When I Met Yukkuri
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Hitosura
Nov 8, 2015, 1:55:52 PM11/8/15
to Yukkuri Fanfic Translations
(Working title)
(Chapter 0: Prologue)
(Continuum information:
Yukkuri only originally existed in Japan, but then slowly were brought to parts of China.
"The Factory," exists as an actual corporate entity, though their treatment of yukkuri is a little more, 'humane.' Or at least in most instances.
Yukkuri have just started coming to America, and still exist in low-to-very-low population density, whether wild or domesticated.
Badge system exists.
Yukkuri tend to live more like regular animals -- they're not -as stupid- as most authors portray, but can still be fooled, like any animal.
They are still somewhat naturally trusting of humans, unless had a bad previous experience.
Low population density = less competition between yukkuri = less shitheads attacking one-another in the wild, and more collaboration between wild/stray yukkuri
Anything else I can think of later on will be added)
I've owned a number of pets since I was a kid. Numerous dogs, dozens of cats, a squirrel at one point, a lizard, a turtle, some fish, birds, rabbits, hamsters... yeah. My mom was an animal lover. I inherited the trait from her.
I'd heard about yukkuri. They only recently came to our country maybe a year or two ago. I wasn't sure -- things like this always started in other parts of our country before managing to find its way to our neck of the woods. I had read things about them -- mostly online and from other countries. Even news organizations around here would do small segments about them. That made it tricky to figure out the whole story. I read they had minor cognitive skills, adolescent human intelligence, and (very interestingly-enough) human linguistic skills. It made them all the more interesting, considering that their forms were reminiscent of a single-celled organism; of a sort of gel-like creature from old video game RPGs... minus the acidic properties. They were... pastries. Living pastries. Everything I read was inconclusive about how they lived -- their innards were some kind of filling used in manjuu -- a pastry served in mostly eastern cultures. Whatever they consumed was converted to their pastry, then secreted later on as, 'poo-poo.' The information site I read stated that, while edible to humans, there was some unknown chemical present within it that made yukkuri hate the smell and taste of it.
What an odd characteristic.
Oh, dear. Got lost in my own ramblings again. What was I thinking about?...
Oh! The first time I encountered a yukkuri.
Well... yukkuris? Or was it like sheep, where the plural was the same word?
Regardless..
I lived alone these days. The oldest dog I ever owned passed on a few years ago, my parents already died; my father first, then my mother, and I don't talk to my brother or nephew. Without my dad around, the house was quiet. He always had his TV in the living room blasting, and sometimes even had the TV in his room on at the exact same time, on the exact same channel. To simply watch the news. Yes, the news.
"It sounds like a theater, doesn't it?" he'd say.
"For the news? You can't be serious."
Anyway, I never really watched TV that loud. My hearing was rather sensitive after I got home from work. I hadn't even flipped on the TV yet to catch up on the news. This allowed me to take notice of the light voices that came from outside the kitchen window. They were light, but they were present. I wasn't exactly sure what could be talking; I couldn't see my neighbors. There didn't appear to be anyone outside, yet still... I decided to investigate. I moved from the kitchen to the garage, and out the side door. A quick glance, and my eyes immediately detected the movement. It was something small, but not small enough to evade my vision. Even if I couldn't see it, my eyes could still detect the movement. All those years of FPS games. That aside, the black, cone-shaped hat-like thing kind of gave its position away. It seemed to either be talking to itself, singing, or possibly both. It appeared to be in the neighborhood of slightly larger than a golf ball, but smaller than a tennis ball. I believe that made it a child still. I took a few light steps towards it. It didn't seem to notice me until it turned around. At that moment, it froze. My mind did it's usual switch to observation mode -- from the looks of it, it did not appear to know whether to panic, run, or what, and just stayed frozen. I decided I should break the ice... Let's see... what was that greeting that I read? I lowered myself down, and lifted my hand in greeting. It pulled its hat over its face.
"Take it easy~!" I called to it
.Instantly, it's disposition changed. The panic and fear receded. It lifted its hat and looked up at me.
"Ch... chake it... eajy?" it responded.
I nodded.
"Take it easy!"
I gathered my thoughts. Yukkuri had strange algorithms when it came to their speech patterns. When it came to introductions....
"I... ish mishter human an eajy human?" it asked me.
Oh, right. You have to be, 'easy,' in order to be considered, 'friendly.' Still, I feigned thought. I rolled my eyes up and took my chin with my free hand. I looked back to the little creature and gave a nod.
"Mister human is easy mister human. Is little," koyukkuri, right? "koyukkuri easy?"
Its face pulled up into a smile and gave a nod.
"Mawisha ish eajy Mawisha, too, ze! Does mishter human want to be fwiends?"
I gave a slight nod.
"Sure," translating slurred speech... "Marisa. Kei would like to be Marisa's easy friend."
That instantly turned her face into a smile. She began to crawl/slide(?) to me. It wasn't very fast.
"Go, mishter footsie, ze! Bring Mawisha to her new easy fwiend!" she said.
I leaned forward and held out my hand. She crawled her way over my fingers and into my palm. Her texture was certainly interesting -- it was soft, but slightly warm. It was like feeling a snail slide across your hand, without the mucus trail, or a snake. She looked slightly dirty. She must have been a stray, or possibly a wild one. I lifted her closer to my face. She turned around gasped.
"Ish like Mawisha is mishter birdie~!" she exclaimed and flapped her little braid.
Must have been that high-high thing... a natural reaction to being lifted up. I slid back onto my rear. Hated sitting in frog-position. I stretched my legs out in front of me.
"So, Marisa, are you alone, or do you have a family? Or are you alone?" I inquired.
She turned back to face me and shook her... face? Head? Entire body?
"Mawisha's family wives wight dere, ze!" she said and pointed behind me with her braid.
I looked over my shoulder, then back to her.
"Can Mawisha do wub-wub with Mishter human, ze?"
I smiled. A display of affection, and she asked? Her parents might have been strays. Good chance of that, considering she knows how to interact... I gave a nod.
"Sure."
I reached with my free hand and gently offered my thumb. I didn't want to hurt the small thing, so I simply gave a circular motion against her side. She giggled, and seemed to just rub herself against my thumb. Huh. Not too dissimilar from a cat.
"Marisa!" I heard another voice exclaim.
She gasped in surprise, then looked to me.
"Dawdy!" she looked behind me, "Ish dawdy, ze!"
"Marisa! It's munch-munch time!" I heard the small voice call again.
I looked over my shoulder, then back to her.
"I'll take you home if you like?" I offered.
If she smiled any larger, I'm pretty sure she'd have split in half. I stood up, and stifled a laugh at the obligatory, 'Mawisha is like Mishter Angel!,' that was exclaimed from my hand. I moved towards the fence to my back yard, passed the small palm frond batch, and there it was. On my right. Our old green recyclables box, turned on its side, tucked away in the corner under the palm bush. Inside, from what I could see, was a much larger Marisa, another one that I believed was a Reimu (the signature ribbon), and a tiny bag with another tiny Reimu in it -- similar in size to the Marisa in my hand. The other two appeared to be full-sized yukkuri -- about the size of a basketball. They both seemed startled when they saw me. I must have forgotten about that thing -- our city issued much larger, full-sized trash cans for recyclables. These basket-sized ones were the original ones they handed out, and they were green to-boot. Made the house almost camouflaged. A smart family, to pick such a sturdy home to call their own. Good first impression I had thus far.
"Ah, so this is where you moved in..."
"Mawisha's eajy place is great, ze! Dawdy is a great home maker!" she called from my hand.
I lowered myself down, then gently lowered my hand. Marisa slid down my hand, just as both parents seemed to leap forward to catch her. The Reimu quickly snatched her with her braids and slid back. The Marisa slid forward and stopped in between myself and the Reimu. She looked like she was doing her best to look fierce.
"Mister human should go away and leave Marisa and her beautiful family alone! This is Marisa and her family's easy place! Uneasy human should leave!" she... commanded me?
I felt my instinctive reaction kick in -- my brow lifted. My cynic side took over and I turned my face slightly to the side.
"N-no! Dawdy! Mishter human is easy mishter human, ze!"
Well, look at that. The kid was standing up for me. I could see her squirming in her mother's arms. She popped her way out, then pushed up against the larger Marisa. Similar to the first greet, I simply raised my hand to them.
"Take it easy!"
It didn't seem to lighten them up any. They either were strays, or knew some bad people. Marisa and Reimu kept their focus on me. The smaller Reimu didn't seem to move much.
"Hey... I didn't come here to bring uneasiness. Mister human just thought he heard something, so he wanted to see what that noise was," which was true. It was what brought me out here in the first place, "If Reimu and Marisa want to take it easy here, it's fine. Mister human won't make any uneasiness, easy?"
The two looked to one-another. The Marisa seemed to lighten, her brows up. The Reimu seemed adamant, still slightly glaring at me. Apparently, the one who was wronged the most must have been the Reimu. Only reason she could be so vindictive. Marisa must have been a pet. She didn't suffix her sentences with any kind of exclamations.
"W-well... Marisa and Reimu don't trust mister human!" she exclaimed to me, "So go away easy!"
I looked to my left, then to my right, then back to them. I glanced to the little one. I needed a moment to gather my thoughts. Done. I knew what I was going to say. Especially after seeing what I thought I saw on the little Reimu.
"Listen. Mister human doesn't know what Reimu and Marisa had to go through to find this easy place, but this easy place is also Mister human's easy place," I can't believe how fast I caught on to their speech patterns, "but Mister human doesn't mind sharing it with Marisa and Reimu and their two beautiful, easy children. But, hey..." I said, and pointed to Reimu, "um, Mister human may be able to help Reimu there... with her Mister Mold..."
The Marisa was overcome with shock. The Reimu was, as well, but she hid it better. Marisa looked to Reimu. Reimu shook her (head?) self. Marisa looked back to me, a look of regret slowly settled in.
"Mister human... please, just go away easy. Now is fine," she said, her eyes cast to the ground.
The small Marisa looked shocked at her parents, then back to me. I smiled to the little one and waved.
"It's okay, little one. Don't worry. Your parents are just trying to protect you. They think mister is a bad, uneasy human. They'll learn."
I stood up and left the scene. I already accomplished what I wanted thus far, and felt it was rather productive -- I met a yukkuri family, The child trusted me, the parents seemed split on their opinion, and their sick child might be the key to changing their minds. This could get interesting.
Before I got home from work the next day, I made a quick stop at the grocery store. While I walked to work, I did a bit of research on yukkuri. What they ate, what they liked, and most-importantly: mold. Not the entire research on the subject, just how to cure a yukkuri of mold. Seemed like a simple process -- all of the mold had to be removed. I had almost all of the tools, I just had to pick up some of the ingredients to fix up the yukkuri when I was done. I even made sure to borrow a few pairs of latex gloves from work. Couldn't just go spreading it, could I? When I got home, I made the preparations -- some extra bean paste, lemonade sedation drink, orange juice (which I always had), paint brushes, hydrogen peroxide, and my Xacto Knife. I was into model-building. This should be easy compared to that.
