," she joked.
Hikari seethed. Kotone clued in to what they were talking about. She shook her head rapidly. Airi looked up at her, pushing her upper body off of the ground. She looked over at Kotone, studying her. "You two haven't done anything...? What with your fleeing and your labor, and such. But you're full demon, and were healed up. You would have been able to fuck him ages ago. Why didn't you?"
Kotone sat still, looking down at Airi, not sure what to do or say. She blinked and shook her head. She reached for the note pad, but did not pick it up. She pulled her hand back to her lap.
"Girl, he's in to you like a lovesick mate," Airi told her. "I'll tell you honestly I tried a crack at him, even though it would have made my da livid to no end if he reciprocated. Became a sort of best friend instead."
"Why would your father not want you to be with my brother?" Hikari asked.
Airi turned and looked over at her. "Do you not know?" Kotone breathed a sigh of relief seeing the conversation turn away from her. "Sort version, my da and your ma were an item, but she ghosted him for your da. He hated her for it, called her the king's whore once in my hearing. When he saw Izo and realized who's son he was, he made me swear up and down to stay away from him romantically. Meh. Granny didn't much approve of my da either, but I think I was an accident between my ma and da, so yeah... He had enough honor, according to Granny, to stay when I happened about. Loyal and loving to my ma, married her. Must be that bit of elvish he had in him, eh?" Airi sighed. "Maybe one day I can get Haru to look at me the way Izo looks at yourself," she nodded up at Kotone.
Kotone sat there, listening to the two delve into gossip about who knew what about their parents' and the past. She picked up the ice ball from earlier, passing it around in her hands thoughtfully. She saw flashes come up in her mind unbidden. The ice blue demon with purple hair... She shook her head. Thankfully Koji looked nothing like him. Koji looked more like, well, more like Hiei than anyone else, Kotone decided. Black hair, red eyes, fire demon... Kotone looked up at Hikari, who let out a small laugh while Airi laughed heartily between the two of them.
Hikari looked like a female version of cursed child, but had the vicious air of a sister if provoked. Kotone wondered what it would be like to spar with her. Or even have a full out fight. Her youngest brother, Kaze, had black hair, but none of the viciousness simmering underneath. He seemed peaceful, like their Mother. Izo also had that inner peace, but mixed with a thirst to prove himself, to better himself, to do the right thing. That was why he had saved her...
She looked down at the ice ball in her hand, noticing it was start to melt a little bit. She closed her fist around it, freezing it anew. She almost wished she could freeze her own heart as easy as that. She closed her eyes, thinking unbidden about the last, sweet kiss Izo had given her. It made her feel almost tempted to seek him out then and there. She settled for settling herself down in her sleeping bag, listening to the other two gossip in the night.
