When she notices his eyes, Youko muffles a gasp. They remind her to the Sea of Emptiness, the barrier between worlds she has crossed and couldn’t be able to swim back home. The dark, bottomless waters have countless of star and galaxies swirling in its surface and lighting the landscape. She knows this man can’t be human, but who is she to judge? She’s not human, either.
His first words surprise her more than his unusual appearance. No way… “S-Sapphire?” she asks, reaching protectively at the oversized blue jewel she hides, hung to her belt, beneath the layers of the loose shirt she wears. She hears the monkey’s voice inside her mind, his laughter echoing as a malicious warning.
“He’s a thief, missy! He wants to take the jewel when you show it to him! Leave him and run, little girl! What does it matter? You don’t know him!
Neither did Rakushun know me when he found me delirious, injured and starving under the rain on a side of a mountain road. Youko replies while the demon’s voice (her worse half voice) grows weaker. I’ll take my chances. He’s in no condition to be a match for me. He can’t even pull himself up.
“I don’t know if this is what you want,” she tells him, holding him steady with her right hand and trying to sit him down. She uses her body as anchor to lean his; she may be young, but her muscles and condition have been seasoned by hardship. Her other hand unties the sapphire and brings it to his limp hand, focusing its power to aid this man.
It must have been a comical sight, as the young woman propped Morpheus up, with the differences in their height. Although she was quite right; he was very thin, and not terribly difficult to lift.
There was something to be said for near unconsciousness. It dulled pain and temporarily made one forget exactly how bad a situation might be. Morpheus breathing hitched very slightly as the gem was slipped into his hand, as if he intuitively knew this object bore a superficial similarity to the gem he was looking for. The gem itself was attempting to lend him strength, and to an extent, it was helping him focus. But, it was not his sapphire, and thus no matter how much he held it, or how much strength it lent him, it could not compare.
A fair amount of time had passed before he tried cracking his eyes open to slits again. The world reeled in a blurry wash of color, predominantly red as his vision was partially obscured by her hair. Reflexively he squeezed the gem in his hand feeling warmth spread out from his fingers.
" Please....inside....is there...there somewhere I can lay still? His speech was still slurred and very soft, but at least he was making a measure of sense now.
Youko’s grip tightened on the gemstone. She knew this man, at the verge of unconsciousness, wasn’t going to steal the sapphire, but she had to make sure he was being healed. There was a connection between the sword, the scabbard, the jewel and herself she didn’t understand, but it was possible it was useless on its own.
When his dark eyes appeared to open anew, Youko listened to what he had to say. He sounded weak but coherent. That was a signal of improvement. Where can I take him? she mused for a few minutes. Her first thought was the Hospital, but it was too far from this spot. Her apartment was closer. He didn’t sustain any visible wound, maybe once he’s comfortable, she can see what was wrong with him.
“I can take you to my apartment or the Hospital. My place’s nearest. It’s your choice.”
He made an attempt to sit under his own strength, but the effort made him dizzy. He swayed a bit, then thought retaining consciousness to be preferable to retaining his dignity.
No...no healers...please...just...j-just let me lay still.. It seemed like such a small request. Why wouldn't she just let him lay down and rest? His thoughts were so muddy he couldn't form a coherent thought for more than a few minutes.
Reflexively he squeezed the gem, and tried to look at the young woman again, but her hair got in the way. He frowned and blew a soft breath in an attempt to clear the annoyance. " Please.....just let me...let me rest..."
Great. That meant a certain no to the Hospital and he had an attitude to be so borderline weak. With his dramatic fashion sense and creepy eyes, she knew he got to have a sense of self-importance. But she didn’t care about his thanks, she cared about helping because she couldn’t leave a person whoever they were alone and wasting on the streets like this.
“Don’t drop the sapphire,” she told him and moved her right arm to drape around his waist. God, he was slim. Had this man gotten a proper dinner? She was as thin after months of starvation she endured, but there were more muscles on her meat than this man seemed to have and his height was impressive! “Now I’m going to lift you and carry you to my place,” she informed him very slowly and gently to comfort him. “You’ll be resting soon.”
It took her a minute to lift him from his feet while she stood. Her own strength surprised her first, and then she remembered how many demons she had fought many times her size and it made sense. He was weightless to carry. She began to walk with him; her left hand on the sapphire, offering Morpheus strength, while her right hand gripped to hold him a few inches above the ground.
To his credit, he did manage to hang onto the gem. Despite feeling like a bit of luggage.
Morpheus frowned at being handled as the young woman lifted him off his feet, but as soon as his equilibrium shifted, he felt the gray edges of another blackout eating his vision. He drew a sharp breath and clutched the gemstone tight, taking what meager comfort he could by the solidity of the facets digging into his palm. In another vain attempt to preserve what shreds of dignity he had left, he threw his unencumbered arm around the young woman's shoulders to try and steady himself.
