Part 19, City Lights
The lights outside during the night were blinding. Opening the curtains, the brightness of the moon illuminated the entire bedroom. Nathan got ready for his night, draping a hood over his hair, covering his Elflike ears. Soon after drinking some coffee, he stepped outside, pushing his tail up under his cloak. Staring up into the bustling streets of the city, cars sped by on the freeway, civilians walked among the sidewalks, bright neon signs rose up into the sky, lifted over tower windows. Rain gently fell on the ground around him as Nathan stepped into a restaurant.
It was a small and cozy shop, filled with customers. Taking a seat at a booth, he looked around. The waitress had arrived, handing him a menu. After ordering his meal, he looked out the window, watching the rain patter down on the glass. After a while, a girl had sat across from him, and had ordered something.
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The waitress had come by, setting down the meals. The girl thanked her, before looking up at him. "Any news on Dahlia?" She asked, sipping on a milkshake she ordered. "No... I haven't seen her since the trial, and... the government won't tell us anything about her whereabouts. I think it's suspicious as all hell. Where could she have gone, and why won't the higher-ups tell us anything about her? How come the normal humans get to sit and rot in a jail cell, but... demis just seem to... vanish without a trace? It doesn't make sense!" He slammed his fists on the table, the dishes clattering slightly. Heads turned to stare at them momentarily, before returning to their activities. Nathan fell silent. He didn't mean to raise his voice.
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"...Sorry, Alex. I didn't mean to... freak out on you." Nathan sighed, picking at his food. "I'm just so... Why her? She was practically family to us.." Alex sighed, staring down at her own plate. "It's okay, Nate. It's understandable. But... we can't do anything. We've been trying for so long. If the government wants to hide things from us, there's no way we can find out anything." Nate looked out the window, staring at the bustling city lights. "I hope I see her again. We left things on... not so great terms.. It's my fault. I could've prevented this." Alex grabbed his hand, holding it firmly. "Nate. It's not your fault. It's no one's fault. There was nothing we could've done."
Alex didn't know what to say. Her and Nate had been friends for so long, and yet she could never help him when he was feeling so down. She could only sit, listen, and hope that she was doing the right thing.
The two finished eating, paying for the meal and stepping back out onto the wet sidewalk. "Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Alex asked, hesitant. "No, I'll be fine. Stay safe on your way back home." Nathan murmured, stepping away. The rain poured heavily on the ground, soaking the earth. Alex watched her friend step away, worry filling her eyes. "Nate, just stay safe!" She yelled out to him, but he didn't respond. Alex sighed, stepping away.
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Nathan walked alone in the rainy streets, hands in his pockets. The hoodie over his head kept him dry, and his tail was pressed against his leg to keep it out of sight. The loss of his sister weighed heavy on his mind, and he was determined to find her by any means necessary. After a bit of walking, he arrived back home, he was too exhausted from thinking to do anything, before settling into bed for the night.
(End of Pt 19)
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Part 20, Lost
The trio fell from the portal, landing inside of a strangers bedroom, it seemed. Mutsumi was first to notice the belongings and unkempt bedroom, unlike Vera, who just seemed enamored with the world. Dahlia was a bit disoriented, but she gazed out of a window, her face pressed against the cold glass. It was raining outside, the calm pitter-patter on the glass sending out a slightly calming melody. "It's... good to be back... but where are we?" Dahlia asked, turning to Mutsumi. "To me, it looks like we're in someone's apartment." He quietly responded. "Who's apartment though? I mean, we just appeared in here."
Dahlia glanced around the room, finding a name scribbled on a piece of paper on the desk. "Nathan? That... rings a bell, somehow.." She murmured, before noticing a silhouette in the bed behind them all. "Are they... home? We might want to keep quiet, you guys.." Her gaze turned to a wary stare at the sleeping figure. "It's going to be fine, Dahlia." Mutsumi quietly responded, not noticing his tail slightly brushing against various objects.
"Let's... hm. What should we do now, that we're back home?" Sumi wondered. "Perhaps we should find some other demihumans..." Vera quietly responded. "Oh, right! Vera. I hate to be a bother, but you must hide your tail and ears when we're outside... the humans tend to not like us very well with our features out.. Your ears could be fine, but your tails have to be hidden..." He quietly whispered, searching the room for a coat, or a long jacket she could use to hide her wolf-like features.
