Friday around 6:00 PM - Kado Park
San sat alone on a bench in the park watching the children play some form of game. Something like tag, he thought. They were mostly herbivores, but they seemed to be enjoying themselves with their carnivore friends as well. Just thinking about the youth brought back rich memories. He could just imagine all the other kids from the tower, all of them that didn't live to see another day. All the ones that passed his cell, even #4. He remembers vividly as the young fawn being dragged past his cell by a much larger deer. Never to be seen again.
"Is that... oatmeal I smell?" A voice belonging to a female asked behind him. San cursed himself again for buying that stupid dog shampoo from the store. Even after three showers he had sworn he had washed all of it out. His hair was unnecessarily curlier than usual. He turned behind him to spot a dark brownish gray fox with white accents around on her head wearing some stylish sunglasses and a crop top and knee-high shorts. The way she dressed was very familiar. "Smells very pleasant at least." The fox spoke.
"Uh yeah, I had some for breakfast. Sometimes I can be a messy eater heh heh." Pleasant? He thought. Maybe Pris won't mind.
The vixen moved closer; she was coming to sit next to him. San remained calm, but still slipped his hands into his jacket pockets where he kept the loaded revolver just as a precaution. "Um, do I know you?" He asked studying her. Just from a glance it became clear that her clothes were a similar fashion to how the Inarigumi dressed. A white cheongsam vest with black shorts. Maybe an attendant sent to collect him?
"Um, are you with Priscilla the White Fox?" He asked.
"San, I am Priscilla." The fox said with a cautious smile.
"Wha?" San asked caught off guard.
"You can't recognize me with my new coat, huh?" Priscilla chuckled.
San's eyes widened with disbelief, his mouth drooping slightly from shock. What had happened to her snow-white fur?!
She grinned at his surprise and lowered her sunglasses so that he could get a better look. What secured it were her eyes, he noticed she always had orange eyes. That sealed it. Soon the features became more familiar. Her snout and face remained the same, but her outer fur had become less fluffy and coarser looking. She also looked like she had lost a lot of her hair.
The only logical questions that could pop into his mind was, "Priscilla, what happened to your fur? When did-?"
"Seasonal shedding, I had hoped I could have kept my winter coat a little longer, but wasn't going to happen. I would have told you, but you don't have a phone!" The vixen diverted her face feeling a bit embarrassed.
San was aware of animals shedding every now and then, but he must have forgotten they could come in different color patterns. He didn't even know foxes could do that. "What causes this exactly?" He asked fascinated.
"It's just a seasonal change. Something I inherited from my parents. Most of my pure white fur is what I get from my father's genes. It falls out, gets replaced by this ugly brown near spring or summer, and then only the lesser white fur that I inherited for my mother's genes remains."
Look at this guy...I bet he's already judging me and thinks I'm a freak. Deep down the young fox hated even thinking like that. How about you? Worried about a guy, an herbivore no less, liking your coat or not. What kind of leader are you?! Where's your fierce kitsunespirit?!
Parents? San thought puzzled. "So, you're not just a red fox then?" He asked. He had figured a while ago that the specific Inarigumi with whom they dealt with already looked peculiar even for red foxes, especially the little belligerent one, but the fact that they might all be hybrids started to make all the more sense to him.
"No, I'm not just a red fox!" She spouted. "That's not a problem is it?" She inquired with a raised eyebrow.
"No. Not at all." He answered waving his hands, trying not to implicate anything.
"Yes, I know I'm not your usual Ice Queen...but she will be back by Rexmas I assure you." She stated folding her arms.
"You still look nice though." He stammered trying not seem be like he still was staring.
"Hmph!" She uttered a frown. "Don't look so bad yourself." She complimented shifting tracks. "You know I wasn't expecting you to buy some new attire. I'm really digging the T-shirt Mr. MACHO." She actually smiled at him. "Macho...that's so cute."
San returned her smile, thankful she approved of his choice of clothing as it was really the best he could do. His choices were very limited considering the walking range of their usual supply runs. The large breed carnivore T-shirt and the just barely fitting jeans were affordable, while the sneakers were the priciest item. After getting the revolver serviced along with buying the ammunition and other incidentals, all he had left over was pocket change that he would have stretch until they got their next payday. And the way things were going with his roommate, saving would likely be a wise decision.
Still his curiosity was getting the better of him, he couldn't keep his eyes off of Pris's new coat. The more he looked at her the more interested he became in her fur patterns, however the more he stared the more annoyed she became.
He hates it doesn't he? She thought. "You know you can stop staring." She said very irate.
