SINCE APPARENTLY I NEED TO SAY THINGS Hi :D
Uhh... I'm new, you're all awesome, and I have no idea what else to say.
I hope my post isn't too bad and comment if you want~
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I shivered as I walked down the streets of Virginia. The weather wasn’t biting yet, but the fall winds carried a coldness I usually tried to avoid. I should have left weeks ago, and needed to leave tonight. I thought fondly of the Florida weather I would be heading for next, sun shining in a place untouched by winter.
Warm weather was my friend, for where it was warm there were tourists. And yet for some reason Virginia would not let go of me. From food sales I couldn’t afford to leave to a robbery near my shelter one night forcing me into hiding for days, excuses and obstacles kept me in this ever-cooling state.
I took a deep breath, adjusting the jingling hat on my head and brushing my short teal hair out of my eyes. Time to get this show on the road. The five juggling balls caught the morning sun as I threw them into the air. Catch, toss, catch, toss. I was soon at a steady pace, and the first few onlookers threw their spare change into the empty bowl I had set out for that purpose.
I sang a song as the balls flew, a popular number about a girl leaving a guy that had almost everyone humming along. Nothing original as far as meaning went, but it brought more people that emptied their pockets into my bowl. As the day continued, I had passerby throw me balls, pins, even a wallet from a trusting soul. I scolded him gently after returning it; my profession was shady, to say the least, and trying a stunt like that again would’ve lost him whatever money and credit cards he kept on hand.
As the sun went down, I had fifteen odds and ends flying through the air, and a bowl filled to the brim with change and the occasional bill. I finished the day with a quick toss of everything into the air and catching it all in my bag. I bowed to those still watching and applauding, my mind beginning to register the ache caused by the smile that had been plastered to my face since early morning
I talked and laughed with those who approached me, letting a young girl try on my mask when she asked. Once her father saw my eye patch, he silently pulled out his wallet and handed me a twenty. I took it with a sheepish smile, knowing that he saw this as his good deed for the day.
After that, I quickly bid everyone a farewell and set off to find shelter for the night, backpack slung over my shoulder and bowl cradled under one arm. I hurried, not wanting to run into anyone who’d be out this late at night.
As I thought that, my right hand- if you could call it that- clenched slightly, threatening to tear through the cheap cloth of the gloves. I glanced nervously over my shoulder, and noticed I was being followed.
Walking behind me at a seemingly innocent distance was a man a little taller than me, who had passed by my performance earlier that day. I felt myself blanch, and I quickly turned back around, struggling to stay calm and not break into a sprint.
It’s them. They’ve found me. I’m going to die.
My rational side said it was nonsense, a coincidence he followed my steps to get to his home. I didn’t even know who “they” were, or why I felt threatened by them, but the fear was always there nonetheless. When I saw the woman who had been with him on the next street corner, I gave into my suspicions and took off running.
They were onto me in a moment, the one behind me running to catch up while the other moved to catch me as I ran by. Lucky for me, they weren’t expecting me to be as fast as I was. A runaway-gone-street-performer with cheetah legs was not something most people would expect, I suppose. I kicked off my boots as I went, desperate for any boost of speed I could get.
I ran down streets painstakingly memorized my first week here, ending up in the abandoned warehouse district I made sure every city I went to had. I took many turns, going in circles to confuse my pursuers before I entered the oldest, most maze-like warehouse this city had to offer. I shifted the eye patch to free my previously covered eye and hide the other. After a few moments, I could see clearly in the dim lighting of the building.
After a minute or two of hearing nothing, I peeked outside. With a flick of my second, snake-like tongue I could taste that the only other living things around were rats and various strays. As that tongue returned to the slit beneath my more human one, I calmed my breathing and started to use common sense. They had probably been thieves, or truancy officers who wanted to get me back in school. Both were minor threats I knew how to deal with, and neither needed me panicking and running off, leaving my...
Oops.
I scolded myself silently, not sure if those people had truly given up. I had lost my best pair of boots, and while I had a backup pair, I had spent weeks saving up for those boots now lying on the street. Not only that, but the toes were stuffed carefully so they wouldn’t fall off my feet throughout the day. If someone found them, saw how the stuffing could fill it just so to fit a paw, they’d have a hint. They would find me. For real this time.
I peered carefully outside once more, and once I was sure no one was near, I slipped into the shadows and changed out of my performance attire, setting it carefully into by bag so it wouldn’t get dirtier than it had to.
Dirty and matted cheetah fur went under black sweatpants, paws into socks of the same color. The belly scales- scutes, technically- that covered my abdomen were in no better shape, filthy and in serious need of a scrubbing. I quickly hid them from view with a sweatshirt , then rolled up the sleeves to inspect my “hands”.
