Shadows Under The Willow Tree

[Guest Draiko]

Dark clouds passed through the sky slowly and the sun shined brightly through them. Up on a small hill, slept a 15 year old girl under a willow tree. The wind manuvered through the willow's branches making it slightly cool but just the right temerature. Beside the girl at least a foot or two away, lay the head of a dragon's shadow. The rest of the body circled around the willow tree. You could step through it and you wouldn't notice it was there. Mind you, the shadow wouldn't appriciate it all that much. This shadow of a dragon was the inner soul of the girl who had once had innocence. But that was lost, unless there was a way to gain it back.

Slowly, the girl's eyes opened to reveil that they were blood red with pupils that could manage the task of becoming slits. She looked over towards the shadow's eyes and watched as they opened slowly as hers did. Letting out a breath of air, she turned her head to look in front of her and scanned the sky. 'Looks like it might possibley rain if the clouds get any darker....,' she thought, and just let out a small, silent sigh. Her very dark blue hair brushed up against her forehead protector and then the side of her face. Under the bangs on her right side was her right eye. Though people couldn't exactly see it, she could at least see through her hair. She raised her left hand and ran her fingers through her hair, laying across her lap when she was done.

Edited June 20, 2006 by Draiko

[Cloudnine]

Kokeshi silently watched the slender female figure resting against the solid trunk of the leafy willow. His vague eyes fixedly observed the curious shadow draped about the girl's feet from his cover- a cluster of lush shrubbery, the boy laid low, sprawled out on his bare stomach. Following the girl's gaze, he directed his eyes into the heavens. The gray clouds rolled and drifted, twisting about each other like a lazy serpent.

The torrid sillhoutte of the sun peeked through the clouds, struggling to abide to it's duty of illuminating the earth. A mackarel sky. . . the swallows fly low. He peered from his hiding spot back at the girl. He pushed his bleach hair out from his face as the gust picked up, rustling the leaves and combining the scents. I'll go ask her and see if she wants to get out of the coming rain.

---

A seemingly ambiguous, genderless figure eased out of the foliage on his elbows. His intent presented no attempt to stealth, but rather, a strong presence. Dull, bleached blonde hair billowed about his face. "The rain might be coming," he greeted, the timbre of his voice on the verge of being a girl's.

[Guest Draiko]

Tenma slowly turned her head toward the voice. She didn't know what to think of this presence, and stood up, wavering around some. Her arms hung by her side as she just looked at who ever this was. The one eye that was visable narrowed ever so slightly, and a little line of shadow sppeared under her blood red eye. "Yes.....Your point being?" she asked, her voice quite tomboy like, though you could still tell it was a girls voice. The dragon's shadow lifted its head and circled the tree and then became very faint and almost invisible. It moved to behind Tenma and flared its wings some. Though you could not see it, one could probably feel the presence of it there.

[Cloudnine]

What a strange. . . and interesting essence. A little intoxicating. Kokeshi lingered under the peculiar manifestation a little longer until the girl's stony gaze pried his concentration elsewhere. Without haste, the boy calmly picked himself off the ground, dusting off his faded jeans and readjusting the position of his belt. He began to smoothly walk towards the girl, slim feminine features dawning in appearance. Doing some regular primping rituals of gathering his bangs back into his face and brushing back the long, chemically-ravaged, platinum strands, he stood a mere leap's distance from the girl. "My point being. . ." He reserved a moment of silence to survey the shadowy figure darting behind the girl. "Girls shouldn't be caught in the rain." He smiled.

[Guest Draiko]

"Tck....Maybe I like the rain....Ever thought of that? And why shouldn't girls be caught out in the rain?" she asked, slowly crossing her arms. Her eyes stayed the same, still staring at the boy. But, her black pupil in her left eye did slim a bit into a slit. Tenma stepped back a foot, her inner soul gliding back as well. "And then why are you outside if rain is to come and you are warning me of it?" she asked again, her arms dropping by her side again. The shadow moved back a ways and went under the willow tree, hiding in among its branches.