Yes, he was painfully thin. More so than his usual wiry form portrayed. It was obvious to anyone with a pair of eyes ( including the young woman ) that he looked as though he hadn't eaten in far too long. In a way it was accurate, he was starving, but not for mortal food. At least it made it easy for her to carry him.
Youko was glad the man didn’t try to squirm or struggle against her. He would end up hurting himself. “Relax. We’ll be there soon,” she assured him. How did Rakushun do it? He knew how to keep a smile to the worst and most ungrateful people - her. He just had the right words and the good care while she was a pale shadow of his kindness.
He looked like a beast, but he was more of a person that she was.
Huh. The girl realized she had forgotten to pick the man’s phone from the ground. She didn’t pause to think what was more important - his health or his mobile - and continued until she reached the apartment.
His first words surprise her more than his unusual appearance. No way… “S-Sapphire?” she asks, reaching protectively at the oversized blue jewel she hides, hung to her belt, beneath the layers of the loose shirt she wears. She hears the monkey’s voice inside her mind, his laughter echoing as a malicious warning.
“He’s a thief, missy! He wants to take the jewel when you show it to him! Leave him and run, little girl! What does it matter? You don’t know him!
Neither did Rakushun know me when he found me delirious, injured and starving under the rain on a side of a mountain road. Youko replies while the demon’s voice (her worse half voice) grows weaker. I’ll take my chances. He’s in no condition to be a match for me. He can’t even pull himself up.
“I don’t know if this is what you want,” she tells him, holding him steady with her right hand and trying to sit him down. She uses her body as anchor to lean his; she may be young, but her muscles and condition have been seasoned by hardship. Her other hand unties the sapphire and brings it to his limp hand, focusing its power to aid this man.
“This will help you…as it helped me.”
Reply
There was something to be said for near unconsciousness. It dulled pain and temporarily made one forget exactly how bad a situation might be. Morpheus breathing hitched very slightly as the gem was slipped into his hand, as if he intuitively knew this object bore a superficial similarity to the gem he was looking for.
The gem itself was attempting to lend him strength, and to an extent, it was helping him focus. But, it was not his sapphire, and thus no matter how much he held it, or how much strength it lent him, it could not compare.
A fair amount of time had passed before he tried cracking his eyes open to slits again. The world reeled in a blurry wash of color, predominantly red as his vision was partially obscured by her hair.
Reflexively he squeezed the gem in his hand feeling warmth spread out from his fingers.
" Please....inside....is there...there somewhere I can lay still? His speech was still slurred and very soft, but at least he was making a measure of sense now.
Reply
When his dark eyes appeared to open anew, Youko listened to what he had to say. He sounded weak but coherent. That was a signal of improvement. Where can I take him? she mused for a few minutes. Her first thought was the Hospital, but it was too far from this spot. Her apartment was closer. He didn’t sustain any visible wound, maybe once he’s comfortable, she can see what was wrong with him.
“I can take you to my apartment or the Hospital. My place’s nearest. It’s your choice.”
Reply
He swayed a bit, then thought retaining consciousness to be preferable to retaining his dignity.
No...no healers...please...just...j-just let me lay still.. It seemed like such a small request. Why wouldn't she just let him lay down and rest?
His thoughts were so muddy he couldn't form a coherent thought for more than a few minutes.
Reflexively he squeezed the gem, and tried to look at the young woman again, but her hair got in the way.
He frowned and blew a soft breath in an attempt to clear the annoyance.
" Please.....just let me...let me rest..."
Reply
“Don’t drop the sapphire,” she told him and moved her right arm to drape around his waist. God, he was slim. Had this man gotten a proper dinner? She was as thin after months of starvation she endured, but there were more muscles on her meat than this man seemed to have and his height was impressive! “Now I’m going to lift you and carry you to my place,” she informed him very slowly and gently to comfort him. “You’ll be resting soon.”
It took her a minute to lift him from his feet while she stood. Her own strength surprised her first, and then she remembered how many demons she had fought many times her size and it made sense. He was weightless to carry. She began to walk with him; her left hand on the sapphire, offering Morpheus strength, while her right hand gripped to hold him a few inches above the ground.
Reply
Morpheus frowned at being handled as the young woman lifted him off his feet, but as soon as his equilibrium shifted, he felt the gray edges of another blackout eating his vision.
He drew a sharp breath and clutched the gemstone tight, taking what meager comfort he could by the solidity of the facets digging into his palm.
In another vain attempt to preserve what shreds of dignity he had left, he threw his unencumbered arm around the young woman's shoulders to try and steady himself.
Yes, he was painfully thin. More so than his usual wiry form portrayed. It was obvious to anyone with a pair of eyes ( including the young woman ) that he looked as though he hadn't eaten in far too long. In a way it was accurate, he was starving, but not for mortal food.
At least it made it easy for her to carry him.
Reply
He looked like a beast, but he was more of a person that she was.
Huh. The girl realized she had forgotten to pick the man’s phone from the ground. She didn’t pause to think what was more important - his health or his mobile - and continued until she reached the apartment.
Reply
Leave a comment