thehometree | Cat Rescue

Entry tags:

Cat Rescue

| characters | One lost cat, her owner and the adventurers of the tree!

| date/time | Wednesday afternoon

| location | Outside the Tree, Mist Barrier

| rating | None

| summary | Someone has come looking for their best friend.

After two weeks with a cat hanging around the Tree, seemingly lost and hungry, today her savior will arrive!

...in the form of a little girl, no older than six. Struggling her way through the foliage outside, this small child can be seen outside the mist, alone and on a very special quest. Her determined face changes into a gasp of joy as she sees her little friend lying in the grass, safe and sound.

"Mittens!" Hurrying over and picking her cat up, the young gently strokes her precious pet's fur and nuzzles her face. The absolute happiness is easily picked out even through the haze of the mist. "I knew the faeries would protect you!"

Carefully holding on to her cat, the little girl leans down, digging around in the pockets of her cute little dress. Taking out a handful of things, she very carefully puts them down on a large piece of bark. "Thank you, fairies! I'm gonna tell my dad I was right!" Putting the piece of bark in the stream, she then giggles and waves excitedly. Then she is scooping her cat back up in her arms, almost big enough to drag on the ground but still purring in joy.

Slowly, the bark boat starts to float towards the mist, passing through into the Tree's area.

CONGRATULATIONS!
You have received:
1 Tiny Ceramic Tea Set
(4 Cups, 4 Saucers, 4 Plates, 1 Creamer Jug, 1 Sugar Bowl, 1 Pot)
1 Dollhouse Chess Set
1 Dollhouse Crib
1 Full Spool of Red Sewing Thread
1 Mood Ring
3 Green Marbles

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Unlike some of the dwellers, Saber had been wary about the cat's presence near the barrier. She liked felines, but she was fully aware that their size made them potential toys or meals to larger animals, including cats. The girl's arrival was unexpected, she froze and watched her thank them from the other side of the mist.

Faeries, she called them, so they had become this? It seemed like a confirmation that she didn't need to hear. She didn't stand staring too long. Quickly, Saber advanced toward the water stream and, with her Blessing, she stepped on the water surface. Gliding on the stream, she reached out to stop the bark boat with the offerings, just in case it travelled back into the fog.

Yoshitsugu had been outside near the cat when the young girl had arrived, therefore earning himself a full view of what occured; it wasn't a huge surprise that someone would come for the cat eventually, it being obviously owned, but something about the sight of the fully-sized young girl really drove home the reality of their situation.

Not in a bad way, just in a curious one.

Endeared, Yoshitsugu slowly approached the stream which carried the girl's gifts. The thread was what initially grabbed his attention in terms of practical use; that was going to be incredibly handy for everyone. But it was the chess set that really intrigued him.

"A game?" He hummed thoughtfully, tapping his facecloth as the bark approached. "Familiar, but not..."

An intellectual challenge would honestly be a welcome one, and while the set was not a game he was familiar with per se, it was similiar enough to others he'd played back home that he could make a vague guess at its nature. Hopefully someone around knew exactly how it was played...

Edited 2015-06-17 20:52 (UTC)

"Not familiar with chess?" Yuuya has lit not far away. His feet are muddy. "They say it's a game of wits and strategy, you know."

"Chess?"

Yoshitsugu glances at Yuuya briefly before looking back to the chess board.

"I am not, though it has the look of games I have played before. If it's truly a game of strategy then I am sure I would be rather good at it."

He sounds vaguely amused as he says that; fond memories of beating dear friends at those games fill his head. Yoshitsugu has never been one to give a companion any mercy in competitions of intellect, and when it comes to games of this kind in which his foresight and perception are useful? Suffice it to say he's known many victories in his lifetime.

Enough that it's not truly arrogance to suggest he'd be good at chess. Yoshitsugu simply knows where his talents lie.

"No false modesty here, I see! I suppose I should try and deflate you by saying that a board is different from a battlefield. Alas I am a poor player myself, and such challenging statements are obvious set up to me losing. Badly."

"Ah, but a strategist should always have an accurate judge of his own abilities. In all things. Some wars aren't settled in battle, after all."

