A Moment's Reprieve [pvt]

[Yomi]

Continued from here: https://www.ninpocho.com/viewtopic.php?f=763&t=52923&start=30

Asuka:

Yomi assisted Kaori up to ride upon Besito before deciding to walk beside Besito herself. If Kaori was being tracked like Manzo claimed, Kaori would be able to get away with Besito while she fended off her pursuers. These attackers would be Yomi’s first foray back into the fight her body ached for. Of course, helping Kaori was considered a good deed, but, this little exercise would be more for Yomi’s sake. Hopefully they hadn't tracked her this far.

They made their way from the Academy Grounds to the Forest of Death. Yomi considered this place to be their home for Besito’s sake since he was too big to be anywhere else without causing an alarm and everyone was always concerned about property damage. She understood but didn’t want to leave him alone so she went where he could fit.

The threesome came upon a log cabin deep within the woods, surrounded by two large trees. In the windowsill sat potted flowers filled with black daisies, a gift from the other resident Yomi in the village. There was a big soaking tub to the left of the cabin with steps that led to it. Upon further inspection, one would note it was pre-filled with steaming water, and scented oils. To the side on a little table sat more body oils, towels, soap, wash cloths, and a body brush.

Asuka stood in the entry way and opened her mouth to say something, but, stopped at the sight of Kaori. Asuka squinted, in an effort to adjust her vision to make sure she was seeing what she was seeing. Yomi gave a small smile, knowing how ridiculous this sight must be for her oldest friend. After all, Kaori was Yomi’s first official house guest. Asuka walked down the steps to greet them. She was not good at feigning hospitality, but, she was good at being respectful. In that regard Asuka and Yomi were the same, however Yomi was much drier when it came to interpersonal relationships and Asuka probably felt forced to make up for that on behalf of her Goddess.

“Young Kaori here will need a bath. Will you help her with that?” Yomi said in an even tone. Asuka nodded as Besito laid down, getting as close to the ground as he could so Kaori could climb down and not risk breaking her ankles. He was used to his fur being grabbed so there was never a concern that it would hurt him. Yomi hoped Kaori would use it as leverage to get down, too bad she didn't say as much.

“She hasn’t eaten either, so, I will prepare a meal for us.” Asuka was taken aback by the statement. Loosing herself in front of their guest, she dropped to her knee and bowed her head.

“I cannot allow that.” She said, particularly flustered. Yomi smirked and tapped Asuka’s shoulder as she brushed passed her to enter the log cabin, leaving Kaori alone with Asuka.

Asuka stayed in that position until she heard the door close. She looked to Kaori who was no doubt confused about their interaction. Asuka motioned for Kaori to go to the wooden tub. She made no outward expression of disgust at Kaori’s smell as Yomi didn’t when she initially came upon her. If anything, they both were super polite about it.

“Please step inside the bath.” Asuka said as she turned to give Kaori privacy to undress. Asuka cut an eye to Besito who was already looking at her with a cute head tilt. He was just as confused as the First Disciple was.

What is she thinking Asuka thought to herself.

 

[Kanagawa Nozomi]

Kaori was helped onto the massive creature, looking around with a dreadful look on her face. She looked high, low, and all around her to keep an eye out for the Paladins that had been pursuing her. Thankfully, the lie made by the ANBU had bought her enough time to make a get-away.
Though, this get-away would've been a LOT more productive if she wasn't stalled out by the ANBU named Manzo. She had romanticized the ANBU being silent warriors who kept their personalities and identities hidden as a protective measure so that themselves and their friends-and-family wouldn't have to be persecuted as reprisal for any of their covert black-ops. However, her fantastic imagination might be something from novels and other myths.

​

As she was riding on Besito's back, she started to quietly sing a song that she was forced to sing by the Shrine. Unbeknownst to her, this would be the song she'd have to sing during her own sacrifice to the Great Dragon. Her voice fluctuated from paranoia and general fear of actually being caught. She was on top of a massive creature, after all, so this would probably draw attention in her direction. Perhaps Yomi was more than confident enough to keep her protected during this entire ride towards the Forest of Death.

Upon entering the forest, her eyes fixated upon a quaint little cabin surrounded by two massive trees. This place was adorable in appearance. The wooden structure, the black flowers in the window sill. Wait. Kaori's eyes fixated upon the black flowers in the window sill, remembering them from one of the medical lessons she had back in the day. She kept her eyes on the flowers for a moment, putting a mental note in her mind to not drink anything in this house for fear of being poisoned by those flowers; again. Her eyes, however, also found a tub with an assortment of aromatic compliments next to it. She normally took a bath with lavenders as her own favored scent, but at this point, a bath of any stripes would be fine as long as it was warm and comfortable.

