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 Guts the Food Thief

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tkh1304
Temple scourge
Temple scourge
tkh1304


Posts : 747
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Age : 34

Guts the Food Thief Empty
PostSubject: Guts the Food Thief   Guts the Food Thief Icon_minitimeSun Dec 14, 2014 6:51 am

Chapter 1


Evening was coming to the town. Some last ray of the day shone upon the opened window of a house. The house itself was just an ordinary house with nothing special, except from the window, a plate with a chunk of dry bacon could be spotted placed neatly on a ceramic plate on a table. A human house-wife just left her kitchen for another business, so the bacon was left defendless, creating a perfect opportunity for any house pest to attack the delicious content.

Fast but cautiously, from a hidden crack above the table, a tiny black-haired figure climbed down and dashed toward the bacon. His name was Guts the Tomthumb, clad in clothes made from black cloth and one hand wielding a right-size needle. With the needle sharpened on two sides, he sank the blade of his improvised sword onto the chunk of bacon.

"Tough piece of meat", Guts frowned as the blade stuck half-way. Pulling the blade out, he held it high on the air and used all of the strength he could muster to make a decisive blow on the opened cut. The blade made a clean cut through the chunk smoothly like cutting a cheese. A little too smoothly as the blade left the bacon and hit into the ceramic plate underneath. A dry *clang* sound echoed in the kitchen, following by the sound of hasty footstep toward the kitchen. Trouble was coming in the shape of the house-wife, and Guts gulped when noticing a big rolling pin hanged near the kitchen's entrance. He was not in a very good term with the housewife of this house after a lot of times of stealing the food here.

Not having luxury time to divide the slice of bacon into smaller pieces, Guts tied the whole bulky slice on his back and ran as fast as possible to the crack where he emerged from. Luck was with him, as the moment he entered the crack, he could hear the angry voice spoken by the housewife: "That little food thief again!? Next time, I will use mouse traps!"

"Yeah, right. Use them, please", Guts smirked and he walked following the way inside the crack. Mouse trap often had some nice food as bait like a piece of cheese, and he knew the trick to get the food without triggering the trap. Still, it would be safer for him to avoid this house for a while. Next time, he should try the house at outskirt of the town, since he had "visited" every house near his home. It would be a very long trip considering his size, but that house-owner, an old senile man, was "friendly" enough to not mind some disappearing pieces of crunchy garlic bread, the old man's favourite snack.

As he got out of the crack to the ground level outside the house, Guts quickly went to hide behind a nearby crate to avoid being seen by humans and, especially, nekos. Humans would beat him with their dirty broom, while nekos just happily treated him like a light snack. Behind the crate, he discovered some leftover papers full of inked writing. He could read them if he tried, but did not bother at all, because they had a better purpose: bacon wrappings! Carefully hauled the slice onto a clean enough paper, he used his needle sword to cut out many tiny piece of papers that fit his hand, and started to divided the meat into these paper wrappings.

"Nice catch!" his eye gleamed as the pile of wrapped bacon just got higher and higher. Bacon and meat-alike was hard to come by among tiny people in this town, so he could exchange it with other tomthumbs or neeras for some other tasty treats. Another nice thing was that bacon could be stored longer than other food, so whenever Guts got his hand on some, it would guarantee him a short break from this dangerous food-hunting business. Not mentioned how delicious bacon was!

When everything was done, Guts sat down, cleaned his needle sword with some leftover paper and took a proud look at his trophy. More than thirty pieces of paper-wrapped bacon! He took a wrapping and enjoyed the content inside. The taste of bacon was so flavorful that he savored every moment of eating it. The housewife of this house was a nasty opponent, but she surely knew her way with bacon! He would try to get more for himself, but it would be more fun if he enjoyed the bacon together with his sister Ri.

"It has been a while since we have bacon", Guts imagined the happy face of his sister. She always liked something meaty like this.

But first thing was first. Now, Guts needed to figure out how to carry the bacon back to his home. Since there were still many leftover papers here, he could turn them into a multi-layer paper bag to stuff in the food.

+++

With a big paper bag on his back, Guts hurried toward the direction of his home. The weather today was be in his favor, as it would be very bad if rain fell down and wet all of his hard-earned bacon.

From where he was, it only took a human ten minutes of leisure walking, but considering his size, it would mean a few hours. And he had to beware any sign of danger. Dogs and cats, both wild and domestic, were nasty opponents, and he hoped the smell of delicious bacon would not lure them. Birds and bats were troublesome to deal with, but at least they did not dare to come near houses where bigger people live. The most dangerous predator would still be nekos, the nemesis of tiny people, but fortunately, they were rarely seen in this town. Meanwhile, humans here were pretty clumsy when coming to catch tinies, so they were pretty much not a big deal.

His journey home went uneventfully, which was a good thing, and the night already casted it curtain on the town when he was near his home. Just walking some tens more of steps, turning right at the road corner where the trash can was, and his home, a ground-level well-disguised hole on the stony wall in an alley full of trash, would be in his sight.

When was about to turn at the corner, Guts heard someone talking and stopped his track. Was it human children who occasionally played hide-and-seek in the alley? Nah, it could not be, because they would obediently return home in evening.  Or was it the usual homeless person who wandered and scavenged whatever usable for living and sometimes visited this place? Though not tomthumb-eater, that guy was always hungry, and it would be bad if he decided to take away his hard-earned bacon.

"Only one way to find out", Guts stuck to the wall and took a peek. What he saw sent a chill descending down his spine.

Neko, and two of them! One was a tall guy in human's average, and another was a girl whose height was one-head shorter. Both of them shared the same black ears and tails with white tips, making them look like siblings. Their fashion sense of color was similar, with both clad in dark blue and tattered clothes. The only difference was their choice of clothes: the guy was with T-shirt and trousers, while the girl was more revealing with sleeveless shirt and short jeans. Since nekos were rare in this town, most of tiny people recognized every single local neko together with their hunting habist and areas. Guts never saw those before, so they must be outsiders, which were always bad news.

Since the place Guts was now was far away from them, so they had not yet discovered him. But if they came closer, they could catch his smell, especially when he was with the bacon. Carefully and silently, he hid the paper bag in a nearby crack, and approached a bag of trash near the overflowing trash can. With a slash, he cut open the thin trash bag, and let stinky liquid content pour on him. He hated this trick, as it would take him days of bathing to make the smell go away, but it had many times saved his life. The smell of trash helped him to mask his scent from neko's sharp nose, especially in an alley full of trash like this, and turn off appetite of even the hungriest neko in case of him being caught.

The stink on his body made him wanted to throw up, but he withstood it and took another peek. The female neko was sitting on a crate, and the male was searching for something along the wall. When they did not notice, he ran to a brick lying between them, for better view and hearing. From his new location, Guts could see the neko girl was turning round and round a square netted box, which looked like an insect cage that human children often carry around.

"Hey, Wissy, are you sure this is the right place?, the male neko complained

"If that old neera did not lie to us, then yeah, this is where you can get the most daring tomthumb in this town", Wissy said and made a bored purr, "So stop complaining and do your job, Anvar"

The most daring tomthumb? It sounded like a bad new to Guts. Tiny people around here often said that he was a daredevil, even though he only did necessary things to survive. But why were they searching for him?

"Call me "Big Bro", and can you stop playing with that cage?" Anvar looked annoyed.

"Not wanna. This place is too smelly!", Wissy giggled

"Of course, it's smelly, because it is full of trash here!" Anvar stomped on the wall, leaving a muddy print on it, "If that tomthumb is really living here, then he must have a few screws loose! Even wanderers like us cannot live in such a dumpster like this!"

To Guts, that insult brought him a smirk. Being hardly visited by any neko meant that his choice of home was a right one. And he did not really need to worry about the smell, because there was a place in his home that he and his sister could live without smelling the trash all day long.

"Anyway, let give up on this stupid search and just do our job like how we always do it", Anvar pulled another crate and sat on it.

"I would agree with you on this. But, the target this time is not our average household. Our client warns that she is dangerous," Wissy put the cage down.

"Then why did you even accept it!? Didn't we agree with each other to not get dangerous jobs?", Anvar facepalmed.

"You would understand if you spent less time to drink and met the client with me!", Wissy looked dreamy, "Two bag full of glittering skevols! And he is going to give us three more after we get him the stuff! There is no way I would pass a fatty chance like that!"

"You never say anything about how much we get for this job!. Anyway, let just ditch the job and enjoy what we get then!" Anvar said in eagerness.

"No can do, Anvar. I made this deal without telling the boss, so we can hog all the money for ourselves. If we ditch him, he may tell our boss!", Wissy's face turned grim.

"Tch, then we have no choice. The boss is nasty when he is angry", Anvar sighed, "Anyway, I still don't understand why we should get a tomthumb for this job"

"A tomthumb only needs a crack to enter a house, while we have to break window or picklock door, which may get us caught. And, it would be safer for us to make him do our dirty job. The worst thing happen is the target will think the tomthumb as another food thief. From what I heard, this town is full of tiny food thieves", Wissy explained.

Guts gritted his teeth and thought, "Damn cowards."

"Okay, sound like a plan. But let say we get one, how can we ensure that he would not try to run away during the job, or spill the bean about us if he get caught?"

"That's why I'm interested in this tomthumb. Apparently, he is the best food thief around here, according to that neera. And, interestingly, he has," Wissy's lips formed an evil smile, "a little sister"

"Oh, I understand now. You want a hostage to order that tomthumb around, right? What an evil neko you are", Anvar cackled.

The conversation continued, but Guts did not hear the latter part, as a rage was swelling up inside him. They were going to take advantage on his love for his sister to make him do their dirty job. If he was able to, he would stab them to die with his needle sword.

"Calm yourself down. They have not yet caught Ri", Guts mumbled to himself quietly. If he was right, then Ri should be in the room further inside the hole, where the pair of blasted neko could not get her. Ri was an obedient sister, so she would not take his advice to not wander outside when night fell. Now, he only needed to wait for them to get bored for their fruitless search and leave him and his sister alone.

"Big brother, what are you doing here?", a familiar voice asked him from behind.

With a pale face, he turned to the voice's direction and saw his sister Ri standing at the corner. She was a young tomthumb whose hair was in chestnut color, inherited from her mother, and dressed in a white long dress made from a dining napkin. A piece of big cheese was on her hands. She must be back from a friend's place, as she only wore that precious dress when visiting friends.

Before Guts could pull Ri to behind the brick, Wissy's voice of joy emerged: "Ah hah, what do we have here? I will get the sister, while you get the brother!"

Busily looking at his sister, Guts did not notice that the two nekos had swiftly approached the brick and discovered him hiding behind. Wissy ran past him toward Ri.

"Run away, Ri. To the nearest crack!", Guts yelled out with all the air in his lungs, and saw the shadow of Anvar's hand was quickly enclosing him.

"I don't have time to deal with you!" Guts held his needle sword up high against the Anvar's palm. Anvar made a yelp in pain and withdrew his hand which was stabbed by the needle.

Using that moment, Guts chased after Wissy. Ri still stood there, staring dumbfoundedly at the approaching neko. Why did Ri not run away? He asked himself, and immediately knew why: One of her friend used to be eaten in front of her by a neko, giving her a piece of traumatic memory together with neko-phobia. Whenever Ri saw a neko, she was so scared to the point that she got frozen stiff.

It took Wissy no effort to scoop up the frozen Ri with her right hand, "Piece of... Owie!" She screamed in pain with the hair on her tail all standing up when Guts had just took advantage the momentum of his charge to lunge his needle into her revealing left heel. The attack pierced into her skin so deeply that only the handle of the needle was visible now.

"Put down my sister. Now!", Guts gave many kicks onto the needle's handle to make it go even deeper into the neko's heel.

"Stop! It hurts!", the pain was too much for Wissy to take that she fell down on her left knee.

