Castaway
 

This is an rp for NekoLen and PapillonCameo only.

This rp contains some violence, blood and suggestive material. Please be warned.

The sky outside was a brilliant blue, and clear from any clouds. A small breeze stroked the earth below, refreshing the inhabitants from the sweltering summer day. The small city was streaming with activity like usual, a few of the people were resting in the shades of trees. The creatures that lived here were more nocturnal, and several of them hated the heat more than anything.

Rai was one of them. He panted slightly as he rode his bike back from school, towards his house located on the outskirts of the city. He lived on a small farm with his Aunt and Uncle, and baby cousin. Everyday he biked from the farm and into the city to go to school. He hated school a lot and was happy to know it was almost over for the summer holidays.

Giving up on a steep hill, Rai tumbled off his bike and rested under a tree. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and refreshed himself with a bottle of water that was stowed away in his backpack. He mumbled to himself darkly, his ears flicking with annoyance at the heat.

Rai had always been teased for the cat ears and tail he possessed. Nekos like him were rare and strange creatures, having the ears and tail of a cat and the body of a human. They also took on characteristics of cats, which led to people thinking they were stuck up and lazy at times. Rai, however, was playful and affectionate. He hated the way he was stereotyped and teased by the other children. All the more so as he hadn't mastered shapeshifting quite yet.

As he became lost in thought, he got a feeling that he was being watched from afar. He sat up and glanced around, flicking his tail.

Slan shifted uncomfortably in the tree. Leaves rustled and fell even though there was no wind to make them do so. The dark haired youth winced. Of course he had to go and move just as someone decided to take a break under his tree. Glancing down, the green eyed man made a face.

He shifted again, clutching tight to the bag full of things he'd snatched from the nearby farmhouse. It was only food, and a shirt or two. The clothes he wore were old and worn, nothing more then rags really. Stealing some more from someone who had so much was long overdue. The only thing Slan worried about was getting caught.

Humans weren't exactly liked by the supernatural community. In fact, for the most part they thought humans were myths... Save for the select few who hunted humans down. That thought nearly made Slan fall from his perch and right onto the young man's lap. Not good! He grunted as he slammed onto the branch and hugged it tightly to stop that disaster from happening.

Rai jumped slightly as he heard something large move in the tree above him. He glanced upwards but couldn't make out anything through the thick foliage. Perhaps a bird...? His curiosity peaked. He liked birds, chasing them, trying to catch them... He supposed that was the cat part of him. They had chickens at home that he would chase all day and when he was younger, he would fall asleep in the hen's coop.

He made a chirping noise, trying to encourage the bird to show itself as he stood and started to climb up the tree trunk. His long black tail kept balance as he shimmied up the rough bark. He had always been good at climbing trees as well, and if he fell he wouldn't hurt himself too badly. He stopped just as he passed the large branch that blocking his view from below. His large blue eyes fell on a boy wearing ragged clothes and he blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected to meet someone up here.

"Oh? Hello? What are you doing up here?" he asked the boy, his eyes gazing over the strange appearance of him. He looked homeless, and was clutching a bag.

Was the cat eared boy ... chirping? Slan lifted his head slightly to try and get a better look. Why was he doing that? Those few moments of distraction were a mistake. The next thing he knew, there was someone else peering through the branches and it wasn't a pleasant situation. Cursing softly under his breath, Slan lifted a hand to pull up the hood of his sweater to hide his rounded ears. He hoped the clothes he wore were dirty enough to mask his human scent.

"I'm ... Admiring the view?" That was such a lame excuse. Slan's gaze shifted hurriedly from place to place, trying to find a way out of the situation. He could just jump out of the tree. No, that wouldn't work. Humans weren't as fast as the other beings populating the world. Besides, if he ran he might lose his bag and everything inside it.

At the thought of the food inside the canvas bag, his stomach grumbled. Slan winced, and shifted away. He took a deep breath, then vaulted down agilely from the tree. He grunted as he landed, but didn't pause as he sprinted away. He couldn't stick around and risk being caught, not by anyone.

Rai's ears pricked up when he heard the boy's stomach rumble and felt sorry for him. He really must be a homeless kid. There were many orphans and homeless kids in this city, due to the many wars they suffered through. Rai was sure he was the last of his kind, as his parents had died in the last war against the Vampires. He was startled to see the boy jump from the branch and run away. Only fugitives ran like that. He watched him run and considered going after him.

