Cry, Slash, Kill. [Aiko/Sumika

The little fox was slumped over, her bare back against a wall of a building. She was in the depths of alleyways, covered in scratches and filth from head to toe. One could even interpret some red splotches on her body as blood, but, well, she was too dirty to truly tell what they were. The girl's yellow hair and tail were almost obscured by filth, dulling the color into an unsightly brown. The only sign of life from the girl was the gentle rising and falling of her chest, and the occasional twitch of her fox ears.

A loud, disruptive noise came from the sky; nature's dangerous yet boisterous drum of course, thunder. The sound of thunder was not what roused this little one from her sleep, no no, it was the falling of cold from the sky. As soon as the cool drops touched her slumbering face, the girl was roused. Her autumn eyes slowly slid open to the grey sky, drops falling towards her. The amount of rain falling from the sky began to pick up, causing Aiko to immediately get up as the rain pelted her body.

This really got the girl moving, her crying in discomfort as the sky hailed it's tears upon the earth. Such a pitiful girl, running through the streets naked as onlookers turned away in disgust. Of course, it wasn't completely the girl's fault she was nude; they just seemed to... Vanish when she woke up one day. She was too dull to find and put on new clothing, quite sad honestly. All she had was the occasional tossed sheet or towel in terms of warmth.

The poor scared fox had the occasional person shout at her to put some clothing on or avert their children's eyes in disgust as she passed by. She sought shelter under a table, in which she hid under in front of a cafe of sorts, just to soon be thwarted from hiding.

"Get lost you damn animal!" Someone had shouted at her as she clung to the leg of the table like a child seeking comfort from their mother. She had gone under the table of someone already present at, causing a rather unsatisfactory reaction as she was kicked. The woman had tried to scare the girl off with harm, but this only resulting in an even greater negative reaction.

The table was flipped over as the girl emeged, but rather different looking. She was far more feral in appearance, her face more fox-like, slight protruding of the mouth and nose included. It was rather slow to notice, but she appeared to become more and more animal like as the girl was upset. The woman had long ran off screaming, the girl left alone in the rain seeming ready to sink her teeth into anything near her.

Where was she? Why was she here? The wind blows, the rain falls, such is nature's way. Life in the town went on, people walked, they shopped, they talked, such is civilizations way. And then there was Sumika. It had been five years since her brother went off in search of his lost girlfriend. Five years, truthfully Sumika almost wondered if he made it up, but no. Her brother wasn't a liar like that. Especially not someone who'd keep up a ruse such as that for 5 whole years. Who knows, maybe he wasn't keeping up the ruse? Maybe he had died? No, she knew that didn't happen. She knew in an instant when he had died the first time, despite being powerless. She had sensed it. Now she was a moderately powered if not completely clueless Iramasha. She WOULD know. In fact, that's precisely why she was making her way back to Karakura. He was there, she could feel it. If only she hadn't ended up making her way to god knows where. It was raining, she was wet, and she was gonna grumble about it. Though anyone hearing her grumbling might not take it seriously with that cute high pitched voice, but she was not happy! Admittedly though, it made her more able to defend herself. After all, water conducts electricity, she learned that in, like, kindergarten? Honestly she probably learned it from the ultimate common sense teacher, her mother. Don't put a toaster in the tub is the point of all this.

Maybe she should find a hotel or something. She could certainly just keep pressing onward in the rain, but why? It was wet and there was lightning. We cannot live in a world of chaos! At least that's what she told herself, even if there were plenty of beings who preferred anarchy to law. Reasonable law had always done her well, too much got in the way. A healthy medium was always the sweet spot. She valued her freedom too much. She began to scan the streets for a hotel, or at least a suitable location with which to temporarily shield herself from the elements. An umbrella shop. That was what she found. It was like a portable house! Except...you know, the walls. And the warmth. And the electricity. And the internet. Okay, so it was nothing like a house, but Sumika didn't have a house so umbrella it was. She ran in and bought a red umbrella before pressing on. Maybe food? That would be a logical next step.

She sought out a diner, but before she could really get far she saw someone running. They didn't bother to stop and explain why, which of course left the little Iramasha a tad confused. A demon? She had some...limited, to say the least, ability to ward of demons. Not that she had a clue to how it worked. It took her 5 years to figure out. Clearly whatever it was was able to be outrun by a normal woman, so she'd be able to escape if need be. She followed the path that the woman appeared to come from until she came across a cafe...with a girl? She was covered in muck and mud, and looked kinda...beastly. A little itch came from the back of her mind. This was definitely a demon. She couldn't properly sense the demonic taint, but she could feel that...dark heavy energy conflicting in nature with her own. It was probably more dangerous than it looked. Still. "Do you need an umbrella?" Sumika asked with a smile. She wasn't stupid, and a fight or flight was prepared in her head in case this went poorly. But hey, no one gets anywhere assuming everyone is a snarling monster who wants to eat orphaned puppy babies. If this thing attacked she'd probably give it a nice zap. For now she simply held out the umbrella. "You'll catch a cold..." A demon cold? "...just standing in the rain naked like that...do you want any clothes?" Her voice was sweet, as it usually was. She didn't have much of a capacity for harsh speech. She didn't go up to the creature though. Some creatures took an approach by others as a danger, best let them come to her and if they go into attack mode she can shock it just enough to get the heck out of dodge.

