"Wakey wakey, Master!"
Felix groaned and flinched at the feel of something wet run along his cheek, turning his head as a smile began to form on his face. This was starting to become a habit of her morning routine, it was either a lick to the face or her bouncing on the mattress squealing and giggling like a hyperactive toddler would. It was something he had to prevent her from doing as he didn't want to risk her breaking the bed in some form. It wasn't her weight, she was incredibly light due to her thin physique, it was because of her paws. If those claws decided to "express" themselves and share in her excitement, they would bid their mattress farewell.
He began to recall the conversation they had that morning when he explained to her about why it isn't good to hop on the bed.
"But why would my claws come out by themselves? They only say hi when I do this." She responded by raising her paws and flexing her muscles, extending those thick, dark claws from their furry digits. It happened so fast that Felix stumbled backwards, nearly losing his balance as he leaned against the bed post.
"Yes well, what happens when you do that while you are jumping up and down on the bed? You would cut the fabric and blankets, and then we would have no bed."
She retracted her claws and leaned forward from the wooden stool she was perched on. "Then we sleep on the ground, I don't mind! We use to do it all the time, in little holes where it was nice and warm!"
Felix sat upright when he heard this. "Whoa, who is we?"
Immediately, her face began to shift as she had initially lit up like a firefly once the sun begins to set, her face beaming with excitement as her eyes grew twice their size if that were even possible. But her wide open smile began to fade, her eyes started to lose that sparkle that appeared when she seemed ready to respond. He felt as if his stomach began to flop, like his intestines began to tie themselves into knots. It hurt to see her go from happy to sad all because of his stupid question, he knew what her answer would be.
It was the same answer every time he followed up whenever she mentioned her past. "I... I don't remember. It was me and-and... more, I think..."
This morning was different, he wrapped his arm around her and scratched behind her ears, watching her smile and rub her face against his chest. It was apparent that she was learning, today she remembered to dress up in something that covered her chest and waist without needing him to remind her. Sure, it may be another set of clothes that she ripped through to adjust to her liking. Sure, he could tell by looking to his left that the drawers were yanked open with piles of clothing tossed around as if they had been pillaged. Sure, It was the fifth pair of clothing that most likely belonged to Auguste's wife, or perhaps a sibling, maybe his daughter or mistress, either way it would be something that Felix would need to pay for in the future assuming it didn't cost much. But judging by the silky fabric wrapped around KuliKuli's chest, this looked to be something exotic that someone would purchase for their wife.
He decided not to think too much about it for now. She jumped out of bed and sat upright the way any cat would, watching her owner as he dressed himself in his familiar old clothing once more. There, he thought to himself with a pat on his chest before standing up with his arms wide open. "Another day for work."
"Mew, what are we doing today?" She followed him outside as they walked toward the barn. It was an old crafted work, most likely built by Augustine's hand and admittedly he had done a fine job constructing this if he did so on his own. The sun was on its way, early and gifting them with a warm, red sky as he raised his hand to shield his eyes from its glow. Opposite from the rising sun was the descending moons, normally three of them were present but it seemed at this hour that one had bidden farewell while the other two were on their way.
"Well, you remember telling me that the cows have a window in the sky as well?"
"Uh huh. You told me that's a hole."
"It is, and today we are going to climb up and patch that hole with some wood."
"Ooooo, alone?" She looked around as if expecting someone to appear, which he found to be amusing.
"Just us for now," He laughed, entering the barn and reaching for an old ladder as they went around to the side of the building. "It's not the fastest approach but it can work."
"With that?" She asked, pointing at the hammer in his hand. He nodded, and in the next two hours they were on top of the barn as he was careful to position the wooden sheet over the hole.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
She flinched every time he swung the hammer down onto the nail head, wrapping her tails around her chest out of comfort. When he searched for another nail, she raised her paw to show him the open rusty can with several used nails inside. He thanked her and reached in for another nail before resuming his work. When he was done, he quickly gave each nail a few hits when he noticed her shiver at the end.
"Cold?" She shook her head, but he had his answer when he banged the hammer over the nail one last time. He didn't ask anything, simply adjusting the hammer into his waist while letting her know they were done.
"I'm sorry about that. I'm use to hard labor but if we had someone who could use magic, maybe they can swing their wand around and make that hole disappear."
"Magic?"
He looked over to see her curious look, she had this cute habit of tilting her head with those golden eyes glistening and her furry pointed cat ears atop her head leaning to one side.
"Yea, magic."
"What is it?"
