So, uh, here's chapter four, lol. :3
Chapter 4: The Cat and His Allies
"How am I supposed to convince him to choose me?" Riku asked Demyx one Saturday afternoon. The younger skinwalker had commissioned the blond as a sort of informal love guru, and Demyx, an enthusiastic romantic, was more than happy to provide the service.
"Well, what does your gut say, Riku?" the older skinwalker replied.
"My gut doesn't speak," the silver-haired teen said, looking confused.
Demyx had forgotten that Riku still hadn't completely grasped human slang. "Um, what do you feel you should do next?"
"I feel like I should rip out the redhead's throat and throw it in a pile of waste… which I imagine will be more counterproductive if anything," Riku added quickly as Demyx opened his mouth to protest.
"You got that right, bro," the older skinwalker nodded. "What you need to do is try to get Sora alone. Well, not alone, per say, but interact with him when Axel's not there. Find out activities Sora does that Axel isn't a part of. And I don't mean just in class or whatever, I mean do stuff together that seems harmless and friendship-building so he doesn't suspect your ulterior motives."
Riku almost smirked. It sounded like espionage.
"Show him you notice him. Talk about the little things like how you like his shoes, or remember what he said about something he thought was important. But don't pay too much attention to him or he'll get put off by it. You can give him gifts if you like, but you're gonna have to mediate that because that also be seen as general creepy-ness. And make sure they're sort of insignificant but somewhat important and useful."
The younger skinwalker sighed and ran a hand through his hair in agitation. Human wooing was so complex. Every aspect seemed to have a dual nature.
"The movies make it seem like it's so simple and… quick," Riku muttered. "You would simply need to execute a daring stunt, deliver a brazen confession, and off you go into the sunset with your dearly beloved."
"Riku, not everything you see in the movies is exactly, uh, correct," Demyx said around a very large sandwich. "Like, I once saw this movie where this dude ran through airport security to confess his love to some chick who was leaving for some random country. Turns out that in real life the officers can actually shoot you for doing that."[1]
The silver-haired teen winced and sipped his water, deciding to digest the information in silence.
Truth be told, playing the roles of Sora's cat and classmate was tiring to say the least. Riku had a very tight schedule. The moment the brunet stepped out of the house, he had to race to the Axis, throw on his uniform and rally up one of his cousins to drive him to school. Getting home before Sora was easy as the brunet took the bus home while Riku was picked up by Kadaj. The main issues were homework, studying, and projects. Homework and studying had to be done in the dead of night, which was easy enough since Sora slept like a log. Projects were a bit more difficult, especially when Riku had to work with others, but he managed to slip out of the house and meet his partner—or partners—whenever necessary. Though Sora was aware of his cat's absence, he didn't draw any suspicion.
Currently, his effect on Sora had been positive. After Riku had officially met the brunet as a human, Sora enthusiastically retold their first meeting to his pet. Riku gradually began slipping in bits of things he knew Sora would like as the days went on; mentioning a band that just so happened to be Sora's favorite, choosing a snack at lunchtime that Sora was also fond of. But the silver-haired teen was careful about being too similar to Sora due to some advice from Demyx.
"Don't be just like him," the mullet-mohawked college student had advised. "People don't just want parallels in their partners. They also want their significant others to have qualities that they value and strive to have. If everyone only wanted someone who was like themselves, we'd be marrying our own clones. And wouldn't that be boring?" Demyx and Zexion's relationship was further evidence to the sandy-blond's logic.
So Riku flaunted his strengths—intellect, beauty, and anything that made him unique. After only a week, Riku Yorushi was recognized throughout Twilight Town High school. At two weeks the skinwalker had received well over 100 love letters. Girls and boys flocked to him, trying to get his attention or speak to him or recruit him into an afterschool club, but Riku ignored these invitations because he only had eyes for Sora.
Only Sora.
"Doing your homework before class again, Sora?" Riku asked with a rather dashing smirk as he sat next to the brunet during their lunch hour. Sora's usual friends were already seated around them at the table, chattering among themselves.
The brunet chewed on his lower lip as he eyed his paper nervously. "Yeah…" he mumbled.
