The room slightly shifted as Amay felt nearly all lied on her when Lucas asked his question. For a moment she felt all the memories flood back to her of her hometown and the pain she felt, even after all these years she wouldn't think she would have to think back about any of them.
She looked at Elizabeth who had a curious yet blank expression on her face. Amay knew if she said the word Elizabeth would try to change the subject on her behalf. It's what she would always do in situations like these. Then her attention went to Ida, who sat there with a smug smile on her face. She couldn't tell if she was enjoying the misery, she was putting her through, or a favorite moment of when they were kids again. She felt her hand tingle as she wanted to slit her throat for bringing it up in the first place but decided against it for now. Then her red viper eyes looked over towards the mutt, who was too busy stealing the rest of the bacon for her brother's plate as she didn't want it to get cold. And finally her eyes landed on Lucas's soft eyes. Those eyes filled with so much curiosity and wonder, but gentle and care that she didn't want to let them down.
Amay took a breath as she looked away from him for a moment. "Those damn eyes." She thought to herself as she shook her head and begrudgingly began to spill her secret.
"Yes. I was a princess to my clan back at home." Amay let out as she hated the taste it left in her mouth.
"Oh?" Ida perked up as she noticed Amay's choice of words. "You mean still a princess. You don't simply leave something like that behind you. But I will bite for now. How come you don't see yourself as one? It's a pretty big deal to let people know if you asked me."
"That's because I was never seen or treated as one, Ida." Amay snapped back flashing her teeth at her bully.
"I'm confused now," Lucas spoke up feeling the uneasied tense from the both of them. "So you were one but you're not one?"
"It's.....complicated," Amay told him as she folded her arms and felt herself sink into her chair.
"Ha! Complicated you say!" Ida burst out. "Oh, this is rich coming from you. But not too surprising of you. Just like a noble to try to downplay their title for simple beings. No need to be so modest about it. I'm sure your father and your sisters would get a kick out of this."
"Don't you bring them into this. You have no idea what it was like to stay with them!" Amay said slamming her hand on the table and ready to launch out of her chair at the woman.
"That is enough, both of you." Elizabeth spoke up feeling the area around her turn from a decent conversation to a battle area.
"Yeah." Lucas spoke up before clearing his throat. He felt himself kick his own butt by asking the question to her not realizing how sensitive it was to his partner. "Maybe, we should change the topic."
"And miss her answering my question. You got to ask me some pretty insightful questions about myself and my race. All I'm doing is the same to her." Ida spoke up lifting her head up slightly. "Doesn't seem fair if you ask me?"
A low growl came from Martha feeling Ida cross tilt on the line just a bit, her eyes shifted to Elizabeth to wait on to say the word; however, Amay was the one to speak on it.
"You know what fine." Amay let out as she took a deep breath and sat fully back in her seat. "I'll tell my side then. Just give me a second."
With a satisfied smile, Ida raised her hands as she sat back confidently with her arms crossed. She motioned with her hand as if sealing her mouth and dropping the key as she gave the floor to Amay.
Letting out a heavy sigh Amay sat up in her chair, she moved her head slightly as if fighting herself to speak, but took a long inhale, before giving a defeated exhale. She felt all their eyes rested on her before she spoke as the only sound that escaped was the sound of Martha chewing her food.
"I am Amay Obabe. The second daughter of Obabe Shigehide and his late wife, and my mother, Obake Ibaraki. If something was to happen to my father and my older sister, I would be head of the Mikadzuki Clan. So yes I am a princess." Amay explained as she didn't look at them but at her own hands for a moment.
"To some that might have been the amazing dream or for me, but for me it would have been a nightmare. Hell when I was little it would have been the best dream to be able to look out at the people who loved and cherish me, but it was mainly a dream." She continued feeling her hands slightly tremble as she let it all out to bear. "A princess is supposed to be loved and cherish by the people around her, whether it was the guards, the servants, the people, or even just the children in the streets. People were supposed to praise and hope the princess was going to be married off to a nice kingdom or even take the throne. But all I faced was fear, hate and whispers from the moment I could understand them. The only person I was shown any resemblance of those affection were from my own mother, a few that served under her directly and my uncle, who came by every so often when he could. When I was with them, I was shown so much love that maybe someone like me could take the position and be seen as a princess to our people, but when they were not around, I was treated like a monster. Someone even lower then the most corrupted criminal around."
She giggled for a moment thinking about it as she shook her head. "Not even my own father, the one I looked up to wanted to hold me. The only kindness I felt from him was when he saw that I stayed in my room and didn't disgust him with my presence."