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He found a dark gray hoodie, with the hood large enough to conceal the pointed ears. "This is... uncomfortable... I'm not used to.. whatever these kinds of clothes are... get me a dress or something..." Vera hummed quietly, shifting around in the hoodie. "We'll stop by a store or something..." Dahlia whispered, having no need to be covering her features being an elf, with no major changes besides her ears, and Vera was now able to have no worries about the exposure, albeit uncomfortably. They decided that they would wait until the person had left the room or had stayed asleep, before heading out to the city, which was just a floor down.
After a couple of hours, the three heard movement from the bed.
"You guys... the person is awake.." Mutsumi whispered, backing up. "Just pretend like we were just sitting here, and don't make any sudden movements.." Vera whispered. The person rolled over, beginning to stare at the trio, although completely disoriented.
"H-huh..? Who are these people..." Nathan began to think, albeit completely disoriented and tired.. He was in bed, gazing up at the three hazy silhouettes in front of him. They mostly looked human, though one of them had a distinct sight of a wolf-like tail. It seemed... different. Different than the one's he's seen before in this city, maybe they were a different species of wolf? He didn't know. As it floated around, it seemed almost as if a wild wolf was in his apartment. He didn't get much time to think on it, as he slowly drifted back into dreamland.
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"Ok- he's asleep... let's get out of here, guys.." Mutsumi whispered, reaching for a door that was behind him. It had to be the exit door, as the warm orange glow of the outside lights emanated from under the wooden surface. As the knob was turned, the door slowly slid open, the warm glow of the outside lights slowly filling the room as Mutsumi and the others slipped through the door. Cautiously, 'sumi slid the door shut, before glancing down the long hallway. It was empty as they walked down the long corridors, almost endless until they reached a set of stairs and an elevator. "What's this, Mutsumi?" Vera asked, pointing at the closed metal doors in front of them. It seemed comical that she didn't know what an elevator was, being that she wasn't from a mostly agricultural world, and Dahlia chuckled at it. "It's an elevator, silly..." She murmured, poking Vera's shoulder. "What is it? just a big set of metal doors?" She responded, genuinely curious- her tails poking out from the sweater- whirling in the air behind her.
"It's to help us, V. It's sort of an inconvenience when you have to walk up multiple sets of stairs, you know?" Mutsumi brought up a valid point. "O-oh... alright then.. Do you know how high up we are..? What floor are we on?" Vera nervously asked, her tails moving back under the hoodie. "Actually, no..." Sumi whispered, turning around to survey the hallway. There was nothing to say where they were, after all. "Nothing.. well, want to take the elevator, Vera?" Sumi whispered. "Ah... I'm not sure... I guess?" She pushed out, her tails moving to coil around her leg, a nervous gesture Mutsumi grew used to. "It's going to be fine, V." He said, calling the elevator with a button.
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As they waited, someone came around the corner to meet them. It was a woman. She seemed otherworldly, unfitting, yet here she was stepping around the corner. She wore a suit, barely complimenting her purple hair- not to mention her Magenta eyes and slim-fit form.. A sudden feeling of unease came over the group as she approached with a smirk. "Well, well... who might you three be? Haven't seen your faces before, you know~" She hummed out, slithering closer to Mutsumi. He flinched backwards slightly, before being completely unable to move. "H-huh? W-who are you?" He stammered, unable to take his eyes away from the glaring dark, purple irises of hers. It's as if time had frozen just for a moment as she gazed at him, glancing at the others. "You can call me Nathmi*. I'm not from this world, you see... I can change myself at will, if I feel as such is needed, little fox..." She whispered. "This whole world in and of itself, is just a mere story.. being read by many sweet little humans, perhaps." She said, turning away to not look at Mutsumi, but you. "And as for those dear readers... thank you." She smiled, before turning back to Sumi. "Wait- who are you talking about? Who are you looking at?"
