Juudai Joufu chapter 2
The raven stared into the boy's eyes, wondering how she would defend herself when she didn't know how to walk properly in this body. The boy grinned awkwardly at her. "Hey there. Y-you okay?" he stuttered out.
"uh…I…don't know." What was going on? Why hadn't this boy screamed in terror at her. The bigger problem was how could she speak like the human, why was her body something else she despised? The anxiety of being so close to a creature whose kind had attempted to kill her many times made her swoon and fall backwards into the young man's arms.
"Hey, whoa, what's wrong? Hey!" His face flushed as he tried to contain himself. This lady looked like a geisha he had seen in Edo. She'd had the skin tone of the moon, and her hair was the stark darkness that only the heavens knew. She spoke enticingly to him at first, but left in a huff when she found out he was a poor orphan who lived in an old abandoned temple in a small village. She called him a burakumin or something as she strode gracefully away. He hadn't much liked her manner, but she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen.
He laid the girl back down on her futon. When he and Saibo had brought her home wrapped up in his raggedy top, their friends Komadori and Hinami, were worried that she wasn't going to make it, but she had pulled through the night. Hinami was especially watchful of the stranger, but would make little of it when the others questioned her.
The next day, the strange girl finally woke up long enough to figure out how to walk in her strange new body. When she felt strong enough to try and escape this strange cage, she cautiously slid the door open and walked down the hall, clinging to the walls to conserve her strength. She thought she heard someone coming down the hall, but she couldn't find a place to hide herself. She backed up around a corner, and prayed to her mother's spirit that the person would go straight and not look around her corner. It was a young man, his hair dark and unkempt. She let out a sigh of relief when he walked down the hall. Before she had let out the entire breath, though, she found a katana at her throat.
"Oh, it's you." He sheathed his sword and looked into the raven's amethyst eyes with his own glacier blue ones. "Didn't expect to see you up yet." She merely stood there, entranced by his beautiful eyes. At this moment, the girl Hinami walked into the same hallway. Her vibrant green eyes beheld her dear friend Komadori and the strange girl in close quarters. With a deep, steadying breath, she walked over to the others and greeted them.
"Good morning friend Koma-kun. I see you have found our guest of the house. It is glorious to see you alive!" She caught the stranger in a bone-crushing hug, making her squirm. She didn't believe the girl was trying to harm her, but the embrace was turning her face blue.
"Let…go…of…meee…" she managed to wheeze. She inhaled deeply once released and looked at the young lady. The red hair signaled that she was a foreigner, as did her brilliant green eyes. "Who are you people, where am I?" she asked. And why aren't you trying to kill me? she thought to herself. Not that she was really complaining that she was alive. She wanted to find out why that man had turned her into this human form, and rip him apart. If he hadn't caught her off guard, he would be in several different pieces right now.
"My name's Hinami and this is Komadori-kun," the strange girl announced.
"We live here with Saibo-kun and Dobu-kun. What's your name?" the boy asked her.
"My…name," the raven whispered to herself. She remembered what her human mother had whispered to her as a chick. "Chibi-karasu. That's what my mother would call me. I don't know any other name." Her quick mind had analyzed her predicament, and she had decided to go along with these mortals, live their life for a while. She didn't have any thing else to do with her life right now. Why not walk as something she hated as much as her other option? If that life was still an option.
"So, it's Karasu-san, then is it? Where do you live? Why were you unconscious in those woods?" Komadori was obviously used to interrogating people.
"Koma-kun, it might be best to let friend Karasu-sama have something to digest, seeing that it has been two days since her last meal." Hinami smiled gently at her friend.
Komadori considered this, and decided it was a good idea. They headed to the dining room, and waited while Dobutsu made lunch. Sweet white rice, soft tofu, stirfryed vegetables, all seasoned with soy sauce and ginger root. Dobutsu was the youngest resident of the old temple, but still the best cook. He refused to cook any meat though, so that duty usually fell on either Saibo or Komadori. Karasu, as she had been dubbed, delighted in the wondrous smells coming from the grill outside. She stumbled a little as she sat down. Komadori caught her arm, making her wince at the sensation of skin on skin. She mumbled a thank you, and settled into yet another unusual position for her-sitting down on her knees.
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Hiya! Did ya enjoy chapter 2? Is anyone reading this? AM I ALL ALONE IN MY OWN MIND!
Ahem, please review!