Weapons | Bucky Barnes x OC

17. TENDER HANDS

Anya said nothing in response. She was actually just thinking she wouldn't spend enough time there to really learn how to use chopsticks, but in that moment she didn't want to say anything.

"Gochisousama. (Thanks for the meal.)" Anya slightly bowed her head when her bowl was empty.

"Thank you for enjoying the food and kept trying to use chopsticks." Josuke answered smiling and taking away the empty bowls from the table.

Another thing Anya couldn't stop thinking about was that she was getting weaker and weaker. For years she had endured inhuman tortures that had deeply changed and conditioned her. She had gone from having a precise and perfect aim without effort, to having to concentrate to keep her hands steady without shaking.

She had suffered not only heavy emotional damage, but also physical damage. And as it got worse, it was making her life a living hell. She was getting weak and as super strong and resilient as she was, she felt that she was slowly giving way and decaying.

Meanwhile, Anya crouched next to Momo, who was perched on a pillow, warm by the brazier. She slowly reached her hand towards him and then dipped it into his soft fur.

"Kare wa nan-sai desu ka? (How old is he?)" Anya asked as Momo slowly squinted at her and let himself be petted.

"Ichi-sai. (He's one year old.) I found him one night in the woods. He was so tiny, perhaps he was only two months old." he explained.

"Is it normal for his species that he is already this big?" Anya asked.

"Not really, but he eats a lot." he giggled softly. "Haven't you ever seen a cat?"

Anya shook her head to mimic a 'no', keeping her eyes on Momo while Josuke weakly smiled to the side.

"Where did you learn to speak Japanese?" he asked curiously.

"Oh, uh.. At work." Anya answered maybe too quickly. "Where did you learn to speak English?" she immediately changed the subject.

"Here. Lots of free time, you know." Josuke had sensed that something seemed off, but he didn't push it further.

"What were the blue fires I followed in the forest?" she asked out of nowhere. The question had been burning inside her for hours by then, but she hadn't found a moment to ask it.

"Ah.. Hitodama. In our culture we associate them with the souls of the dead. In the West they call them Will-o'-the-wisp, seen by travelers at night. They metaphorically refer to a hope or goal that leads one on but is impossible to reach. In reality they are flames derived from the combustion of methane and phosphane, due to the decomposition of organic remains." he articulated giggling, dispelling a myth.

"But you were waiting for me! How are these two things connected?" she was genuinely concerned.

"It was a mere coincidence. I knew you were coming only from the voices." he shrugged. "Now, I promised you I'd help you with the eye. Come with me." he folded his hands together inside the sleeves of the kimono, waiting for her to follow him.

Anya simply got up and followed Josuke down a corridor, continuing to think about what this cure might be. The tatami continued on the floor and was rough under her socks, while the walls were dark wood with some Japanese painting hanging on them sporadically.

The first room he showed her was still paved like the rest of the house. Quite small and cozy, with only a thin mattress, and various blankets placed on the tatami. In one corner was a floor lamp that spread a warm lighting, and a niche in the wall covered with two tapestries portraying two cats with one paw raised -probably some sort of wardrobe.