Yoshitsugu laughed quietly, and shook his head. Wouldn't it be nice if more wars were settled in such a way? He's not naive to expect it, considering his own history, but it makes for a pleasant dream.

"You expose a weakness far too easily."

This really was quite astounding. Fuu had honestly not been expecting that there were any full-sized humans in the area. The pet cat obviously introduced the possibility, but seeing it confirmed absolutely, well. That was something else.

She approached Otani, wondering what he made of it. But at the moment, his attention seemed to be occupied with one of the gifts that the little girl had given them: a chess set. "Ah!" she said, and immediately covered her mouth with her hand. She knew chess, of course; it had made its way around the world long ago... but it hadn't gotten as far as Japan in the 1500s, apparently.

Of course, it was obvious by her dress that she wasn't from quite the same Japan as Otani. If the question of era did come up, it would be an inevitable one. "I wonder where she managed to find a chess set this small?" she wondered, moving her hand to cup her cheek, as though that was the most pressing question right now.

Yoshitsugu turned his head to glance at Yuu properly; he himself had no plans to bring up the question of era, but he was anticipating it at some point. It was to be expected that the battles of his time would be recorded and remembered in years to come, and he was a little curious about what was recorded about them, but not really for his own part.

Certain as he was that much of what was recorded about him? Would either be completely wrong, completely unknown or so vague as to tell the people of the future very little that was concrete about him.

Yoshitsugu had spent much of his life delibrately cultivating an air of mystery, after all.

"I could not say... but I would like to learn how to play."

He sounded pretty much the same as he usually did, all calm and even, but there was a certain gleam in Yoshitsugu's eye.

"It's been a while since I've had the chance to beat someone at a game of strategy."

"I'm not an expert in the game, but I can certainly explain the rules," said Fuu. She smiled at Otani's boast. The glint in his eye wasn't difficult to perceive--maybe it was because the rest of his face was shrouded, leaving that as the only thing to notice. "Your confidence is well-founded, of course. But I would be very rude if I didn't give you my very best efforts."

Not that she thought his boast was unjustified; he was after all one of the more famous strategists in Japanese history, even if his last battle had been lost. She doubted she could beat him without another thirty years of experience. But she could probably give him a decent match.

Yoshitsugu shrugged lightly. He looked back over at the board, gaze roaming over each game piece in turn and he wondered at exactly how it worked.

"What kind of strategist wouldn't have a good grasp on his own abilities? I'd be a fool, to be unaware of my own strengths."

And weaknesses too, of course. Just to begin with there was the ability to catch any kind of sickness going around before anyone else he knew, which could not be considered a positive in any way whatsoever. Being fussed over every time he was confined to his bed wasn't much fun.

"But I would appreciate both the lessons and the competition. There wouldn't be any satisfaction in playing if there were no competant opponents to be found; back home that would have been Shima Sakon, but he has not turned up here, which is for the best. Mitsunari needs someone to take care of him regardless of realm."

"Indeed, there's no need for false modesty."

Was he talking about Ishida Mitsunari? Fuu had gotten used to speaking to one historical figure, but hearing him so casually mention those names reminded her again how strange this was. And since Otani had apparently come here after his death, what did he know about the fate of those two men? She knew that Shima, at least, had died after the battle, even if historians didn't know the exact circumstances. Ishida's fate was more definite: captured and executed. Otani seemed to be so casual about his own demise, but would he feel the same way about the death of his comrades?

"Shima Sakon must have been a worthy opponent indeed," she said. "Though I've never heard how well he did or didn't take care of himself. What games did you play?" And now she was referring to other people in the past tense. But it would be too awkward to act as though she had never heard the names before. It would probably be better to introduce the topic of era, which would justify everyone being 'had' and 'was', not just the people who had followed Ishida.

Yoshitsugu didn't seem to react much to the tense use, though why might not have been exactly evident. He had taken many things into account since arriving in the tree, and was far too intelligent not to put two-and-two together.

(Though as far as he was concerned Sakon had died towards the end of Sekigahara, charging into the Eastern front-lines in order to try and give Mitsunari the chance they all knew he wasn't likely to get).

