Long ago. God told all the animals he was throwing a banquet the next day and not to be late. The mischievous rat told his neighbor, the cat, that the banquet was the day after tomorrow. So on the following day, all the animals lined up for the banquet, and the rat rode there all the way on the cow's back. Flying above them was the owl watching to make sure no animal was out of line.
Once arrived, all the animals had fun, except for the cat, who was at home sleeping and dreaming for a banquet that would never come. So then the cat fought the rat every time he saw him so he would be accepted by the others. However, each fight was stopped by the owl. Serving it's purpose as the protector, the owl always made sure to prevent full on fights amongst the two although the hatred each had for the other was still burning fire.
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Jealousy. By definition jealously is described as feeling or showing of envy towards someone or their achievements and advantages. One emotion that can't be compared to envy. Jealous of your partner laughing at someone else's joke. Jealous of someone scoring higher than you on a test. It's is one of those feelings that naturally comes early in life; typically between 9 to 15 months.
However, in rare cases that sensation can develop as early as 5 months.
That's why Akito hated her. That's why she not only felt jealous, but pure rage towards her. To think that before the God was born, there was someone that had already gained the utmost respect from the rest of the older zodiacs. Imagine at 5 months watching a 5 years girl get the attention that the God was clearly suppose to obtain.
The dream had woken her up. Or was it the invisible pull of a tight rope around her neck. Not enough to suffocate, yet enough to hold her back. From that day she knew she wouldn't be able to live an normal life. What made her assume that she had a normal life to begin with never was clear. That pull not only haunted her exit to a normal life, it took away the extreme protective hold on the others.
So what made her, get up, tears streaming down her face to go get the others. To make sure they were okay....? Shigure was first, then Kureno, all followed by Ayame and Hatori. Tissue in hand she made sure to pass one of each before acknowledging her own. As result to their same reaction, the same dream........ the God was here.
Now it wasn't the circumstances of the children waiting for them. It was the God waiting for the children.
Forming a line (her leading), each one of the children ran up to Ren. Eyes beaming from curiosity making her aware of her pregnancy. A pregnancy that led to the trauma that each of the zodiac members suffered. One that none of them could have avoided. Akito was born. Leading to a history that none of them would ever forget.
For Adrina Sohma........ is was years of her life filled with blood, regret, tears, and confusion. Nothing could of properly prepared her for the hell that was yet to come when her eyes met the new generation God of the Sohma clan.
Who could have known that despite the closeness of the Sohma clan, something could of still been missing. They all felt it. Since her absence, they felt exposed. A prey surrounded by predators, yet no one attempted to move an inch; Only their for the intimidation factor.
Even for those who haven't met her felt that missing blanket that kept them from the cold. Shigure, Hatori, and Ayame tried everything they could to even get a small conversation out of her. Never did she initiate conversation, tell them where she lived, or gave them her number for that fact. All that information was obtained through secrecy and distrust. Neither could they tell Yuki or Kyo why their fights and bicker have grown more intense and consistent.
Audrina Sohma lived by herself, struggling her job as a Paralegal. She barely attempted to make friends or anyone more for that matter. Aside from her job at hand, she kept to herself. It may be a result of her recent past or childhood, yet what her peers knew, from work colleagues to flirts was that she kept her answers short.
Not bothering to move past the topic of weather in a conversation. Turning down any offers to a drink. That's what kept her out of the conversation between anyone in the Shigure Sohma household.
What she didn't know was that there was someone curious of her. A little girl that she didn't know would have such an impact on her life. Who would have known that one random Sunday after school, a teenage girl would encounter a beautifully mauve feathered owl?
Soon enough They ohru Honda would find out another member of the Sohma Clan.
Present
Shigure hung up the phone with an exasperated sigh dissatisfied by yet another call sent to voicemail. The gaps between each call began to grow gradually. Hatori going through the same predicament. Neither bothered to call each other to let it be known that Audrina didn't answer the phone again since it has become the normal.
"Always so dramatic", he huffed and went back into the living room where Tohru stayed watching Kyo constantly pry himself apart from Kagura's grasp. He sat down at his usual end, disappointment apparent on his face as Yuki spared him a glance.
Yuki noticed his frequent phone calls and how they all ended up in him calling Hatori with the usual 'did you get her'. Although Yuki and Kyo knew Audrina, their memory of her is faded, barely enough to remember her personality. They weren't briefly sure why they haven't seen her except that Akito rarely brings her up.
Interrupting each oneself dialogue, Kagura yet again said something that sparked a argument between her and Kyo. "Don't be silly, Of course, you should keep your future wife in the known." Kyo flinched at the word 'side' and immediately retracted.
"Future what now", he snapped. Shigure and Yuki continued to eat on the snacks Tohru was skilled enough to make as they sarcastically congratulated him. Tohru, took what Kagura said with nothing but that truth.
"You see, when we were little, Kyo told me we would get married one day"
"Only because you threatened me with kitchen knives!"
"I don't remember that. Audrina took them away from me before I could ask Ristsu to be my bridesmaid." Kagura mumbled. The mention of the name caused Shigure to side eye her. Not that he could say anything but.... it was one of the first times that her name had been mentioned in his house.
"What's wrong", she continued, "You should want to marry another animal spirit. It's your best chance at happiness. We could suffer our curses together. And of course, we don't transform when we hug each other." In display, she wrapped her arms around him with a tight squeeze making him tense up.
