And so the Beast is named Okami. A wolf… how fitting.
Chapter 7
Everything flowed normally after the first day's talk, nothing exciting happened until a week later. The day before she was excited at the idea that Dr. Sakaki was letting her buy her own clothes today. Sakuya added on to her excitement when she said she could come over that night to do Okami's hair. Now our table was covered with excitement, mostly Sakuya, at the prospect of Okami's new get up. Which was ridiculous, no amount of clothes could change the she wolf she was.
And my point proven when she came into the Mesh Hall. It looked like Sakuya did the best she could with her hair. The knots were gone and it was straightened from the top, but the ends were uneven and jagged. She probably wouldn't let Sakuya come near her with scissors. And the three fang ornaments were still in her hair. She wore an Alisto Halter top with Alisto Roughs, most likely since they resembled what she previously wore. She looked more presentable to society, but she still gave off that wild feel about her. She sat down with a bounce.
"How do I look?" At least her English was improving.
"You look good Rookie."
"Aw, you're so cute Okami." Sakuya replied clapping her hands together. "Don't you think so Soma?"
"Leave me out of this." Not good, my cheeks feel warm. I need to change the subject. Getting Okami's attention, "Hey, how do you communicate with Aragami, all I've ever notice you do was growl."
"So you should be an Aragami whisperer by now Soma."
"Shut up Lindow."
"We resonate, that's what Saki called it." She still called him that nick name even after learning his name properly.
"And what's that?"
"It's when we talk through exchanging thoughts or memories to the mind. Saki has some theories floating about it. He thinks our cores send out waves, or in my case brain, to each other from Oracle Cell links."
"But you haven't had the amplitude test yet, you shouldn't have any Oracle Cells in you." I called her out on that. What she said next left us all shocked.
"Saki said I could have gained them from mother's milk, which built up my immunity against infection when eating Aragami."
"You ate Aragami."
"Sometimes, usually when the trees didn't bare fruit. But I have to admit, it doesn't taste as good as the flan here."
"What?!" Sakuya gasped. "That stuff's too sweet. If you're judging from that it must taste awful."
"But I like sweet things."
"To each his own, as they say." Lindow replied. So she ate Aragami and talked about it as if it's normal, strange woman. But that explained her strength and speed.
"So that one time in the Sunken Grid with the Researcher, were you talking or 'resonating' with your brother?" I asked.
"Yes, Kage saw him as a threat to our existence and asked me if he could eat him. I told him no and to go home. I sent the human a warning to 'speak of this to no one,' but the fact that I'm here means it didn't get through." Did she try to make a joke?
"W-wait, wait, wait. Did you say 'mother's milk?'" asked Sakuya, flabbergasting at the prospect of Aragami having working sex organs.
"Yes, when I was small mother use to nurse me with her milk as she did for Kage and Shiro." She spoke as if she was commenting about the weather.
"But how can that be?" Asked Sakuya trying to make sense of the information she was being given. "Aragami don't have bones or organs, and now you're telling me not only do they have genders but also the productive abilities of said gender?"
"Well yes and no, I'll try to make sense." She stopped to think about how to answer Sakuya. "True, Aragami don't have organs or bones but they do have a conscious. That conscious decided what said Aragami wants to be, whether male or female. With their choice made they create makeshift organs that define the gender. But that isn't really necessary since Aragami can produce offspring by what Saki called 'asexually.'" God, no wonder why there was so many Aragami around or the fact some had ridiculously huge racks. "But on rare occasions an Aragami can find a mate to exchange oracle cells with to create offspring. But said ways are very rare, Aragami have to find a mate of equal power or else suffer the possibility of your offspring being weak or your mate eating them to gain more power." Savage beasts.
"But, I don't truly understand the mating process." I'm starting to not like were this conversation is going. "Kage and Shiro broke off of mother. But how do two beings create offspring? Mother wouldn't tell and neither would Saki. Saki said 'I wasn't ready to know,' while mother said 'she wasn't ready to tell.' I don't understand and it confuses me." Then she asked the question I dreaded. "How do humans create offspring?"
We all sported a blush. I hid mine under my hood and hair, while Lindow only tried to hold in a laugh. It was Sakuya who finally spoke up.
"I don't think you're ready to know that yet, but when you are I'll be there to tell you and answer any questions you have."
Okami let out a sigh but then smiled. "Alright, you're my friends so I trust you."
"Friends?" Sakuya asked with hope.
"Yes, friends are there for you and help you when you need it like a pact." The she tilted her head and her eyes saddened a bit. "We are friends, right?"
"Yes." Sakuya's eyes watered a bit.
"Of course Rookie," Lindow said reaching over rubbing her head. "We're all friends here, right Soma?"
"Whatever."
She giggled and smiled at me, "I'll take that as a yes."