First Night: Reccu

It’s dark and cold. It’s night, of course. A really, really long night. Spending the entire day gathering any useful information had me completely exhausted. Bouncing between rude strangers to pick-up artists made it difficult to struggle onwards. Are all city folks as bad as this?

I did tell him I’d be gathering intel… Facing him now is a bit hard. Other than learning about public news and current events, there wasn’t much I could pry from tavern dwellers, nor from people on the street. Many of them, especially those useless adventurers, didn’t even have a clue as to what I was asking! Aren’t their jobs to explore places and seek out the unknown?! Unbelievable. Though, I guess I shouldn’t be all too surprise I didn’t gain much today. Other cities such as Oren and Mileth keep their information on lock as well.

Stil… what a terrible feeling. My first task and it feels like I’ve already failed.

I’ve been sitting here, waiting for who knows how long. Just under the streetlight, right outside of Soumi’s dojo. Strangers occasionally passing by shot worried glances as if I’m a stray puppy. Please, stop. I don’t want to be doing this either.

“Did he forget about our promise?” I dug my face into my arms and knees. A small and soft sigh was the only thing to keep me company. It’s well past midnight, and it’s way past our meeting time. I mean… if he remembered, then he would be here by now.

I wonder if I scared him away… especially with the duel, and also forcing him to train. Maybe I came on too strong…

“Meow.” Choutchi’s soft greeting caught me by surprise. I lifted my head to this adorable shadow blob of a cat. A small, bobbing head of a tiny cat peeked out from within my shadow. She bounced from the pit of her stomach and onto my knees, eye-level. I nudged her with a warm smile and caressed the top of her gassy head with my finger. Choutchi purred and tickled my knees with her tiny tongue .

“Choutchi, you know you’re not supposed to be out here. C’mon, go back.” I half-heartedly warned. I tried to be stern, but just looking at her makes it all the more impossible to be a good master.

Choutchi made herself right at home by laying down and tucking in her head with her tail. Despite her terrible master, she still manages to somehow find happiness in our situation. I moved a finger towards her belly, which she squeamishly received.

“Sorry, little one. I wished you had a better master.”

Choutchi purred once more and licked my knees.

That slight sensation managed to force a giggle out of me. “But not to worry! Our lives won’t be the same anymore. Goddess Anastasia sent someone who could help us… I think. I mean, there’s no reason to doubt her, but… I was expecting someone more… I don’t know, stronger?”

Choutchi popped onto my shoulders and rubbed her head against my neck. In her own weird way, she was cheering for me.

“I know. I’m not expecting change to happen by itself.” I softly told. “Gotta put in the hard work and keep up a strong appearance, is what they say. Right?”

“Meow.” Choutchi secured her claws within my flesh and stretched. Then, she dived into my shadow, completely immersing herself within it.

“Bye, little one.” I scanned the road once more, hoping to find him. Had my hopes up for nothing. The amount of people walking by had lessen from before. The ones that were here didn’t hold that same naive look like a child in an amusement park.

Though, disturbingly, what I did notice was another man seemingly waiting from across the road. The moment we made eye-contact, he started walking over.

Aw, crap. Did I accidentally gave him the green light?

Proudly striding through the streetlights, the man’s pace was a compromise of eloquence and speed. Every step was accompanied by a subtle pause of glamor, a small dramatic effect for the world’s spotlight shining on him.

A white cane with a light-brown crystal embedded on top taps the ground, unnecessarily. Puffs of smoke blew from the pipe of his mouth, flying away from his exquisite attire. The man’s unbuttoned chiffon coat seemingly kept the cold at bay; underneath was a loosely cloth shirt exposing his throbbing chest. The bracelets around his wrist, jewelry around his neck, and his fashionably leather belt reeked of wealth. Most notably of all: it’s impossible to miss his large forehead, with his dark brown hair tied-up into a man-bun.

“Missy, are you waiting for someone?” He flashed a magnificent white smile with airs of royalty.

“H-huh?” Embarrassingly, my voice squeaked. Our eyes were locked, and my eyes explosively widened. I immediately glued my hands to my mouth and slammed my forehead to my knees. The little girl in me couldn’t keep her darn mouth shut; an uncontrollable excitement, evident by the warmth of my face. I kept my voice down, and muffled, “...I am.”

“So am I. What a fine evening it is today.” The stranger said. “I thought I’d be lucky on such a beautiful night.”

Seconds after his last words were occupied by an unnerving, awkward silence. I dared not to lift my head up. If I acted like I’m dead, maybe he would just go away.

“Though, it’s not like we’ve made arrangements.” The man said. “I probably should’ve made an arrangement.”

Another pause, another uncomfortable moment. I managed to mumble a sound. Hopefully that’ll sent the message that I’m not broken, I’m just super nervous.

“Sorry, I just thought you’d like some company.” The man said. “I was waiting over there for quite some time, and it got pretty lonely by myself. But it seems like my hunch was wrong.”

“Mmm…” I uttered.

“I wish you the best of luck. The grassses are still green, for who knows how long. I’m going to go enjoy them while I still can.”

The footsteps that came afterwards soften to the same sounds as the others. There were background noises of people walking by, people chatting, but it was relatively quiet. Here, it was peaceful. It was a bit… lonely.

Between my knees I could see Choutchi popping her adorable little head from my shadow. That little face of hers always managed to somehow crept a smile upon my face. I rubbed her head and let out a longing sigh. “Company… huh.”

Choutchi quietly purred.

It wasn’t long before the space around me have been cleared of any and all activities, saved for the far ends of the road. I didn’t realize such a busy street during the day can be so empty at night.

Though, the stranger’s right. It is a gorgeous night.

A beautiful moon with a bunch of twinkling stars glimmering in the night sky. A refreshing breeze carrying the aroma of sweet barbecue. A day still full of festivities and opportunities for the taking.

“Meow.” Choutchi licked my petting finger.

“I know, little one.” I blew a good-bye kiss and pressed her little head back into my shadows. “I can’t just stay here and wait for him to show up. Roads are meant for walking.”

I stood up, patted any dirt and dust off my skirt and coat, and moved those legs.