Before Guts could dash toward the hand that was holding Ri, the giant hand of Anvar roughly grasped and brought him up to the face level of the male neko. "You little piece of shit!" Furiously, Anvar threw Guts to the nearby wall.

Guts' back hit hard onto the wall and fell down on the ground with his face down. The taste of blood was the last thing he felt before his consciousness drifted away. Funnily, it tasted salty just like the bacon.


Last edited by tkh1304 on Thu Feb 12, 2015 5:16 am; edited 3 times in total
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tkh1304
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tkh1304


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Guts the Food Thief Empty
PostSubject: Re: Guts the Food Thief   Guts the Food Thief Icon_minitimeThu Dec 25, 2014 1:20 pm

Chapter 2
Deep inside a ground-level crack at a trash site was a room. Humid and illuminated by only a few glowing mushroom, an old tomthumb lied on a matchbox cushioned with many layers of soft paper. His wound, caused by a nasty dog bite, was still bleeding under the bandage, drenching the cloth with deep red color. The only sound could be was his hard breathing and the drop of rainwater hitting the room outside. Staying next to his bed was a two young tomthumb: one with chestnut hair, sleeping with her head leaned on the bed, and another with black hair, just like the old tomthumb, sat quietly and awake.

"G-Guts", the old man opened his eyes and said with a weak voice, as if he was whispered.

"Old man", the young Guts answered and reached his hand toward his sister Ri, intending to wake her up.

"Let her sleep. I want to talk with you", the father said, and Guts withdrew his hand.

"I think I'm going away soon", the father said.

"Silly old man. That joke will make Ri cry. A lot", Guts replied, knowing his father was dying.

"Yes, she will surely cry a river and flood this room.", the father chuckled weakly, Stay with her, like always."

"Yeah, I will certainly stay with her longer than you", Guts said, trying to keep himself calm.

"If this is a folk tale, the dying father should leave behind for his children something useful. Too bad, I have nothing for you two", the father sighed.

"You have a needle and a whetstone. Mind if I take them?"

"Not like I can give them to anyone but you", the father took a deep breath, "Use them well, protect your sister, or I will send all of your teeth flying."

"Is threatening his son something a dying person should do?", Guts could not stop himself making a faint smile.

"..."

"Old man?"

"..."

"Damn, I've not yet bragged how wonderful you're as a father", Guts turned to Ri and was surprised as she was looking at him. If he remembered it right, then she should've slept until the next sunrise. Wait, what did he just think about?

"Did Dad just passed away?", Ri asked, tears forming on her eyes.

"Ri, I know it was hard for you, but,", Guts put his hand on her shoulders.

"Why did not you wake me up? I could've talked to Dad the final time", Ri's tears started to roll on her cheek.

"Ri, listen, I...", Guts said, feeling something very wrong here. Did things really happen this way?

"You should've waken me up!", Ri bursted out of crying. Many drops of tear fell down on the ground, and started to flood the room. The water level was rising at an alarming rate.

"Stop, Ri, you're going to drown us all!", Guts shook her shoulders, but she did not stop crying.

Then Guts discovered that his hands stuck like glue on her shoulders and helplessly looked at the water rising past his neck and toward his nose. His sister surely cried a river and flooded the room, just like his deceased father had said.

+++

"Blurp. Blurp", Guts opened his eyes, discovered himself being choked underwater. Something like a big hand was holding him down.

Before he could think of anything, he was pulled out of the water. Coughing and spitting out the water he drank accidently, he saw a pair of blue cat-like eyes staring at him.

"Oh, our little tomthumb has waken up!", Wissy grinned broadly and raised him to her eye level.

"W-what the hell are you doing!?", Guts spat.

"Giving you a bath, of course. You're stink! I never knew there is such a smelly tomthumb like you. Are you King of the Trash Site or something?", Wissy shrugged

"I need no bath from a neko like you!", Guts looked around and saw that they were at a water stream near the town. Before he could make more complain, he was dipped again in the cold water.

"Blurp. Stop! You mons... blurp. I will... blurp", Guts angrily yelled at the neko, who had fun to interrupt his speech with each dip.

"Ah, but we need you not smelling like a stink bug", Wissy turned to Anvar, who was playing with head-tail by himself with a coin, "Hey Anvar, gimme the soap"

"Call me "Big Bro", Anvar flipped the coin and catch it on the back of his hand, "Tch, head again"

"Oh "Big Useless Bro", please stop playing with yourself like a dumb cat and gimme the soap. Now!", Wissy hissed.

"Oi, you don't need to be that harsh!", Anvar complained and threw her the soap.

"That's better", Wissy caught the soap and rubbed it on Guts, who was helplessly struggling, "Okay, with this, you will be as clean as a kitten licked by her mother!"

"What the-! My eyes!", Guts thrashed around as the soap's foam got into his eyes.

"Ah, this reminded me of you when we were still taking bath together", Anvar grinned, "You clung on me tightly whenever the soap got into your eyes"

"That was ages ago! Stop reminding of such embarrassing thing!", Wissy snorted.

"Damn you nekos! Having fun with torturing us tomthumbs like this", Guts spat the bitter taste of soap.

"Like I said, this is a bath. And do you think how much it costs to get a soap for your bathing?", Wissy smiled sadistically.

"Zero. Because you stole it from a house", Anvar grinned.

"Okay. Time to rinse some water", Wissy ignored Anvar and put Guts into the cold water again.

This time, Guts knew to shut his mouth and stop his breathing so no water got into his lungs until he got pulled out of the water again.

Wissy sniffed him a few times and nodded in please, "Okay, the soap did the trick. Our Trash King now smells like a bud of rose," she turned to Anvar, "Put him into the cage", and threw him.

"Finally", Anvar roughly grasped the flying tomthumb, opened the blue cage and put him in. The landing was hard, but he did not suffer any broken bone.

Before he could threw swears and curses to the two nekos, a familiar voice spoke: "Big brother!"

Guts turned to the voice, and saw Ri was standing next to him, "Ri!"

They gave each other a quick hug.

"Big brother, are you hurt?", Ri asked worriedly.

"No, I'm fine. Just a little cold", Guts laughed.

"Look at their touching union, Wissy. When will you give me a hug everytime I get home?" Anvar's stared from above.

"If you stop smelling like a drunkard for a month, maybe I will consider", Wissy's voice replied

"Hiii!", Ri got frozen again under his stare. Her neko-phobia was kicking in.

"Hide behind me, Ri", Guts stood up, letting his shadow cast on Ri so that she could feel more secure. He stared right back at Anvar's eyes, silently challenging him.

Their staring contest last for a short while, and Anvar closed the cage's lid.

"It seems we choose a right one, Wissy. He looks tough for the job", Anvar's voiced said.

"Of course, it is my idea, after all", Wissy's voice sounded proud.

"I don't like how he acts tough and treats us like equals, though. A captured tomthumb should know his place", the sound of finger snapping could be heard.

"Are drinking and fighting all what you can think of? We need him in one piece", Wissy disapproved.

 They argued more about how rotten Anvar's personality. While they were at it, Guts took a glance on his surrounding, hoping to see some escape way.

 The cage only has a netted wall, while the rest was made from blue-painted wood, so they would not see any neko, unless they showed up to the netted wall side or open the lid above. For an ugly-looking cage, it looked too sturdy for him to do anything. The cage suddenly went shaking, nearly threw off his balance. It seemed the two neko were carrying them to somewhere.

"Big brother, your clothes are wet", Ri said.

"Ah, you're right. Too bad that I don't have any spare clothes here", Guts turned to Ri, "Hope you don't mind if I strip here"

"Uh huh. We can't help it, right?", Ri thoughtfully turned away.

Guts stripped his black shirt, revealing a well-built body with a long scar running along from his right shoulder to his wrist, a memento from his fight with a fierce wild cat. He removed his long pants too, but only to squeeze the water out before putting it on again. It would be awkward for his sister with him having only his underwear on, and he especially did not want to be teased by the two nekos. A little wetness would not kill.

"Okay, I'm done", Guts said. He squeezed the water from the shirt and hanged it on the convenient nail poking out from the cage's wall.

"Are you hungry, big brother? Please have this", Ri gave him a piece of cheese. It was the one she carried before being caught, "Mr. Warren gives me when I was on the way home. He said as an apology gift."

So, that old neera Warren, one of his acquaintance who he often traded meat for his cheese, was the one who got caught by the neko and forked out info about Guts and his sister? But he could not blame him though. He only wanted to live. Every fault fell right on the head of these two blasted nekos.

"I would treat you bacon, but those nekos did not even gave me a chance", Guts sighed and received the cheese, snapped a big piece of it and gave it to Ri, "Here, one of your favourite food, right?"

"Thanks, big brother", Ri happily received her portion.

"Silly, it is yours in the first place", Guts snapped another piece and put the cheese between them, and took a big piece. Soft and melting right on the tongue. That Warren always secures the best cheese in the town, since he lived in a cheese-making house.

When Guts was eating the third piece, the cage shook violently and stopped. Had they arrived?

"Is the wound on your heel acting up again? That's why I said you should stop kicking every damn stone the road. Come here and I will piggyback you", Anvar's voices sounded worried.

"Shut up. It is no big deal. I can walk by myself", Wissy's voice sounded annoyed

From the netted wall side, the two tomthumb could see Wissy walking fast ahead while dragging one of her leg. That sight made Guts smirked. That was the wound he gave her.

"Server her right", Guts said

"Is that your doing, big brother?", Ri asked

"Yeah. She reaps what she sows. Oh wait, you can look at that neko now?", Guts was surprised.

"Yes, as long as she does not stare at me, I'm fine with looking at her from afar", Ri nodded. Her gaze did not averted from the limping neko "I feel... sorry for her."

"You're so kind, Ri. But not all people deserve kindness, especially nekos", Guts pat Ri's head.

"Big brother."

"Anything, Ri?"

"You smell like rose"

"Must be the soap's fault", Guts sniffed his arm and snorted. Smell like a cheap kind.

+++

From what Guts saw from the cage, the two nekos did not go back to the town and continued to go further to the outskirt. There were not many houses around here, both lighted and non-lighted ones. Instead, shadow figures of wild bushes and trees could be seen, and the air was filled with the chirping sound of crickets.

"Big brother, where are they taking us to?", Ri asked worriedly.

"I don't know. But they need us alive, so we will be safe for a while", Guts observed the surrounding, trying to figure out the direction.

"If you say so", Ri trusted her brother and did not ask why he knew that.

Guts had a bad feeling, as the two nekos had gone further than any place he used to travel. The furthest place he used to travel was the house of that senile man with garlic bread, but they had passed that house for a long while. He wondered how long it would take for him and his sister to travel back home, if they managed to escape the clutch of these shady nekos. Would they even know where their home's direction was?

"Okay, this place makes a good temporary hideout", Wissy said as she leaded her brother deep into the hollow space of a fallen tree trunk. On her hand was some kind of faint glowing egg-shaped stone that shone the way.

"Too much walking for my body", Anvar sighed, sat down on the floor and put down the cage. A strong mossy smell attacked the cage suddenly, making the two tomthumb cough a few times.

"Oh, so my "big useless brother" now has evolved in to a "big useless old man", huh?", Wissy sat next to him with the cage in middle of them.

"Oi, stop saying "useless". you're hurting my feeling", Anvar whined

"Only after you stop burning our hard-earned money in those catnip drinks", Wissy shrugged and opened the cage's door, "It's time for us to fill our little "helper" with the job's detail".

Ri got frozen by the neko's stare again, and Guts hid her behind his back, "What do you want from me? Is it something involved me entering someone's house through a crack?"

"Oh, so you eavesdropped us, huh? Not really a gentleman", Wissy frown amusedly

"Better than two dumb oversize cats that spoke their plan out loud in front of someone's house", Guts snorted.

