Author's Note: I'm back! Sorry for the long absence, but things have been crazy over the last couple years. But it looks like they might finally be settling here and I am ready and itching to start my fics again. What better resurgent story than this one? I ask you to bare with me on my updates, though. After a whole year, I FINALLY hooked my computer up and all my stuff is still there. I just can't find my mouse, so I'm stick with my Amazon Fire touch screen, so typing WILL be a slower process than my keyboard. As far as this chapter goes, I couldn't remember Natsuno and Gareki's cannon school colors and wasn't having much luck with image searches, so I put my own touch on the school uniforms. All polls are officially closed, but I'm still open for chapter title suggestions for the chapters that need it, and for this one if anyone can think of anything better than "School". The poll for Jiki was 50/50 on Bat and Black Hawk, so... Also, I completely reread the existing chapters but can't remember if I said what species Nasal was, so I'm leaving that blank for right now. Eleska's poll ended with the most votes for Butterfly with Goat Horns to show she is a Half Breed, and her she has been changed for story purposes. Though, she, Nai, Karoku, and Tamari don't really play a big role in this, I still wanted them to have an appearance. Sorry there's not a lot of action in this chapter; just a bunch of fluff and conversation. To everyone who added a fave, Kudos, like, comment, or follow to this and any of my other stories while I was away; thank you all so much for the continued support and encouragement. As per always, I look forward to hearing what you did and didn't enjoy. I hope I'm still up to my prior standards. I was pretty proud of myself with how this chapter started, but the ending felt a little awkward. I'm sorry for not listing names this time around, but there were so many of you during the time I was gone, I'm afraid I miss someone if I tried. So, thank you all, and please enjoy. ^_^ 3
Natsuno jerked awake as another nightmare over took him. One he couldn't remember any part of this time. His breathing was heavy and his body felt heavy, as if someone was sitting on top of him. Everything felt hot and numb, and there were spots that felt as though they were tingling. Sleep paralysis. He'd been suffering these symptoms ever since his first night in the ring. Whether they we're due to physical or psychological trauma, he had no way of knowing. He'd never brought it up with Dr Azana. Nor had he ever told Gareki. His eyes darted around the room, until they settled on his brother laying beside him. He smiled and wagged his tail as he regained his mobility. Gareki looked peaceful lying there with the early morning sunlight streaming in on him through the window. It was a scene he was unused to seeing. "We could get use to this," he quietly thought as he snuggled up to his brother.
"What'd you do, get cold?" Gareki teased, feeling Natsuno's movement.
"No, just not use to such a soft bed anymore. I'm actually comfortable enough I don't wanna get up," Natsuno replied.
A knock at the door snapped them both on guard. Tap, tap, tap, tap-tap. "They're gonna make us get up and socialize with other people and stuff, aren't they?" Gareki grumbled.
"Yep," Natsuno sighed.
"Think of we ignore them, they'll go away?"
Tap, tap, tap tap-tap, tap, tap
"Obviously not," Natsuno groaned, "Alright, come on, Cub, "Time to pay the piper."
"Sooo not looking forward to this," Gareki whimpered, climbing out of bed behind his brother.
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
"Alright already!" Natsuno barked, throwing the door open.
There was a flurry of yellow and orange in the hallway as the Mutou kittens quickly jumped out of arm's reach of the irritable Wolfboy on the other side of the door. "Sorry if we woke you," Tohru apologized.
"No, we were awake," the wolves sighed.
" Father sent us to call you down for breakfast, " Yogi said.
"And to give you these," Tohru offered, handing Natsuno a small stack of clothes. "The ones on top are yours, Natsuno. The outfit on the bottom is Gareki's."
"School uniforms? " the twins asked.
"You guys are in private schools?" Natsuno asked, passing Gareki his set of clothes.
"No. They're both public," Tohru answered.
"When did public schools start...?" Gareki started to ask, holding up the pair of khakis he'd been handed. "Are these things even gonna fit?" he asked under his breath.
Tohru and Yogi exchanged glances. "Not all of them do, but there were... issues with school violence a few years back, and now all 'Elite' schools use uniforms to identify their students," Yogi explained.
"I see," Natsuno snorted, holding up a blue still necktie.
"In any case," Tohru said, "We'll let you two get dressed now. Breakfast will be ready soon, so join us at the table."
"Yeah, yeah," the twins said, waving the Nekos off as Natsuno closed the door.
