Sound the Bugle
Author's Note: Woo! 13 reviews! I had almost given up hope! ^_^ Thank you! My sincerest apologies for taking so darned long! -_-;;; I know how much I hate it. I just got lazy. O.o and for a while my keyboard wouldn't type 's' and 'w', cuz I spilt soda on it. And the fact that tomorrow is my first day of high school may or may not make it easier for me to write. See, when I'm procrastinating something else (like Homework _), it's easier for me to do things I should put off. I dunno, it just works out. And I guess, yeah, its a bit more drama than angst, but I've forgotten how to fix it. I'll figure it out, eventually.
[Disclaimer: If I had a good witty comment on how I don't own Jim, Treasure Planet, and all that other good stuff.. I'd put it here.]
Jim was stunned. A thousand different thoughts ran through his head at the mention of Lupes. He knew what they were, but it just wouldn't piece itself together. An old voyage, a feline who wasn't a cat, and the word 'Cut-Tail.' It was this last word he said aloud, and his companion seemed to flair.
"You know of us, then?" she asked, "You knew a cut-tail?" Jim nodded absently, still trying to get a picture of his old friend into his head. It seemed that memories would formulate, melt, then slip away, and it was very frustrating. Lee seemed to nod calmly, as if she could read Jim's mind by the look on his face. She grinned. "Yes, it is maddening at first, isn't it? But you'll get used to it, we all do."
"Then help me!" he exclaimed, his voice raising, but not so loud as for the guards to hear him, "Tell me who you are, what you look like, where you come from, anything!"
"I told you," she hissed. "I am Lee. I have never known where I had come from, and I've never seen myself. I've seen others, though. Others with glowing claws, and yellow eyes and pointed ears."
She trailed off, her hand brought close to her face, claws glowing. In the dim light, Jim could see her face, finally, more clear than before. Eyes like a feline, but orange, or yellow, a face shaped like a cat's, but with a slightly more pronounced snout. Her lips were parted, as she stopped speaking mid-phrase, and he could see her teeth were longer, and sharper than a cat's would have been, her ears were bigger, open, as if looking for any sound outside this dungeon.
Seeing all this, an image sprang to his mind. It was a long time ago. There was a cat, and a small version of the creature in front of him, only it wasn't. That creature looked clipped and awkward, but it was impossible to mistake the eyes and the snout. On his first voyage, there was a passenger with them for a short time, seemingly not important, but several people took a great interest in her. A feline the girl was indebted to, a doctor that she lied to, and an old sea cook, who she feared at first, then something happened. but it wouldn't come. Jim closed his eyes. The memory wouldn't even materialize and melt the way others would.
But then something did. A long, loud sound that was both high and low, ecstatic and frightened. A sound that was old as a race, and new as spring. A sound that was held back for so long that it burst forth with such force it made him dizzy. In his mind, it seemed to go on forever, a mournful howl, a gleeful cry, until it grew to almost a scream.
Then, suddenly, it seemed to surround him. In the past, in his head, in his ears, and all around him, until it filled the room, vibrating the very bars of his cell. He heard someone, another prisoner, scream.
Finally, after what felt like hours, it slowed and stopped. He slowly opened his eyes, his ears still ringing, and looked across the hallway to Lee. She was panting, her hands and eyes glowing brilliantly, a satisfied look on her face. She looked over at him, and tucked a few stray hairs behind her large ears, grinning almost madly. "I haven't. done that.. in an age," she breathed.
Jim could only stare. "A Wolf," he whispered, "You're a Wolf."Lee nodded slowly, still panting, her eyes beginning to dim, and her claws cooling back to simple embers. "Like Clair," he said, before he thought about it. Then something seemed to come into focus, like the spin of a kaleidoscope.
Clair was a young Lupe that had bought temporary passage on the RLS Legacy, his first journey. Her ears were clipped to resemble a feline's, and her tail had been cut off, but they could do nothing about her eyes and muzzle. She could make tiny embers in her claws glow, as Lee could, but rarely did. She had been very afraid of Silver, too, for some reason, she had never told Jim why, but somehow the old pirate had figured out what she was. From then on, once a month if they could risk it, Silver would take her out in a longboat far from the ship, and let her howl until she couldn't anymore.
Apparently she had an incredible need to, because if she couldn't, she would lock herself in her almost sound proof bunk room and scream until she lost her voice. Silver had taken him out three times with the Lupe pup, and all three times Clair's howling gave him chills. It was never a very bad sound, but Jim didn't know why it had to be so secretive. At least, he didn't know any more.
"Lee?" he asked tentatively, "Why are Lupes a secret?"
But the wolf across the hallway had fallen asleep, the scent of vanilla pervading over the thick silence.
[So how is it so far? The whole thing about Clair is a story I started to write, but never got around to finishing. I've got a lot of parts to it, but I can't figure out how to tie them all together. I'm workin' on it, though. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed and didn't smash me when I took so long to get this up. ^_^ Apple pie to all reviewers!]
[P.S. to Snowecat, although I'm ok with a FEW Yaoi pairs (male/male) (like Hiei x Kurama ^.^;;; ), thought the though Jim and Silver as lovers makes me sick, so nothing to worry about ^_^. No offence to those who like them together, but Silver's, like, Jim's father! I know he isn't biologically, but it still freaks me out. Blech.]