Now, for the set-up. I'd first have to gain their trust, or drive a wedge. The Marisa seemed willing, but the Reimu didn't. I'd have to focus on the Marisa. Most importantly -- I'd have to let them let me get close to them. Easiest way to let any animal let you get close to them? Food! I already had an idea of what yukkuri eat -- anything, really, but mostly sweet stuff. I didn't want to give them just yukkuri food -- the parents might get insulted that I was trying to make them, or even view them, as pets. They had a sort of strong independent factor, as if they didn't want human interaction. Made me believe even further that they had a bad encounter with a human.
I stopped in front of the door that lead out to the side of my house where their home was. I looked at the plate. It had some grapes, some sliced oranges and apples, some strawberries, and a few sliced peaches. Simple, and believable with the story I cooked up. Of course, insert my retrospective side. Why was I doing this, again? Didn't I like my isolation? Well, I do like animals, and they were rather interesting. Plus, it'd be a great way to kill some time, and drag me away from my computer. The trick was getting the one parent to take the bait...
I stepped outside and made my way to their nest, or 'easy place,' or whatever. I leaned down and gently tapped on the top. I heard some small voices talk to one-another.
"Hello~ it's me! Are you home? I hope you're not too busy to entertain a visitor..." I said to the box.
Of course, I could just lean down -- but I believe that would diminish the value of their home. I should treat them with a bit of dignity in this situation, since I'm perceived as the invader. After a moment, the little Marisa came sliding out. Her face immediately beamed at seeing me. She bounced slightly and flapped her braid.
"Hewwo, mishter human, ze!" she exclaimed.
Shortly, followed the older Marisa, who gently nudged her child to the side, and the Reimu, with her usual darkened expression. I lowered myself down and sat on the grass. I placed the plate in between us.
"Mister Kei went," I spent a little more time learning their lingo, "hunt-hunt today, and got way more than I needed, so I thought I'd share some with my new neighbors," I explained.
The Marisa and Reimu looked to one-another. It was clear they didn't trust me any more, even with the offering. The small Marisa was trying to wiggle her way out of her parent's braid. She was practically drooling.
"Mawisha wants to munsh-munsh, dawdy! Mishter human ish nice human, ze!" she'd say.
I raised a brow and felt myself smirking.
"What? Do you think I poisoned it?" I asked, plucked up a grape, and tossed it into my mouth. "I would do no such thing. I'm not an uneasy human. I've had lots of other pets, and I like them, just like I like you. I'd like to be your easy friend, if you'd let me."
I picked up a grape, and offered it to the older Marisa. She looked to her daughter and placed her down.
"Stay here. Daddy will make sure mister munch-munch is okay," she told her daughter.
The daughter moved to protest. The older one silenced her with a raised braid. She turned her attention to me and reached with her braid. She took the grape and stared at it for a moment.
"Go on. It's sweet. Yukkuri like sweets, right?" I said.
She looked at me suspiciously, then back to the grape. She tossed it into her mouth and gently chewed. A silence hung over us. Her expression lit up as she swallowed.
"... Delicious!" she exclaimed.
She moved towards the plate and plucked up an apple slice. She took a bite, and scrunched her face up.
"Delicious!" she exclaimed again.
She turned halfway to her family.
"It's okay! Come and munch-munch!" she said.
I smiled. Of course I didn't poison it. I was interested in what I could learn from them. They were curious creatures. The small Marisa slid forward and plucked up a few pieces, herself, and shoved them into her mouth.
"Happinesh~!" she'd exclaim here and there.
"Feel free to take it all. Mister Kei is so stuffed, I couldn't eat a bite!"
The Reimu remained in the box, that dark expression on her face never once faltering. It was obvious at this point -- she was the one that was wronged by another human. Her trust was going to be much harder to gain.
"Oh, and don't forget to feed your other daughter... the sick one. She's going to need all the munch-munch she can get to fight off the mister mold," I said, and pointed to the resting Reimu.
This stopped their feast for a moment. The mold hadn't spread much since the last time I saw her. I looked to the older Marisa.
"So, you're the daddy, right?... mind if I talk to you over there for a second?" I asked, and pointed towards the front of my house, "I just wanted to show you some good hunt-hunt places..."
Marisa stared at me for a moment, unsure of what to think. She looked back to Reimu, who didn't seem to know what to think.
"C'mon. It'll only be for a second," I said, and stood up.
Old trick I learned from retail: just tell them to come, and start going. They tend to follow you. I moved up the alley, and sure enough, the older Marisa followed. She bounced along next to me, until we passed halfway up the driveway, but remained in the grass. I sat down next to her and pointed out. I kept my voice low...
"Bring her by my house after Reimu goes to sleep."
She looked up at me with a confused expression. I looked down at her, then pointed off to the side.
"If you want to save your daughter, bring her by tonight, after your wife goes to sleep."
I let the words sink into her, then continued.
"I'll do what I can to save her."
She stared for a moment, then nodded.
I stood up, and lead the way back to their home. I sat down next to the plate.
"So, remember that, Marisa."
She looked back at me as she entered her home, and nodded slightly. I watched as they gathered up the remainder of the food, and I took my plate.
"Well, see you all later~" I said.
"Bye, mishter Kei!" she said, and waved her braid at me.
The older Marisa gave a slight nod. Reimu didn't budge.
I moved to my side door and back into my house. I think that went well. Now to see if she'll actually follow through...
I had nothing to do that night, so I simply watched TV in the living room. Had to be near the front door. If I watched TV in my room, there was a solid chance I'd never hear what I wanted to hear. I kept the TV low volume -- late at night, my hearing tended to spike. Maybe it was migraines. Who knows? I was getting anxious. Would she come?
I heard a soft knock at the door.
"Mister human? Mister human!"
I jumped out of the sofa, and moved to the door. I cracked it slightly and waited, then opened it enough to stick my head out. I looked down at Marisa. She looked hesitant. Apprehensive. Nervous. But I know what she wanted. She put all those fear aside to risk the life of her daughter. I smiled. I wouldn't dare disappoint.
"You came. Please, come inside my easy place," I said, and opened the door. I stepped aside to let her in. She gently slid towards the doorstep.
Oh, right. I leaned down and offered my hand.
"Let me take her. Please, come in, but wipe your mister foot."
She looked at the doorstep, which was about three inches above the outside ground. She leaned up to me, holding the bag as far as she could. I took it from her and stood up. She hopped in and landed on the mat. She... did some weird little wiggle dance on the doormat. I stood up.
"I'm sorry if I deceived you somewhat. I know I told you I can save her, but I don't really know. I'll try, though."
Her facial expression darkened. I leaned down and gently placed my palm on her cheek.
"Mister Kei is very easy with this kind of stuff. I looked up everything I needed to know. Now I simply have to do it. Please, trust me easy."
Not quite sure what I said, there, but I hope she got the point. Her face brightened slightly as she looked up at me.
"Now, let's get this going," I said, and headed to the kitchen. "Not sure how much time she has left."
Marisa followed me to the kitchen. I gently placed the bag down on the counter. I took out the latex gloves and slid my hands inside. I prepped the bowl of hydrogen peroxide. Had to keep my hands mold-free, or it'd just wind-up spreading all over her as I worked. She stirred slightly in the bag. I lifted her up and looked at her. Yeah, her eyes were foggy, the mold was covering her lower body, and was showing slightly on the tips of her braids. She was in a pretty advanced state.
"Hey, little one," I said in a calm, gentle voice.
She looked to me. I had a feeling she couldn't see me that well; her eyes didn't seem to focus on any particular object, just in the direction of my voice.
"Who ish..." she started.
"Drink this easy. It'll make you have easy dreams~" I said, and picked up a cup of specially-prepared lemonaid.
I made the lemonaide myself -- had to, as specific sugar-to-citric acid requirements were necessary for the proper anesthetic effect. If it was too sour, she could get sick. If it was too sweet, she'd stay awake. The recipe was pretty simple. I bent the flex-straw towards her mouth and bumped it against her lips.
"Open easy," I said softly.
Her mouth parted and I slid the straw in.
"Now drink easy," I said again softly.
I watched the lemonaide flow up the straw and into her mouth. She drank about half of it before I watched her eyes close again. She let out a calm sigh. Was pretty sure she was out like a light at this point. I placed the lemonaide down and reached into my back pocket. I took out a sheet of folded-up wax paper. I flicked my wrist and expanded it, then gently laid it out on the counter. I placed her down on her back. Her braids strewn themselves out. I looked at the small creature that rested before me. No sooner had I reached for the knife than I felt a gentle tug at my pant leg. I blinked and looked down. Marisa was there.
"Mister...?" she asked.
"Yes?"
"C-... can Marisa watch?"
Oh, sure, why not? I nodded. I picked her up with the hand that hadn't touched her yet. I curled her into my bicep and gently slid her into the counter, away from all my tools. She looked over at all the items -- a few bowls, the cup of lemonaide, the paintbrush, but when she caught glance of the knife, her eyes went wide.
"You can watch, but please don't talk. Mister doesn't want to hurt your little one if Marisa startles me."
I picked up the knife and turned my attention to the little Reimu. I lowered the knife, and saw the braid come over and gently touch my wrist. Marisa seemed a little miffed about this. I looked to her.
"This is necessary. I have to remove it all, or it'll spread all over her and she'll die a very uneasy death."
I knew that's why she came over to me. She was nervous. Any good parent would be. I really found a great family, here. She pulled back and slid away. I brought the knife to my lips.
"Shh~. It'll be over shortly."
With that, I set to work. No more hesitation or distractions. I cut slightly above the mold-covered area, ever-so-carefully drawing a short half-circle, before gently turning her over and finishing. A simple tug, and her lower body came right off. There, before me, was that paste filling, which held the slight smell of mold. It was one thing for it to be out in the open, where it doesn't necessarily stink. It was another to be trapped under the body. Yeah, she was awful close to dying. I took the lower portion of her body and dropped into the bag. I then took a small pair of clippers and simply removed the discolored zones of her hair. I made sure to take off an extra bit of length, to make sure it wasn't simply hiding. I gathered up the hair and tossed it into the bag. After that, I dabbed my gloved hands into the hydrogen peroxide, then wiped them dry. I looked to Marisa.
"There. That takes care of the mold on the outside of her body. With that, I begin removing the mold that has infected her paste."
"Mister...?"
I looked to Marisa.
"Yes?"
"... how does mister human know how to do this easy stuff? Marisa doesn't understand..."
I smiled to her.
"Part of being human, I guess. We have a higher level of cognition. Of deeper thought and understanding. We can learn more."
She lowered her face a little.
"Marisa... still doesn't understand easy..."
I reached over and nudged her with my elbow.
"Cheer up. I hear yukkuri can become bodied, and can become just like humans. Just as smart and everything! Maybe you'll become bodied one day."
She nodded. Her eyes were watering. I gave her a smile, then nodded. My attention returned to the child. I took a spoon and gently scooped off bits and pieces of the infected paste. It was all-over underneath the infected zone, but wasn't very dense. It was only really dense towards her bottom; where her foot would be. It seemed to go all the way in, which caused me to stop using the spoon. I had to pick it out with the knife, inching my way closer and closer, until... there it was. It was right outside her core. I could see it -- the small, silvery membrane that, quite literally, was her. I took a close look. My eyes didn't see any more discoloration. Time to finish-up. I placed the tools into the hydrogen peroxide, and removed the gloves. I picked up the bowl that had the extra bean paste -- finding the recipe online for a Reimu's bean paste was easy. I scooped up a thick clump of it and filled in her body. A few more dabs, and she was back to the size she was before, give or take a few tenths. After that, it was the paintbrush. I plucked that up and stirred the flour mixture. I painted over her exposed paste. I gently rolled her when necessary. With that, came the most-important part. I took out my phone and pulled up a picture. I rolled her onto her back, picked up the Xacto-knife, and poked a small hole towards the lower half. After that, I rolled her to the front and poked a second hole.