"Renju, Go, Mahjong and Shōgi come first to mind, depending on the player. Trying to involve Mitsunari in any kind of game was difficult enough as it was, without making it a long one. Sakon was usually my opponent for longer games, and once, Lady Oichi was too."

His wings fluttered as he regarded the chess board again, the only really obvious indication of his excitement as this chance; that he was having slightly more sobering thoughts of his mother-figure was not obvious at all. The impact of her death on him had always been an intensely private thing for Yoshitsugu, the emotions those memories carried hidden away quite effectively.

"Looking at the board, this chess may be of a similiar game type to Shōgi."

"My goodness, you did play against some illustrious people!" People who came to rather terrible endings. It was odd to think of someone like Lady Oichi sitting down to a game board, the way Fuu and her classmates would on a rainy day. But then again, she had never thought of Todo Takatora being fixated on handtowels... amazing, how human people from history were.

"I think I've read that Shogi was based on chess. That game gave birth to quite a few variants over the centuries..." She cupped her cheek in one hand, as though the thought had just occurred to her with the talk of years. "I don't think I have yet mentioned that I'm from your future, have I?"

"You have not, though there have been clues enough that it is the case."

Yoshitsugu crossed his arms and glanced up at the sky... or more likely, the mist. You'd have to crane your neck back quite far to see the sky from where they were standing. So it was time for this, was it? That meant he could indulge his curiousity on a very important matter.

"Now that you have brought it up I must ask a very serious question."

He glanced at Fuu, smile reaching his eyes.

"Is Mitsunari still known as the Fox of Mt. Sawa, in your time?"

...very important indeed.

Fuu had expected questions about what Ieyasu had done with his victory, or how Japan had fared in general in the centuries following the end of their era... what it was like in her time, who ruled the country, if it had prospered, and she was busily constructing answers for them when he finished.

She laughed. After speaking to Otani as many times as she had, she really should have expected it to be something like that. Alas, the answer she had to give might give him a hint about those other questions she'd predicted--Ieyasu and his followers had not been inclined to say anything good of their defeated enemies. "Yes, I'm afraid that nickname has remained quite attached to him. Four centuries doesn't seem to be enough time to shed it."

If he did arrive here--which, given Otani and Todo's presence, was entirely plausible--she would leave Otani to deliver that bit of information.

There was a genuinely pleased air about Yoshitsugu after he heard that response.

"Don't think it a bad thing, because it should remain attached to him. Just not for the reasons he'd like. I'm sure Mitsunari would love to believe that he's sly and mysterious, but it's not so."

After all, hidden behind that awkward and abrasive personality was an astoundingly pure heart and kind nature that made it practically impossible for Mitsunari to be anything close to a mystery. No doubt the people of the future would speak ill of him, what with the Tokugawa being the ones to win the war, but for Yoshitsugu that really didn't matter. Those who cared for Mitsunari knew the truth, and that was that.

Though how Mitsunari would feel about his 'legacy' was a different matter. He'd be outraged at all the positive things no doubt said about Ieyasu, that much was certainly true.

"In fact, the nickname is his because he looks like a fox. Isn't that interesting?"

"You certainly are an education, Otani-san. In my time, Ishida-san is considered to be those two things exactly. But I think you would have a different opinion of his personality than the historical record." Underhanded might be a more accurate term for the prevailing view, although Fuu understood that the difference between 'pragmatic' tactics and 'underhanded' ones was if they were 'ours' or 'theirs'.

"I had indeed assumed the nickname came from his reputation. Does he really look like a fox? There is a portrait of him that I've seen but--oh, but as he dislikes the title, I suppose an artist he commissioned would downplay any such features."

"Mitsunari, commission an artist?" Yoshitsugu laughed quietly at that. "He'd call it a pointless waste of time, to do such a thing. Any artist would be working from glances and descriptions given by either his Lord, his friends or his retainers."

He tapped his facecloth in the usual, habitual way of his, amused at the thought of an artist trying to get a work based on his friend completed. The only person in the Toyotomi harder to get a portrait of would be... well, himself. The difference there, though, was that nobody would even try with Yoshitsugu. A slim chance was better than none.

"But yes, his features are notably vulpine, in a delicate way, and his hair reddish like the coat of a fox."