Another person became clearly visible to her as the two finally arrived. Yomi mentioned that Kaori needed a bath before the wolf laid down. She took this as a sign to get off of the creature, stepping down one one leg and hugged the creature's back for a moment to give herself grip to come down off of it like an inexperienced child would climb down stairs. After making her way down, she walked up to Besito's head and pat him on the head with a little smile upon her face.

There was a brief exchange between Yomi and Asuka, leaving only Kaori and the assistant that was bowing remaining together. She looked at Asuka for a brief moment as her stomach growled furiously. "Hi, my name is Tenkawa Kaori. It's nice to meet you," she said before she gave the woman a bow. It was best to treat those willing to grant you hospitality with the utmost respect. They were, after all, giving you good will allowing one to consume their own resources for the sake of another. A moment later, she was escorted to the bath. She walked over and eyeballed the warmth of the bath. If her body was able to drool out of anticipation, it would.

She was given privacy to undress. She looked around for a moment and began to slowly remove her clothing one-piece at a time. After getting undressed, leaving only her red ribbons in her hair to cover her horns, she climbed up into the tub and sat in it, feeling the warm liquid soak into her bones. The feeling of comfort and relief washed over her as she let out a long and high pitched sigh. This definitely beat the baths she had to take at the Shrine; all cold baths that was designed to tighten her skin. Those cold baths were certainly unpleasant to put it lightly.

"So, what's going on here? Why do you guys live in a place like this?" she said after a long moment of silence, letting the warm water seep into her muscles, giving her a chance to relax. She had to remain active, however, as the relaxation could easily lead her to falling asleep inside of the bath. She started to rub her body down, trying to get the muck and stink off of her body.​

[Topic Entered]

 

[Yomi]

Asuka turned around at Kaori’s question and looked at her. The answer was simple enough, and since Kaori was here, she assumed that Yomi had thought enough about her for Asuka to make small talk.

“We live here because it’s convenient. We thought about moving but with the way Yomi’s work schedule is... Plus, Besito is too big, to be housed in town.” Asuka walked over to the table filled with toiletries meant for Yomi and pulled out the body brush. Besito let out a low bark at the hearing of his name as if he was offended that he was called too big. The wolf was too smart for his own good.

“She doesn’t bring people home, so, how did you get so lucky Tenkawa Kaori?” Asuka moved the stairs to be behind Kaori and used it as a step-stool to properly reach a sitting Kaori. She placed the body brush in the water and gently ran the bristles across Kaori’s back to slough off the dead skin that was undoubtedly present. She looked at Kaori’s back, noticing how it was smooth and unblemished. A stark contrast to what Yomi’s back looked like. It never quite healed from the mortification of her flesh. A life that seemed so far removed from how they were living now. It had been years since they assimilated to the way of life in Konoha, and yet they still lived like they were ready to get up and leave at a moment’s notice. In that Yomi was still so dedicated to her task, but, she had a hard time implementing it, especially with Yomi’s belief in keeping where she rested her head at separated from her mission. They were not reckless fanatics in their faith and how they went about executing their mission. Still, it was moving even slower ever since Yomi’s promotion.

Putting the brush down, Asuka, went to remove Kaori’s ribbons from her hair without asking. She wanted to thoroughly remove all the very present debris in her hair. Asuka couldn’t imagine what Kaori went through that caused this kind of build-up and possible matting of her hair. She’d give her a scalp massage too if Kaori allowed it.

 

[Kanagawa Nozomi]

Kaori scoffed at being called 'lucky' in this situation. The brush plunged into the water as Asuka started to clean her body with the brush. This felt just like a cleansing ritual, except the water was hot and she wasn't being surrounded or cleaned by elderly women. The color of the water started to change and her flesh returned to her usual color. She was confused on whether she should feel pampered or if she would be in this woman's debt later on. She leaned forward so the woman would scrub her back and let out a little chuckle. "Lucky isn't the right word for that. I was being chased by some bad men who wanted me and the ANBU bullies threatened to throw me in jail if I didn't answer their invasive questions. He ended up calling," she said with a cough. "Child. Protective. Services. From there, Yomi treated me like a human and offered to bring me to her home," she explained. She had every reason to stay the night, eat something, thank her in the morning, and return on her journey away from the Shrine and even from the village.