He decided to go home first and try and find the boy later on in the day. His odour was unique and strong enough for Rai to track him down later. He fell from the tree, landing neatly on his feet, and jumped on his bike. Once home, he told his Aunt that he was going out for the afternoon. He walked back to the tree and cast around for the scent, picking it up and following it into the forest that boarded the city.

Panting, he glanced back and was glad to see that the other boy wasn't running after him. It wasn't long before Slan had slipped into the forest with a grin. This was his home, the place where he felt safest. Even running as he was, the young man was careful not to make any noise. He didn't want anyone finding his safe haven.

A stream trickled through the trees, leading to a mound of branches. In truth, there was a little cavern hidden behind the screen, but it was so well hidden that you could only find it if you knew where it was. Slan smiled slightly as he moved the branches aside.

The young man slipped inside, replaced the branches, then went to flop down on the nest of rags he used as a bed. He began rummaging through his bag, placing each item reverently upon the rocks he used as shelves. Of course, the food was wrapped up in bags he'd found, that others might have called liter. The bread and cheese he kept out, and began to nibble upon with a happy sigh.

Rai followed the scent through the forest, amazed to see that the person's strange aroma was strong enough for him to pick it up. Being mainly a cat, his ability to detect smells wasn't as good as a werewolf for example. He failed his tracking classes at school due to how hard he found it to find certain scents. He stopped when he came to a waterfall and stared at the rushing water, his cat ears flat against his head. Water... Rai couldn't stand water.

"Hello? Boy? Are you around here?" Rai called over the rushing water. He knew the scent trail ended here, meaning that the boy wouldn't be too far away. "I don't want to hurt you. I just want to know why you seemed to so scared and what you are doing out here?"

The young man froze in mid-bite with a stricken look. Panic settled into his features as Slan attempted to find some way out of the situation. There were only a few options, and none of them seemed like they would end well for him. Reluctantly, the ragged boy slipped his food onto the rock he used as a plate. Carefully, the dirty recluse crawled forth from his hidden abode. He stood tall, or as tall as an always malnourished orphan could be. Well, Slan didn't know whether or not he was an orphan, he'd only lived like one since he was ten and his parents had disappeared.

"Get away from here. Why I act the way I do, it isn't any of your business!" Slan made his voice harsh and mean, even though he felt anything but. His eyes were flitting across the clearing again. At least here he knew the area, and would be able to escape easily when the chance presented itself. Every muscle of the boy's body was tense, and he stood poised for flight again, though he thought regretfully of his comfortable little hole and how hard it would be to find another so well situated.

Rai stared at the boy in wonder. He couldn't decide what type of creature he was. It certainly wasn't a werewolf or neko, he knew that much. He tilted his head, noticing that the boy's mean tone didn't suit his face. His eyes were scanning the area and his body pose seemed to indicate that he was about to run. Rai shook his head and curled his tail around him, holding it and staring down at his feet.

"I'm sorry... I just... Wanted to know..." he muttered, glancing back up at the boy. "You look... Well... I wanted to ask if you wanted somewhere to stay..." He had no idea why he was bothering with the recluse. He guessed that his curiosity was really to blame.

Slan's features softened as he heard the neko's voice. Not just that, but the other boy's whole demeanor was so non-threatening that the recluse couldn't in good conscious still act so rude and hurtful. Letting out a sigh, he lifted a hand to ruffle his hair nervously. His shoulders slumped, and Slan showed how weary he truly was ... for once. The young man bit his lower lip uncertainly as he thought over what to say, or how even to think about that offer. It was so tempting! At the same time, it could cause so much trouble, and not only for himself but for the neko as well.

Shaking his head, he let out a sigh. "I appreciate the offer, really... But you see ... " Slan sighed before going on, "Helping me out isn't exactly going to help you and whoever you live with stay healthy." The moment someone noticed he was human, word would get around and then those ... people, would show up to deal with him.

Rai tilted his head, flicking his tail in curiosity. He surreptitiously sniffed the boy's scent again, bringing a blurry image in his memory back to him. He couldn't quite put a finger on it, but Rai could have sworn that he had smelt this scent before. "Why is that?" he asked him, sitting on the dirt ground near the stream. He shuddered at being so close to it.

