Why did this chapter go this route? No idea.
Keep in mind, Izuku is extremely naive in a sense. She has zero experience with anyone other than mother. Nothing seems truly strange to her. She's much too trusting, as she has zero experiences to go off of. Mother can warn her all she wants, Izuku desires knowledge. She wished to experience new things and learn more about everything around her.
Apologies for grammer mistakes!
Time passed slowly to her as she traveled. She did not stay in one area long before she moved on. Several weeks had passed when she felt as though the forest thinned. The tall redwoods seemed to have to reach further with their branches to intermingle. Sun seemed to pierce the ground easier, letting light spread further.
It was something she was moderately thankful for. The sun would warm her skin, easily offering comfort. But on the other hand, when the sun sank in the sky, the moon did not offer the same warmth. The less dense the forest became, the chillier it got.
Despite this, during the day she only lightly draped the deers hide from her shoulders. The bear hide was utilized as a bedding when night came. The ground was too hard for her to dig a burrow for only temporary use. So she would dig a small burrow in the blanket of snow, near the base of trees, trading the slightest warmth.
The cold did not affect her as it did when she was young, bu.t it still took its toll on her body. At night, when she could feel her fingers growing numb, she would tuck them under her arms or try to
wrap them in fur. Sometimes it would help, but other times it wasn't enough. Those times she would be relieved when the sun poked through the trees and made itself known.
When traveling, she had makeshift fur pulled tight around the bottom of her feet. It made traveling harder and easier at the same time. It kept her toes from growing numb from being buried in the snow for long hours.
Water was something she had easy access to. Though she was rarely thirsty, getting hydration through small animal blood and flesh. She still sometimes sought out water. There was a river a day's travel away, that had not frozen over. Its rushing water was deadly and forceful, but it kept it from freezing. It would be dangerous and she would surely die if she fell in. So she carefully maneuvered the edge of the water.
Her mother taught her many things. One being how to use the skin from an animal, and how she could line it with their bladder or tree sap to secure the bag to carry water. She always stayed near water, so she only needed them when traveling. She was extremely thankful to mother for the knowledge. After filling a few containers with water, she secured them to her hips and left.
It had been a calm day. She foraged, refreshing her stash of nuts, seeds, berries. Despite the winter, the forest still held plenty to provide for its inhabitants. She was careful in what she took. Always careful to only take a few before moving on to a different bush or tree.
Her breath was slow and easy as she hummed lightly. She was trailing her hand along the bark of a tree she passed when she paused.
Through the trees she spotted movement. The first thing that snagged her attention was the bright red flashing through the trees. Confusion passed over her. It was a shade of red she had not come across before. Lighter than that of blood. Darker than the fruits that dipped from the trees in spring.
She dropped low and kept through the underbrush. She snaked over the ground, pretending she was mother. Slipping through the forest like an invisible snake. She reached a break in the trees and peered through.
In a small clearing stood a creature. It had pale skin and wore clothing that looked absolutely suffocating. Their hands were small and looked soft. Their face was smooth, almost baby-like, if not for the light stubble coming from their chin. Somehow half formed wide eyed and rounded, with a soft nose and plump flesh.
She lifted a hand and touched her face. Flat and smooth. She looked down at herself, mudstreaked, deeply tanned, and covered in scars. But still soft, hairless, small, weak to a degree. There was no mistaking it.
This thing in the woods, overdressed, half formed being was like her. He was not human. But he was. Large red wings, trailed behind the man, nearly as big as him. He had fluffy blonde hair that was pushed back, revealing golden brown eyes that reminded her of a hawk. But they looked far more cat-like in shape.
Was this one if the other being's mother spoke of? She suddenly heard a voice. Her whole body froze immediately. The only voice she knew was mothers. Wet and low, rib shaking whispers. This voice was nothing like mothers. It was high and somehow infantile with strange shrill notes. Like hers if only deeper.
He seemed frustrated. She did not understand what he was doing, something thin and fragile spread before him. She spotted black markings across it and couldn't help but wonder what it was. Her excitement and fear had been building, and she suddenly stood. The person froze.
"What the hell?" His voice came out again and she blinked, meeting his eyes. He gripped a red feather in his hand. It seemed sharp. Dangerous. Just then she realized the forest had become quiet. Not fully. The insistent insects droned and she could hear the wind rustle the leaves above her. But the animals had grown silent.
"What's your purpose?" The voice echoed through the clearing again. She tilted her head in confusion. His language was familiar. Mother had spoken to her with it before, but they rarely used it. She struggled for a moment to comprehend what he said.