...His Lord, friends, or retainers had evidently not given the artist a very accurate description, then. Ishida's portrait showed a man with ordinary black hair (and little of it, too). "Ah. Then... perhaps they were simply guessing at his appearance. Or had the wrong man described to them, because that picture is neither delicate nor red-haired." Perhaps it had been done after his death by someone wanting to show he was plain and unattractive?

"...I really am starting to think that the historians since your time have done a rather slipshod job, even accounting for bias and reinterpretation," Fuu said. "That, or you are even better than I thought at keeping a straight face."

Given the tenor of his other jokes ~~morbid as heck~~ she tended to doubt he was funning, however.

Takatora wasn't sure what he made of the girl -- like any other young girl, really, it was more the truth about their situation that she represented -- but there would be time to think upon it. He preferred to deal with the practical, and in this case that meant the gifts that she'd sent them.

Of course Yoshitsugu was already in the thick of it.

Landing beside his... lover, if that was the appropriate term, he followed Yoshitsugu's gaze.

"Shall we fetch it?"

Yoshitsugu would no doubt have found the pondering over the word 'lover' being appropriate amusing, if he had known; yet another one of those ways in which the serious warrior proved to be anything but when it came to matters of the heart.

His wings fluttered lightly as he responded, perhaps the most obvious sign of just how interested he was in this game.

"Yes."

Turning his head a fraction to study Takatora's face keenly, Yoshitsugu's smile just about reached his eyes. This was an excellent opportunity for a man who enjoyed his intellectual pursuits.

"I have had offers to teach me the rules of this game, but getting familiar with the board and pieces is a good first step."

He looked back to Yoshitsugu in time to catch that fluttering, and that small piece of insight warmed his chest. Even to his nearest and dearest, Yoshitsugu could be a mystery.

"They should take their victories while they can," Takatora remarked with a grin. "Come on, then."

He hovered at the edge of the water, and waited for Yoshitsugu to join him.

Following on, Yoshitsugu flew right past Takatora in order to directly get his hands on the current object of his desire. He traced a finger over the board and hummed with satisfaction before talking again.

"Certain of my future victories?"

There was a hint of mischief in his voice, clear enough to anyone who knew him like Takatora did.

"When I am familiar with the game, I'll teach you."

Takatora was fairly intelligent and decent enough at strategy, but compared to Yoshitsugu he might as well have been an idiot. What appeal there could be in trouncing him over and over was lost upon him.

He scoffed as he flew over, regarding the chess set with curiosity once he was close enough to.

"Fine. If it will make you happy."

His tone was dubious, however.

Edited 2015-06-23 20:51 (UTC)

Yoshitsugu huffed a laugh at that response, knowing the 'why' behind it; Takatora probably didn't have the slightest clue behind Yoshitsugu's reasoning, which was fine by him. Just another thing he'd have to pass on in the future lessons.

Angling himself carefully, he began to lift the 'treasure.'

"It will make you happy too."

His tone was as confident as Takatora's had been dubious.

He walked into a trap, but as for the nature of it? He could only speculate.

Instead he swooped in, focusing on the physical task at hand. They should at least share the weight.

"Impatient, aren't you? Where will we even put this?"

Yoshitsugu ought to know the value of having a plan in place, he thought.

Yoshitsugu did indeed have a plan... one that required very little effort on their part, by a happy coincidence. With both of them carrying the weight it was easy to slowly guide them back towards the land.

"On the grass, for now. All of the residents should look before anyone decides on location."

Best not to act like they were going to just run and hoarde this gift, after all. Even if anyone wanting to play would, after time to learn and adjust, find themselves against a very competant player.

(Yoshitsugu was pretty confident on that point).

"Don't worry; I'm not so possessive that you'll find me abandoning our room to come and guard this."

"You'd better not," Takatora said with mock-offence, "I'm not so pathetic that I would take it lying down."

Once the chess table was safely ashore, he stepped back and glanced towards the remaining gifts. Was it better to leave them there for someone else to collect? With a shrug, he turned back to watch Yoshitsugu.

"So you're saying you're only somewhat pathetic?"