Author's Note: Woo! 13 reviews! I had almost given up hope! ^_^ Thank you! My sincerest apologies for taking so darned long! -_-;;; I know how much I hate it. I just got lazy. O.o and for a while my keyboard wouldn't type 's' and 'w', cuz I spilt soda on it. And the fact that tomorrow is my first day of high school may or may not make it easier for me to write. See, when I'm procrastinating something else (like Homework _), it's easier for me to do things I should put off. I dunno, it just works out. And I guess, yeah, its a bit more drama than angst, but I've forgotten how to fix it. I'll figure it out, eventually.
[Disclaimer: If I had a good witty comment on how I don't own Jim, Treasure Planet, and all that other good stuff.. I'd put it here.]
Jim was stunned. A thousand different thoughts ran through his head at the mention of Lupes. He knew what they were, but it just wouldn't piece itself together. An old voyage, a feline who wasn't a cat, and the word 'Cut-Tail.' It was this last word he said aloud, and his companion seemed to flair.
"You know of us, then?" she asked, "You knew a cut-tail?" Jim nodded absently, still trying to get a picture of his old friend into his head. It seemed that memories would formulate, melt, then slip away, and it was very frustrating. Lee seemed to nod calmly, as if she could read Jim's mind by the look on his face. She grinned. "Yes, it is maddening at first, isn't it? But you'll get used to it, we all do."
"Then help me!" he exclaimed, his voice raising, but not so loud as for the guards to hear him, "Tell me who you are, what you look like, where you come from, anything!"
"I told you," she hissed. "I am Lee. I have never known where I had come from, and I've never seen myself. I've seen others, though. Others with glowing claws, and yellow eyes and pointed ears."
She trailed off, her hand brought close to her face, claws glowing. In the dim light, Jim could see her face, finally, more clear than before. Eyes like a feline, but orange, or yellow, a face shaped like a cat's, but with a slightly more pronounced snout. Her lips were parted, as she stopped speaking mid-phrase, and he could see her teeth were longer, and sharper than a cat's would have been, her ears were bigger, open, as if looking for any sound outside this dungeon.
Seeing all this, an image sprang to his mind. It was a long time ago. There was a cat, and a small version of the creature in front of him, only it wasn't. That creature looked clipped and awkward, but it was impossible to mistake the eyes and the snout. On his first voyage, there was a passenger with them for a short time, seemingly not important, but several people took a great interest in her. A feline the girl was indebted to, a doctor that she lied to, and an old sea cook, who she feared at first, then something happened. but it wouldn't come. Jim closed his eyes. The memory wouldn't even materialize and melt the way others would.
But then something did. A long, loud sound that was both high and low, ecstatic and frightened. A sound that was old as a race, and new as spring. A sound that was held back for so long that it burst forth with such force it made him dizzy. In his mind, it seemed to go on forever, a mournful howl, a gleeful cry, until it grew to almost a scream.
Then, suddenly, it seemed to surround him. In the past, in his head, in his ears, and all around him, until it filled the room, vibrating the very bars of his cell. He heard someone, another prisoner, scream.
Finally, after what felt like hours, it slowed and stopped. He slowly opened his eyes, his ears still ringing, and looked across the hallway to Lee. She was panting, her hands and eyes glowing brilliantly, a satisfied look on her face. She looked over at him, and tucked a few stray hairs behind her large ears, grinning almost madly. "I haven't. done that.. in an age," she breathed.
Jim could only stare. "A Wolf," he whispered, "You're a Wolf."Lee nodded slowly, still panting, her eyes beginning to dim, and her claws cooling back to simple embers. "Like Clair," he said, before he thought about it. Then something seemed to come into focus, like the spin of a kaleidoscope.
Clair was a young Lupe that had bought temporary passage on the RLS Legacy, his first journey. Her ears were clipped to resemble a feline's, and her tail had been cut off, but they could do nothing about her eyes and muzzle. She could make tiny embers in her claws glow, as Lee could, but rarely did. She had been very afraid of Silver, too, for some reason, she had never told Jim why, but somehow the old pirate had figured out what she was. From then on, once a month if they could risk it, Silver would take her out in a longboat far from the ship, and let her howl until she couldn't anymore.
Apparently she had an incredible need to, because if she couldn't, she would lock herself in her almost sound proof bunk room and scream until she lost her voice. Silver had taken him out three times with the Lupe pup, and all three times Clair's howling gave him chills. It was never a very bad sound, but Jim didn't know why it had to be so secretive. At least, he didn't know any more.
"Lee?" he asked tentatively, "Why are Lupes a secret?"
But the wolf across the hallway had fallen asleep, the scent of vanilla pervading over the thick silence.
[So how is it so far? The whole thing about Clair is a story I started to write, but never got around to finishing. I've got a lot of parts to it, but I can't figure out how to tie them all together. I'm workin' on it, though. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed and didn't smash me when I took so long to get this up. ^_^ Apple pie to all reviewers!]
[P.S. to Snowecat, although I'm ok with a FEW Yaoi pairs (male/male) (like Hiei x Kurama ^.^;;; ), thought the though Jim and Silver as lovers makes me sick, so nothing to worry about ^_^. No offence to those who like them together, but Silver's, like, Jim's father! I know he isn't biologically, but it still freaks me out. Blech.]