She begins her story and I dry my eyes, this is going to be a rough world without my parents.
"Well, there was a time when I quiet a rebellious fox and I once hated what I demanded to do. The thought of following rules to me was giving yourself to the persona and give control over your thoughts. My mind didn't see commands as orders for you to do like a good soldier but it was as if it was stripping away my freedom. Locking me away in a cage and I would have no way out even if I gave in for just the slightest second.
"The time that I was the most arrogant was when I killed an innocent woman. She was only simply telling me what to do and I snapped at her." I look over to Tomoko who had her brows furrowed and was cutting the meat ever so elegantly.
"Well, you were a young fox at the time weren't you?" I pile the cut vegetables into the wooden bowl between us as I speak.
She shakes her head, "No, Miss. My age would be old for a human but young for foxes. I was a hundred and twenty-five years old when I killed her."
I am taken aback, a hundred and twenty-five years old? That's very old for a human and that's young for a fox? Then what would two hundred and fifty years old mean to her kind? "Tomoko that is old! How is that even possible?"
She laughs and cleans her hands with the damp cloth that was sitting next to her, "We all have teen years. The thing was is that I used to belong to a farming family, we all grew food and worked for it. The woman who was a demon bought the land from my family in my village and worked us to death. She didn't care about us besides the amount of product we could put out in a single day. No matter how many times we begged, it never worked.
"One day, she came raging into the field and grabbed me by my ears pulling me from my work. She slapped me and began to yell at me about how much money I was costing her. I was angry, nothing had got to me but this woman came along. I just felt so angry that she yelling about my work and it was driving me insane My body took into my different form and I slashed her into pieces before me. It felt so freeing at the time until everyone around me was screaming.
"I ran from my village that day and didn't return until dusk. But when I came back, that was when I saw my village had been raided by bandits. They must have heard about the incident and came while I was gone. I walked through the village finding dead bodies of the other foxes and houses were burning. Orochi found me and you know the rest." She walked over the cooking station and started to pile in logs of wood.
"I'm sorry for your loss then, Momo."
She smiles softly, "It's all in the past and I am glad that I have the life I have right now. But, with all that being said we must hurry and finish the food before Master gets up." Tomoko's hand grew a yellow flame on her finger and slowly lit the wood aflame.
"Woah! I didn't know you could do that!" I walk up watching the fire slowly spread onto the other pieces of wood, blackened surface as it went.
"All foxes have foxfire but I guess you haven't seen any other foxes beside me, have you?" She chuckles and places a pot on top of the fire hanging over it.
"We will cook the meat in the boiling water for broth with herbs and then add in the vegetables when the water is boiling. Soup from scratch is the best, Miss." She smiles and gathers water for the pot to boil.
"It's honestly amazing how you know all of this and you worked as a maid for Orochi. Your cooking is delicious to me." I hand her the bowl full of food and got to pour ourselves a cup of tea.
"It's alright, I guess but there is better. Maybe one day you will be able to try it." She grabs her cup and takes a sip of it.
I realized that now that the estate was gone, we were basically living in unknown circumstances and that was probably what Orochi was doing. My heart drops a little thinking that he was putting himself at risk so we could all live in comfort.
"Don't worry, Miss. We just in a little hole right now. Orochi will think of something." She pats my arm and we talk a little more while we cook the food. The smell fills the kitchen and makes my stomach growl with anticipation of eating it.
We laughed as we ate and watched the sunset down the horizon as we smiled in glee. "Tomoko, you make it so easy to smile when I'm down. I'm glad to have met you since coming here."
"Same as well, Miss". She leans her head against my arm and smiles with her eyes closed.
I smile and watch the sky as it turns into beautiful orange, "Let's go feed Orochi." But as I look down Tomoko is softly snoring against my sleeve with her teacup still in hand. Good gracious, don't tell me you passed your limits as well! I sigh in disbelief and wake her softly. "Momo, come on let's get you to bed to rest."
She softly nods, still drowsy from sleep. I take her hand and lead her to what seems like to be her room but with another bed, probably where I will be sleeping from now on. Her little body climbs up into her bed, grabbing the pillow like a little bear and passes out within seconds of laying down. As I pull a blanket over her, I realize how much these two have done for me in the last weeks while I adjusted to the Demon world itself. Orochi provided a home, food, and safety for me, Tomoko has taken care of me the whole time, and what have I done? I created commotion and chaos.
I walk into the kitchen to prepare a bowl of food for Orochi. He slept all day which wasn't a surprise being as how warm he was. I put his food on a tray and walk towards his room. As I slide open the door, to see that Orochi was still peacefully sleeping away. The cloth I left on his forehead was on top of the bed and his hair tousled around from sleeping so much. The circles under his eyes had almost completely gone away, my heart swelled at the thought that he was getting better with just rest.
I set the tray on the table and gently rub his arm, "Orochi, I have food. Wake up please." A low groan comes from him and he rolls over. I frown, either he's going to wake up or I'm going to make him.
"Orochi, come on you rock." I grab his shoulder but he doesn't move. Do I have to resort to this?
"ORO-"
A hand covers my mouth from me yelling any further. "So pushy, my eyes are barely open and I'm already getting bothered."
My brows crease in frustration as I remove his mouth, "Well if you don't want the food then you don't eat it."
Orochi sits up and pats my head, "It's fine, I'm playing." He goes to reach for the bowl but I slap his hand away.
"No, I'm feeding you." I grab the bowl and scoop out a piece of carrot with some broth. I hold it in front of his mouth but he glares at me.
"I don't need to be fed like a child, Ren." He lowers my hand but I bring it back up.
"You are too weak. Now, open your mouth to eat or I will make you eat it." His eyes squint at me as he opens his mouth taking in the food. I keep feeding him until the bowl is empty with nothing left.
"There, now you have been fed dinner." I smile at him but he stays silent. Orochi has his arm propped up on right leg and his head is slightly dipped making his unkempt hair slip forward. I notice that in the dim candlelight his eyelashes cast little moons across his cheeks with his golden eyes peeking out the bottom. My eyes travel down to his collar bone where his kimono has opened up exposing his chest.
"Admiring are we, Ren?" I feel my cheeks heat up and I dart my eyes from him down to the bowl in my hands.
"I-I don't know what you mean." I feel my hair fall from the bun it had been in the last few days down and it frames my face. My eyes go up to Orochi who is looking at the pin in his hand my mother gave me.
"I'm sorry we couldn't save your family. It's my fault for bringing you here." He lets his hand drop and he closes his eyes shut as he tilts his head back.
My eyes notice his neck and how it stood out against his hair, "It's alright. It isn't your fault for what Beliath did. It's hers'." He nods and puts the pin on the table beside us.
"Let's sleep, I can feel myself starting to go out again." I nod my head as Orochi slides down into his bed and I get up to leave. I feel something wrap around my waist and pull me down onto the bed.
"Your sleeping here." I feel my face burn after hearing that sentence.
"W-what-"
"Yes, here. Now, lay down and sleep. It's best if you sleep with me." I feel his arm let go and roll over to the other side. It's silent for a few moments before I lay down. I hear his soft breathing behind me and I use it to calm myself as I fall asleep.