Fully dressed and fed, Natsuno and Tohru headed out the door. As they left, Natsuno and Gareki exchanged quite looks. For the first time in their lives, they were about to spend the majority of the day apart from one another. "Take care out there, Pup," Gareki yipped.
"You too, Cub," Natsuno nodded.
"Something wrong?" Tohru asked, after a few miles of silence, glancing over his shoulder and noticing Natsuno was on high guard.
"I feel ridiculous in this outfit," Natsuno grumbled.
Tohru looked him over. It was a sleek pair of blue polyester pants, a white button-up, blue silk necktie, and blue blazer jacket with a good "S" embroidered on the right shoulder. Tohru blushed. "I think it looks good on you. Is it uncomfortable? Too tight or something?"
"That's not what I mean! " Natsuno growled, "We're out in plain view. We should be using your father's limo, not walking! And what if something happens? How am I supposed to fight in this jacket?" Tohru balled a fist at his mouth and failed to hide the laugh that escaped him. "What?"
" Relax, will you? " Tohru answered calmly, "First off, if they tried anything between here and the school, they would risk too many witnesses that could identify them. Besides, Yogi's school is in the opposite direction, it would take two cars to get to both schools on time, even with the college classes starting an hour later, or else our brothers would end up being late. Even so, the limo would attract a lot more attention than we do in foot. So, we walk. As for the jacket, in the unlikely event it comes to that, just toss it if it gets in the way. We can easily replace any part of the uniform that gets messed up." Natsuno raised an eyebrow at him. "By the way, come here, for a second. This... This has been driving me crazy since breakfast." Tohru approached Natsuno, and reached towards him. Reflex took over, seeing the Neko reaching for him and he jerked backwards a step with a snarl. It was so fast, Tohru almost didn't realize what had just happened. The Neko stood perfectly still for a moment, twitching his orange ears, as he registered what he'd just witnessed. He smiled and sighed. "Hey, calm down, buddy," he purred, " I was just going to help you fix your tie. "
"Sorry," Natsuno sighed, "Reflex," he admitted, as Tohru approached him again.
"Yogi and I agreed to keep quiet about this at the table, so as not to embarrass you and your brother," Tohru explained, "But, honestly, I'm surprised Dad never said anything. God's know the teachers would, though. You both had them on crooked," he stated as he undid and retied Natsuno 's tie, "Have the two of you never worn one before?"
"We've never had a reason to," Natsuno snipped, looking away, hoping his face wasn't as red as it felt. He glanced sideways back at the young Neko. "You actually think we're safe walking this street in broad daylight, just because of the risk of witnesses?"
"Well... Yeah?" Tohru answered.
"Even after what happened at the hospital?" Natsuno asked.
"Well..." Tohru sounded a little less confident.
Natsuno sighed as he remembered the day he was snatched off the curbside on a very s similar looking street. "If you still believe it after that, then you're an even bigger idiot than I thought." He brushed Tohru off as he finished adjusting the tie. "They don't give a Damn whether or not someone sees them, as long as they get what their after. Witnesses can always be silenced!" He grabbed Tohru's wrist and pulled him along. "Come on, the sooner we get there, better."
"Hey! Don't pull so hard!" Tohru mewled, scrambling to keep up with the Wolfboy. "You really think they'd risk something in the residential district?"
Natsuno stopped and cringed as he remembered how his cries for help went unanswered. "I don't THINK so. I KNOW so," he said, coldly.
"Huh...?" Tohru blinked. He'd noticed something about Natsuno's voice and behavior in that statement.
Natsuno turned his head away, refusing to look the blond Neko in the face. "Nothing," the young wolf huffed. "Never mind."
It wasn't much later before Yogi and Gareki were on their way themselves. Just like his brother, Gareki was on high alert. He was uncomfortable with not having Natsuno to watch his back. They had always worked best as a team. "You know your tie's not on straight, right?" Yogi asked, looking at something in his hands, rather than Gareki, or where he was going.
"I've never had to wear one before, so sue me," Garki replied, grabbing the older Neko's shirt collar and pulling him to the side. "Watch where you're going!"
"Huh?" Yogi looked up and blinked as he realized Gareki had just prevented him from falling into an open manhole. The blond flushed pink for a moment. "Um... Thanks..."
"What are you fiddling with that's so distracting?" Gareki scolded.
"This bracelet of yours," Yogi answered, holding up a piece of purple leather.
Gareki growled at the mere sight of it. "What the hell, you guys kept those!?"
