Curiosity Killed the Cat

Kiyomi, having gotten out of school, had little else to do besides explore and attempt to socialize. Well, and homework. But not needing sleep left many extra hours to procrastinate that.

The NEK0 poked her head into the community center, ears atwitch. It looked pretty quiet here today; a shame. There was usually someone else in there she knew at least a little bit, like Kon or Riley. All she saw around the doorframe was a man with sharpie-sharp horns, and a slightly weary look to him. That seemed like someone who needed cheering up. Something about him also seemed… familiar… to her, but she couldn’t put a word to what it could be. How odd! She didn’t exactly have much to find familiar, considering how limited her life experience was before being rescued.

And odd things, as she was discovering, were usually worth poking her nose into.

In her usual bombastic manner, Kiyomi bounced into the room and right up into the chair across from the stranger, leaning forward with her head in her hands. “Hello! You and your sandwich look lonely. Has Kiyomi seen you here before? She is pretty new, but has seen many people in her tiny, tiny amount of time, so sometimes forgets.”

Kiyomi had been very ready to try a handshake — because that’s what people here did instead of bowing, right? — and fumbled a bit on the lack of reception. Her hand shot out, hesitated, then retreated.

“Tea-ear,” she sounded out thoughtfully, tapping one finger against her cheek. Yes, something was definitely familiar here. It was frustrating, to say the least, but she was determined to figure it out, after she was done with whatever mental meanderings her mind wandered through. Time to stretch her journalism skills and ask some questions. “People do say that, nyahh! Kiyomi wonders if maybe the world is what is slow. She feels normal-speed to herself, but then, she has lots to catch up on.”

The NEK0 didn’t overtly lean over to sniff the sandwich, but the wiggle of her nose wasn’t that subtle either. Meaty. She wasn’t hungry, but it caught her attention a little bit. What people ate said things about then. It smelled familiar too, in some weird, unsettling way. But why on earth would that be?

“Haven’t formally met, hrmm? A funny thing to say. Met informally, somewhere, then?”

”Tier-rah-gore—“

Kiyomi’s eyes snapped open halfway through her parroting. It’s taken her a moment to fully register what had been said. A low noise — almost a growl — left the back of her throat. The NEK0 clamped down on it with a dry swallow.

She sat frozen in place for another minute, simply registering her realization. The most overwhelming feelings within her, were, firstly fear. A hazy deja vu overtook her. Bits and pieces of her time in the trading post floated through her head; the smell of blood and metal, voices echoing down halls, narrow cages. No, no. She didn’t like that.

Under the fear was, foremostly, spite. The spite, she latched on to.

“Oh, so Kiyomi does know you,” she said, her voice returning to cheery monotone after a squeak… maybe with a resentful undertone. With a dainty swipe of her hand, she snatched a bit of the mystery meat from his sandwich. “She was told you would eat her. Maybe she could eat you, if she becomes a vampire some day.”

Defiant, Kiyomi ate the bit she’d taken.

If she hadn’t already swallowed the now not-so-mysterious meat, she might’ve instinctively hacked it back up like a bad hairball. “Glehh!” the NEK0 exclaimed. How dare he trick her! Even if, by all accounts, she had brought it on herself. The worst part was, it had tasted… just fine to her. Oh no.

In hindsight, she probably should have realized the nature of the sandwich by considering the nature of its eater.

After the face-scrinching and shiver of repulsion, Kiyomi sighed and faced Tier again, ears pulled back in an awkward fluster. “Perhaps she does! Though, Kiyomi thinks, you can have the rest of the sandwich. She prefers… uh… less bread and more salt, yes. Or more blood.” A stern look was flashed at the demon. “She may still yet someday suck out yours, if you do not behave. The meat is human, yes? You do not eat cats like Kiyomi anymore?” The island wouldn’t allow that. Right? “Because that will make her very, very cross.”

Like a kitten with its hackles raised, some part of her was still convinced she could scare him, a little bit, the way the whisper of his name had scared her in the trading post. Because if she could frighten the monster, then it couldn't possibly be a threat to her anymore, could it?

Quietly, Kiyomi shuddered. It didn’t seem as if her words had any impact on Teiragoran.

Though the exact meaning of his last sentence took a moment to process, she’d gotten the distinct impression that she was being mocked. He was too calm for her comfort. Worse, his had further ruffled her fur; she was pretty certain that the island wouldn’t make meat of NEK0, not when it had been such an effort to rescue them, but not certain enough to comment on it.

In all honesty, the idea of drinking people-blood just didn’t make her as nervous as eating people-meat (especially if it could be NEK0). “Kiyomi says you may. Her Mama is a vampire, so would be happy to try the blood,” she replied reflexively, tail lashing. “She, too, is a predator. Needs no special treatments.”