"No, I mean I'm just fasci-fasci-I'm um...what's the word? I want to know more is what I mean! Even now you still look like the most bea-beautiful life form I've ever seen. You're so fierce looking, yet-"
"Okay, stop it!" She demanded, "Don't try too hard to flatter me with such a corny pick-up line! I get enough of that from sleazier tods (male foxes) than I can count."
"I mean..." He started out and just gave up, she really wasn't being fair about this. He really did want to know more out of pure curiosity. "Well for what it's worth I think you look great despite your changes."
Did he really mean that? she wondered. She rubbed the back of her ears as she shook her head. "So where to or did you wanted to hang out here?" She asked looking around.
While the park may have looked wholesome to San, it didn't to her. To her eyes this didn't even rate as an ideal spot for a picnic, it had definitely gone downhill over the years and it being this close to the back alley didn't really help. Street urchins roughhousing in the field and a bunch of ungainly squatters huddled together for shelter by the bathrooms. She even looked up to the Zebra statue atop the fountain overlooking the park. Even that was desecrated with graffiti and other attempts at vandalism. If the beast this statue was based on was still around, she doubted he would be pleased this dump was a part of his legacy.
"Yeah, let's get the hell out of here." She said adjusting her shades. "You got anything in mind?"
"Well, I don't know too much about 'the outside world'. I thought you would know all the nice spots." He stated innocently as he kicked rocks with his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets.
Priscilla scratched the top of her head. "The Outside World? You mean the city?
San just nodded yes with an embarrassed smile.
"Really? You've never been outside the market?" She said cocking her head him puzzled.
"Uh uh." He answered shaking his head. "Well..." he added further. "That's not true, we sometimes go to shops on the edge to get supplies and medicine. Outside of that, um...nope."
She stretched back and scratched the back of her neck. "I'm really treating you today aren't I, huh?" She grinned and laughed at him. "Well, this might just be one of the few times on a date I get to choose the place! So that's a start." She said with some perk. "How about we just go and get a drink first, go from there? I know just the place. Follow me, I got my car parked close by."
Priscilla's car was a clean white vintage Cadillac with a rag-top, outfitted with white wall tires, tinted windows, and a fox head hood ornament. One look at the car and one could tell the owner had money. San almost felt unworthy to even touch the car much less sit inside it.
"You going to get in?" She asked before dropping down in the driver's seat.
San was a little wary. His instincts were screaming it was a trap. An enclosed space like that would be a deathtrap if Pris had other motives. But his ego was strong enough override such thoughts. You are going to make this work. He repeated to himself. Soon as she cranked the ignition, a loud carnivore rap song blared through the speakers.
"Shit, I'll change that." She said messing with the radio. "I forgot I was listening to that on the way here."
"You don't have to change it."
"Yes, but it's one of those overseas carnivore hip-hop stations, well the music is kinda vulgar especially towards herbivores. You-you don't need to hear it."
"It's just music Pris." The llama said defending it.
"You don't have to pretend to like it just cuz you're in the car with me."
"And you don't have to pretend to not like something because I'm in the car. I like the rhythm at least, come on." He shrugged his shoulders. "Besides I'm from the market myself, I've seen worse than anything he's talking about."
She squinted at him with a skeptical look. "Yeah, but I don't want to make you uncomfortable."
"Turn it up!" He beckoned. "Don't baby me just because I'm an herbivore."
-Leave em battered up. Leave em tattered up
They didn't want that blood to spill.
This one cat had my back since day one,
Now he trying to get me killed.
Pussy tried set me up with the fuzz
Now we got beef for real.
Silvervine, got my mind on murder
Cuz I ain't got no chill
Caught his ass trying to creep through bush
Cuz I already knew the deal
Fuck a casket, sell the kitty with a tag.
Y'know I'mma get paid still.
Carni' like him made it real clear,
gotta watch your back for real.
And all these weak herbies always like to play tough
Till a herbi' gets kill
Till the blood gets spilled
On the hunt for the thrill
Imma creep out the shadows
This punk is my next meal-
Priscilla could barely hold her cringe anymore and began to reach to turn it off. "I only really listen to this kind of music when I'm-
"Ahaha! Do think that guy actually does that stuff?" San interrupted giving her pause.
She recoiled her hand and answered with a hint of experience. "Pfft No. Well, this guy I heard he's from the stree- most of them are just full of crap though." She stammered.
San was bobbing his head along to the beat. "Still has a crazy beat tho. What were you going to say?"
"Um...I just like listening to it, y'know when I feel like listening to stupid stuff." She sighed hard after that stupid lie. Well at least he likes it, she thought as she sat back in her seat and focused on the road. Before long they both were rapping the chorus together despite the descriptively violent lyrics. Pris looked over to see San return her glance and both burst into laughter.
"So, I've been meaning to ask...um." He swallowed the spit building up in his throat and just asked out of the blue. "What made you want to ask me out? No female has ever really been interested in me before."
"I figured that." She said plainly not looking away from the road.
"Plus, I'm not really a 'high roller' like you are." San scratched behind his ear; a bit embarrassed about his finances. "The money we make at the arena pretty much sustains us."
"And that's fine with me." She said nonchalantly.
He cocked his head in surprise. "It is?! Then, what else do I have to offer someone like you?"
His heartbeat increased as sweat began to form on his forehead.
"You don't really want to...eat me? Do you?" He asked.
"N-No!" She quickly replied disgusted. "Of course not. I wouldn't."
San skeptical gave her a side eye glance.
"I'm serious." She said defensively.
"Well I'm just curious then, why would you want me of all people? What's so special about me?"
"Well. I've just had a lot of males in my life and well my options in the market are limited. All the suitors I come across all have this unattractive aggressiveness common among carnivores. When I met you, something just told me to try an herbivore...y'now someone a lot more tender."
"So, I'm just lucky some other herbivore male didn't catch your eye first?!" He said a bit insulted.
"It's not that simple. I still think you are a handsome and... well there's another reason. You have this tendency to remain calm around us, that's rare among your kind."
"What about these people out here?" He said point out the window. "All I see in the outside world is carnivores and herbivores just living together like there isn't an issue."
"Yes, because carnivores in the 'outside world' as you call it, are tame."
"Tame?"
"Yes, that's all a front, and most of those carnivores you see are only tame because of the Back-Alley Market. If it didn't exist a lot of those same people wouldn't even come near an herbivore in fear of losing it. And herbivores out here are only comfortable around our kind, because society is geared towards their protection. Even then that's easily broken. You on the other hand, I feel are a completely different story."
"I'm a completely different story, riiight? That's rich."
"Think. You have no real protection in the market, outside of your little bunny and even then, she's just one slip up from being a quick meal. Yet, for some reason you have this sort of calmness when around us, when you should be petrified for your life. You always seem unfazed by the danger and that really vexes me like it's a challenge."
"Challenge?"
"Yes, a challenge. Like I know that deep down you have to be afraid of us and you're just really good at hiding it. And when people hide things from me, I usually go out of my way to find out."
"So, are you trying to put me in my place?"
"No, not exactly. What I want to do to you is more of a kink for me. I discovered it when I threatened you a few months back."
San vividly remembered the exchange; she had been teaching him how to use the revolver when she had pulled her shotgun on him to warn him about betraying them. "I remember you saying I looked cute back then."
"Seeing that utter terror in your eyes only made you way more attractive. It's also a turn on that really speaks to my wild side," she said giggling at him. "It's kinda like a hunt y'know. It makes me feel like I'm on my game."
"Well I wouldn't know much about hunting, but I think I get what you mean?" His ears wiggled as he pondered. "So you want to...scare me?" He asked puzzled.
She sighed a bit. "Well I get it sounds pretty terrible, but I'll just say this: I have no desire to eat you Hon, but I do want to be the one that illicit that reaction from you and...I have my ways." She giggled in a sinister manner revealing her canines.
"Well, that's not omi-om-ominous at all." He stuttered sarcastically.
"That's not too much for you is it? It's just a little game I'll be playing with you is all."
"No, I mean it could be worse." He joked. "You could actually want to eat me alive like Kyuu keeps telling me.
"Really?" She was taken aback. "That just shows you how ignorant she is. All though... I can't say you don't look...very...appetizing especially with that oatmeal flavor you got." She teased leaning over with a mischievous grin while keeping her eyes on the road. San knew she was merely playing with him though.
"Knock it off." He said pointing his finger at her. "I'm on to you now." He said laughing while squinting at her very smug.
"Oh, I'll get you." She said with a sneaky grin, looking down at his finger.
"How about you explain what's she so ignorant about?" He asked moving his hand away from her. "I'm a bit uneducated myself on the matter."
"Well for starters, the Inarigumi on principle don't eat meat unless it's a special occasion. Our diet only allows for fried tofu, vegetables, or insects." Pris explained. "That's our code and I've been following it completely since I was 7."
So they're kinda like Gouhin-san. The llama thought. But... "How about that little fox uh... Loon?" San interjected. "Kyuu said Loon was going to eat her when they fought." He saw her glance at him briefly before returning to the road.