"I thought you might want it back?" Yogi offered, holding up the offending piece of fabric. "
Gareki swatted Yogi's hand away. "NO!" he snarled.
Yogi's ears twitched. "Eh!? It even has your name on it."
"Those AREN'T bracelets!" Gareki growled, walking away. Yogi looked down at the item in question. "Toss it, burn it, keep it as your own and wear it as one of you like, for all I care," Gareki grumbled, "But don't ever ask me if I want it back again."
" If it's not a bracelet...? "
"We're you born stupid?" Gareki scolded, "It's a collar, and I'm glad to be free of it!"
Yogi frowned. Looking at the collar, he felt the threat of tears stinging the edges of his eyes. His ears folded submissively and his tail twitched irritability. "They collared you?" he asked quietly. He looked up, realizing Gareki had put some considerable distance between them and ran to catch up. "Hey, wait up!"
" So, what's our cover story? " Gareki asked, trying to change the subject.
"Cover story?" Yogi asked.
" Don't tell me your father is sending us to school with you guys with no explanation as to who we are!? " Gareki exasperated. "Given his position, I highly doubt he's going to tell the truth!"
" Oh that, " Yogi said, "Of course not! Even our old bodyguard was disguised as a janitor at school." He smiled as Gareki rolled his eyes. "We're telling everyone that you're both exchange students." Yogi pressed a finger to his lips for a moment, then gave Gareki a sideways glance. "It isn't weird for you to be attending college so soon, is it?"
"Not really," Gareki answered , "Natsuno and I were three grades ahead of where we should have been before Kafka grabbed us. The only thing weird about it is that I'm getting there before him."
"This is the first time you two have ever been apart, isn't it? " Yogi asked.
"That obvious, huh?" Gareki replied. He surprised himself, as he found himself confiding in the Neko. "To be honest, I'm sort of town about it. Natsuno is only older than me by about five minutes. Since then, we've been inseparable. It's odd not having him at my side. But, at the same time, I can't help thinking I might actually have a chance to see what I'm capable of doing on my own for once."
" YOGI!? " a voice called out, breaking the moment.
Yogi and Gareki both looked up to find a young man, close to Yogi's age, approaching them and waving. He was wearing a uniform the same as theirs, khaki pants, white button up, gold tie, burgundy blazer with the letters KU embroidered on the left breast pocket. "Friend of yours?" Gareki asked, tucking his hands into his pocket.
"Jiki!" Yogi called, waving back.
The approaching young man had short black hair, a pair of black hawk wings on his back, and a pair of bat ears at the top of his head. "I didn't know you were coming back already," he said. He adjusted his glasses and looked at Gareki. "Who's your friend?"
" Friend? " Gareki scoffed.
"This is Gareki. He's an exchange student from... Um...?" Yogi stammered.
" From Kafka, " Gareki offered. He didn't care about dropping names.
"Kafka? Is that a city or a country?" Jiki asked. "I can't say I've ever heard of it. "I
"Not many people have, " Gareki replied.
Yogi immediately felt the air between them run cold. Kiki adjusted his glasses once more. "This guy's your new body guard, isn't he?" he asked.
"Heh, yeah," Yogi chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.
"What the...? How the hell?" Gareki asked.
" Heh, Jiki is kind of perceptive like that. He's top of our class, expected to graduate with honors, " Yogi explained.
"Relax, I've been tutoring Yogi since we were in second grade together. Your secret is safe with me," Jiki promised.
" Whatever, " Gareki scoffed, "in that case, let's make one thing clear. I'm here as this guy's bodyguard," he said thumbing at Yogi, "Not to make friends. It's a job, pure, plain, and simple."
Yogi pouted. "And here I thought we were having a moment," he whined under his breath.
" Fair enough, " Jiki shrugged. "We don't have much time for pleasantries, anyway." He glanced at his wristwatch. "We've only got 20 minutes to get to Kuronomie before the first bell."
Yogi pulled out a pocket watch and looked at it. "Yikes! I didn't realize it was so late," he hissed, grabbing Gareki 's wrist. "Come on, let's go!" Gareki bit back a yelp of pain and quickly jerked free of Yogi's hold. Yogi glanced back to see Gareki rubbing his shoulder. Yogi blanched. "Sorry," he mewed, " I forgot about your shoulder. "
"Forget it," Gareki snorted, " Lead the way, already. "
Natsuno took the window seat next to Tohru, the "exchange student" cover story having been along the way. Just like Gareki, he had asked about it in order to deflect the conversation from himself. He chose the window seat, so he could keep an eye on everything. A part of him knew it was too soon for the organization to make another move, but it still left him on high guard and nervous. He tried to pay attention in the classes, but every movement out the window caught his eye and momentarily distracted him until he was certain it was nothing more than a bypassing car or animal.
