Post by Kumiko on Aug 28, 2004 20:42:14 GMT -5
Well, I had some internet-less time, and felt like writing something... so this took form. I actually meant to write more of her childhood, and elaborate further on it all (as it is now, it all feels mostly rushed), but I decided against it. Maybe some other day.
Anyway, here it is.... Saku's story... enjoy. ;D
Oh, and I know the ending sucks, sorry.
***
CHAPTER 1
The sun shone brightly, as it was a warm day in April. In the sun, a small kitten was lying. She was white as newfallen snow, and the contrast against the bright green grass was strong. She heard a sound nearby and opened an eye, the only thing in her face that really shifted in colour. Her eye was black, with an oblong pupil that shimmered in white. She blinked slowly and looked up at the two persons who were standing over her.
They were both in human shape, though it was quite obvious that they weren't, both because of the way they moved, with a feline grace, and because of some physical characteristics, such as cat-ears perched on top of their heads, whiskers, claws and tails. If a human had seen them, they would've been able to identify them in no time - youkai.
The female bent over and patted the kitten softly. Her skin was spotted - some gray, some white and some black, and she had bright green eyes. She talked slowly, in their own tongue.
"Sakuteki-chan, your father and I have to make a short trip, think you can make it on your own for a few days?"
The male kneeled as well and gathered the kitten into his lap. The familiarity between father and daughter was more obvious - he had white hair and pale skin, with just a few black spots on his ears, and his eyes were black as well, though the pupils shimmered more in yellow than Saku's did.
"Of course she can," he said with a small smile. "Saku-chan is a big neko now."
The kitten straightened a little in her father's lap, intent on making herself live up to her father's words.
Her mother spoke again. "We will just be gone for a day or two, Saku-chan... and if you stay here, you should be fine. There's food, and water, and if anything bad comes this way, you can head for the family of tiger youkai in the woods a while away, they'll help you."
The little kitten now spoke up for the first time. "Keh... I can defend m'self."
Her father laughed, and only stopped after his mate gave him a look. "There, now, Saku-chan, we know you can fight, but... your mother worries, and it would make us feel better if you promised you'd try to reach them in case of trouble."
Sakuteki sighed, but then gave an affirmative nod. "Yosh... If anything happens, I'll look for them." She stopped, a frown spreading over her fur-covered face. "Why are you going anyway, chichi?"
Now it was her father's turn to sigh. "There has been some rumours of a powerful new youkai a bit to the north of here, and your mother and I have decided it would be best to find out more about him for ourselves. As she said, we won't be gone long, just a day or two."
Raising a paw to her mouth and starting to lick slightly, Sakuteki nodded again. "Yosh. I'll stay here, and if you're not back in... four days, I'll come find you."
Her mother frowned a bit, but her father just smiled and ruffled the fur on top of her head. "Well, we'll try to get back here before then, then."
He stood up, still with Saku in his arms, and gave her a big hug. The kitten tried to look as if she was just suffering through it, though her purring kind of gave her away. Her mother stood up as well and joined in the hug.
"Take care Saku-chan," she said as they all hugged, "and remember, we love you. Also... keep away from dogs, youkai you don't know, monks and priestesses... we don't want you to get into trouble."
As she was put down again, Saku just nodded. "Yeah, yeah. I'll take care of m'self, you just go, take care."
Her parents nodded and began walking away, and Sakuteki looked after them for a while, before curling up in the sun again. It hadn't been the first time her parents had left her in a safe place while they went of to investigate something, and she was sure they'd come back within the time limit they had put up.
The day passed, and she caught her own dinner - mostly field rats that she ate raw - and drank from a little stream nearby. She stayed mostly in her kitten form, though sometimes she changed into looking more humanoid, like her parents had. She played around, without a care.
That night, the weather switched around completely, as it often does in April, and began raining. Sakuteki climbed into a tree and curled up on a branch, hoping to avoid the cold water splattering down all about her. A small voice in the back of her mind told her this would decrease her chances of finding her parents if need be, but she ignored it. They would come back within the timelimit, of course they would.
