Chapter 1: 1

Chapter 1

A Sentient Sea Otter

Translated by boilpoil
Edited by boilpoil

 

In the middle of the July summer heat, Bai Yao is peeling potatoes while sitting on a stool just outside the entrance to his restaurant.

He opened this small seafood restaurant himself, and to this day, it’s still the only eatery around this seaside town called Qiaohai.

He’s a pretty tall guy, so his legs are curled up pretty uncomfortably when he sits on the stool. Actually, they’re already numb, but it can’t be helped when the tub for holding the potatoes is too big to be put anywhere but the ground. If he doesn’t sit on the stool, he can only crouch on the ground and that would have been even worse.

A while later, he washes his hands clean with some fresh running water, and stretches. Even his hands are growing numb from working with a peeler for over half an hour. There are still… 18 more potatoes to go in the tub. Enough to occupy the rest of his time.

The environment is pleasantly warm, thankfully, with the ocean breeze helping to cool down even in the middle of a hot summer. Cicadas are chirping from the trees, masking the sound of the ocean waves clashing against the sands of the beach quite well.

Bai Yao is actually an anthropomorphised snow leopard, so he prefers the cold to the heat. Even in his human form, he can’t help but be biased against summer. He’d much rather spend his time among snowflakes and frost than a scorching sun and palm trees, but then again, his favourite scenery is the ocean, especially when it stretches all the way to the horizon and beyond.

The bell chime he has hanging off the corner of the restaurant’s roof is swaying gently in the breeze, the ringing carries with it the distinctly salty scent of the ocean. Looking up, Bai Yao suspects rain tonight.

He’s taking a break from peeling potatoes because he has to thaw the fresh frozen salmon in the fridge now. Oh, and he should get around to handling the fresh scallops and oysters that were delivered earlier in the morning, too.

With one smooth movement, Bai Yao ties his slightly overgrown hair into a bun. When he’s about to enter the restaurant, he hears some loud yells coming from the beach. Looking over the small cliff the restaurant is on, he can see some teenagers doing something against a big grey rock near the water on the beach.

The wind is blowing from the oceans towards the restaurant; it carries with it a scent that is not unfamiliar to Bai Yao. It’s not the smell of humans.

They’re sentient coyotes.

Bai Yao makes a dismissive snort as he turns back around with the tub of potato peelings and water. Being a snow leopard, he’s naturally disinclined to interacting with anthropomorphised canines or apex predators. Sure, he can put up a business smile if he needs to, but he’d rather avoid them altogether.

It’s the middle of the summer holiday season, so there are many tourists around Qiaohai, among which are the occasional sentient beastkin.

Bai Yao would be happy to greet some anthropomorphised mountain goat or poultry, perhaps, but man, that sentient lion last week? He wouldn’t even have introduced himself if he could help it.

With one foot already in the restaurant, though, Bai Yao’s sharp senses alerts him to a smell that is distinctly not coyote in the breeze. Actually, it doesn’t smell like land at all.

He stops, and looks over at the beach once more.

And just in time, too, to spot the grey rock moving and stretching itself a little, revealing a fuzzy head of white fur, blinking and looking around himself.

It’s not a rock at all. It’s a sentient sea otter who’s in his animal form for some reason.

He was too spherical earlier to be identified.

His curiosity piqued, Bai Yao squints and leans on his doorframe to observe the proceedings on the beach.

He sees the coyotes are actually goading the sea otter, laughing and teasing. The one standing the closest to the otter hops in to give it a kick, then deftly hops back when the sea otter tries to lunge at him.

The otter fails to land where he wanted, and slides a little ways through the sand. His nose must be full of it, then. It probably hurts for him, too, as he only sluggishly props himself back up with glassy eyes, patting at his nose with his little paws.

The coyotes would probably leave him alone if he just turned back into human there, but he doesn’t turn despite the lack of people around. He continues to clumsily retreat towards the ocean, away from the coyotes.

Sea otters are agile swimmers, but they are much less dexterous on land. The sand is too soft under them to move quickly.