"When it was just me and my mother, I felt like I had a place to call my own in the palace. Taking baths with her, watching her train, taking walks to her favorite stores or even just going to the garden felt... amazing. Even when she told me, I would make a fine queen when I was of age, made me feel so loved. Without her, I felt like a disease throughout the kingdom. It especially got worse when she sadly passed. It got so much worse."
Amay paused for a moment and thought about the days after her mother passed and looked up to Elizabeth and then Lucas. She let out a soft chuckle and dropped her head.
"You don't realize how much someone does for you until they are not there anymore. Especially when it comes to parents. My mother shielded me from a lot of the hate the clan had for me, and I truly realized that when when she was gone. The people who helped her raise me, turned their back on me as well. Outside of making sure I was fed and okay, and maybe presentable when we had guest over, they didn't do much. But the look on their faces and their whispers said it all. They were just like the rest."
"To them, I was a monster. To my own father, I was nothing but a burden, he so badly wanted gone. The only semblance that he cared about me was when he slapped me across the face, when I spoke back or did anything he didn't approve of. He reminded me constantly how lucky I was that my mother loved me or he was taking care of me because of my mother or that I would never amount to anything like my sister. Those were from the small interactions I had with him, while the rest of my time was spent in the cage I called my room."
Her eyes then looked up and the shocked looked on Ida's face as a twisted smile formed.
"You wanna know something funny, Ida." Amay asked her. "No matter how much you tormented me or made me feel low, you were the one being that felt like actual family to me. It's ironic honestly. You could have been like all the rest of them, but you choose to speak and hate on me. All the other kids did was call me names and throw rocks at me, but you went above and beyond to make sure your punching bag was still around."
"When Lizzy came to the village, she treated me with such kindness that I was willing to leave with her a total stranger, then stay in that hell whole another day." Amay said as she wiped her eyes from the mist that formed. "So I left. I took my mother's last name, and left that kingdom behind. It was either get the freedom, I wanted so badly or stay and be their prisoner, until I died."
The room went silent again as Amay coughed and cleared her eyes once more as she looked around at everyone again.
"Amay, I'm sorry I asked you that." Lucas spoke up feeling anger, but sorry for her. He felt sick to his stomach the amount of times he called her a monster and demon to her face without realizing he was acting like the people she hated.
"Eh. You're fine. It's behind me. I was a child when it happened, so don't worry about it." She said brushing him off with a brave smile.
"Yeah. You're not wrong in that aspect. Those fuckers of the Obabe clan didn't change one bit." Ida spoke up feeling her heart twist a bit from hearing Amay's story. She let out a breath as she hid her own emotions. She knew they were cruel from her own experience, but didn't think they would be that cruel. "I'm glad you got out when you did because they would have killed you and make it a whole celebration."
"Yeah. I figured as much," Amay added scratching her own head. "It was either that or kept me locked in a cell for the rest of my life."
"That too." Ida said as she slightly chuckled. "I am sorry you experienced that from your own people."
"Oh." Amay let out surprised at Ida sudden apology. "T-thank you. Ida, that means a lot. Are you also sorry for.."
"For what?" Ida coldly asked her. "Oh! You thought I was sorry for bullying you? Yeah, no. I'm not sorry for that."
"But you were one of the biggest things I had to deal with there.
"And? I would have still tormented you if you were royal or not. You deserve it." Ida spoke up focusing her attention directly back on Amay. Any shred of sympathy she has towards Amay washed away as she placed a hand on the table.
Amay sat their silently staring at Ida with both her red eyes focused on the girl. Her eyes looked away for a moment as she felt a bitter taste sink into the bottom of her throat. She gritted her teeth for a moment but just let out a small mutter as she didn't know what to expect or even though when it came to her bully. Yet, she couldn't stop the fire in her chest as she felt her blood boil from her words. Her knuckle turned white as she gripped the bottom of her shorts as tiny tears began to form from them.
"Fuck you."
The words barely audible as everyone watched her. They could tell she was angry even with her words almost like a whisper the angrier behind them, could be felt.
"Not even in your worst nightmare," Ida smugly said as she heard Amay's whisper. She loved seeing the young oni squirm in her seat as she tried so badly to hide her emotions. She knew she got under her skin and embraced the joy it brought her. But loved the face Amay gave her even more when she realized she heard her whisper.
Everyone, expect Martha, watched as Amay face sat up and looked directly into the eyes of Ida. The side of her mouth twitched as if there was a fight for which words to say wanted to be released, but she stopped them. Her pale skin soon turned a chalk like white as her eyes a once vibrant blood red, soon became a dull grey as her pupils grew and pulsated. The very air around them began to shift and turn heavy as Amay opened her mouth once again. All the anger, all the rage, sorrow, pain, Amay had felt suddenly snapped in one swift motion towards her target.
