Chapter 2:
Dress like What You Are
Astraea looked around at all the greenery and put her hat back on, placing the dumplings on the ground. She sighed and thought about the day ahead, now the others knew she was a girl. Too bad she had told Goyjo her birthday was today. Crap. He was probably going to buy some frippy girly thing for her. She scooped up the dumplings and calmly walked over towards the general direction Goku had gone.
Goyjo slung a bag over his shoulder, and walked right by Goku towards the camp. "Oy! Goyjo! Where's the food? Hentai kappa give me the food!" Goyjo gave Goku a piercing look. "Right in your stomach. Where's the girl?" Goku pointed towards the figure in the trees. "Right there. Oy! Did you bring me dumplings?" The figure came up laughing. "Yes! I brought you dumplings. Chow down baka saru." She smiled gently, as if she was relieved he didn't hate her.
Goyjo peered at her. "Why are you still wearing Sanzo's clothes? Don't you think that you should dress a little bit more girly?" She snorted. "Hell no. I dress like what I want to dress like." Sanzo came up behind her. "Maybe you should dress like what you are for once. There is a party at the local manor. As travelers, and because I am a Sanzo, we have been invited. According to villagers, these parties are very high classed. Wear a dress." Astraea fainted. It was the most anyone had ever heard Sanzo say in a civil tone.
Goyjo threw her over his other shoulder. "Well. Thank goodness I went shopping for her anyway." Sanzo arched an eyebrow. "So that's what you bought. I thought you just bought food." Goyjo looked at Sanzo. "Yeah. That's what I bought. She told me her birthday was today when I got her drunk the last time." Hakkai perked an eyebrow. "So you knew she was a girl and could talk? And you didn't tell us?"
Goyjo grinned and walked off. "Not like you care. Besides, I try not to pass up a decent woman." Goku yelled after him, "What the hell do you mean by that! She's not some slut you can pick up! She cooks nice and she's nice to us! No matter what we do or did to her, she forgives us and you can't....You can't treat her like your whore!" Goyjo started to lift his arm to beat Goku, but Astraea muttered, "Kenren Taisho," into his ear. "Baka saru! I never slept with her! There! I should beat you for your general stupidity, so shut up you monkey!" Hakkai gently put his hand on Goku's shoulder. "What do you mean by that Goku? Goyjo always kids about women. We try very hard not to make her life any worse than it already is." Goyjo walked away, Astraea still over his shoulder.
"Hakkai....Why is it that Astraea stays with us, even though we did all those bad things to her?" Hakkai looked at Goku. "Goku....we never did anything bad to her. Ever. Where did you get the idea that we ever did?" Goku looked up. "The Goddess of Mercy said she was our sin......sin....absolver.....and whatever we did wrong she would pay for. Astraea is supposed to be a heretical creature that pays for our mistakes. So anything wrong we do, she suffers." Hakkai grabbed Goku's shoulders. "You saw the Goddess of Mercy? What else did she say? Anything about us?" Goku stuck his tongue out, and then sobered up. "She only said that Astraea was an even more powerful heretic than me. What's a heretic?" Hakkai got up and followed Goyjo.
Goyjo watched the girl for a few moments, and then sat down next to her. "I wonder....What do you have to do with us?" He stroked her hair for a few more moments, barely able to control his emotions. He loved her, but she would never even speak to him anymore. If she did it was Sanzo this and Sanzo that. What kind of food does Sanzo like to eat? Does Sanzo think I cook well? Damn that girl! Goku would follow her off a cliff if she fell with a dumpling. Goyjo snorted. At least he had a better control on his emotions.
Hakkai's shadow fell over Goyjo. "You like her don't you Goyjo?" Goyjo leaned backwards against a tree. "Yeah I do. Sort of like a little sister, only a hell of a lot sexier, and not related to you. I don't mind it though. The good food makes up for most of the lack of attention." Hakkai smiled. "Hai. She follows Sanzo and no one else. Goku just said some interesting stuff. For example-" Goyjo held up his hand. "She's a heretic. I know." He lifted her shirt hem, and exposed the small of her back. "The mark gave it away. I asked her if that was a tattoo and she just smiled and said 'No needle is ever going to touch me.' That's the heretical mark of a sin absolver. I asked the corrupted monk."
Hakkai looked at Goyjo. "You showed Sanzo a woman's back?!?!?" Goyjo grinned. "No. I drew it on the ground and asked if it was a good luck charm. I lied and said I saw it in a bar. The corrupted monk doesn't care." Hakkai looked sadly at Astraea. "Pity we can't keep her." Goyjo nodded. "We hurt her even more when she's with us."
