Lone Scarlet Lily, Hidden in the World of Snow: Waiting for the spring.

Chapter 5: To Trust or not to Trust?

The priestess seemed at a loss for words at my unexpected agreement to stay. She busied herself with preparing the rabbit I had caught with a small knife she pulled out from under the armour that had been neatly placed to the side of the cave but still within her reach. She pursed her lips, eyes flashing towards me every few moments.

"…What should I call you?" Her voice wavered as if she was suddenly nervous at the thought of asking me questions.

"Eh, it doesn't really matter what you call me." I shrugged as I grabbed Katashi's bow and inspected it as I waited for her to continue. But as I busied my hands with testing the bowstring's strength and checking for any sign of structural weakness received from the fight, I discretely kept an eye on the human woman. So, when she frowned lightly at my answer, it wasn't as unnoticed as she believed.

"So then… will Inoue do?" My brow arched in surprise, and she met my eyes when I glanced over at her figure, "I heard one of the demons call it out during the battle. I assume it's your name?"

"Ah, well… Yeah, it is. Although he meant it as more of an insult than anything…" Another frown pulled at her lips, and before she could say anything that would seem like an apology I continued, "If you need a name that badly, just call me Nozomi."

She nodded at this, and fell silent. The fire's sizzling drew my eyes towards it, and I idly watched the flickering dance of the flames. It was a rather strange situation: to be sitting quietly in the presence of the priestess. Curiosity had its flaws, but now more than ever it sparked questions about the priestess that I struggled to supress. The whole situation was a terrible idea, and staying longer would surely only create further problems…

But no matter how much I knew this would probably end horribly, I couldn't force myself to stand and walk out of the warm cave.

"The markings on your forehead, what are they?" I could no longer hold back my questions, and with an inaudible sigh I committed myself to seeing just how far this unusual friendly-ish conversation went.

"Oh, this?" She lightly touched the purple markings as if she had forgotten them, "I've had them since I was born. The priestesses and monks that examined me told my father that I had an unusually high spiritual energy, which manifested as the marks. Many of them settled in our village to train me in the ways of a priestess."

"A sword is a strange weapon for a priestess." My eyes traced the shape of said weapon as it rested on the ground by her armour.

"I suppose so." She chuckled to herself, "To be honest, I still have much to learn about being a priestess. A more appropriate description for what I do would be a 'Demon Slayer'."

"A 'Demon Slayer'?" I set down Katashi's undamaged bow gently and stole a look at the armour she wore. It certainly didn't fit the stories Master Katashi told of human priestesses, but I would never have suspected that the title of 'Demon Slayer' would be more fitting. Somehow, it was. "What exactly does a 'Demon Slayer' do differently than a priestess?"

"Well…" She trailed off, her hands working on setting the rabbit meat over the fire to cook as her eyes contemplated what to say, "It's a profession that my father started. Our entire village is populated with Demon Slayers, and we make a living by getting hired to take care of troublesome demons for others. Instead of purifying them and having their bodies disappear, we slay them with weapons and forge new ones from what remains."

"Well, at the very least you humans seem to make the most out of everything."

It was an interesting concept: using the body of demons to forge weapons to use against the next ones. Depending on how strong the demons that they fight are, they could have some very powerful weapons on their hands. If not now, and if they don't get slaughtered by the demons they hunt, then in a few decades they could very well become a huge problem for demons. My eyes once again drifted to the metal armour and sword on the floor of the cave.

"Do you not carry any of this equipment with you when you travel alone?" My eyes flashed to her brown ones, "…Are you travelling alone?"

She hesitated, searching my eyes as she fiddled with the sleeves of her kimono as she pulled her knees up to her chest. It was a long moment before she broke eye contact, tilting her head to study the fire instead. Noting that she was unwilling to answer the question, I decided to not press any further for now and try a different question.

"So, you were hired to rid Kitabayashi of demons?"

"Mm." By the sound of it, she was only half-listening to my question. While it was a little irritating, I tried not to dwell on it too much and instead focused on deciphering her answer.