"Watch your mouth. Do you want me turn you into tomthumb paste?", Anvar hissed at the cage. Poor Ri shunned even more behind her brother's back.

"Go ahead. You two would not have much use of me if it happens, anyway", Guts crossed his arm unfazedly.

Silent menacing air sparked between Guts and Anvar.

"Your name is Guts, right?", Wissy suddenly asked.

"Yeah, so?"

"You really live up your name. I never see a tomthumb that thinks he could look down on nekos like you", Wissy was amused.

"I don't think I could look down on nekos. I already look down on nekos, especially you two. Spineless kittens who have to rely on a tomthumb to do their dirty job", Guts smirked.

"Speak more rubbish and I will...", Anvar snapped and shook the cage. Guts grasped the mesh of the netted wall to stand firm, while Ri clung tightly on him.

"Stop messing thing up, you stupid brother! What if he gets injured!? Go outside for a watch and leave the talking to me!", Wissy took the cage and turned her back to her brother, who angrily stomped his feet away.

"Okay, Guts. You're certainly reckless, more than I expect. However, I believe you're also a smart guy. Since you've eavesdropped the details from before, I guess I don't need to repeat that again, right?", Wissy said the word "right" with a lengthy tone.

Guts clenched his fist. They were going to use his sister as a hostage, so that he had no choice but followed their bidding.

"Big brother. What is she talking about?", Ri, who still clung behind Guts, spoke with a timid voice.

"Nothing, Ri. We will be okay", Guts whispered to Ri. Then, he looked up to the neko girl, "What do I need to do to get our freedom?"

"I like smart guys. They catch up thing so fast", Wissy grinned in triumph, and put her hand near Guts, "I hope you don't refuse a lady's invitation?"

Guts would have given that big hand a kick, if Ri did not ask him: "Big brother, are you going to somewhere?".

"Yes, I need to. Stay here, and use this to cover your eyes when needed", Guts took his black shirt hanged on the nail and gave it to Ri. It was still a little damp and smelled like rose, but still good enough for Ri to avoid looking at the neko brother during his absence.

"Please, be safe", Ri nodded and clutched the shirt while looking her brother climbing onto the giant hand of the neko.

+++

Leaving the fallen hollow tree, Wissy, with Guts in her hand, silently ascended higher toward the top of the hill. Her hand enclosed Guts with a tight enough grip so that Guts could not struggle to escape. Not like he wanted to, because it would endanger his precious sister. Another hand of her was holding that egg-shaped glow stone.

Even with many dead leaves and branches on the ground and a wounded heel, Wissy managed to create no sound during her climbing. Either it was the infamous "neko-walk" that made her species tiny-hunter who stroke without sound, or she was very careful about where to tread.

"Where are we going? And what is exactly the job I need to do?", Guts asked. His voice was a little too loud

"Shh, be quiet, please. It would be dangerous if she hears us", Wissy said and put her giant finger on Guts' lips. He gave it a strong bite, making her stop walking and withdraw her hand with a frown.

"So, who's this "she"? I guess she's someone you two scaredy cats would not want to mess with directly", Guts asked with a low voice this time, not forgetting to make a mocking smirk.

"I don't know", Wissy replied while resuming her climbing.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"The only thing the client warned us was that this "she" could devour nekos with ease, if "she" is in the mood", Wissy's face showed an expression of disbelief and cautiousness.

"You don't intend to ask me to enter a giantess's house, do you?", Guts wondered. Based on the description, this "she" certainly sounded like a giantess or whatever in giant size to be able to devour a neko.

 "Of course, silly. We checked the house yesterday. It was as big as a human house, unless you define humans as giants and giantesses", Wissy replied,

"Then why don't you two thieves just enter it and do what you want when the house-owner is out? Why bother asking a tomthumb like me?"

"Because we're scared. Being near that house makes all of my neko hair standing", Wissy took a rest for a moment with her ears standing up, trying to catching any suspicious sound.

"Oh, so nekos can feel scared, huh?", Guts mocked.

Wissy stopped, taking in a few deep breathes, as if she was trying hold down her emotion. Then, she brought Guts to her eye-level.

"A friendly advice for you, Guts. If it was not me but my brother bringing you, he would be doing terrible things on you now. He's a neko with very short fuse of patience, unlike me", Wissy seemed trying to force down a hiss. It seemed her patience had its limit too.

"Be my guest, then", Guts' face did not show any expression of fright at all. He was used to be threatened for his full-time job of a food thief.

"I know that you will say that, but just think about your little sister. What would do her good when you suffered from a stupid wound for angering a neko and could not do the job for us? Think twice before saying anything insulting against someone having upper-handed on you".

"You...", Guts gritted his teeth and turned away before he could spit out more insulting words. It was clearly a threat using his little sister. Finally, he let out a defeated sigh, "Whatever"

"It's good that we come to an understanding", Wissy grinned, ignoring the glare from Guts.

"If this job of yours is that dangerous, just refuse it then", Guts said, locking his habit of spitting bad words inside.

"That was what I thought when first arriving to the house. But we cannot abandon the job," Wissy looked down, regretfully

"Is it about the payment? Too grand to ignore?"

"Yeah, you're a sharp tomthumb, and I like that fact. Want a kiss?", Wissy giggled.

"Mind if I throw up now?"

"If your sense of humour is a little brighter, then you would certainly popular among ladies. What a waste", Wissy sighed.

"I don't want to be popular with nekos. And can you stop these silly off-topics already and get straight to the point?"

"Okay, fine, fine. Geez, since we do the same thieving job, I just hoped that we can have a nice chat to lift the heavy mood", Wissy stopped for a rest again. Keeping stealth while climbing on a hill seemed take a good toll on her endurance. This time, she seemed started to trust Guts enough to put him down to the ground.

"Stay here. I remember seeing some pain-relieving plants around this place", with that saying, she limbed into the darkness of the hill and disappeared.

It was surprising to Guts that the neko let him out of her clutch and left him alone. If he took such a precious chance to escape now... He shook that idea out of his head. So what? Any rash attempt from him would endanger Ri. Did they not hold her as hostage to prevent him from escaping?

"Oh, you're still here,", Wissy returned with a bunch of blue leaves and grinned, "I feel a little worried that you would take the chance to escape."

"Tch", he shrugged. The chance itself was, after all, a test to see how much valuable the hostage was to him.

She loosened the bandage on her heel, chewed the leave and applied the content on the wound. A grimace expression she made, and Guts turned away to hide his "serve you right" face.

"It creeps me out to think the needle you stabbed me with was finger-long", Wissy tied the bandage back, "But these leaves can relieve the wound nicely."

"You must be pleased to see your stabber under your mercy now", Guts said, not sure whether he was mocking her or mocking himself.

"Everyone would be pleased when his or her plan progresses smoothly. But I can only blame myself for underestimating you. Some of your folk are nasty little morsel to deal with", Wissy looked more relaxed. It seemed the leaves had really lessened her pain, "I know the method is underhanded, but why not just thinking that you're helping your fellow thieves in trouble? Both of us would feel better that way"

"Spoke someone who takes someone else's sister as a hostage. And, I steal food to survive, not for skevols like you", Guts snorted

"We need skevols to buy food, you know, especially when we have many mouths to feed", Wissy seems remembering something at her home, "And it's not like we want to be thieves. The boss is a horrible and greedy person. No matter how much money we make for him, he only pays us a minimal amount and we could barely live with such pay. So, when this client piles up his skevols, I thought we could make big money for ourselves without telling the boss."

"And you discover this job is bigger than you two can chew, huh? Why not just ditching the job and playing with all the pre-payment, like your brother has suggested then?", Guts said, trying to holding his mocking tone. No good thing happened if he made her angry

"The client seems knowing the boss, but he contacted with us privately. If we ditch the job and he tells the boss, we would be killed. Literally. The boss loathes people doing things behind his back", Wissy looked very regretful for having taken the job.

A feeling of sympathy rose in his mind, but quickly got subsided. Why should he care about their reason?

"Anyway, this talking still leads to nowhere. I want to get this job done as soon as possible to return to my sister. Being with that shady brother of yours would be bad for her health"

"Well, I don't deny that he looks shady and rash. But he's actually a decent neko, even though he is a little too into catnip", Wissy chuckled.

"Isn't that fact makes him even worse? The idea of my sister being next to that catnip-addicted neko... ugh. Her neko-phobia would act up."

"So, she has neko-phobia, huh? No wonder she was as stiff as wood when I caught her"

Guts regretted his big mouth immediately. Why could he blurt out his sister's weakness to a neko like this? Must be her friendly act made him drop his guard.

"Please don't use that for your advantage. Ri has a hard time to overcome her closest friend being eaten in front of her by a neko", Guts said firmly and looked down.

"I don't know that you can say "Please" too. All big brothers seem dotting for their little sisters", Wissy giggled.

"What about you? You seem belittle him every time you're with him, but then says good things about him behind his back", Guts retorted.

 "Wh-what're you talking about? Anyways, the next stop will be the final one", Wissy blushed and stood up, walking fast to hide her embarrassment.

"I don't get you being all friendly with me. What're you trying to gain? Or, is that how you chat with your preys, giving them hope and then gulp them down in the end?", Guts remembered this sadistic side of some hunting nekos in his town.

"Because I'm the talking type, and you're an interesting tomthumb compared to the ones I used to catch. The way you care and fight for your sister is so admirable. If you're a male neko, I think I may fall in love with you", Wissy grinned

"Praising me won't get you to my side", Guts affirmed firmly.

"Don't be a killjoy like that. Plus, I admit that I feel a little guilty to push all the burdens to you like this", Wissy twitched her ears.

"Only a little guilty? You're putting my life on line, using my sister!", Guts spat in disgusted

"We're putting our life on line too. Either we get our job done, or get killed by the boss. We have nowhere to run now. And my brother", Wissy trembled, "He got nothing to do with this. If I was not so greedy to accept this risky job, we would have not been in such a mess. I'm such a horrible sister"

Guts went silent for a little. The love between brother and sister, he could relate to that, because he could kill just to make his sister, the only family of his, happy.

"You're certainly a horrible sister. But your big brother is not any better. What kind of big brother let his sister involved in danger? Nah, not like I have the rights to say that, though. My sister is in danger too", Guts said, trying to hide his sympathy tone

"Thank for your comfort, Guts", Wissy smiled gratefully.

"Who in the hell wants to comforts you? Just talking to myself", Guts shrugged, feeling a little regret for sympathizing her, "Anyway, how exactly dangerous about the target in this thieving job?"

"The client never gave us any specific detail about her aside from her being dangerous if she wants to, so I don't actually have anything to fill you", Wissy made a sheepish smile, then looked grim, "But when I first approached the house ,my neko instinct told me to stay away from it. My brother felt that too, and it was the first time that I saw him suggested us to run away instead just recklessly rushing in like a brute like usual. Our instinct has saved our tail many times, so we really believe in our guts. No pun intended, by the way"

"Sound like some good news. And the pun is lame", Guts shrugged.

"When we're stuck, we wandered around to grab something to eat, and heard about people complaining about tiny food thieves in the town. That's why I have an idea to use a tomthumb thief, and you're the most famous one."

"And with a little sister to boost", Guts bit his lips bitterly. He never knew his fame would bring him such a trouble.

"Here is the place", Wissy quickly rushed toward a nearby tree, and let Guts to sneak a peek on the target's house.


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Guts the Food Thief Empty
PostSubject: Re: Guts the Food Thief   Guts the Food Thief Icon_minitimeSun Jan 11, 2015 12:33 am

Chapter 3

Compared to other houses in the town, the house on the top of the hill was at least three times bigger. It was also quite a beautiful one: chestnut-colored wooden structure and surrounded by high fences covered densely with white-flowered vines. There was no tree shadowing on where the house was, and from the vast sky above, gently moonlight freely painted onto it with a soothing gleam.