Kaori looked around a bit more and smiled. "This is a lovely place though. It's quiet and peaceful and you have freedom out here," she stated, envying the entire idea of freedom; something she longed to have for many years now. Even if the sky was covered by a loose layer of leaves, she could see that the sky out here was much bigger than it was in the Shrine. Every time she walked outside of the gates, the sky looked much bigger still. A caged bird longs for the sky, but is held back because of restrictions. The Shrine kept her caged and now the village did with their walls and flawed logic.

Without her knowledge, the woman reached for her ribbons and, as if it was an instinctive reaction, she reached for her ribbons, pressing them against her horns. She quickly moved her head away from Asuka and turned around to look at her, a look of sadness washed over her as she shook her head. "Don't touch my ribbons, please," she said as she repositioned herself to the other side of the tub, trying to her head as far away from Asuka's hands as possible. Her ribbons covered a sensitive subject. "Do you mind giving me a moment alone?" she asked, requesting privacy to clean her hair so nobody could see her horns.​

 

[Yomi]

Asuka listened to Kaori's response and chuckled a little at the thought of Yomi being considered some form of Child Protective Services. When they were younger they sure could have used some sort of protection. But from who? She was not quite sure. From their parents who willfully gave them up for their beliefs? From their caretakers who used them as weapons and eventual sacrifices for their own gain? Asuka had time to ponder these things as she grew to be an adult. The others who came before her were not as lucky. Truthfully, Asuka had not thought about the "righteousness" of their former affiliation until Yomi brought it to her attention. It was unclear if Yomi had thoughts of this prior to her enlightenment and if she did, she never spoke about it. She was too dutiful to openly question. Perhaps she did question their "caretakers" in private.

"Thank You." The First Disciple responded as Kaori complemented their little home. Kaori would probably be fascinated to know that the three of them, Asuka, Yomi, and Besito, built it themselves, but, that was another story for a different time. As the woman reached for the ribbons in Kaori's hair, she jerked away. Asuka apologized and gave her the space she requested. It granted her the opportunity to speak to Yomi in private and possibly help her cook.

Asuka went into the house where a apron clad Yomi was cooking some freshly caught fish. Asuka was going to prepare this meal for them, but now it seemed the roles were reversed. Upon entering the cabin, they were immediately into what was considered the kitchen area. In the center sat a medium sized square table with four chairs. It would seem odd, seeing as they never had visitors, but, that is what they had. Unbeknownst to Asuka, Yomi always kept seats there as a reminder for her other teammates who sacrificed themselves so that Yomi could live on. In the center of the table sat a small vase with a single black daisy sitting within it. A nice little decoration in an otherwise bland decor. Off to the right was a small fireplace and a stack of wood that sat next to it. It looked to have not been used in sometime, but, it was a cute aesthetic that lent itself to the quaintness of the cabin. Asuka looked to Yomi who did not acknowledge her upon entering. She stood in what any onlooker would see as an awkward silence but to the women it was normal.

She stared at her Goddess for a while, still wondering what this was all about, though she didn't ask. It was all about timing with Yomi and Asuka knew that it was just a matter of time before she would reveal her thoughts so, against how she felt, she pretended not to be concerned. Above the sink were where the dishes were. She reached into the cabinet and pulled out the newer ones that people only pull out when they have company. She left the plates by Yomi who made each individual plate, filling it with the fish, some seasoned rice and a vegetable medley. Yomi made Kaori the biggest plate. Asuka put all the plates on the table and pulled some bottled water from the cabinets underneath the sink. This house was not equipped with electricity; there was an outhouse and a stream a little walk away from the cabin. The water would be room temp, but, that's what they had.

"Kaori will need a shirt so we can wash her clothes." Yomi said as she took off her apron. Asuka nodded as she went off to the back to get Kaori something their guest could sleep in. There were two bedrooms in the house, so that the women could have their privacy. Kaori would take Asuka's room tonight and, like old times, Asuka would be rooming with Yomi. She went outside to Kaori, to give her a very long T-Shirt and to let her know dinner was ready.

Meanwhile Outside....(right when Asuka left)

Besito watched Asuka enter the house. He yawned and got up to walk near the bath tub to take in this new visitor at his home. He was not used to anyone besides the two women being in his space. He eyed Kaori for a long moment and let out a low bark at her. It wasn't an aggressive bark meant to scare her, just a bark to talk to her. He thought he was a person and could have conversations like everyone else. He tilted his head and sniffed her like all dogs do when they come across something new. He barked at her again, trying to initiate conversation.

