~Luki's story part two~
She never runs out of things to say... I can hardly keep track of how long we've been walking with how many questions she's asking. Luki thought to himself as he looked tiredly at Numori who had now taken the lead.
"Turn left." He stated tiredly.
"Oh! Okay... Are you getting sleepy?" She asked noticing his tone.
"No..."
"You sure?"
"Its a certain human's bedtime though." Luki replied with a hum.
"When you say it like that you make me sound like a three year old." Numori pouted.
Luki chuckled as he pulled a sleeping bag out of his duffle bag. "That's for you."
"Oh... Thank you, what about you though?" Numori asked as she noticed him pull out the blanket then zip up the duffle bag.
"A good tree branch makes a great bed~"
"Oh no! That would be horrible for your back!" Numori said handing him back his sleeping bag. "You need this more."
"Fine... I'll sleep on the ground... But you are still getting the sleeping bag." Luki said plopping the bag on her lap, as he started pilling up leaves to make a softer sleeping area for both of them.
"Aren't you glad it's fall?" Numori asked with a giggle as she helped him pile the leaves.
"It would make things a bit harder.." Luki replied as he laid her sleeping bag down on the bigger pile, then his blanket on the other.
"No you don't, you get the bigger pile!" Numori stated whacking him with the sleeping bag.
"Bu-but... Your back will get hurt... I'm a vampire I can handle it..." Luki said lowering his head.
"....*sigh* if it matters that much to you... then lets make the piles even." Numori said adding leaves to his pile. "see, now we're both happy~!"
Luki looked at the piles then to Numori. she was definitely the most unusual human he has ever meet.
Numori laid her sleeping bag down and crawled inside it as Luki laid down his blanket.
"Are you serious? ...you do realize you're bed is right next to mine..."
"cut the act, I know you're not going to kill me." Numori hummed.
Luki frowned in frustration. "are you this care free with everyone?!"
"only nice people."
"Aghh! I'm not nice!"
"Yes you are." Numori smiled sweetly at Luki, making him pout instead of continuing to argue.
Maline chittered as if laughing at Luki.
Annoyed, Luki plopped down on his blanket and wrapped it around him not facing Numori.
"See you in the morning, Lulu~"
Luki's face got red with embarrassment and annoyance at the new nickname as he scrunched up tighter and raised his shoulders up as Maline curled up on his side.
***
Luki had trouble getting to sleep, but at some point most have managed to, since was being woken up by being poked by a soft paw and a soft finger.
Luki blinked his eyes open and nearly jumped at the sight of Numori before remember the events of the day before.
"Oops, didn't mean to scare you~" Numori hummed as she sat back on her sleeping bag.
"Yo-you didn't...just startled me, that's all." Luki replied as he sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"well breakfast is done. I made pancakes!"
"Maline got into my bag huh?" Luki replied not even bothering to look at his bag.
"Ummmm.....may
be....okay yes." Numori looked down disappointed that she couldn't find anything on her own.
"Thanks...don't look so disappointed you still cooked it." Luki said smiling at her as he got up.
Numori looked up returning the smile.
"Maline looks well feed." Luki noticed as Maline laid sprawled out on his back with a plumped belly.
"Hehehe...sorry he didn't wait." Numori giggled.
"I swear his more like a kid brother then a furry woodland creature." Luki murmured as he got his plate.
He picked up on of the cakes and took a bite, pleasantly surprised by the good taste.
"Mmish is gommmhod." Luki said hummed trying to say that it was good.
"I'm glad you like it...but umm...I have a fork for you." Numori said holding up a fork for him.
"Wow!" Luki happily grabbed the fork and looking it over with a goofy smile. "It's been forever!"
"You haven't used a fork...for awhile huh?" Numori blinked rather surprised at him awing the simple object.
"Umm....lets see...its been about three years I think.." Luki replied having to think about it since he hadn't really been keeping track of time.
"Why don't you live in a town if you miss, this?"
Luki's smile faded as he looked back at Numori with what was supposed to be a blank look but looked more sad and scared then he'd intended.
"Well...what does every town have in common?" Luki asked quietly.
"Umm...well buildings...people..usually shops." Numori was going to continue but Luki spoke.
"correct...people...woods don't have many people passing through.." Luki sighed.
"..so...there are peo- Oh..you're trying to protected them...is it really that hard to be a vampire?"
"It's....disgusting ..Vampires are killers..is in our instincts...normal vampires don't have to kill, they can feed a little from different sources....but the type of Vampire I am..*sigh* they can't take a little. they have to take it all...or leave the person with half a soul, hehe...and as you can imagine....that's no way to live..I don't think it'd be even living at that point."
Numori gasped. "Th-that's terrible...so..you cant do anything?"
"I could stop feeding until I die.....heh..actually..maybe that's not a bad idea." Luki smiled and was about to continue when Numori got up and slapped him. He blinked a few times before looking back at her wide eyed.
"Don't say that!! Everyone has the right to live! It-it's awful of you to even think about giving up on live! Do you even realize how many people are dying everyday?!!" Numori asked angrily as tears ran down here face.