"There," I said, and lowered the knife, "All done."
The Marisa was snoozing at this point. It was getting late, after all. The Reimu hadn't even stirred -- probably dreaming away eating sweets. While the Marisa slept, I turned over the Reimu and gently pressed my thumb under her. The flour was still wet, and would preserve the whirl of my fingerprint. An artist always leaves their mark on their works. I picked up the gloves and tossed them in the bag, then tossed the bag into the nearby trash can. I reached over and gently poked the Marisa until she snorted. Her eyes slowly blinked opened.
"Your little one is going to be easy."
Almost instantly, her face lit up.
"Really?!"
I shushed her and tried to ease her down. Her excitement was slightly contagious. I placed my hand on her hat and pressed it into her head.
"She needs to rest, though. Don't let her go outside for a few days. Once she's well, make sure she stays fed. If she has any owies, let me know and I'll bring some orange juice."
Speaking of which... I picked up the cup of orange juice, gently pried her mouth open with my finger, and gently poured some of it into her mouth. I let only a little bit in, stopped, and watched the little one's mouth pull into a smile. She was still asleep, but she knew that taste... The Marisa seemed to be at a loss for words. She just kept exclaiming some odd little, 'yu!' sound, and eagerly bounced up and down.
"Alright, you gotta hush or you'll wake her and everyone else! Easy?"
She stopped and placed her braid over her mouth.
"... easy!"
I lead her back outside, carrying the Reimu in my own hand. As we reached the entrance to their dwelling, I leaned down and held the Reimu out to her. She moved to my hand and took her with her braid. She looked at her little one, whom she probably hadn't seen sleeping so well in a long time, then looked back at me. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes.
"Thank you easy, mister..."
I nodded with a grin.
"Sure thing. Any time for a fellow living being."
She looked confused for a moment, then simply smiled again. She wouldn't let it ruin her moment. She crawled back inside and snuggled in next to Reimu and the other small Marisa. She placed the Reimu next to her sister, and huddled together. It'd be curious to see if she could even sleep tonight from all the excitement and anxiety. Hell, I was curious if I could. I wanted to know if she'd be okay. It was my first time... well, how do I describe it? Was it surgery?... Making a pastry? Odd thoughts, but my mind returned to the world. Marisa was watching me. She had a small, excited smile on her face, though I could see her eyes were raised lower each time she blinked. She was falling back asleep. After a few moments, her form gently spread, as if she melted ever-so-slightly. Guess that means she fell asleep. I watched the family snooze for a few minutes before I stood up and moved back to my house. I had work tomorrow. Had to get some sleep.
The next day, I woke up a little earlier than I normally did. I had to check in.
When I stepped out from my garage, I could already hear their light voices chirping to one-another. The mother's voice was bright and cheery, the younger Marisa was chatting, and a third voice was chatting back. Seemed they were excited by some 'miracle,' that their little Reimu woke up, and was cured of her Mister Mold. I could overhear them conversing on what miracle was bestowed on them. A rustle of grass to my rear made me glance over. It was Marisa. I gave her a smile and a gentle wave. She waved her braid up at me. I leaned down.
"How is she?" I said in a low voice.
"Marisa's easy little Reimu is very easy again, all thanks to you!" she said, excitedly.
I brought my hands up, trying to signal for her to keep her voice down. Nope. Too late. I looked back to where the others were. The mother and little Marisa were both peering down at us. Shortly after, the little Reimu edged her way out and looked towards us.
"M... mishter Kei?" the younger Marisa called, "You shaved widdle sishter. ze?"
I turned to them fully and nodded. I looked to the older Marisa and we both proceeded down to their home. I explained to them the situation. I'm pretty sure the other three didn't get it -- I had a habit of speaking with a rather... complex vocabulary, so I simplified it after I was done --
"Mister Kei used his special human skills to save Reimu from Mister Mold. So Reimu can be an easy little sister again!"
A cheer came from the three. The Reimu smiled a little, then looked to me. She gave a slight nod. The other three were too busy discussing my work. I returned Reimu's nod.
"Well, have to be going. It's hunt-hunt time for me," I turned and waved to them, "Take it easy~!"
"Take it easy!" and slurred variations of followed from behind.
The next few days proceeded fairly normal. I'd stop in before work to say hi and check in on Reimu. Seemed like she didn't even remember she was sick. I spent time learning more about them, mostly by observation. Strong family ties. The small, or "ko"Marisa, was protective of her little sister. She was also inquisitive, questioning things, where as the koReimu seemed to be more reserve. koMarisa's favorite game was to try and climb me while I sat on the grass. koReimu's was to snuggle up to me. The Marisa was always happy to see me, and greeted me in kind. The Reimu was still mostly silent, though she didn't hesitate to take her share of the food I'd sometimes bring out to them. My neighbors sought to notify me of a pack of yukkuri that had moved into my part of the alleyway. I explained to them that I was fine with them, and even introduced them. They seemed to like them. Good. They won't bother them.
I made an offer to the family to let them move into my house. The children's face brightened. The parents smiled, but hesitated. They turned to one-another and began to mutter. Marisa moved forward.
"Mister Kei, it's okay. Reimu and Marisa like their easy place," she said.
I wouldn't press the matter further. It's not like I could throw them into my house and lock them inside.
"Why do chu think they shaid no?" asked koMarisa, who was gently sliding her way up my arm.
I looked to her.
"I don't know... maybe they don't want a bigger eajy place? Maybe they don't trust humans?" I responded.
"But mishter is easy!" koReimu said from my lap.
KoMarisa continued up my arm.
"Maybe mommy and dawdy don't want their precious babiesh to have more eajy..." said KoMarisa.
I scooped her up in my right hand. She immediately flailed her piu-piu. High-high was declared~
"Don't say that about your parents," I said, with a stern voice.
KoMarisa looked up at me.
"Mishter?" both asked.
I nodded and gently scooped up the koReimu, and held both of them close to my face. KoReimu made her high-high declaration.
"Your parents love both of you. They only want you to be easy. Easier than them. Your daddy goes and gets food so you can be easy. Your mommy takes care and lick-licks you two clean, and even cleans up your poo-poo after you're done," I said. I felt my loss from my own mother again, "You should always listen to your mother and father. They only want you two to grow up and be easy yukkuri, just like them."
I know. I was hamming it up a bit. But I knew. I knew she was watching us. I knew she heard that. I knew after something small like that, I'd have her trust.
"Ish Mishter Kei easy?" KoMarisa asked.
I smiled to her.
"Well, it was a long day at work. Mister has a little headache."
"You want Mawisha give lick-lick, ze?" she said, and extended her tongue.
KoReimu looked at her sister, then stuck out her own tongue. I stifled a giggle.
"Alright, alright, you two."
I held them close to my face. They both lick-licked me from either side.
"Okay... Mister Kei feels much easier."
I heard cheers come from both hands. I lowered them down, just in time for...
"Kos! Dinner time!"
I had to go, anyway. It was getting late and I needed to prepare my own dinner.
On one of my days off, I paid them a visit early in the afternoon. I stepped up to their easy place and leaned down. Only the Reimu was home, and she greeted me with a gentle smile. I returned it and gave a small wave.
"Take it easy, Reimu," I said.
"Take it easy, mister," she replied.
I broadcasted my examination of their easy place, as if hinting at the next question for her. I sat down in front of her and crossed my legs.
"Where's the rest of the family?"
"Husband took little ones out on hunt-hunt. Wanted to show little ones how to find mister munch-munch."
I nodded. I thought I'd get to know her a little.
"How is KoReimu doing?"
She gave a wide smile.
"Thanks to mister human, Reimu's precious little one will be very easy."
I grinned.
"Just happy to help," I replied.
She gave a slight bow.
"Thank you, easy."
Alright... changing the subject. She sat up and looked up at me.
"So, it's obvious from observations... you used to be a pet yukkuri, didn't you?"
She grimaced. She looked to me and nodded slightly.
"It's okay. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
She lowered her gaze.
"Let me guess --" I ran through all the stories I saw online, "You fell in love with your husband, who was so darling, you just couldn't resist. You brought Marisa home, and your owner threw you two out?"
She looked up at me, slightly baffled.
"N-no... Miss human let husband stay. Miss human was very easy human..."
I lifted a brow.
"It was when you refreshed, wasn't it?"
She fidgeted. Nailed it. She looked up at me and nodded slightly.
"Miss human... was okay with it at first! She praised Reimu and husband, and said she was happy husband and Reimu could have easy family!"
I listened and nodded.
"But...?"
Her expression darkened.
"Miss human gave Reimu a sweet-sweet. She say it was sweet-sweet for new mothers..." Her eyes began to well slightly, "When Reimu's little ones were born... they were... uneasy, and they died..."
I nodded.
"So... you think she gave you some kind of poison?"
Reimu looked to me and nodded. Her eyes had tears in the corners. Apparently, breeding is a touchy subject to them. I thought I'd keep her going.
"So, then, you decided you'd be better off as a stray?"
"Miss human didn't want Reimu to have easy family! Of course Reimu ran away! Reimu doesn't need badge! Doesn't need mister humans! Reimu has family, and is easier now than with miss human! Miss human should just die easy for killing Reimu's precious little ones!"
As odd as that proceeded, I simply nodded. She was adamant about her perception of the events. Perhaps I could tease her core...
"Well... do you think that's a fair thing to say about miss human? Who took care of you when you were a little one?"
She puffed her cheeks at me slightly. I grinned.
"No, seriously. Think about it. Just for a moment. She brought you in and kept you. She brought you food, water, shelter, warmth, and companionship. I'm sure you two had lots of easy times together."
She let out her breath, and her expression sunk a bit.
"Heck, she even let your easy husband move in with you, without even an argument, right?"
She blinked a few times, and looked up at me. She nodded slightly.
"Husband... was also stray. Husband say she had silver badge."
I nodded and motioned to her.
"So that was awful nice of her. Now she had to hunt-hunt for two yukkuri, and didn't even bother to tell you about how uneasy that might have made her. I mean, picture you suddenly having even more precious little ones to feed, lick-lick, rub-rub, and take care of. Six. Eight. Wouldn't that get a bit... uneasy?"
She made a motion to protest, but stopped.
"Imagine what your husband would have to go through during hunt-hunt to provide food for a family that large," I said, and cut off her attempt at protest.
Her mouth slowly closed.
"Then, you go and refresh, and don't even ask if miss human is easy with that. You go and make her have to hunt-hunt even more to help you and your family."
"B-but! Miss should have been okay! R-Reimu could have had less munch-munch and gave it to precious babies!"
I smiled and shook my head.
"But you didn't ask miss human first. You went behind her back twice. Not once, twice. I'm sure she felt betrayed," At this point, she began to try and state her side, but I kept talking, "and had you simply asked her, I'm sure she would have been fine. Instead, you had to sneak around her twice, and not say anything. You lied to her."
