• Act XXII- Variety

    A lot of times, strange experiences bring with them a variety of emotions.

    {{Kumori’s Perspective}}

    So I eventually let go of Hotaka, even though some weirdo part of me didn’t want to. But, his tan arms were still wrapped around me. I could hear a content sigh against my hair. I knew he liked me. That was just “duh” obvious but I guess knowing something and understanding something are two different things. It’s like, I’m so creeped out that he’s about three years older than me but… he makes me feel important. Not that Father Octa didn’t do that already. With Hotaka…it was different. Everything was. I opened my eyes to my arms around his neck and my face in the crevice of his shoulder. He smelled good. Like pine needles. We separated a second later.

    “You sure you’re ok?” I finally said.

    “Maybe a few broken ribs and wrist but other than that, my recovery time will be relatively swift.” He chuckled and his nose crinkled. “Makes me desire the powers that Miss Yukiru has…” OH how I hated that b***h. No pun intended.

    I squirmed past a yelling fit, “Yeah…I guess.”

    A long, kind of awkward, pause.

    “Can you walk?” I asked. Stupid question; his ribs are broken! Shouldn’t he have trouble breathing or something? He tried to stand but he ended leaning up against the rock I moved aside. Dumb a**…he tried to make it look like he meant to fall forward on his face. I couldn’t help it, I laughed with my arms coiled around my stomach, bent over a bit. But then he didn’t get up after I was done laughing. No more than four seconds. I grew a little concerned after a few more moments passed. “H-Hey, dude…you alright there?”

    No answer. My heart went a little crazy. I got this twisted feeling in my stomach that wouldn’t go away. “Hotaka?” I squatted down with me knees to my chest and placed a hand on his shoulder and then his torso rose once he took in a breath after what seemed like forever. I flinched back a little. His face turned up to me. “…Ow…” his normally deep voice cracked out in a squeak.

    I picked him up by his non-hurt arm and put it over my neck. “You’re useless,” I mumbled while I stumbled back to where we had tried to set up camp. After I made a little teepee-looking thing out of thick branches and a bunch of different leaves, I propped Hotaka’s head on a soft pile of moss I collected. He fell asleep soon afterwards. I didn’t want to admit it out loud but…that man isn’t ugly at all. If anything he’s a perfect Halfling. Smart, muscular and determined. Having shoulders like a red wood helped too. He was meatier than Zero on top of all that. But Zero was so sexy; slender, tall, and so muscle-y. Brave, a bit on the angry side. Zero is my kind of man! Yukiru would have my head if she knew I liked Zero though…

    Not that I care…

    I sat next to Hotaka’s head and tussled with his spiky, extremely layered hair with my fingertips as I thought.

    And Zero was in love with his little Yukiru. There was no way around that. I should just give up hope on him. I’m not his type anyway. I’m too dominant; he wants the girl to be on the bottom. I respect that. Better than some pencil-d**k loser. I bet he’s hung well…

    “Tickles…” I heard a little mumble accompanied with a small rush of warm breath.

    I drew my hand back quickly and crossed my arms about my stomach. But then Hotaka drowsily pulled my hand down by his face. His lips puckered and he kissed my palm. My face got really hot and an unfamiliar chill scraped down my back.

    “Thank you, Kumorubuuu” he passed out again with a long exhale that sounded like he was drunk and literally FELL asleep. I chuckled and rolled my eyes. There was one thing that Hotaka could do that no one else I met could. He cared for me. Not “about” me. You care about a chair. I was someone Hotaka cherished. If I weren’t, why would he literally jump in front of a boulder for me? I smiled gently down at his sleeping face. I wanted to return the favor just a little bit. I left the teepee to find some fresh water. I became a wolf shortly after exiting. I loved my wolf form; I had many different shades of brown in my fur and my blue feather stayed twined in my fur.

    While on my expedition I saw a group of cat-things running along with a human girl. My ears perked up in confusion. I looked in the direction they came from and then the direction they were running. No one was chasing them…eh it wasn’t my problem.
    I came to a little brook that branched off from one of the major rivers in this forest. The water was slightly dirty but I would filter all that crap out later. I filled my little water jug up that hung around my waist and then trotted back to the teepee.

