bakerstreet | Stray

Stray

S T R A Y

Taking in strays is, all in all, an understandable vice. The dips in between their ribs, those large and forlorn eyes, they can help you forget the claws and the teeth and the danger lurking beneath fur. But the habit's a knife edge; your efforts may not be rewarded with kindness (animal instincts aren't discretionary) and you may get bit despite what you've overlooked. A stray doesn't care about pity. All it can know is survival.

These warnings apply to strays of the more human(oid) sort, too.

But what may even more perilous with this type than any drawn blood is what you can get when they grow to trust you. You can earn their undying loyalty...or their love. Either from such a wild thing is a precarious path to go down, if you allow yourself to do it.

Comment with your character, preferences, desired roles, etc.
Reply to others.
Thread!

ＰＲＯＭＰＴＳ

ғɪɴᴅɪɴɢ — Who's that? They're no ordinary passersby! Were they in an accident? Are they foreign? ...should you approach them?

ʀᴀɪɴ, ʀᴀɪɴ, ɢᴏ ᴀᴡᴀʏ — The elements make this night no time to sleep out of doors.

ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ — Cuts, broken bones, injuries all of sorts...you have to stitch them back up, then make sure they don't get any

ɢᴏᴏᴅ ɢᴜᴇsᴛ — It's all you can do to show gratitude to the person who took you in. Fix them a meal, care for their house, whatever you can do once you're able.

ʙᴀᴅ ɢᴜᴇsᴛ — FUCK THIS PERSON AND FUCK THEIR COUCH. You didn't ask to be brought here. Let them clean up after you, you don't even care.

ᴡʜᴏ ᴀᴍ ɪ? — How you got into this situation is a mystery. Even more of a mystery is your identity, and why the person you were would be so displaced.

sᴇʟғʟᴇssɴᴇss —

ʟᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ — If you've been injured badly enough or can't remember all too well, you might have to relearn a good deal. Luckily, you have a helping hand.

sᴄᴀʀs — Scars from the encounter that lead you here or scars from prior, you don't want them to see either. You still have your secrets to keep.

sᴛᴜʙʙᴏʀɴ — Ugh, your house guest is so stubborn! They always get up when they should be resting, have the worst habits, and completely disrespect your home! You'll get to them, one way or another. Or you'll throw them out. You don't want to, but you will.

ᴄᴏᴍғᴏʀᴛ — Bad memories or nightmares wreck you; your host and nurse comes to your side unexpectedly.

ᴄᴜʟᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴄʟᴀsʜ — The person who's taken you in is from a different culture or lifestyle than you, and adapting is harder than you thought.

ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ ғᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ — Think learning about a new culture is hard? Try being a different species. Can you keep your little eccentricities at bay for the good of your station?

ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜsʏ — Now that your emotions towards your caretaker/host/jailer are softening, you're finding yourself unusually jealous of those in their life who were close to them before.

ɴᴇᴡ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴠɪᴛɪᴇs — You never thought you'd have fun after all that's happened, yet such simple gestures as a picnic or a movie make all the difference.

ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴢᴀᴛɪᴏɴ — You love them, this person who's taken you in or this person you've found. It's not a pity or a thankfulness, it's love, and you know that now. What you choose to do with this information is

ʜɪsᴛᴏʀʏ — Suddenly, the person who's been so nice to you finds out that the two of you have a history. You killed their loved ones or caused something terrible. How can they forgive you?

ᴘʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛ — So much has been done for you. The least you can do in return for the one who helped you at your lowest is make sure they never have such a low point.

ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀ ᴄᴏᴍᴇs ᴋɴᴏᴄᴋɪɴɢ — Anyone in the way of getting to you will be destroyed, and that includes the person you're staying with.

ʟɪᴠᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇᴍ — You've been given a home, maybe which you've never had before. You don't want to leave.

ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ — Not only are you living with them, but you're starting a proper life with them.

ʀᴇᴠᴇᴀʟ — All secrets are laid out on the table. You've decided to tell about your past and what lead you here.

ʀᴇᴠᴜʟsɪᴏɴ — What you've done and who you are is so heinous, they want nothing more to do. You're to leave their home and leave them alone.

ᴀᴄᴄᴇᴘᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ — It doesn't matter what they've done. You've opened your home and your heart to them, and nothing's changed.

ᴘᴀʀᴛɪɴɢ — All things must come to an end. No matter what you feel for each other, it's time to leave. Hopefully, you'll see each other again.

ʜᴀᴘᴘɪʟʏ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ — Come what may, you've decided to stay at your new home with the person you love. Now, it's safe enough to do so.

ᴡɪʟᴅᴄᴀʀᴅ

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only | Expand All

To his credit, Sakura doesn't pursue the men as they run away. No, his attention remains focused on Logan, like he's trying to figure him out.