I wasn't really listening to her. I read some yukkuri could be rather stubborn. Not too unlike many humans I knew. She told me something about how her easiness is more important blah blah blah...
"Even still. If you just asked, I'm sure she would have been fine," I interrupted.
"Hmph..."
Stubborn. Regardless, I could see a glint of regret in her expression. She realized her error, but was too stubborn to admit it.
"It's alright, though... if you didn't run away, you never would have had your family, and you never would have met me," I said.
Apparently, from her shifted expression, she never realized that. She looked up at me, a sense of wonder in her eyes.
"Mister human... is right?" she asked.
I gave a nod.
"Mister human... is strange," she said, and moved closer to me. "Talks funny. Reimu doesn't understand a lot, but... mister makes Reimu think..."
What I always striven to do: make others think.
"Say, Reimu, when was the last time you did rub-rub with a human?" I said, and reached for her.
She smiled as I picked her up and placed her in my lap. I gave her a gentle rub on the side of her face. She cooed slightly.
"Mister's hands are warm..."
"Reimu!"
Our gaze turned up the alley. Marisa was hopping up, the two little ones flanking her on either side. Marisa slid her way forward, her kids bounced alongside her. Reimu bounced out of my lap and bounced to them. They all greeted with a healthy rub-rub. They exchanged greetings and stories. I simply observed until Marisa acknowledged me. I gave a light smile with a wave.
"Don't mind me. Just came to say hello," I told them.
Really, I had something else in mind.
"Oh, KoMarisa, can I see you for a second? Something I wanted to show you," I said, and stood up.
I reached down and held my palm out, flat. The family looked to KoMarisa, as if she had done something wrong. I gave them a smile.
"I'll bring her back in a second. She won't miss dinner, I promise. Just wanted to talk to her for a second."
They nodded to her, and she jumped into my hand. Boy, she had gotten bigger in the little time they were there. She filled my palm. I stood up and walked away from her family, who turned and headed to their easy place. The height change got to her in the usual way. I looked down to KoMarisa.
"So, KoMarisa, you're getting to be a big yukkuri now," I started.
She nodded, and gave a cheery smile.
"KoMarisa is going to grow up big and strong like daddy one day!"
"And you're gonna protect your little sister, right?"
She nodded with another smile.
"But who is gonna protect KoMarisa?"
She blinked. The smile faded and she looked to me.
"What does mister mean?"
Even her slur was mostly gone... I wanted to try an experiment.
"Since KoMarisa and Mister Kei are great easy friends, I want to give you something," I said, and reached into my pocket.
I liked the family. Especially the smaller Marisa. Always energetic. Always inquisitive. Good traits, from what I've heard. I'd take her from her parents and keep her indoors, but I'd feel bad, so I opted for the next best thing... I took out a small, gold star pin out of my pocket. I held it out to her. Her eyes went wide, mouth parted slightly.
"Treasure..." she whispered.
"Better. It's a mister guardian angel," I explained, "It'll protect you and your sister, but you can't tell anyone~"
She looked up at me with the same expression.
"You have to keep it a secret, or mister guardian angel will stop protecting you. Also, if you don't be a good Marisa, mister guardian angel will stop protecting you... so make sure you only do easy things for you and other yukkuri! Or else!"
She gasped, then shifted to a stern expression. She nodded.
"Marisa will! She will protect her little sister and be an easy yukkuri!"
I rolled the star into my palm, lowered myself down, and gently placed her on the grass again. I offered her my hand.
"Then give mister your mister accessory," I said.
Almost instantaneous panic.
"N-no! Marisa can't be Marisa without her mister accessory!"
Yeah, she was a stray. Not trained for accessory removal.
"Hey -- mister is your easy friend. I'll give it back in a second! Don't be uneasy! Be easy, Marisa!"
I offered my hand to her twice. I didn't want to take it -- might be too much for her. Besides, it was a good trust test. She lowered her gaze for a moment, then looked back to me. She reached up with her braid, took the hat, and placed it in my hand.
"Okay, Marisa! See? Marisa is still Marisa! Mister Kei knows you're still Marisa! Take it easy!"
"Take it easy!" she replied.
I turned the hat inside out and pinned the star to the inside of her hat. It fit in, and was hardly noticeable, save the pin's arm from the outside. I turned the hat outside-in again, and looked to her.
"See, mister guardian angel protects KoMarisa better when no one knows he's there. He'll keep Marisa safe."
I gently placed the hat back on her head. She fixed it.
"Marisa will keep her easy treasure safe!"
I nodded and winked to her.
"You can't tell anyone! Remember!"
She saluted me? Not exactly sure how she knew that kind of expression...
"Marisa promises Mister Kei!"
I smiled to her and gently shooed her with my hand.
"Alright, off to dinner with you!"
She gave me a smile, then bounced down the alley. She turned and gave a light wave, then turned back and bounced the rest of the way I watched her enter their easy place. I was curious. Would it work? Would the star keep her safe if she believed it would? It'd be difficult to verify -- after all, I was a firm believer in science, and well, everything about a yukkuri baffled me. I suppose that meant the experiment was possible -- if they truly believed in something, it'd become reality. Mind over matter, for humans, does exist, to an extent. I read some stories about yukkuri who changed their fate simply by believing in it enough. It was rather rare, but nonetheless prevalent. The idea behind telling her to keep it hidden was that yukkuri seemed to like bragging. If she told another yukkuri, they might try to steal it from her. As long as she kept quiet about it, it'd stay with her.
Everything was normal for a few days. I'd greet them in the morning, and check in on them at night. It was when I got home before my next day off that I noticed the family looked distressed... and Marisa was missing. I got home late, and they were all asleep. Marisa should have been home by now. I didn't want to wake them -- they all looked stressed. The next morning, I brought them out a plate of fruits and had a small chat with them. Seems Marisa never came home. Reimu sent her children out to play.
"Husband is..."
I saw tears form in her eyes. I nodded, reached down, and wiped them away.
"It's nature. It happens," I said. "Maybe she got lost, or picked up by another human?"
Reimu looked up at me with a small glimmer of hope in her eyes.
"You... you think husband is easy?"
I nodded. Really, I was just trying to give her false hope. I know it was cruel, but I don't think such creatures were meant to deal with tragedy. They didn't like being upset. I knew there were still some wild animals that hunted in the neighborhood -- raccoon, possum, rats... or even a disgruntled human that thought some new kind of creature was trying to pick at their yard. Any and all of it was a possibility. I'd do some investigating, but for the time being...
"Are you going to be easy? I mean, are you going to have any trouble getting mister food for your children?"
She looked up to me. The hopeful look shifted to a determined one. She nodded.
"Marisa taught Reimu how to hunt-hunt. Reimu will hunt lots of mister food for her children!"
I wasn't reassured, but I smiled anyway.
"In the meantime," I said, "please..." I nudged the plate to her, "feel free to have my extra."
She gave me a smile and moved to the plate.
"Thank you for the easiness... Mister Kei!"
I nodded to her, and gave a smile.
"The offer still stands, you know. You can move into Mister Kei's easy place. Plenty of space. You just have to follow a few mister rules..."
She stared at me for a moment. She was thinking about it this time... then shook her head.
"Reimu thinks about when she was a pet. Reimu didn't like it. Miss human spoiled Reimu. Reimu was scum.... but after Reimu met Marisa..."
Her voice trailed off...
"Even with all the uneasiness... Reimu felt easier."
I think she was trying to tell me she's better in the wild...
"Reimu! Marisa! Come! Mister Kei brought mister sweet-sweet easy food!"
I smiled, and stood up. I waved to the two yukkuri as they bounced up. I stepped back to let them at the plate.
"Keep the rest. Mister has stuff to do, so I'll be back later to get the mister plate, okay?"
"Take it easy!" they declared.
My investigations turned negative. Yukkuri were difficult to track -- they have no footprints, and leave little-to-no trail in their wake. I wasn't a master tracker, but I could spot a paw print or bird claw fairly easy. I even spent some time to ask other neighbors if they saw the Marisa, but since almost all of them looked identical to one-another, it was impossible for them to discern if they had actually seen the one I was talking about, let alone seen a yukkuri in general; assuming they didn't own one themselves. A few days revealed what I expected would occur without Marisa present -- I came home after a long day, and checked their home. It was empty. It worried me -- I knew whatever snatched up Marisa would keep an eye open for them, since it was likely Marisa told them were to find their food. There was still some residual food from the batch I brought them -- a few grapes, orange slices, and apple slices.
I had trouble sleeping that night. Anxiety gnawed at me. Yeah, I liked them. I worried about them.
A shame my anxiety was verified. I checked in over the course of the next few days. There was no sign of them -- the food that was inside had decayed. They weren't coming home.
Let me be honest -- I was a bit distraught. It distracted me at work; broke my focus slightly. I got attached to them.
"What do you think happened to them?" my neighbor asked me one day.
"Dunno," I said, as I was checking to see if there was any signs of return, "Maybe a stray animal got them when they went to get food."
"Why didn't you just adopt them?"
I let out a sigh and stood up.
"I asked twice," I said and looked at him. I shrugged, "The mother refused. She, uh... just thought she was better living outside than living as a pet."
My neighbor stared at me for a moment. I could see the gears in his head spinning as he processed that.
"So... she thought she was better off living in the wild?"
I nodded to him.
"Huh. Weird little things."
I nodded in agreement.
"Yeah... but they're good people."
I gave it another few days before I decided what to do. I cleaned out the bin, but left it there. I looked up something special I wanted to get to mark the occasion and the loss -- I got four flat rocks. Two large ones and two small ones. On the flat surface of one large and one small rock was a red bow, similar to the Reimus'. On the other pair, a black witch hat similar to Marisas'. The smaller one with the hat had a small, gold star on it. I wanted to remember that one. I'd miss her the most. I left them behind the bin, against the wall of my house. A symbol and a reminder of the first time I met yukkuri.
I think I'm sold on the idea of adopting some now.
[Ch0 done. Finally.]
[Took me about a month, between work, time, games, exhaustion, and the 56708248368024 rewrites I did in my head.]
{Is this it? No. Not even close.]
[Feedback is appreciated.]
[If you read it all, please let me know if I should continue this here, or if I should make another thread for the next chapter; where the story really starts.]
{This was the prologue because it was mostly about getting to know the anon (me). Yes, I perceive myself as multiple-selves, at the same time. I talk to myself, hence the self-narration.]
[Think it's long? Originally, it was gonna be longer, but I decided to condense it some. Still has all of my original plot points.]
[What happened to them? Your imagination. Will we find out? ;3 Possibly.]
[Thank you for reading, easy! As you're reading this, I'm already working on the next chapter. <3 I'm excited to get started on it.]
(Chapter 0: Prologue)
(Continuum information:
Yukkuri only originally existed in Japan, but then slowly were brought to parts of China.
"The Factory," exists as an actual corporate entity, though their treatment of yukkuri is a little more, 'humane.' Or at least in most instances.
Yukkuri have just started coming to America, and still exist in low-to-very-low population density, whether wild or domesticated.
Badge system exists.
Yukkuri tend to live more like regular animals -- they're not -as stupid- as most authors portray, but can still be fooled, like any animal.