A growl resonated in the throat of this fox, the demon's labored breathing visible along with her freezing cold body. Her paw-like fingers were clutched together, so hard one would be surprised she didn't have bleeding hands at this point. Rage coursed through her, like adrenaline on adrenaline. The urge to let it all out was strong, intense, gripping. She had the urge to only get rid of it all... The anger seemed to boil more and more, almost like a boiling pot of water. The intense feeling to get rid of it got stronger, and stronger... The girl had begun to hold her head, her tail violently thrashing around, the rain obscuring the fluffed tail caused from the stress.

She didn't know what to do... The world seemed to slowly grow darker... And darker... The beast slowly surfaced...

Until her ears caught the sound of a voice, causing her to immediately whip her head to see the source of the voice that barely plucked her conscious mind to reality. To the girl, Aiko would look ready to tear her throat out for a whole lovely five seconds. The girl's eyes screamed predator, being a glowing, standoffish red. The pupils were needle sharp, appearing to gouge directly into the girl's soul. It didn't look like, for that brief moment, Aiko saw a person. It merely looked like the girl peered directly at her as a thing to eat...

Until it seemed to.. Radically change. The girl's nose twitched, the fearsome expression vanishing within a half second. A rather strange and unprecedented turn of events, the girl's face returned to a cute, rather calm look. The animalistic features gained from the anger instantly vanished, aside from ears and tail. Her body language too changed, relaxing as her labored breathing became settled and level. The girl didn't look in the slightest bit threatening anymore, her slowly walking over to the girl in the midst of the pouring rain, seeming to ignore the bothersome drops clashing against her body.

She came rather close for comfort, sniffing the girl much like a dog meeting a stranger for the first time. She had a curious yet relaxed expression on her face, like a confused child seeing something new. Her ears, fully functional, were pointed up as if in case to hear if she does or says anything.

Why was this little fox interested in her scent? It was different of course, different than what she had smelled before. In a way, it was pacifying to her to whiff...

For a moment, Sumika was sure she was about to have to engage in her fighting or flighting. Made up words aside, the girl in front of her was far from civil. The harshness of the animalistic features seemed to increase in definition. A werefox?!?!?!? Okay, she probably watched too many movies, but the point still stood she seemed to be transforming. She kind of wanted to run, but what if this girl started to hurt people? This wasn't Karakura, there weren't necessarily super powered people around every corner. This girl may be able to cause some damage. Then again, she'd probably also cause damage to Sumika's face. She rather liked her face, as well as her intestines which would also probably be caught in the crossfire of sorts. She began to step back as the girl turned towards her. Yep, maybe it was time to discharge. Sumika was about to unleash lightning, but then the weirdest thing happened. The girl suddenly just reverted back. She was left with just the ears and tail. Sumika blinked. "Umm...good girl." She didn't move much, the girl was walking towards her and she didn't want to spook her and have to engage in self defense mode. Who said she'd win? The girl seemed...like an animal definitely. Rather than a feral one though, it was a passive curious one.

Sumika hesitantly lifted one hand up as this...girl? sniffed her like an animal. "It's okay." She said in a calm voice. She wasn't calm inside, she was worried she was about to have her insides become her outsides. But she slowly extended her hand, stopping the motion whenever the girl reacted or jolted, and if she didn't seem to get too aggressive she'd put her hand on the girl's head and gently pat her head. "Good girl. Can you...speak?" She dared not make any sudden movements. She just wanted to figure out if this girl was really dangerous before making any major decisions on how to get out of this situation, if she needed to.

Aiko was utterly enthralled with this girl's scent. The girl had gotten rather close to the girl, with no thoughts of possibly being harmed or attacked. It was like smelling a bakery; one was too wrapped up in the lovely scent to think anything bad would happen. Of course, this was less a delicious scent and more a comforting scent... Aiko had zero interest in putting this girl through her digestive system. The girl was very very tempted... To do something. The girl's autumn eyes were sparkling with interest, though she did not make any direct contact with this girl, not yet...

Until the hand was drawn out.

