Resting in the Day... [Open]

Watching Zaiaku walked away in defeat, Kodo took a few steps closer. "Kid, kid. Quiet and listen. He didn't HAVE to come here. He didn't HAVE to be nice to you. All of this he's doing is on his own accord. He's doing it for your safety. Because he cares. Because he truly thinks this will do you good. At least give the dude a chance. Why not do the pardon thing WHILE still living in the cave?" Kodo said as he sat down, being a few inches taller than the little girl. It was a good question. There wasn't any reason to stop the little girl from still staying in the cave while doing the pardon. "Then again, that's just my suggestion. At least think about it, ok? Now calm down, we ain't gonna hurt ya."

WC:1826

Sephora heard the words being spoken but she was too far deep into the grips of her own inner terror to pay them any mind. Like any other animal she reacted on instinct alone: and right now that instinct was telling her to stay exactly where she was and remain in the little ball she had curled herself into. She just wanted life to return to the happy and boring time that it had been before the arrival of the leader of Yokuchi. Her cave had been peaceful then: peaceful and relaxing. A place that she had felt safe from everyone else.

”Nonono. I don't want to do that. I like being free. I like my cave. I don't want to go into the village. Nonono!” There simply would be no reasoning with her like this: her fear was too great, and her mind too made up.

After another moment she got up to her feet suddenly, and unless stopped, she ran her way from the empty room into the one that her stored the barrels of food she often stole in. She hid among the barrels; effectively surrounding herself. Once completed she would put one of her tails back into her mouth and continue chewing on it in a nervous habit.

Word Count: 215 + 2,025 = 2,240

Kodo groaned as he saw the child not even listen to him. It was beginning to get annoying, at least to him. It was then he saw here get up and try to run away. He didn't stop her, rather, simply followed her quietly as the little girl ran into some kind of a food storage room and hid herself, with Kodo watching her do so. Meanwhile, Zaiaku was still at the entrance, unsure of what to do. "Goddamnit..." He said to himself as he scratched his head, looking out into the open desert. As he stared out, he noticed something in the distance. There was a group of people on horses riding their way. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that they were shop owners that Zaiaku usually  sees around Yokuchigakure. Each one look angered. His eyes widening, he hurried back into the cave, looking for the little girl and Kodo. After a few moments of searching, he managed to find Kodo in a chamber filled with food. "Where is she?" Zaiaku asked in a urgent voice. "Over there. Why?" "The villagers, they're coming!" "What?!" Zaiaku then promptly ran over to the spot where the girl was, easily lifting her form the barrells before speaking to her urgently. "Kid! Look, I know you're scared and shit, but they're coming. I can't exactly beat up my own villagers and they can kill you due to your crimes! You're only way out is to accept the pardon!"

WC:2078

Pure, uncontrollable, unwavering terror flooded through the female as the large male picked her up and all but demanded she take the pardon due to the imminent threat that was closing in. She flailed, she kicked, and she screamed for all of roughly ten seconds – though, if anything actually hit him or even hurt for that matter was left to be seen. And then, as her heart rate accelerated too high, and her adrenaline surged far beyond what her body could take, she suddenly went limp: unconscious, passed out from the pure terror.

It was her mind's method of protecting itself: a method that went above and beyond the normal 'playing dead' as she was truly and completely unresponsive. Her breathing was borderline hyperventilating and her heart rate was in a dangerous territory – but now that she was unresponsive and her mind was protecting itself, her body was beginning to relax: both breathing and heart beat very slowly returning to normal.

Word Count: 165 + 2,240 = 2,405

Zaiaku merely blinked as the little child fainted, not really expecting that sort of outcome. Nonetheless, he regained himself fairly quick and placed here gently on the ground. The gray giant then promptly turned to Kodo. "Look, I'm gonna try to make them fuck off, ok? Make sure she doesn't leave this room until I come back. Ok?" Kodo simply nodded and sat in front of the passage way as Zaiaku made his way to the cave entrance. "Mr.Kage. We have heard that the thief is living in here. Have you seen her?" One man asked atop a horse. Zaiaku, being the ever so talented liar that he is, replied. "Thief? What thief?" The group of men looked at each other. "You....know about the rumors of some fox girl stealing our merchandise, right?" One of them asked. Zaiaku did a false frown. "Fox girl? You guys that gullible? Don't you think I would've found her by now if she was real?" Zaiaku said as he crossed his arms. "Well...." Another man trailed off, looking away. "Look, I'm training out here, ok? There ain't no one here besides me. If I do find the thief, however, I'll tell ya, ok?" The men looked at one another, not entirely sure if they should go on about their business. "May I remind y'all, the longer you're away from your shops, the more possible a another person can steal from them." Hearing this, the men turned white and turned back, riding away on their horses as they waved goodbye.

Once they were a good enough distance away, Zaiaku re-entered the cave and food chamber to check how things. "Managed to fool them."

WC:2380

Sephora was entirely unaware of being set down, or what was going on for several minutes. Her breathing and heart beat slowed drastically until they were borderline normal – which was to say, they differed from that of a human, but it was normal for her regardless. ”Hnn...”, was roughly the first sound to come from her as she began to stir. Ears twitched and her eyes slowly blinked open as they focused on the cave room.