He was trained enough not to react in a manner that would draw attention to his every little head jerk. He had enough control not to cause a disturbance. The thing with Thoru earlier had been a fluke in his reflexes. Tohru, unlike the movement out the window, had been closer, with no barriers between them, and he wasn't used to a hand with the scent of cat reaching toward him without malicious intent.
In truth, Natsuno found the classes rather boring. Most of it was easy stuff he already knew from his years in the outside to begin with. He was more interested in hearing what had transpired during the last 11 years while he and Gareki we're on the 'inside' than he was on what happened 200 years before he'd been bor n. No one knew what caused the Lions to all die out; who cared anymore? What the hell were these small calculator looking things the other kids in the back of the room were using to communicate with?
There was a large commotion around Yogi and Tohru both throughout the day. The two young, blond, politician's sons were both very popular amongst their schoolmates. Both for their looks and their personalities. "Definitely NOT for his intelligence," Gareki and Natsuno both thought as they watched the chattering co-eds crowd around their charges. They could see through the insincerities of some of the students, however. Several of the girls, and a handful of the guys, were more interested in the boy's social status and their father's money. The disingenuousity of it turned the wolves' stomachs.
Natsuno watched as Tohru seemed to show no interest in the young girls that approached him. He was pathologically friendly towards everyone, but was either clueless as to when he was being flirted with or simply didn't reciprocate. "Man, you've got it had for that bunny nurse, don't you?" Natsuno teased.
"Huh?" Tohru asked, glancing back at Natsuno.
"You practically had four different girls pretty much beg you to mate with them in one subtle way or another, and you didn't even bar an eye at the proposition. Either you're really dense, or you're just hung up on a certain blue-haired bunny," Natsuno chortled.
Tohru 's face turned beet red. "I told you, it's NOT like that with Nurse Ritsu!" he hissed in protest. "And I DON'T believe any of these girls said anything near along those lines, you pervert!"
Natsuno laughed. "You really are dense, then." He pointed at two girls. "Those two weren't just flirting," he whispered, "Notice their movements? They're in heat."
Tohru flushed even brighter. "How do you know?" he asked.
"You learn how to tell these things when you're actively trying to avoid them," Natsuno sighed, using basic canine, just in case someone overheard. As Natsuno scanned the room, it quickly became apparent there weren't many other canines in the class, and Tohru was most likely the only noncanine that probably understood the language. Tohru's ears drooped. "Don't look at me like that," Natsuno snorted, "I'm not looking for your sympathy... I'm not looking to make friends, either."
"That's too bad, that's no way to go through life," Tohru offered, solemnly. Natsuno quietly shifted his gaze from the window, back to the blond Nekomimi. It baffled him how easy it was to talk to him. Natsuno opened his mouth to say something, but quickly lost his train of thought as a young man, maybe only a few months younger than Tohru approached them. Just as with Jiki and Gareki, Tohru instantly felt the air grow cold the moment the pair made eye contact.
The boy in question was tall and lanky and pale skinned. He clearly avoided direct sunlight. His black hair was long and scraggly. Natsuno sneered at him for a second. "I could snap this poor guy like a twig!" he thought, "So what's with this death glare he's giving me?"
"It's good to have you back, Tohru," the boy said, turning his full attention to the Nekomimi. "I was worried when I heard on the news about Dr Ozaki's clinic. You weren't there, were you?"
"Of course not, Masao, " Tohru fibbed with a nervous chuckle. He smiled and winked, "Officers Hirato and Tsukitachi were escorting us back home that day. "
"Your father and Uncle don't publicly acknowledge their blood ties?" Natsuno asked.
"Too many questions and implications," Tohru explained, "Might put Uncle Hirato and Officer Tsukitachi's lives and careers in danger."
"Too late," Natsuno thought, recalling the gunshot to Hirato's shoulder.
"Hey! No fair passing secrets in dead languages!" the newcomer complained.
"Dead?" Natsuno questioned.
"Masao, Basic Feline and Basic Canine aren't dead," Tohru sighed. He glanced back at Natsuno, "Just nobody's used either publicly for the last six years."
" who is this guy, anyway? " Masao asked nudging his head in Natsuno's direction. Natsuno raised an amused eyebrow as he detected the jealousy dropping in Masao's voice.