 

[Kanagawa Nozomi]

The sound of footsteps pittering and pattering away left Kaori with a moment of peace. She let out a little sigh and moved her hands up to her head to remove the ribbons from her hair. It was at that moment that the large animal approached her, causing Kaori to come to a pause for a moment as she stared at the creature. There was a strange silence between the two of them until a bark was sent her way. Startled by this, Kaori threw the ribbon out of the tub and ducked under the water as a flinching reaction to the bark. A tiny 'eep' could be heard from Kaori before she dove into the water. She stayed under the water, closing her eyes tight. She didn't want to see if the creature would maul her or not, but when it came time to breathe, she instantly shot up through the water and stared back at where the creature was. Well, he didn't make any actual aggressive action towards her; that's a start.

She simply smiled at the creature before starting to wash her hair. The hot water and whatever soap was in there would be more than enough to clean her hair. She ran her fingers through her grimy lavender hair to clean each strand to perfection. She rubbed her fingernails into her scalp and after a short moment, she rinsed her hair, looking as pristine as usual. She returned to scrubbing her body only to realize that her ribbons were off of her head. This left her in quite the dilemma. Instinct kicked in and she reached down to grab the dirtied ribbon and tie it back into her soaking wet hair. It was better this way. She didn't know these people well enough so keeping her horns a secret would probably be better for her emotional stability.

Afterward, she grabbed the brush again and started to scrub the rest of the grime and muck off of her body. After hitting every inch of her body, the cleaning was absolutely required after what she went through, she sat and looked around. On a small table off to the side, there were a pile of finely folded towels. She reached over to grab one and started to dry herself to the best of her ability, turning her back to the house and drying off. Finally, she started to dry her hair only to wrap the towel around her body.

Her clothes were dirty, no use putting those one. Now the problem of actually getting clothes came into play. What was she going to wear? Her prayers were solved as she saw Asuka walk out, alarming her it was time to eat. With a nod of her head, she readjusted the towel that was around her and walked inside, where she tried to find a bit more privacy to throw on the shirt provided. Afterward, she walked out wearing the shirt and looking (and smelling) MUCH cleaner now. The smell of the food wafted into her nose as she eyeballed the largest plate made by Yomi. The food smelled exquisite causing her mouth to water.​

 

[Yomi]

Yomi and Asuka sat at the opposite ends of the table. For a long time, it was silent. Yomi watched Kaori and Asuka watched Yomi watching Kaori. It was akin to a wife waiting on bated breath for her husband to scold their kid because the husband was some sort of abusive alcoholic and the kid could never do anything right. The wife in this scenario was always too scared to say anything, except she often used her body as shield to protect her child.

Luckily this wasn’t the case, only looked that way. Yomi picked up her fork to start eating, a signal that everyone else could eat. She would let Kaori scarf down enough food before she would begin to talk to her.

“Why are you being hunted, Kaori?” Yomi didn’t look up from her plate as she asked her guest such an invasive question. She was neither too insistent in her question nor to nonchalant about it. Asuka did look up, however, as it seemed to immediately click in her mind what may be going through Yomi’s and why Kaori was brought here. She looked to Kaori and smiled a little and went back to eating, trying not to seem too eager to hear the girl’s response.

“Oh, before that” Yomi said “I never introduced you to Asuka. Hano Asuka, Author, Handler, Jill of all Trades. My oldest living friend.” The women gave the girl small smiles and let her take her time answering the questions. "And so you don't feel like you're being interrogated, feel free to ask me anything you like in return in addition to your answers."

Out of the corner of her eye, Yomi saw Besito looking at them through the window. She would have to sit with him later while he ate. More often that not they would eat together outside with him, as he too, was a part of the family. It was part of their bonding which kept him loyal to her. She turned to look at him and he gave another low bark. She shooed him away and he just laid down, stealing more glances at them when he could.

 

[Kanagawa Nozomi]

Kaori moved to her seat and picked up a fork or chopsticks, whichever was available, and goes to put the food upon the utensil and then brought he food up to her mouth before the question on why she was chased came up. She sighed outward and lowered the fork/chopsticks before looking at Yomi. She looked down at her plate of food and thought about it for a moment. This person took her in after dealing with a bunch of bullies, let her bathe herself, gave her food, and is even willing to give her a place to sleep. The least she could do is answer her even if the answer was vague. "Bad men want to take me back to a bad place," she said with a rather uncomfortable smile.