Judging by the tone, I took her response to mean that she had been hired to slay the white tiger demons of Kitabayashi. This meant that the villages falling prey to the raids had finally grew frustrated enough to send for help – and be willing to pay for it – so that they could live in peace. Seems like those that survived the priestess's attack would regret not listening to my father now.

"Why did you ask if I had met anyone on my way to the demon village – Kitabayashi, was it?" Her voice was quiet, and though her eyes had turned back to my figure they were still unfocused. Her brow was furrowed and her lips were pressed into a thin line. From what I could tell, she was contemplating something that had crossed her mind moments ago.

Unfortunately, I could not read her mind and so I settled for answering her question lightly as I waited to hear what had consumed her thoughts.

"I was concerned that you might've crossed paths with my master."

"Master?" Her eyes focused on mine again, and as her interest peaked her contemplative silence had ended.

"Yes. My master."

She sighed at my short answer, and pressed further, "You're a healer, right? Was he the one who taught you how to heal?"

This time, I was the one who hesitated. Master Katashi could take care of himself, no matter what I told this priestess. At this point he had probably already assumed an identity of a monk and was making friends with some villagers of a nearby village – but not too close, where he could be recognized by the Kitabayashi demons when the next raid happened. He was smart, and strong, and well-trained. There was no need to worry for his health even as old age was starting to creep in.

My heart had stopped me from mindlessly telling the priestess about him, the organ squeezing painfully in my chest at the mere possibility of betraying him. The priestess sitting in front of me didn't actively search out demons to hunt, but the bitter taste of somehow conspiring against him left my mouth dry and unwilling to form but a few words.

"…He taught me many things."

At the very start of this tentative agreement both of us had a list of what we weren't willing to discuss… But knowing that there were hidden conversational pitfalls was entirely different from falling into one. The fact that we were essentially strangers only meant that we were searching blindly for the boundaries while not knowing the signs that hinted at what was too far until the line had been overstepped so much that guarded answers were all that could be offered.

It seems like the conversation started out of curiosity had met its end.

Silence extended uncomfortably between us. The priestess busied herself with adding another twig onto the fire as she flipped the rabbit meat to cook the side previously untouched by the flames. I busied myself by staring at the small snowflakes that drifted a few inches into the cave before being pulled back outside by a gust of wind that carried it away again. Both of us unwilling to attempt another question that could end in disaster, but also unwilling to let our questions go unanswered.

The minutes stretched on, and the smell of cooked meat filled the cave as the fire sizzled on. It was surprising that the priestess both make and tend a fire made entirely of branches wet from the snow, but I suppose if she travelled around to villages paying for her services she'd have to spend a few nights on the road. I eyed her again, taking note of the fluid and practiced moments, she made as she readied her food. At the very least she could survive by herself if I left her on her own, since my reason for staying had run its course.

"I–"

"–I travel alone, yes. My armour and sword are not made from demon materials, although my sword's sheath is. It's getting mended at my village as it was badly damaged during my last assignment. It should be fixed by the time I return." She turned towards me, unfolding her legs from her chest and tucking them under her body, "…I believe that I need to make you aware of my intentions."

Her words were unexpected, and I failed to stop my eyebrow from raising in both concern and surprise. Where I would've halted and pulled back, she pressed onward. Where I would've remained silent, she spoke. Where I would've allowed the conversation to die and call the result inevitable, she attempted to revive it through earnest reassurance and explanation…

Are all humans this interesting?

Or is my curiosity sparked not because she's a human, but because we couldn't be more different? That her actions and thoughts are such a puzzle to me, who would never think to do things the same way? Maybe that's why she wanted to talk – because she saw me as a puzzle as well and wanted time to decipher our differences and similarities just as I did?