Luki shoot up as she started crying. He hesitated before patting her head. "N-Numori? ..please..umm..stop crying..I-I didn't mean it..I just wasn't thinking okay? so please stop crying."
"Bu-but...You seemed so sure that your li-life was worthless.." Numori said between sobs.
Luki slowly and awkwardly reached out and hugged Numori. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have said that...I promise, I'll never end my life just because things are hard."
"G-g-good." Numori said calming down.
"A-are you okay now?" Luki asked looking down at Numori with a small smile.
"Ye-yeah..sorry..is you cheek okay?" Numori asked as she smiled back at him and stepped back out of his hug.
"Oh, you actually don't hit very hard..I'm fine....Oh but I'm not saying you're weak either! I mean I'm sure you're quite strong! ..Uh..b-but not like creepy muscles all over body strong I mean strong like you can hit hard..er"
"Pfft..hehahaha I-I understand Luki..hehe..you're so adorable when nervous!" Numori laughed trying her hardest not to fall over laughing.
Luki grin at her laughter. "I'm not adorable...."
"I'm sorry..but yes..you really are." Numori giggled.
Luki crossed his arms making a face that was a cross between a grin and pout.
"Come on, eat up so we can get going!" Numori chirped as she went back to eating.
"Oh..right." Luki sat back down and picked up his plate and fork to start eating.
"Hey Luki...if you don't mind me asking..wheres your family?"
"Not around...your's?"
"Oh..umm..well I'm actually traveling through here because my mother wants me to join a nunnery.." Numori replied slightly embarrassed.
"You?! I mean sure you look like you could be a princess..but you hit me with a sleeping bag yesterday, you slapped me today, you've yelled at me...and you're talking to Me!" Luki laughed before noticing Numori's look it clearly said 'keep this up and I'll hurt you."
"I'm sorry, I mean..you would make a great nun!"
"Yeah...I'm sure that's completely what you meant to say." Numori said sarcastically, but couldn't help but smirk at Luki's cover up.
"Umm....hey, look the sun is...umm very orangish yellow today!" Luki said trying to change the subject.
Numori looked through the tree lines to the early morning sun squinting so it wouldn't be to bright.
"Yeah..its..certainly pretty.."
"Soon it will be to cloudy and snowy to see it." Luki hummed.
" where do you sleep when it gets snowy? Surely you don't sleep on snow and ice...."
"I sleep in hallowed out tree trunks and stuff." Luki shrugged as if it was no big deal.
"Luki? how have you not froze to death?"
"there are very few ways to kill vampires, freezing to death isn't one of them."
"that's no reason to not care for your body, Luki." Numori stated with a slight frown.
"no point to baby it either."
"please treat you body more like it was human."
"if it makes you happy. I'll take care it while I'm with you." Luki replied absently.
"Good! Now help me pack up, the small of food is probably going to attract animals." Numori said bending down to gather the food.
"Okay." Luki replied as he started helping.
***
"Are we close yet?" Numori asked in almost a whine, she'd been doing a lot of walking these past few weeks and her feet where really starting show the annoyance with it.
"I told you, it takes about three days.. I could carry you if you'd like." Luki offered stopping and turning to her.
Maline shot him a glare as if reminding him not to get close to her.
Numori's head shot up with a smile. "You mean it?!"
"Uhhh..." Luki started thinking it over and despite the fact that we was willing his bad to say no, he said instead.
"Yippee! thank you!" Numori giggled as she leaped unto his back.
"Eghh! ca-careful!" Luki said barely catching himself.
"ooop sorry....wow I never realized how tall you are." Numori said in awe as she settled on his back.
Luki locked his elbows around her legs." I'm not very tall just, six four."
Numori looked at him questioning if he just heard what he said. "I'm only five five."
"wow...you're tiny."
"What?!" Numori asked annoyed as she readied her fist.
"Oh umm...I-I mean..you're uhhh..fun sized!" Luki replied his self preservation instincts most kicking in he thought have jokingly.
"Fun sized?" she repeated blinking as she lowered her fist deciding if that was a good or bad thing.
"Yeah, your not to small not to big, you know, like porridge."
Numori looked at him questioningly. "...Like porridge?"
"Yeah...don't you know the story? to hot, to cold, just right....you're the just right one." Luki replied not realizing how indescribably odd that statement was.
"Umm...th-thank you.." Numori replied blushing slightly.
Maline let out a mixture of a squeak and a growl to indicate his hunger.
"You just ate!" Luki protested.
"Awww, come on Luki, the poor thing is hungry." Numori said with a slight pout.
Luki glanced at her then to the raccoon. "His never going to learn if you keep babying him."
"But he is a baby!"
"He's a two year old raccoon, that's probably like, thirty eight raccoon years!"
"wow....still he deserves to be spoiled~"
Maline raised it's head in pride.
"Yeah, yeah you when...Spoiled" Luki muttered as he pulled a bag of chips out.