With their prize safely ashore, Yoshitsugu immediately sat cross-legged beside it; he took one of the small silvery pieces into his hands so he could examine it in proper detail. That this was a game of two sides, of two armies, was clear enough. Something about the layout reminded him of shogi.

"That's fine. I can still make good use of 'somewhat pathetic,' Takatora."

Those wings of his were fluttering again; it seemed that they were quite active when Yoshitsugu was feeling excited about something.

"Good."

Takatora made his way over to Yoshitsugu's side and sat himself down there. Maybe leaving one side open would draw in someone who actually knew how to play.

"At least I'll know how to tell when your mind is on the game," he remarked, as he brushed one hand against Yoshitsugu's nearest fluttering wing.

Yoshitsugu almost flinched when his wing was touched, body shaking for a moment like he had just been tickled. Indeed, the sensation was pretty much the same; wasn't it odd, that these wings could generate such strong and natural sensations? They disappeared as quickly as one moved one's gem away from the body, and yet when connected were fully a part of it.

"You assume I... am focused fully on the game." Yoshitsugu sounded a touch breathless as he recovered and placed the small piece in front of him, picking up another identical one afterwards. "A big assumption."

Yoshitsugu's reaction was interesting to witness, and left Takatora smiling.

"So thinking about me leaves you aflutter? I'm flattered."

Which... was sadly the truth, even if the first portion of his words were just an intentionally bad tease. He touched Yoshitusgu's wing again for good measure.

That pun was enough to make Yoshitsugu raise one slender eyebrow; distracted from the game for a moment, he shot Takatora an obviously amused look. The touch earnt another, milder flinch (it had been expected this time, and thus had less impact).

"So you're expressing that flattery through touch? In an outside space like this?"

One didn't need to be able to see his face to know that he was smirking to himself right now.

"That's unusually inappropriate for you, Takatora. I thought myself completely familiar with your nature, but it seems I was wrong about that. Consider me educated."

Takatora managed to draw back his hand slowly, but the way his cheeks heated was beyond his control.

"W-what?!" he spluttered, embarrassed despite knowing that Yoshitsugu was exaggerating.

He couldn't help but react.

"Go back to your game," he huffed, and dropped back onto the grass, his palms pressed to his flushed face.

That could not have gone better in terms of getting a reaction. Takatora was only cool as ice if you didn't happen to be someone he was close to on a personal level; there was a wealth of feeling and emotion in that heart, to both his cost and benefit.

It made him oh so easy to tease.

"I'm just as engrossed in it now as I was before, Takatora."

Still smiling to himself, Yoshitsugu reached out to pry one of Takatora's hands away from those heated cheeks and pressed the playing piece he'd been holding into it.

"Hold your comrade."

Takatora took the piece and held it in front of his face, turning it between his forefinger and thumb.

"How is it my comrade?"

Which was walking walking right into another trap, but that was a common occurence for anyone who kept Yoshitsugu's company. The results never failed to be interesting, at least.

"It's a warrior involved in my game that knows the touch of my hand."

Turning his gaze back to the board, Yoshitsugu picked up a new piece; one that he could not know was a King, but could guess at being important.

"Try not to be jealous."

It was quite possible that he might stop teasing soon, but there was no way to be certain.

Takatora was tempted to throw the piece at Yoshitsugu for that terrible comment, his embarrassment ripe. Just what was Yoshitsugu insinuating, and so brazenly?!

Reigning in his imagination was difficult work, but Takatora mostly succeeded.

He propped himself up on his elbows, still flushed.

"Didn't you promise to put the game second?" he accused.

Yoshitsugu had to laugh at that, and so he did, though quietly. It was completely impossible for Takatora to consider himself neglected; the other samurai's worries meant that he was at Yoshitsugu's side most of time, a concerned and protective shadow.

Still, knowing the reason for it...

"You aren't happy about the time I'm spending with these warriors?"

Putting his playing piece back with its own 'comrades' for a moment, Yoshitsugu shifted so he could push Takatora back fully onto the grass and laid down himself, stretching out on his side and using his companion's shoulder as a pillow.

He reached over Takatora's chest to grab one of his hands.

"How... cute."

Archer is expecting something like this.

He saw that the cat had a collar, after all. That could only mean one thing: it was a pet, and someone was looking for it.