The next day was spent much as the first, as was the day after that. Finally, on the fourth day, the kitten waited until sunset, still without a sign from them. She looked down at the road, worry written all over her face, before looking up again, staring at the setting sun. She would find her parents herself, and save them if need be.
First, she waited one more night at the same spot, before setting out on the road, heading north, as that was the only clue she had to their location.
CHAPTER 2
The village was not big, nor was it really small. It was about average sized.
Some children were playing in the outskirts, when an odd traveller showed up. She had long, white hair, pale skin, and black eyes. On top of that, she had cat-ears on top of her head, whiskers, a long tail, and the nails on her hands (or should they be called paws, perhaps?) were like claws. She was dressed in a short yukata, much like the other children, though her seemed as if it had been much more expensive at the start, but was now quite worn and dusty. She stopped a bit from them and watched them play, a simple game of tag.
One of the older children, a boy of perhaps ten years, stopped and stared at her, taking in her full appearance. He stood in shock for a few moments, before he called out. Just one word, but it was enough.
"Youkai!"
The rest of the children stopped playing, and gathered together, afraid of what this girl could do to them.
"G-go away," one of the braver children said, and the girl took a step back, not having realised the children would be so afraid of her. "W-we don't want any youkai here..."
She took another step away, and as she did, some of the children found the courage to pick up a stone and throw at her. It was not really well aimed, but it still hit the top of her shoulder. The youkai stopped backing away, wondering for a moment if she should attack, but... these were just kittens, younger than herself... they didn't know better.
Soon stones and twigs were all around her, and she retreated further, ending up changing into her cat-shape and running away. Stopping well outside the village, she inspected herself. A few bruises, and a cut on her arm, but nothing that wouldn't heal in a day.
Sakuteki sighed. She hadn't meant to scare them, and although it was an interesting feeling to know she could scare them like that, to know that she hadn't just been making it up when she said she was a scary youkai, it still felt slightly sad, being excluded like that. She shrugged and decided to keep heading down the road. She didn't need their acceptance.
The young cat-girl was starting to get hungry, though. She hadn't taken much time hunting as of late, wanting just to find her parents as quickly as possible, and it was really starting to tire her. It also showed slightly in her appearance - when in cat-shape, her fur wasn't as shiny as it'd usually be, and this affected the way her clothes appeared, too.
She just wanted to find them and go home.
Anyway, here it is.... Saku's story... enjoy. ;D
Oh, and I know the ending sucks, sorry.
***
CHAPTER 1
The sun shone brightly, as it was a warm day in April. In the sun, a small kitten was lying. She was white as newfallen snow, and the contrast against the bright green grass was strong. She heard a sound nearby and opened an eye, the only thing in her face that really shifted in colour. Her eye was black, with an oblong pupil that shimmered in white. She blinked slowly and looked up at the two persons who were standing over her.
They were both in human shape, though it was quite obvious that they weren't, both because of the way they moved, with a feline grace, and because of some physical characteristics, such as cat-ears perched on top of their heads, whiskers, claws and tails. If a human had seen them, they would've been able to identify them in no time - youkai.
The female bent over and patted the kitten softly. Her skin was spotted - some gray, some white and some black, and she had bright green eyes. She talked slowly, in their own tongue.
"Sakuteki-chan, your father and I have to make a short trip, think you can make it on your own for a few days?"
The male kneeled as well and gathered the kitten into his lap. The familiarity between father and daughter was more obvious - he had white hair and pale skin, with just a few black spots on his ears, and his eyes were black as well, though the pupils shimmered more in yellow than Saku's did.
"Of course she can," he said with a small smile. "Saku-chan is a big neko now."
The kitten straightened a little in her father's lap, intent on making herself live up to her father's words.
Her mother spoke again. "We will just be gone for a day or two, Saku-chan... and if you stay here, you should be fine. There's food, and water, and if anything bad comes this way, you can head for the family of tiger youkai in the woods a while away, they'll help you."
The little kitten now spoke up for the first time. "Keh... I can defend m'self."
Her father laughed, and only stopped after his mate gave him a look. "There, now, Saku-chan, we know you can fight, but... your mother worries, and it would make us feel better if you promised you'd try to reach them in case of trouble."