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
He responded, clearly confused. "It's not important. Take care of them. You have a special gift, fox. Use it. I'll watch from afar, a mere spectator to you. I've been imprisoned once, in my world, people bowed to me, praised me, like the goddess I am... But that's another story for another time, cute fox~ I must go." She said in a hushed, sultry tone. Before he could even respond, he blinked. The next second, she was gone. It sent a chill down his spine, falling back to the floor in shock at the thoughts. Time and returned to normal, and well, as Vera and Dahlia stared down at him. "Are you alright, Mutsumi?" Dahlia asked, picking him off of the ground. "What happened? We blinked and you were just on the ground." In all seriousness, he had a blush on his face, presumably from being called cute. "Ah- it's... not important. I'm fine!" He stammered. Thoughts came into his mind as he took Nathmi's words into account. 'There are other worlds out there? I could have been sent to somewhere else..? What else do I not know about this world... this government..?' He thought- the elevator dinging, cutting him off, yet indicating it's arrival. "Come on, let's go." He whispered, stepping into the elevator. Vera was hesitant, but clung to Mutsumi as she stepped in, Dahlia not long following behind.
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*Character made/owned by @Orokahitou on Instagram! Check him and his art out!
(End of Part 20.)
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Part 21 Elevator Ride
"Vera, come on... it's not that bad, let go of me-" Mutsumi hummed, freeing his arm from her grasp and pressing a a button on the elevator. It began to rise, albeit being on the second floor. He didn't want to go up, did he? "Why'd it just start moving when we got in here?" Vera nervously asked, her tail moving to wrap around Mutsumi's leg. "Hey, it's fine.. it's fine. Calm down." He whispered, patting Vera's head softly. She was breathing heavily, as if she was terrified. "Are you... claustrophobic, Vera..?" Mutsumi asked, curious. "Claustro- what..? H-haha... what's that..."
"It means you don't like... super confined spaces. Like elevators. Does this scare you?" Dahlia hummed, taking Vera's hand. "Ah, I don- I don't know..." Vera mumbled, clinging more to Mutsumi. "Where are we going, anyway?" She whined. As if her words were a signal, the elevator dinged, signifying it's arrival to what was hopefully the first floor.
It opened, revealing another endless hallway. Vera sped out of the elevator, sighing in relief. "H-haha.... thank god.." She whispered, before glancing at the door to the side of the elevator. It opened to a few sets of stairs. "Maybe we go here, guys?" She said, glancing down the spiraling stairway. Mutsumi and Dahlia followed her out of the elevator to the door that led to the stairs. "Should we go down?" Dahlia and Mutsumi glanced at each other, before nodding. "Yeah, we should go down." Dahlia responded, leading the way down the steps. The rest of the group followed behind her.
Eventually, the stairs led into a lobby-type room, filled with couches and tables. The first floor! (Luckily.)
(End of part 21.)
Part 22, The Lobby.
Vera sped down the stairs, and immediately sat on one of the couches, the warm glow of the lobby room welcoming the group in, despite their eventual departure. Dahlia and Mutsumi followed suit, before a man dressed in a suited uniform walked up to them. "May I help you three? It's quite late at night, can I query why you're here?" He asked. It was a strange question. "U-um, yes- actually!" Mutsumi nervously spoke up. The man was slightly surprised. He didn't expect such an eager response. "W-where is the exit?" Mutsumi hurriedly asked. "I'm new to the city, so I'm not sure where we are, haha..." He stammered. The man glanced at the three of them, before chuckling. "You three are the most polite people to come in here, not like the other kids and young adults." He mumbled. Mutsumi chuckled, rubbing his neck. Even his tail began to wag little by little, a cute sight for Vera and Dahlia, they stayed silent about it though. "What do you know about the city, sir? What do you call it? This world is... so distinct and vibrant.. just like I remember." Mutsumi hummed quietly, waiting for a response to his query. "The world? What are you, a time traveler?" He gazed at them before softening his gaze. Mutsumi's eyes darted to Vera and Dahlia nervously. 'Did he know?' Mutsumi thought. "I'm joking, we call this planet here Noxara. And the great city here? We call it Alcaea. The city of endless lights upon the sky, shining brightly during the night sky. That all you needed, sir?" Mutsumi nodded, only then taking into account of the scent in the air. "Is that lavender, sir?" He asked, sniffing the air. It was one of the scents that reminded him of his mother. Home, even. At least before the government had taken him away. His thoughts were soon interrupted by the suited man speaking again.
"Yes! Glad someone noticed." The man smiled, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "It’s nice to imagine you’re lying between the beds of flowers, isn’t it?" Vera chimed in, her knowledge of the wild surfacing- the past experience of the lost forest coming back to her immediately. "Did you know lavender can improve your sleep? It’s also believed to help with hair growth!" She leaned forward, her enthusiasm infectious. Mutsumi chuckled, grateful for her bright spirit, but a flicker of uncertainty crossed his face. She knew a lot about flowers, that was nice- but it was then that he noticed the flower in her hair. A thought crossed his mind as he wondered what it was for.