They are still somewhat naturally trusting of humans, unless had a bad previous experience.
Low population density = less competition between yukkuri = less shitheads attacking one-another in the wild, and more collaboration between wild/stray yukkuri
Anything else I can think of later on will be added)
I've owned a number of pets since I was a kid. Numerous dogs, dozens of cats, a squirrel at one point, a lizard, a turtle, some fish, birds, rabbits, hamsters... yeah. My mom was an animal lover. I inherited the trait from her.
I'd heard about yukkuri. They only recently came to our country maybe a year or two ago. I wasn't sure -- things like this always started in other parts of our country before managing to find its way to our neck of the woods. I had read things about them -- mostly online and from other countries. Even news organizations around here would do small segments about them. That made it tricky to figure out the whole story. I read they had minor cognitive skills, adolescent human intelligence, and (very interestingly-enough) human linguistic skills. It made them all the more interesting, considering that their forms were reminiscent of a single-celled organism; of a sort of gel-like creature from old video game RPGs... minus the acidic properties. They were... pastries. Living pastries. Everything I read was inconclusive about how they lived -- their innards were some kind of filling used in manjuu -- a pastry served in mostly eastern cultures. Whatever they consumed was converted to their pastry, then secreted later on as, 'poo-poo.' The information site I read stated that, while edible to humans, there was some unknown chemical present within it that made yukkuri hate the smell and taste of it.
What an odd characteristic.
Oh, dear. Got lost in my own ramblings again. What was I thinking about?...
Oh! The first time I encountered a yukkuri.
Well... yukkuris? Or was it like sheep, where the plural was the same word?
Regardless..
I lived alone these days. The oldest dog I ever owned passed on a few years ago, my parents already died; my father first, then my mother, and I don't talk to my brother or nephew. Without my dad around, the house was quiet. He always had his TV in the living room blasting, and sometimes even had the TV in his room on at the exact same time, on the exact same channel. To simply watch the news. Yes, the news.
"It sounds like a theater, doesn't it?" he'd say.
"For the news? You can't be serious."
Anyway, I never really watched TV that loud. My hearing was rather sensitive after I got home from work. I hadn't even flipped on the TV yet to catch up on the news. This allowed me to take notice of the light voices that came from outside the kitchen window. They were light, but they were present. I wasn't exactly sure what could be talking; I couldn't see my neighbors. There didn't appear to be anyone outside, yet still... I decided to investigate. I moved from the kitchen to the garage, and out the side door. A quick glance, and my eyes immediately detected the movement. It was something small, but not small enough to evade my vision. Even if I couldn't see it, my eyes could still detect the movement. All those years of FPS games. That aside, the black, cone-shaped hat-like thing kind of gave its position away. It seemed to either be talking to itself, singing, or possibly both. It appeared to be in the neighborhood of slightly larger than a golf ball, but smaller than a tennis ball. I believe that made it a child still. I took a few light steps towards it. It didn't seem to notice me until it turned around. At that moment, it froze. My mind did it's usual switch to observation mode -- from the looks of it, it did not appear to know whether to panic, run, or what, and just stayed frozen. I decided I should break the ice... Let's see... what was that greeting that I read? I lowered myself down, and lifted my hand in greeting. It pulled its hat over its face.
"Take it easy~!" I called to it
.Instantly, it's disposition changed. The panic and fear receded. It lifted its hat and looked up at me.
"Ch... chake it... eajy?" it responded.
I nodded.
"Take it easy!"
I gathered my thoughts. Yukkuri had strange algorithms when it came to their speech patterns. When it came to introductions....
"I... ish mishter human an eajy human?" it asked me.
Oh, right. You have to be, 'easy,' in order to be considered, 'friendly.' Still, I feigned thought. I rolled my eyes up and took my chin with my free hand. I looked back to the little creature and gave a nod.
"Mister human is easy mister human. Is little," koyukkuri, right? "koyukkuri easy?"
Its face pulled up into a smile and gave a nod.
"Mawisha ish eajy Mawisha, too, ze! Does mishter human want to be fwiends?"
I gave a slight nod.
"Sure," translating slurred speech... "Marisa. Kei would like to be Marisa's easy friend."
That instantly turned her face into a smile. She began to crawl/slide(?) to me. It wasn't very fast.
"Go, mishter footsie, ze! Bring Mawisha to her new easy fwiend!" she said.
I leaned forward and held out my hand. She crawled her way over my fingers and into my palm. Her texture was certainly interesting -- it was soft, but slightly warm. It was like feeling a snail slide across your hand, without the mucus trail, or a snake. She looked slightly dirty. She must have been a stray, or possibly a wild one. I lifted her closer to my face. She turned around gasped.
"Ish like Mawisha is mishter birdie~!" she exclaimed and flapped her little braid.
Must have been that high-high thing... a natural reaction to being lifted up. I slid back onto my rear. Hated sitting in frog-position. I stretched my legs out in front of me.
"So, Marisa, are you alone, or do you have a family? Or are you alone?" I inquired.
She turned back to face me and shook her... face? Head? Entire body?
"Mawisha's family wives wight dere, ze!" she said and pointed behind me with her braid.
I looked over my shoulder, then back to her.
"Can Mawisha do wub-wub with Mishter human, ze?"
I smiled. A display of affection, and she asked? Her parents might have been strays. Good chance of that, considering she knows how to interact... I gave a nod.
"Sure."
I reached with my free hand and gently offered my thumb. I didn't want to hurt the small thing, so I simply gave a circular motion against her side. She giggled, and seemed to just rub herself against my thumb. Huh. Not too dissimilar from a cat.
"Marisa!" I heard another voice exclaim.
She gasped in surprise, then looked to me.
"Dawdy!" she looked behind me, "Ish dawdy, ze!"
"Marisa! It's munch-munch time!" I heard the small voice call again.
I looked over my shoulder, then back to her.
"I'll take you home if you like?" I offered.
If she smiled any larger, I'm pretty sure she'd have split in half. I stood up, and stifled a laugh at the obligatory, 'Mawisha is like Mishter Angel!,' that was exclaimed from my hand. I moved towards the fence to my back yard, passed the small palm frond batch, and there it was. On my right. Our old green recyclables box, turned on its side, tucked away in the corner under the palm bush. Inside, from what I could see, was a much larger Marisa, another one that I believed was a Reimu (the signature ribbon), and a tiny bag with another tiny Reimu in it -- similar in size to the Marisa in my hand. The other two appeared to be full-sized yukkuri -- about the size of a basketball. They both seemed startled when they saw me. I must have forgotten about that thing -- our city issued much larger, full-sized trash cans for recyclables. These basket-sized ones were the original ones they handed out, and they were green to-boot. Made the house almost camouflaged. A smart family, to pick such a sturdy home to call their own. Good first impression I had thus far.
"Ah, so this is where you moved in..."
"Mawisha's eajy place is great, ze! Dawdy is a great home maker!" she called from my hand.
I lowered myself down, then gently lowered my hand. Marisa slid down my hand, just as both parents seemed to leap forward to catch her. The Reimu quickly snatched her with her braids and slid back. The Marisa slid forward and stopped in between myself and the Reimu. She looked like she was doing her best to look fierce.
"Mister human should go away and leave Marisa and her beautiful family alone! This is Marisa and her family's easy place! Uneasy human should leave!" she... commanded me?
I felt my instinctive reaction kick in -- my brow lifted. My cynic side took over and I turned my face slightly to the side.
"N-no! Dawdy! Mishter human is easy mishter human, ze!"
Well, look at that. The kid was standing up for me. I could see her squirming in her mother's arms. She popped her way out, then pushed up against the larger Marisa. Similar to the first greet, I simply raised my hand to them.
"Take it easy!"
It didn't seem to lighten them up any. They either were strays, or knew some bad people. Marisa and Reimu kept their focus on me. The smaller Reimu didn't seem to move much.
"Hey... I didn't come here to bring uneasiness. Mister human just thought he heard something, so he wanted to see what that noise was," which was true. It was what brought me out here in the first place, "If Reimu and Marisa want to take it easy here, it's fine. Mister human won't make any uneasiness, easy?"
The two looked to one-another. The Marisa seemed to lighten, her brows up. The Reimu seemed adamant, still slightly glaring at me. Apparently, the one who was wronged the most must have been the Reimu. Only reason she could be so vindictive. Marisa must have been a pet. She didn't suffix her sentences with any kind of exclamations.
"W-well... Marisa and Reimu don't trust mister human!" she exclaimed to me, "So go away easy!"
I looked to my left, then to my right, then back to them. I glanced to the little one. I needed a moment to gather my thoughts. Done. I knew what I was going to say. Especially after seeing what I thought I saw on the little Reimu.
"Listen. Mister human doesn't know what Reimu and Marisa had to go through to find this easy place, but this easy place is also Mister human's easy place," I can't believe how fast I caught on to their speech patterns, "but Mister human doesn't mind sharing it with Marisa and Reimu and their two beautiful, easy children. But, hey..." I said, and pointed to Reimu, "um, Mister human may be able to help Reimu there... with her Mister Mold..."
The Marisa was overcome with shock. The Reimu was, as well, but she hid it better. Marisa looked to Reimu. Reimu shook her (head?) self. Marisa looked back to me, a look of regret slowly settled in.
"Mister human... please, just go away easy. Now is fine," she said, her eyes cast to the ground.
The small Marisa looked shocked at her parents, then back to me. I smiled to the little one and waved.
"It's okay, little one. Don't worry. Your parents are just trying to protect you. They think mister is a bad, uneasy human. They'll learn."
I stood up and left the scene. I already accomplished what I wanted thus far, and felt it was rather productive -- I met a yukkuri family, The child trusted me, the parents seemed split on their opinion, and their sick child might be the key to changing their minds. This could get interesting.
Before I got home from work the next day, I made a quick stop at the grocery store. While I walked to work, I did a bit of research on yukkuri. What they ate, what they liked, and most-importantly: mold. Not the entire research on the subject, just how to cure a yukkuri of mold. Seemed like a simple process -- all of the mold had to be removed. I had almost all of the tools, I just had to pick up some of the ingredients to fix up the yukkuri when I was done. I even made sure to borrow a few pairs of latex gloves from work. Couldn't just go spreading it, could I? When I got home, I made the preparations -- some extra bean paste, lemonade sedation drink, orange juice (which I always had), paint brushes, hydrogen peroxide, and my Xacto Knife. I was into model-building. This should be easy compared to that.
Now, for the set-up. I'd first have to gain their trust, or drive a wedge. The Marisa seemed willing, but the Reimu didn't. I'd have to focus on the Marisa. Most importantly -- I'd have to let them let me get close to them. Easiest way to let any animal let you get close to them? Food! I already had an idea of what yukkuri eat -- anything, really, but mostly sweet stuff. I didn't want to give them just yukkuri food -- the parents might get insulted that I was trying to make them, or even view them, as pets. They had a sort of strong independent factor, as if they didn't want human interaction. Made me believe even further that they had a bad encounter with a human.
I stopped in front of the door that lead out to the side of my house where their home was. I looked at the plate. It had some grapes, some sliced oranges and apples, some strawberries, and a few sliced peaches. Simple, and believable with the story I cooked up. Of course, insert my retrospective side. Why was I doing this, again? Didn't I like my isolation? Well, I do like animals, and they were rather interesting. Plus, it'd be a great way to kill some time, and drag me away from my computer. The trick was getting the one parent to take the bait...
