Location: Konan- Date: October 31st- Hoshimi’s POV:
I remembered getting dressed up when I was younger, like two or three, giggling as my mother poked my nose and tickled me when I took a bath, my long, silky threads of white pooling around me in the water my mother poured into the tub from her bucket. I could feel her soft, tender fingers gently massaging my scalp as I leaned against the wall of the tub, listening to her soft, Japanese singing as she swayed from side to side, getting me primped up for a celebration.
At that age, I knew it as ‘the day I got to eat cake and get toys and see friends’; it hadn’t dawned on me that it was the day that my oath to my sister clan would grow near. I was now four turning five, so I was a lot older and much more mature than I was then. I was a teeny weeny child back then; now I was a girl who could talk and walk and achieve my dreams!
“Mama, I wanna be a pretty princess when I grow up!” I giggled with innocent glee as I splashed the water, squirming as she tickled me in the stomach. “Can I do that?” I look up at the woman, who had dark, warm brown eyes and honey blonde hair that reached to a little below her shoulders.
“Of course you can, sweetie.” She cooed, and pinched my pale cheek lightly as she started to rinse my hair with more water. I turned to look at her, my cerulean eyes meeting her brown ones.
“Mama? I heard some of the servants talking; they said something about a clan called the ‘Hatomes’, and that I was to become friends with their heir. They also said something about serving her as her protector and knight, but what does that mean? I’ve never heard of the name before, not even in one of the books you’ve read to me.” I state, my voice confused but my eyes good-natured and curious.
Seeing her flinch and tense up, my blonde lashes fluttered down then back up, my head cocking to the side as I stared at her. “Mama?” I start, but then pout as she only shakes her head, picking me up after wrapping me up in a towel and pinching my toes, causing me to giggle.
“Don’t listen to that nonsense, baby girl. That’s just superstitious and-” She stopped for words, her lips twisting into one cheek as she rocked me slightly. “-something us Mais have done for a period of time. Now, it’s not needed.” She then adds wearily, her eyes looking away from me and now to the window, her gaze saddened and her expression full of disappointment.
“Okay, Mama. Let’s go, I wanna see what Ojii-san and Obaa-san got me for my fifth birthday!” I start to kick and turn, causing her to laugh as she starts to set me down, bringing a blue flowered kimono my way after rummaging through a drawer.
“Alright, but if you keep moving you’ll go out there butt naked.” She teased, causing me to laugh as she started to push my arms into the sleeves, my small fingers going into the hole and squeezing through easily to the opening of it. I smile and try to pull my hair back, but failing and sticking my tongue out at my mother, seeing she already did it.
“Ma-ma!”
“Ho-shi!” She sang back with a childish whine, and so I giggled more, my fingers playing with her hair as she ties the obi-the big string that held my dress together- to my back, playfully pinching my legs as she ties a pretty bow and knot against my back. I squirm slightly, and then look at her with a pointy-toothed grin.
“Ma-ma, let’s go!” I smile then trip over my kimono, landing into the arms of a white haired man, his silky strands of white were bouncing faintly as many different, smaller demons nuzzled his neck and head. I open up my arms, demanding to get picked up by the man, who gave a soft, pointed smile as he obeyed, scooping me up in his arms so I could stare at his cerulean orbs and play with his light colored tufts of hair.
“Hello, my dear child.” He cooed lightly, his canine teeth sticking out in his features slightly, and so I poke it with a giggle. The man only chuckled his aflame tail whipping around like a lasso.
“Pa-pa!”
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Rin’s POV:
I wrapped the scarf around me tighter, sneezing into it as I roll my eyes, annoyed. Kuro looked inside the abandoned church, its door nailed closed. I let my claws sharpen, my foot kicking it down while I twiddled with the lock. I couldn’t break down the wall; this was a memento of my ‘father’. Breaking in was much more efficient. I quickly shake my head, and stifle an amused chuckle. Nat was right; my logic did not sound smart at all. I then look to the cat, who only stared at the broken window with a wistful look in his huge eyes. “What’s up, Kuro?” I said lazily, crouching so I could undo the locks on the bottom of the door, absentmindedly shoving my hand under the beaten rug for the familiar, cool metal of the key that was hidden under the rug, at least,as I remembered it.
The cat only shrugged, and his jaws started to expand in a yawn as he stretched, his eyes bleary and coated just the slightest in a goopy substance; it was probably the kind of sleep boogers Yukio and I always get right after we get up after a restless night. “This brings back memories; maybe he stored some catnip in the kitchen!” He looked up at me curiously, and so I shrugged, stifling a laugh of doubt.
“I dunno, Kuro. I’ve flipped that kitchen upside down while cooking meals, and I’ve never seen some weird cat weed.” I roll my eyes when Kuro glares at me, letting an annoyed meow escape his muzzle as he quickly turned his head away.
“Party pooper.” He moaned indignantly, but then his tails swished happily as I managed to jam the door open, then squealing and sneezing as dust coated our fronts like frosting to a cake. I coughed and scrunched up my nose, brushing off the stubborn flecks of dust that clung onto my t-shirt and jeans that Nat and Koko once got me as a gift of normality, for when we’re not in school. “Kami, this dust is so stupid!” Kuro grumbled, quickly licking his whiskers and paw, attempting to clean himself of the dirt and grime.
“W-What’re you doing, Rin?” A small, meek voice pondered gently, and so I turn and my cheeks flush faintly, seeing the unmissable blonde ‘baka strand’ that stuck up on her small head. I tried to remain cool and collected, so I leaned my head in front of my hands, grinning at the small girl, who was in a blouse and a skirt that flowed till about just above her knees. Plastering a smirk on my face, I turned to the blonde and gave her a million-watt smile.
“Y-yo, Shiemi!”