My left resembled a bear paw, my right a bird’s talons. The juggling I did was for more than flashy begging; it was practice for the occasion I’d need to shake a hand or accept a generous tip, however rare those instants were. Sure, my tail was better suited for picking things up, but I couldn’t go flaunting it around where humans could see. I had to blend in to the best of my abilities.
I scratched at my mousey ears, itchy from being under that hat all day, and put on a beanie to hide them from the night. I knew I only had a few moments to myself before I went back to that street to see if my boots were still there. If they were, I’d grab them and leave, never to see this rotten town again. If they weren’t... I really hoped they were.
I rested my head in my hands. I didn’t even know who “they” were, or why they scared me so. All I knew was they did, and that they wanted to hurt me, to kill me, to wipe my existence from this earth. I had no reason, no evidence to think so, I was a runaway, hated by my human parents for my abnormalities. Yet, part of me thought- no, knew- that this wasn’t true. That “they” erased my memory and caused my creation and-
I got up, shoving the contradicting thoughts out of my head. I knew no one would be outside now, not this late at night on this side of town. I ran out quickly, locating where I had kicked off my boots.
What I found was the two from before, the guy holding my shoes. I turned back to run once more, when the girl said something.
“Wait!”
Her voice was... familiar? I turned to face her and looked at her carefully. I know she was at my performance, but it feels... like there’s more. What am I missing? It was silent the next few moments as I struggled to remember. Giving up, I noticed that surprise had turned to uncertainty in the two in front of me. So my return wasn’t expected.
The guy coughed. The girl elbowed him and asked me, “So, what are you?”
Rather blunt of her. “Uhh... American?” I replied. She couldn’t know. She has no way to know. Except... I mentally kicked myself again for running and leaving my shoes behind. Chances were they’d already seen what they needed to. If I play dumb, then they’ll leave me alone. Never said I wanted my shoes back. Never said they were mine.
“I believe we all know that was not what she meant. What species are you, as in mythological creature?” The guy elaborated, golden eyes meeting my... Slitted, green, obviously-not-human one. Strike two. I thought as I switched the side my eyepatch was on, thankful I hadn’t yet removed the contact disguising my other eye’s orange, birdlike appearance.
My laugh was a bit more nervous than I would have liked. “Have you guys been drinking or something? Mythological creatures?” I laughed again. “Look, I’m just a runaway, trying to make some coin entertaining folks. I was about to crash for the night, so if you’ll just be excusing me...”
As I tried to fast walk around them, the girl held out an arm, stopping me. She was stronger than she looked, and forced me back a couple of steps. “There’s no use lying, Larua. We know everything about you, we just wanted to-”
She was cut off by the sound of tearing fabric. My mind was in overdrive, thoughts blurred into instincts the moment she said my name. Them. No no no no no I’ve got to get out of here.
Bat and bird flapped as one and I was off the ground, my thoughts only of escape. My ear twitched, and when I looked over my shoulder I saw the guy flying behind me, scaly wings shining in the moonlight. I turned back and strained to go faster. I half registered that it was the first time I’d flown at more that a quiet pace in months, and I had eaten little over the day. Unable to go any further, I collapsed on a nearby roof.
I used the last of my energy to stand, pulling my sleeves up and steeling myself for a fight to the death. “I’m not going back. I’ll die before you make me go back.” I growled, the sound weak and pitiful. I must not have looked threatening, for he merely folded his wings back.
“I will assume you mean back to Xenogenesis Laboratories. Do not worry, we do not affiliate ourselves with them, quite the opposite in fact. We only wish to offer you admittance to our club. The Mythological Creatures Club, or MCC, is a place where beings such as yourself can be with others similar to you, outcasts who try to hide themselves from the world. You would be off the streets, able to show who you really are.” He explained, his face carefully composed as he waited for my reaction. Like he’s waiting for me to ask more. Since when did he get so smart and calm?
I pushed back the thought of knowing a different him, and instead asked, “Who are you? How does your friend know my name? How did you find me?” I glared, trying not to shake from holding myself upright and in a fighting stance.
It wasn’t working. He rolled his eyes and sat down, motioning for me to do the same. I sank to the cold cement almost immediately. Once he was sure he had my attention, he began his explanation.
“My name is Griffin. My companion, Akira, made a joke in poor taste. You will have to forgive her; after dealing with all the recruits she has, new ones make her a bit testy when they play the ignorance card.
“A while ago she found a program revealing the location and description of mythological creatures all over the world, and has since been locating them to add to our rosters. Our hope is that we can discover who would track us with such a program, and why. It is possible that these same people are the ones you are mistaking us for. I do not suppose you know anything more about them?”