The girl seemed fearful in expression, but the nude body did not move. Her eyes were dead locked on the hand as it came forth, the sheer darkness of her pupils almost overtaking any other color in her eyes. It was adorable in a way, like a cat staring at a toy in anticipation. Her tail was excitedly whipping back and forth, until the hand made contact with her wet, hanging hair. Her ears flicked as the girl appeared to get excited from the head pats, a giant goofy smile forming on her face as her sharp incisors were revealed, resembling an animal of sorts, no shit a predator.

The girl's next action was rather hasty and rushed, especially with a stranger. She outstretched her arms, falling onto the girl, rubbing her head against the girl's chest. She was rushed with extreme happiness as she rubbed against her chest. It was mostly from the girl's comforting scent and her being so... Warm! The girl's arms were woven around the waist of the stranger, gentle enough to not give discomfort, but tight enough to not allow easy escape. The girl's ears picked up the sound of a heartbeat, which was only giving her more of a reason to not let go.

The girl didn't seem to hear her say something, but she certainly picked it up. The girl rather innocently looked up at her, tilting her head to the side very slightly, her pinkish eyes seeming to bore into the older girl's.
"Speak?" Her little voice peeped, as if a small child was asking a question.

This demon was...strange. Definitely not what most demons were like anyway. A large majority of them are pretty aggressive, and even those that weren't had some maturity to them. Or rather, a lack of innocence. This one resembled a child, and a curious animal. "Hi." She spoke in a voice one might speak to a pet or a child. She really had no idea what she was getting into. She still had to have some semblance of self defense prepared. She didn't know if this girl was going to turn on her, or what. Still...she seemed sweet, if not...not housebroken. Sumika of course was too trusting. When she pet the girl's head, she acted like an excited pet. She seemed to like being, well effectively pet. What was this demon? Did this demon really have the mind of an animal? It clearly wasn't 100% docile, but this was the opposite of the snarling beast she walked in on. Then the girl went heavily into Sumika's personal space, not that she hadn't already done that. She swung her arms around Sumika as she nuzzled into her chest, this time less like an animal and more like a child. Sumika laughed nervously for a moment. The girl didn't have a light grip. She wouldn't be worried in the slightest if she had gained even menial mastery over her powers, but alas, all she had was the zap. She could theoretically just discharge electricity from every inch of her body if the girl turned aggressive again, but she wasn't gonna electrocute her needlessly.

"You're an affectionate one, aren't you?" She smiled, she decided just to throw out the constant worry. She could get out of whatever nonsense happens here alive. She just had to try hard enough. "Yes speak. Do you...know what it means?" The girl's tone sounded like she didn't know what speak even meant. She continued to pet this girl. "You're covered in dirt, you need a bath...and clothes. Yes, definitely clothes." Sumika herself probably needed more clothes. The ones she was wearing, while not really wrecked, were probably becoming more ragged. Or rather, less strong. They'd start ripping soon. She only had 2 pairs. That way she could wash them without ending up like...this girl. You know, indecent. "Are you alone out here?"

Aiko stared at this woman with the most puzzled expression her young, innocent face could muster. The girl's ears did receive the words, of course they did. The problem was, she didn't exactly comprehend what they meant. She could always say words, well, bar those she couldn't say in a fast paced manner, who simply came out as a jumbled, butchered pronunciation. The girl had known words all her life, but any time she managed to make any progression of speech, her caretaker would give her a smack on the nose, or a pull on the ear, telling her to not fret with "speaking", since they would care to all she would ever need.

Of course, the poor pitiful fox was far, far away from home, with absolutely no way back. Aiko at points, when she managed to turn gears in her head, sometimes had the semblance of clear thought that she was tossed into a completely new world entirely. Well, those thoughts weren't her reality momentarily.

This warm, lovely girl was.

Aiko was doing a slight bit of childish antics with having her head pressed against the girl's chest, as if clutching a security blanket. She felt safe with this girl, unlike the residents of this town who had exhibited fear and anger at her. The calm physical contact only compelled her to feel safer, the petting giving her comfort of sorts. She never felt this way, not even with whom she played or was watched by.

Aiko wasn't completely listening to the girl, more focused on the comfort she provided, but one word did indeed catch her attention.
'Alone.'
It plucked at her heart, causing her to stare once again directly at the woman. The word somehow... Brought her much sadness. Though she had never become familiar with the word, it felt like she knew of it for a long time.

She began to create tears in her eyes, a weight in her stomach forming as she swallowed, slowly nodding at the girl's question. Aiko had no idea what the word actually meant, or... Did she?

