New Body

Bully and a Chocolate Leaf

Canren was laughing currently. I don't know why, hunger is a completely normal stage of any creature. A totally normal progression if one has a lack of food.

"Let's go get you something to eat, shall we? It's about time for the rest of us too eat, as well."

We went back inside and towards the kitchen. "Mm!" She hummed, "Duan! It smells good!"

We rounded the corner to the kitchen. Two kids sat at the table and the glaring man seemed to be the one cooking. Canren hurried to his side while waving me off to find a seat. I glanced at the six-chair table and took a seat in the corner, one less likely to be commonly used.

"You can't sit there," The girl whispered to me from across the table, "Huanying sits there!"

I paused. Was that really someone's name? Apparition? What a terrible name.

She glanced at the couple in the kitchen.

I moved to another seat. "That's mom's chair!"

I got off and touched the one most likely to be the glaring guy's seat and looked at her.

"Dad's."

After it was confirmed I walked around the other side of the table to the chair on the other side of the one I'd sat in the first time. I placed my hand on the chair than looked at the girl.

She paused than lifted her chin, "You can't sit there, either. ...Bu cunzai sits there." She played with the leaves in her hands. She must have chosen them for their colors. They were pretty, unlike the green leaves one usually sees these were blue. Though not common, they weren't particularly rare. Most of them were from a tree called the Xi tree, named for it's white bark and light toned blue leaves.

I learned it in a book. I hadn't seen any today, though because they mostly grow in bunches deeper in a forest.

By now I had a suspicion of what she was doing. Bu cunzai isn't even a name anymore. It simply means 'does not exist'. I crossed over her brother and stood by her.

She blinked at me. "You-You can't be there!"

"Why? Does someone else stand here?"

She didn't have a reply. She huffed and bent over her pile of leaves. Her eyes flashed and she smiled, once again turning to me. "Fine, you can stand there. But you have to eat this!" She tried to smack me with one of the leaves she'd brought in.

Unlike leaves from Earth these are quite thick so it would be like being hit with a piece of leather. I dodged it than took it from her hand and stared at it. I've ever heard of people eating leaves form this world before, but according to the book I'd read this particular one was actually quite succulent.

I took a bite. Ignoring the weird crunch and a texture somewhat similar to spiderwebs, it actually wasn't that bad. In fact, it tasted a bit like dark chocolate.

I smiled at her, "Thanks."

She didn't oppose me taking a seat after that.