"I guess shirking your school duties to nap isn't so helpful, is it?" Riku asked, reflecting on Sora's poorly thought decision to sleep first and do homework later. It was time well spent on Riku's part, at least. The skinwalker was more than content to snuggle next to his human.
Sora's lower lip jutted into a very identifiable pout as he looked up at him. "How did you know I decided to sleep instead of doing homework?"
"Educated guess." The silver-haired teen shrugged his shoulders. "The answer to the question is fifteen, by the way."
The brunet scribbled the answer down immediately. Then he looked up to Riku with astoundingly adorable, pleading eyes. "Riku, have I ever told you you're my bestest-best friend in the whole wide universe? The coolest, awesomest guy ever?"
Riku raised an amused brow as he caught onto Sora's game. He decided to pretend not to be overjoyed that teen would come to him for help.
"And I bet it would be totally awesome for me to help you with your math homework, right?" Riku countered, inwardly thrilled of his use of human slang.
Sora batted his royal blue eyes on him, working every iota of his irresistible charm.
Riku leaned over his paper and glanced at the problems. "All right."
"You're the best, Riku!" the brunet said gratefully, writing the answer.
As the skinwalker ate, he helped Sora in-between bites. Riku was careful to make sure that the brunet knew how to get the answers before moving onto the next question.
"Thanks, Riku," Sora said, smiling brightly at him.
"If you have any more trouble with math, you can come to me," Riku tried to keep himself from sounding too cheerful.
"Sure! I—"
Two large hands suddenly swooped before Sora's eyes and a mass of flaming-red hair appeared, breaking the quaint air.
"Guess who?" the intruder asked, playfully.
"Axel!" Sora responded instantly. He whirled around and threw himself at the redhead. Riku felt his chest tighten painfully at the sight. He forced his lips to stay shut to ensure he wouldn't give any improper protest.
"What are you doing here?" the brunet asked, laughing. "I thought you had class."
"I did. I skipped," Axel answered simply with a shrug of his shoulders. He grinned.
"If you fail and end up held back a year, I'll laugh at you."
"I thought you said you liked a man who could make you laugh?" the redhead questioned.
Riku felt sick. He turned his head away and sipped his water to rid the taste of bile rising from the back of his throat.
"Oh, hey!" Axel said, noticing Riku for the first time. "You're that new kid, aren't you? Riku, right?"
The silver-haired teen hoped his smile didn't look more like a grimace. "Yeah."
"Axel Lea," the redhead said, jutting his hand out. "Nice to meet you!"
Tentatively, Riku shook the offered hand. "Nice to meet you, too."
"So, where you from?" Axel asked casually as he planted himself in between Sora and the skinwalker.
"Midgar," Riku lied smoothly. His history had been prepared beforehand, of course. He was from Midgar, his parents had gone overseas to attend some fancy business and had sent him to his cousins to be cared for. Yazoo had even compiled a file that contained everything he needed to know to pass as a Midgar citizen.
"Ooh." The redhead was fascinated. "Is it nice there?"
"Lots of tall buildings. It's a bit bleak, but I like it."
"Cool, cool. Hey, is it true that Sector Seven has the best bars around?"
"So I've heard," Riku added a smile for effect.
"Neat! So… mind if I steal my boyfriend for a bit, Riku?" Axel punctuated his statement with a rather loud kiss on Sora's cheek. Riku looked extremely uncomfortable.
"Axel!" The brunet protested.
"Hm? What?" The taller teen looked down on him. Then, with surprised eyes, he brought his glance up to Riku. "Oh shit, you're one of those catholic private school guys, aren't you?"
"Just home-schooled," the silver-haired teen corrected. "If you'll…" Riku cleared his throat. "If you'll excuse me." And with that he went off in another direction to escape Axel's presence.
"Axel!" he heard Sora whisper sharply to the redhead in protest.
