Author's Note: I counted that correctly, right? 11 of them? Yogi, Tohru, Gareki, Natsuno, Jiki, Kiichi, Tsukumo, Sesiri, Ranji, Shishi, and Masao. Anyway, there's a bunch of OCs in this chapter about to stir things up. Oh, and a reference to an obscure Horror Comedy Anime, if you can catch her. ^_* Also...
www. cuteness blog/ content/ does-catnip-affect-dogs
pets. thenest effects-catnip-dogs
en.m .wikipedia wiki/ Catnip
I did a little research.
I also discovered this, "TSUBAME f Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 燕 (tsubame) meaning "swallow (bird)" or other kanji which have the same pronunciation"
OC's:
Black Roof Rat - Tikus
Blue-Capped Ifrita (Bird) - Avis
Coyote - Cody
Bat-Eared Fox/Otocyon(Kitsune) - Renardo
Yes, I know, I'm SOOOO original with names. . As these aren't members of Kafka it's highly unlikely you'll see them again, but not everyone our two favorite blondes go to school with like them. I chose species that are either known for eating domestic house cats or being eaten by them. Black Roof Rat are plague rats. Blue-Capped Ifrita are listed among the top 10 meanest birds, and his feather colorations leave his skin color ambiguous enough for the reader to draw their own conclusion. Coyote and Foxes have been known to eat domestic house cats, and are both canine. And... Yes, I realize adding the "o" to the end of "Renard" makes the otherwise French name sound Hispanic. Honestly, I couldn't find a decent coyote related name, so I went with Cody because of how close the two words sound. . Trying for some diversity, I used three different types of foxes, and Ranji's species is probably the most unique choice of all of them. Yes, I know what they do to Tohru is cliche and I hate doing it to him, but sometimes cliche just works. I dunno why, but this just felt more like a Tohru scenario than a Yogi situation. Also, I refer to the animal species so often, I think I might need to remind everyone these aren't full furry versions of the characters, but Kimomomimi; humanoids with the ears/tails/wings, etc of their respective animals.
FITCR 13: Empty Orchestra
Yogi convinced everyone to meet at McRissun's, determined to hold Gareki to his word. "Why are you paying for him?" Natsuno asked, as he and Gareki stood waiting for their orders to be prepared. " This is our first paycheck, we should be spending it on ourselves. "
"Because YOU lost me a bet," Gareki replied .
"Me?" Marino asked, "How?"
"I told him you wouldn't agree to coming along. He bet me you would and if you did, I had to buy him a fish burger here tonight," Gareki grumbled.
"Oh..." Natsuno said, folding back his ears.
"I told you you're getting too close to that cat, how the hell did he talk you into this?" Hardly asked.
"He showed me where Yogi said you agreed to come along. Would you prefer I left you to deal with this group yourself?" Natsuno snipped, "Agreeing to this means we're responsible for all mine of them if something happens. Besides, what about you? How'd YOU get roped into this?"
Gareki sighed. Would Natsuno ridicule him if he admitted he couldn't stand to see the older Neko begging him to tag along? Most likely not, but it wasn't a chance he was willing to take. "He convinced me it was a chance to get out and see more of the city," he stated. " I don't know about you, but I'm cooped up inside all day except during lunch hour at the school, only to come back to the mansion and be stuck there the whole time, too. I thought it would actually be nice to get out and see what's changed. "
Natsuno smiled. "I see, I guess that makes sense. I'm sorry, Bro, I didn't realize you were stuck inside all day." He looked the place over. "I can't blame you, everything's so different after eleven years, that's for certain."
"At least THIS place is still around, " Gareki said.
"Yeah, but even here, it's..." Natsuno s tarted.
A large teleprompter screen lot up, their names both highlighted. "Orders 43 and 44, Koide? Your order's up!" the girl behind the counter called.
"Different," the twins agreed as they went up to get their order.
"They look SO much alike!" a girl at the table with Yogi and the others mused. She had long black hair and deep purple eyes. She had the ears and tail of a chipmunk.
"Stop staring, Ranji," a young Fennec Fox Kitsune scolded, flipping a hand through the Chipmunk girl's hair. He sighed and rested his cheek on his knuckles. "They might notice." His hair and for were ashen grey and his eyes, though hidden with glasses, were a light purple.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd think they were twins," Ranji said, turning back to the rest of the table.
"They are," Tohru and Yogi both answered.