"Oh wow", Tohru whispered amazed at her new knowledge of the Zodiac Member 'rules and restrictions'
"Watch, I can hug Yun-chan too!", she excitedly said while lunging onto Yuki. His face portraying one of being unbothered. Tohru, curious of this new information asked why it was to be. "Wish I knew", Yuki pressed his palm against Kagura's face. Pushing her back, "There are others tho. Female Zodiac members I mean. Three in the Sohma Clan and we've found that they don't trigger our transformations either."
Her face beamed once more as she leaned in closer to Yuki, "Really!? Where are they now!? I want to meet them too." Shigure tensed slightly at her plead but covered it up quickly with his answer.
"Would you like to know their animals?" He smiled and asked knowing that Yuki was aware that her promised cannot entirely be filled.
"No thank you. On second thought. It'll be more exciting if I get to see them and figure it out myself.", she replied. Now eager to meet the rest of the Sohma Clan.
"Suit yourself", he shrugged. In his mind he knew that her chances to meet Audrina was slim, but what he forgot to realize was that Tohru continued to gain luck the longer she stayed with the Sohma's
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Tohru was walking home from school on a Sunday afternoon, following her makeup exams and was already making a mental note of what she was going to prepare for dinner for the Shigure household. Yet, what she didn't expect to witness was a purple owl falling out of a tree.
"Huh!", she was frantic looking around for someone to help her or give har advice on what to do.
She frantically took her jacket off and wrapped it around the shivering animal. With that she took off to Shigure's house. Crying out as soon as she stepped into the house.
"Tohru! Is that you! How did the exam go", Shigure called out from the kitchen however, he was met with nothing but a sweating, panicking, girl with a towel wrapped protectively around something he couldn't identify?
She tried to utter at least one word but, what came out was stutters and frantically breaths. Shigure put his newspaper down and turned around at the sound of her deep breaths. "Tohru what's wrong." He asked taking noticed of her breathing.
"A......bird......fell....tree......help", she said between breaths and stretched out the still wrapped up owl. Shigure furrowed his eyebrows and gently took the bundled animal from her hand. Setting it on the ground next to him, he slowly unwrapped the towel and whispered to himself at first glance, "Well there you are."
Audrina was too sick to bother knowing who picked her up. She was unaware that the house that she was currently in, was the one she had on her mental 'avoid' list. On the now unwrapped towel laid a beautiful purple owl with blue/ purple eyes. Its feather looked extremely soft yet the way it was curled in a ball, barely responsive, and overall slump, there was clearly something wrong. Tohru heard Shigure's comment and finally after calming down she watched he bundled it back up in the blanket.
"Wait you know the bird......l" and with a gasp she put two and two together. "Are they apart of the Zodiac!"
Shigure got up and put the towel wrapped owl in his room and closed the door before sitting in his original spot before Tohru. He sighed before speaking, "Yes thatsAudri or Audrina. She processes the owl spirit. Although she seems to be extremely ill right now...... that's odd even for her.", he responded to Tohru keeping his last sentence to himself.
With a sigh of relief and a bright spark of interest in her eyes she got up and started to her room, making sure to call out to Shigure, "I'll fix her some soup and tea."
Shigure rested his head on the palm of his hand. His elbow leaning on the table as he stared at his room. As a result of him being in his own world, he didn't notice the two other house members walk in. Yuki and Kyo stood there watching Shigure as he mindlessly stared at the closed entrance to his room. He was in deep thought of why Audrina had gotten so poorly ill. Sure she was always one to take of others before herself l, but with her mindset, Audrina strived to take proper care of herself for the purpose of being well enough to take care of those surrounding her.
In the time of them all living in the Sohma Estate, not once had Audrina been sick. In fact it was one thing that she was known for. Now to have her helpless in Shigure's room confused him greatly. He knew he had to call Hatori and wasn't hesitant to. Nonetheless, he was well aware that as soon as she was transformed back, her ultimate goal would be to leave.
"What's he staring off into space for", Kyo broke the silence. Shigure jerked back away from his inner thoughts and looked at the two boys smiling with his eyes closed. "Well, we have an unexpected guess. Audrina payed us a visit."
Their eyes grew wide at the name. They glanced at his shut door and back at Shigure. Since Yuki started living in Shigure's house, he has never seen her or talked about her. While Kyo had a different perspective. He's seen her only months prior. Back when he was with his master training in the mountains he was surprised to see Audrina come in and regularly talk with him. However, as soon as it was time for him to train, she took it upon herself to keep her distance. Or that's what he remembers.
"Oh", Yuki mumbled.
Audrina still was laid in her owl form for majority of the night. Tohru fixed her soup and tea, yet she never got the chance to eat simply because her body was not in the proper state to transfer back yet. She was saddened to hear how bad of a condition Audrina was in and wished her best recovery.
Yuki and Kyo on the other hand couldn't sleep. Something abound in Audrina's presence caused them to feel as if a piece of a big puzzle has finally been found. If anything, they could be more curious than Tohru. And that's saying a lot.
Shigure was up for the majority of the night as well. Part of it filled with watching over Audrina. Making sure she stayed warm and honestly that's all he could do. He called her job and told them that she wouldn't be able to make it the morning to come. It was evident that she kept her personal out of any kind of light when her Boss asked if he was harming her in anyway.
The next call was to Hatori. It was short lived as soon as Shigure told him she was there. After reassurance that Shigure was not lying Hatori told him that he would be there in the afternoon since he had to keep Akito under wraps.
"Caused quit a stir Audri.", Shigure scoffed as he read his book. After another hour, dawn was breaking. Still no sign of Audrina getting any better, so he drifted to sleep.