Chapter Text
-42 minutes later-
Oreo, Vienna, and Murray were sitting around a large campfire that the grey haired girl had made. Over it were thirty eight large chunks of deer meat that had been skewered with large, sharpened sticks.
“The meat should be done soon.” Murray said.
“How can you tell when you’re sitting right next to us?”
“I’m pretty good at keeping track of time, and I know cooking venison takes like half an hour. Just counting the time down is enough for me to know whether my meal’s done or not.”
Vienna nodded her head.
“Murray’s real skilled at keeping time. Even when she’s talking to someone or busy doing something else, she always knows when it’s time for something.”
“That’s an incredibly useful skill to have. Who taught you it?”
“I taught myself.” The grey haired girl said, turning to look at her friend. “I’ve been living on the streets for as long as I can remember. As you already know, stealing and threatening people is how I make money. Being able to count down to something while doing something else is an incredibly useful skill for that line of work.”
“Why are you homeless? Are your parents dead, or did they disown you?”
She nodded her head.
“Yes, my parents are dead. They’ve been dead for years now. I barely have any memories of them, but I remember that they loved me. In some twisted way, I guess I’d be able to consider myself lucky.”
“In what world would you be considered lucky? Both your parents died when you were still a little kid. That’s not being lucky, that’s-“
“I’m a hermaphrodite. I was born with both pairs of genitals. To most of society, I’m a sinner and an abomination, but to my parents, I was their precious daughter. It was for that reason that, once they died, nobody in my family wanted to take me in. I’m not sure whether it’s different in Japan or not, but in Canada, hermaphrodites are truly despised. We’re seen as lustful beasts with no concept of self control who’ll force themselves on any poor girl who has the misfortune of being near them. Because of this, none of my relatives wanted to take me in, so I was forced to live in the streets.”
“Your family’s heartless! How could they do such a thing to a little girl who just lost her parents?”
“It might seem too cruel for you to believe, but in this country, it’s not an uncommon occurrence. I’ve heard stories of wealthy families kicking their daughters out of their house for being born with male genitalia when they’re just five years old.”
“Isn’t it illegal to do such a thing?”
“No. While it is illegal to disown children below the age of 5, once they reach that age, it’s fair game.”
“Most kids who are forced onto the streets end up as either streetwalkers or dead. But I was different! I clawed my way out of the jaws of death, and I’d teach myself how to steal! Over time, I’d grow faster and more stealthy, and I’d teach myself how to count down the time to something without focusing solely on it. Add in my magic, and I was able to become a master criminal who stole whatever she wanted.”
“Did you get that scar while trying to rob someone?”
“Yep. When I was just starting out, I was trying to rob an old lady’s house while she was asleep. Somehow, she woke up, snuck behind me, and slashed me across the face with a knife. Had I not closed my eye before she attacked me, I would’ve lost it.”
“What happened after that?”
“I ran from her house, naturally. As much as it sucked to not get anything good from her, I’d rather keep my life than die trying to make a few extra dollars.” Murray stood up and walked towards the deer meat. “Anyway, the food’s ready now.” She grabbed the skewered pieces of meat and handed 12 of them to her friends. “There’s 2 pieces of meat left over. I’ll save them for Vanilla.”
Standing behind a tree a few feet from her friends was Vanilla, whose hands were over her mouth, muffling her breathing.
“M-Murray is a hermaphrodite?” She whispered. “I-I need to get Oreo away from her!”