"And I'm sure they can hear us," Tohru added.
"They are?" Ranji asked. "Then how are they at different schools? Did one get held back?"
" No, they're both highly intelligent, and both actually younger than Tohru. Gareki told me they were three grades higher than they should have been before they came here. "
"What I don't understand is why you two are letting them boss you around?" Masao grumbled. "Or why they have to go everywhere yo do."
" Isn't it obvious? " Sesiri said, taking a sip of her milk shake, "They're the new bodyguards."
"They're what!? " the other five exclaimed.
"That makes so much more sense now," Tsukumo said.
"Leave it to Sesiri to figure it out first," Shishi, the Fennec, mused.
" I suppose you already knew, Jiki? " Masao asked.
"The moment I laid eyes on the guy," Jiki answered, taking a sip off his drink, " But I share your sentiments on the issue, Masao. Something about these two just doesn't sit right with me. Even Karoku felt uncomfortable around Gareki the other day. "
"Hey, that's not very nice," Tohru scolded .
"I understand this situation might be odd and all, but you two aren't even giving them a chance," Yogi added.
"WHY did your father hire them so young?" Kiichi, the mouse, asked, leaning across the table, almost pushing her nose against Yogi's.
The Moutou brothers exchanged looks, then rubbed the back of their heads, as they averted their eyes toward the floor. "That's about complicated," they said in unison.
"I'm getting tired of that answer," Masao grumbled.
Natsuno and Gareki cleared their throats as they approached the table. Tohru was right, the boys had heard the entire conversation, but neither wanted to draw attention to it. "Here's your tuna," Gareki growled, handing Yogi a sandwich and fries combo.
"Ah, thank you," Yogi purred .
"Hey, where are you guys going?" Tohru asked as the Wolfboys turned to leave the table.
"Right there," Gareki answered , pointing to a window table across the way.
"What, no, why?" Yogi asked.
"Seriously, guys, just sit with us, " Tohru insisted.
"We're fine!" the twins insisted .
"Besides, this table's getting crowded," Natsuno said, giving Tohru a half smile. He appreciated the fact that the Nekos were at least trying. "Besides, I promised your jealous little boyfriend we'd keep ourselves scarce, didn't I?" He winked at the now speechless , blushing blond cat as he and Gareki moved to the table they had indicated. Yogi was also blushing as the two Kitsune at the table began to cough and sputter, Sesiri nearly choking on her burger and Shishi having soda go up his nose. Even Gareki tried to choke back a laugh upon seeing the other's reactions.
"So, how many of them can understand us?" Gareki asked nodding his head toward the table as he and his brother day across from each other.
"Te cats, obviously, " Natsuno started, "And at least the two Foxes. Best to assume th odd two understand Feline as well."
Gareki nodded, "And Hawkeyes over there understands Fowl and Feline . What about the others?"
"The scrawny one insists Feline and Canine are both dead languages. I think he just has trouble getting over the learning curve," Natsuno stated. "Not sure about the other three."
"The cross dressing Chipmunk isn't in our class, so I wouldn't know," Gareki said, shaking his head.
"I don't guess it matters," Natsuno sighed, "They all know the real reason we're here, now , anyway. Don't suppose there's much point in keeping secrets."
" Yeah, I guess not...? Hey, you alright? " Gareki asked. Until now, the pair had simply been picking at their fries. However, Natsuno had finally turned his attention to the burger on his tray. Gareki realized exactly what was wrong. The same thing he had experienced in the cafeteria with the fried steaks was now happening to his brother. Neither of them had given it a second thought when placing their orders. The last thing either of them wanted was to become emotional in front of a bunch of strangers. He reached across the table and have Natsuno's hand a gentle squeeze. "It's alright, Pup. I know," he said with a gentle smile. Natsuno smiled and nodded. They both knew they would eventually have to tell the Mutou brothers about their past; like it or not, the cats were already wearing their defenses down, but today would not be the day.
"I know," Natsuno nodded, "I'll be fine. It just hit me all of a sudden, ya' know." He took a breath and picked up the burger, before taking a bite.
Yogi and Tohru exchanged quiet looks, both having noticed the exchange between the twins, given they were seated at an angle where the four could clearly see the table. They knew Natsuno and Gareki had had it rough, but couldn't begin to fathom how much. They couldn't help feeling concerned for them. "They'll come around soon," Tohru quietly purred.
