A/N: Didn't intend to post this, but I was bored and had nothing better to do so I edited what I had done and added something. I still feel it's not that good but I don't know how to fix it. Ideas are welcomed.
MONSTER
Part 2: Interaction (I)
It was 06:00 when I stirred out of my slumber. Stretching my arms, I winced as a jolt of pain ran across my spine. It seemed that my wounds were worse than I thought, if Eve's system couldn't heal it quicker. I was still clad in my bloodied coat. Got to change it fast.
Ignoring the protest of my sore limbs, I pushed myself up, intending to get a change of clothes, as well as erase all traces of the previous beatdown. It was only then did I notice something was holding me down.
A certain event the night before was recalled in my mind. With a feeling of dread, I slowly checked my sleeping bag.
Sure enough, in it was Ara- no, Eun hugging me contently.
You damn sly fox.
As if sensing my intention somehow, she -still in Ara's body- got up and began to rub her eyes cutely.
"What time is it~"
An urge to take a closer look to my hand began to build up in me. I complied, unable to deal with the situation anymore.
Damn it Eun.
[One and a half hour prior]
Somehow, by a miracle, I managed to drag myself back to the forest on the outskirt of Velder, where the El Search Party set up camps, in about half an hour, give or take. Only about forty-five minutes for me to get back.
...All's in a day's work. Or a night's. Whatever.
Leaning against a tree to catch my breath, I considered my situation. According to my Arm's calculations, while my condition was i no longer life-threatening, my body functions were still limited. While I had enough stamina to walk back on my own, I wasn't sure if my aching head could help in finding direction.
...Why didn't I ask Eve to install a map?
"Ha...so annoying..."
Muttering, I continued to search for the camp.
"Hmm...?"
I paused mid-stride. A small sound, barely caught by my augmented ears, reached me.
"Water...? Who...?"
Running across the entire forest was a small but long river. As the water was pure and fresh, it was frequently used as a place to take a bath by the girls in the El Search Party.
But who could take a bath at this time?
Cautiously, I moved toward the direction of the sound. There could be a demon crossing the water or, El Lady forbid, Chloe doing an assassination...or already had it done.
Fear began to take root in my heart, I picked up my pace.
It didn't take long for me to reach the river. The sound was now much more clear. It was the sound of water splashing.
Even as I took steps forward, a certain part of myself kept on thinking. Even though I was fast, surely anything trying to pass it would have already done so? No, it might be the installation of a trap. Although whoever had been here might have left, I still needed to see if there would be any danger. I wasn't sure if I could do anything with my still aching head, . Silently, I snuck between two thick bushes and peered out.
...
...
...damn it. Why me?
In the middle of the small river, she stood, bare skin glistening in the rays of dawn. Beads of water rolling down her pale flesh, further emphasizing her otherworldly beauty. Long silvery hair trailed down her body, giving the bathing girl a surprisingly erotic appearance.
Oh, and by the way, she was Eun. A fox spirit with age reaching millennium, she was, for a reason I knew not, sealed inside a hairpin Ara -her current vessel- was using.
...Danger, indeed.
Turning away, I silently beat a hasty retreat. I didn't want to die right after having been spared, thank you very much.
Of course, my luck failed me not.
A (in)convenient jolt of pain assaulted my head due to the sudden motion. Instinctively, I clutched my head. My hand brushed against a dry twig, accidentally snapping it in half. The 'crack' was perfectly audible in the silent forest.
I was screwed. Definitely.
"My, my, who is the naughty boy here~"
Through the thick bush where I was hiding behind, Eun's red eyes glared at me. A cold chill ran down my spine. Must be my survival instinct acting up.
Complying with it, I turned and ran.
Before I could even take four steps, the nausea returned. Slumping down, I held my aching head tightly. My vision distorted and swiveled, as the world randomly switched between color and monochrome. My body felt like it was burning up, even though my palms resembled ice in temperature. Slowly, my consciousness began to slip.
Before I fell into sleep's embrace, I vaguely noticed my name being called in a panic. A smirk tugged the side of my lips. So someone cared about a monster.
Still, 62% body function, my ass.
And that brought us to our current situation.
"Eun. What. The. Hell."
After giving myself a dose of cold water just to see if I was hallucinating (I wasn't, much to my disappointment) and changing my blood-stained clothes, I began my interrogation on Eun, who had already got into proper clothing. To be honest, the sight of the ancient spirit cowering under my stare was absurdly cute.
"Uhm...I was just playing around?"