Of course, Riku had also taken the time to research Axel. (His father always said information was a key factor in any battle.) The redhead had moved here several months ago from Radiant Garden, his favorite food was hot cheetos, and his grades were quite impressive. He was captain of the soccer team and was graduating next year. The redhead was a fairly likable teen and from a different stand point Riku was almost certain they would have been friends. But right now, though, he was someone Riku had to beat.
The skinwalker trudged to the roof, feeling a sudden need for the height and open air. Along the way, he caught sight of a certain blond brushing passed him and turning the corner in a hurry.
It took a couple more steps for recognition to creep its way into Riku's mind. At last, the silver-haired teen stopped completely and turned to watch the blond's retreating figure with a contemplative look.
Roxas didn't have lunch at 6th period.
As insignificant as the factoid may be, Riku found that he couldn't write it off as a simple coincidence. His instincts were telling him something was amiss, and his instincts hardly led him wrong.
Roxas Strife sat in a shaded corner of what his classmates had dubbed the "Bus Ring," a loop of pavement designated for school buses to pick up students. It was a convenient spot which served his occasional anti-social needs well and had a lovely view of the Bus Ring. Currently, the blond was engrossed in a rather gory game on his PSP, which was doing a fairly good job of releasing some pent-up angst.
A long shadow descended over Roxas' slumped figure and he glanced up.
"Hi, I'm Riku Yorushi," the silver-haired teen said.
"Yeah, the new kid," Roxas said flatly, returning his eyes to the game.
Riku, who knew Roxas' personality like the back of his hand, was completely unaffected.
"I understand that you're attracted to Axel," he stated.
The blond fumbled his game. "Who—what—how—who told you that?!" He sputtered, his face bloodless.
"No one. I figured it out myself. Rather obvious really," Riku added offhandedly. "I wonder why I never noticed before…" he muttered under his breath.
"Huh?" Roxas gave him a puzzled look.
"Ah, nothing. My point is, I think we can benefit from a partnership."
"Partnership?" the blond repeated, slowly and suspiciously. "What kind of partnership?"
"One that benefits both of us. I'm interested in Sora."
Immediately, Roxas' entire expression shifted. His lips flattened into a very thin line, his entire expression locked up and became unreadable. It was a great distinction between the two brothers, how much could be expressed on Sora's face and how little on Roxas'.
"I can give you a chance to make Axel think you're better than Sora for once," Riku said. He would not let the blond deter him. The silver-haired teen had watched Roxas carefully over the past week, sensed the brief inflection of irritation and jealousy in the blond's slight frown whenever he glimpsed Sora and Axel together. There was no doubt. Roxas wanted the redhead, and Riku was more than happy to help deliver the skinny menace right to him.
Roxas' face was hard and blank. After several minutes of silence the blond finally spoke,
"Why do you like Sora?" Roxas asked not with suspicious malice but with heartfelt concern for his brother.
It was a question the skinwalker had not expected. But he gave his answer.
"To put it simply: I love him," Riku said. "I knew from the moment I saw him that my place would be at his side—"
In a second surprise, Roxas burst out laughing. Though what he was laughing about, Riku couldn't figure. In any case, the blond didn't seem to be laughing at him. At least the skinwalker hoped so. Human subtly was still something he had yet to fully comprehend.
"Okay, okay…" Roxas said once his laughter had subsided. "I believe you, just…" he snorted.
"I don't understand what's so funny."
"Nothing, you just sounded like you were quoting Nicholas Sparks or Stephenie Meyer or something."
"I have no idea who those people are." Riku covered his mouth as he coughed.
"Don't sweat it," the blond shrugged. "I'll help you get Sora if you help me get Axel. …Hey, are you okay?" Roxas asked as the skinwalker's coughs failed to subside.
"I'm… fine," Riku replied once his coughs subsided. "It's nothing. Are you free on Saturday?"
"Yeah."
"Excellent. Meet me at the Gaming Axis at five."
The skinwalker retrieved his phone—which was tragically too advanced for him to fully comprehend—from his pocket and held it out to Roxas. "You can put your number on this thing, right?"
"I'm on shroooooms!" his phone shouted, startling both of them.
"Please ignore that," Riku said crisply, averting his gaze from Roxas' amused expression.