Following this she sat up slowly; feeling confused and groggy as to what had happened. And then she remembered: she remembered all of it, including that this large man, the leader of the village of Yokuchi, had picked her up and she had attempted to fight him off up until she had passed out and loss consciousness. Another whine of a sound, this one more animalistic in nature, escaped her as she curled herself back up into the ball she had been in; arms locked around her knees. She buried her face into her knees and just started to shake her head again.

”No, no, no, no!”, she began to say over and over and over again while her head continued to shake back and forth on her knees. She closed her eyes shut tightly, wishing and hoping that the world would just return to the way it had been only an hour ago. Everyone was making her out to be the bad guy; no one understood. No one would in her mind. This was exactly why she no longer stayed in the village: this was why she hid out in her cave away from the human populace. She couldn't trust them: she couldn't trust anyone.

Word Count: 285 + 2,405 = 2,690

Zaiaku couldn't help but facepalm as the moment the little girl regained herself, she was back at it again. "So, how'd it go?" Kodo asked, looking up at Zaiaku. "I managed to fool them into thinking she didn't live here, so they won't be back anytime soon." Zaiaku responded, definitely loud enough so the little girl can hear. Zaiaku then proceeded to sit cross-legged again. He faced her, but there was a good distance between them. Without saying a word, Zaiaku reached into his haori and threw a bag of ryo about a foot or two away from the child. There wasn't much in it. About 500 or 600, but was still enough for a meal. "They came...looking for ya. I told them you weren't here, so don't expect any unwanted visits anymore. I don't consider ya bad guy for things ya did. Did what ya had to do to live. I get that. There's enough money in there to buy a fresh, hot meal at most restarunts." Zaiaku said in a calm tone, his arms now crossed once again.

WC:2571

Sephora glanced at the bag; hearing the jingling of ryo within it. However, she didn't touch it. She simply hid her face back in her knees and tightened the grip on her legs. She felt exhausted; and she wanted nothing more then to sleep. However, this stranger and his friend were still in her home – and the last thing she was doing to do was sleep with either of them nearby. ”Go, go, go. This is my cave. Go, go, go.” She felt like a trapped animal; and essentially that was what she was. It was surprising she hadn't lashed out yet, but fear could only keep her from doing so for so long before baser animal instincts kicked in. This stranger was in her home, after all, and terrifying her.

”MY CAVE. THIS IS MY CAVE!” And once more she began to rock back and forth, though she kept her face hidden in her knees. She hoped he would leave; that he would give her the space she needed so that she could calm down – but time would tell if he listened. He was leader of the village of Yokuchi after all – so technically, even if she didn't want to admit it, this was his cave too.

Word Count: 215 + 2,690 = 2,905

Zaiaku was mentally facepalming as she began screaming for him to get out. Nonetheless, his calm expression and tone remained. However, he had to say one last thing to the child and, given the state she was in, he needed her to listen. Thus, in a sudden movement, Zaiaku slapped his hand onto the stone floor, a loud cracking sound being emitted as it the floor cracked around his hand. Using the loud noise to make her stop and gain some quiet, he spoke one final thing to her in a stern tone, standing up. "My offer is still up for the pardon, if you choose to do it. If not....then at least be more stealthy and when robbing the stores. If you're not, they'll find you, and I'll most likely not be able to stop them. Use the money however ya like. Just. Be. Safe." With that, Zaiaku placed his kage hat back onto his head and did a simple "Goodbye" to the young child as he began walking out of the chamber and began heading to the cave entrance, Kodo following behind him.

WC:2760

She screamed when he slammed his hand into the ground; her hands coming up and covering her mouth as her head jerked back. She scooted back against the wall as her heart rate and breathing accelerated. She listened to his words in complete and utter silence before she watched him and his pet leave. Tears streamed down the child's face: and she buried her head once more into her knees. She remained like that for several minutes before she got up to her feet and wiped her tears away. She grabbed her tail – all of them – and hugged them to her chest as she took tentative steps to the entrance of her food storage room.

She looked around the corner and to the main entrance of the cave before she turned and tip toed her way in the opposite direction – towards the back entrance. It was a hidden entrance, and not able to be seen from the outside unless it was opened. She glanced back behind herself, her heart racing and the sound of her blood pounding through her ears. A soft fearful whine of a sound escaped her but she kept going. She entered into her makeshift bedroom which was where the secret exit was and pulled the stone aside.

She poked her head out as light and heat flooded in; ears swiveling as she looked and listened for any sign that anyone was out there.

Word Count: 242 + 2,905 = 3,147

Zaiaku continued walking out the entrance of the cave. He know there was a very good chance that she wasn't going to join, but nonetheless, he at least gave her the choice. "You could've handled that better." Kodo said as they were now in the desert, walking calmly throw it. "Shut up..." Zaiaku said in a bit of a disheartened voice. Kodo merely rolled his eyes. "Come on, let's go, don't wanna die of heat out here." The hyena said as he suddenly ran off into the direction of the village. Zaiaku simply glared at the animal before taking off as well, back to the village.

WC:2870
EXIT THREAD