Maybe the priestess Midoriko Yanagi no longer saw me as a demon who she had no intentions of speaking with and instead saw me as a stranger whom she wanted to get to know better. That thought made the situation a lot simpler than what it appeared to be… but maybe it was that simple and I had been overcomplicating things as usual. With that in mind, I decided not to tiptoe around the unusual situation in fear of things going wrong and stride forward with no concerns over how it ends.

"…Alright."

"I… think that we made a decent team back there and I think we could make an even better one if we join forces for a while." As I stared at her in shock, she continued, "I know it might seem strange, but I think that us working together would be very… interesting."

It took me a few moments to recover from her unexpected approach, and she waited patiently as I regained my bearings. If nothing else, she was honest and straightforward. And… I think I liked that about her. I didn't have to wonder what she was thinking for too long – she would say what she thought while leaving no room to misconstrue her intentions.

The longer I thought about her offer, the more I considered accepting it.

I would get to learn more about Midoriko and see if my interest stayed with me the more I discovered. I could travel to different places and see different things and meet… well, I wasn't too enthused about meeting humans, but I suppose that I could tolerate meeting a few more. Hopefully I could also see this Demon Slayer village she spoke of as well. Killing demons wouldn't rest on my conscious, either, as I've pretty much turned my back on the wretched creatures I had to begrudgingly call my 'kin'. Slaying demons who were complete strangers to me wouldn't be too hard.

That way I could also continue to get stronger as well. So, whenever I decided to split from teaming up with Midoriko, other demons – stronger than those in Kitabayashi – wouldn't give me any trouble and I would no longer have to bend to any other will than my own…

But that's as far as my mind allowed me to contemplate the benefits of the offer before it jumped to everything that could go wrong with the arrangement.

"As intriguing that offer is, how would your fellow Demon Slayers feel about you teaming up with a demoness?"

"I believe I'm old enough to make my own decisions about who I want to travel with." Something about the way she said it made me think that there was a bigger story behind why she was travelling alone, but I restrained my curiosity for now.

"And how old is that, exactly?" I had been wondering about her age for quite some time now, unable to pinpoint it with the vast difference a human's appearance aged compared to a demon's.

"I turned eighteen this year." She looked my figure up and down, "Wait, how old are you?"

"I turned thirty in the fall."

She blinked in surprise, "But you don't look any older than I am!"

"…How much do you Demon Slayers know about demons, anyway?" If she was surprised to find out I'm older than I look then my earlier estimation of when the Demon Slayers would become a problem was severely overestimated.

"I mean, we're certainly aware of how long you live – it's kind of common knowledge in both Demon Slayer and priestess circles. Sometimes it's just a little hard to believe."

"Oh yeah? Well, for your information, my physical appearance won't age too much from what I look like now. Not until I get into my thousands. Master Katashi said that after your first thousand you look like you're in a human's twenties. From there, it differs depending on if you're a Great Demon or not."

"Master Katashi? Is that the master you were talking about?"

It took me a moment to realize his name had accidentally slipped out as I passed along his knowledge, and while my immediate response was to silence myself, I slowly managed to allow myself to give Midoriko the same courtesy she had given me.

"…He was my master, yes." I paused, forcing myself to explain further, "He left Kitabayashi today, before you came along, and therefore I'm no longer his pupil."

"Where did he plan on going?"

"…He's always had quite the fascination with humans and their society. He believes that humans and demons are quite similar, and with some effort from both sides, we can live together one day."

"I see…" I could feel her eyes burning against my skin as she watched me carefully, "And what do you think about that?"

"I think that he's foolishly optimistic to think it will happen what remains of his lifetime. There's a lot of distrust, feelings of superiority, and hatred on both sides, after all."

"So then would I be right in assuming that you are at least open to the idea of working with a human?"

Ah, I haven't exactly given her an answer about her offer, have I?

"Any human? Probably not. Too much hassle." I smirked at the sight of a frown forming on her lips before continuing, "But you're still alive, aren't you?"

The beginning of a frown turned into a bright smile as she removed the cooked meat from the fire, offering me one of the twigs that had served to keep the meat above the flames and not in them, "One might say that we make a good team."