"I don't mean harm." He seemed confused by her speech as well. It came out rough. His hand still gripped the sharp feather. They stood at a standstill, until she looked away, and silently sat on the ground. Her movements were so silent, the man had narrowed eyes. He seemed to be trying to decipher what to do.
He took notice of her claws and the sharpness of her teeth when she opened her mouth. She was akin to a predator. Silent. Watchful. Her eyes did not leave his form. He felt suspicious but intrigued.
No one could be this far in the forest. There were no settlements nearby. No villages. Her features did not resemble any clan he knew of. He knew there where creatures and monsters deep in the forest. Demons as well. But he was not that deep into the forest.
When she sat he felt a small amount of tension ease. She did not seem to have any ill intent. Though she held no weapons, her sharp appendages were dangerous enough. She seemed tense as well. He scanned her form quickly.
The antlers looked like accessories. But dark green hair was threaded intently around them and seemed to be braided in an unfamiliar weaving pattern. Her emerald eyes were wide with interest and open curiosity. What looked like deer skin, hung around her shoulders, covering some of her body, but still leaving much skin bare to the weather. How could she handle this cold?
Despite the winter? How was that possible? He himself was wrapped in a heavy coat lined with fur and was still struggling to stay warm. He hated the cold. Yet she didn't seem to mind.
He slightly lowered his feather. It had stayed sharp though. She seemed to struggle with her speech. It seemed heavily accented with almost an animalistic tone. He was truly baffled and felt unsure about the situation.
He stood for several more minutes but when it seemed like she wasn't moving, he slowly sat himself back down on a log. She didn't say anything else and neither did he. Feeling almost awkward in a sense. He looked back down at his map and rolled it up, sliding it into his pocket. Her eyes follow every movement of his hands.
Izuku felt in awe. He was not trying to attack her, which she had for some reason expected to a degree. Instead after a short time he seemed to back away and divide his attention between glancing at her and fumbling with something. She intently watched as he fiddled with different objects she didn't have a name for.
She sat silently and observed. He would glance at her every so often, and as the sun got lower she still stayed. Soon, he was hitting rocks harshly against each other, and sparks would spread. There was a small pile of wood that caught on fire.
She inwardly panicked. She knew what fire was. Fire was dangerous. The forest had moments where it burned uncontrollably until mother took action. She was about to lunge forward and cover the fire with snow, despite her fear of the person. However she didn't. Why would he make fire?
The man seemed to have a barrier around it, as if taming the flame. How absolutely interesting.
She watched him take something from his pocket and began skinning a rabbit. The object was grey and silver, and reflected the sun, as the snow did. The inorganic gleam was confusing to her.
At the middle of the clearing, the man carved into the rabbit and placed it on top of the firen quickly doing the same to a second. Izuku felt horrified as the juices dripped into the fire. She hesitated, but the need to know was strong. "What are you doing?" She struggled to form the words. Motioning to the fire with a furrowed brow.
The person looked between her and the rabbits. He shook his head. "It's not ready yet."
Several minutes passed as Izuku watched the fire intently. Becoming more and more thrown off as the rabbit's meat turned from plump and juicy to dry and brown. Eventually he took the rabbits from the fire.
He looked between the distance between her and himself. They were a little over twenty five foot away. She seemed to tense when he took a step forward. So he paused and instead threw one of the rabbits towards her. His eyes stayed trained on her as she easily caught the rabbit meat from the air.
Her eyes were wide. Sharing food? Animals did not share food with those not in their pack. Was this some weird behavior of his species? She raised it to her nose and sniffed. It smelt of smoke. It no longer looked like meat. She stared at him. The person seemed to roll his eyes and raised his own to his mouth and tear a piece off chewing loudly. "There's nothing wrong with it."
She opened her mouth, giving him an easy view of her glinting teeth. Teeth sliced into the meat tearing it easily. She chewed and swallowed. It tasted like smoke and that was all. Her nose wrinkled and she raised another piece of meat to her mouth taking a much smaller bite.
Izuku felt like everything depended on this moment. She was just offered a gift. If she were to reject it, it could make him angry. She did not want to anger the person. Food was important, to share it was even more so. She did not know how he ate such a thing though.
He watched her and raised a brow as she seemed to force herself to eat the meat. She seemed very dissatisfied. He sat as well, leaning back on his hands, fluffing out his wings to keep them out of the way. Her eyes had snapped to his movement and paused until he stopped moving.
He wondered why she seemed so torn between flight or being incredibly still. Almost like a bunny. Her teeth glinted. Definitely not a bunny though. He finished his food before her and ran a hand through his hair, catching small knots, causing him to wince. She finished hers as well soon after.