And then he just turns to walk away, without even thanking Logan, his posture guarded and puffed up, like one might expect from a stray cat. The closest thing to vulnerability he shows is when he feels his split lip with a thumb and grimaces slightly.

The men walk away and that's perfectly fine. The kid walking away makes the prince do a double take. He checks on the woman to ensure she's alright first, and then strides over to the boy.

"Are you all right?"

"I'll be fine."

It comes out sullen and quiet, and the look he gives Logan is like he's confused by the question itself. Like people usually don't care how he is.

Like he's accustomed to going home and licking his wounds alone.

It makes a change from people hiding things from him because they feel he shouldn't be troubled by their problems. This looks like pride. He understands pride.

"So you're not." He tilts his head as he looks the kid up and down. "Is it just your lip? How are your knuckles?"

This looks like pride. Most people take it for pride. This is actually the effect of lifelong neglect and never having had anyone care about him. He doesn't understand why anyone would care, at this point.

Sakura looks down at his hands, and then shrugs. "Not too bad. Shoulder hurts a little. But I've dealt with worse."

Logan hums, though it isn't clear whether the noise is in agreement or disapproval. "I saw you the other day in another fight. Were you injured in that one too?"

"Bruises, mostly. Took a pretty hard kick to the ribs during that one. Why? Why are you asking?"

Sakura leans against the wall of a nearby building, frowning.

"Because you're too stubborn to make sure you're all right on your own, and I suspect you'd jump into another fight in a heartbeat whether you're hurt or not." Logan eyes him thoughtfully. "Let me take you to a clinic to make sure you haven't fractured anything."

Sakura lets out a hard sound that might have been meant to sound like a laugh.

"I don't have the money for a clinic." Hell, he barely has money to feed himself for the rest of the week.

"I will take you to a clinic and I will pay for it," he clarifies. It's difficult not to make it sound like a command, either.

Sakura literally flinches at that sterner tone of voice, some of his tough guy act cracking at the seams as his shoulders come up defensively.

"Sure. Whatever."

Disrespect isn't something Logan is all that used to, but given that his only real experience with teenagers is his sister... This tracks.

So he makes sure the knife he took is neatly hidden away and starts walking to the nearest clinic.

"What's your name?"

"Haruka Sakura."

He follows along with Logan, clearly still wary. He doesn't believe in people just being kind--there's going to be a catch somewhere, something the man wants or demands. It might be another fight, depending on what that is.

"Who're you?"

It's hard to shake how strange it is to see such suspicion from a stranger. One who doesn't even know him! He hasn't even done anything to deserve it! Did he? It seems unlikely that stopping the kid from getting stabbed warrants this kind of side-eye.

"Nice to meet you, Haruka Sakura. I'm Logan."

"If you want to, you can just call me Sakura."

To be fair, Sakura would levy the same doubt and standoffishness against anyone offering help. He's probably going to be just as awkward with clinic staff.

That is going to be oddly reassuring.

"Sakura, then. And do you get into fights every day, or have I just come across you at a strange time?"

"People think in a freak because of my hair and my eyes. A lot of the time they'll start fights with me, looking for someone to pick on. Today's the rare time I started the fight."

To protect someone else.

"Because of your hair and your eyes?" Is that really why people start fights these days? "Aren't they part of some sort of fashion?"

He never did particularly care about fashion trends. Looking good? Sure, but keeping up with the ever changing madness of style fads? That's far too involved. He just assumed Sakura's look was part of all of that.

He lets out a snort that absolutely isn't a bitter little laugh.

"No, I was born like this. I'm just a freak by nature." Even those who raised him treated him like an outsider, like he wasn't fully human, because of how he looks.

Logan thinks it looks rather pretty, but he keeps that to himself. Once the kid grows up he might look quite handsome if he owns his unusual appearance. And if he doesn't break his nose too many times before then.

"Everyone is a freak to somebody else. Just by being born. By looking a different way, or sounding different, or knowing a different life."

"Not everyone gets treated like shit for it, though."

If it was just kids, he might have grown to tolerate it in time, but those who raised him also reacted with revulsion to Sakura's appearance.

"How far to the clinic?"

"Not everyone," he agrees. "But more than you think."

Logan looks the kid over, assessing the flight risk next to him.

"A two minute walk. Since you felt just fine taking on a group of grown men I assume that won't be a problem for you."

"No, of course not. Why would it be a problem." Ah, yes, the appeal to pride. A surefire way to get someone like Sakura to prove he can do the thing.

Well that was easier than expected.

"How often do you get into fights then?"

"A couple times a week, maybe?" Some weeks worse than others. Some fights worse than others. "It's what I'm good for."

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject