#ᵃ ᶰᵉʷ ˢᵗᵒʳʸ˒ ᵗᵒᵍᵉᵗʰᵉʳ ( VERSE 001 )

[origcmibir-a]

      A SHIVER TRICKLES DOWN HIS SPINE. It’s the same feeling as hairs standing on his neck, making his stomach twist with a new and sudden bout of unease. To any other mortal being, the atmosphere may feel unchanged. Or perhaps, it’s lightened, even, at the presence of a holy being. Not to a DEMI-GOD, however, who’d witnessed the wrath of powerful kami at his own existence.

      At first he doesn’t understand it. This is a very new feeling, after all, so when his intuition stirs, his sight goes darting around for clues. The young bard sees nothing -- and then, Kubo sees something. A figure; glowing brightly in the dim moonlight. Their golden locks seemed to radiate with warmth even in the coolness of night. Immediately the stranger bore a stark contrast to the monsters he had the displeasure of calling his family -- but despite their ... kinder appearance, the boy is hardly soothed.

        “ WHO ARE YOU? ” He calls. He’s immediately tense and it shows in the harshness of his voice. Something felt familiar about this ethereal being, but he couldn’t place what. // @usshiwaka​

[origcmibird-aa]

      x // EVEN IN THE FACE OF DEATH, KEEP GOING. The bravest fight in its shadow. That’s what he told himself as he crossed borders into unknown territory. This vast land was so new and treacherous to him; filled with vast, flat plains and massive valleys, rather than the hilly forests and coasts he grew up on. Grass stretched on for miles and miles, which was astonishing because he has never come across flatland so vast.

   Kubo could only imagine its beauty, if only it were free. Darkness bound this place like a chain, and somehow, he could sense it. He chalked it up to his bloodline.

    The boy DARE NOT talk back to the whispers that filled the air, hissing rumors like petulant gossip. He must not fall prey to his own weaknesses, nor his rage as they spat lies and words just to upset him somehow. He must remember the HERO’S wisdom; they draw strength from his hatred.

     Silently, the young warrior walks on, paying them no heed. // @picorihero

[origcmibird-a]

     He’s dizzy.

      THE FIRST FEW RAYS of morning sunlight was what finally beckoned him from his subconscious. The golden light was bright and it bled through his eyelid, at last stirring him. As his senses slowly return, so does the pain. He felt cold, he felt wet, he felt sore for some reason. It had rained overnight. Where was he?

        In truth, Kubo’s memory was still foggy. He had fallen somehow, and hit the ground hard and fast, which lead him to waking up where he was now. His shamisen, blessed with protection and strength that made it nearly impossible to break, lay undamaged just a short ways away from his body.

         He tries to sit up, but finds that he can’t. His legs are pinned somehow -- what was it, was he stuck? With a feeble grunt, the youth rolls slightly on his side, trying to make out the obstacle that was keeping him from moving. There was a log there. The feeling in his legs was almost gone: they had been pinned by the large object. As his consciousness returns, Kubo reaches for the log and tries to push it away with his hands, but his strength is nearto nonexistent. When that doesn’t work, he reaches for his shamisen, but the instrument is just out of arm’s reach!

          So that’s it then. It seems he’s in a rather poor predicament. “ Help ... HELP! ” // @kaihuas

[origcmibir-a]

airin puts his paw on kubo's cheek. warm.

HIS CHEEK SQUISHES underneath Airin's paw. In contrast, Airin's paw pads are cold to the touch and his claws feel slightly unpleasant. Kubo reaches to gently remove it and set it back down from his face. Not commenting, he just wants to see what happens next.

[origcmibir-a]

     x // AS HIS FINGERS UNTANGLE THEMSELVES from the mop of messy horse hair, he pats his dusty hands clean against the worn red fabric of his kimono, while the little black horse they’d found continues to nibble away at the bucket of carrots offered to it. Nearby, a stablehand smiles cheerfully at the sight.        “ That sounds MUCH BETTER than being thrown onto SAFFLINA’S back every time we gotta go. ” Kubo quips with a genuine chuckle, letting his fingers run down the crown of the horse’s neck and scratching it gently. The dirt got under his nails, and dusted his fingertips in grit but he cared little. “ Besides, he’s perfect. MY MOTHER said that my father used to ride a horse black as night and as fierce as a raging river. He might not be the latter part, but he’s still great! ”          “ We’ll take him! ” He calls over to the stablehand eagerly, already reaching for the saddle horn to help himself up. // @hyrulecast​

[origcmibir-a]

      x // “ SURELY YOU MUST BE BLUFFING. ” Kubo scoffs lightly. He is holding UMA’S reins in one hand, and setting the other against the tall stallion’s neck. Despite Link’s claims, FLINT seems docile enough, the horse having stayed put since the young boy had drawn close. The duo and their horses stand at the edge of a shallow stream, after just having departed from a stable nearby.        “ I bet he’s just mean to you. AREN’T YOU, boy? You’re a big softy to everyone else, right? ” He chuckles playfully, stroking the side of Flint’s neck once more. // @hylian-champion​

[origcmibir-a]

Paper boy? Or perhaps, puppet master.

" KAMEYO CALLS ME 'PAPER BOY' all the time. " He says with a familiar smile. He's used to that one.

[origcmibir-a]

"Aren't you from the moon or somethin'? I'm gonna call you 'lunatic' from now on lmao"

     HE SQUINTS AT YUCK, being less concerned about the nickname and more about the fact that they correctly guessed his family origin. Did they ... did he tell them that? “ HOW ... how do you know about that? ”

[origcmibir-a]

Ruffles hair. "Hey Kubo, how's my favorite kid doing? Any new friends lately?" Bird mom time

" HI SCARLET. " Kubo flashes a smile and places his hand over hers, returning the affectionate gesture as best he could. He leans inward and pulls away, looking sheepish. " Oh, I've been fine! Nothing too new, I'm afraid. How are you? Did'ja see any sights while you were gone? "

[origcmibir-a]

  KUBO RECOILS IMMEDIATELY, his single eye growing wide and full of bewilderment at the sound of the rock crunching between LINK’S teeth. Banter is all in good fun, but he wasn’t expecting the older to actually try taking a bite out of it ... and succeed.     No, he’s never tried eating rocks before. But he’s tripped over them. Got one thrown at him by an older kid once. He knows they’re hard. “ Doesn’t that HURT? ” He squints at the other with heavy scrutiny. // @hylian-champion​

[origcmibir-a]

     “ UGH. ” He’s close to gagging. Kubo turns his head slightly to one side, squinting in disgust. “ It smells. ” // @airxn​

[origcmibir-a]

     “ I THINK HE’S IN TROUBLE! We should help him! ” // @spiritmaiden​

[origcmibir-a]

    THE CLEAR CONTEMPT FOR HER showed right on his face. Unfortunately one is prone to hold grudges -- especially when it comes to trying to take his belongings. He still hasn’t forgotten the time she bullied him and he certainly wasn’t going to move on now. Not that he’d outright challenge her -- this woman has proved she’s more than capable of holding her own and overpowering him while she was at it.

      So he just stands there. Menacingly. // @kaengeru​

[origcmibir-a]

     ABOVE HIM, THE BIRDS SUNG THEIR TUNE.

      Playfully, he decided to join them -- but he wasn’t going to toy with their musical session through the use of paper birds and a bit of good intended harrassment -- instead, the hum of a note echoed into the air at the pluck of the strings in his arms. Peacefully Kubo strolled down the forest trail, gently replying to their calls as the birds tweeted in the canopy above. He is blissfully unaware of what other strangers might be lingering in this forest. // @cflight​

[origcmibir-a]

    OH. He sounds offended.

      The half-blooded KAMI squints all the more, trying to make out Issun’s tiny form through that potent green glow ... it’s very hard to tell otherwise especially with that little bug hat. “ Uh ... YEA? You sorta do ... ” // @ponclian​

[origcmibir-a]

-cue sea monster hug- (Chainsxwsmile)

    WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT BRUCE BE CAREFUL DON’T CRUSH HIM --