I stepped outside and made my way to their nest, or 'easy place,' or whatever. I leaned down and gently tapped on the top. I heard some small voices talk to one-another.
"Hello~ it's me! Are you home? I hope you're not too busy to entertain a visitor..." I said to the box.
Of course, I could just lean down -- but I believe that would diminish the value of their home. I should treat them with a bit of dignity in this situation, since I'm perceived as the invader. After a moment, the little Marisa came sliding out. Her face immediately beamed at seeing me. She bounced slightly and flapped her braid.
"Hewwo, mishter human, ze!" she exclaimed.
Shortly, followed the older Marisa, who gently nudged her child to the side, and the Reimu, with her usual darkened expression. I lowered myself down and sat on the grass. I placed the plate in between us.
"Mister Kei went," I spent a little more time learning their lingo, "hunt-hunt today, and got way more than I needed, so I thought I'd share some with my new neighbors," I explained.
The Marisa and Reimu looked to one-another. It was clear they didn't trust me any more, even with the offering. The small Marisa was trying to wiggle her way out of her parent's braid. She was practically drooling.
"Mawisha wants to munsh-munsh, dawdy! Mishter human ish nice human, ze!" she'd say.
I raised a brow and felt myself smirking.
"What? Do you think I poisoned it?" I asked, plucked up a grape, and tossed it into my mouth. "I would do no such thing. I'm not an uneasy human. I've had lots of other pets, and I like them, just like I like you. I'd like to be your easy friend, if you'd let me."
I picked up a grape, and offered it to the older Marisa. She looked to her daughter and placed her down.
"Stay here. Daddy will make sure mister munch-munch is okay," she told her daughter.
The daughter moved to protest. The older one silenced her with a raised braid. She turned her attention to me and reached with her braid. She took the grape and stared at it for a moment.
"Go on. It's sweet. Yukkuri like sweets, right?" I said.
She looked at me suspiciously, then back to the grape. She tossed it into her mouth and gently chewed. A silence hung over us. Her expression lit up as she swallowed.
"... Delicious!" she exclaimed.
She moved towards the plate and plucked up an apple slice. She took a bite, and scrunched her face up.
"Delicious!" she exclaimed again.
She turned halfway to her family.
"It's okay! Come and munch-munch!" she said.
I smiled. Of course I didn't poison it. I was interested in what I could learn from them. They were curious creatures. The small Marisa slid forward and plucked up a few pieces, herself, and shoved them into her mouth.
"Happinesh~!" she'd exclaim here and there.
"Feel free to take it all. Mister Kei is so stuffed, I couldn't eat a bite!"
The Reimu remained in the box, that dark expression on her face never once faltering. It was obvious at this point -- she was the one that was wronged by another human. Her trust was going to be much harder to gain.
"Oh, and don't forget to feed your other daughter... the sick one. She's going to need all the munch-munch she can get to fight off the mister mold," I said, and pointed to the resting Reimu.
This stopped their feast for a moment. The mold hadn't spread much since the last time I saw her. I looked to the older Marisa.
"So, you're the daddy, right?... mind if I talk to you over there for a second?" I asked, and pointed towards the front of my house, "I just wanted to show you some good hunt-hunt places..."
Marisa stared at me for a moment, unsure of what to think. She looked back to Reimu, who didn't seem to know what to think.
"C'mon. It'll only be for a second," I said, and stood up.
Old trick I learned from retail: just tell them to come, and start going. They tend to follow you. I moved up the alley, and sure enough, the older Marisa followed. She bounced along next to me, until we passed halfway up the driveway, but remained in the grass. I sat down next to her and pointed out. I kept my voice low...
"Bring her by my house after Reimu goes to sleep."
She looked up at me with a confused expression. I looked down at her, then pointed off to the side.
"If you want to save your daughter, bring her by tonight, after your wife goes to sleep."
I let the words sink into her, then continued.
"I'll do what I can to save her."
She stared for a moment, then nodded.
I stood up, and lead the way back to their home. I sat down next to the plate.
"So, remember that, Marisa."
She looked back at me as she entered her home, and nodded slightly. I watched as they gathered up the remainder of the food, and I took my plate.
"Well, see you all later~" I said.
"Bye, mishter Kei!" she said, and waved her braid at me.
The older Marisa gave a slight nod. Reimu didn't budge.
I moved to my side door and back into my house. I think that went well. Now to see if she'll actually follow through...
I had nothing to do that night, so I simply watched TV in the living room. Had to be near the front door. If I watched TV in my room, there was a solid chance I'd never hear what I wanted to hear. I kept the TV low volume -- late at night, my hearing tended to spike. Maybe it was migraines. Who knows? I was getting anxious. Would she come?
I heard a soft knock at the door.
"Mister human? Mister human!"
I jumped out of the sofa, and moved to the door. I cracked it slightly and waited, then opened it enough to stick my head out. I looked down at Marisa. She looked hesitant. Apprehensive. Nervous. But I know what she wanted. She put all those fear aside to risk the life of her daughter. I smiled. I wouldn't dare disappoint.
"You came. Please, come inside my easy place," I said, and opened the door. I stepped aside to let her in. She gently slid towards the doorstep.
Oh, right. I leaned down and offered my hand.
"Let me take her. Please, come in, but wipe your mister foot."
She looked at the doorstep, which was about three inches above the outside ground. She leaned up to me, holding the bag as far as she could. I took it from her and stood up. She hopped in and landed on the mat. She... did some weird little wiggle dance on the doormat. I stood up.
"I'm sorry if I deceived you somewhat. I know I told you I can save her, but I don't really know. I'll try, though."
Her facial expression darkened. I leaned down and gently placed my palm on her cheek.
"Mister Kei is very easy with this kind of stuff. I looked up everything I needed to know. Now I simply have to do it. Please, trust me easy."
Not quite sure what I said, there, but I hope she got the point. Her face brightened slightly as she looked up at me.
"Now, let's get this going," I said, and headed to the kitchen. "Not sure how much time she has left."
Marisa followed me to the kitchen. I gently placed the bag down on the counter. I took out the latex gloves and slid my hands inside. I prepped the bowl of hydrogen peroxide. Had to keep my hands mold-free, or it'd just wind-up spreading all over her as I worked. She stirred slightly in the bag. I lifted her up and looked at her. Yeah, her eyes were foggy, the mold was covering her lower body, and was showing slightly on the tips of her braids. She was in a pretty advanced state.
"Hey, little one," I said in a calm, gentle voice.
She looked to me. I had a feeling she couldn't see me that well; her eyes didn't seem to focus on any particular object, just in the direction of my voice.
"Who ish..." she started.
"Drink this easy. It'll make you have easy dreams~" I said, and picked up a cup of specially-prepared lemonaid.
I made the lemonaide myself -- had to, as specific sugar-to-citric acid requirements were necessary for the proper anesthetic effect. If it was too sour, she could get sick. If it was too sweet, she'd stay awake. The recipe was pretty simple. I bent the flex-straw towards her mouth and bumped it against her lips.
"Open easy," I said softly.
Her mouth parted and I slid the straw in.
"Now drink easy," I said again softly.
I watched the lemonaide flow up the straw and into her mouth. She drank about half of it before I watched her eyes close again. She let out a calm sigh. Was pretty sure she was out like a light at this point. I placed the lemonaide down and reached into my back pocket. I took out a sheet of folded-up wax paper. I flicked my wrist and expanded it, then gently laid it out on the counter. I placed her down on her back. Her braids strewn themselves out. I looked at the small creature that rested before me. No sooner had I reached for the knife than I felt a gentle tug at my pant leg. I blinked and looked down. Marisa was there.
"Mister...?" she asked.
"Yes?"
"C-... can Marisa watch?"
Oh, sure, why not? I nodded. I picked her up with the hand that hadn't touched her yet. I curled her into my bicep and gently slid her into the counter, away from all my tools. She looked over at all the items -- a few bowls, the cup of lemonaide, the paintbrush, but when she caught glance of the knife, her eyes went wide.
"You can watch, but please don't talk. Mister doesn't want to hurt your little one if Marisa startles me."
I picked up the knife and turned my attention to the little Reimu. I lowered the knife, and saw the braid come over and gently touch my wrist. Marisa seemed a little miffed about this. I looked to her.
"This is necessary. I have to remove it all, or it'll spread all over her and she'll die a very uneasy death."
I knew that's why she came over to me. She was nervous. Any good parent would be. I really found a great family, here. She pulled back and slid away. I brought the knife to my lips.
"Shh~. It'll be over shortly."
With that, I set to work. No more hesitation or distractions. I cut slightly above the mold-covered area, ever-so-carefully drawing a short half-circle, before gently turning her over and finishing. A simple tug, and her lower body came right off. There, before me, was that paste filling, which held the slight smell of mold. It was one thing for it to be out in the open, where it doesn't necessarily stink. It was another to be trapped under the body. Yeah, she was awful close to dying. I took the lower portion of her body and dropped into the bag. I then took a small pair of clippers and simply removed the discolored zones of her hair. I made sure to take off an extra bit of length, to make sure it wasn't simply hiding. I gathered up the hair and tossed it into the bag. After that, I dabbed my gloved hands into the hydrogen peroxide, then wiped them dry. I looked to Marisa.
"There. That takes care of the mold on the outside of her body. With that, I begin removing the mold that has infected her paste."
"Mister...?"
I looked to Marisa.
"Yes?"
"... how does mister human know how to do this easy stuff? Marisa doesn't understand..."
I smiled to her.
"Part of being human, I guess. We have a higher level of cognition. Of deeper thought and understanding. We can learn more."
She lowered her face a little.
"Marisa... still doesn't understand easy..."
I reached over and nudged her with my elbow.
"Cheer up. I hear yukkuri can become bodied, and can become just like humans. Just as smart and everything! Maybe you'll become bodied one day."
She nodded. Her eyes were watering. I gave her a smile, then nodded. My attention returned to the child. I took a spoon and gently scooped off bits and pieces of the infected paste. It was all-over underneath the infected zone, but wasn't very dense. It was only really dense towards her bottom; where her foot would be. It seemed to go all the way in, which caused me to stop using the spoon. I had to pick it out with the knife, inching my way closer and closer, until... there it was. It was right outside her core. I could see it -- the small, silvery membrane that, quite literally, was her. I took a close look. My eyes didn't see any more discoloration. Time to finish-up. I placed the tools into the hydrogen peroxide, and removed the gloves. I picked up the bowl that had the extra bean paste -- finding the recipe online for a Reimu's bean paste was easy. I scooped up a thick clump of it and filled in her body. A few more dabs, and she was back to the size she was before, give or take a few tenths. After that, it was the paintbrush. I plucked that up and stirred the flour mixture. I painted over her exposed paste. I gently rolled her when necessary. With that, came the most-important part. I took out my phone and pulled up a picture. I rolled her onto her back, picked up the Xacto-knife, and poked a small hole towards the lower half. After that, I rolled her to the front and poked a second hole.
"There," I said, and lowered the knife, "All done."
