"... You should stay away from me, little thing." The hooded girl said to the small cat staring up at her. It's body was thin, it's fur dirty, and yet the weak looking creature approached her all the same. It stopped just beside her lap, laying down without a care in the world as the girl gazed down at it.
It's a pest. Be rid of it.
I will not. It's just a cat. The girl told the phantasm that had appeared beside her. The fox like image, more akin to a demon than anything, let out a low growl, but said nothing more. The girl had to admit, she was surprised it had shut up so quickly; normally, it was far more stubborn about such things.
With a sigh, the girl leaned her head back against the alleyway wall and closed her eyes to rest. The chances of anyone coming here were slim, just the way the girl preferred it. A good place to rest, at least for now. A few moments more, and she found herself fading into the realm of dreams.
...Only to be pulled out of said realm by a weak meow from the cat beside her. With a sigh, the girl peeked open one eye to see the cat staring up at her, an almost expectant look within its green eyes. It took the girl a moment to understand.
"Sorry, little thing. I don't have any food to spare." The girl told the cat, feeling a pang of hunger in her own stomach. No, I will not eat the cat. The girl spoke just as the apparition began to reappear.
Why not? What if we were to die of hunger?
It would be a simple matter to find actual food. The girl told the voice. A starving cat would hardly be the meal you're looking for. She heard the apparition grumble wordlessly at her before fading once more. He was often left unsatisfied, but that was how the girl preferred it. Letting him have his way would be the worst mistake she could make. She felt a soft sensation brush against her leg, and the girl looked to see the cat nuzzling against it, a quiet purr resonating from the small creature. "...You're rather friendly, for a stray." The girl reached down and began scratching its back, a rare smile upon her face as her hand brushed across the cat's surprisingly soft fur. It didn't seem to mind the attention… and yet, for whatever reason, the girl felt that the cat wasn't quite satisfied with with her actions, either.
"She prefers behind the ears." The girl gasped and shot to her feet, scaring off the black cat as she turned to face the new voice. A lovely young lady with long black hair and eyes red as blood stood before her; the girl had no idea how long she had been standing there.
She's a threat. Kill her.
"Who are you?" The girl questioned, her hand hovering near the hilt of her blade as she stared down the black haired girl before her.
"My, a bit on edge, aren't you?" The newcomer replied, before kneeling down and scratching the black cat behind the ears; it had hidden behind the newcomer for shelter after being frightened off by the girl. "Some once called me a nightmare. Seeing as this one has come to trust you, you may call me Kurumi. A pleasure." Kurumi gently picked the cat up off the ground, before reaching into her bag and pulling out a small baggy of cat treats. Noticing the girl's look, Kurumi smiled. "Being so small, this one has a hard time getting food for itself. I come and check up on her every now and then to make sure she's doing well."
"...How did you sneak up on me?"
"You say that as if I meant to." Kurumi tilted her head curiously. "I simply made my way down the alleyway, like any normal person would."
You're growing careless.
Shut up, would you? The girl told the apparition. "I see. Sorry… I'm… jumpy right now."
"So I've noticed. You know, I still haven't gotten your name, miss."
"...Sakura."
"A pleasure, Sakura." Kurumi replied, before turning her attention back to the cat, which looked mighty satisfied cradled in Kurumi's arms. "Would you like to give her one?" Kurumi held up the baggy. "It might help you to relax."
"...I… think it's for the best that I don't." Sakura looked away. "I'm not… stable right now. It's not safe for either of you to be near me."
"Is that so?" Kurumi replied, pursing her lips. She glanced down at the cat in her arms. "You know, animals have a good instinct for danger. Yet, this little one warmed right up to you. Seems like you're perfectly safe to be around to me. And that's coming from someone who hates humans, you know."
"...You said your name was Kurumi?"
"Kurumi Tokisaki."
"...You are a strange one, Miss Tokisaki." Sakura said, shaking her head.
"Is that so…?" Kurumi tilted her head once more. "Fufu. You're a bit strange yourself, you know. Would you like to talk for a bit?"
"...Did you not hear me before?" Sakura asked, repressing her annoyance as her body grew tense. This Kurumi seemed almost as stubborn as the apparition.
"My, my. If you truly were so dangerous, then why am I able to chat with you casually?"
"Because I don't know when I might lose control!"