    Once I came back Hotaka was still sleeping but he looked uncomfortable. And his body was quivering. I whined quietly as my head titled to the left. My cold pink nose pressed against his cheek. He had a fever. I transformed into a human again and used my water to cool him off. As best I could. I tore off Hotaka’s shirt and soaked it with water I had suspended in the air. I took a second look at his torso…there was literally a crater where his ribs should be. The sight made me wanna throw up and I got scared.


    As soon as the ice-cold shirt touched his chest, Hotaka shot up with a massive gasp. I screamed when I got startled and hopped back. His red-brown eyes were wide open in surprise and pain. Right after wards his teeth clenched together and his eyes slammed shut. “GAH! Ow dammit!” He swore as he slowly lay back down. His head rotated towards me. “Kumori?”

    I smacked his head, “Don’t scare me like that a*****e! God I thought you were possessed our something!” I slammed the shirt on top of Hotaka’s chest with a loud, wet SLAP!

    He coughed a long, wheezy cough at the impact. “Thank you…you did not have to go through the trouble. I cocked an eyebrow at him after he became a wolf; He lay on his side, facing me. I did the same. His heavy-lidded eyes flowed into my light grey ones.

    “Well I wasn’t just gonna sit there and let you be in pain and junk. I’m not completely heartless…” I bowed my head. I bet that’s how he saw me, heartless, cruel, and brusque—

    “You are strong, Kumori. You’re heart is big but heavily guarded. There is some form of kindness somewhere deep down within you.” His words were a hot knife, melting the butter that was my heart. GROSS! OH MY JESUS, AM I IN A ROMANCE NOVEL?!

    “Liar,” I retorted.

    “You should know me to be a very smart person…I simply do not deceive. What would I gain from giving you idle compliments?” Damn him, he had a point.

    “Hotaka? I— what are you doing?” He was squirming on the floor like a work that just got a chunk of its tail got chopped off.

    He grunted, “I’m trying to move closer to you.” He growled to himself in frustration. “It doesn’t seem to be working very well though.” Hotaka let out a loud yelp, “OW!!”


    I jumped to my paws in a flash, I put my nuzzle to his furry neck and pushed him back. His fur was much more soft and thick than Zero’s. I wonder if that’s why he looks fat? His scent of pine needles stayed with him in his wolf form. It was soon becoming my favorite thing about him.

    My head began to throb.

    I moved my head to hover over his. He looked like he fell asleep again. I sighed with a wolf smile. But before I could turn away to lay back down and make sure he doesn’t get an worse, his head shot up like a bullet towards me. His wolf lips were flat against mine. Before the first second could end, he became human and then it just got gross. I knew the only way out of this was for me to be human and then choke the crap out of him.

    POOF! Human…and I couldn’t push him away. I couldn’t be angry. His big face was so warm on mine. He had really soft lips, a bit rough but he’s a guy so it’s ok. His eyes were closed and for the first time I saw that he had long eyelashes for a dude. It didn’t take me long to notice that my eyes were half shut. Once his hands found my head and waist, he pulled he down to lie beside him. At first I objected because I had no freaking idea what to do. But it seemed like he did. Who else had Hotaka kissed? If it was Yukiru I swear to all that is good and holy in this world—oh my GOD kissing him felt good.

    I finally let go of his jaw that I had somehow subconsciously cradled in my palms in the midst of how tongue-less making out. Hotaka gave me a look that made me wanna beat the s**t out of him. It was smug like an I-told-you-so expression. I transformed back into a wolf and growled angrily at him. He didn’t flinch, only smiling bigger! I stood up and slammed my ears flat against my head. Rage swarmed over me. That was my first kiss and that b*****d was making a joke out of it. Hotaka sat up slowly and crossed his legs at the ankles in front of me.

    And so matter-of-factly he almost whispered. “I love you, Kumori.”

    My anger drained in an instant and my eyes frantically searched for any bit of falseness in his statement and I couldn’t find any. Normally you could tell if a guy was lying by the way his breathing us, or if he was sweating. Even if there was fidgeting. But he sat there like a confident stone, staring dead into my face. I sat down on my rump in awe with my mouth half open.

    I think I’ve fallen in like with him.

    End of Act XXII