"I... huh." He frowned, scratching his waist. This was the first time he was directly asked, normally he would be asking the questions to Auguste. "Magic is um, it'sssss... It is hard to explain. That's something that smart people learn more about. It's doing things that you can't really do, like-like umm, oh!" He snapped his fingers as a thought came to mind. "I remember hearing about people who could create miracles from their hands."
"Miracles?" They approached the interior of the barn, returning the ladder into its place as she sat on a flipped tin bucket while leaning her chin between her paws. "Like what?"
"Imagine the flow of the riverbank, the stream of a natural spring. And then, imagine someone who can make that stream move at any direction they desire. Not just with water, they can do this with the ground, with fire, and with the air we breathe."
"Oooo!" Her eyes had that sparkle to them as her tails wagged in a cute S pattern. She kept quiet, clearly invested into his stories.
Felix smiled back. "There's more to it, there has to be. But I wouldn't know, I'm not a smart hoo-man."
"Master!" She huffed, crossing her paws over her chest. "You are not a stupid hoo-man!"
He chuckled and shrugged but she continued.
"You know how to get milk from cows, raise weird clucking birds, cook tasty breakfast and lunch, and you can cover up a window in the sky. I couldn't do that. Maybe that other hoo-man knows about magic?"
"Janette?" He shook his head, tossing the hammer into the shelf as it made a loud bang, "I don't know about her."
KuliKuli winced as her ear twitched, composing herself. "She could be a new friend, new friend for me and Master?"
Felix stayed silent, picking up a half filled sac before moving outside with her behind him. She watched as he scooped up a handful of seed before spraying it where the chickens were as they clucked happily and flapped their wings. The sight of them pecking at the ground always made her laugh.
"Master, you don't want a new friend?"
Felix sighed, keeping to his duty and adding more seed to the hungry chickens. "Master doesn't get along well with other hoo-mans. They would fight for small rations of food, leave nothing for the rest that were scared, small and weak. I was one of the ones who was scared."
"Did your mom keep you safe?" She lowered her head as she saw the impact of her words when he turned his head away.
"I didn't have a mother, KuliKuli. No friends or family, and no one who treated me well. I had to work to survive everyday, and then one day I was able to leave. That's how I am here now, with you." His sad face brightened up by the end, offering a sincere smile toward her which she returned with gratitude. Still, he was surprised when she hugged him from behind.
"You're not alone anymore."
He blushed and looked ahead. "Until we help you remember where you came from, you might have someone looking for you too. Then we can get you home."
"This is home." She said back in a soft tone.
It was the first time he found himself choking in his breath, left speechless as she began to skip away.
"I'll go help feed the horses!" That was a task she was fond of, she would just sit there and watch them chew their food and move their jaws in that circular motion. He was glad she left, he needed to adapt to that. One day she will be leaving and she won't be coming back, he'll be left to look after himself again. After all, that was the way it was before and he liked it that way. No one to trick him, hurt him, steal from him. He was the one person he could trust, just him and Auguste but his return wouldn't be for another two seasons.
It made sense for him to help her back home, she was a Monster Girl after all. Monster Girls are fierce creatures of the night, her claws alone could easily brush his stomach and suddenly his innards would spill onto his feet. He should be scared of her, it was not the first time he encountered someone with claws before. But she needed him, she was learning from him, and he enjoyed her company and interest in all sorts of things around the barn. He even liked how happy she would be to wake him up in bed every morning. But he had to help her go, it's safer that way, and he was use to a life of solitude after all. No one to worry about or care for, no one to look forward to in the morning, or share a bed with, maybe more. No one to look at him with a smile so beautiful and uplifting that it was enough to make a tired old man feel like he was in his prime again. Not that he was old, he was around her age assuming cat girls age the same as humans did.
He pressed a hand on his chest, pushing himself to stand upright as he was slouching again. No, it wasn't his posture it was something else. The emotions, the pressure in his chest, he felt sadness when hinting at a future without her. It's nothing immediate, he remembered, her progress was slow and they hadn't recovered any memories since the five days of her with him. The alternative was ridiculous, he knew better than to think of such a suggestion. Yet as he sprinkled another helping of seeds on the ground, he felt a drop of rain land on his hand. No, it was sunny today, the skies have been clear since the storm had passed. Brushing his eye, he went back into the barn to see her again. To try to forget that feeling of pain he felt, to drop the idea he had in his head just then.
Monster Girls should be feared after all.
So why did it wound him to imagine going a day without her presence?