The Marisa was snoozing at this point. It was getting late, after all. The Reimu hadn't even stirred -- probably dreaming away eating sweets. While the Marisa slept, I turned over the Reimu and gently pressed my thumb under her. The flour was still wet, and would preserve the whirl of my fingerprint. An artist always leaves their mark on their works. I picked up the gloves and tossed them in the bag, then tossed the bag into the nearby trash can. I reached over and gently poked the Marisa until she snorted. Her eyes slowly blinked opened.
"Your little one is going to be easy."
Almost instantly, her face lit up.
"Really?!"
I shushed her and tried to ease her down. Her excitement was slightly contagious. I placed my hand on her hat and pressed it into her head.
"She needs to rest, though. Don't let her go outside for a few days. Once she's well, make sure she stays fed. If she has any owies, let me know and I'll bring some orange juice."
Speaking of which... I picked up the cup of orange juice, gently pried her mouth open with my finger, and gently poured some of it into her mouth. I let only a little bit in, stopped, and watched the little one's mouth pull into a smile. She was still asleep, but she knew that taste... The Marisa seemed to be at a loss for words. She just kept exclaiming some odd little, 'yu!' sound, and eagerly bounced up and down.
"Alright, you gotta hush or you'll wake her and everyone else! Easy?"
She stopped and placed her braid over her mouth.
"... easy!"
I lead her back outside, carrying the Reimu in my own hand. As we reached the entrance to their dwelling, I leaned down and held the Reimu out to her. She moved to my hand and took her with her braid. She looked at her little one, whom she probably hadn't seen sleeping so well in a long time, then looked back at me. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes.
"Thank you easy, mister..."
I nodded with a grin.
"Sure thing. Any time for a fellow living being."
She looked confused for a moment, then simply smiled again. She wouldn't let it ruin her moment. She crawled back inside and snuggled in next to Reimu and the other small Marisa. She placed the Reimu next to her sister, and huddled together. It'd be curious to see if she could even sleep tonight from all the excitement and anxiety. Hell, I was curious if I could. I wanted to know if she'd be okay. It was my first time... well, how do I describe it? Was it surgery?... Making a pastry? Odd thoughts, but my mind returned to the world. Marisa was watching me. She had a small, excited smile on her face, though I could see her eyes were raised lower each time she blinked. She was falling back asleep. After a few moments, her form gently spread, as if she melted ever-so-slightly. Guess that means she fell asleep. I watched the family snooze for a few minutes before I stood up and moved back to my house. I had work tomorrow. Had to get some sleep.
The next day, I woke up a little earlier than I normally did. I had to check in.
When I stepped out from my garage, I could already hear their light voices chirping to one-another. The mother's voice was bright and cheery, the younger Marisa was chatting, and a third voice was chatting back. Seemed they were excited by some 'miracle,' that their little Reimu woke up, and was cured of her Mister Mold. I could overhear them conversing on what miracle was bestowed on them. A rustle of grass to my rear made me glance over. It was Marisa. I gave her a smile and a gentle wave. She waved her braid up at me. I leaned down.
"How is she?" I said in a low voice.
"Marisa's easy little Reimu is very easy again, all thanks to you!" she said, excitedly.
I brought my hands up, trying to signal for her to keep her voice down. Nope. Too late. I looked back to where the others were. The mother and little Marisa were both peering down at us. Shortly after, the little Reimu edged her way out and looked towards us.
"M... mishter Kei?" the younger Marisa called, "You shaved widdle sishter. ze?"
I turned to them fully and nodded. I looked to the older Marisa and we both proceeded down to their home. I explained to them the situation. I'm pretty sure the other three didn't get it -- I had a habit of speaking with a rather... complex vocabulary, so I simplified it after I was done --
"Mister Kei used his special human skills to save Reimu from Mister Mold. So Reimu can be an easy little sister again!"
A cheer came from the three. The Reimu smiled a little, then looked to me. She gave a slight nod. The other three were too busy discussing my work. I returned Reimu's nod.
"Well, have to be going. It's hunt-hunt time for me," I turned and waved to them, "Take it easy~!"
"Take it easy!" and slurred variations of followed from behind.
The next few days proceeded fairly normal. I'd stop in before work to say hi and check in on Reimu. Seemed like she didn't even remember she was sick. I spent time learning more about them, mostly by observation. Strong family ties. The small, or "ko"Marisa, was protective of her little sister. She was also inquisitive, questioning things, where as the koReimu seemed to be more reserve. koMarisa's favorite game was to try and climb me while I sat on the grass. koReimu's was to snuggle up to me. The Marisa was always happy to see me, and greeted me in kind. The Reimu was still mostly silent, though she didn't hesitate to take her share of the food I'd sometimes bring out to them. My neighbors sought to notify me of a pack of yukkuri that had moved into my part of the alleyway. I explained to them that I was fine with them, and even introduced them. They seemed to like them. Good. They won't bother them.
I made an offer to the family to let them move into my house. The children's face brightened. The parents smiled, but hesitated. They turned to one-another and began to mutter. Marisa moved forward.
"Mister Kei, it's okay. Reimu and Marisa like their easy place," she said.
I wouldn't press the matter further. It's not like I could throw them into my house and lock them inside.
"Why do chu think they shaid no?" asked koMarisa, who was gently sliding her way up my arm.
I looked to her.
"I don't know... maybe they don't want a bigger eajy place? Maybe they don't trust humans?" I responded.
"But mishter is easy!" koReimu said from my lap.
KoMarisa continued up my arm.
"Maybe mommy and dawdy don't want their precious babiesh to have more eajy..." said KoMarisa.
I scooped her up in my right hand. She immediately flailed her piu-piu. High-high was declared~
"Don't say that about your parents," I said, with a stern voice.
KoMarisa looked up at me.
"Mishter?" both asked.
I nodded and gently scooped up the koReimu, and held both of them close to my face. KoReimu made her high-high declaration.
"Your parents love both of you. They only want you to be easy. Easier than them. Your daddy goes and gets food so you can be easy. Your mommy takes care and lick-licks you two clean, and even cleans up your poo-poo after you're done," I said. I felt my loss from my own mother again, "You should always listen to your mother and father. They only want you two to grow up and be easy yukkuri, just like them."
I know. I was hamming it up a bit. But I knew. I knew she was watching us. I knew she heard that. I knew after something small like that, I'd have her trust.
"Ish Mishter Kei easy?" KoMarisa asked.
I smiled to her.
"Well, it was a long day at work. Mister has a little headache."
"You want Mawisha give lick-lick, ze?" she said, and extended her tongue.
KoReimu looked at her sister, then stuck out her own tongue. I stifled a giggle.
"Alright, alright, you two."
I held them close to my face. They both lick-licked me from either side.
"Okay... Mister Kei feels much easier."
I heard cheers come from both hands. I lowered them down, just in time for...
"Kos! Dinner time!"
I had to go, anyway. It was getting late and I needed to prepare my own dinner.
On one of my days off, I paid them a visit early in the afternoon. I stepped up to their easy place and leaned down. Only the Reimu was home, and she greeted me with a gentle smile. I returned it and gave a small wave.
"Take it easy, Reimu," I said.
"Take it easy, mister," she replied.
I broadcasted my examination of their easy place, as if hinting at the next question for her. I sat down in front of her and crossed my legs.
"Where's the rest of the family?"
"Husband took little ones out on hunt-hunt. Wanted to show little ones how to find mister munch-munch."
I nodded. I thought I'd get to know her a little.
"How is KoReimu doing?"
She gave a wide smile.
"Thanks to mister human, Reimu's precious little one will be very easy."
I grinned.
"Just happy to help," I replied.
She gave a slight bow.
"Thank you, easy."
Alright... changing the subject. She sat up and looked up at me.
"So, it's obvious from observations... you used to be a pet yukkuri, didn't you?"
She grimaced. She looked to me and nodded slightly.
"It's okay. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
She lowered her gaze.
"Let me guess --" I ran through all the stories I saw online, "You fell in love with your husband, who was so darling, you just couldn't resist. You brought Marisa home, and your owner threw you two out?"
She looked up at me, slightly baffled.
"N-no... Miss human let husband stay. Miss human was very easy human..."
I lifted a brow.
"It was when you refreshed, wasn't it?"
She fidgeted. Nailed it. She looked up at me and nodded slightly.
"Miss human... was okay with it at first! She praised Reimu and husband, and said she was happy husband and Reimu could have easy family!"
I listened and nodded.
"But...?"
Her expression darkened.
"Miss human gave Reimu a sweet-sweet. She say it was sweet-sweet for new mothers..." Her eyes began to well slightly, "When Reimu's little ones were born... they were... uneasy, and they died..."
I nodded.
"So... you think she gave you some kind of poison?"
Reimu looked to me and nodded. Her eyes had tears in the corners. Apparently, breeding is a touchy subject to them. I thought I'd keep her going.
"So, then, you decided you'd be better off as a stray?"
"Miss human didn't want Reimu to have easy family! Of course Reimu ran away! Reimu doesn't need badge! Doesn't need mister humans! Reimu has family, and is easier now than with miss human! Miss human should just die easy for killing Reimu's precious little ones!"
As odd as that proceeded, I simply nodded. She was adamant about her perception of the events. Perhaps I could tease her core...
"Well... do you think that's a fair thing to say about miss human? Who took care of you when you were a little one?"
She puffed her cheeks at me slightly. I grinned.
"No, seriously. Think about it. Just for a moment. She brought you in and kept you. She brought you food, water, shelter, warmth, and companionship. I'm sure you two had lots of easy times together."
She let out her breath, and her expression sunk a bit.
"Heck, she even let your easy husband move in with you, without even an argument, right?"
She blinked a few times, and looked up at me. She nodded slightly.
"Husband... was also stray. Husband say she had silver badge."
I nodded and motioned to her.
"So that was awful nice of her. Now she had to hunt-hunt for two yukkuri, and didn't even bother to tell you about how uneasy that might have made her. I mean, picture you suddenly having even more precious little ones to feed, lick-lick, rub-rub, and take care of. Six. Eight. Wouldn't that get a bit... uneasy?"
She made a motion to protest, but stopped.
"Imagine what your husband would have to go through during hunt-hunt to provide food for a family that large," I said, and cut off her attempt at protest.
Her mouth slowly closed.
"Then, you go and refresh, and don't even ask if miss human is easy with that. You go and make her have to hunt-hunt even more to help you and your family."
"B-but! Miss should have been okay! R-Reimu could have had less munch-munch and gave it to precious babies!"
I smiled and shook my head.
"But you didn't ask miss human first. You went behind her back twice. Not once, twice. I'm sure she felt betrayed," At this point, she began to try and state her side, but I kept talking, "and had you simply asked her, I'm sure she would have been fine. Instead, you had to sneak around her twice, and not say anything. You lied to her."
I wasn't really listening to her. I read some yukkuri could be rather stubborn. Not too unlike many humans I knew. She told me something about how her easiness is more important blah blah blah...
"Even still. If you just asked, I'm sure she would have been fine," I interrupted.
"Hmph..."
Stubborn. Regardless, I could see a glint of regret in her expression. She realized her error, but was too stubborn to admit it.
"It's alright, though... if you didn't run away, you never would have had your family, and you never would have met me," I said.
Apparently, from her shifted expression, she never realized that. She looked up at me, a sense of wonder in her eyes.
"Mister human... is right?" she asked.