It took but a moment for Slan to decide to plop down well out of arm's reach upon the ground. He hugged his knees to his chest, letting the silence rest for a few moments as he thought of what to say.

"I.. People like me, my kind .. We're like vermin, and others hunt us down." That was the most he could say, without coming right out and exposing himself. This way at least, Slan explained to the boy what the danger was, without revealing the truth of his heritage.

Rai continued to tilt his head in confusion. He had never heard of any race that was hated and hunted like vermin. Of course if this boy was a vampire or demon, his nation's army would try and remove him from their country. But this boy didn't seem to be anything like that. Again, the familiar scent made a blurry image pop up in his mind. If only he could remember what it was!

"But you can't live out here by yourself! What do you eat?" he glanced behind the boy towards the waterfall.

He sneered at that. "I obviously do! Idiot, why do you think I was stealing things from that farmhouse." Slan found himself scoffing at the other boy's ignorance. "And I trap, and fish. But I still want bread, sometimes, or delicious fruit and juice ... Oh and sweets, it's been so long since I've had a piece of delicious, mouthwatering cake..." The green eyed youth trailed off dreamily at that, before shaking himself out of his self imposed stupor.

Annoyed with himself, he scrambled over to the water, scooped some up in his hands and flung it at the cat eared boy. "That's more then enough, you got me running my mouth somehow. Get out of here, leave me in peace!" He needed to run, and find another place to hide on the outskirts of the city, better yet , he could leave the place entirely and live on his own in the wilderness, or search for his parents. The trouble was, this was the place he'd somehow tracked them to.

Rai flinched as the water hit him, losing his balance and falling backwards into the river beside him. Panicking, he tried to keep afloat, but he didn't know how to swim. He surfaced, gasping for breath before going back under. The river was surprisingly deep and the current quite strong. Once he managed to resurface for air, he had moved slightly more down river. He cried out for help, water blurring his vision as he went back under. His lungs were sore, filling with water as he sunk deeper and deeper.

If only he had been more careful. If only he hadn't been so curious about the stranger... He dimly realised that the farmhouse the boy had been stealing from was his house. His aunt and uncle had been blaming him for the food that had gone missing. But it didn't matter now. He was dying.

Slan watched for a few seconds, his mind whirling with indecision. If he let the other boy drown, well then his problems would be over. That thought only prevailed for a moment. The neko had been trying to be nice, in a rather annoying way yes, but he had been making an effort to help him. "You're more trouble then you're worth," mumbled the young man to himself as he stripped off his shirt and pants quickly, leaving him as naked as the day he was born. It was easier to swim that way.

The green eyed youth took a deep breath as he ran and jumped open eyed into the river with nary a sound. He slipped into the water like a knife through butter, and used powerful strokes to make his way towards the sinking neko. It was a little hard to get his grip around the other man's limp body, but he managed. Then Slan was off like a shot, using all his strength to rise to the surface and pull his annoyance to the bank.

Cold flesh met his hands as he checked for a pulse, and leaned over to try and hear a breath. At least the neko's heart beat. Taking a deep breath, Slan tilted up the other boy's head, pinched the neko's nose, and let his mouth cover the others. His other hand was splayed over the neko's chest, making sure that it rose and fell as Slan breathed for the other man, at least until he could breathe on his own again.

Rai spluttered suddenly, coughing out water and rolling over to vomit more water beside him. He twitched and opened his eyes, gasping for breath like a landed fish. He stared up at the boy hovering above him, his body shaking from the shock of what just happened. his clothes clung to his body like a wet being, feeling like it was trying to strangle him.

He rolled over again and got to all fours, glancing back at the boy that had saved his life. He couldn't begin to thank him, words were failing him at that instant. "I... Thank..." he gasped for breath as he started to feel dizzy and fell back over again.

Letting out a long breath, Slan shoved long wet hair from his face. "Don't mention it, just get ..." He would have gone on, trying to make the neko leave, but doing that when the other man was in such a state just didn't sit right with him. Instead, Slan moved to his shelter to shove the branches hiding it to the side. Then he carried the neko inside with a small grunt, placing him gently upon his nest of rages. He didn't really care how much the other boy struggled.

"You can rest here. Don't move too much." Slan moved away, pulling one of the new shirts he'd snatched, and pulling on a pair of ragged jeans, though they were new compared to the falling apart pair he'd been wearing before. Then the human busied himself with leaves and water, boiling it upon a hastily made fire and then letting the herbs he'd gathered soak. Once that was done, he scooped them out carefully, and brought the tea to his unwanted guest.

