She's kind of like a raven

 “You're going to take me to Shizuka's caregiver?” I asked, suppressing a shudder.

Was it her mother? Or was there a reason Kohaku had worded it like that. Either way, I hadn't had much luck in the people department in my own world, even more so when they were related to me.

“What's wrong?” she asked, placing a hand on my shoulder too heavy to shake off with ease.

“It just seems a little insensitive, you know?” I replied. “Making her meet someone who looks like her dead daughter.”

“Shizu-” Tatsuya stepped forward but was silenced by a swift wave of Kohaku's hand.

She knelt down in front of me and I couldn't avoid her gaze without meeting the faintly judgemental eyes of the rest.

“I don't want to make you feel like we don't believe you and that you're not who you say you are,” she said. “But you don't just look like Shizuka. Your voice, your manners, even the way you move is almost exactly like her.”

“It's probably just a weird coincidence,” I said. “I've seen a lot of weird things since I ended up here. Like those animals wearing human clothes. What's that about?”

The atmosphere gained weight again.

“Those aren't animals,” said Aoto coldly, tugging at his Mandarin collar with his forefinger. “They're people.”

Crap, I messed up.

“They are? Well, people don't look like that in the world I come from.” I shrugged. “See?”

“Did you hit your head or something?” asked the newcomer who looked like a younger Tatsuya but with green eyes instead of blue.

“Washi,” rumbled Tatsuya.

“Why else would she say such strange things?” Washi glanced at him before turning back to me. “The Shizuka we know always made sense.”

“Well, not always,” said Kohaku, clearing her throat as soon as I looked at her. “Anyway, he's right. You are saying some strange things but that doesn't mean you're not Shizuka. We don't know how you survived the Jaw but if anyone could make it back out of there, it would be you.”

I assumed the Jaw was the name of the creepy canyon I had seen before.

“Why? Was Shizuka good at flying or something?” I stifled a smirk in case that was also an offensive question.

Washi looked sideways at Tatsuya in that distinct sibling attempting to send a silent message manner. Tina, my sister, had relayed most of her wordless death threats in the same way.

“She was good at surviving,” said Kohaku as she straightened up. “I'll tell you all about it once we're in the wagon but we have to leave now.”

“Sure but if I accidentally hurt her family's feelings, you're going to have to do all the damage control, okay?” I stood up before she could offer me her hand.

“Are you all right now?” asked Toshi. “Should I get more lavender?”

“I think I'll be all right.” I regretted the words as soon as I spoke them. My brain needed more time to settle in my skull and I silently vowed to avoid being carried anywhere by Toshi. It reminded me of the time I discovered motion sickness by going on one of those extra crazy theme park rides. The kind that moved in several directions and spun simultaneously. “Should we go then?”

Kohaku stared at me for a moment longer after Toshi turned away, then nodded.

“Yes, let's go,” she said, leading the way towards the gate.

I considered walking away without saying anything but the vibe was weird enough already and I had no desire to make things worse.

“Uh, I guess I'll see you later?” I waved at Aoto who looked like he hadn't forgiven me about the human animal thing yet.

“I'm sure you will,” he said after an awkwardly extended silence.

“Right.” I followed Kohaku and the others before I could invalidate my gesture of goodwill with an uncomfortable laugh and fell into step with Tatsuya and his lookalike. “So you're Tatsuya's brother, right?”

Washi winced and looked at the other man over my head.

“Is it the hair?” He smiled nervously and pointed at the white strands.

“It's not just the hair,” I said, forcing myself to look at the man who had hugged me like we were lovers as soon as I met him. “So do you all know the person who raised Shizuka too? Mind telling me what she's like?”

“Hm?” Tatsuya moved his right hand out of my sight, his gaze distant as if he were only just starting to process everything that had happened since our meeting. “Oh, you mean Uchi?”

I nodded as we left went through the gate, single file, and ended up in a better maintained wood than the first once I had seen in this world. A wide dirt path stretched away from us several meters away and the carriage waiting upon it at the same distance. Tatsuya kept his gaze on it as he spoke, his expression taut.

“I haven't seen her for a while,” he replied. “She's kind of like a raven.”

“A raven. Right.” So dark, clever, and noisy when she wanted to be. As if this wasn't concerning enough. “Was she close to Shizuka?”

“They were close, in their own way,” he said, clearing choosing his words with care.

“The shouting or the ignoring each other way?” I smirked.

He muffled a chuckle, and I wasn't sure whether I wanted him and Shizuka to be more than friends.

“Both,” he said, hiding his smile with the back of his hand, a confused blankness in his eyes. “Depends on the weather.”

 Ahead of us, Toshi twisted back around to face the front. Though not before I caught the knowing look she had shared with Washi.  

“Aaaah, I see.” I looked up and the sky was still very blue. “How's it looking today?”

“I suspect she's going to be very happy to see you again,” he said quietly.

I hoped he was right.

 Because it was going to be a disaster if he wasn't.