My Gift
Ryoko Avalon
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Alu took hardly any time at all to eat, seeing as she hadn't eaten for quite awhile.
Otogi had learned very little about her family and past, but it was enough to make anyone hate her real parents. They'd abused her badly, binding her to a support beam in the basement of the apartment where it was the coldest, whenever they felt like taking their anger out on someone. The rest of her family had been cut off from the two parents, thus, leaving Alu in a hard position. She'd yet to see a school, but was smart enough to survive, thankfully. At one point, she had an orange cat named Citrus, which her father despised. (Alu had just awoken from her place on the beam in the basement and looked up onto the door to find the feline's body mutilated and eyes gouged out, hanging from a coat hook.) From that moment on she was terrified of everything her father did, for she'd known it was her father that had done it.
Ryuiji sighed with sympathy as the girl finished her soup and milk, all the while grinning from ear to ear. "I guess you really were hungry little one."
"Yum! Thank you daddy!"
*Daddy? She could still say that word after what she'd remembered?*
"You're welcome sweet heart. Now let's get you cleaned up and ready for bed. Whattaya say?"
"Okay." She bounced after her new father, every once and a while glancing around at the beautiful house.
It was only about the size of two apartments, but was still huge to her. And since her didn't have to share it, the house was quiet and very relaxing.
"Alright. Here's the bathroom. I'll start the water for you, and then I'll find something for you to wear, okay?"
"What?" she tilted her head to one side in confusion.
"You've gotta take a bath. You've done that before, right?"
"I think I did...mommy helped me then."
*Oh boy...this really is Ryou's thing...not mine...well...here goes nothing... *
He could only gulp as he helped the girl into the tub and allowing her to take her time to enjoy the warm water. Without trying to be perverted in any way as he scrubbed her darkened skin, Otogi noted several bruises, cuts and scars on her back, her arms and her legs.
*She must've been pretty severely beaten to get such dark bruises and deep slashes...poor kid.*
He was awakened from his thoughts when Alu noticed he was staring at the scar on her shoulder. "My mommy stabbed me with her pencil." She explained.
"Alu? How old are you?"
"Four."
"Wow. You sure are tough for a big girl when it comes to those things." He smiled compassionately, hoping she believed him.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"There. Feel better?" Ryuiji asked, at long last, able to tuck her into his bed. He wasn't about to let her sleep alone, something told him she'd wake him up anyway.
"Yup." She yawned, closing her eyes.
"Goodnight then, my little one. I'll be in shortly."
"Okay."
He'd let her use a smaller and thicker shirt of his to sleep in, only until he could get her pajamas of her own. For now, he'd just have to suffer with the embarrassment of sleeping in his boxers and hoping Ryou didn't decide to come over as a surprise in the morning.
Without so much as a word, he slipped into the bathroom and ran a hot shower for himself. This daily ritual usually relaxed him after a tiresome day, however, Alu was still on his mind.
*I can't keep her. But I can't give her back. Maybe...I could put her up for adoption? No. I can't do that to the poor thing. God...her description of her father reminds me of my OWN...except...I'm glad that her father was nothing like mine. After all, my father's goal every single night WAS to rape me...and he succeeded every night...until that night I found the gun...that night, Ryou saved me. And now, I'll save Alu, just as Ryou did me. I won't let her feel alone, or neglected...but...*
He sat down on the base of the tub under the steaming spray and wrapped his arms around his legs.
*But...what if I'm not ready? Geez...I'm asking myself to be a father...or at least a guardian of this innocent little girl. What if I'm not ready? I'm only seventeen...I couldn't be ready. No. I don't care if I'm not ready. I'll take care of her, like my own, anyway. Even if it kills me.*
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Game Over?
Continue?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Alu took hardly any time at all to eat, seeing as she hadn't eaten for quite awhile.
Otogi had learned very little about her family and past, but it was enough to make anyone hate her real parents. They'd abused her badly, binding her to a support beam in the basement of the apartment where it was the coldest, whenever they felt like taking their anger out on someone. The rest of her family had been cut off from the two parents, thus, leaving Alu in a hard position. She'd yet to see a school, but was smart enough to survive, thankfully. At one point, she had an orange cat named Citrus, which her father despised. (Alu had just awoken from her place on the beam in the basement and looked up onto the door to find the feline's body mutilated and eyes gouged out, hanging from a coat hook.) From that moment on she was terrified of everything her father did, for she'd known it was her father that had done it.
Ryuiji sighed with sympathy as the girl finished her soup and milk, all the while grinning from ear to ear. "I guess you really were hungry little one."
"Yum! Thank you daddy!"
*Daddy? She could still say that word after what she'd remembered?*
"You're welcome sweet heart. Now let's get you cleaned up and ready for bed. Whattaya say?"
"Okay." She bounced after her new father, every once and a while glancing around at the beautiful house.
It was only about the size of two apartments, but was still huge to her. And since her didn't have to share it, the house was quiet and very relaxing.
"Alright. Here's the bathroom. I'll start the water for you, and then I'll find something for you to wear, okay?"
"What?" she tilted her head to one side in confusion.
"You've gotta take a bath. You've done that before, right?"
"I think I did...mommy helped me then."
*Oh boy...this really is Ryou's thing...not mine...well...here goes nothing... *
He could only gulp as he helped the girl into the tub and allowing her to take her time to enjoy the warm water. Without trying to be perverted in any way as he scrubbed her darkened skin, Otogi noted several bruises, cuts and scars on her back, her arms and her legs.
*She must've been pretty severely beaten to get such dark bruises and deep slashes...poor kid.*
He was awakened from his thoughts when Alu noticed he was staring at the scar on her shoulder. "My mommy stabbed me with her pencil." She explained.
"Alu? How old are you?"
"Four."
"Wow. You sure are tough for a big girl when it comes to those things." He smiled compassionately, hoping she believed him.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"There. Feel better?" Ryuiji asked, at long last, able to tuck her into his bed. He wasn't about to let her sleep alone, something told him she'd wake him up anyway.
"Yup." She yawned, closing her eyes.
"Goodnight then, my little one. I'll be in shortly."
"Okay."
He'd let her use a smaller and thicker shirt of his to sleep in, only until he could get her pajamas of her own. For now, he'd just have to suffer with the embarrassment of sleeping in his boxers and hoping Ryou didn't decide to come over as a surprise in the morning.
Without so much as a word, he slipped into the bathroom and ran a hot shower for himself. This daily ritual usually relaxed him after a tiresome day, however, Alu was still on his mind.
*I can't keep her. But I can't give her back. Maybe...I could put her up for adoption? No. I can't do that to the poor thing. God...her description of her father reminds me of my OWN...except...I'm glad that her father was nothing like mine. After all, my father's goal every single night WAS to rape me...and he succeeded every night...until that night I found the gun...that night, Ryou saved me. And now, I'll save Alu, just as Ryou did me. I won't let her feel alone, or neglected...but...*
He sat down on the base of the tub under the steaming spray and wrapped his arms around his legs.
*But...what if I'm not ready? Geez...I'm asking myself to be a father...or at least a guardian of this innocent little girl. What if I'm not ready? I'm only seventeen...I couldn't be ready. No. I don't care if I'm not ready. I'll take care of her, like my own, anyway. Even if it kills me.*
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Game Over?
Continue?