The story she was forced to tell the ANBU was complete bullshit as none of that, that she told him, was real. She made up an allegory for what happened or what would happen if she were to be thrown in prison but dressed it up as something that happened elsewhere. However, the end of her tale regarding the dragon statues, however,
was true. She didn't want to embellish the truth to someone so kind as her, but she also didn't want to give her the full truth either as that wasn't something for a stranger to worry about. This was her problem to bare and her problem alone. "I really don't want to talk about it, sorry," she said before she started to shovel food into her mouth. The taste of the food caused chills to go up her spine. Some actual food for the first time in several days.

While she was out on the run, she ate small things like a couple berries and even resorted to bark as sustenance. She couldn't risk stealing anything to eat as that would put her on the radar for the Shrine Knights. While she was eating, however, she was properly introduced to the woman who attended to her in the bath. Kaori turned her head towards the woman and simply smiled at her with a little wave. She didn't have much of a desire to answer the questions outright or go into any intricate detail about things. She continued to eat until she heard a bark come from Besito and like a bolt of lightning, Kaori was under the desk as if to hide. The Paladins, the people that were chasing her, also had dogs. She had almost forgotten about Besito while she was lost in thought while eating, so his barking severely caught her off-guard.

"The bad men, they had dogs too," she said as she shook like a leaf underneath the table.​

 

[Yomi]

Yomi pondered Kaori’s words and nodded. She too had known bad men, perhaps they were even worse than the ones Kaori spoke of, perhaps Kaori was dealing with something far more sinister. For better or for worse the circumstances led Kaori here to her today and she would allow the child succor for as long as Kaori wanted. However, with the warm welcome Yomi graciously provided, Kaori had not given the Goddess a proper answer and that would not suffice.

Kaori, startled by Besito’s voice, was now under the kitchen table. Asuka gave a small smile and continued to eat as did Yomi, allowing the girl to stay down there if she wanted to.
“Besito is very good. He’s interested in you because you’re new, but you’re right to be on guard around him. Should he think you’re a threat to me, he’d eat you.” It wasn’t a threat to Kaori, it was simply a matter of fact.

Asuka, placed her fork down and pushed away from the table. “I’ll make some tea. Chamomile.” Yomi nodded in apparent agreement, peeking her head under the table to look at the frightened girl.

“You have your reasons for not wanting to discuss it, but, I’d like to know if I’m harboring a run away, a fugitive, or a victim of some sort. While you’re free to stay no matter what you are, I think that I have a right to know what I’m in for, should whatever or whoever is chasing you darkens my doorway.” Yomi went back to her meal, allowing Kaori to decide if she would acquiesce to her appeal. The Goddess felt that she was being reasonable given the circumstances. Asuka probably thought she was being too accommodating. Yomi that is Rei, dug her fork into her fish and took a small piece off before placing it in her mouth, awaiting the pant-less girl’s response.

 

[Kanagawa Nozomi]

Why does everyone need to know the situation that Kaori was in? Are the shinobi and citizens of this village that nosy and require to know every intricate detail about everyone's life? This certainly didn't make Kaori feel too comfortable, feeling that she shared more than enough with Yomi and Asuka. The words about Besito wanting to potentially eat Kaori was, indeed, the opposite of re-assuring. She constantly finds herself in situations where she felt rather uncomfortable because of the predicament she was in. She didn't want to bother anyone with her troubles as it wasn't their place to get involved. Her problems were her's alone and nobody should intervene.

The sound of forks touching plates could be heard as her anxiety attack from Besito's bark started to dissipate. She found that nobody came down to retrieve her. Was this Yomi's and Asuka's version of 'tough love' or did they have other motives behind their good deeds. The more she stayed here, the more she missed Yume. Yume would've treated her well unconditionally and without question. She missed Yume with all her heart. She was in between a rock and a hard place. She could let go of her pride and just talk to Yomi, but she also didn't have any of her clothes nor did she have her Gloves of Divine Dragon Flame on her at the moment. She felt naked just wearing a long t-shirt and going away.

"I ran away from home. That's where the bad men came from. Paladins. They work for my mother. She's... She's not a good person either," that was enough information. She didn't need to give her any more than that and just with that should be satisfactory. However, this could easily be misconstrued as Kaori being a child who threw a fit and is just running away. "Are all of you ninja so nosy?" she asked while still under the table. The ANBU at the academy were all nosy and now Yomi's butting into her problem. If this gets any worse, Kaori might just take off during the middle of the night; but Besito might have an issue with that. She wanted to be alone right now. She didn't want anyone's help right now. No, not until she finds a way to solve her problem with the Shrine.