Taking the meat from her, I shared a grin with her and cemented our unspoken alliance with my next words, "One might say we would."

While demons didn't necessarily need to eat a whole lot to maintain our strengths like humans did, many acquired a taste for human prey instead of what humans considered food. The demons of Kitabayashi sometimes dabbled in eating humans, but most times they just enjoyed hunting them down when the villages were raided. Master Katashi and I ate fish or berries whenever the craving struck.

Midoriko clapped her hands together and brought me out of my reverie.

"Thank you for this meal!"*

She then began eating, unaware of my confusion. I decided to chalk up the action as a human tradition and dug in as well, enjoying the comfortable atmosphere that lasted long after the storm outside passed.


"This is your last chance to back out, you know."

"Hmph! I've come this far already, if I was uncertain I would've left after you told me how far we'd be going." I eyed her carefully from the corner of my eye as I continued, "This is your last chance to back out as well, Midoriko. While I commend you for wanting to tell everyone you know that you now have a demon companion, I still believe it's wiser if our agreement was a little more… discreet."

"You mean secretive, don't you?"

"Well, if you put it that way, it certainly sounds like it."

"You're right, it probably would be wiser to do as you suggest… But I think that being upfront about it now will help later."

"Already planning to keep me around, are we? I knew you cared."

"Oh, be quiet."

"No really, it touches the old heart." I smirked wickedly, lightly pressing my fingertips over my heart as she looked over at me with a hint of a smile on her face.

"Have you such little faith, Nozomi?" While her expression was lighthearted, her tone was serious.

We both knew the answer to that question. Even after a week's journey to this Demon Slayer village which finally appeared on the road we had been walking since the storm subsided, I kept myself at what I considered a reasonable distance from Midoriko – both physically and emotionally. She had been the one who spoke most of the journey, either of little things we came across or human customs I was unfamiliar with, or hinting at more important events in her life. On the other hand, the only thing I had spoken about was my abilities as a healer – which she had asked about after the first couple of days.

Even that conversation had been a guarded one, but I think she understood I was trying. Having no real experience being friendly with those in my age group (relatively speaking), it was rather difficult to piece together the subtle clues of holding a conversation when there was nothing to be gained from it. There was no end goal, no emotion I wanted to elicit, no information I wanted to draw out… It was a muddled haze in which I didn't really know what I wanted from her and it made me unsure and hesitant where I usually expertly talked my way into achieving my goal. Midoriko seemed to have a good grasp of the art of conversation, though. Not only did she flawlessly continue the friendly banter I tried to start (which usually came out a little snarky) but also allowed the discussion to end where they started a comfortable silence between us until the next topic came to her mind.

In other words, she was surprisingly easy to talk to. It was a little disconcerting, but it also somehow recreated the cautious ease that began our strange relationship.

"Alright, you remember what the plan is?"

I shrugged my shoulders while shooting an impish grin at her, but when she gave me a chiding look I listed off the simple steps she had planned to ease her village (and, from what I understood, her father specifically) into the idea that I didn't have her under some sort of curse or planned to destroy the village from the inside out.

"You go speak to… Whoever you need to, explain the situation, get us a mission, and hopefully not get locked away while I get hunted down." She shook her head at me, but we both knew it was a possibility, "While I wait for you by the shrine in that forest over there, so I don't call all of the Slayers to arms – as it's a little difficult to have a discussion when everyone's running around."

She nodded at my words before sending me away with a wave of her hand as the village's wooden gates loomed above the next hill.

"Wish me luck."

"Luck? You don't need any luck."

"It's a figure of- ah, never mind. Stay by the shrine and I'll come get you when I've finished up."

With that, I left her side and ventured into the forest that resided next to the village. It was a little strange for a village that dealt exclusively in Demon Slaying to have such a blind spot so close to home, but I figured that's why it was hidden away in the forests and mountains that surrounded it: to avoid being targeted in the first place. After a few minutes of wandering, I eventually came across a small clearing where a small shrine and well came into view. According to Midoriko, whenever the Demon Slayers left on an assignment, they'd stop by the shrine first to ask for a favourable outcome.