Still, the fact that the house standing alone on the top of the hill where no one visited, and Wissy's warning about an ominous feeling made the house look extraordinarily eerie. Definitely not a place for faint-hearted and sharp-instinct neko thieves. But there was something else bugging him even more. A lone house on top of a hill and a scary person who could devour big people like nekos. Where had he heard that before?

"That's our target. If I remember it right, then her name is...", Wissy whispered, and Guts could felt the hand holding him tremble.

"Youko", Guts spoke what he thought.

"Yes, her name is Youko... Wait a second, I don't remember mentioning her name even once", Wissy looked at Guts with eyes wide-opened

"Youko appears in some bedtime story that human parents tell their children to prevent them doing mischievous things."

"I'm not from the town, so I don't know," Wissy paused for a second, "What is the story about?"

"I don't really know the details, either. But I used to heard it once when trying to sneak some sweets from a human girl."

"You don't even spare kids? That girl must get a nightmare when seeing her candies stolen!", Wissy giggled softly.

"Certainly a nightmare, but to me. That girl hid so many sweets under her bed that ants made a "lovely" nest there," Guts shook his head to clear away the thought about himself fighting for his life out an army of red ants. Still, he managed to steal a square of chocolate as his trophy.

"But some petty ants could not able to hurt our little hero here, right?", Wissy poked his cheek . Guts guessed it was her way to clear the nervousness of being near the house.

"Anyway, the story is about a witch who lures bad children into her house on a hill with mysterious magic and eats them whole", Guts said briefly.

"And?", Wissy looked excited.

"That's what I know. If you want more details, go ask someone in the town then", he shrugged

"Aw", Wissy shook in disappointment, "We've wandered around in the town for a few days already. The town people have started to suspect us for their vanished stuffs. Better to finish this quick".

"Yeah, I agree on that.", Guts turned to look at the house, "If the "Youko" you speak of and the "Youko" is the same person, then she may actually be able to eat nekos whole, consider that she can eat human children."

"Isn't that good for you? She may not care about some random tomthumb entering her house", Wissy sternly looked at the house.

"What makes you believe that she does not eat tomthumb? People around here hate food thieves, and there was this guy who did not mind to flatten me with a hammer"

"Um... I guess it's my neko instinct?", Wissy made a sheepish smile.

"If your instinct is that good, then you would stay away from this mess already", Guts snorted.

Wissy went into an awkward silence, and Guts felt a little guilty for that.

"So, what do you want me to steal from that house?"

"Something that Youko always keeps by herself"

"Sound like the job difficulty level has gone up", Guts scratched his head "What exactly is that "something"?"

"Dunno. The client said we will know when seeing it", Wissy said, uncertainly

"Are you an idiot!? You don't even know what you suppose to steal, and you still accept the job!?", Guts could not stop himself from make a yell.

"Sh, be quiet. What if she wakes up?", Wissy panickedly plugged her whole finger into Guts' mouth.

"..et it out... an eath", Guts made incomprehensible words.

"Oh, sorry", Wissy removed her finger and wiped it onto her shoulder, leaving Guts choking for a while.

"So, anything else to fill me?", Guts said, feeling his odd of success risen to an impossible level.

"That's all of it, my little Gutsy. You should be fast, because we don't have all night", Wissy put Guts onto the ground

"Don't call me "Gutsy". And you expect me to steal that "something" tonight? Without even trying to study about Youko's daily movements?", Guts said, trying to keep his voice down.

"Uh huh, like I have said, the more we tarry around, the more suspicion we raise. And, you study people's movement before visiting them?"

"Of course, and the house structure and pets too. I don't want to fight a cat mistaking me for its toy."

"Then you should learn another way to steal thing. My brother calls it: "Venture into the unknown". No plan, no timing, just rush in and take things," Wissy grinned

"How long have you two been thieves?"

"Hmm. The boss took us in when we were ten, so I guess about twenty years"

"Without even being caught once?"

"We nearly got caught a few times, but we somehow got out all of them", Wissy grinned with a hint of pride.

"It must be a miracle for you two to survive that long,", Guts shook and walked toward the house. It was meaningless to try convincing her about his way of thief that would take him weeks before action.

"I will wait here until the sunrise. If you do not return by that time, I will consider you missing-in-action."

"I hate to jinx myself, but what if I do not return? What will happen to my sister?", Guts turned back to look at Wissy after walking far enough.

"If you return, then both of you will be spared. That's our deal"

"It's not what I ask for. What will happen to my sister if I fail?" Guts stood crossing his arms.

"Uh... I never think of that. But you won't fail, right?", Wissy grinned.

"You know that you're asking me doing something that may the last thing I do in my life", Guts sat down on the ground.

"Why are you sitting there!? We don't have all night to argue about petty thing" Wissy hissed and looked up to the sky.

"My sister's life is not a petty thing!", Guts sat still, "After all, I agree to do this job because you two hold her as hostage."

Wissy's eyes glared dangerously. She wanted to rush out to teach the stubborn tomthumb a lesson, but the thought of being near the dreadful house scared her.

"Feel cold-feet, little kitten?" Guts smirked at the frustrated neko. He was right when choosing to sit in between the house and Wissy, who would not dare to make a ruckus even if he angered her. He did not feel the same dread though, either he lacked of a neko-instinct or Youko did not expect to be visited by a tiny thief.

"Have I advised you to mock people who hold your weakness? Don't forget about your little sister."

"No, I take that advice very serious. That why now is the perfect moment for me to bargain."

"Bargain? What do you want to bargain?"

"I want my sister being released, even if my job ends up a failure. If you don't promise it, I will cause a ruckus right here and wake Youko up"

"Y-you're crazy! If she comes out, every of us are done for! Even your sister!", Wissy trembled behind the tree.

"If she's going to be eaten by either of you when I fail the job, then it would be better that all of us get eaten right here and right now. I only want to ensure that she survives no matter what." said firmly Guts.

Wissy felt into silence. She never knew that Guts would dare to take advantages on everything for his sister to survive. Still, though being angry for being taken as a fool, a part of Wissy could not help to admire such a gutsy tomthumb.

"Okay, I promise. But I have my condition too", Wissy sighed in defeat.

"What condition?"

"Never tell anything or anyone about us or the trip tonight"

"Sound fair enough", Guts nodded, "I promise to not tell anything about you two, even when being caught and tortured"

"I promise to release your sister no matter the outcome is", Wissy said in turn.

"Wish me luck, then", Guts walked toward the house, waving his hand to Wissy behind.

+++

They approached the house from its rear, so it did not take Guts too long to walk along the fences and made a turn at the corner away from the neko's observing eyes. The idea of being monitored by a neko when doing a theft job made him cringe, so he was glad that he was out of her sight now.

Observing the vine-covered fences from the ground level, Guts discovered that the fences were just for decoration. They was made from many crossing thin planks of wood, leaving large meshes for the climbing vines, of which the gap were big enough for a tomthumb like him to enter. Carefully treading through a mesh into the "forest" of vines, he hoped that there would not be any hostile insect or animal lurking. At times like this, he missed his needle sword which had saved his life countless times from such threats. But those blasted nekos must have thrown it away already.

The trip through the forest took him longer than he thought, because there were times he had to made a detour around vines that grew too densely. But at least, it was an uneventful trip, until he managed to see the moonlight shining again on the ground. From behind a vine, he could saw a garden with a small fish pond with a some kind of big rock in the middle. There were many large flat stones lined up neatly into a road around the pond and toward the house.

"A...fox?", Guts stared at a white-furred creature which was sleeping peacefully on a last stone.

Guts used see a few foxes entering human town and scavenging food here and there before being chased out by people. Compared to town dogs, wild foxes seemed faster and more cunning. But the foxes he saw had red and brown fur, not all white like this one.

"Better to clear away my smell first", Guts took wet dirt from the ground and smeared it onto his body. The dirt was cold, but it would help to lessen his smell against sharp-nosed creatures. Normally, it would be better to avoid approaching the fox, but he had no time to spare now. The fastest way into the house would be through where the fox was sleeping

"I should avoid the pond too", Guts heard the croaking sound from the pond covered with water lilies. He did not believe stories about tomthumb-eating frogs considering there was not much difference between their sizes, but it was better safe than sorry.

From the vine, he ran toward the first padding stone, hid himself behind it and snuck a peak on the sleeping fox. When feeling it safe, he moved to the second stone. He repeated that many times until he was at the second-last stone next to where the fox was. From here, he could hear its peaceful breathing and noticed that it had a red cloth collar. There was no sign of it being waken up even he was this close, thought its ears did twitch several times. The dirt must do the trick, or the fox's nose was not really that sharp.

Now for a big detour around the fox. Guts tipped toes, trying to keep a good distance from it. Because the fox was here hindering his view before, he could not see what lied behind it. Now he finally had a better view. Unlike other houses in the town, this house had its wooden floor built higher than the ground level. He did not know for what purpose, but the floor was too high for a tomthumb to jump up and grab the edge.

He looked around, and saw nothing that would lead him to the higher ground. Then looking at the vast sky above, he could see a well-shaped crescent moon. How much time it had passed since he entered the house? Thirty minutes? One hour? Two hour? The longer he tarried around, the shorter time he had. The only relief was that he managed to force the neko to promise on releasing his sister, but it was just a safety measure. He hoped, in spite of his distrust for neko, that she would keep her promise, if he ever failed here. But, he would not give up keeping his own life until the bitter end.

Shaking his head to clear away the wandering thought, Guts' mind was back to think about a way to higher ground. His eyes stopped to a big smooth rock next to the pond. It looked tall enough to give him a higher foothold toward the floor. He approached ran toward the rock and climbed on it. The impossible height of the floor edge became possible with a jump. Mustering all of his strength toward his legs, he made a high jump. Both his hands managed to grab the edge. He was successful!

Or so he thought. There was nothing for him to step or lean on between the floor edge and the ground, so his body was dangling in air. He was not sure if he could bring himself up there just with his two arms, but he had to try. Clenching his teeth, he gathered all of the strength again to pull himself up high. Both of his arms were aching because all of the weight they had to support.

"Just a little further", he encouraged himself, and his eyes could now see the floor level. Quickly, he put one arm onto the floor and then another. However, the floor surface was so smooth that he found himself being dragged back by his own body weight, leaving him into the dangling state again.

"One... more time", he repeated the same progress again, depressedly trying even harder to get a good hold on the floor. This time, he succeeded, and slowly drag his lower body upward. It would be a lot faster if he had a something to step on now.

Suddenly, his dangling legs found a foothold. For some reason, this foothold seemed soft and wet, but it did not matter. He gladly stepped on it and hurled his whole body upward. Now being on higher floor, Guts looked back to the garden, intending to enjoy a brief moment of pride for his achievements. Immediately, he wished that he had not done that.

The red-collared white fox was now staring at him with its black curious eyes. Looking at its black nose, Guts believed the foothold before was actually its nose.

Both of them exchanged stared for a while without moving. It did not look angry for him using its nose as a foothold just a moment before. Was it hungry? Not look like it, because it would jump on him if that was the case. Should he run now? Sound like a bad idea, because he knew dogs and cats would have fun chasing after a running prey. Maybe foxes were different, but then again, they might be the same. He had to somehow fool it that he was not an easy prey.

Slowly and cautiously, Guts made a step backward and stood still, checking the fox's reaction. It was still just standing over there, staring intensively at him. He made a few more steps. Still no sign of it going after him. Another step, and Guts found his back touching something hard. For a brief moment, he looked behind and saw the wall behind him. When he turned back, the fox had already climbed on the floor and was now in front of him, casting its shadow over him. How could such a big thing move so fast and silently?