He was, however, hoping that it was something they could talk to.

Still, when the girl appears, as enormous as she is to his perspective, he quickly sees her from where he's patrolling the mists, and he attempts to fly up to communicate with her. It's no use; she's more interested in the cat and in her ideas of "fairies."

So in the end, he flutters his way back down to the ground with a disgruntled sigh. "Ugh...that was worth little. Perhaps the father she spoke of will be of more use to us?"

Arno had been keeping an eye out for the furry friend in the mist. He couldn't go out to it, but he was one of the ones that tried to occasionally pass on food for it from time to time. He'd also watch it carefully sometimes, just for the very fact.

The cat looked so large to him and when it didn't get him to thinking how insignificant he is at his size, or where they actually were for a regular cat to be around, it got him to thinking about home.

He loved cats, always have. As far as he was concerned, dogs could be trained as lackeys and there were plenty a times as a kid he was sure he was to be mauled by one or more of them. Thank a certain someone for that. Cats acted by themselves, were independent. Most of the time. When he grew older, lived in Paris, and he obtained steward status at the cafe, he would sneak cream from the kitchen and bring it up to his room. There were a few cats that liked to be regular on top of their roof. Probably in search of food, and Arno didn't mind being a supplier. Neither did the cats.

Suddenly in that one afternoon, he saw something else in that mist. Giant? No, of course not. That is-.

It was a full sized human. A human little girl, looking for her cat. It was obvious, wasn't it? The poor cat was lost, and as sweet as the reunion was, it really made Arno feel...he wasn't actually sure how he felt.

As the boat came with the simple trinkets came and as it was secured, Arno fluttered down the tree slowly. He looked on the objects with a neutral expression. He didn't engage in rooting through, or anything.

"Oh, my goodness."

Fuu covered her mouth with her hand, watching the giant little girl scoop up her cat. Under any other circumstances, it would be quite a heartwarming scene. And it was a heartwarming scene! Clearly, the cat was a pet from its behavior and collar, and it was a relief to see its owner returned. But it also brought with it many disturbing implications.

Where were they? Was this still Earth? What would that mean, if so? Did the girl's family have anything to do with their transformation, or the tree, or the quests?

Spotting a somewhat pensive-looking Arno, Fuu moved closer to him, looking at the bounty the girl had given in exchange. "Well! I wasn't expecting neighbors, but it seems this one is quite well-mannered," she said lightly.

Arno actually then started taking a look at their new "wares". He picked up the mood ring and raised an eyebrow on it. Well, this is certainly useful.

Sarcasm, no it wasn't.

Still though, he would expect a small child to give such things. Normal small children; that also happened to be grateful so he couldn't scoff at the gestures, as innocent and naive as they were.

He noticed Fuu, and expected to have a chat about this. About how he felt. She spoke a generic topic for the scene they just witnessed. Arno could do generic, he gave a hesitant smirk.

"Tell me about it," he replied. "To think actual people were around here."

"It raises a number of further questions, as though we didn't have enough to contend with," she sighed. "It sounds like this girl's father doesn't believe in us--either that we exist, or that we would help. But who is that family? Do they have anything to do with the tree? Is this, in fact, Earth?" She hoped the answer to that last one wasn't yes, if only because it exacerbated questions she was already worried about in regards to Japanese history.

She placed her hand on the mood ring, watching as the stone around her hand warmed gradually to blue. For a girl that age, this was probably a treasured possession. "And it's evidently an industrialized society," she added. Dollhouse objects, marbles, and thread could be found in several historical eras, but mood rings were a decidedly twentieth-century object.

Amonir spent most of his time outside the tree. He liked the company of the cat, and would curl up in his wolf form on the other side of the wall of mist. The purring was very relaxing.

Amonir hears the girl long before he sees her. He swells with joy that the feline could return home now, but at the same time he is pained to see the cat go, but he knew the cat would do better with the girl.

Without thinking much about it, he howls in joy and sadness, his tones shifting. It isn't long before Amonir gets lonely from howling loud enough the tree could even hear it, without a response.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Cat Rescue

SABER ♔ Open

Yoshitsugu * Open

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Archer ♠ open

Arno - Open

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject