Eitsu's Nine Lives (永津の九生) [yuri/GL yokai reincarnation story]

8 - Kami

Once more, Eitsu sat in the dark.

There were no bars this time, but neither were there plush cushions, or toys, or delicious food.

There were only memories.

Her memories were hazy, some more clear than others, like flashes of sunlight on water. The pair of them throwing snow at each other, the winter when they were sixteen. Eating roast fish together at a market the spring when they were twenty-one.

A heart-shaped birthmark.

Tsubaki? If it was her, why hadn't she said anything? Why did she so thoroughly hide her neck with high collars?

Rei? If it was him, why had he given her nightmares? And why did he too wear an undershirt that hid his neck?

Had Tsubaki really not said anything?

Had Rei actually explicitly admitted to giving her nightmares?

What are they hiding? What do they want from me?

She flexed her fingers. She felt... different. Her brief attempt at interfering with Rei's mind had made her tired, and she was only slowly regaining her energy. But the mere realisation that she had this abilities, the feeling of a kaibyou's power...

Her thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of two doll-like girls, identical in appearance from their jet black bobbed hair to their green dresses.

"Eitsu-sama, we have come to dress you."

Eitsu looked at them coldly. "For?"

"Rei-sama wishes for you to attend the auction with him today."

An auction? It couldn't be anything good.

Since that day, Rei had not come to see her again, leaving her in the room alone. She was provided with good food and comfortable bedding, and a place to bathe, but she was unable to leave.

Eitsu thought of the last look she had seen on his face and smirked darkly to herself. "What if I don't want to go?"

"Rei-sama said that he has personally invited Tsubaki-dono."

"... Fine. Get on with it."

The girls got to work, leading Eitsu to the bath and carefully cleaning her. She observed them closely as they worked, realising that their hair was made of fine black silk. These girls truly were dolls, tsukumogami.

When they were done, Eitsu was dressed in an exquisite set of gold embroidered robes. Her hair, now long enough to reach her shoulder blades, was neatly trimmed and brushed, and a little red eyeliner applied at the outer corners of her narrow golden eyes. The dolls showed her a mirror, but she merely glanced at her reflection with disinterest.

They led her to a sitting room where Rei sat at a low table, a pot of gyokuro by his hand. He paused in the middle of taking a sip of tea as Eitsu entered.

They considered each other in silence for a moment.

Rei broke it with a rueful sigh and gestured for Eitsu to take a seat. She ignored him.

"How are you?"

"..." Eitsu raised a single eyebrow, as if to ask, how do you think I am?

Rei smiled apologetically, fiddling with his tekkou. "Is it really so bad, being here with me?"

Again, silence.

"You've faced unhappiness over and over again. Don't you want to be happy?"

"And you'll give me that?"