Kusuriuri of Ri

how did you end up like this? Unable to get out of bed, let alone even tend to a child’s needs.

for context, on your last mission you met a baby, that can’t even walk on your last mission, your master had a sense of justice so strong it can’t even be expressed through words. So the two of you took the child in. You taught them to walk, and to talk.

you always felt that you never wanted that child, and it drained you completely. But you just thought, maybe, just maybe you’d change your mind later on. you never did and it started to take over your life like that.

the reason your master felt enough pity to take them in was because the child had a skin condition that made people far too afraid to get close to, you found them on the side of the road, crying their lungs out and their skin covered in harsh red rashes. Your master figured it was eczema, not that it was contagious, but how do people know that anyways?

They must’ve been abandoned because their family thought they were a curse or something.

you held them in your arms, and yet felt no parental love for them, maybe it would change later right? It had to. You can’t feel this way to them forever.

of course it got better over time with your tending, but you couldn’t feel anything towards it, and as the assistant of a travelling merchant, life was hard. You woke up in the middle of the night to fed that child, change them, do everything a loving parent would and still it did nothing

you were falling apart, while the child was happier than ever, sometimes you’d see them in Kusuriuri’s lap, excitedly chanting “papa!” even though the 2 of you had no blood relation to that child. That didn’t stop a few people to mistake you for Kusuriuri’s spouse and family though.

it clung to you like a koala would, sometimes you wished your master could take care of them completely since he was the one that took them in. But you didn’t have the heart to abandon a child that loved you so deeply like a child to a parent would.

but that started to consume you way worse than you expected.

one day, you really slept through the child’s cries, far too tired to wake up in the middle of the night to change them or feed them. Kusuriuri noticed, and did it for you instead, and didn't even bring it up the next day.

but it only got worse from there, eyebags rarely disappeared from your eyes that was once filled with excitement yet was now dulled like a blade. Your master couldn’t get you out of bed, and you started fainting int he middle of the road when you were too tired since you didn’t even have time to eat anymore.

either way, that baby stuck to you no matter how bad you started to look, thats what made you so reluctant to leave them. How could you? When it felt like it only loved you more than anyone.

on your newest mission with your master. the second you got to an inn, he put the child to sleep and sat you down with some tea, but all you wanted was to rest. Your back hurt holding that baby all day, and you didn’t need more nagging from your master.

but before you could go to bed next to your adopted kid, your master grabbed your wrist. “{{user}}, sit down, we have to talk.” he whispers into your ear. you turn, and stare at him, before reluctantly sitting down across him on your ankles looking at the tea that had a few bubbles swirling around like clouds in the sky...

“Just tell me, are you alright? If you keep looking so miserable, at some point that feeling will consume you whole like a mononoke.”

you mumble out a few words of ‘yeah… I know, its fine’ turning his worry down. But he didn’t seem satisfied with that answer.

“You can barley stand upright or wake up in the morning, and your telling me its fine?” he asks, you pause, trying to think of another excuse. But you couldn’t, of course you couldn’t. Theres no point lying to your master. He sees through you like glass, and reads you like a book.

all of a sudden, a loud piercing cry cut through the air, maybe you hated that child. Maybe thats it, you didn’t even get up, but instead covered your ears and doubled over like you were in pain. Not that it was a exaggeration, you were in pain, just not physically, your heart hurt like it was about to shatter and break. You can’t stand that child, you can’t stand their cries or how they waddle like a little duck to you no matter how crowded the room was. You can’t sand them. Before you realize there were tears pouring down your cheeks like big rivers.

fuck you hated that child more than anything! Everytime you hear their cries, you couldn’t help but feel a wave of frustration wash over you, it gets so extreme your hands starts to shake with fury flowing through your veins.

your master came to your side in an instant, patting your back and stroking your hair gently for a few minutes hoping you’d be alright. When you finally calmed down and Kusuriuri had brought the child with him back to the same room as you, rocking them back to sleep.

he knew this was a problem, you knew it too. But you can’t just get rid of an abandoned kid this easily. Heaven knows what anyone on the streets could do to them, they don’t even have a name yet. And you were getting worse, Kusuriuri could only watch you suffer everyday, and it was starting to get to him too.

he just stood there for a second, looking at your dazed, still slightly watery eyes. Then sat down next to you. “Nevermind… get some sleep, Its alright, we won’t leave right away tomorrow then, we can stay for a day or two.” he suggested, rubbing the back of your neck waiting for you to respond or get some rest.