"I fancy the rich: they have the right to food allergies. For us poor people, having food allergies means we're full. I still remember as a child, I would cough none-stop after having onions; my grandmother had a garden of those. Out of all her grandchildren, she liked inviting me over to her house, and she would place onions in every meal, even in tea. Whenever I started coughing, she would take my serving, smirking, 'you are full already, let grandmother finish your food, since she already finished hers,' yet the dreaded woman would've had cooked one serving."
The group laughed, but not much since they were gathered in several groups preparing meat of various profound beasts.
Shinji spoke another one:
"My first time having a girlfriend was hard. I tried not to mess up, and you see, I did. One day she said, "Honey, why don't you touch me? You touch everything else but me. I have needs as a woman, I need to connect with my boyfriend... physically.
"I didn't know what she was talking about, every time we connected physically with the boys, we ended up fighting, so I asked, "Do you want me to fight you?" Misunderstanding, she nodded, walking closer trying to get physical. I don't hit woman, so I ran to a neighborhood samurai, telling him about my problem. In the end, the samurai got physical with her. I don't know what they did."
As Shinji entertained the group of recreant mortals, a young man chuckles from a distance. He was holding rough, onyx pieces of fire wood, picked dry from the ground. His hands were soiled, stabbed by vicious thorns of the daring snake like branches; the scholar's words helped his mind divert from the pain.
'I knew he was crazy, but to think he has a bad sense of humor like me, how ironic.'
—he thought he is the only one.
Arriving at a group of Tsuki Slaves, gathered around a poor impala murdered by the barghests, Ten drops the firewood. His face furrows unable to take their smiles. He wanted nothing more than to murder them all...
'But I'm too weak. If only there is a way for me to ask Lucien to be my sensei, then I'll be able to retort back with my mouth.'
Keeping his disgust for himself and the barghests, the youngest turns around, recalling the fat rabbits he saw earlier.
It would be a delight to feast on such... one bite will taste like watermelons. The succulent, juicy fluids would fill up his mouth like raindrops...
'What am I thinking?! Why do the rabbits sound alive?!' Ten shakes his head, 'Hunger must be getting to me.'
Slapping his tan cheeks, the youth in a hakama wanted to continue walking, but an obnoxious voice called him from behind:
"Snake Boy."
'This unpleasant nickname!'
Tento turns around to look at the source, lost for words. Hiding his gall, he bows, smiling.
"Yes, Rosa-Rosa-sama."
'Shit-Shit fits you more! Your face looks like cow dung.'
Keeping his retort, he watches Girashi —Rosa-Rosa is his Tsuki Slave code name— grin at him. Although the man is a Tama-Artist, he has a crush on Tsukino like the rest of the idiots. Him joining, is his way of telling them that she is his; whilst he is alive, no one should approach her.
"Our youngest, why don't you hook me up with Tsukino-chan, since I'm the samurai in Scholar-san's joke."
'Really now? Those Tsuki Slaves, how dare they put all the blame on me?!' Tento rolled his eyes in disdain.
Removing the lashing that ended a month ago, Ten's life at the camp has been great... if you remove the fact that the day Girashi started eyeing Tsukino, the Tsuki Slaves claimed him as one of their own to use as an escape goat.
"I don't know what this Bushi would do, if you fail to hook him up."
'Just because I'm a sixteen-year-old pushover, you take advantage of that, huh? But—'
Ten grins.
"Count on me."
'I'll make you regret your decision.'
The pink eyed youth clears his grin. Walking to Tsukino, sitting with the blind girl, he waves at her. Of course, he was ignored, but that was what he wanted —he has nothing to say to her other than insults. Arriving, he takes the smallest part of wood from her fire place.
Tsukino furrowed her brows, looking at him in utter disgust, she keeps her words. Enduring ten minutes of her death glare, the young man rushes off somewhere, before returning to the Tama-Artist with a hectic flush on his face.
"Rosa-Rosa-sama! Tsukino-chan wants to meet you in secret."
Girashi furrows his brows, dubious about the whole thing. How can such a weak person be able to convince Tsukino? However, considering how Snake Boy spent a moment with Tsukino, it sounded possible... maybe, heaven heard his prayer.
"Fine, but if you're lying, know it would be hell for you."
'LET'S SEE ABOUT THAT.'
***
As an adventurous fellow, Ten knew a spot no profound beast dared to reach. Past the interwoven canopy of blue leaves, the young man accompanies the Bushi with a series of cryptic whispers.
"Shut up! Do you want to embarrass me in front of Tsukino-chan?!"
"You're already an embarrassment to yourself."
"What did you say?!"
"You're the most handsome man on Earth."
'Who looks like cow dung.'
Tento ignores Girashi's furious gaze, pointing forward into a thick bush.
"That's your destination."
"Humph!"
The Bushi puffs his cheek, taking the lead.
The young man followed behind whistling with a smile, like he had met the world's biggest idiot... well he did, all Tsuki Slaves were like that, except him of course —also, he is not one of them.