At the close distance, the white fox looked more intimidating and towering on the tiny tomthumb. Guts gulped when it brought its wet nose toward him and sniffing. In a dog's term, sniffing was a way to identify something or someone. Maybe it was wondering whether he was food or a toy to chew.

"Uh... nice weather, don't you think?", Guts spoke to lift the stern atmosphere, and immediately regretted it. Was he an idiot or something? Was there event a point to talk with an animal?

Surprisingly, the fox stopped sniffing and its ears twitched once. Could that be the fox understand people's speech?

"My name is Guts. Nice to meet you", Guts said again.

The fox tilted its head a little. Was it a fox's way to say hi? Or it was wondering which kind of noises he was making?

"Well... I'm here because... uh... I feel hungry, so I think I can get some food from the kitchen", Guts said with a smile, and just wanted to punch himself right at the face. He just identified himself as a food thief. If the fox was here to safeguard the house and it could really understand his speech, then he was done for.

The fox showed no sign of anger. It just stood there, observing him quietly.

"I-if you don't want me to be here, I will go away then", Guts nodded, pretending to be apologetic and walked away.

He should have not turned his back to it, because the moment he did, the fox bit his pants at the waist. With him dangling below its mouth, it walked leisurely toward an unknown direction.

+++

"Hey, where are you taking me to?", Guts asked, feeling the hot breath from its nose

The fox did not answer. Its walking was very quiet even on wooden floor. No wonder it could sneak up behind him like before.

"Okay, I'm sorry that I try to steal food from your house. Just put me down and I promise I will never come back here", Guts said, hoping to get some reaction out of it.

The fox still walked slowly, seeming ignoring his sayings. Where was it going to? It would be a very bad thing to Guts if the fox's destination was its favourite bowl in the kitchen. He knew some dogs were picky enough to not eat anything aside from the food put in their bowl.  Or maybe foxes loved buried things like dogs, and this fox was trying to get him to where it hid its treasure? Being eaten or being buried alive, Guts wanted neither.

Taking a breath to keep his composure, Guts took a look around, seeking a way to escape. What the fox was getting a hold on was his pants, so if he moved around a lot, he would be able to slip out of its grip. In that case, he would end up with only his boxer on, but he had no time for modesty, not when his life was under the whim of an animal. However, he must find a way to hide from this fox if it decided pursue him after that.

When the fox made a turn at a corner, he discovered a door. There was a gap between the door and door frame that looked like he could squeeze himself into. Time to act!

Guts thrashed around his arms and legs a lot, but the fox did not mind at all. It worked for his favor, because when he managed to get out of his pants, he fell directly underneath the fox's stomach and dashed away the moment he regained his balance. By the time it turned around, he was on his way toward the corner.

Making a turn, Guts did not continue his running but pressed himself on the wall and stopped doing anything, including breathing. From where he was, he saw the white fox ran past him without even noticing him here. It was a psychological trick which he used to escape from big people by making them believe that he continued his running after turning at a corner. He never tried it on animals though. Glad that it worked the same.

When the fox ran past him, he quickly returned to where he saw the door, slipped himself in the gap and immediately hid behind the door. For a brief moment, he saw the fox's white figure dashing past the door. It must have discovered his trick, and was now seeking for him. Luckily, it seemed not seeing him entering the door, or it would be a big trouble. The door looked could be easily opened if the fox slipped its paw into the gap.

Anyway, he escaped yet another danger. Guts let out a sign of relieved and took a glance around the room he just entered.

Suddenly, the idea of being chased around by that fox sounded safer than what he was going to face now.


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Guts the Food Thief Empty
PostSubject: Re: Guts the Food Thief   Guts the Food Thief Icon_minitimeFri Jan 30, 2015 7:34 am

Chapter 4

In the middle of the empty room dimly lit by the moonlight outside, a person was sleeping peacefully on a futon. Though Guts could only saw her bare back, he knew it was a girl thanks to her long hair. It seemed she was sleeping naked, because he could not see any garment on her body, aside from the blanket pulling up to her thigh.

When his eye became more adjusted to the darkness, he could vaguely see her white fluffy-looking tails. Tails, not tail, because she had many of them. Four tails was the result from his quick counting.  It was the first time he witnessed a creature with that many tails.

Not only her tails, but her whole body shared pure whiteness. Her pale skin and white long hair were like gleaming in the dim-lit room. Oh, he forgot her white ears too, which were long and standing and had warm-looking puff like an Inu, a rare species that sometimes visited the town. But she was certainly not an Inu, for her appearance remind of a fox, like the white fox outside, instead of a dog or a wolf. Plus, she had four tails. He never heard an Inu with four tails.

"So, she's here", Guts gulped, whispering to himself. Unless there was anyone else living in this house, then "Youko" was the only logical conclusion here. He knew that he must eventually approach her to steal "something" from her, but he never anticipated to meet the witch that terrified the neko sibling this early. For a split second, he just wanted to abandon the mission and run away.

Shaking his head and taking a quiet but long breath to chase away that cowardly thought, Guts regained his composure. He already risked his life to enter this house to save his sister, so why not risking it even more now? Plus, the fact he and the witch was in the same room just meant that his goal was very near now.

Guts observed the room once more. Strangely, every time his glance passed the sleeping Youko, his eyes became fixed on her pale back and struggled to look away. He always treated anything bigger than him a threat, so why now he suddenly became interested in a sleeping naked fox-girl like some kind of pervert? Was it some kind of witch's magic, or just that he was at that age?

Guts shook his head again, this time more strongly, to chase away that wandering thought. But thanks for that head-shaking, he could notice something shiny at the corner of his eyes. Near where Youko rested her head, there was a small red cushion, and the shiny thing was on it. It looked like... a ring

"Something she always keeps by herself? Must be something very precious to her. And a ring seems just fitting the description", Guts knew human girls loved putting rings, necklaces, and many other impractical things on their body. Still, his sister Ri admired these jewelry for some reasons he could not comprehend.

So, his target tonight was an inedible shiny ring from the infamous fox-witch Youko! With that goal set in mind, he started his operation. It would be better and safer for him to make a detour instead of coming straight toward it, and this spacious room with no furniture served great for that purpose. The more moments he was far away from Youko, the better.

Tip-toeing along the wall of the room, it took him a while to reach to the position where he could see Youko's head. From his place, he could not yet seen her face, which was something he would rather not to do, but Youko was hugging her half-rolled blanket like a hugging pillow. And, he could hear her very peaceful and stable breathing, showing that she was in the deeper part of her sleeping. There would be no better opportunity to steal the ring. Moreover, from this closer observant, the ring looked small enough for him to carry it quietly

"Now", Guts rushed toward the cushion. Being barefoot and tiny are certainly advantages for being both stealthy and quickly

When Guts was half-way toward the ring, his legs stopped. It was not like he felt tired, because his endurance from daily runaway as a food thief would be far better than this. There was this strange scent caught by his nose. It smelled like mixture fragrance from many kinds of flowers, which was sweet, pleasant and alluring. Was it some kind of perfume that Youko used?

Upon smelling the scent, Guts felt very light-headed and barely muster any straight thought. His feet also felt very light and started to walk on its own, straying away from the ring.

"This is... bad. Very bad.", the remaining consciousness of Guts started to fight for the control of his body. The reason part of his mind was screaming, telling that he was doing it wrong and trying to logically persuade him to back in action.

"The ring was now an easy catch! Just snatch it and get away", the logical voice said.

"But, the scent is so nice. Just let me take a whiff", the bewildered voice replied.

"What the hell are you talking about!? Stop wasting your time and return to your misson! The night is going to end soon!", the logical voice reasoned, but its influence getting shrunken as the bewildered part got stronger.

"Mission, huh? What am I doing here, abyway,? Whatever, let me take a few more whiff of the scent", the bewildered voice stubbornly kept the control of his body.

"What about your sister? Didn't you promise with your old man about protecting her? How can you protect her if you give up yourself to this stupid scent!?", the logical voice gave the last try before being pushed into a very far away corner of his mind.

"But the scent was so nice. Who cares about my... my...", the bewildered voice from being a victor quickly got succumbed, not by the logical voice, but the most important thing in Guts' life: protecting his sister. That reason was the strongest and could easily defeat any "impure" thought.

As Guts regained his reasoning, his cold sweat rolled discovered that he had strayed too far away from his original destination. He had been lured toward an unexpected place: he had climbed on the futon and was only about one step away from Youko's tails. One second later and he would have surely wake up her. Was this the seducing power of the witch?

For a split second, the strong scent caused his bewildered part rose again: "It seems the scent is the strongest inside these fluffy and lovely tails. Let take a dive in."

"Shut up", Guts snarked at himself. However, it said the truth: the scent was very strong near these tails, and he would become a fool again if he tarried here for too long.

Covering his mouth and nose with one hand to lessen breathing the scent in, Guts looked back to the ring. Luckily, he did not go too far away, so it would take a short walk to resume his mission.

When Guts put the first step away from the tails, he tripped and fell on the soft futon. It was not his carelessness that caused his fall, but something was holding one of his ankle. Looking to the held leg, he saw the tip of one of Youko's tail was holding it.

Before he could say anything, the tail quickly dragged his body backward. Guts grasped the surface of the futon, but the tail's strength was too far stronger than his. After about ten seconds of fruitless struggling, Guts got pulled into the middle of the four tails, where they quickly made it quick work on binding him down.

It was a hell, or an heaven, of alluring fragrance with fluffy tails binding and caressing his body. All of his reasoning left him again, making him not able to think about anything else aside from enjoy the sensation of fluffiness and sniffing the scent as much as possible.

+++

How long had he stayed in this fluffy hell? One minute? Half of a hour? Or a day had passed? His sense of time was all messed up, so was his ability to think. Not like he cared, anyway.

When he thought that he could stay here and became a slave of the alluring scent forever, the tails coiled beneath him and launched him upward to the ceiling. He did not a thought about the fact that he was now up to a height that could kill him upon landing. When he started to fall, he only feel missing the what the heavenly experience he had in the tails.

But Guts did not crash onto the floor. He was grabbed mid-air gently by a giant hand for his size. Wearing only the boxer, his bare skin felt pleasant coldness in that hand. Then, he was brought to the observant of Youko, the witch.

"What am I having here? A sneaky guest at this late of night?", Youko spoke and let him sit on her palm.

Youko took her time to observe on her "sneaky guest", and Guts did the same. Under the influence of that mind-wrapping scent, Guts could not think anything else aside from admiring her beauty: charming red eyes with a hint of playfulness; pale pair of lips that spoke sweet voice and smiled mischievously; long flowing and silk hair of pure whiteness; and a well-endowed naked body that he could not help to gaze intensely.

"I never saw such a beautiful fox lady like you before", dazzled Guts spoke.

"Kitsune", Youko put her index finger on his lips.

"Pardon me?"

"Kitsune, Reynke, Kumiho... My species has many names to call. But I like to be called as a Kitsune", Youko said.

"May I ask why?"

"Because that name sounds the cutest. Don't you think so?"

"Yes, only cutest species' name suits a beauty like you, Lady Youko", Guts nodded. He would never utter such words of flattery, if he had been still his old self.

"Oh my, such flattery", Youko chuckled. Her pale cheeks tinted with red, "And what a surprise! You know my name already."

"I know your name. People in the town recite stories about you, Lady Youko"

"So, you're from the town, huh? But isn't it quite a challenge for a tomthumb like you visiting here, considering the distance?", Youko raised her eyebrows amusedly.

"Yes, it is certainly very far away. Under normal circumstances, I would never dream to go up such a high hill. Now meeting you, I realized that I was a fool for not doing that sooner."

"What a smooth talker! What's your name, little darling?"

"My name's Guts"

"Okay, Gutsy" You said that you would never visit here under normal circumstances. So, tell me, which kind of circumstance has brought you here?"