They sat in silence, though his mind was going through cartwheels. None of the questions he had broke through his lips. No matter how curious, she still seemed slightly frightened. Though she didn't leave. He leaned forward slightly and narrowed his eyes. "Do...do you need help?"
He eyed the multitude of scars along her limbs and body showing from under the deerskin. She seemed healthy, no injuries that he could see. But again the question surfaced? What was she doing so far deep in the forest? Was she lost?
Izuku's head tilted. The many bones and pebbles hanging from the antlers on her head sounded lightly as they clinked together. The question seemed to catch her off guard. She raised a clawed hand and pointed at herself. "Help?"
"Yes, do you need help? Are you lost?" He grew more concerned suddenly. Multiple scenarios raced through him. But a light and airy laugh echoed through the clearing. She seemed thoroughly surprised. "No, no. I do not need help."
He didn't relax though. Izuku suddenly reached under her deer skin, and pulled out a small pouch. She threw it across the clearing, and he caught it with ease. His hand opened to reveal a small pouch that was intricately weaved with grasses. He pulled the pouch open revealing various nuts and berries.
She looked expectant. He opened his palm and poured a small handful out, popping them into his mouth. As soon as he did he almost spit them back out. They weren't bad, in fact the mix of the sweet and nutty flavour was delicious. A nice change from the game he had been eating. But he was not a forager. He was a hunter. He had no idea if what he just put into his mouth was poisonous or not. But he chewed and swallowed the mix.
Izuku was satisfied by him eating her gift. Food was important after all. If he had been willing to share his with hers, then she would with him. She wondered if this meant they were on friendly terms.
Suddenly she shivered. The sun was slowly dipping and she had been sitting in the snow for what seemed like a long time now. She contemplated leaving and returning to her supplies, and bedding down. But she didn't want to miss the chance to learn more.
"Are you cold?" She nodded. Of course she was. The air was chilly and she felt the constant ache in her bones since winter nodded. Some nights it was so cold, it felt as though the breath inside her lungs had frozen. It could be painful to simply inhale at times. This was the most she had been active during winter after all. She dreamt of her burrow, warm and safe. It sounded nice.
The person slowly stood, cautious of his movements. He slowly stepped forward. When she raised to a crouch, and bared her teeth at the movement, he stopped. He raised his hands and slightly motioned to the fire while keeping them visible. Izuku's eyes narrowed and barely kept a snarl off her face. There was no reason to approach her. What if he was about to attack? She did not know this species.
"The fire is warm. It can help fight off the cold. Come and sit closer?" His voice was steady and calm. Even if inwardly he was taken aback at the quick change from a curious cat to a ferocious beast being threatened.
Izuku closed her mouth, and contemplated his offering. She knew the fire was hot. It burned. Staving off the cold was not a reason she thought fire would be created. After all it was a dangerous thing and could create much chaos and kill many. After a moment she nodded.
He was mindful of his posturing, trying not to come off as threatening. She stood and carefully met him halfway. She looked fearful as if she was to bolt at any second. He held out a hand and she slowly reached forward and placed her hand in his.
Her eyes did not leave his hand as he guided her to the fire. She seemed entranced. His hand was soft. And bigger than she thought. It wrapped around hers gently and carefully, reminding her of mother. He also seems much warmer. Her freezing fingers seemed to soak the warmth from his palm.
He guided her slowly to the edge of the fire and motioned to the log he sat on. She easily took his previous place and he sat a few feet away from her on what seemed like his own bedding. She wondered I'd he would burn himself, sleeping so close to the fire, despite it seeming tamed.
After a few moments she seemed to relax fully. Her body warmed easily by the fire, after having been cold for so long. The constant ache faded and she felt her body fill with relief. She stared at the fire, as it looked different up close.
"My name is Keigo." She did not look up from the fire. He was not threatening her. She felt no ill intent despite him being so close. Thought the animals in the forest where still moderately quiet, she could still feel the forest breathing. Low chattering left her throat. She looked up and chattered and clicked. She met his eyes and smiled. "My name is Izuku."
To the person, she looked otherworldly. The sun had dipped even further, so the fire provided most of the light. Her eyes shined, reflecting the fire. He shamelessly stared at her. Though the antlers seemed to be holding accessories, it seems there were more hanging from her throat. Bones and beautiful stones that shined if hit just right with the light of the fire.
He wondered if she was a deamon. Not evil but simply existing. She did not fit the images of species he knew existed. Her actions are of a large predator, but she seems so human at the same time.
"I am traveling North. Are you traveling as well? Or do you live nearby?" She had no bags or things that are needed for travel. She must live nearby.