Stepping closer to the shrine, I noticed that it had been well taken care of – although the wood was aged and stained as a result of being out in the elements it was still structurally sound and spotless. The light dusting of snow covering it compared to the thick coating the trees in the forest had only confirmed my suspicion that it was cleaned regularly. The same could not be said for the well beside it, however.

The stones that made up the flooring of the well had numerous cracks that seemed to be the work of nature taking back the manmade object. The unevenness of the stones wasn't hidden by the layer of snow that rested over it, as odd pockets of snow indicated where the chunks of stone had split away and sunk into the ground at differing levels. The simple frame had frost-coated vines crawling up the wood and the rope that once held a bucket was frayed and the container that once hung on it was nowhere to be seen. The wooden cover that had been placed over the well was the only thing that looked to be new, with only a thin dusting of snow in a similar manner as the shrine.

As my eyes lingered on the well, I noticed that while the wind had coated the front and inner side of the right post while the others were only covered in frost, there was a streak of vine-covered wood on the side that faced the well that had been cleared of its seasonal dye. Stepping closer to inspect the strange sight, I could see that the browned vines of the area had been brushed aside to give clear access to the name engraved into the wood: 'Hotaka Yanagi'. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place it.

With a curious hand, I brushed away more of the snow on the post, revealing that the wood was indented with numerous names that trapped the snow I tried to clean off. The vines that would sprout a vibrant green in the fast-approaching spring crossed over the names as the plant clung tightly to the post as it climbed upwards, and the more I gently pulled at the vines the more names I found scribbled underneath. Hotaka's name seemed to be newly added to the well's list, and whoever etched the name into the discoloured wood had to have done so before the last snowfall.

With my fingers still entangled in the vines, I peered at the snowy surface surrounding the well. As expected, a trail of footprints came from the depths of the woods and approached the back of the well before travelling back into the trees again. It was strange, as there was a path of flat stones leading to the entrance of the village from the shrine. They peaked out from the snow as the prints of numerous feet trudged over the powder on the way to the shrine that sat at the end of the path. No one had approached the well from that path: the only prints in the snow came from the ones that went further into the forest. They didn't approach the post directly, though.

Perhaps they sat on the well cover while they etched the name into the post? It certainly was possible, although the beam that the posts supported was quite low. Only someone small would be able to sit there comfortably.

Shrugging my shoulders at the discovery of the names, I released the vines from my inquisitive fingers and pressed them back into place. It must be just another human custom about wishing for a safe journey or something of the like and hoping that an intangible force grants them. Well, Midoriko said that she did it more for peace of mind than anything, but to me it was somewhat of a weird sentiment.

"…one help!" My head swivelled towards the cry that came from the woods, "Can anyone hear me!?"

Judging by the way the voice was calling out for help so close to the Demon Slayer village, it was probably a human. Since the scent of blood didn't accompany the scent when the wind changed direction and blew through the woods, the human wasn't injured too badly. Keenly aware of the fact that a human's hearing wouldn't pick up on the cries, I turned my back to the woods and focused my senses on searching the path for Midoriko's figure instead.

It wasn't my fault that humans were so incapable of taking care of themselves.

"Please! Someone help me!"

My eyes narrowed in annoyance as my lips curled into a frown as the voice persisted, echoing in my mind loudly until it was joined by the phantasmal voice of a disapproving priestess. Of course, the priestess would be upset if she learned that I did nothing for one of her kind when it was clear they were in distress (at the very least) … But chances are that she never would find out. She would meet me here, at the shrine like the plan stated, and then we would leave to go slay some demons or whatever she was told to do.

Who knows how long that would take? By the time we returned, the human would be dead, missing, or safe and sound. Midoriko would hear of it, sure, but she didn't know the differences in senses between my kind and hers yet. She would never have to know, either.