"Well, I'm here because... because...", Guts stuttered. That sweet scent was still lingering around Youko, but not as strong as inside her tails, so he managed to regain his consciousness just in time to stop himself spilling the beans.

"Hm, what's wrong?", Youko pondered with her head titled, then giggled, "Missing my tails, I guess? I will let you play with them to your heart's content after you tell me everything."

Though his mind was now strong enough to think straight and stop himself from blabbering everything. If Youko discovered he had been awake and use more intense dose of that scent, he knew he would lose to the temptation again and risk endangering his sister.

"It's... it's a lovely offer, but I prefer to stay like this. I want to... gaze more at your beautiful face", Guts lied, checking her reaction for his refusal.

"You certainly know how to praise a girl." Youko rubbed him onto her cheek like some kind of reward. Being squished between the soft palm and the softer cheek, Guts guessed his lie passed the test.

"Still, that did not answered my question at all", Youko brought him back, "Why are you here?"

"Because...", Guts thought fast for an excuse, "Because I'm lost and hungry"

"Lost and hungry?", Youko blinked.

"Yes, lost and hungry", Guts nodded, forcing his brain to process lies as fast as possible, "Some nekos chased me around a few days ago, and I managed to run away from them when I reached this hill. Then, I found that I was lost and did not know away to return home. I wandered here for days with a hungry stomach and discovered your house. I just wanted to have something to eat"

"Hm, you don't look that hungry to me. And," Youko brought him to her nose, gave some sniffling and frown, "You smell like cheap rose".

Youko blew a gentle breeze at him, which completely swept away the faint smell of rose soap.

"There, you smell better now", Youko looked pleased, "Continue what you're saying"

"I-I had to eat everything edible while wandering, or I would have collapsed outside. And, rose-scent is my favourite kind of soap back to my home", Guts forced a smile and added, "But, that soap is nothing when compared to the alluring of Lady Youko here."

"Why, of course! Don't ever compare my pride to some cheap soap!", her voice sounded irritated as she bared her canine teeth.

"I-I'm very sorry", Guts felt his all of his hair standing up in sight of her scary face.

"Forget it", her smile backed as swift as her anger, "So, from your story, I guess you sneak into my home for some food, right?"

"Yes, Lady Youko. Please forgive my rude intrusion", Guts nodded, feeling glad that she bought his made-up stories.

"Then, why only in your underwear?" Youko giggled, "Or you want to have some fun with my sleeping self?"

"N-nothing like that", Guts said, feeling her glare. Should have him agreed with her for that? He gulped, "I had a pair of pants, but your pet outside got them already"

"My pet?", Youko looked pondering. Guts worried that the white fox was just a wild animal which happened to stumble to this house.

To his relief, she said, "Ah, you mean Momo, right? Silly, Momo is not my pet. She is my servant" She looked at the door, calling, "Momo, come here!"

The door slid by itself and Momo the fox eagerly rushed toward the side of its master. On its mouth was the pair of black trousers that Guts abandoned to escape from its grasp just a moment ago.

"Oh, so here is your pant, huh?", Youko took the pants and looked at it funnily.

"Yes, it's my pants. Can you kindly give it back?", Guts asked. He felt that his pants would make him feel more secure against this charming witch.

"Nope. I like you in your underwear better", Youko said and the pants bursted into a tiny blue flame before disappearing without leaving a trace.

Guts wanted to complain, but he knew that it would be better if he shut up for now.

The fox rubbed its head on her thigh, begging for more attention.

"I need both of my hands to pet Momo. Mind if I put you... somewhere else?", Youko made a mischievous smile.

"Well... go ahead", Guts replied.

With that said, Youko gently put him down on the futon. While Guts was considering whether this was a good chance for him to escape, he was knocked down and pressed onto the soft futon by Youko's left foot.

"What the?", Guts struggled, trying to raise his head up. But the giant foot was too heavy for his tomthumb's strength.

But Youko did not simply just put her foot on him. While her hands were busily petting for the fox with care and love, Guts was skillfully played around by her bare feet. Picked up by the two toes of the left foot, he was now being sandwiched and massaged playfully between her two soft soles.

"Stop! This hurts!", Guts yelped for being squeezed and rolled back and forth and having to gasp for air.

"Hurt?", Youko's voice sounded surprised, but did not stop rolling him between her sole, "Strange. Every tiny I came across always begged me to do this rough"

"That's sick!", Guts spat, wondering what kind of tinies loved being played around by giant feet like this?

"Who's sick!?", Youko raised her voice. The fox, of which belly was being rubbed by her hands, made a fearful whine. She changed back to her gentle tone and pet its head, "There there. I'm not scolding you"

"I-I didn't say that you're sick or anything like that", Guts realized that his pretending would be uncovered at this rate, "I mean... I am still tired after that very long walk to your house, so being between your feet so sudden makes me feel a little sick"

"Oh, you should say that sooner", Youko chuckled, "Okay, I will be gentler on you."

The pressure on Guts was lessened, allowing him to breath more. Her foot playing was also slowed down a little, but was still pretty hurt. Then, he discovered that if he loosened his muscles instead of tensing them, the situation would become more comfortable.

Now he was put back on the futon and her left feet was rubbing back and forth, and circling on his back. Her sole was cool and soft, plus it had the same alluring scent like the tails, though fainter, so it did not take Guts too long to start feel this kind of "massage"... enjoyable and relaxing

"How does my little Momo feel tonight? Hm... I see... You feel sorry for him, huh?. Oh, I understand", Youko mumbled out loud while petting Momo's head. It seemed she could somehow communicate with the fox. Guts worried that the fox could say anything that revealed his lies to its master.

"That's it for tonight, my little Momo", Youko put down the fox on the floor, "Now back to your duty"

Momo looked sad with his ears drooped and some whining, but it still obediently walked toward the door. As Momo came outside, the door slid and closed itself.

With Momo out of her sight, Youko took her time to leisurely pick Guts up back to her palm.

"What do you think about my "foot" massage?", Youko said, giggling at her own pun.

"Uh... it's quite nice, I guess", Guts slightly nodded, feeling somewhat embarrassed for enjoying such a weird fetish. 

Youko gave Guts a very long staring in silence. Did he just say something wrong? Should he flatter her "footing" technique even more?

"Anyway, it seemed you told the truth, my Gutsy", Youko smiled, "Momo just said that you also told her that you're a food thief."

"I-I'm very sorry, Lady Youko", Guts looked down, pretending to be as regretful as possible.

"Actually, if you followed Momo just now, she would feed you something at the kitchen. Momo is a little too nice for a house-keeper, don't you think?", Youko said.

"What a good fox it is! Too bad that I wasted its good intention and intruded your beauty sleep", Guts said.

"Uh huh, it's too bad that you did not let her take of you and came here instead", Youko looked strangely at him

Guts felt that the way Youko looking at him now was very familiar. Where had he experienced such a stare?

"Gutsy?", Youko said

"Yes?"

"Since you have entertained me nicely tonight, I guess I can reveal you a little... secret about myself", Youko giggled.

"It's a honour, Lady Youko. But I feel that I have intruded you too much this night. Can we leave that for later?", Guts felt something very wrong about Youko suddenly being this friendly. Even he just met him not for long, he understood her personality was somewhat like a neko: playful but dangerous. To make it worse, she was a witch that could play him around on her palm (or foot). It would be better if he could escape from her as soon as possible.

"No, I can't do that. Because if you don't hear it now, I doubt that we will ever have another chance to talk about it", Youko persisted

"If y-you so insist", Guts had a very bad feeling. At the moment, the towering figure of Youko casting over his tiny body suddenly reminded him why he always ran away from bigger people.

"Here is my secret: I always feel hungry when waking up at night", Youko said playfully.

"I-It's too bad, then. Maybe you should fix something to eat from the kitchen?", Guts gulped.

"But it would take too much time. Plus, it has been a while since the last time I had something alive and kicking", Youko moisturized her lips and said playfully, "I wonder where is the nearest gentleman that can satisfy this hunger of mine, hm?"

"I don't understand what you're trying to say", Guts backed down a few steps, and suddenly lost balance. His fear made him forget that he was standing on Youko's palm. Before his body hit the futon below, Youko swiftly grasped his legs and brought him, upside down, to her eye-level.

"You're quite naive for a tomthumb who managed to trick Momo, aren't you?", Youko giggled, "To make it simple, I would like to engage with you in a Felarya's tradition. Guess what it is?"

"You... you're not going to eat me, right?", Guts said, already knowing the answer.

"You're naive, but still smart!", Youko gave him a strong and wet lick, "Hm, I miss this taste. It has been a long time since I have a genuine tomthumb".

It was a fool of him for forgetting about the Felarya's food chain when being in captive of the witch. He had to escape, or else he would be eaten and never see his sister again. But how?

Youko was bringing his head closer and closer to that opening mouth of hers where he could see her tongue eagerly reaching out to have another taste on his body. He thrashed his arms around and thought hard, trying to find a way to get him out of this deadly situation.

To his despair, he found nothing to stop her from eating him. And his head was just about an inch away from the tongue.

"Please stop, Youko. I'm no longer under your charm! Let us talk", for a moment of fear, his composure was lost and he said things out of depression.

Youko paused for a little while and put him back onto her palm. Her red eyes looked at him, amusedly.

Guts sighed in relief. It seemed his words had caught her attention. As long as she was interested in him, he could still somehow talk his way out of this mess.

"Well, I...", Guts spoke

"I already knew."

"Huh!?"

"Do you think I cannot tell whether my prey is under my charm or not?", Youko smirked.

Guts opened his mouth, but no word came out.

"Surprised? Disappointed? Scared? I wonder what kind of emotion is stirring inside your peanut-size brain. Pun intended, by the way", her laughter echoed the quiet room.

Guts knew that he could not reason with this witch anymore. But he had no way to escape, unless he made one now.

Guts pulled down his boxer, the only piece of clothes on his body. He was now naked, but like before, his life had higher priority than his modesty.

"Hm, are you feeling horny or something?", Youko giggled in surprised

Silently, rolled the boxer into a ball of cloth, then used of his strength to throw it at Youko's face.  Not bothering to see if the ball hit the target or not, he hastily jumped out of her palm, with a tiny hope that throw would distract her somehow.

Even with the futon below, the height was still pretty too high for a tiny; His legs sank into the futon, and he could feel sharp pain running to his brain and he fell on his knees. Barely standing on his legs, he was about to force himself to run, but was knocked down on the futon by the giant foot of Youko.

"Throwing your underwear at a lady's face! What a gentleman you're!", the voice now certainly sounded very angry.

Unlike the "foot" massage before, this was a stomping out of anger. Guts could feel his bones creaking under the menacing pressure, and the pain was so much that he barely kept his consciousness. But his suffering was not end like that. Youko turned him on his back and then stepped on him, putting his head between her two toes

"Look at this miserable fool!. Instead of quietly accepting your fate and having some fun before death, you protest it with the most ruthless way!", her two toes choked his neck, "Any last words before becoming a little red dirty spot under my foot?

"I ...sorry... but I... just want... to live", Guts choked out every words.

"I admire that spirit of you. It's rare to see someone whose will is strong enough to resist my charming scent. And it's the first time I see such a will in a tomthumb", Youko smirked, "I will give you a favor to choose how to die: being stepped on, hearing every bones snapped and muscles squashed, slowly and surely leading to your death; being turned into a tiny torch of foxfire, having your body vanished into nothingness in mere seconds; or," she licked her lips, seeming thrilled with the third choice, "becoming a slave of my scent for eternity who cannot bear to three step away from me."

Two choices of death and one choice of life. Most of people would certainly choose the third offer, for at least, they were still alive, even as a mindless slave. But Guts could not afford that choice, for his pride who did not want to be slave of anyone, and, more importantly, to protect the secret about the neko siblings and his sister in their hands.