"That's right, you were late...again, this morning," Tohru chuckled, "He's an exchange student staying at our place. His brother's at Kuronomie with Yogi."
"When did this happen?" Masao asked.
"They were already there when we got home," Tohru explained, half laughing.
"How long are they staying?" Masao asked.
"Indefinitely," Tohru shrugged, "That hasn't really been determined, yet."
Masao gave Natsuno a jealous glance. "So you're stuck 'babysitting' for a while, huh?"
"What the hell!?" Natsuno growled, "If anyone's doing the babysitting here...!"
"Ah, ah, ah!" Tohru panicked, waving his hands in the air, "Down boy! I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it!" Natsuno snorted and started looking back out the window.. Tohru sighed, his ears and tail twitching. The last thing he wanted was a fight to break out while the teacher was out of the room. He turned back to his childhood friend. "Natsuno is more than capable of taking care of himself without a 'babysitter', " he said, "But, yes, I can't go anywhere without taking him with me, if that's what you mean."
" Oh, I see, " Masao sighed.
"So be nice," Tohru hissed.
Natsuno's eyes shifted back to the skinny kid. This time, he recognized the jealousy in Masoa's eyes. This guy was attention starved and wanted Tohru to himself. It was written on every inch of him. Natsuno gave a quiet smirk. He almost felt sorry for the guy.
"I'm no threat to you," the wolf said.
"Huh?" Masao and Tohru looked over to him.
He turned his attention back to the window. "I won't interfere with your friendship. I'm not looking for that sort of thing." He glanced back at the Tohru, who still hadn't figured out why Masao was behaving the way he was. "I simply intend to finish what I'm here to do, and be on my way ," he insisted.
Tohru opened his mouth to say something along the lines of how that might be easier if Natsuno and Gareki we're more interested in making friends, but his train of thought was broken as the lunch bell rang.
Gareki stared down at the tray of food in front of him. "Come on, big guy, eat up!" Yogi encouraged, patting Gareki on the shoulder. Gareki's ears twitched, but otherwise, he gave no immediate reaction. "Everything ok?" Yogi asked, after a moment of silence passed between them.
"I didn't know school cafeterias existed that would serve fried steak with tomato gravy," Gareki finally said.
" Eh...? Hey, if you don't like it, we can cut out and run down the road to one of the nearby restaurants down the road. Being in college, we don't have to stay on campus for lunch, as long as we're back in time for our next class, " the Neko offered.
"No, it's not that," Gareki said, "It's just... Nevermind. I guess our old-school just wasn't as swanky as this. We usually only got pizza and mystery meats," he said. "Though, I guess it was better than oatmeal and table scraps," he mumbled.
"You wanna talk about it?" Yogi asked, using basic canine.
"NO, " Gareki replied sharply. He tried not to smile at the Catboy's offer. "Thanks, but I'll be fine," he said, softening his tone. "Besides, I'm not dragging you out in broad daylight any more than necessary."
Jiki took quiet notice of the exchange and glowered at Gareki. He wasn't sure what it was about the wolf, or even why, but something about Gareki, quite literally, ruffled his tail feathers. "I don't trust this guy," he whispered, using Basic Feline, "What's your father thinking hiring Wolves? They're Apex predators. They're liable to rob you blind and eat you in your sleep!"
" Hmph, it's been a while since I sank my teeth into a good piece of Hawk, " Gareki snorted, using Fowl, a language that's been used even less prominently than Feline or Canine.
Jiki's eyes widened in surprise. "You speak Bird!?" he exclaimed.
Yogi sputtered on his drink, but managed to force it down without choking on it. "Don't feel so bad," the blond cat said, " He and his brother got me and Tohru like thqt, too, " he laughed.
"If it flies in the sky or walks on land, we've pretty much figured it out," Gareki stated, confidently, "If it swims or slithers, however... The accents are a bit tricky. We're still having trouble with those."
"How do you speak Bird?" Jiki asked .
"My mother was half crow," Gareki replied.
"I still don't understand how you understand Feline?" Yogi asked. Gareki gave Yogi a look that suggested it was best to drop the topic.
"Still, I notice you don't deny my accusations," Jiki said.
"I was joking," Gareki chuckled , "I may have been trained as a cold blooded killer, but I've never actually eaten anyone... At least, not that I know of." He smiled as a noticeable shiver ran through the two 'little rich boys'. Gareki froze for a second, his ears twitched and his eyes widened. He turned his head and looked up as the cafeteria doors swung open. "Who is that?" he asked as a young woman, somewhere between 18 to 20 years old entered the building.