"Whatever, man," the blond replied. "You've got a text, by the way."
"So Seifer won't be bothering you again anytime soon," Paine announced happily as she met Riku afterschool.
The main branch member raised a brow. "Paine, what did you do?' he asked suspiciously.
"Oh, nothing. You know humans, they have all sorts of things on their minds. Homework, school, friends, antique cars than randomly come apart over night."
Riku knew he wasn't supposed to, but he laughed.
"You know, I never managed to ask you why you were here in the first place, Riku," Paine mused aloud.
"What do you mean?" the silver-haired teen asked as casually as he could.
"I mean why are you here? In this school? I mean, the only reason why I decided to attend was because I was so damn bored I had to do something. What about you?"
"Same reason," Riku answered briefly.
Paine drew her knees up and rested her folded arms on them. "I know you're educated enough to realize that putting yourself out in the open—six months after the assassination of your family—is a terribly unintelligent move." She looked at him with a critical eye.
The main branch member did his best to remain as collected as possible. He shrugged.
Paine didn't falter. "Does this have anything to do with the brunet in your class I smell on you?"
It was only Riku's profound coaching in hiding his emotions that saved him from giving himself completely away.
"He has your scent on him too. But I know you two haven't been close enough to leave that much of a profound scent on each other. I'll be damned if Marluxia hasn't noticed either. He's just too polite to ask. Well? Are you going to tell me or do I have to find this out on my own, too?" Her mouth set into a frown.
The main branch member bit his lip. "I've been living in his house as a house cat," he said.
"Riku!" Paine protested. "You can't be living in a human's house! I mean, I understand that no hunter would think to look for you in a human household, but that's completely beneath you! When Kadaj gets here I'm going to insist that he—"
"And I love Sora."
Paine's off-white eyebrows nearly shot up to her hairline, her heartrate skipped a beat, and her jaw looked like it was about to dislocate.
"Are you serious?" She leaned in close and hissed in his ear.
"Yes." Riku nodded. "I enrolled in this school to seduce him as a human. That's the real reason why I'm here."
The cadet branch member pulled away from him completely. She was too shocked to even continue to form complete sentences as she paced in agitation.
"Are you… Reall—There's just no—wha…you can't be… You're joking!" Paine spun on her heel, fixating her crimson gaze on her cousin's solemn expression. Her face fell a milli-second later. "Oh, Goddess… you're not joking."
Taking several deep breaths to steady herself, she finally sat down next to him. Riku watched her tensely. He didn't know what to do if Paine would react badly to this.
"You do realize, Riku," she said, keeping her voice very, very quiet, "that this goes against one of the most sacred rules of our clan? As the last member of pureblood line of the Silver Moon house, you're highly expected to bear offspring."
"I'm aware," Riku replied grimly.
"And should Uncle Ansem find out…"
"I know…"
"You do know you won't be put to death because you're too valuable, right?"
"Yes."
A montage of emotions crossed his cousin's pale features. Desperation, fear, sorrow, confusion, guilt, reticence... "Riku, your mother and father—"
"Have always told me to be true to myself," Riku cut her off firmly. "I like Sora, human and all. There is nothing that can make me change that."
Thankfully, at that point, Kadaj's car came into view and the main branch member was spared from continuing the conversation. "I'll see you tomorrow, Paine," he said as he rose from his spot and walked quickly to the car.
"I see you've told Paine," Kadaj said, noting the light-haired skinwalker's expression as Riku slid into the car.
"She would have worked it out eventually," the seventeen-year-old muttered. "It was best to let her hear it from me first."
"Do you think it was wise, Riku? The monthly Meeting will happen soon. Paine will most certainly be attending. Do you think she will tell?"
"I'm not sure. Perhaps not."
"Perhaps," Kadaj repeated dryly. "We're placing everything onto a 'perhaps.' Lovely."
Riku scowled. "Your sarcasm is completely unnecessary right now." He raised his hand to his temple, rubbing the heel of his palm in soothing circles.
Kadaj glanced at the younger skinwalker's reflection in the rear-view mirror. "You all right?" he asked.