"Just...let me...die quick", Guts coughed, feeling his mouth salty like blood.

"Still keep that courage even to the bitter end. Very well", Youko looked disappointed and picked him up to her eye-level.

Barely having any strength to move, he looked at Youko's face for the last time. Such a cruel beauty. He thought that he hallucinated due the pain, because her red eyes seemed just glow for a second.

"Do you know about foxfire?", Youko clenched her another hand, and opened up with a floating ball of flame that emitted eerie blue light,."In my hand, its temperature is depending on the will of mine. I can freely freeze you to the core in a blink of eye, or turn you into ash before you can even feel any burning. Or, maybe half of you on fire and another half on ice? A very neat trick, right, Gutsy~?", Youko circled her fingers on Guts' chest, saying with a sadistically seducing voice.

"What...ever", Guts uttered hardly.

Youko gave him an lick, "But, I change my mind. It has been a long while since the last time I have a tomthumb. So, here is the fourth choice: Having your taste savored by me to the last drop."

Before Guts could say anything, he was sucked into her mouth. It happened so fast that when his awareness was back, he found himself lying inside the dreadful and dark mouth of hers.

Guts tried to stand up, but the floor was so slippery that he slipped and fell onto the soft tongue. From his behind, a feminine sound emerged like a satisfied chuckle.

In the darkness, Guts tried to regain his balance, but he got knocked down and pushed back and forth by the tongue. His weakened body was pressed into the soft fleshy wall many times. Everytime he tried to open his mouth to make some pleadings, he was forced to taste the bittersweet saliva, choking him. Sometimes, the entrance was slightly opened to let light get inside, but he was too worn out to fight for his escape, and continued to be squeezed down by the soft tongue into a pool of saliva underneath it. He choked and helplessly saw the entrance closed again, for many times.

Forced into a hopeless fight against the strong tongue for a long time, his remaining strength finally left his body. He could not muster any power to struggle, so he just lied there and let the tongue play him around. And he did not even care about it, for his fighting spirit was also broken. His struggle was all meaningless and only provided some entertainment for his captor while she was savoring his taste.

Suddenly tongue lifted his body up, pressing onto the mouth's ceiling, and he could feel his feet being pushed down deeper and deeper in rhythm by muscles. It seemed Youko finally done with the tasting and started to swallow her prey.

Some inaudible words escaped from his mouth. He did not sure what he was trying to say. Begging for his life, asking to have a quick death instead of suffering in agony, or cursing on her name. Whatever his saying was, there was no answer for him for she was busily swallowing him.

As he was sent down to the throat, his chest was hurt again. The muscles here were strong and constantly squeezed him between them. He felt his ribs was aching and on verge of broken as his body was sliding down. He could barely breath, for saliva entering his mouth and nose every time he tried to gasp a breath.

Finally, he reached his final destination: the stomach. The muscles pushed him down roughly into a large chamber of flesh. His head was hit into the digestive puddle below, and he weakly leaned on the wall to stand up, spitting out the sour taste. Inside here, he had some room to move around, but decided to not do anything and rest his back on the wet fleshy wall behind. He knew that there would not be any miracle could save him from here. All he could do now was listening to gurgling sound of Youko's stomach and waiting for it to generate enough digestive juice for its new-coming meal.

"So, this is the end of Guts the Food Thief, huh?", Guts said bitterly, hearing his own voice echoing inside the stomach. He always knew that he, a tomthumb like many other tomthumb, will meet his end one day. Either being eaten or killed, just like his father passed away because of a vicious dog bite, or getting into some sort of deadly accident. No one could live forever, and he was no exception. Still, he felt his death unfair and unjust, for this end of his was not something he volunteered for.

"All because of those two blasted nekos", he spat.

For the remaining time of his soon-to-end life, he sat quietly and reminisced about the past. It was when his father, also a food thief, instructed Guts about how to steal and to survive. Then his memory flashed toward a birthday party for his sister Ri with hard-earned candies and chocolates stolen by the father and the son. Not long after, his father dead because that damned dog, and he could still remember how Ri became silent for a whole month. The incident where Ri got her nekophobia from and lost a dearest friend. Many, many memories, happy and sad, overflew in his mind.

"Old Man must feel very disappointed about me", Guts sighed and mumbled to himself "I promised to stay with Ri always. And now look at me: I'm trapped inside a witch's stomach, waiting to be digested, while Ri is still outside, inside a cage kept by those neko thieves."

Guts felt his feet burning. They were nearest to the ever-expanding puddle of digestive acid. It seemed his final moment had come. The acidic puddle rose up and soon reaching his chest. The pain of being digested was too intense to bear, but it only happened for a brief while. His sense of pain was destroyed by the acid, and he started to feel the lost of touch on his body. Inside this acidic cage of darkness, his body was melted little by little until nothing of his was left.


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Guts the Food Thief Empty
PostSubject: Re: Guts the Food Thief   Guts the Food Thief Icon_minitimeSun Feb 08, 2015 6:12 am

Chapter 5

Floating in the vast darkness, Guts' consciousness knew that his physical body had already melt to nothing inside the hungry stomach of Youko and turned into her nutrition. So, his mind now only wandered around aimlessly, maybe for eternity. Compared to the torturing hell of digestion, this actually felt quiet and pleasant.

"Wakey-wakey", a female voice with nice ringing was calling.

But Guts did not waked up. His body felt not wanting to leave this pleasant world of darkness. It was not like there was anything good waiting for him to leave.

"Wake up already, Gutsy", the voice called again, and he felt something poking him. It sounded familiar, but he did not want to bother to think about it. And why should he felt being poked if he had no body now?

"Hm... I take that you want it rougher~", the voice seemed not annoyed about his stubbornness. It sounded pretty pleased, in contradiction.

A feeling of wetness and warmth emerged and washed over his mind again and again, until his mind reluctantly left the world of darkness and was back to reality. But which reality when he no longer had a body?

To his surprise, he still had his body intact. To his horror, he was in a very damn familiar place with tongue, teeth and saliva.

"Where is this place? Hell!?", Guts screamed. To a tomthumb, the worst place he could be was inside someone else's digestive tract. Calling a mouth, a throat or a stomach that was bigger than him as hell was not extravagating at all.

The mouth opened, and the tongue brought him outside, where he fell on an awaiting hand below. His drool-covered body felt chilling for leaving that warm mouth and hitting the air outside all suddenly.

"Hello again, Gutsy", a dreadfully familiar voice called above him when he was coughing out the accidentally-swallowed saliva and gasping for air. The sweet scent of hers could be smelled faintly around.

"So, this is really Hell, right?", Guts looked up, feeling so worn out both mentally and physically at the sight of the kitsune witch Youko.

"Why is seeing your lovely Youko again Hell?", Youko smiled amusedly.

"Because I will get eaten by you, again and again, suffering the hell of digestion in your stomach over and over", Guts sighed.

"Hm, what if I told you that you're still alive and kicking?"

"It cannot be. I was already dead inside your stomach. I can still feel it, the feeling of acid burning my flesh until there was nothing of mine left", Guts shook, "You just said that so that you could have my hope up, then crush it while laughing at my despair"

"Sound just like me! I will try that idea next time I catch something good", Youko chucked, "Hmmm, maybe with your Ri?"

"How do you know my sister' name!?", the fright woke him up from his misery.

"So, Ri is your sister name, huh?", Youko smirked, "I heard that name when you talked about Ri and two nekos at your little "final" moment", Youko playfully pronounced the word "final", "People are really strange. Even the quietest person can become very talkative at death's door"

Guts stood frozen for a long while, feeling like all of his blood leaving his body while trying to comprehend what the kitsune-witch was talking about.

"You tricked me!", Guts finally understood.

"With a little aid of magic, of course", Youko covered her mouth and laughed, ". You were a very bad liar. Too many things you talked made no sense at all, and I know you're a little too strong-willed to force it out with normal methods."

"You mean... the death that I just experienced is... is...", Guts felt breathless and could not complete his speech.

"An illusion. A first-grade one. Very real, right? You would have noticed it sooner without me saying just by looking down", Youko's white tails waved around proudly behind her.

Guts looked down, and discovered his boxer, which should have been thrown away, was still there. All of his efforts trying to escape and the hell of being tasted and digestion were just an illusion. The only real thing was what he blabbered to himself during his so-called "final" moment, which revealed the secret he tried so hard to keep.

"You... you...", Guts fell on his knee. An emotional mixture of anger, helplessness, and self-disappointment emerged and churned inside his stomach. He should have kept his mouth shut until the very end.

"Okay, that's enough playing for tonight", Youko put him on the futon, then lied on her stomach,. "Now, Gutsy. Feel like to talk the truth now?"

"I won't talk. I'm tired of be played around. Kill me already", Guts said with defiance.

"That secret of yours is that important, huh? Here, I will help you to be honest", Youko smiled and her tails waved slightly. A very strong dose of her alluring scent was emitted from the tails.

Guts tried hard to stop breathing and covered his mouth, but the scent just attacked him effortlessly. It did not take long for the scent to put him under the controlled state again.

"Okay, Gutsy. Tell everything to me, right here and right now", Youko ordered.

In contrast with her expectation, Guts froze for a while in silent then writhed in pain on the futon. His will was depressedly fighting against the charming scent to stop himself fork out everything.

Youko found this inner fight of him amused at first, so she just let him be and waited until he succumbed to her charm. But, five minutes had passed, and she felt disappointed because his depressed will was too strong.

"Oh geez. I admire strong-willed people, but they are also a pain to deal with", Youko sighed and blew a breeze at him. The scent was carried away along with his trance.

"Just...kill me...", Guts felt on his knees, gasping.

"I can easily kill you just with a flick, but you will never know if I actually kill you or it is just another painful illusion" Youko formed a hand square, showing the image of Guts standing.

"You may get burned to ash", the image showed Guts screaming while being burned like a living torch.

"Just to realize that you're actually drowning", the image demonstrated a drowning Guts who was depressed thrashing his limbs around in in a goldfish bowl.

"Which is just another illusion that distracts you from the pain of being trampled", Guts was seen to be stepped on by a foot, and the sound of bones broken could be heard.

Youko continued to show him more and more ways to kill and torture him, which brought an evil smirk to her lips. Dissection, needle bed, limb stretching... the tortured Guts inside that hand square screamed until his voice went hoarded. But the real Guts only laughed weakly at those images:

"Whatever. Go ahead... and throw those magic of yours at me. The worst I can get is a real death"

Youko frown disapprovingly. She sat up and stared at him, intensely and calculatedly, either pondering how to make him reveal all of his secrets or thinking up the most painful to kill him for his stubbornness. Meanwhile, Guts stared back at her challengely.

The staring contest happened for a long while, until Youko turned to the door and called out: "Momo!"

The door slid out, but Momo did enter the scene right away. It took about a few minutes for the white fox to appear with leaves sticking on its white fur and mud clinging on its four feet. Before rushing toward its master, the fox shook its body and rubbed its feet on the wooden floor outside to brush off the leaves and the mud. It seemed not want to dirty the room.

Youko picked up the fox and squeezed it into her chest: "Momo! That tiny guest of ours bullies me! I don't really know what to with him anymore"

That tantrum of hers surprised Guts, but he did not let his guard down. Youko was a scheming witch, so who knew what kind of evil plan she was brewing behind her childish act with her pet.

Guts checked the fox, wondering if Youko was going to have fun seeing him being played around as a her pet's toy.

The fox looked back at him with its black eyes and whimpered in satisfaction for being heartily cuddled by its master. Its face looked gentle, but He used to see foxes fiercely attacking humans when being cornered, and had no doubt that it could easily bite off his head.

"So, you just returned from a night walk, huh? The moon is beautiful outside, right? Do you notice anything strange outside?", Youko scratched its chin, and Momo replied with a small bark.