Her light pink hair was pulled into town pigtails. She had a pair of Monarch Butterfly wings and a pair of goat horns. "Miss Eleska?" Jiki asked, "She's student body president."
"Oh don't tell me she's your type? " Yogi asked, noticing the way Gareki was staring at her, "Even I don't have a chance with her." He waved a hand in front of Gareki's face.
Gareki swatted him away and averted his eyes from the girl. "Not at all! She has a familiar scent is all," he huffed. "She reeks of Palnado," he grumbled .
"Eh?" Yogi blinked.
"Oh, Mr. Mutou, I see you're back," the girl in question said, as she passed by their table. Yogi and Jiki both flushed a slight shade of pink, surprised the girl had even noticed them. "I do hope you had a good vacation over the past month. ...?" Her eyes shifted to Gareki, "Oh, I beg your pardon, are you new?"
" You could say that, " Gareki said nonchalantly. "Great, I'm stuck with a couple of purists who blush the moment a girl even looks their way," he thought .
"Are you friends with Yogi?" she asked .
"He's an exchange student staying with my family," Yogi cut in.
She narrowed her eyes at the Neko. "I see..." she said. This change in attitude sent another chill through Yogi and Jiki both, and free Gareki's full attention back to her. "A word of warning," she said looking back to Gareki, "Be careful while residing with the Moutou family. Get too close to Yogi and you can get hurt." With that, she turned and left the table.
"She still totally hates me," Yogi groaned stretching across the table and burying his face into the wood grain.
"The Hell was that all about?" Gareki asked raising an eyebrow. " Was she talking about the car crash with your mother?" Gareki only knew what Tohru had told them about the accident. Even not knowing the full details, the very thought that she would blame Yogi for it made his blood boil.
" No, " Jiki answered, "Yogi was nearly caught in a bit and run last year. Her boyfriend pushed him out of the way and took the hit instead."
"Did they find the driver?" Gareki asked.
"Not to my knowledge," Jiki answered, glancing to Tohru, who's tail was now standing straight up, stuff as a board, every strand of golden hair and orange fur standing on end.
"Did it kill the guy?" Gareki asked, further, his own eyes settling on Yogi.
"No, Karoku's still alive," came Yogi's muffled reply, as the Neko never bothered lifting his head from the table. "But he'll be lucky if he ever walks again."
Gareki frowned. He could hear the remorse in Yogi's voice, even muffled as he was. He felt a strange twinge of sympathy for him. "Poor guy, misfortune just seems to follow you, doesn't it?" he thought .
"I actually saw his little brother this weekend," Jiki offered, " Apparently, Karoku may have full mobility in the next year or so. "
"Really?" Yogi looked up, his eyes already threatening to tear over, the tip of his tail flicking back and forth.
Jiki smiled. "That's what Nai told me. Apparently, a senator's money can buy pretty competent health care in these situations. " He winked as he said this.
"Well, that answers the question of if they ever had to make good on Senstore Tokitatsu 's pay out promise," Gareki thought.
"Want to go visit him after class let's out? Alaska may not have forgiven you, but I'm sure Karoku would love to see you. "
Yogi smiled and pounced Jiki, hugging him tight. "YES! I do want to go see him," he purred. Gareki rolled his eyes and buried his face into his palm, realizing he was going to get drug along for this visit.
Jiki lead Yogi and Gareki to Karoku's place after their classes had finished for the day. On more than one occasion, Gareki found himself pulling Yogi from the corner of the curb, the blond looking as though he were teetering on the edge, about to skip off. "Focus more on where you're going than what you're saying," he thought irritability.
"And then, GarekI'd broti's turned..." Yogi was explaining .
"Hey! He doesn't need a complete run down of what happened at the hospital," Gareki scolded.
"Sorry," Yogi said timidly , rubbing the back of his head, "But it's not every day we see action like that, ya' know!"
" Too bad, it was just getting interesting, " Jiki said, adjusting his glasses.
"Tsk! Whatever. All you need to know is the place went o n lock down, their uncle took a bit to the shoulder, and; even though we stopped them; the punks got away. "
"Aw, it 's no where near as exciting when you explain it like that," Yogi pouted.
"Exciting! You thought that was EXCITING?" Gareki barked.