The girl before her seemed to not quite understand the words. They kinda reacted how a cat's might when you talk to it, slight twitching and curiously looking at you, but not really reacting past that. She didn't know what to think, if she was being totally honest. She didn't know if she should treat it like an animal or a child. Though honestly, the treatment of each is mostly the same with only a few general differences. Either way, domestic animals and children weren't exactly pros at taking care of themselves. The girl seemed to just be comforting herself by snuggling into Sumika, and Sumika, being a bit too much of a sweetheart for her own good, simply allowed it. She wasn't hurting anyone...anymore. Besides, sometimes the difference between feral and domestic can be bridged pretty quickly. Still, when Sumika said one thing, it changed everything up. "Alone." Looking down at the small girl, she could see tears welling up in her eyes. She was just staring at Sumika. True sadness. True unfiltered, uncorrupted, sadness.

Slowly, the girl nodded. Did she understand the word? Or did she simply sense Sumika's meaning? It was hard to tell. Kids and animals could be strange, even when they don't understand they could sometimes understand what you meant even if what you said was gibberish to them. "Ohh..." She said in that sort of sad, sympathetic manner. "It's okay, you don't need to cry." She held onto the girl a bit firmer in an attempt to comfort her. Sumika wasn't her mom though, she didn't know how well she could cheer up what was clearly a child inside. "What about your family? Are you just lost, or are they gone?" She knew if the girl comprehended she might be even sadder, but Sumika had to know. She was about to try to get this poor girl some shelter and...clothes. Definitely clothes. She couldn't just go abducting a girl from parents. This was a demon though, with the mind of a toddler/animal and the body of a young child. The mismatch in age groups made her consider that she likely didn't have parents around, and was not simply "lost". "We should probably get you some clothes...and out of the rain. Definitely out of the cold rain." Definitely clothes.

Aiko held tight to this girl, maintaining exchanges of warmth. The rain did make the girl quite cold, Sumika could probably feel her shivering if she paid close attention. The word 'alone' bumped in the normally empty head of the fox girl. The word brought her intense sadness, causing her eyes to water quite a bit. The body of the girl remained pinned to the woman's body, trying to seek comfort from her scent and warmth. The girl's ears were lied back, much like a fearful cat or dog, clearly exhibiting what the chemicals that bumbled around inside her skull were doing.

The girl was on the verge of straight up sobbing, but this was only given more baggage from the girl's second question. The second the word "family" was uttered, the girl's heart dropped momentarily. For a moment, she felt completely disconnected from the situation, her body listless and still. Flashes of a few obscure images danced across her vision. Tears began flooding from her eyes as she uttered:

"No family, family is gone."

The girl's expression seemed to be of the deepest pits of despair and sadness. If her head wasn't tilted down, it may even make one cry with how shaken she appeared. Her autumn eyes had dulled, absolute emptiness seeming to consume any other emotion. She held this for a long duration, until her ears suddenly perked, causing her to look up directly at Sumika. Her expression was completely normal, the eyes of an aspiring and intrigued child returning.

The girl seemed to not be aware of what just happened, she threw her arms up and wrapped them around Sumika's upper body, giggling in utter, heartwarming excitement. She rubbed her cheek against her upper most chest, as if she was an old friend and knew this girl well.

The sadness in this girl seemed to only increase, unsurprisingly, as Sumika asked even more. She asked about the girl's family, to make sure she wasn't about to abduct their child, and the girl got sadder. She had no family, they were gone. "Poor baby." She said, almost like one would say it to a pet. She rubbed the girl's head, trying to comfort her. The girl seemed to be...kind of empty. She didn't even seem to react for a bit. Sumika thought she might have broken her. Then...the strangest thing happened. The girl suddenly perked up, looking up with the same curious look she had before. Once more she threw her arms around Sumika, prompting a surprised "Oh, oka...ooph!" as the girl hugged her. It didn't occur to Sumika it could be anything more than the girl being resilient and really enjoying the attention. "Alright, you're weird, but okay." Sumika looked around. A clothing store would be nice right about now. She needed to get this child un-naked. Seriously, this was bothering her. She'd probably have to search for a bit to find one, but she had to see if this girl would even follow her. "Hey, do you have a name? What's your name?"

After getting an answer she'd free herself from the girl's grip and go to take her hand. "Come on, lets go get you some clothes so you aren't naked." No naked. Bad naked. "Have you worn clothes before?" She had to ask, this was an animalistic demon, for all she knew this girl hadn't. If the girl took her hand, she'd lead her through town until they came to a clothing shop. Sumika would glance down fairly frequently, to see how the little fox was doing. What...was she getting herself into? How was she getting into it? If she couldn't find someone to take this child, she was going to be forced to mom her. Sumika let a tiny awkward laugh slip out, this might not have been well thought out. Still, she couldn't just LEAVE the girl could she?