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The coyotes probably find it fun to tease him, as they aren’t looking like leaving any time soon.

One of them then produces a tree branch from somewhere, snapping the small branches off of it entirely, and holding it as a stick. Then he starts poking the sea otter with the sharp end; when the otter shrinks in response, he throws the branch over to another of his pack, who pokes the otter again.

The poor sea otter is doing his damndest to run away for sure, slowly heading its way for the ocean.

Unfortunately for him, he has webbed feet instead of actual paws on his hind legs. While they can still serve a similar function to legs, they’re still optimised for swimming rather than walking. He is far too slow.

And he only barely made a headstart when his way forward is blocked. Unable to run away or dodge, the sea otter shrinks further while baring his sharp teeth and making a threatening gurgle sound from his throat.

The anthropomorphised coyotes only find it hilarious, apparently. Honestly, the round and fluffy sea otter doesn’t even look like he could stand in this form. It is as non-threatening as ever.

Bai Yao has become quite confused by this point.

He doesn’t know why the sea otter isn’t turning into a human. Sure, he’d be naked, but he could at least run better on two legs. And the coyotes wouldn’t be abusing him so openly, at least.

Regardless, the sea otter remains in his form, doing his best to shrink away from the coyotes that surround him. Some pokes later, he starts making whimpers pleading for mercy.

Bai Yao can’t take it anymore. He’s put his stuff away, and walks to the beach via a gravel path off the side of the restaurant. He reaches the group of beastkin soon enough.

“What are you guys doing?”

The coyotes turn around, and visibly relaxes when they notice he isn’t human either.

And, perhaps it’s Bai Yao’s slightly unfriendly-looking demeanour, they assume he also wants in on teasing the otter. They smile and give him some space.

“Here, check this dumbo out. He’s fun.”

The coyote speaking has dyed his hair purple. He also has a scar on the right side of his face, going from the corner of his eye to his mouth. He really embodies the word ‘ruffian’ well, and his clothes… It’s either torn or ‘fashionably’ torn with a few holes. Bai Yao thinks it looks like it was picked right out of the trash.

Influx of tourists often invite slightly shadier characters, and here on Qiaohai, there have also been more pickpockets than usual. Careless tourists with fat pockets are their preferred targets.

Bai Yao, being a cook, can’t help but be distracted thinking that red cabbage is tastier when soaked in salt water before a stir-fry when looking at that coyote’s hair.

The coyote continues, “he wouldn’t say anything when we were all talking normally to him. Really disrespectful, don’tcha think?”

Then the coyote raises the branch in his hand. He’s definitely going to whip the sea otter on the back.

Bai Yao quickly steps in, taking the branch, snapping it, and throws it away.

The coyote almost loses his balance from the pull.

Bai Yao harrumphs. He hates these people who enjoy bullying those weaker than them. Using a small branch in a fight? Against a little sea otter that can’t even stand up? Bai Yao puts his hands back in his pocket and asks with a nonchalant tone, “this fun for you?”

His voice is deep and confident. His smile reveals his rather sharp and long canines. He then runs his tongue across them, narrowing his eyes.

This snow leopard is a pretty big guy; at least, bigger than the coyotes. In his human form, he’s taller than all of the teenage coyotes. He’s someone you wouldn’t want to cross – standing at over 1.9m tall, lean and toned. He also has a manly but also not exactly friendly smile. His black tanktop fails to conceal his slender arms and the mountaintop tattoo on his right arm.

The teenage coyotes have stopped smiling; the less tough ones have started darting their eyes and gulping nervously.

“Oh? You really wanna do it?” Bai Yao’s lips perk up even further, as he makes a dramatic show of sizing up the leader of the group, “you guys seem braver than you are dumb, I’ll give you that. Say, I haven’t seen coyotes running away with their tails between their legs. Is it like how little pups are?”

Author’s notes: A sea otter is different from a river otter! They’re generally bigger and don’t go on land as much. They have webbed feet for hind legs, and move much more clumsily if they’re on land (and I personally find sea otters cuter, hehe)

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