"Ugh...her." The grey fox very visibly cringed at the mention of the pygmy. "Well that was a 'special' occasion, you see in the market you can eat what you kill." She sighed soon after saying that.
"Uh-huh..." San said not completely sure he bought that.
"It's kinda a loophole, just one of those unspoken laws of the market that dates back to our ancestor's ways. It is above our clan's diet. It's all about conserving and respecting the meat. It's usually how we deal with our enemies. Well typically our clan sells the bodies to the market, the other clans have their own methods, but if you've really wronged us, well... sometimes."
During that exchange San couldn't help but study her teeth when she talked. They were sharp, but not many of them were large, only a few. They probably would hurt if she bit him, but probably not strong enough to tear his flesh after all he was a lot bigger than Kyuu. Still she could maim one of his digits if he wasn't too careful.
"Lùn at that time would be well in her rights to eat her. Fortunately for 'Flopsy' that didn't happen. And about that...I hope none of that will come between us San. I only authorized that attack as business, we were putting her skills to the test." She looking over at him, hoping he would understand.
"I get it somewhat, I'm just glad we haven't pissed you off that much yet." He said with a half laugh, but this was just a smokescreen to hide his internal war against his instincts. Even though he thought she would pose no real threat in terms of eating him, she still seemed dangerous enough to kill, but his ego continued to stuff down those feelings. He could make this work. However, no matter how much he told himself he was in control, his subconscious was leaking his innate fear through his body in the form of sweat and fidgeting. Priscilla's predator instincts no doubt had to be picking this up.
"So, have you ever eaten someone before?" He asked.
"I have, but never a whole person though. Sometimes a turf war that got really violent, or I had to deal with a rival or maybe someone dropped dime on us. It's a violent life you know. I have to be in a certain mood or mindset to do it, something primal."
"So, you at least know what meat tastes like." He asked.
"Of course, I just don't consume it that regularly. I'm content with Tofu and I don't go out of my way to looking for the stuff like the other market gangsters."
It was after they had come to another stop that Priscilla leaned over and placed her hand on his shoulder. Her large grey canine hand with its sharp nails that close to his face didn't really help ease his instincts. This was still a dangerous claw meant for slashing and digging.
"You can relax San." She said as she rubbing and patting his shoulder trying to comfort him. "You're much too big for someone like me all by my lonesome anyway."
"That's a relief, I guess." He said looking away out the window at the city.
"I mean I'd have to share in any case and I rarely like to share." She droned on. Her eyes darted over towards him opportunistically. "Although... I could just nibble on one your little succulent fingers if you want." She said in a seductive tone.
San slowly turned back around with concern, only to see Priscilla's face creeping ever closer to his. She was deviously licking her lips as she placed her clawed hand atop of his. Her hand pinned his to the arm rest. Her snout inched ever closer as her mouth slowly opened revealing her sharp teeth. Her new fur pattern only highlighted her carnivorous features more sharply than the previous white. She was so close it was hard to tell whether she meant to kiss him or bite him? By the time it became clear it was more towards the latter, she was poised to pounce on him.
"Maybe just a taste..." She said salivating. She was too close for him to defend himself. The car was really a cage and he was trapped within. No one would be able to see this act of predation through the tinted windows. San couldn't hold it in anymore, he instinctively recoiled towards the door, this was his chance to flee. He pulled the lever on the door, but the door wouldn't budge. The lock was still down, he had forgotten to unlock it. Her mouth opened revealing her sharp teeth. Then... she retreated back in her seat and returned her gaze to the road. The light had turned green.
"Ha! I fucking got you!" She yelled hitting the gas and the car scratched off. She was ecstatic laughing at her scared little llama. "You were really going to run off into traffic? You should've seen your face!. Fucking Priceless."
San sank back into his seat with a disappointed groan. "Aauuugh...Damn it..." Already he had forgotten and lost their game. He tried to laugh it off, but he was still pretty rattled by that. "Not that funny." He said annoyed. He should have known better to let his guard down in front of a fox.
"No, it's hilarious." She said barely able to speak trying to fight off her own laughter. "See that's what I'm talking about, deep down you have that irrational fear of us that you hide pretty well and when I bring it out of you, you look so attractive."
He was however relieved that she was just playing with him, but still it wounded his ego how easy she got him like that. "I hope that made you feel good."
"Oh, it did." She said smiling with a little cackle. "Hehehehe."
"I wonder if I can do something similar for you." He said. "Make you look more beautiful."
"Hmph...we'll see. Hehehehe." Priscilla said keeping her eyes on the road.