…But the thought didn't fail to conjure up the image of Master Katashi's knowing eyes.

Resolutely, I crossed my arms and shook my head.

Master Katashi was no longer here to give me that look, so I could do as I pleased. While he might discourage my actions, healer-to-healer, he had no sway over my decisions like a master would his pupil. Just as Midoriko, I was old enough to make my own decisions. I didn't need Master Katashi's approval.

My frown soured greatly, the scowl that resulted would be enough to frighten even the mightiest of Demon Slayers – I'm sure.

A silence ushered in the song of birds hidden in the treetops. The chirped melodies were uninterrupted, and as I listened to the symphony I nearly forgot about the human deep within the woods. Except the frown still lingered, and my eyes glanced towards the snowy thicket every few seconds.

No matter how long the silence of the human continued, I knew that my senses were never wrong – never misleading. Not to me.

"I… I want to go home!" It was the wail of a cub*: a human child.

I gave a long glance to the path, silently hoping that Midoriko would appear and I would be able to forget that piece of information as well as the cry for help. As the path remained vacant as far as I could see, I spat out a curse and entered the woods with a furious pace.


The sight of the human through the trees stopped me in my tracks, and I lowered myself to a crouch as I peaked out from behind the bark of an icy trunk. It had been a while since I entered the forest with the intentions of tracking the child down. Midoriko had probably already arrived at the shrine and wondered if I had gotten 'cold feet': another annoyance I now had to deal with because of the cub.

With a breathless sigh, I calmed myself and examined exactly what had caused the child to cry out in the first place.

Black hair fell loose from his high ponytail as small hands were wrapped around his own leg. A look of exhaustion and fear coloured his brown eyes as he tugged on the limb with all his measly might. The ankle of his left leg disappeared through the bark of a hollow log, the snow brushed off the top half of the old wood as he fidgeted clumsily in his attempts to free himself. From the footprints that lead up to his predicament, and the way the snow was pulled away from the edge of the steep cliff a foot above his head…

He had tried to climb up the ledge, not wanting to go around and walk up the smooth slope of heavy snow, and since he was too short to jump up and grab the ledge on his own… He tried to jump from the hollow log and it was unable to support his weight.

What an incredibly dull reason to call out for help.

He did seem to be shivering a little – was he wearing indoor clothes when it was this cold out?

"Miss!" His brown eyes met my blue ones, "Miss! Did you hear me? Please help! I can't get my foot out!"

"Tch." The sound left my mouth before I could stop it.

The little brat had seen me peaking out from behind the tree from a surprising distance. It made sense, I guess. Midoriko was often able to tell when I was watching her, even if her back was turned. I was unsure if that was because of her training as a priestess… But as the cub could sense it as well, then the training of a Demon Slayer gave them that annoying ability.

He failed to recognize me as a demon, however… So, he wouldn't have any experience dealing with demons. Which meant I would probably pass as a human for a little while.

I stood, and being careful to walk directly towards him (so he wouldn't see that I left no footprints in the snow), I eventually towered over the unlucky child. He straightened himself up at my approach, patiently waiting as I got closer until he smiled brightly at me.

"Say miss, I haven't seen you around the village. Are you a traveller? Why are you out in the woods? Were you visiting the shrine? So, you're a priestess, then? Do you think you can get my foot out? I think I can walk, so I can make sure you get home safe. My father – don't tell him about this – says that after a storm snow-demons can sometimes come down from the mountaintops and that…"

His eyes widened, and I resisted the urge to sneer as the realization slowly dawned on him.

"You're…"

"I'm…?" My eyes gleamed as he leaned his small body away as I reached out my hand.

"A demon!"

My fingers curled around the absurdly thin fabric that the child was wearing this time of year, and held fast as he began flailing wildly.

"Get away from me! I-I'll kill you if you don't do as I say!" I hardly noticed the force behind his clenched fists as the wild swings sometimes met their mark, and so scoffed at his words.

