Snow fell on the peaceful shrine, shrouding it in a false sense of calmness. It blanketed the whole lawn ; the trees' limbs hunched over under the weight. One limb suddenly crashed, and along with it..." BWAAH! " ...went a certain young tengu. Ginshu jumped all over, thoroughly surprised. He looked to where the crash and scream had come from, and ran to the scene. Before his eyes lay both a broken limb, and a snow-drowned blonde boy. Ginshu couldn't help but giggle at this.
" O-Oi! Stop laughing and h-help! " came a little cry from under the pile of snow.
" Oh! " Ginshu gasped, realizing the tengu might actually get frost bite. He dropped to his knees, and began to dig through the snow for his friend. Under a good foot of snow was, low and behold, a familiar sight. " Hiwa! " Ginshu said happily. The boy just looked up at the other groggily. The chipper priestess grasped said Hiwa under the arms and stood and hoisted them both up in one fluid motion. Almost like a mother, he then plopped him on his feet, and dusted the snow off of him.
Hiwa immediately stumbled away. " Geez, what are you doing?! " he hissed, sending a glare the other's way.
" You'll get frost bite if that snow stays on your skin! " Ginshu replied with much worry.
" No I won't! " Hiwa huffed back like the defiant child he was. The dark-haired boy, Ginshu, returned the earlier glare.
" Here, at least! " He removed his outer garment, throwing it over onto Hiwa's head. The boy squeaked in surprise as it draped over his head and little wings.
Hiwa peeked out from under the garment. " Now you'll be cold... " He frowned.
" Surely not! These priestess garments are really thick! I don't like wearing them all! " Ginshu lied. He was a bit cold, but it was better than his friend freezing.
Alas, Hiwa sighed in defeat, and toddled over with his bare feet to Ginshu.
" What is it...? " Ginshu asked, smiling warily. The blonde boy looked up at him, expressionless.
He was silent for a moment, but finally, " ...are we going to play today? "
Ginshu laughed, for the second time in the past few minutes. A bright red blush covered Hiwa's face. " W-what?! Why are you laughing, idiot?! " he managed out, flustered.
" Nothing, nothing! " Ginshu was out of breath from laughing. He had his hands on his knees, hunched over. " Yes, of course we'll play! Why do you think I'm out in this frigid weather? Actually, why are you out in this frigid weather, without me calling for you? " Suddenly, realization. " Is it that we're friends?! Do you acknowledge me as your friend and want company?! " he squealed in almost a girlish shriek.
" NO WAY! " Hiwa countered. Of course, his cherry colored face said something different. " Idiot! What makes you think that?! Come on, let's just go! " He yanked Ginshu by his inner garment's neck, and didn't even show concern when the boy gagged. ' He deserves it...I'll win our game today, too... '
---END.
