Frostbitten

Frozen Beauty

Rikuo's P.O.V.

   If I were required to perfectly explain and describe this situation, it would be... rather difficult for me actually, considering that that I don't know myself. 

I mean, what would you do if you were patrolling a city with murder on the rise, and stumbled upon a gang of lower yokai assaulting and harassing a young women—who is a Yuki Onna that just happens to have an unstable mindset and is currently sleeping in your arms?

Now, hypothetically, you find said Yuki Onna highly attractive, and frankly you want to give them a better life, as they seem to be having it rather rough, and you're unable to ascertain if whether helping them is driven by altruism or attraction.

  This question is only heightened by you having a frankly irrational desire to keep said person—and stranger, I might add—close and never let them go because like I previously mentioned, they seem to be a troubled... and beautiful, soul.

Is there a certain name of title for such an emotion?

  What do you call that emotion, cause I don't know. I don't know as I'm hurtling several hundred feet in the air and I really should be prioritizing not falling to death. Or rather her death as she's injured and still bleeding out and could possibly die if I drop her onto the concrete.

  But no, I'm thinking about how pretty she is, and not about how not so pretty she would be if she were to slip from my arms and go splat against the ground.

Great.

Just fantastic. 

I like her. 

  Wonderful, I'll add that to my list of other responsibilities: leading the clan, commanding the yokai, keeping my grades up in school, managing the territory, dealing with the recent yokai murders, and now—what I suspect may become my favorite activity—watching over and protecting her.

Fantastic, I can't wait (no, seriously, I can't). 

  I contemplate her... situation as I run toward the location where I can find her medical treatment and hopefully a new life for her. 

  The Yokai district of the city appears before me as I race along the streets as fast as I could without hurting any buildings, fellow Ayakashi and Yokai, or my precious passenger. If I really wanted to, I could easily break the sound barrier in an instant, which is REALLY not advisable without a safety helmet (for the passenger and onlookers of course, I'm built different).

  I arrive at the Bakeneko Clan's finest and main establishment, Bakenekoya. As I arrived through the front door, I was greeted by one of the Neko Yokai that worked there, a calico with grey eyes and pretty features; I can tell they're a new calico by their mannerisms and the messy patterned hair that was pulled back into a bun, their sakura pink, striped yukata slightly messy, a sign of an inexperienced hand.

  "Lord Rikuo! What brings you to— oh my word, is she bleeding?! I'll get Ryota Neko right away, sir!"

  She quickly hustled away as another worker—a tortoiseshell haired Neko Yokai with pretty green eyes that wore a purple yukata with wisteria flowers embroidered on the sleeves—took me through a secluded hallway with no patrons in sight; a wise choice, as it was best not to cause a stir, especially with the Yokai murderer on the loose.

  We finally arrived at the room as Ryota Neko appeared, a white haired Neko Yokai with blue eyes and a light green kimono following close behind him, carrying a medical kit in tow. Ryota slid open the door as I laid her down on the prepared futon. As the white haired cat yokai prepared the tools to help her, I wondered who exactly 'her' was.