"Wakey wakey, Master!"
Felix groaned and flinched at the feel of something wet run along his cheek, turning his head as a smile began to form on his face. This was starting to become a habit of her morning routine, it was either a lick to the face or her bouncing on the mattress squealing and giggling like a hyperactive toddler would. It was something he had to prevent her from doing as he didn't want to risk her breaking the bed in some form. It wasn't her weight, she was incredibly light due to her thin physique, it was because of her paws. If those claws decided to "express" themselves and share in her excitement, they would bid their mattress farewell.
He began to recall the conversation they had that morning when he explained to her about why it isn't good to hop on the bed.
"But why would my claws come out by themselves? They only say hi when I do this." She responded by raising her paws and flexing her muscles, extending those thick, dark claws from their furry digits. It happened so fast that Felix stumbled backwards, nearly losing his balance as he leaned against the bed post.
"Yes well, what happens when you do that while you are jumping up and down on the bed? You would cut the fabric and blankets, and then we would have no bed."
She retracted her claws and leaned forward from the wooden stool she was perched on. "Then we sleep on the ground, I don't mind! We use to do it all the time, in little holes where it was nice and warm!"
Felix sat upright when he heard this. "Whoa, who is we?"
Immediately, her face began to shift as she had initially lit up like a firefly once the sun begins to set, her face beaming with excitement as her eyes grew twice their size if that were even possible. But her wide open smile began to fade, her eyes started to lose that sparkle that appeared when she seemed ready to respond. He felt as if his stomach began to flop, like his intestines began to tie themselves into knots. It hurt to see her go from happy to sad all because of his stupid question, he knew what her answer would be.
It was the same answer every time he followed up whenever she mentioned her past. "I... I don't remember. It was me and-and... more, I think..."
This morning was different, he wrapped his arm around her and scratched behind her ears, watching her smile and rub her face against his chest. It was apparent that she was learning, today she remembered to dress up in something that covered her chest and waist without needing him to remind her. Sure, it may be another set of clothes that she ripped through to adjust to her liking. Sure, he could tell by looking to his left that the drawers were yanked open with piles of clothing tossed around as if they had been pillaged. Sure, It was the fifth pair of clothing that most likely belonged to Auguste's wife, or perhaps a sibling, maybe his daughter or mistress, either way it would be something that Felix would need to pay for in the future assuming it didn't cost much. But judging by the silky fabric wrapped around KuliKuli's chest, this looked to be something exotic that someone would purchase for their wife.
He decided not to think too much about it for now. She jumped out of bed and sat upright the way any cat would, watching her owner as he dressed himself in his familiar old clothing once more. There, he thought to himself with a pat on his chest before standing up with his arms wide open. "Another day for work."
"Mew, what are we doing today?" She followed him outside as they walked toward the barn. It was an old crafted work, most likely built by Augustine's hand and admittedly he had done a fine job constructing this if he did so on his own. The sun was on its way, early and gifting them with a warm, red sky as he raised his hand to shield his eyes from its glow. Opposite from the rising sun was the descending moons, normally three of them were present but it seemed at this hour that one had bidden farewell while the other two were on their way.
"Well, you remember telling me that the cows have a window in the sky as well?"
"Uh huh. You told me that's a hole."
"It is, and today we are going to climb up and patch that hole with some wood."
"Ooooo, alone?" She looked around as if expecting someone to appear, which he found to be amusing.
"Just us for now," He laughed, entering the barn and reaching for an old ladder as they went around to the side of the building. "It's not the fastest approach but it can work."
"With that?" She asked, pointing at the hammer in his hand. He nodded, and in the next two hours they were on top of the barn as he was careful to position the wooden sheet over the hole.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
She flinched every time he swung the hammer down onto the nail head, wrapping her tails around her chest out of comfort. When he searched for another nail, she raised her paw to show him the open rusty can with several used nails inside. He thanked her and reached in for another nail before resuming his work. When he was done, he quickly gave each nail a few hits when he noticed her shiver at the end.
"Cold?" She shook her head, but he had his answer when he banged the hammer over the nail one last time. He didn't ask anything, simply adjusting the hammer into his waist while letting her know they were done.
"I'm sorry about that. I'm use to hard labor but if we had someone who could use magic, maybe they can swing their wand around and make that hole disappear."
"Magic?"
He looked over to see her curious look, she had this cute habit of tilting her head with those golden eyes glistening and her furry pointed cat ears atop her head leaning to one side.
"Yea, magic."
"What is it?"