[Cloudnine]

Aw. . . she shouldn't be like that. But. . . we all act the way we do because we can. "Why am I here? I'm searching. I would ask you the same question- but to ask a lady that- I wouldn't do it."

Kokeshi recovered the lost ground, maintaining the perfect leap's distance between them. He always found it best to keep everything the same, identical to the instant it started. He hated change- despised the very aftermath of the path. "Onee-san doesn't like the rain because it ruins her hair." The boy clasped his hands in front of him. He took a brief pause, watching the specter waft about the tree. "Maybe I'm wrong about all girls being like Onee-san?"

[Guest Draiko]

"Yes, you are....I for one don't care if my hair is messed up for it is straight and dark and I like my hair wet....That, and I like it when it's wet or damp outside....," answered Tenma. She watched the boy's eye movement, and saw that he probably was looking at the tree. Pausing for a moment, she waited a couple of seconds. "What are you looking at?...," she asked calmly, as she looked out of the corner of her blood red eyes towards the willow tree. Tenma probably knew what he was looking at, but decided it best to ask to be sure so she didn't just spill it all out.

[Cloudnine]

Kokeshi's pallid eyes flickered. His unyielding gaze came to scour the willow tree again before repying. "The one resting in the tree. . . your shadow, your friend?" He smiled. "I have one too. Isn't it nice to know that you're never alone?" The boy whistled, the shrillness piercing the stil air. He was answered by a distant bellow. "Ezra!" The earth trembled slightly with the pounding of hooves.

((Mew. . . Ezra might have name change. >.>))

[Guest Draiko]

Tenma turned around and looked into the willow tree and then faced the boy again. "Wrong again....It isn't my shadow...But maybe my friend......It's me....," she said coldly. The shadow of the dragon slithered out of the willow tree and made it's way beside Tenma, its wings sprawled out slightly. "It, is my inner soul....So what does that make yours?," she said, arms still hanging by her side. She listened to the sound of the pounding hooves on the ground, guessing it was probably just some pet horse he had but, she kept an open mind about.

[Cloudnine]

((Koko-chan is so. . . silly. XP Charmed to have you back, btw. ^-^ It gets lonely a little when there's so many more er. . . males. XP))

"It's you?" Kokeshi asked, eyes filled with curiousity. "I can't see mine- It's inside me, my inner strength. I have a shadow too, but it's just my skeleton." The trembling earth stilled again, the shape of a pronghorned creature emerged from the shrubbery. The elk loomed above the boy, great antlers adorned with tiny bells tied with simple twine. Kokeshi reached to touch the animal's muzzle. "Ezra is a part of me too- so is Onee-san. You will be part of me too. . . as a memory- and maybe a friend?" He extended a hand.

[Guest Draiko]

(( Koko-chan? I have another nickname now? lol Thank-you! X3 And yeah, I can see it getting like that, lol. Good thing I came back then, eh? lol ))

Tenma nodded and kept her head down for a while. She then raised her head and the little shadow line under her left eye was gone. "I don't make many friends, and don't have any really....Because I really don't like cheery people....But, I could make an acception to you....," she said, the black slits in her eyes thickening to a thick slit-like pupil. "Just don't expect me to smile because it is very rare....," said Tenma, bowing her head slightly and then stuck out her right hand to him.

[Cloudnine]

((XP Koko-chan is Kokeshi- but. . . OMIGAR- you should totally be koko-chan too!!!! =DDDDDD Draiko. <3 -poketh- harharhar. Uberly glad you're back. ^-^))

Kokeshi smiled broadly, clasping two hands around the girl's and gave her hand a vigorous shake. "I'm Hyuuga Kokeshi." Ezra pawed the ground and grunted at the girl's presence, but was silenced by a click of the tongue. "Hush, you." He turned his attention back to the girl, "And would you give your name?"