As the suited man laughed, a shadow of concern crossed his features. "It’s true! Just be careful—some scents in this city can be misleading." He gave them a pointed look, as if hinting at unspoken dangers lurking in the vibrant streets of Alcaea.
Mutsumi exchanged glances with Vera and Dahlia, their shared curiosity igniting a sense of adventure yet again. "Thank you, sir! We’ll be careful, haha.." he replied, a newfound determination bubbling within him. He felt his tail waving around again behind him, a sign of his gratefulness, perhaps.
As the man turned to leave, he paused, casting one last glance over his shoulder. "Enjoy the city! Just try to remember—things aren’t always what they seem!"
With his cryptic words lingering in the air, the trio sat in the softly lit lobby, the scent of lavender mingling with the promise of adventure just beyond the blinking exit lights.
Mutsumi turned to Vera. She seemed comfy, lying on the couch, curled up like a baby fox. It was a nice recall to the snowing forests of Frostara. She seemed so calm and collected to just be suddenly sleeping on the soft cushions after her burst of energy. But he'd be lying if he said the lobby felt uncomfortable. The calm, lavender scent wafting in the air from a candle on the desk. Faint sounds of the wind outside- the fans on the ceiling blowing cooled air on top of them, like the cold winds of the night. There were small sounds of piano playing through a radio that the attendant had, the calming notes flowing like a forbidden melody through the air. Even the orange glow of the lights in the room- bathing it in a soft embrace that hushed the sense of familiarity through Mutsumi. These sorts of attributes to this lobby, really made a sort of... vibe. Mutsumi knew that he couldn't deny it himself.
He turned to Dahlia, who sat beside the sleeping Vera, gently stroking her unkempt tail- watching as it flickered with each bit of snow that still covered it seemed to melt away in the warmth.
Mutsumi walked over to them, leaning back against the couch and feeling the warmth of Dahlia and Vera beside him. They were cocooned in the soft glow of the lobby, a serene refuge from the bustling world outside, and a brief respite from the coldness of Frostara.. He took a deep breath, letting the lavender scent fill his lungs, grounding him in the presence.
Dahlia glanced at him, a playful smile crossing her lips. “You know, this isn’t so bad for a late-night adventure, right?” She lightly tousled Vera’s green hair, her fingers gently combing through the soft strands that trailed down her slightly flushed cheeks.
“Yeah,” Mutsumi replied, a smile tugging at his own lips. “It feels… safe here.” He shifted slightly, pulling his knees up to his chest, enveloped in the cozy atmosphere. The distant sound of piano notes floated around them, creating a soothing backdrop.
Vera stirred slightly, her tail flicking in response to Dahlia's touch, but she didn’t wake. Mutsumi watched her for a moment, feeling a sense of protectiveness wash over him. In this quiet space, with the flickering candlelight and the soft rustle of the fans, he realized how much he cherished this feeling of camaraderie.
As the minutes passed, the weight of the day began to settle in. Mutsumi felt his eyelids grow heavy. The warmth of the couch and the rhythmic sounds of the lobby wrapped around him like a comforting blanket. He glanced at Dahlia, who had settled back with a contented sigh, and then at Vera, her peaceful expression a reminder of the bond they shared.
“Let’s just rest for a bit,” he murmured, more to himself than to them. In this moment, with the world outside fading away, he felt a sense of belonging that he hadn’t realized he was missing.
"Sure, Mutsumi." Dahlia quietly responded, still stroking Vera's tail, not seemingly tired. A smile came to her face, as she took in the lavender air provided by the lobby. Another contented sigh came out from her... Her thoughts began to weave their way through her consciousness, the lavender scent transporting her back to simpler times. She recalled a life as a forest-dwelling elf, where the air was filled with the sweet aroma of blooming flowers and the gentle rustle of leaves, whispered secrets, old friends who were all- hazy and distant. Those memories wrapped around her like a warm embrace, reminding her of the peace- and perhaps fun, she once knew. Right before her accidental arrow, whistling through the trees and into a human. It's painful thought to come to her mind, yes- but... she seemed to accept that.