"It's nothing," Riku said dismissively. "Just a headache."
"I'm on shroooooms!" suddenly sounded in car. Kadaj laughed as Riku dug out his tragically high-tech cell phone from his pocket. He fiddled with it for a moment, cursing its touch screen and lights before he gave up.
"Do something about this, will you?!" the younger skinwalker said exasperatedly, shoving the damn cell phone into his cousin's face. "Yazoo won't stop texting me and it makes that noise whenever he does and then I get in trouble! I don't understand why my classmates seem to think it's hilarious. What in the Goddess' sweet name is a shroooooms?"
Kadaj was laughing too hard to respond, or drive properly for that matter. If Riku wasn't too frustrated at his phone, he would be reprimanding his cousin about safe driving.
"Why did you even get me a phone a like this?" the younger skinwalker continued to rant. "I can't do anything with it! I barely even know how to call someone with it!"
"Oh, Riku, all the young kids always want a nice advanced phone like yours. I bet they're wicked jealous of it. You know I bet if you tinker around with it a little more you'll figure out how to make it fly."
"You're lying," Riku muttered, crossing his arms. Though, a small part of him secretly wouldn't be surprised if his phone could actually fly.
Paine leaned closer to the mirror and examined her damp, light-colored hair with a concentrated frown as she carefully ran her hands through it. Finally deciding it was too short to really morph to anything other than her usual swept-back style, she folded the towel over her lap and readjusted the tie on her robe.
"I hope you didn't leave too many marks when you broke in, Kadaj," Paine said as she truned to the older skinwalker. "The landlord will take it out on my rent when he finds out."
Kadaj smirked. "Not surprised to see me here, cousin?"
"I'm not surprised that you're up to your usual snooping," the light-haired teen corrected, setting her towel on her vanity table.
"Take a note," Kadaj said, advancing towards her. "'Father, Riku appears to be too busy grieving to consider bearing children. However, I will continue to be his pillar of support in these difficult times and will use that to my advantage at the opportune moment.'"
Paine rooted her feet to the spot, her crimson eyes defiantly meeting the silver-haired man's. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she said evenly.
"Don't play games with me," the older skinwalker hissed. "I know Vexen didn't send you all the way out here just for recon. You're the most likely candidate as Riku's mate; an ideal way for your father to raise his status in the family. How petty."
The light-haired teen pulled her lips back and snarled. "Don't presume that my father and I are the same person!" she retorted. "Do you have any idea what I went through when I found out what happened at the main house? What I'd thought when I heard that Riku's body hadn't been found? I… I was certain that the hunters had taken him to…!" Her emotions were wrecking havoc on her ability to hold her shape. Her pupils narrowed into cat-like slits, her teeth were sharpening, her nails were elongating into needle-like claws, and the sandy-white fur of a lynx was creeping up her arms.
Kadaj readied himself for an attack, but none came. Instead Paine regulated her breathing into an even rhythm. With each exhale she regained more and more of her human form.
"Perhaps I should tell Riku what you've been doing behind his back, cousin?" The younger skinwalker asked, a twisted smirk played on her lips as she regained her composure. "How is Uncle Ansem, anyway? In good health, I hope! I bet he must be quite happy. He's finally at the top of the proverbial food chain, just like he's always wanted."
Kadaj's eyes narrowed dangerously, but he said nothing in return.
"I'm not as naïve as Riku," Paine went on. "I've heard what the cadet branches whisper about your father." She stalked over to him until their noses were nearly touching.
"And you know what, Kadaj?" the younger skinwalker went on with a sardonic smirk twisting on her lips. "Some even say it was Uncle Ansem who led the hunters into Radiant Garden. Now GET OUT."
[1] "Like, I once saw this movie where this dude ran through airport security to confess his love to some chick who was leaving for some random country. Turns out that in real life the security personal could actually shoot you for doing that." The movie Demyx is talking about is called Love Actually.
So we finally get into some lies and deceit! O: Oh snap!
Thanks to copycapy-capycot for beta-ing!
- See you all next chapter! (With any luck it won't take me so damn long to update.)
|Corrosive Moon|