Rai laid on the uncomfortable smelly rags and wondered how anyone could live like this. He wouldn't be able to sleep without his foam mattress and feather down blanket. He supposed that night was quite warm at the moment, but what happened to this kid in Winter? He glanced at the boy as he busied himself over a fire, putting water into a pot and some sort of leaves. The clothes he was wearing had changed, and this time Rai recognised what they were.

"Hey, that's my top!" he moaned, raising his head to get a better look. "And my pants! Why are you wearing them?" He coughed slightly and took the drink that was offered, sipping it and burning his tongue on the herb-flavoured water. "Ow! Hot!" he complained, sticking his scolded tongue out.

He ignored the other man easily, at least until he started spluttering after drinking the too hot water. Slan moved, pushing a hand beneath the neko's head to hold it up. Taking a sip of the water, he made a slight face and then set it aside. Too hot for a boy used to the comforts of a home with blankets and people there to take care of him.

"Look, I'll give them back if you want. The rags are more comfortable anyway." That wasn't true, these clothes were much warmer. Slan wasn't about to say that though. After a little while, he raised the cooler drink to the neko's lips and silently encouraged him to at least take a sip.

Rai shook his head, not really caring about his old clothes anyway. All he cared about was the fact that the boy had been trespassing on his land, taking his clothes and food from the pantry without being caught. He took the cooler drink and sipped it, purring at the flavour and soothing liquid. "You can have them," he said, taking another sip. "The least I can do for saving my life."

He sighed as he felt the drink reinvigorating his body. "But I wish you hadn't stolen from my house. My Aunt and Uncle are always punishing me for killing the chickens and losing my clothes..." he trailed off, blushing bright red. He knew that the killing chickens part was him to some extent, but he only did it every now and then. What did they expect from a half-cat? He frowned.

Slan laughed a little, a sound rising deep from his chest and rolling from his up from his mouth. He seemed surprised, shocked even, that the sound had slipped from his lips. The man looked down at the neko with a frown, then moved his supporting hand to scratch a spot just behind one of those dark ears. He marveled at how soft they were to the touch after accidentally brushing his fingers against one of the appendages.

"I only do it to survive, though I'm sorry to hear you get in trouble for it." He owed the neko, just as much as the car man owed him it seemed. "You save my life every time you take the blame for me, so we're even." Slan didn't like getting sentimental, but there he was, feeling like he actually owed someone for once in his life.

Rai flinched slightly at the touch. He usually didn't allow anyone near his ears as they were very sensitive and a lot of the kids tried to rip them off, thinking that they were fake. But as he felt the boy start to softly scratch behind it, he purred louder and closed his eyes. It felt amazing to have his ear petted and scratched like this and he turned to putty in the boy's hand. He lost grip of the cup and spilt some on his chest, not saying a word and focussing on the touch of the boy's hand.

"I... I can give you stuff... Like proper food and all my old clothes... You can sleep in the shed. I can change it to a hut for you. My Aunt and Uncle never go near it and it is near the forest so if anyone comes looking for you, you can run and hide in the trees..." he said very slowly and distracted at the scratching.

"You just want me close, so I can scratch your ears all you want," teased Slan. He was enjoying himself, he was smiling. It was such a relief, but at the same time he was worried and tense. "I'm dangerous to be around. I'm .. I ... Haven't you seen my ears yet?" Wasn't that the easiest way of telling he was human? Hadn't the water washed away all the grim covering his scent?

To soothe himself he lifted his other hand to scratch at the neko's ears as well. Slan hoped that would make the neko purr even louder. It was kind of like having a cat sprawled comfortably over his lap. The thought had Slan smiling again, even wider then before.

Rai sat up slightly, leaning into the boy's hands and letting him scratch and pet him. He rumbled loudly, not purring this much in a long time. He shook his head slightly, to both of the boy's questions. "I want you around... I mean... No one deserves to be outcasted like this." He also didn't know what the boy was talking about, mentioning his ears. Sure they weren't pointed or cat ears like his own, but that didn't mean he deserved to be killed.

"I don't know what you are. Your scent is strange and familiar, but I just can't remember where I had smelt it before," he said, wrinkling his nose to have another sniff of the boy.