"Don't worry, the Paladins won't hurt either of you or Besito. They only want me. They can wait as long as they need to without hurting anyone," she said. The Paladins have no need to hurt anyone, it was in their creed with her mother to not do so. While they could talk a big game to say things to make themselves feel tough, they are bound by oath to not do anything reckless. The Shrine, after all, is based in Konoha. Doing bad things to the people of Konoha outside of the Tenkawa Clan would also make them seem like a hostile menace to the village, which they don't want. It was an agreement between the village and the shrine from many, many years ago. Perhaps the village may have forgotten this arrangement.

It was probably for the best that, once her clothes gets cleaned and after she got some sleep for tonight, she should probably take off, away from this quaint house. It would attract that wrong people and with Besito being at his guard, this might start a bloody conflict between these three and the Shrine. This wasn't something she'd want, especially if Besito was the one that caused it to escalate due to his potentially aggressive nature (when crossed). Feeling like she properly answered the question, she appeared in her seat like a snake would appear in a seat and started to eat the food. The hunger pangs started to creep up on her before she, almost primitively, started to shovel food into her mouth.​

 

[Yomi]

The Medical Chief nodded in understanding. Kaori’s follow-up answer was more to her liking. While it was true that the woman would let her stay regardless of what the girl told her, she really wanted to know if she would be sacrificing some men to Rei tonight. Too bad they were only after the girl and unwilling to tangle with anyone else.

Gathering her nerves the girl came from underneath the table and sat back up to eat. She wondered aloud if all ninja were this nosey. Asuka placed a cup of tea in front of Yomi and a cup of tea by Kaori before setting one for herself and took a seat back at the table. Yomi would not patronize Kaori, and would answer her question as she expected the child to do for her.

“I cannot speak for anyone else, but, as I help you I do think of my family’s safety first so I ask on their behalf. I was not asking merely to pry. Do you think anyone would bring you into their home and not deserve some explanation, regardless if you wanted to provide it?” It was framed rhetorically in a matter of fact tone, but, if the girl would answer, the woman would welcome the response.

“My mother gave me away to cult who, if they had their way, would have sacrificed me to their false god to fulfill their ascension.” The woman was many things, but, stupid was not one of them. She was aware that whatever Kaori was going through she needed to keep close to her chest; everyone had secrets and her’s was no less important to her than Yomi & Asuka’s were to them. And it was true, Yomi was not affectionate in the traditional sense, where she would hug and be comforting, she wasn’t raised to be that way. But, her faith would not allow her to turn a blind eye to a little girl in need, neither would her Godhood. Still, she spent a good portion of her life murdering children and adults alike, burying any sympathies and warmth she would have had a long time ago. Perhaps taking Kaori in and attempting to relate in a small way was a step in the right direction.

Asuka watched as her Goddess took a sip from her tea cup, using that break in conversation to steer the chat elsewhere. Even if Yomi was ready to tell Kaori something about her past, Asuka, the vigilant, was not quite ready to go down that road.

“Well, you’re clean and fed, but I never asked you if you were hurt. Yomi here, is the Medical Chief of Konohagakure, she could help you with anything along those lines.” The first disciple gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile as she dug into her own plate.

 

[Kanagawa Nozomi]

Yomi's justification for asking questions was understandable, but she couldn't help but feel that her hand was being forced into explaining things that she'd rather not. She was forced into this situation with the ANBU and she didn't have much choice other than to follow Yomi to her home. The entire situation didn't make her feel too comfortable in the slightest. A warm cup of tea was placed in front of her, causing her to pause from her eating to eyeball the cup in front of her. She dropped her utensils and took the cup of tea, swallowed the food that she held in her mouth, and took a quick sip from the tea. It was warm and it was delicious.

It was then that Yomi started to explain her own tale about her situation. She took another sip from her tea and gave a little smile towards Yomi. "I guess you and I have something in common then," she said before taking another sip of the tea, placing it down on the table before resuming her food consumption. The only difference between the two, however, is that Yomi's sacrifice would have been relatively quick and painless. The entire idea of being devoured alive was more than enough to strike fear into anyone's mind, let alone a 10 year old child's. She knew her fate would be to 'feed the dragon' and sate it's hunger until another person like her was born in the future. While the child might not be from her own children, any female from the Tenkawa Clan were susceptible to the cursed horns that she would be born with, thus continuing the cycle.