Sanzo walked into the clearing, and saw the heretic mark at a distance. He quickly strode over. "So. The baka saru wasn't lying." Sanzo looked at her back. "She's a heretic. And that shouldn't be all of that particular mark. Oy! Woman! Get up!"
Astraea's eyes opened fitfully. "Waru-chan?" She sat up, and felt the cold grass on her back. Her eyes opened up wide and her cheek began to twitch. "Hentai kappa.....I thought I told you not to touch me." Her eyes wheeled red, and her face turned impassive. "You baka hentai!" She slapped him across the face so hard he flew across the clearing.
"Oh my god! Did I kill him?" Her eyes wheeled back to their normal color. "Wow. I just beat up Goyjo. Sweet." Sanzo cleared his throat. "Lift up your shirt." Hakkai and Astraea stared at him in total shock. "I....beg you pardon?" Astraea forced herself to speak.
"Lift up your shirt. I need to check something. Just do it woman!" Astraea looked at Hakkai, as if asking if he had finally snapped. "I think you'd better do it." Astraea's face turned bright pink as Sanzo's hand crossed her field of vision, and she felt a suddedn draft on her back.
"Stop twitching. I'm trying to read this." Sanzo's other hand scrolled across her back, tickling Astraea. "Alright. You need to find something other than what you are wearing for this stupid party. STOP MOVING!" Astraea's hand snapped back and pulled down her borrowed shirt. "I can't help being ticklish!" She glared at Sanzo. "You rude, corrupted monk!" Hakkai discreetly got up and left to find Goku. "You forget woman. That's my clothing you just happen to be wearing."
Goyjo snickered. Astraea gave him the look. Abruptly, he stopped laughing. "Not funny Goyjo. Not funny." Sanzo snorted. "I want my clothes back where they came from in five minutes. Goyjo! Give the woman some privacy." Astraea sat down on the ground, barely able to control her wrath. "I can take care of myself thank you!" She spread out her hands and concentrated on the ground.
An earthen bowl appeared out of the ground. Fire, water, air and plants began to congeal in the clay. She pricked her finger and bled three drops of ruby blood into the mass, and began to concentrate. "Here we go! Earth, fire, water, air, plant, and spirit. In the name of Mother Night and Father Light, I command you to change your shape at my will." The earthen bowl pressed into itself, and in a flash of white light, a piece of silvery metal appeared. Adamantine.
Astraea picked it up and molded it deftly into an armlet. "I'm going to assume you want me to wear a sleeveless dress. Give over Goyjo." He smiled his daredevil smile. "I wondered if you knew." He handed her the bag. "I'm going to guess you need help getting into that." Astraea smiled and cocked her head. "Nope. I can take care of it." She took the bag and stalked of to the hot spring she had insisted on finding.
Goyjo and Sanzo gave of inaudible, undetectable sighs. They both had hoped that she would have gone with Goyjo.
~^-^~ Hot Spring ~^-^~
Astraea soaked in the warm waters of the hot spring. She dove under, washing her hair. Flipping up onto the edge of the spring, she let the water run off her silky body into the spring. She reached for the dress, and slid it on. Good thing Sanzo hadn't asked Goyjo to help her. SHe sighed. Sanzo was so much cuter than Goyjo. If he wanted her to wear a dress.....then maybe he did like her for more than her food.
Goku had kept a guard for Astraea from a tall tree. He glanced over, and saw her drag herself oot of the spring. He gasped. So that's what a girl looked like. He gave a little cat face in her direction. No wonder Goyjo called women curvy. Goku stroked his chin as he peered at Astraea. She looked more bumpy than anything else.....Then she covered it all up with two silky thingies, followed by another silky thingy.
Astraea huffed. Stupid shift. She could take bras and panties.....but shifts sucked. She slid the mess on, wondering where Goyjo had gotten the money to buy a real silk dress. A leaf moving caught her attention. She sighed and reached for the lunchbox next to her. "Alright Goku. You can get out of the tree now."
Goku sprang nimbly out of the tree. "Dumpling! Gimme gimme!" He jumped up and down, trying to get the dumpling form Astraea's hand without squishing it. She laughed and danced around, catching Goyjo's attention from the bushes. Sanzo looked up, finished writing down the inscriptions on Astraea's back. She did look rather... beautiful and exotic dancing around. He put the writing materials away.
Sanzo leaned back against the tree he was sitting in. He stared at Astraea, wondering if she would stay with four bachelors. Most women had a strange aversion to bachelors. He huffed and continued to watch her dress.