Maline didn't even wait for Luki to hand it over, he leaped up and snatched it immediately.
"No more snacks." Luki declared looking at the raccoon.
"Uhhh...is it me..or are the woods looking more swampy?" Numori asked looking at the changes in the environment.
"stick close and you'll be fine." Luki replied moving in front of her. "It's very dangerous if you don't know where to step." At the word 'dangerous' Maline shot up to Luki's shoulder.
Numori nodded as she stepped behind. "you really know this place well."
"four years in one place does that to ya."
Numori looked down slightly as she fallowed. It was sad, she could see how kind Luki is, yet he was suffering.
She didn't know what to say or do to help him.
They walked in silence for about an hour before she spoke again.
"One moment....one meeting,...that's all it takes to change one, or many lives forever."
Luki stopped and looked back at her in confusion. He was about to ask her what she ment but she continued.
"I truly believe that....do you?" Numori now looked up with a small warm smile.
"Oh..uhh.....I guess that's possible.." Luki replied thinking about it. 'At the very least, it would give the person more memories...
"Yeah. I think that's true." He replied with a smile.
"Hehe good, I'm glad I'm not the only one." Numori giggled smiling wider.
"Don't worry....you are still crazy." Luki remarked with a smirk.
"That's mean, Luki. I believe most people would find the boy who has a raccoon brother, and sleeps in trees, the crazy one."
"If this is crazy I don't want to be sane~"
Numori crossed her arms with a slight pout. "I thought I had found a good retort."
"Guess I'm just more witty then you~" Luki hummed crossing his arms behind his head as he started walking again.
"Or you are just better at mean comments, after all I'm going to be a nun~" Numori replied raising her head smugly as she fallowed.
Luki smirked as her cleared his throat and grabbed to large leaves.
"Hehe I can be a beautiful innocent maiden nun tooo~" Luki spoke in a higher pitch cooing tone as he spun around with one leaf like a fan over his face and the other covering his chest. He batted his eyelashes to top it off.
".......I've got it." Numori stated her hair covering her eyes as she grabbed his hand and shot her head up, now looking him in the eyes. "BE MY SISTER!! You can come with me and protend to a nun in training!"
Luki's shoulders slumped as he looked wide eyed at her, trying to process what she said. "Wh-wha...?"
"Hehehe, gotcha~" Numori snickered letting go of his hands.
Luki blinked before shaking his head.
"Wait, you mean that was just you way of trying to make me speechless?!"
"Of course. No one would buy that you're my sister."
"What about me being a girl?!"
Numori looked at him in shock.
"You're a boy?!!"
Luki nearly fall back in shock. "O-of course I am!"
"Pfffft...hehehe...hahahahahaa! I-I know you are Luki. I was just teasing~"
Luki drooped his head.
"Okay....you win...you are far witter then I."
"You mean it?!"
"Yeah, yeah..you win."
"Yay!" Numori giggled before starting to walk again.
"Numori wai-" Luki was cut of by Numori.
"Eeeehh! M-my foot!" Numori exclaimed as her leg started sinking into the muddy ground.
Luki quickly grabbed her waist and pulled her up out of the mud, and pt her down beside him.
"Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah...I forgot what you said earlier..about the path." Numori replied slightly embarrassed as she shook the mud off her foot.
Luki looked her over making sure she was okay. "...well..I could carry you if need be..."
"No, no...I'm alright." Numori reassured/
"Okay..fallow closely then." Luki replied still unsure as he laid the way.
**************************************~~~************************************
Luki glanced around, they where out of the marsh but some area could still be dangerous, but it was getting to dark to continue.
"Is this a good area to set up camp?" Numori asked giving the ground a cautious look.
"Best we're going to find at this hour." Luki replied laying the bag down and fishing out the the sleeping bag and blanket.
"Hmm....this will be our last night traveling together..."
"If everything works out well." Luki added laying the blanket and sleeping bag out.
"..hmm..I guess so..Hey, do you..want to try living outside of these woods?"
Luki paused for a moment in surprise before going back to straightening out the bedding. "No."
"Eh bu-but-"
"I said no....thank you for being so kind as to ask.. but I'm not interested.....now the beds are made, so get some rest, we have a long day tomorrow."
"...right." Numori slowly walked to the sleeping-bag and climbed inside.
"Hey..cheer up, you're going to be sleeping in a nice warm bed by this time tomorrow."
"Yeah..but what about you Luki? where will you be?"
"eh..hehehe You know where I'll be." Luki snickered as he climbed into his blanket.
"meerrr." Maline whimpered as he nudged Luki.
"what's wrong, Maline?"
"Meer meerf." Maline sounded before quickly running over to Numori.
"What, boy? we're okay? so whats wrong?" Numori asked petting Maline.
Maline licked Numori's hand before looking back at Luki.
Oh...I get it. Maline's grown attached to her and doesn't want her to go. poor guy's going to be heart broken, come tomorrow. Luki thought as a small smile came acrossed his face as he watched them.
Stumble!