"No. I am traveling. I have left my supplies while I foraged, and came across red." Her speech was becoming clearer. More pronounced. Keigo stretched out his wings at that. Ah. He had very bright wings, which wasn't always a good thing.
"Where do you come from?" Her head turned slightly, leaving the fire finally to look at him. An open smile crossed her mouth. Teeth glinted in the fire, razor sharp. Much sharper than his. "I come from the forest." That was all she said. He did not inquire as much as he wanted.
"I am traveling to a village north of here. It's about a half month's travel if I fly. Maybe about a month if I walk. Where are you traveling to?" He poked the burning wood with a stick, stoking the fire. Sparks flew up and caught his hand. He hissed at the sting.
She seemed to contemplate how to answer him. "I do not know. I am simply traveling."
Keigo nodded. Definitely a creature from the deep forest. Despite how deep of a tan she had, her skin had seemed pale previously. Now it seems color was returning to normal since she was warming. It was growing dark. He couldn't exactly send her away. He had no clue how far away her camp actually was. "The moon is about to rise. Do you wish to share the fire for the night? I do not mind. I am thinking of resting here for maybe a day or more before moving."
Izuku brought a clawed finger to her cheek, eyes low. She tapped lightly as if lost in thought. It was silent for several moments. "I do not mind the cold. I shall take my leave so you can rest for your travels."
She had started to stand but he reached out and tapped the back of her hand. "I do not mind. Rest here if you like. I have not had a conversation in a long time. It's not often you meet others traveling the forest. It's rare."
She jerked her hand back from the unexpected touch and shifted her weight, contemplating whether to walk away or sit back down. "If you say so. I shall offer you my company then." So she settled back where she had been sitting.
"Have you encountered any others?" She shook her head, and clinking followed. "I have not. You are the first."
"Well we are very far from any settlements." Keigo handed the small pouch that still had nuts and berries back to her. She accepted it back and it disappeared under the hide, hooking it back on her hip. "We can share my bedding for the night. Sleeping near the fire will keep much of the cold away. Even if it dies, the embers are enough."
Maybe that was too forward. This was the wilderness, and to him this was simply survival. He did not mind offering heat to another. Daemon or no. To stay warm, sometimes two bodies were better than one. But she did not seem to mind. A small nod and hum left her.
Neither moved until the moon was shining on them. They sat, exchanging only small questions and answers. Simply coexisting in each other's presence. Eventually he silently showed her how to stoke the fire. She seems to light up at the information and listened to his quiet instruction.
Keigo wasn't surprised at her lack of knowledge regarding fire. If she was a deamon, then why would she need fire? Though again, she did seem very human-like, with her skin being the same as his. It made no sense, yet at the same time that's the only way he could explain it to himself.
Izuku has zero issues with sharing the bedding. It was interesting. A new experience, since she had only shared her close space with mother before. It interested her that he was willing to be close to a stranger. Animals rarely let others who were not in their pack close.
They laid close to each other on his bedding. It was of an unfamiliar material. She had taken off her deerskin, so she could take off her accessories. Keigo had avoided looking at her body, realizing how little coverage she had.
There was a bulky decorations and trophies hanging from her neck, covering most of her breasts, and a fur lined skirt. It hung off her hips very low, from the weight if the many pouches and large bags that seemed to be tied to it. He wondered what all it was that she carried.
She wrapped herself in her deerskin and lied down. He suddenly realized he would need to be careful of the antlers she hadn't taken off and make sure they wouldn't stab him in an eye while they slept.
He slept on his stomach, wings tucked against his back like an additional blanket. He faced the opposite direction though. Izuku herself, faced the other direction as well. Her body curled under the fur, facing the fire. The materials he slept on were strange, but not bad. It was softer than the sticks and dirt, but scratchier in a sense.
Her body felt as if it were melting, with the added body heat. Even though they did not touch, she could feel the heat emanating from his body and the fire next to her. It was almost too much.
Eventually her eyes slipped closed as she watched the fire slowly die. The moonlight glistened if the snow provided plenty of light, despite the fire no longer casting shadows. Very quiet clicks and hums left her as she faded into a deep sleep.
I truly didnt plan on them being so close so soon haha!
Jkjk truthfully hawks seems just have this underlying caring nature. He may think shes a deamon in a sense, but he also sees a woman, living in the wild, freezing her ass off. Lol. So thus this happened. They will slowly get closer though. :)
Honestly the reason this fic took ages, was because I was absolutely torn over the plot. I mean quirks dont exist here, so i had to decide if specific people got to keep their powers In a fantasy being sense. Im very indecisive so i went back and forth on it several times.