"...I suppose I could see how that'd be an issue. I know of another who once faced a similar issue. However, consider this, Miss Sakura: presuming you are, of course, are human, are we not social creatures? Is it not within our nature to seek out the company of our species? I once was like you myself, choosing to stay away from even those whose company I took pleasure in because of my own self-destructive nature." Kurumi let the black cat loose from her arms to its dissatisfaction as she turned to look at Sakura directly. "I told myself that it was for the best; that in doing what I was doing, things would turn out for the better for everyone. That I was even a danger to those around me."
"...What are you getting at?"
"I hadn't realized how it hurt me to be alone. How difficult it was to continue, with no one to call on for aid. Until one day, I met a certain boy. We fought, at first. I denied him, yet he continued to pursue after me, promising he would 'save' me from myself. At first it was… I suppose you could say frustrating. But eventually, I gave in, and he proved me wrong. It took a few years, I'll admit… but with that young man's help, I was able to change for the better. I wouldn't quite say I'm happy, just yet. I can't say I'll ever be. But… even just being able to talk to him was enough to help me down the right path. To help me focus. To help give me the reason I needed to continue on said path." Kurumi took a deep breath as Sakura continued to stare at her. "Perhaps much of that didn't need to be said to get to my point. Perhaps, from what little I know, Miss Sakura, I see some of my old self in you. And I think I would like to know a little more. Besides, wouldn't you like the opportunity to chat every now and then? A life of isolation might just lead to the very fate you wish to avoid, you know."
"..." Sakura looked Kurumi up and down once more. Silence filled the alleyway, with nothing but the sound of the black cat purring as the two girls stared each other down. After a long, long few moments, Sakura released a quiet sigh. "...Then… You understand the consequences if I hurt you?"
"Fufu, of course. Call it a whim, but I'd like to get to know you, Miss Sakura."
"...Alright." Sakura's defense cracked underneath Kurumi's assault. Whether for good or for bad, Sakura found herself retaking her seat against the alley wall. With a knowing smile, Kurumi took a seat beside her. Thus it was that Sakura found herself speaking with the black haired beauty, slowly at first, talking of idle things that meant little to anyone. Kurumi listened intently to everything she said, and Sakura found herself slowly escalating, eventually speaking of her worries, her fears, venting out all the frustrations that had been building up within her over the course of many years.
By the time she ran out of things she was willing to talk about, Sakura found herself feeling strangely… lighter, as if a great weight had been lifted off her back. She hadn't told Kurumi about the apparition, of course; some things were best kept to a need to know basis. Still, Kurumi had listened to it all, and Sakura found herself grateful for the company. But all good things came to an end, and soon, the pair had to split off to go their own separate ways.
"Before you go, Miss Sakura." Kurumi called out, just as Sakura was about to leave the alleyway. "Your ears… they're quite adorable~ fufu." Sakura's eyes widened in shock. "You should let them out more often."
"How did you-" Sakura began, twisting on the spot only to see that, somehow, Kurumi and the cat had vanished from the alleyway. ...How on earth… Sakura shook her head, and turned to leave the alley herself… only to pause once more. Tentatively, she reached up to her hood and pulled it down, revealing a head of hair that was pink like candy… and more specifically, a pair of long animal ears like a mix between a fox and a rabbit.
It was a nice feeling to be able to let them free, if only for a moment. With a gentle smile upon her face, Sakura left behind the alley, ready to face the world once more. Perhaps she'd thank Kurumi if she ever saw her again.
Author's Notes:
1. Hello again, everyone. I figure I may as well use these EX chapters to convey some of my thoughts and respond to a few questions I've noticed. Firstly, I'm certain that many of you were surprised to see the name Ana Schariac so soon. While I'll keep my reasons for her appearance to myself, (don't want to spoil my own story now, do I?) I will say that I'll try to stay as accurate to what I know about her character as I can. However, considering how little there actually is on her, I can only do so well with this. If she seems a bit off for whatever reason, I simply hope that you understand that this is why.
2. Second, it will be some time before we get to have the meeting between Shido and the Hyperion crew/The Main Story, so I only ask that you bare with me. The way I've envisioned the story, I simply wanted to hold off on that meeting for the time being, developing other plot points for down the line. In the meantime, I hope that the story I've provided is interesting enough on its own.
3. And finally, I hope that you've enjoyed what I've put out so far. I don't have a set upload schedule, but I'll see if I can't make one; if I were to do so, I imagine it would be a minimum of every two weeks for the next chapter in a story. But for now, expect inconsistent uploads.