After she finished her food, she leaned back in her chair and placed her hand upon her stomach. Her food was still half-eaten with plenty of leftovers. Due to not eating a proper meal in a long while, her stomach had shrunk thus not allowing as much room for more delicious food to fit in. A question was thrown her way about the condition of her health. While her mental health was in absolute disarray, her physical health was returning with the inclusion of water and food. One thing, however, that caught her attention was that Yomi was a medical ninja. This brought up a lot of questions that she'd like to ask. "No, I'm fine," she said with a smile towards Yomi's 'assistant' before turning to look towards Yomi, herself. "You haven't happened to have seen a woman named Yume at the hospital recently have you?" she asked. She knew that Yume worked at the hospital and she hadn't seen her in quite some time. She missed Yume and just wondered where she went.​

 

[Yomi]

Yomi nodded in answer. While Asuka was Yomi’s oldest living friend, Yume had become Yomi’s newest friend. On the surface, it was a weird match up, for sure. With Yomi being…well Yomi with her dry serious nature and Yume being a pop star who was extremely bubbly and fun to be around. It was probably in their differences that they were attracted to one another. And here, was little Kaori, who too had been drawn in by Yume and her bright personality. Yet, attraction aside, she wondered if Kaori knew Yume, like really knew her. Maybe, maybe not. Yomi decided to give the approved response to Yume’s whereabouts.

“Yume? Well, no she hasn’t been there. As you may or may not be aware she has a tour coming up. With all that pressure, she decided that it would be best for her to take some time off before she committed herself to all the work that it entailed. A sabbatical if you will.”

Yomi pushed away her plate, the universal sign that she was finished. Asuka moved in to remove the plate from in front of her, almost spilling its contents on the woman. The Goddess eyed her friend for a moment, remembering that Asuka was very against the “Yome/Yumi” friendship in the beginning and though she had come around, it seemed to Yomi that she was jealous of them. As smart as Asuka was, she never stopped to think that Yume wouldn’t be able to replace her on any level, simply because they had gone through so much together. Again, Yomi never verbalized this to her oldest friend and it was clear that Asuka needed the reassurance.

Placing the plate down, she turned to the table and stated she was going to clean Kaori’s clothes before leaving the cabin.

“How do you know Yume?” Yomi tried to recall if her friend mentioned Kaori before. She couldn’t be sure.

 

[Kanagawa Nozomi]

"Oh, I see," Kaori said in a distraught manner. Her eyes looked downwards for a moment, a bit saddened. She was supposed to follow her on her tour to Cloud and was supposed to be with her throughout the entire thing as a means of escape from her clan. No, it never happened. Yume kind of fell off the face of the earth and Kaori couldn't find her or figure out where she went. Not that she had the time to look as she started to be pursued by the Shrine Knights at around the same time. Yume was the only one in this world that showed her the affection she deserved. She received hugs and cherished every moment of it. Her family was cold and uncaring to her, giving slaps and punches rather than hugs and kisses. The only time before that that she received any kind of affection was from her friend, Mina, who died due to health complications; which she ended up blaming herself for. She felt that her lack of piety towards the Great Dragon caused the Great Dragon to turn it's head away from her plight and refused to give her aid. So for so many years, the death of her friend was placed upon her own shoulders.

Then the question with how she knew Yume came to be. A couple tears began to well up in her eyes before she thought of the good times she had with her. Those were probably the best times in her life; other than being absolutely horrified from that beast she called a 'horse'. She just gave Yomi a little smile and nodded as a couple tears rolled down her cheek. "She was my best friend and my sensei. I was supposed to be her opening act," she said fondly. She always meant to audition for FiRe Studios, but due to her duties as the Dragon Maiden, she had to constantly reschedule. Kaori wiped the tears from her cheek with her palm and shook her head.

"Thank you for the meal, it was delicious!" she said in whole gratitude. The meal was probably one of the best tasting meals she has had in a very long time. It was also a home-cooked meal from someone other than herself. She wasn't the best of cooks, herself, and it took her a while to learn to not make her food taste like tree bark. She is, after all, only 10 years old. She shouldn't be cooking for a family of many. "Thanks for everything," she said after she kicked her chair back and gave herself enough space to bow her head. However, due to her clouded judgment due to her lingering depression and anxiety she was feeling, she bopped the top of her head on the edge of the table, causing her to hold her head and fall to her knees. "Ow ow ow! Sorry about that!" she said before rubbing her head. It stung like hell.​

 

[Yomi]

Yomi watched in discomfort as Kaori cried. It did something too her when she saw little girls cry. She focused on not letting her eyes turn their demonic red when she was enraged, because, that was not for the little girl’s eyes. It seemed that Yume was good at making friends with everyone and Kaori missed her dearly. She too wished she would return.

