Chikako's Journey

[ElataDiscordia]

The boy's nose was dripping. Quickly, he stuffed a tissue up his nose. "Uh huh... Smells like dragon of some kind." he answered. "Or, it did before the nosebleed started." The boy pouted. "I thought it was a shadow stalker like Aunt Jade sends to keep an eye on Hunters, but they don't give me nosebleeds anymore... Wait here ok?" He grinned and began walking towards the place the scent seemed to come from. His pace was slow, and his hands were in a non-threatening position.

[crazymuch]

Chikako watched as Kinny began to walk towards the dark shadows within the shadows. A few steps in though, and the shadow was gone faster than it apparently came. There was a heartbeat of continued silence and then the bugs and birds began talking again.

"This is certainly one weird day, and I don't think it's even noon yet!"

Chikako sighed and turned her eyes back to the stream. "Anyway, back to catching some lunch ..."

[ElataDiscordia]

The boy blinked, then waved to whatever had left. "Bye bye, whoever!" he chimed before running back to Chikako. "Can I help?" he asked eagerly, tilting his head. "My grandpa taught me how to set up traps, so I can do that for morning if you want! It's a bit tough... very tough... cuz I'm just little." He giggled at his own half-joke.

[crazymuch]

Chikako tilted her head at Kinny, not understanding his joke. But he was happy, and that was good enough. In fact, her own mood was lifting as well. And she knew it was because the cheerful little rascal was with her.

"Well," she said, "You could make a trap to catch something for dinner if you like. All we need is to grab ourselves a couple of little fish for lunch, and I can handle that."

She was watching the water as she spoke. The light from the sun glistening off the water and marking the opals in her necklace shine and dazzle with colors. The vial at the base of the necklace was still empty as Chikako hadn't thought of the perfect thing to fill it with yet.

Very quickly she saw the shimmering bodies of some trout start to swim past her again. Slowly Chikako slid her hands into the water and then quickly she snapped her hands shut and brought a wriggling fish to the surface speared in her short talons.

"Catch!" she shouted over her shoulder as she tossed the fish at Kinny and turning back to the water to catch her fish.

[ElataDiscordia]

The boy turned just in time to be fish-slapped in the face. He grabbed it anyways. "I've been fish-slapped!" he exclaimed, then giggled and put a stick through the fish's mouth and into its gill, then into the ground. "Fishie's been caught and secured!" he relayed, then scampered over to watch her, a big grin on his face. "I've never seen fishing like this before!"

[crazymuch]

"Well," Chikako said, "the day we stop learning something new each day is the day we in fact become old." She grinned wickedly at Kinny.

Then turning back to the stream, her hands in the water, resting neatly near the bottom, her small talons open and waited. It was not long before another large trout swam right into her hand. She grasped suddenly securing the fish and flung it again out of the water.

"So, how many fish do you think we'll need? Will your friends be joining us for lunch?"

[ElataDiscordia]

Fish tail slapped Kinny in the face. "Splat!" he exclaimed, falling onto his bum and scrambling to catch hold of the fish. "Ha!" There was a pause. "Um, ghosts don't eat... But I eat enough for all of them, apparently..." He looked thoughtful. "I don't wanna eat too much cuz then the river might run out in this spot..."

He paused, remembering what she said moments before he was fish-slapped a second time. "That must mean Uncle Phil isn't old yet, despite being at least a few thousand years old... cuz he learns new stuff from his son a lot. Usually about bedroom stuff." The boy nodded rapidly. "Lobo knows a LOT about sex."

[crazymuch]

Chikako peered over her shoulder, "I imagine your family is free with discussions and facts about sex as much as you seem to know about it."

Chikako quickly tossed another fish over her shoulder then stood and looked about the beach and nearby wood line for scrap wood that would make a nice fire.

"I've been wondering. If you eat so much, yet travel so light, where does the food come from that you would need to eat to get your fill?"

[ElataDiscordia]

The boy was once more knocked over trying to catch the flailing fish. He stuffed it onto the stick too, then huffed and wiped fishy water off his face. "My Mama teaches a class about sex ed and how to avoid diseases and pregnancy." he explained. "And I don't normally travel... and Aunty Jade thought it would be funny..." The boy pouted. "This is my second time being in another world and not at home where Daddy cooks for me." The child scratched his head. "I guess if I need anything, I can yell for Aunty and she'll send it or take me home..." He shrugged. "That's how the big Hunters deal with stuff at least."