I wasn't terribly surprised by the immediate change once he realized what I was. According to Master Katashi and Midoriko, it was common for them to show exactly how two-faced they were when confronted with something they despised and feared. One thing I couldn't ignore coming from the brat's mouth was that laughable threat.

After all, he called me over here to help him and it seemed like he didn't understand what a real threat was.

"Are you threatening me, child?" With a harsh tug, he was freed from his predicament as he stopped flailing and clenched onto my arm to keep himself upright in my grasp, "I would think that a Demon Slayer chose words that he could keep."

A sinister grin unfolded on my face as I continued, "Pick your next words carefully. Once I grow tired of lies, I tend to find all sorts of ways to keep myself entertained."

"I–"

"Carefully, now."

"…Once my sister hears of this, you'll really get it!"

"Sister?" An eyebrow raised skeptically, "What 'sister' are you–?"

I cut myself off as I recognized the boy's scent.

"Ah! There she is! You're gonna regret this now, demon!"

Before he could name the woman, who stepped out of the woods behind me, the name slipped from my lips as I turned to meet her gaze.

"Midoriko."

The priestess seemed flustered, her cheeks reddened and her long black hair was dishevelled. Big brown eyes flickered from my figure to that of the human child and they hardened considerably as they stared at the fabric bundled between my fingers. Her sword hung by her hip, and she straightened her posture once she had taken time to survey the scene.

"Midoriko Yanagi."

The name from the post clicked far too late, and the footsteps I had practically followed all the way to the human child became a glaringly obvious clue as to who the kid I was currently lifting off the ground by his kimono was. My body remained half-turned towards Midoriko as my icy blue eyes met the smug grin on the boy's face before travelling up to the warm brown eyes that were nearly identical to the priestess's.

Hotaka Yanagi. Midoriko's brother.


*PLEASE NOTE*


*"Thank you for this meal!": This is pretty much Midoriko saying "Itadakimasu!". Which is normally translated into 'saying grace' before eating or the general concept of being thankful for the meal that's about to be eaten. Most demons don't really share the same sentiment.

*Cub: 'child'. As Nozomi's lived her life with white tiger demons, the terms for certain things has rubbed off on her. Cub is the term for a white tiger child. But as Master Katashi has been dabbling in the human 'world', she uses the two terms 'child' and 'cub' interchangeably.


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-Disclaimer-

I do not own the InuYasha movies, manga, or anime. The only thing I own are my characters and the fanfic!


O Reviews O


ferallahey: Yes, she is quite the curious demoness, isn't she? She better be careful - curiosity did kill the cat, after all.

Hahaha, Nozomi's a little hypocritical of humans and well... everyone, really.

It does seem like they're getting closer, yay! They're still a little hesitant, but they are strangers who were, until very recently, on opposing sides. We'll have to see how everyone else takes this news - at this time there hasn't really been any 'nice' relations between demons and humans.

Their growing relationship does bring up the question of how far they'll go. Will Midoriko be able to keep Nozo's interest? Are Midoriko's intentions exactly as they seem? What does Midoriko think of Nozo's 'easy' acceptance of her supposed intentions? They're getting along well right now, but there is still a lot of tension boiling under the surface despite how easy-going the duo seem to be about the arrangement...

Well, everything begins with a connection.

Let's see whether this connection fizzles out or burns up! ;3


O


Actually quite proud of myself - moved into Rez to start my second year of Uni, actually have a nice and orderly room for once (...it won't be that way in a week, but a girl can hope), and am still working on some chapters! Woot Woot! I AM UNSTOPPABLE!

Next time on the LSL, an Inuyasha fanfic...

Hmm... this development seems troubling.

I wonder what Midoriko's father said?

Is a betrayal coming?! If so, who will it come from?!

Will Kirara make an appearance?

NOZOMIKO IS BREAKING APART AND SESSHOMARU IS STILL SO FAR AWAY!

THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS!

You'll have to tune in next chapter to maybe find out... :3


Thanks for reading, Fireflies!

-Love, Ember ;3