“It’s been my pleasure.” Was the Goddess’ response to Kaori, who thanked her. Yomi’s eyes widened as Kaori nearly bust her head open on the edge of the table.

“Let me get you a cold compress.” Yomi pushed herself away from the table, and went to do just that. Under her sink was a very small cooler filled with ice that she usually brought home from the hospital. Hospital ice was the best ice. She filled a clean dish towel with ice and gave it to Kaori to place on her head.

“To prevent swelling” She gave the little girl a small smile, and guided her to where she would be sleeping tonight. In Yomi’s bedroom was very large bed, with lots of fluffy pillows, it hardly looked slept in. And one would be right to assume so. Years of sleeping on the hard earth, Yomi much preferred sleeping on the floor. Beside the bed was a small table, where a box of matches sat and a book written in Fiero. On the wall that was closest to the door was a mirrored closet where Yomi kept all her clothes and various items. The room itself was filled with candles of various shapes and sized that were lightly scented of lavender. There was a window that looked out into the wilderness, where often animals could be seen frolicking to and fro before Besito chased them off. Despite the fact that they were in the Forest of Death, the gag was that it was a pretty decent place, so long as you didn’t attempt to disturb it because it would most definitely fight back.

“I’ll be next door if you need anything. If you rather I stay here with you, I can do that too. There are matches there on the table should you want to light the candles.” Yomi would do whatever the little girl requested before she retired for the night. In the morning Kaori would awake to her clothes neatly folded on the bed, with a pre-packaged meal and note from Yomi & Asuka.

Dear Kaori,

You are invited to stay as long as you want. If not you know where to always find us, either here or the Hospital. Please be safe. <3 Asuka & Yomi
[TLUS]

 

[Kanagawa Nozomi]

A cold compress was given to her and she nodded, placing the chilled object to her forehead. She felt stupid for making such a goofy mistake, but everyone makes mistakes like that right? Kaori was guided to where she would be sleeping tonight and the feeling of relief washed over her to see a comfortable bed, something she hadn't seen before. Living out in such a meager condition in spite of her importance to the Shrine, she had never actually slept in a bed before. She either slept on a cushion, some straw, or even the bare ground. She wasn't offered such creature-comforts so seeing the bed caused her eyes to water until she burst into tears. She wiped her tears away and turned to look towards Yomi for a brief moment and nodded her head. Even if she was to sleep in someone else's bed, the thought of finally sleeping in one wasn't one that she wanted to pass-up.

A box of matches and a collection of lavender-scented candles were the second things to draw her eyes. The scent of lavender filled her nose, putting her well at-ease. She loved the smell of lavender as it calmed her and acted like a form of aromatherapy for her. Yomi made the offer to stay in the room with her or being next door. Kaori looked to her as she wiped the rest of the tears away from her eyes. "Oh, I think I'll be fine by myself, thank you, Yomi," she said with a big and grateful smile upon her face. After Yomi left, Kaori did a belly flop onto the bed, feeling herself sink into the bed and comforter slightly. She wiggled around until she laid upon her stomach, clutching a bit of the comforter that she balled up to use as a pillow, almost ignoring the pillow entirely. She had never used one before so she wouldn't know what it was meant for.

It was almost as if, on queue, that after she snuggled up to the bed, her eyes grew heavier and heavier before she fell asleep. This was probably the best night of sleep she had felt in a very long time. Not only was she out of the harsh conditions, away from any bugs or pests that would want to take a bite out of her, and in a bed; she also felt like this was something akin to a home. She had pleasant dreams that night before waking up feeling like an absolute wreck. She hadn't had much sleep in a few days, so her body was growing accustomed to the lack of sleep. So the actual sleep she got was just her playing 'catch up'. She woke up to find a note with her neatly folded clothing. She sat up and grabbed the note to read it. A smile came across her face as she read it before folding it back into it's previous shape. She would love to stay with her, but she couldn't burden her with the threat of the Shrine Knights around. She had to make her way out of the village and find SOMETHING that would give her the strength to fight against her oppressive family and the terrible fate she was born to fulfill. Yes, in order to challenge fate, she needed strength. While her first chance at the Shrine outside of the village was a bust, perhaps in her darkest hours, someone would hear her cries.

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