I paused a moment, letting it all sink in. My gut wasn’t saying he was lying, and part of me insisted I knew him as a good guy. Even so, I didn’t last as long as I had spilling my guts to seemingly kind strangers, and what I knew wasn’t much more than the whispering of a little voice in my head. I shrugged.
He nodded, as if he understood. “If you do remember, please tell Akira or I. Whatever it is will surely be helpful in planning our next move.”
“Hold up. I haven’t said anything about going with you guys. How would I even get to this ‘club’?” The roof was poorly lit, so I switched the eye patch back over. No use hiding my eye now.
“The club is not too far from here. You would return there with Akira and I, after which you would choose a room to stay in, and then ‘hang out’ with your fellow members. Not much will be happening now, but your assistance may be needed to help our efforts later on. You are under no obligation to stay if you do not wish to, though you would be fed and sheltered, unlike your current situation.” He managed to say this in such a way that seemed like he’d practiced this speech for hours: effortlessly and with little self-doubt.
I couldn’t help but wonder how many recruits he’d done this with, why he bothered. People had reasons behind what they did, what they said. It wasn’t likely that having wings and scales would change the fact that this Griffin had an agenda.
And yet... his offer was tempting. I could breathe a little, stretch out my wings and finally get a real bath. And I could leave if it wasn’t my kind of place. He could be lying my mind reminded me, but the thought was soon drowned out by a wave of exhaustion. No, I can trust him. He saved me, after all.
For once I didn’t question the instinct. “I can give this club a shot. When do we leave?” I inquired, yawning.
“As soon as possible. Can you fly?” He asked, standing up. When I tried to follow suit, I fell back to the ground, totally spent from my failed attempt to flee.
Without a word he stepped forward and picked me up as if I weighed nothing. I struggled feebly for a minute before resigning myself to the silent flight back to the woman, Akira.
When we landed, she looked at me expectantly as Griffin set me down. “Kinda... forgot to eat much today,” I explained, suddenly curious how she felt about the man who had brought me down. You don’t mess with another girl’s man unless you want to get beat. And she looks ready to hand out a beating.
She shook her head in disgust. “How did you manage to last this long?” she snapped. Someone’s cranky.
“I don’t normally do that. I was hoping to make some extra cash before I left town. Maybe if you tried thinking you’d get that.” I sneered, words coming out before I thought to stop them
Her anger flared, and she probably would have hit me if Griffin hadn’t intervened. “Akira, calm yourself. You have not slept properly in days, and our new friend here obviously has not either. Your differences can be settled once we reach the mansion, after you both get the rest you need.”
His words calmed her, though she was still glaring at me. What a nice start to this whole “hanging out” thing. “So she’s coming then?” Akira looked pointedly him, obviously trying to forget I was there.
Before he could respond, I spoke. “Yeah, I’ll go with you, but I need my bag. It’s back in one of the...” Before I could finish, Akira had run off. She soon returned with my old backpack and it’s contents. How did she...? I took it carefully and made sure nothing had fallen out. Nope. And... here it is.
I took an apple I meant to snack on before out of the side pocket. After popping out fake teeth, rows of sharper ones demolished it in moments before being hidden again. My strength returning slightly, I looked up to see the unnerved stare of my companions.
“I thought chimeras were only goat and lion or whatever. No one said anything about shark.” Akira commented, her tone slightly accusatory.
“A chim-what?” I asked. Goat? Lion? What is her deal? Even with my confusion, that feeling of familiarity rose up again. Memories pushed at my consciousness, trying to make themselves known.Something stopped them though, and soon I realized the two in front of me were awaiting the answer to an unheard question. “Uhh... sorry, say that again?”
“You are a chimera, correct?” Griffin inquired. “This would be the first time the program was wrong if not.”
“Look, I’m just a freak. I don’t know anything about these chimeras you’re talking about,” I told them. Why does this feel like a lie? “If that means I can’t join your club scene, alright. Sorry to trouble you.”
When I tried to leave, Akira stopped me. “No one said that. Maybe if you come with us, we can figure out more about you, what you are. Maybe teach you some manners while we’re at it.” She barked a laugh.
I laughed along, hoping this meant she forgave me for my short outburst before. “You can try,” I said, grinning, “It’ll take a lot to scrub out my city living.”
“You’re on.” She said. We shook hands as Griffin looked on, his features hinting at amusement.
“If you two are quite finished, perhaps we should start heading back to the mansion,” Griffin hinted, obviously wanting to go. Wait, mansion?
After stuffing my feet in my boots, we went back to their ride, my happiness only half forced. Maybe this will work. Maybe these guys aren’t all bad.
Maybe.