(bah. . . a tad short- I want lunch now. ^-^)

[Guest Draiko]

(( YAY!!! X3 I feel sooooo loved!!!! -poketh you back- You make me smile! XD ))

Tenma was startled by the visious shaking of her hand, just a bit though. "I, am Doragon Tenma." she said, and bowed her head deeply in respect. The dragon shadow tucked back it's wings and calmed down, not seeing the pronghorned creature as any threat to it or it's master. So it just slithered up beside Tenma on the side that the other creature was on and settled down.

(( I have a chocolate chip muffin! :3 -nibbles on it- Sorry for short post! ^^; ))

Edited June 25, 2006 by Draiko

[Cloudnine]

((-gasps- I poked you. . . you poke me back- I'm not lying dead on the asphalt and mauled? =DDDD -speshul-))

Ezra huffed and eased his way down to the ground, tucking his slender legs under him. Kokeshi followed, snuggling against the coarse pelt of the elk, hand wrapped around the creature's neck. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Tenma-san." He good-naturedly patted the ground beside him, motioning for the girl to join him. "The rain's coming; if Tenma-san likes to be in the rain, I'd feel bad if she caught a cold. There's enough room, and it's warm."

((w00t! 1337th post! -feels so 1337-))

[Guest Draiko]

(( Why would you be? 0_0; ))

Tenma shrugged and sat down next to the boy. "I can't see why not....," she said, and settled down against the elk's fur. The dragon shadow just layed across the ground in front of where they sat, keeping a distance of 3 feet so it wasn't crowded. It lifted it's right wing and held it over the elk as to show a sense of compassion for something or other, as did have a heart after all....

(( Diserving of a chocolate chip cookie! -hands you a plate of cookies- :3 ))

Edited June 25, 2006 by Draiko

[Cloudnine]

((Your sig. . . I thought I'd be doomed if I poketh thee. . . =D -munches on cookies-))

The boy smiled as Tenma joined him. Ezra brushed against the shadow-like creature with his muzzle, gingerly avoiding jarring Kokeshi in the eye. The clouds began to gray and roll- Ezra could smell the coming storm, but sat still out in the open- for the boy desired it so. He grunted a slight warning. Kokeshi nodded. "Expect the rain soon, Tenma-san." He ran his fingers through the shaggy fur of the elk's neck.

((Eh. . .another shortie- busy. >.>))

[Guest Draiko]

(( No, no, no....I would never doom you! You're a friend! :3 I don't harm people that make me smile! ))

The dark haired girl nodded, her blood red eyes closed. "So.....What weather do you like best?" asked Tenma, opening her eyes again and looked over to Kokeshi. This boy probably was the only friend she had ever had. The incident happened when she was at least five years of age but, no one except her parents, herself, and maybe the few odd people knew about the incident back then. It felt....nice, to actually have a friend. Hopefully, it would last.

[Cloudnine]

((I feel so speshul. Harharharharhar.))

Kokeshi leaned back, setting his weight atop the elk's body. "My favorite weather, Tenma-san?" He gazed up at the darkening clouds. They shuddered a little, as if unable to hold back the oncoming downpour. With a wide gesture, Kokeshi continued, "Is when the sun," He held his arm out to the sky, fingers making an 'O'. "Hides behind a screen of clouds," His other hand moved in front of his other. "Cool, dry; And it's nice and gusty." He felt a fat droplet of rain on his cheek. "Pretty different from right now, huh, Tenma-san?"

[Guest Draiko]

(( -nibbles on cookies- :3 ))

"Agreed....," said Tenma, a leg crossed over her other leg and her hands behind her head as she looked up at the sky. Another raindrop fell from the sky and landed on her forehead, sliding down her skin over her left eye and looked like a tear. She kept the fallen raindrop there, liking the feeling on the rain coming down. "I, myself, like the rain, the fog, when it is cloudy, and when it is damp. I like it when it is cool outside but, hate the snow. I like the warmth of the sun but, don't like it when it is completely unbarable....," said the girl, the slits in her blood red eyes thickening into thicker slits. The dragon shadow continued to hold its wing up over the boy and the elk, but no Tenma because it knew she liked the rain. It had endless stamina, its wing would never get tired. After all, it was but a shadow and an inner soul.