As Girashi walked into the lush bush, Tento holds on to a branch. Careful not to throw himself, he drop-kicks the Bushi into the cliff hidden by the leaves.
POP! The sounds of cooking popcorn confirmed Rosa-Rosa fate on this cloudy day.
'Now, what I need to do is ask Lucy-san to be my sensei.'
Approaching a guy like Lucien is precarious for two reasons: he is good-looking, but scary, and the man is unpredictable —he might kill you for disturbing his peace.
***
Along the way; although lost for some time, Tento managed to catch his rabbits. The youngest couldn't stop grinning, while he looked at the fire place.
Taking in the aroma wafting through the air, the young man senses a gaze on him... he is far from being strong enough to detect such. But ever since he could remember, he could sense such, as if, part of him is a beast.
Carrying a nonaligned apprehension, he looks at his left; his heart skipped a beat... the culprit turned out to be Lucien!!!!
'Smiling?! Lucy-san is smiling at me!'
Countless thoughts could have gone through Ten's mind if he was an idiot, but he wasn't. Two hypotheses emerge in his mind in one picosecond:
'Did he finally notice how I look like the first Tama-Artist?'
—In this world only him and the Founder of Tamaism were born with coily, rose-pink hair and matching eyes, together with tan skin.
'Considering how he has the same birthmark as my brother, could they have meet before. That would explain why he acted cold and friendly to me back then.'
—His brother dyed his hair to look like his, and there is a semblance between them.
'Just what did that idiot do?'
Shrugging off the sentimental feelings growing on him, Tento smiles back at Lucien, before focusing on the mesmerizing phantasmagoric like flames dancing in front of him.
This, at least, is a good sign. Maybe, Lucien will teach him a move or two... afterward, he would fight more earnestly without using tricks.
Lucien, meanwhile, was troubled as Ten. He was not some smiling assassin who would grin at someone he doesn't know. Shrugging off the feeling, he looks at Goro walking in their direction, bento boxes in hand.
Arriving, Goro smiles, handing the silver-haired girl next to him an extra, large bento box.
"Sora-chan, I've brought you food, there is no need to waste your time cooking with my dear cousin."
'Dear cousin?'
Lucien's brows twitch at those words.
On the other hand, Sora shyly looks to the side avoiding the ginger-haired pig's eyes.
"What's wrong?" Goro asked, his a voice dripping with worry. Crouching to the ground —close to her—, he says, "Talk to me, I will do anything for you."
"Anything..?" Sora nimbes on the word.
"Anything."
She looks at the fire Lucy had started. Taking in the unbearable smoke, she tears.
"Sob, sob... Sora is too scared to fight the Kushi Villagers. If that Dumbo didn't threaten to kill her parents, Sora wouldn't have come here."
Knowing it was a lie, Lucien looks to the side —Sora has bad blood with her parents because of her body.
Meanwhile, veins pop on Goro's face.
'How dare that ugly bastard hurt my Sora! I'll beat him in front of everyone!'
Forcing a smile, he leaves the bento box close to Sora, "From now on, you don't have to train. I'll handle everything."
Sora jumped in joy, hugging her hippo, kissing his virgin lips.
"Thank you! Goro-sama!"
Everyone clicked their tongues at how Sora was having it easy, because the ugliest entity is a slave to every one of her wishes.
Oblivious that he was used, Goro got up after the kiss —doing his best not to blush—, and handed the remaining bento boxes to the other girls, before going to search for Katsura.
As the lashing sounds echoed, Sora opens the bento box filled with meat and rare delicacies.
"He's so sweet sometimes."
Lucy frowns slightly, thinking of the time he got beat up by Goro for no reason. After a minute, he replies, "I wonder."
Oblivious to what was going on in his mind, Sora places her index finger on her lower lips, teasing, "Are you jealous that Sora kissed your cousin."
"Why would I be jealous of two men kissing each other?"
***
The day had been the worst for Katsura, Goro cursed him with a barrage of vicious words —some of which are above the reader's understanding—, and went over to do the same for his parents. Not only that, but he was lashed until he lost the ability to sit.
katsura's eyes watered. His teeth gnashing, he rubs his sore behind.
'Aren't you going to go back to the Academy, soon? I'll make the mortals experience hell like no other.'
—I hope you fail your exams and be sent here! I'll kill you myself!!
"The Shojo said that she will take care of the mortal you guys requested to be killed."
"The Shojo did?!"
katsura's eye wide opened. Why would someone of her caliber handle such a trifling matter? He looks at the man in from of him with furrowed brows, searching for signs of deceit, but found none.
Clenching his fist, he frowns, "Can you also request that she takes care of your cousin, Snake Boy, and the Scholar. My reason is that those three took down a stage 2 wood puma last year; also, my instincts tell me that if we let them get stronger, they might rebel against us, their lords!"
Goro flinched slightly in his sit. Entering deep thought, he looks at the night sky through the paper screen.
"I'll tell the Shojo to take care of them."