Sakuteki sighed, but then gave an affirmative nod. "Yosh... If anything happens, I'll look for them." She stopped, a frown spreading over her fur-covered face. "Why are you going anyway, chichi?"
Now it was her father's turn to sigh. "There has been some rumours of a powerful new youkai a bit to the north of here, and your mother and I have decided it would be best to find out more about him for ourselves. As she said, we won't be gone long, just a day or two."
Raising a paw to her mouth and starting to lick slightly, Sakuteki nodded again. "Yosh. I'll stay here, and if you're not back in... four days, I'll come find you."
Her mother frowned a bit, but her father just smiled and ruffled the fur on top of her head. "Well, we'll try to get back here before then, then."
He stood up, still with Saku in his arms, and gave her a big hug. The kitten tried to look as if she was just suffering through it, though her purring kind of gave her away. Her mother stood up as well and joined in the hug.
"Take care Saku-chan," she said as they all hugged, "and remember, we love you. Also... keep away from dogs, youkai you don't know, monks and priestesses... we don't want you to get into trouble."
As she was put down again, Saku just nodded. "Yeah, yeah. I'll take care of m'self, you just go, take care."
Her parents nodded and began walking away, and Sakuteki looked after them for a while, before curling up in the sun again. It hadn't been the first time her parents had left her in a safe place while they went of to investigate something, and she was sure they'd come back within the time limit they had put up.
The day passed, and she caught her own dinner - mostly field rats that she ate raw - and drank from a little stream nearby. She stayed mostly in her kitten form, though sometimes she changed into looking more humanoid, like her parents had. She played around, without a care.
That night, the weather switched around completely, as it often does in April, and began raining. Sakuteki climbed into a tree and curled up on a branch, hoping to avoid the cold water splattering down all about her. A small voice in the back of her mind told her this would decrease her chances of finding her parents if need be, but she ignored it. They would come back within the timelimit, of course they would.
The next day was spent much as the first, as was the day after that. Finally, on the fourth day, the kitten waited until sunset, still without a sign from them. She looked down at the road, worry written all over her face, before looking up again, staring at the setting sun. She would find her parents herself, and save them if need be.
First, she waited one more night at the same spot, before setting out on the road, heading north, as that was the only clue she had to their location.
CHAPTER 2
The village was not big, nor was it really small. It was about average sized.
Some children were playing in the outskirts, when an odd traveller showed up. She had long, white hair, pale skin, and black eyes. On top of that, she had cat-ears on top of her head, whiskers, a long tail, and the nails on her hands (or should they be called paws, perhaps?) were like claws. She was dressed in a short yukata, much like the other children, though her seemed as if it had been much more expensive at the start, but was now quite worn and dusty. She stopped a bit from them and watched them play, a simple game of tag.
One of the older children, a boy of perhaps ten years, stopped and stared at her, taking in her full appearance. He stood in shock for a few moments, before he called out. Just one word, but it was enough.
"Youkai!"
The rest of the children stopped playing, and gathered together, afraid of what this girl could do to them.
"G-go away," one of the braver children said, and the girl took a step back, not having realised the children would be so afraid of her. "W-we don't want any youkai here..."
She took another step away, and as she did, some of the children found the courage to pick up a stone and throw at her. It was not really well aimed, but it still hit the top of her shoulder. The youkai stopped backing away, wondering for a moment if she should attack, but... these were just kittens, younger than herself... they didn't know better.
Soon stones and twigs were all around her, and she retreated further, ending up changing into her cat-shape and running away. Stopping well outside the village, she inspected herself. A few bruises, and a cut on her arm, but nothing that wouldn't heal in a day.
Sakuteki sighed. She hadn't meant to scare them, and although it was an interesting feeling to know she could scare them like that, to know that she hadn't just been making it up when she said she was a scary youkai, it still felt slightly sad, being excluded like that. She shrugged and decided to keep heading down the road. She didn't need their acceptance.
The young cat-girl was starting to get hungry, though. She hadn't taken much time hunting as of late, wanting just to find her parents as quickly as possible, and it was really starting to tire her. It also showed slightly in her appearance - when in cat-shape, her fur wasn't as shiny as it'd usually be, and this affected the way her clothes appeared, too.
She just wanted to find them and go home.