Dress like What You Are
Astraea looked around at all the greenery and put her hat back on, placing the dumplings on the ground. She sighed and thought about the day ahead, now the others knew she was a girl. Too bad she had told Goyjo her birthday was today. Crap. He was probably going to buy some frippy girly thing for her. She scooped up the dumplings and calmly walked over towards the general direction Goku had gone.
Goyjo slung a bag over his shoulder, and walked right by Goku towards the camp. "Oy! Goyjo! Where's the food? Hentai kappa give me the food!" Goyjo gave Goku a piercing look. "Right in your stomach. Where's the girl?" Goku pointed towards the figure in the trees. "Right there. Oy! Did you bring me dumplings?" The figure came up laughing. "Yes! I brought you dumplings. Chow down baka saru." She smiled gently, as if she was relieved he didn't hate her.
Goyjo peered at her. "Why are you still wearing Sanzo's clothes? Don't you think that you should dress a little bit more girly?" She snorted. "Hell no. I dress like what I want to dress like." Sanzo came up behind her. "Maybe you should dress like what you are for once. There is a party at the local manor. As travelers, and because I am a Sanzo, we have been invited. According to villagers, these parties are very high classed. Wear a dress." Astraea fainted. It was the most anyone had ever heard Sanzo say in a civil tone.
Goyjo threw her over his other shoulder. "Well. Thank goodness I went shopping for her anyway." Sanzo arched an eyebrow. "So that's what you bought. I thought you just bought food." Goyjo looked at Sanzo. "Yeah. That's what I bought. She told me her birthday was today when I got her drunk the last time." Hakkai perked an eyebrow. "So you knew she was a girl and could talk? And you didn't tell us?"
Goyjo grinned and walked off. "Not like you care. Besides, I try not to pass up a decent woman." Goku yelled after him, "What the hell do you mean by that! She's not some slut you can pick up! She cooks nice and she's nice to us! No matter what we do or did to her, she forgives us and you can't....You can't treat her like your whore!" Goyjo started to lift his arm to beat Goku, but Astraea muttered, "Kenren Taisho," into his ear. "Baka saru! I never slept with her! There! I should beat you for your general stupidity, so shut up you monkey!" Hakkai gently put his hand on Goku's shoulder. "What do you mean by that Goku? Goyjo always kids about women. We try very hard not to make her life any worse than it already is." Goyjo walked away, Astraea still over his shoulder.
"Hakkai....Why is it that Astraea stays with us, even though we did all those bad things to her?" Hakkai looked at Goku. "Goku....we never did anything bad to her. Ever. Where did you get the idea that we ever did?" Goku looked up. "The Goddess of Mercy said she was our sin......sin....absolver.....and whatever we did wrong she would pay for. Astraea is supposed to be a heretical creature that pays for our mistakes. So anything wrong we do, she suffers." Hakkai grabbed Goku's shoulders. "You saw the Goddess of Mercy? What else did she say? Anything about us?" Goku stuck his tongue out, and then sobered up. "She only said that Astraea was an even more powerful heretic than me. What's a heretic?" Hakkai got up and followed Goyjo.
Goyjo watched the girl for a few moments, and then sat down next to her. "I wonder....What do you have to do with us?" He stroked her hair for a few more moments, barely able to control his emotions. He loved her, but she would never even speak to him anymore. If she did it was Sanzo this and Sanzo that. What kind of food does Sanzo like to eat? Does Sanzo think I cook well? Damn that girl! Goku would follow her off a cliff if she fell with a dumpling. Goyjo snorted. At least he had a better control on his emotions.
Hakkai's shadow fell over Goyjo. "You like her don't you Goyjo?" Goyjo leaned backwards against a tree. "Yeah I do. Sort of like a little sister, only a hell of a lot sexier, and not related to you. I don't mind it though. The good food makes up for most of the lack of attention." Hakkai smiled. "Hai. She follows Sanzo and no one else. Goku just said some interesting stuff. For example-" Goyjo held up his hand. "She's a heretic. I know." He lifted her shirt hem, and exposed the small of her back. "The mark gave it away. I asked her if that was a tattoo and she just smiled and said 'No needle is ever going to touch me.' That's the heretical mark of a sin absolver. I asked the corrupted monk."
Hakkai looked at Goyjo. "You showed Sanzo a woman's back?!?!?" Goyjo grinned. "No. I drew it on the ground and asked if it was a good luck charm. I lied and said I saw it in a bar. The corrupted monk doesn't care." Hakkai looked sadly at Astraea. "Pity we can't keep her." Goyjo nodded. "We hurt her even more when she's with us."