Guts felt cold on his spine. If the fox did really take a walk outside of the house, there were chances it would discover his secrets.

"You saw someone lurking outside? Near the gate?", Youko said out loud on purpose, "Let me guess, the lurker is a neko, right? What!? She threw stones at you when you warned her? Unforgivable!", Youko's anger gritted through her teeth.

Guts knew that the fox had seen Wissy hiding near the house. To make it worse, that stupid neko attacked it. Looking at how much love Youko showered on her Momo, he was sure that Wissy was really done for, if she ever got caught.

"I wonder if that bad kitty outside is one of the nekos that our tiny guest have mentioned just a moment ago?", Youko turned to Guts, smirking.

Guts kept silence. He knew he would only dig a deeper hole by making more lies now. Wissy had been unveiled, but that neko girl was not important. At least, his sister was watched by the neko brother at a safer place. There was still chance for her to escape from this mess.

"You heard that bad kitty complaining about some kind of plan? Mentioning our guest's name, hm?", Youko had fun to see her words piercing him.

Cold sweats rolled on his face. How much things had that fox seen after a simple night walk?

"You felt the need to investigate our surrounding after that neko chased you away? My servant is so smart an cute!", Youko rubbed her cheek onto its nose, which was paid back by a happy lick from Momo, "So, what have you discovered? At the hollow trunk? Another neko? The one this time is a kitty boy? And a cage that has..."

"Enough, enough!", Guts yelled in defeat.. All of his secrets had been out of the bag. There was nothing he could keep now.

"You finally feel honest, huh?", Youko let the fox rest on her thigh, "Now, entertain me with your late-night tales, Gutsy. If it's good enough, I may consider to give you... some sort of favor", she moisturized her lips.

"Before that, can I ask a question?", Guts asked

"Go ahead", Youko said.

"When you called that fox of yours to this room for the first time, you already gave it the order to check the surroundings, right?"

Youko paused for a moment, and then and chuckled "You're sharp, but not very witty", Youko brushed Momo's soft-looking fur, "Momo often has a walk on the hills, like the one a moment ago, so it's really strange that she missed you, a tomthumb who was supposed to be all lost and hungry. Plus, let say that you were really lost, then why you went uphill instead of downhill toward your home? Finally, the smell of rose soap could not linger on you that long if you have really lost your way a few days ago", her lips formed a triumphant smile.

"I... see", Guts clenched his fist in anger and despair. He thought that if he could still fight by being stubborn to keep his secrets till his death. He was a fool for believing that.

From the very beginning, it was him who foolishly danced around for her entertainment, like a witless puppet under the strings of a scheming puppeteer.

+++

Having no other choice, Guts told Youko everything happening up to now. First was the background where Guts stole food in the town to feed him and his sister, which was forcefully skimmed when he saw Youko making a bored yawn.

Second was the encounter with the neko siblings Wissy and Anvar, which he believed to catch her attention, or her appetite, based on how she briefly moisturized her lips.

"Those neko thieves should visit me by themselves. Neko's ears are always soft to take a bite on. Too bad, their sense are too sharp for my good", Youko said.

Finally, he talked about the plan of the two nekos using his sister as a hostage, forcing him to do the stealing job for them.

"So, what do you want you to steal from me?", Youko asked.

"They don't even know what they suppose to steal. They only say that I have to steal something precious from you", Guts shook.

"Something precious from me? Hm," Youko smiled. A visible blush appeared on her cheeks, "Oh my, you mean my virginity, right?"

Guts paused for a moment before flustering, "L-like hell it is! Why would I want your virginity!?"

"To a girl, virginity can be considered as "something precious" too", Youko chuckled at how he reached, "Isn't that your purpose when entering my room with only your underwear on, Gutsy?"

"I already explained that it was your fox that took my pants!", Guts yelled, "And there is... there is size matter too!"

"Size matter, huh?", Youko looked up the roof, thinking, "Hm, from what I saw when you put your underwear down, your size better-than-average for a tomthumb, I guess", she chuckled.

Guts blushed and tried to think a way to talk his way out of this stupid topic. But when he saw Youko chuckling, he knew that she was playing with him again.

"I don't care anymore!", Guts said and turned his back against Youko.

"He looks cute acting all embarrassed, right, Momo?", Youko's voice emerged from behind, "But I wonder if this is the right time to sulk?"

Guts sighed. Now, he could not do anything aside from obeying her and providing the information she wanted.

"I don't know what I suppose to steal, but I think it is your ring over there", Guts pointed at the ring put neatly on the red cushion.

"This ring?", Youko let Momo fetch the ring for her.

"Girls like things like rings, right? And since you put it on a cushion when going to sleep, I believe it's precious to you", Guts explained.

"Sorry to say, but this ring is not that precious", Youko put the ring on its side and flicked it rolling toward Guts, which hit him hard and knock him down. She giggled when watching Guts struggling to push the ring away.

Guts observed the ring. It had the color of bronze and there was nothing special about it. It did not look like something that even accessory-fancying girls want to pay attention on.

"If so, why don't you throw it away and get something better?", Guts asked, feeling surprised that Youko would keep such a cheap-looking ring like this. From what he saw from her house, she did not look poor at all.

"It's my ring. I will throw it away, when I feel like it", Youko said with an irritated tone.

The ring must be some sort of her sore spot, Guts thought. Better to avoid talking about it.

"Then, what's precious to you, aside from your... virginity?", Guts asked, feeling annoyed by her playful stare.

"Hm, maybe Momo?", Youko squeezed Momo, and the fox made a happy yelp.

"That fox!? How am I supposed to steal it?" Guts scratched his head.

"Still thinking about stealing? What a diligent thief you are", Youko mocked.

Guts startled at the fact she just pointed out. She was right, because his mission could be officially declared to be an utter failure. Why should he care about stealing anymore?

"What are you going to do with us?", Guts asked, feeling afraid of the answer.

"Nothing"

"Huh?"

"I said "Nothing," Youko repeated.

"Why?"

"Not in the mood", Youko made a sleepy yawn.

"B-but, didn't you say that you always feel hungry when waking up mid-night?", Guts asked.

"Oh, you still remember that? From what you said, I think you are imagining me as a gluttonous kitsune who're going devour you, your sister and the two nekos, right?" Youko smiled.

That was exactly what Guts was thinking. Why would she ignore such a chance to have four preys?

"You remember it right, but I have to add something about me: if the dish is served cold or takes too much effort to get, then I prefer to back to my sleep"

"You mean, you will eat me and let other three outside go?", Guts said, not sure if he should be happy for his sister's well-being or despair for his own doom.

"Like I said, I don't eat cold meal", Youko replied.

Guts did not understand about her definition of cold meal, which he believed to imply him. Was it because she had found him still useful enough and did not want to eat him, at least for now? Or was it because she had eaten him once in that illusion?

"Then, I can go, right?", Guts asked, believing that he already knew the answer. There was no way she would...

"Sure, go ahead", Youko proved that his belief was a big false, "But before you go..."

Youko picked up the ring and left it floating on the middle of the air. She slashed the tip of her middle finger with her thumb's long and sharp nail, and from the wound her red blood oozed out. She grasped the blood with her another hand and pull it out like a string. With that blood-string, she leisurely tied a red ribbon on the floating ring. Finally, she let the ring dropped down on her palm and showed it to Guts. To his surprise, the wound already vanished without a trace.

"Take this ring with you", Youko said like ordering.

"But, you said that you don't want to throw it away?", Guts did not feel want to touch the ring. The ribbon looked like being made from red cloth, even though he just witnessed Youko created with her blood. Some kind of witchcraft must have been put into that ring, he was sure.

"I don't throw it away. I lend it to you, so that you can save your little sister and show off your heroic side", Youko said playfully

"I don't do this job because I want to show off whatever", Guts felt his pride hurt.

"Then what will you do? Return to your nekos without anything worthwhile? Witnessing the nekos doing bad things on your little sister because you don't meet their expectation? Maybe they will eat your sister in front of you, just to torture your mind, and things will happen just exactly like what you have experienced in the illusion. First, your sister will be in the throat, being tasted and sucked like a candy. Next, she will be painfully pushed through the throat into the stomach. Then, she will be...", as usual, Youko had fun to show her sadistic side.

"Enough! I will take it", Guts gritted his teeth and received the ring. He did not feel anything aside from metallic cold from the ring.

"Try to pull the ribbon", Youko said

"If I do that, it will be..."

"Pull the ribbon", Youko ordered. She was not the type who took a "no" as an "answer."

Guts sighed and did what she said. The red ribbon was thin, but the knot was surprisingly tough. He could not loosen the ribbon, no matter how much strength he mustered.

"Look like it is a success", Youko said with a half-prideful and half-disappointed tone, as if she was expecting for a failure that would harm Guts in some way or other.

"What is a success?", Guts asked, wanting to stay away from the shadily-enchanted ring already.

"It's a girl's secret", Youko made a dark smile, then knocked her fingers on the futon notice, "Momo, time to say farewell to our little guest. Bring him to the entrance"

Momo made a sad whine and arrived next to Guts, lowering its head and waiting.

"You want me to climb on your back?", Guts asked.

"It seems that our guest want to have his pants in your mouth again", Youko joked.

"I will get on your back!", Guts said and hastily climbed on its back before it changed its mind. At the heat of moment, he forgot the ring, but Momo had taken it for him with its mouth.

With that, Momo walked through the entrance of the room, and Guts could feel the wind from the door closing itself from behind. The fox continued its walk and soon to arrive where they first met near the pond. The fox seemed want to pass it and go to the front door, but Guts said:

"I came from the fence over there", Guts pointed at the fence, "Can you take me to there?"

The fox paused and titled its head. Guts now knew that it could understand what he said, but it seemed considering about his suggestion.

"It's not like I can do anything to harm your master. It just creates some convenience for me", Guts persuaded, "Plus, it would look suspicious if a thief like me comes out from the front entrance like a guest, which may foil whatever your master is planning."

Momo definitely did not want that, so it turned and walked toward the fence, where it put both Guts and the ring down.

"Thanks, Momo. I believe I can walk from here", Guts put the ring on its side, "You can return to your master now. Goodbye", he rolled the ring into the vine-covered fence, feeling silly for saying goodbye to a fox.

"Have a safe trip", a strange voice emerged from his behind. It was a girl's voice, but surely not Youko's.

But when he turned behind, he saw no one. The fox had disappeared into somewhere, and he could only hear the night song of crickets and croaking sound from the bond. The moon was still high on the sky and its moonlight continued to to make the house look gleaming.

The peaceful scene of the house made him wonder if everything was just a dream.


Last edited by tkh1304 on Thu Feb 12, 2015 5:25 am; edited 14 times in total
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Ilceren
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PostSubject: Re: Guts the Food Thief   Guts the Food Thief Icon_minitimeSun Feb 08, 2015 12:13 pm

What do you use to write this, tkh? It's kinda hard to read with all those symbols.
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Bandur Khan
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PostSubject: Re: Guts the Food Thief   Guts the Food Thief Icon_minitimeSun Feb 08, 2015 12:36 pm

I think a Keyboard that originally is meant for some southeastern asian Languages.
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Ilceren
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PostSubject: Re: Guts the Food Thief   Guts the Food Thief Icon_minitimeSun Feb 08, 2015 2:08 pm

I don't think the keyboard would be the problem, but the word processor, rather.
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tkh1304
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PostSubject: Re: Guts the Food Thief   Guts the Food Thief Icon_minitimeSun Feb 08, 2015 3:44 pm

Ilceren wrote:
What do you use to write this, tkh? It's kinda hard to read with all those symbols.

Sorry, I forgot to copy those text from Word to Etherpad first before pasting them here.

I have fixed them. Please check if the font is still a problem.

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PostSubject: Re: Guts the Food Thief   Guts the Food Thief Icon_minitime

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