"Uh.. I... Well..." Yogi's ears folded and his face turned a light shade of red, "I actually kind of thought you guys looked cool." he said meekly, pressings index fingers together.
Gareki snorted in disgust and looked away. "There's nothing cool or glamorous or exciting about it," he grumbled, "It's just routine."
Jiki glared at Gareki from the side. He still didn't feel the wolf could be trusted. "Ah, here we are," he said as they approached a modest little house with a white washed lattice fence. Two young boys were outside tossin bg a ball back and forth between themselves. The older of the two had brown rabbit ears and couldn't have been more than ten with short purple hair and green eyes.
The younger boy appeared to be at least eight. He his skin was pale, his hair a snow white, and eyes ruby red. He had a small pair of golden horns on his head, tiny white wings similar to bat wings sprouted from his back, and his long sleek tail had a lion-like tuft of the at the end. At first glance, one would have thought he was another cross breed. But Gareki recognized him right away. "A Niji? I didn't know any of them we're around here."
"This is the only known family of Niji outside Karasuna, " Yogi said.
"Their family is here on a work visa," Jiki added.
"Their parents Are scientists, which unfortunately keeps them gone a lot. Karoku has raised Nai pretty much by himself for the last three or four years, now."
"Nai," Jiki called . The young Niji looked up and smiled. "I brought your brother a visitor."
" You actually brought Yogi? " Nai asked. "Karoku will be happy to see him. Come on inside ," he invited.
Gareki followed them inside, but decided to remain as quiet as normally live in a climate that causes mirrages. Because of this, the Niji have supe e sensitive hearing and exceptional noses, to the point they were said they could hear a person's thoughts. This wasn't something Gareki cared to chance. He already noticed the younger one tended to any away from him.
A young man, closer to Yogi and Jiki in age, joined them in th living room. He was covered in bandages. Kemonomimi heal rapidly, but there are some injuries that still take a long time to come back from. Gareki tuned out most of the conversation and simply let his eyes wander around the room. The only real difference between the two Niji was that the older one's eyes and hair were more of a frosty blue than the younger's red and white. As long as the conversation stick to the typical pleasantries of 'glad to see you in good/better health', it didn't concern him, nor did it hold any interest.
"By the way, you two haven't introduced me to your friend," Karoku eventually said, turning his eyes to the silent young wolf. The conversation had been going on for a few hours of simple small talk and only just now had settled into silence. Gareki 's eyes had been trained on May and his rabbit friend, Yanari, while they were playing a board game in the corner. "I don't really care for how he's looking at my brother and his friend as though they were easy prey."
" Gareki? " Yogi hissed.
"Not at all," Gareki stated. If anything, he had been begrudging the two for the ability to live such peaceful lives at that age. "Why does everyone automatically assume I'm going to eat people? Didn't cannibalism die out with the Lions, or is there some sort of resurgence I'm unaware of?"
Yogi bit back a laugh. "They say some rich families still embrace the practice, unfortunately," he stated, "Wolves in particular, as there's so few of you left anymore, and with the full-blood Lions all gone, you would have been next in line as... well, if you'll forgive the phrase, top dog."
"I wish I could honestly say I'm sorry to have offended you," Karoku stated, "But you smell of blood and death. And your thoughts, while admitidly hard to read, are clearly dark and brooding. It's almost as if you're sharing your thoughts with someone else. Are you a twin?"
"You can tell?" Yogi asked in surprise.
"That explains it," Karoku said. "Twins aren't as easy to read, they already had a deep physic and physical bond. I don't know what had befallen you in the past," Karoku admitted , "But the very energy around you changed the entire atmosphere in this room to something rather uncomfortable. You've got a lot of blood on your hands... And... It seems, there's much more to come."
Gareki glared at the Niji. "You're right on ome account," he stated , rising to his feet. "You don't know what I've been through." He reached down and yanked Yogi up by his shirt collar. "Come on, we're out of here! I know when I've over stayed my welcome. "
"But I.." Yogi started to protest .
Gareki glared at the Neko. "Say your goodbyes and meet me outside in five minutes," he ordered, " I refuse to sit here and be judged, and the LAST thing I need to do is go back to your father and explain why I came back alone." He glanced back at the Niji and sighed. "Relax, now that we know where this place is, I'll bring you back to visit, " he promised, "Just next time I'll stay outside."
Yogi have a quiet nod and watched Gareki walk outside. "You two are really cold to him, you know," he said, quietly , turning his attention back to Jiki and Karoku. "I understand why you both feel the way you do. Or, at least I think I do. But he's had it rough. I'm not at liberty to go into the details. You two needn't have been so openly honest." He gave a quiet smile. "Jiki, I'll see you tomorrow. Karoku, I'm glad to see you're doing better. I'll stop by again soon. "
Yogi started toward the doo r, when Karoku spoke up and stopped him. "Yogi...!" The blond Neko stopped in his tracks, his hand on the door knob. Karoku have a quiet sigh. "You're right. My brutal honesty is something I need to learn to keep in check. I'm sorry if I offended him. If he's your friend, there must be some good in him that I jus t couldn't sense. You and your brother have always been excellent judges in character. Thank you for the visit. I look forward to your next." Yogi smiled and nodded. He waved as he walked out of the house.
"There you two are!" Tokitatsu scolded. Gareki and Yogi both looked up at the door as they approached the Moutou house. Tokitatsu, Tohru, and Natsuno were all standing in the doorway. Tokitatsu was scowling. Tohru's face was quietly washed with relief. Natsuno's face was unemotional. "Do you realize how late it is?" Tokitatsu continued, "Where have you been?"
The sun had gone down well before they had made it back. "Sorry, we were just..." Yogi started.
"You know to call and let me know when you're going to be out so long. Yogi..." Tokitatsu hissed.
The blond seemed to shrink away from his father with every word. "It won't happen again," Gareki cut in, pulling everyone's attention from Yogi to him. Gareki looked down at the ground, hoping no one could see the embarrassment on his face. "I actually forgot phones were a thing," he admitted. "And we didn't realize how long we had been out." He looked back up at the Senator, his arms crossed, his face much more confident, "But, he was visiting a friend of his."
Tokitatsu's eyes quietly shifted back to Yogi. "Jiki took me to see Karoku," Yogi said timidly. "I simply lost track of time."
" Karoku...? " Tokitatsu sighed, calming down considerably. He took a deep breath. "I see. How is he?"
"He's doing much better," Yogi said . "He can walk around again, but only a little at a time. They expect him to be fully recovered in another year or two."
Tokitatsu sighed. "I see. That's good to hear." He slapped a hand on Yogi's shoulder. "Very well, you two get inside and get your dinner while it's still warm. Then get straight to work on your homework, if you have any."
Yogi and Gareki nodded and hurried inside to do as they were told. "Karoku?" Natsuno asked. I
"I'll fill you in later," Tohru replied.
"You two really had them worried," Natsuno said, as he and Gareki began getting ready for bed.
"I don't know about Tohru, but I'm begining to think Yogi has a death wish," Gareki said.
"You're dodging the issue," Natsuno accused. "But, no, I haven't really noticed anything of the sort from Tohru. As for Yogi, well..." Natsuno let his eyes drop to the floor.
"Guilt over his mom and sister?" Gareki asked. Natsuno looked up at his brother and nodded. Gareki clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Yeah... I know all about that..."
Natsuno sighed and hugged his brother. "There was nothing we could do, Cub," he reminded him.
"I know," Gareki nodded. "It still doesn't make it any easier. " He returned Natsuno's embrace. "This guy he went to see," he continued after a moment.
"I know," Natsuno nodded. "Tohru told me about him while you two we're doing your homework." Natsuno smiled and tussled a hand through Gareki's hair. "You got your fortune told by a Niji," he teased.
"He couldn't read me, because of you, actually," Gareki laughed. "Apparently twins throw the Niji off. He did pick up on something, though. " Gareki looked at his hand. "No matter what we do here, Natsuno, our past is going to haunt us."
"We can't change what happened, " Natsuno begrudgingly admitted, "But maybe we can get a fresh start." A moment of silence passed as Natsuno plopped down on the bed. "By the way, was that your collar I saw on Yogi's arm?"
Gareki cringed. "I told him to toss it!" he scoffed "Instead, he's wearing as a bracelet. Idiot said he was going to wear it as a reminder about my shoulder."
" Cute, " Natsuno laughed. "Maybe I should strap mine around Tohru's leg ." This elicited a laugh from both of them.
"I notice you said we had them worried, not YOU," Gareki said, playfully swatting Natsuno with a pillow.
Natsuno grabbed Gareki's good arm and pulled him onto the bed. He caught Gareki's chin and locked eyes with him with a smile. "I knew you were alright, " he said, "I would have known if you weren't. " He pressed his forehead against Gareki's and wagged his tail. "Besides, I know you can take care of yourself."