Sanzo walked into the clearing, and saw the heretic mark at a distance. He quickly strode over. "So. The baka saru wasn't lying." Sanzo looked at her back. "She's a heretic. And that shouldn't be all of that particular mark. Oy! Woman! Get up!"
Astraea's eyes opened fitfully. "Waru-chan?" She sat up, and felt the cold grass on her back. Her eyes opened up wide and her cheek began to twitch. "Hentai kappa.....I thought I told you not to touch me." Her eyes wheeled red, and her face turned impassive. "You baka hentai!" She slapped him across the face so hard he flew across the clearing.
"Oh my god! Did I kill him?" Her eyes wheeled back to their normal color. "Wow. I just beat up Goyjo. Sweet." Sanzo cleared his throat. "Lift up your shirt." Hakkai and Astraea stared at him in total shock. "I....beg you pardon?" Astraea forced herself to speak.
"Lift up your shirt. I need to check something. Just do it woman!" Astraea looked at Hakkai, as if asking if he had finally snapped. "I think you'd better do it." Astraea's face turned bright pink as Sanzo's hand crossed her field of vision, and she felt a suddedn draft on her back.
"Stop twitching. I'm trying to read this." Sanzo's other hand scrolled across her back, tickling Astraea. "Alright. You need to find something other than what you are wearing for this stupid party. STOP MOVING!" Astraea's hand snapped back and pulled down her borrowed shirt. "I can't help being ticklish!" She glared at Sanzo. "You rude, corrupted monk!" Hakkai discreetly got up and left to find Goku. "You forget woman. That's my clothing you just happen to be wearing."
Goyjo snickered. Astraea gave him the look. Abruptly, he stopped laughing. "Not funny Goyjo. Not funny." Sanzo snorted. "I want my clothes back where they came from in five minutes. Goyjo! Give the woman some privacy." Astraea sat down on the ground, barely able to control her wrath. "I can take care of myself thank you!" She spread out her hands and concentrated on the ground.
An earthen bowl appeared out of the ground. Fire, water, air and plants began to congeal in the clay. She pricked her finger and bled three drops of ruby blood into the mass, and began to concentrate. "Here we go! Earth, fire, water, air, plant, and spirit. In the name of Mother Night and Father Light, I command you to change your shape at my will." The earthen bowl pressed into itself, and in a flash of white light, a piece of silvery metal appeared. Adamantine.
Astraea picked it up and molded it deftly into an armlet. "I'm going to assume you want me to wear a sleeveless dress. Give over Goyjo." He smiled his daredevil smile. "I wondered if you knew." He handed her the bag. "I'm going to guess you need help getting into that." Astraea smiled and cocked her head. "Nope. I can take care of it." She took the bag and stalked of to the hot spring she had insisted on finding.
Goyjo and Sanzo gave of inaudible, undetectable sighs. They both had hoped that she would have gone with Goyjo.
~^-^~ Hot Spring ~^-^~
Astraea soaked in the warm waters of the hot spring. She dove under, washing her hair. Flipping up onto the edge of the spring, she let the water run off her silky body into the spring. She reached for the dress, and slid it on. Good thing Sanzo hadn't asked Goyjo to help her. SHe sighed. Sanzo was so much cuter than Goyjo. If he wanted her to wear a dress.....then maybe he did like her for more than her food.
Goku had kept a guard for Astraea from a tall tree. He glanced over, and saw her drag herself oot of the spring. He gasped. So that's what a girl looked like. He gave a little cat face in her direction. No wonder Goyjo called women curvy. Goku stroked his chin as he peered at Astraea. She looked more bumpy than anything else.....Then she covered it all up with two silky thingies, followed by another silky thingy.
Astraea huffed. Stupid shift. She could take bras and panties.....but shifts sucked. She slid the mess on, wondering where Goyjo had gotten the money to buy a real silk dress. A leaf moving caught her attention. She sighed and reached for the lunchbox next to her. "Alright Goku. You can get out of the tree now."
Goku sprang nimbly out of the tree. "Dumpling! Gimme gimme!" He jumped up and down, trying to get the dumpling form Astraea's hand without squishing it. She laughed and danced around, catching Goyjo's attention from the bushes. Sanzo looked up, finished writing down the inscriptions on Astraea's back. She did look rather... beautiful and exotic dancing around. He put the writing materials away.
Sanzo leaned back against the tree he was sitting in. He stared at Astraea, wondering if she would stay with four bachelors. Most women had a strange aversion to bachelors. He huffed and continued to watch her dress.