"You play around. By hugging me. For hours. In Ara's body."
With each of my words, she slowly shrank, until only her eyes were visible from the sleeping bag she was wrapping against her body.
"Eh...I...It was fun?"
I smiled. It was an utterly relaxed smile, bearing no trace of malice. Face locked in that expression, I silently put my teacup down, creating a barely audible sound of ceramic meeting ground.
In response, she jolted up in surprise and fright. But, stuck in the sleeping bag, she couldn't move properly and thus fell head first on the ground.
"Au..."
She hugged her head cutely, a single teardrop on the corner of her eye. With a sigh, I got out of the sleeping bag. Was it even possible for a possessing spirit to pick up traits from its vessel?
"Why did you hug me?"
"You just seem so...lonely" -hesitantly, the Millenium Fox answered, catching me off guard. Of all people who might call me lonely, I sure as hell didn't foresee her.
"How does that concern you?"
I asked back, confused. She had virtually no reason to help. A simple human should be beneath her concern.
She looked away.
Oh, I realized. Eun was not a mindless puppet. She had her own existence, hopes and dreams. Being alone in that seal for centuries must be maddening.
She was clinging onto me now, fox claws leaving scratches on my skin. Silently, I ran my hand through her white hair as a gesture of comfort. The quivering of her shoulders lessened slightly.
"I understand."
Just like the Nine-tailed Fox, I knew the feeling of complete isolation. From the deepest recess of my mind, I had watched in terror and denial as my body, controlled by the Nasod King, slaughtered countless people. The dream (memory) of the night before had refreshed that horror.
"Can...I?" -she asked, her voice quiet. I nodded and wrapped my arms around her pale, slender neck. She began to cry into my chest, her accumulated sadness and sorrow of a century released in muffled whimpers.
"I'm sorry, that was unbecoming of me."
Wiping away the last stray tears on her face, Eun smiled at me. I shook my head and smiled back.
"No need to apologize. Though, make sure to compensate for my coat."
"Okay. I'm sure I can think of 'something'..."
I could only groan in exasperation. It seemed that I wasn't capable of one-upping her.
"You are joking, right..."
Eun, already reaching the entrance of my tent, turned and smiled at me. There was something...strange in that smile.
"Of course."
Finishing the last few strokes, I carelessly dropped my pen in my bag. It missed, rolled out of the bag and on the ground, and was then completely ignored as I rechecked my work.
It was a picture of Seris, smiling and playing on a grassy field. A memory when she was still with me.
A single tear ran down my cheek.
Seris, I missed you. Please come back.
"...ven? ...you...wake?"
Huh? Did someone call me?
Sluggishly, I pushed myself up. Bright sunlight assaulted my vision. Blinking quickly to let my eyes readjust themshelves, I opened them again. Before me was my journal, which was still opened. Wincing from the pain on my back, which must've been caused by my utterly wrong sleeping position when I nodded off, I closed the journal and put it in my bag. Then, as I made to get up-
"Raven, I'm coming in."
The haze veiling my thought fully lifted, I could finally make out her voice. It was emotionlessly melodious. Or should it be the opposite?
The flaps to my tent opened with a rustling sound. Without waiting for my permission, she walked inside.
"Rude as always, Eve."
"According to my understanding, your statement was hypocrisy, as you did not greet me, a guest of yours-."
"Touché."
I casually cut her off. Then, with a slightly sarcastic smile, I faced her.
"Good morning, Your Excellency."
I must have imagined it, but the corners of her mouth twitched, almost as if she was frowning. A blink and it was gone, her face its normal poker face state.
"I do not tolerate a mockery of my status."
Before he could make another biting remark, she continued.
"Breakfast's done. Rena told me to call you down."
...there went my chance for sarcasm. Oh well, nothing could be done about it now. Might as well move on.
"I see. Tell her I'll be there shortly."
Eve nodded and stepped outside after giving me a curt nod. She made to close the door-
"Raven. Your right arm seems stiff."
I flinched. Could she have known what had happened last night? No, it couldn't be. I made sure no one spotted me. After some seconds of consideration, I cautiously gave my answer:
"Bad dream. I hit a rock while struggling in my sleep."
There was it again. A barest hint of an emotion on her face. I couldn't catch it fast enough to know what it was, but there was definitely something there.
"What...was it about?"
I could've sworn Eve was hesitating. It...was certainly shocking. So much that I froze for a short while before answering.
"My past."
"I see."
The flaps to my tent parted and closed. Eve had left.