"I... huh." He frowned, scratching his waist. This was the first time he was directly asked, normally he would be asking the questions to Auguste. "Magic is um, it'sssss... It is hard to explain. That's something that smart people learn more about. It's doing things that you can't really do, like-like umm, oh!" He snapped his fingers as a thought came to mind. "I remember hearing about people who could create miracles from their hands."
"Miracles?" They approached the interior of the barn, returning the ladder into its place as she sat on a flipped tin bucket while leaning her chin between her paws. "Like what?"
"Imagine the flow of the riverbank, the stream of a natural spring. And then, imagine someone who can make that stream move at any direction they desire. Not just with water, they can do this with the ground, with fire, and with the air we breathe."
"Oooo!" Her eyes had that sparkle to them as her tails wagged in a cute S pattern. She kept quiet, clearly invested into his stories.
Felix smiled back. "There's more to it, there has to be. But I wouldn't know, I'm not a smart hoo-man."
"Master!" She huffed, crossing her paws over her chest. "You are not a stupid hoo-man!"
He chuckled and shrugged but she continued.
"You know how to get milk from cows, raise weird clucking birds, cook tasty breakfast and lunch, and you can cover up a window in the sky. I couldn't do that. Maybe that other hoo-man knows about magic?"
"Janette?" He shook his head, tossing the hammer into the shelf as it made a loud bang, "I don't know about her."
KuliKuli winced as her ear twitched, composing herself. "She could be a new friend, new friend for me and Master?"
Felix stayed silent, picking up a half filled sac before moving outside with her behind him. She watched as he scooped up a handful of seed before spraying it where the chickens were as they clucked happily and flapped their wings. The sight of them pecking at the ground always made her laugh.
"Master, you don't want a new friend?"
Felix sighed, keeping to his duty and adding more seed to the hungry chickens. "Master doesn't get along well with other hoo-mans. They would fight for small rations of food, leave nothing for the rest that were scared, small and weak. I was one of the ones who was scared."
"Did your mom keep you safe?" She lowered her head as she saw the impact of her words when he turned his head away.
"I didn't have a mother, KuliKuli. No friends or family, and no one who treated me well. I had to work to survive everyday, and then one day I was able to leave. That's how I am here now, with you." His sad face brightened up by the end, offering a sincere smile toward her which she returned with gratitude. Still, he was surprised when she hugged him from behind.
"You're not alone anymore."
He blushed and looked ahead. "Until we help you remember where you came from, you might have someone looking for you too. Then we can get you home."
"This is home." She said back in a soft tone.
It was the first time he found himself choking in his breath, left speechless as she began to skip away.
"I'll go help feed the horses!" That was a task she was fond of, she would just sit there and watch them chew their food and move their jaws in that circular motion. He was glad she left, he needed to adapt to that. One day she will be leaving and she won't be coming back, he'll be left to look after himself again. After all, that was the way it was before and he liked it that way. No one to trick him, hurt him, steal from him. He was the one person he could trust, just him and Auguste but his return wouldn't be for another two seasons.
It made sense for him to help her back home, she was a Monster Girl after all. Monster Girls are fierce creatures of the night, her claws alone could easily brush his stomach and suddenly his innards would spill onto his feet. He should be scared of her, it was not the first time he encountered someone with claws before. But she needed him, she was learning from him, and he enjoyed her company and interest in all sorts of things around the barn. He even liked how happy she would be to wake him up in bed every morning. But he had to help her go, it's safer that way, and he was use to a life of solitude after all. No one to worry about or care for, no one to look forward to in the morning, or share a bed with, maybe more. No one to look at him with a smile so beautiful and uplifting that it was enough to make a tired old man feel like he was in his prime again. Not that he was old, he was around her age assuming cat girls age the same as humans did.
He pressed a hand on his chest, pushing himself to stand upright as he was slouching again. No, it wasn't his posture it was something else. The emotions, the pressure in his chest, he felt sadness when hinting at a future without her. It's nothing immediate, he remembered, her progress was slow and they hadn't recovered any memories since the five days of her with him. The alternative was ridiculous, he knew better than to think of such a suggestion. Yet as he sprinkled another helping of seeds on the ground, he felt a drop of rain land on his hand. No, it was sunny today, the skies have been clear since the storm had passed. Brushing his eye, he went back into the barn to see her again. To try to forget that feeling of pain he felt, to drop the idea he had in his head just then.
Monster Girls should be feared after all.
So why did it wound him to imagine going a day without her presence?
