The first thing Yuugi noticed were the eyes.
They were a bright, jewel-like green, an uncommon hue among the oni, large and almond-shaped, and framed by long, coal-black eyelashes. Above all, she was struck by their gaze: bold, resistant, almost haughty, attitudes exceedingly uncommon in the stragglers Yuugi's gang normally brought before her. They were the kind of eyes she might well toast on a night of celebration after the more customary cheers for battle and victory were out of the way.
"She's the one?" She asked her lieutenant, to their prisoner's benefit rather than her own. Of course the waif before her, her honey-coloured hair loose and matted into clumps and her small stature further exaggerated by being flanked by two burly oni, was the suspicious youkai her gang had caught lurking near the entrance to Hell.
"Yes, chief. Found her sleeping by the bridge to the surface."
"On this side, of course?" When the lieutenant nodded, Yuugi placed her hands on her hips and smiled at the stranger. "Can't be all bad if you crossed it. The big question is, why did you?"
The stranger said nothing, nor responded to the smile. Yuugi found herself amused rather than irritated. It was good to see the little youkai put up a fight.
"This is our turf," she continued. They were by one of the major entrances to Hell, and thus in a realm which belonged to the Ministry of Right and Wrong. For the time being, Yuugi was offering the services of her and her followers to the Ministry in return for a rather sizeable patch of Hell, including the ground they presently stood on. "Anyone who comes here for any reason whatsoever has to answer to us."
The stranger still said nothing, but by then, Yuugi was suspecting a reason beyond stubborness. Her first impression after she managed to tear her gaze from her eyes was that not long ago, the stranger had been a normal, if likely starving, human. The second concerned her dress and the state it was in: her strangely cut, colourful jacket was faded with sunlight and grime, and little remained of what had once been elegant slippers. The only part of her outfit that was relatively intact was the gossamer-like gown she wore under her jacket. Not the most practical of garments, but Yuugi liked the look of it.
She less liked the pointed ears, like a tengu's. Still, she recognised a bridge princess when she saw one, as readily as she could tell the stranger was a foreigner.
"Did she say anything when you found her?" she asked, focusing her attention on the two oni guarding her.
"Not much, Chief. It was all gibberish, anyway," Kanna, the sharper of the pair, replied. "She tried to attack Touko an' me when we found her, but calmed down when I caught her fist."
Yuugi nodded, then crouched down to the bridge princess' eye level. The girl met her gaze without wavering. Surely, even if tales of the oni had never reached her land, she had to be aware Yuugi could crush her skull one-handedly in a matter of heartbeats. And yet, she held her ground.
Yuugi straightened her back. The bridge princess' eyes followed her as she rose to tower over her. Even if she couldn't understand her questions, one of them demanded an answer. Why would a youkai from a faraway land come all the way to the gates of Hell?
"Did you find anything on her?" she asked the sentries.
"Just the clothes on her back, Chief."
No answers there, then. Hell had some enemies, but a single bridge princess was unlikely to stir much chaos. Yuugi had to assume she was either lost or had lost her home and was seeking employment from the Ministry. With the language gap, however...
"If she managed to walk across the bridge, she's at least righteous." She narrowed her eyes. "The next question is, is she brave?"
She took another step closer, well into the bridge princess' personal space, cracking her knuckles.
Alarmed, the bridge princess took a step backwards, only to bump into Touko's folded arms. Her eyes darted around, looking for an escape route. None were forthcoming.
Then, she straightened her back. She sought out Yuugi's eyes and locked gazes with her, staring with such intensity that if looks could have killed Yuugi would've dropped dead in her tracks.
Well versed in reading her opponents, Yuugi grinned. The bridge princess was obviously frightened who wouldn't be, under the circumstances? but she showed no signs of giving up. Her muscles were taut, her hands curled into tiny fists, her breathing shallow. She was like a cornered wild animal, ready to pounce.
Yuugi relaxed her stance and threw her head back to laugh with relish.
"I like her!" She flashed a grin at the startled bridge princess blinking at her. "She's strong."
"Her, Chief?" Kanna asked incredulously. "Her arms're spindlier than my fingers!"
"You've met Ibuki, you know size doesn't matter. That's not how I meant it, anyway. Look at her."
If the bridge princess was uncomfortable with several pairs of oni eyes suddenly narrowing down on her, she didn't show it beyond squaring her shoulders.
Yuugi's grin widened. "See? She knows she's going to lose, but she's still ready to fight to the death. That's strength, too."
She held out her hand. The bridge princess eyed it with suspicion, clearly expecting a trap. Perhaps she truly didn't know anything about the oni.
"It's an honest hand," said Yuugi, fully aware the foreign girl wouldn't understand her, but hopeful her tone of voice would convey the message.
Gingerly, still staring, the bridge princess extended her own hand and placed it in Yuugi's. Their eyes met again. The bridge princess' gaze was as candid as before, glittering with curiosity and, perhaps, hope.
"Good." Yuugi curled her fingers around the slender hand in hers, making her grip tighter than was fully necessary. The bridge princess didn't as much as flinch, earning another point of admiration from Yuugi. "Let's get her some food and something to wear — someone must have some cast-offs to spare. We'll figure out what to do with her after that."
"You sure, Chief?"
"Why not? She's a fellow youkai, after all. The language's a problem, but someone from the administration will speak hers for sure." She nudged her head in the direction of the palace. "Let's go."
The bridge princess followed her lead with steady footsteps, her head held high.