"Fuck you, you Geishia bitch." Amay hissed at Ida.
Just as she did a wave of dark and negative emotions would lash out at everyone at the table.The wave of energy would push Amay's hair back and cause the plates in front of everyone to break. Martha who had toned out the conversation for the most part turned her head as she felt something try to touch her but was shaken off.
"Heh." The only word to leave Ida's mouth as she expected a smart comment come from Amay's mouth but fell short as she was consumed by an unbearable sadness. She hunched over the table as she felt her whole body began to shake as memories and emotions she's buried deep within herself began to flood forward. She then felt warm tears fill her eyes as quickly went to wipe them away.
"What the hell? What is this?" She thought to herself as she didn't know why she was feeling this way. Ida who usually hid her emotions felt herself unable to hold them back at this moment. Her eyes then landed on Amay's who stilled looked at her with an unbreaking hatred in her eyes.
"She did something, but what and why can't I stop myself." Ida thought as she looked over to Lucas with tears in his eyes as he started to hyperventilate and grasp onto his chest. "What..what did she just do." She asked herself as she fought for control of her own emotions.
Lucas felt so much emotions feel his body that he could barely think straight as he could hear Amay crying and even feel her pain. He covered his eyes as he tried to get a better hold of himself but couldn't help but continue to bawl his eyes out.
"Enough." Elizabeth booming voice filled the room and cut through the emotional turmoil that erupted in her dying room. She felt almost every eyes fall on her, even Amay's as she was snapped back into the moment.
Amay looked towards Elizabeth but quickly turned to look at Lucas who barely held it together as he was in so much distress.
"Lucas?" Amay soft voice spoke out as she was confused on what was happening.
"Amay." Elizabeth spoke up grabbing the Oni's attention. "Listen to me. I need you and Martha to take Lucas outside. Martha go ahead and start his training like we discussed earlier. Everything is already set up and done with we talked about. Give him a few minutes to collect himself and do as you see it with it from there."
"But," Amay let out as she was confused on why Lucas was acting the way he was. Yet she was caught off guard by Martha quickly sitting up from her seat.
"Understood," Martha said quickly going to her brother's side.
As she got Lucas to his feet, Amay confused about everything going on stopped and looked towards Elizabeth trying to figure out what happened in that few moments she looked at Ida.
A slightly frustrated Elizabeth looked at her former partner and watched as an unknown look crossed her face.
"I will tell you later, Amay. For now, go be by his side." Elizabeth told Amay in a calm but straight forward voice. Even though she could she the confusion in her face, Elizabeth didn't have the heart to tell her friend what just happened. "Just do this for me Amay. Please?"
Amay stopped as she could hear the concern in Elizabeth voice, and knew it was a serious moment, so she left to join Martha who carried her brother towards the front door.
A long sigh left Elizabeth mouth, as she looked around and saw the negative energy still floating around the table and Ida. Even with her ability to get rid of it, she knew the stain and damage was already done. Yet she couldn't believe what she witnessed happened. She looked towards the doorway as Amay followed behind her with only two words on her mind.
"Dark mana.."
The words poked at her as didn't think, Amay of all beings was capable of such a think. She knew Oni's could, high end Oni's at that but her at such a age let alone unknowingly puzzle her a bit. She then turned back to a sniffling Ida who tried her best to cover her emotions and cough away her emotions from being furthered seen.
"What are you looking at?" Ida let out as she quickly wiped away her tears and noise to further hide her emotions.
A soft chuckle escaped her mouth at the young girl, trying her best to keep a strong look. "Trying to keep a strong presence even in the face of your own consequence. I don't know if I'm impressed or floored by it."
"Whatever. Are you going to explain what just happened, or even what the hell is going on with this house of yours?" Ida asked wiping the rest of her tears as she fixed her hair and sleeves.
Elizabeth calmly sat back in her chair and picked up her unaffected cup of coffee. "I will and a lot more but first, you have to clean up the mess you caused."
A shocked look came across Ida's face like a child being told they had to do something by their parents. "Seriously?"
"Dead serious," Elizabeth said pulling the cup up to blow some of the steam away and take a sip. "You didn't think, I would forget you provoked her nor did I let those slick comments pass? Besides this is still your punishment."
A low growl left Ida's mouth as she rolled her eyes and annoyingly pushed back from her chair and started to grab the dishes. She mumbled under her breath as she proceeded to get to work.
"And if you half assed them, I will make you do them again." Elizabeth said as sat back and pondered on the situation with Amay. "This is gonna be a long journey." She thought to herself as she watched Ida take the plates and began trash them.