I gave a nod.
"Mister human... is strange," she said, and moved closer to me. "Talks funny. Reimu doesn't understand a lot, but... mister makes Reimu think..."
What I always striven to do: make others think.
"Say, Reimu, when was the last time you did rub-rub with a human?" I said, and reached for her.
She smiled as I picked her up and placed her in my lap. I gave her a gentle rub on the side of her face. She cooed slightly.
"Mister's hands are warm..."
"Reimu!"
Our gaze turned up the alley. Marisa was hopping up, the two little ones flanking her on either side. Marisa slid her way forward, her kids bounced alongside her. Reimu bounced out of my lap and bounced to them. They all greeted with a healthy rub-rub. They exchanged greetings and stories. I simply observed until Marisa acknowledged me. I gave a light smile with a wave.
"Don't mind me. Just came to say hello," I told them.
Really, I had something else in mind.
"Oh, KoMarisa, can I see you for a second? Something I wanted to show you," I said, and stood up.
I reached down and held my palm out, flat. The family looked to KoMarisa, as if she had done something wrong. I gave them a smile.
"I'll bring her back in a second. She won't miss dinner, I promise. Just wanted to talk to her for a second."
They nodded to her, and she jumped into my hand. Boy, she had gotten bigger in the little time they were there. She filled my palm. I stood up and walked away from her family, who turned and headed to their easy place. The height change got to her in the usual way. I looked down to KoMarisa.
"So, KoMarisa, you're getting to be a big yukkuri now," I started.
She nodded, and gave a cheery smile.
"KoMarisa is going to grow up big and strong like daddy one day!"
"And you're gonna protect your little sister, right?"
She nodded with another smile.
"But who is gonna protect KoMarisa?"
She blinked. The smile faded and she looked to me.
"What does mister mean?"
Even her slur was mostly gone... I wanted to try an experiment.
"Since KoMarisa and Mister Kei are great easy friends, I want to give you something," I said, and reached into my pocket.
I liked the family. Especially the smaller Marisa. Always energetic. Always inquisitive. Good traits, from what I've heard. I'd take her from her parents and keep her indoors, but I'd feel bad, so I opted for the next best thing... I took out a small, gold star pin out of my pocket. I held it out to her. Her eyes went wide, mouth parted slightly.
"Treasure..." she whispered.
"Better. It's a mister guardian angel," I explained, "It'll protect you and your sister, but you can't tell anyone~"
She looked up at me with the same expression.
"You have to keep it a secret, or mister guardian angel will stop protecting you. Also, if you don't be a good Marisa, mister guardian angel will stop protecting you... so make sure you only do easy things for you and other yukkuri! Or else!"
She gasped, then shifted to a stern expression. She nodded.
"Marisa will! She will protect her little sister and be an easy yukkuri!"
I rolled the star into my palm, lowered myself down, and gently placed her on the grass again. I offered her my hand.
"Then give mister your mister accessory," I said.
Almost instantaneous panic.
"N-no! Marisa can't be Marisa without her mister accessory!"
Yeah, she was a stray. Not trained for accessory removal.
"Hey -- mister is your easy friend. I'll give it back in a second! Don't be uneasy! Be easy, Marisa!"
I offered my hand to her twice. I didn't want to take it -- might be too much for her. Besides, it was a good trust test. She lowered her gaze for a moment, then looked back to me. She reached up with her braid, took the hat, and placed it in my hand.
"Okay, Marisa! See? Marisa is still Marisa! Mister Kei knows you're still Marisa! Take it easy!"
"Take it easy!" she replied.
I turned the hat inside out and pinned the star to the inside of her hat. It fit in, and was hardly noticeable, save the pin's arm from the outside. I turned the hat outside-in again, and looked to her.
"See, mister guardian angel protects KoMarisa better when no one knows he's there. He'll keep Marisa safe."
I gently placed the hat back on her head. She fixed it.
"Marisa will keep her easy treasure safe!"
I nodded and winked to her.
"You can't tell anyone! Remember!"
She saluted me? Not exactly sure how she knew that kind of expression...
"Marisa promises Mister Kei!"
I smiled to her and gently shooed her with my hand.
"Alright, off to dinner with you!"
She gave me a smile, then bounced down the alley. She turned and gave a light wave, then turned back and bounced the rest of the way I watched her enter their easy place. I was curious. Would it work? Would the star keep her safe if she believed it would? It'd be difficult to verify -- after all, I was a firm believer in science, and well, everything about a yukkuri baffled me. I suppose that meant the experiment was possible -- if they truly believed in something, it'd become reality. Mind over matter, for humans, does exist, to an extent. I read some stories about yukkuri who changed their fate simply by believing in it enough. It was rather rare, but nonetheless prevalent. The idea behind telling her to keep it hidden was that yukkuri seemed to like bragging. If she told another yukkuri, they might try to steal it from her. As long as she kept quiet about it, it'd stay with her.
Everything was normal for a few days. I'd greet them in the morning, and check in on them at night. It was when I got home before my next day off that I noticed the family looked distressed... and Marisa was missing. I got home late, and they were all asleep. Marisa should have been home by now. I didn't want to wake them -- they all looked stressed. The next morning, I brought them out a plate of fruits and had a small chat with them. Seems Marisa never came home. Reimu sent her children out to play.
"Husband is..."
I saw tears form in her eyes. I nodded, reached down, and wiped them away.
"It's nature. It happens," I said. "Maybe she got lost, or picked up by another human?"
Reimu looked up at me with a small glimmer of hope in her eyes.
"You... you think husband is easy?"
I nodded. Really, I was just trying to give her false hope. I know it was cruel, but I don't think such creatures were meant to deal with tragedy. They didn't like being upset. I knew there were still some wild animals that hunted in the neighborhood -- raccoon, possum, rats... or even a disgruntled human that thought some new kind of creature was trying to pick at their yard. Any and all of it was a possibility. I'd do some investigating, but for the time being...
"Are you going to be easy? I mean, are you going to have any trouble getting mister food for your children?"
She looked up to me. The hopeful look shifted to a determined one. She nodded.
"Marisa taught Reimu how to hunt-hunt. Reimu will hunt lots of mister food for her children!"
I wasn't reassured, but I smiled anyway.
"In the meantime," I said, "please..." I nudged the plate to her, "feel free to have my extra."
She gave me a smile and moved to the plate.
"Thank you for the easiness... Mister Kei!"
I nodded to her, and gave a smile.
"The offer still stands, you know. You can move into Mister Kei's easy place. Plenty of space. You just have to follow a few mister rules..."
She stared at me for a moment. She was thinking about it this time... then shook her head.
"Reimu thinks about when she was a pet. Reimu didn't like it. Miss human spoiled Reimu. Reimu was scum.... but after Reimu met Marisa..."
Her voice trailed off...
"Even with all the uneasiness... Reimu felt easier."
I think she was trying to tell me she's better in the wild...
"Reimu! Marisa! Come! Mister Kei brought mister sweet-sweet easy food!"
I smiled, and stood up. I waved to the two yukkuri as they bounced up. I stepped back to let them at the plate.
"Keep the rest. Mister has stuff to do, so I'll be back later to get the mister plate, okay?"
"Take it easy!" they declared.
My investigations turned negative. Yukkuri were difficult to track -- they have no footprints, and leave little-to-no trail in their wake. I wasn't a master tracker, but I could spot a paw print or bird claw fairly easy. I even spent some time to ask other neighbors if they saw the Marisa, but since almost all of them looked identical to one-another, it was impossible for them to discern if they had actually seen the one I was talking about, let alone seen a yukkuri in general; assuming they didn't own one themselves. A few days revealed what I expected would occur without Marisa present -- I came home after a long day, and checked their home. It was empty. It worried me -- I knew whatever snatched up Marisa would keep an eye open for them, since it was likely Marisa told them were to find their food. There was still some residual food from the batch I brought them -- a few grapes, orange slices, and apple slices.
I had trouble sleeping that night. Anxiety gnawed at me. Yeah, I liked them. I worried about them.
A shame my anxiety was verified. I checked in over the course of the next few days. There was no sign of them -- the food that was inside had decayed. They weren't coming home.
Let me be honest -- I was a bit distraught. It distracted me at work; broke my focus slightly. I got attached to them.
"What do you think happened to them?" my neighbor asked me one day.
"Dunno," I said, as I was checking to see if there was any signs of return, "Maybe a stray animal got them when they went to get food."
"Why didn't you just adopt them?"
I let out a sigh and stood up.
"I asked twice," I said and looked at him. I shrugged, "The mother refused. She, uh... just thought she was better living outside than living as a pet."
My neighbor stared at me for a moment. I could see the gears in his head spinning as he processed that.
"So... she thought she was better off living in the wild?"
I nodded to him.
"Huh. Weird little things."
I nodded in agreement.
"Yeah... but they're good people."
I gave it another few days before I decided what to do. I cleaned out the bin, but left it there. I looked up something special I wanted to get to mark the occasion and the loss -- I got four flat rocks. Two large ones and two small ones. On the flat surface of one large and one small rock was a red bow, similar to the Reimus'. On the other pair, a black witch hat similar to Marisas'. The smaller one with the hat had a small, gold star on it. I wanted to remember that one. I'd miss her the most. I left them behind the bin, against the wall of my house. A symbol and a reminder of the first time I met yukkuri.
I think I'm sold on the idea of adopting some now.
[Ch0 done. Finally.]
[Took me about a month, between work, time, games, exhaustion, and the 56708248368024 rewrites I did in my head.]
{Is this it? No. Not even close.]
[Feedback is appreciated.]
[If you read it all, please let me know if I should continue this here, or if I should make another thread for the next chapter; where the story really starts.]
{This was the prologue because it was mostly about getting to know the anon (me). Yes, I perceive myself as multiple-selves, at the same time. I talk to myself, hence the self-narration.]
[Think it's long? Originally, it was gonna be longer, but I decided to condense it some. Still has all of my original plot points.]
[What happened to them? Your imagination. Will we find out? ;3 Possibly.]
[Thank you for reading, easy! As you're reading this, I'm already working on the next chapter. <3 I'm excited to get started on it.]
Baron Mind
Nov 8, 2015, 6:46:04 PM11/8/15
to Yukkuri Fanfic Translations
Whoa! Very interesting start! Definitely looking forward to more.
I think you might want to split your posts to about half that size in future though, you kind of broke the page...
Hitosura
Nov 9, 2015, 10:56:03 PM11/9/15
to Yukkuri Fanfic Translations
[Will keep that in mind. xD I dunno the limits on this. Keep in mind, I don't know how long each chapter will come out to be -- I simply have a set of scenes that play out in my head, and I'm just typing what I see from my perspective.]
Саша Зайцев
Nov 16, 2015, 10:32:55 PM11/16/15
to Yukkuri Fanfic Translations
baron are you still writing the me and yu series?
Baron Mind
Nov 17, 2015, 6:25:17 AM11/17/15
to Yukkuri Fanfic Translations
Short answer: No.
Hitosura
Nov 24, 2015, 12:18:08 AM11/24/15
to Yukkuri Fanfic Translations
Perhaps I can be your muse and inspire you to continue writing?
Ch1 posted.
Devising Ch2. Much to devise.
Ch1 posted.
Devising Ch2. Much to devise.
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