"I certainly hope so," Yogi sighed.
After dinner, the group made their way to the Karaoke bar, the next block over. The twins hung in the back, keeping their eyes and ears open for any signs of trouble. "Wow, they're packed tonight," Tsukumo said.
"Are we even gonna be able to get in?" Kiichi squeaked.
"Maybe we should have thought to get reservations?" Sesiri sighed.
"Never fear," Tohru said, crossing his arms together behind his head, with a wink and a smile.
"That's why we're here," Yogi purred with a wink.
The two brothers weaved through the crowd of people up to the host. "How long would it take to get a room for 11 people?" Yogi asked, leaning against the podium.
The host looked at the two blond Nekomimi for a moment before a smile of recognition swept his face. "You two are Senator Moutou's boys, aren't you?"
"That's right," Tohru nodded, the two blinds flashing their most charming smiles. Gareki and Natsuno facepalmed.
"So much for not drawing attention," Gareki grumbled.
"Maybe we should have made that one of our rules," Natsuno sighed.
"You said a private room for how many?" the host asked.
"There's eleven of us, right?" Yogi asked, looking at Tohru, who quickly counted their group up in twos on his fingers, then nodded. "Right," Yogi nodded, turning back to the host," A room for eleven. "
"Give me just a moment, , I'll see what we can do," the host said, turning and going back inside.
"You didn't have to announce it to the whole world we were here, you know," Gareki said, dope smacking Yogi up the back of the head as he and Natsuno approached the two blonds.
"Relax, will you? This works every time," Tohru said.
"That's not the point," Natsuno sighed.
"Are you two sure you're up for this job?" Jiki asked as the rest of the party joined them. "If you guys can't handle Yogi and Tohru's celebrity status due to their father's political one, maybe you two should just move on."
"These two can't even step inside a race hall without someone recognizing them," Masao interjected, "Their faces have been all over the news from the day they were born. Senator Tokitastu is the biggest name in the city, rivaled only by Mayor Palnedo."
" MAYOR " Gareki exclaimed.
"Palnedo...?" Natsuno finished. The twins shared a look that seemed to say, "We are so doomed!"
"Something wrong?" Tsukumo asked.
"No, no, nothing!" the twins denied. The others all shared a confused look. Something about that name had clearly spooked the boys.
Before anything more could be said, the host returned. "Mr. Moutou,we'll have a room ready in five minutes, won't you and your guests please come in?"
Yogi smiled. "See, what did we tell you?" he giggled . "Ladies and gentlemen, right this way."
" I have a bad feeling about this, Natsuno, " Gareki whispered, "MAYOR Palnedo? It can't be the same guy, can it?"
" I'm with you, Cub, " Natsuno replied, "Let's just play it cool, for now. Let the kittens have their fun for the night, and we'll ask their father what the hell's going on later." The bar was dimly lit . There was a stage along the back wall for the public singers. Red, blue, green, and purple lights and colors were all over the place. There were pictures on one wall of famous actors and musicians that had at one time visited the place. The group of eleven were lead toward the back of the building.
The singer currently on stage was a beautiful red haired Kitsune in a sparkling red evening gown. She was loud and drunk, and seemed to be making up the words as she went along. Natsuno and Gareki covered their ears, as she was hitting notes that should have broken glass. "I bet she'd be great if she were sober," Gareki commented.
"Or at least quieter," Natsuno returned.
Meanwhile, a small group of boys had taken notice of the Moutou brothers and their party. "Well, well, well.. Look what t the cat drug in," one of the boys said. There were four of them, the youngest about eighteen, the oldest no more than twenty one. All former classmates of the Moutou brothers, now either attending a new school, or non at all, this particular group had been known for harassing the cats at Sotoba High. The oldest one had dark brown, almost black, fur and dark brown eyes. He had the ears and tail of a roof rat. The next was a boy with a pair of yellowish brown wings, his hair was dark black with bright, shiny blue tips, looking like a crown and a white streak running along his face, from his eyes to his hair. The third had red hair and light grey fur on his dog-like ears and tail. The youngest had big black Fox ears and a tawny colored tail, matching his hair.
"That the Moutou boys?" the bird not asked.
"Looks like the gang's all here, the Moutou boys, Jiki, Kiichi, Tsukumo... The whole crew of 'model studen' and their obligatory misfit tag alongs," the rat laughed.
"Who are the two runts tagging along with them? " the coyote asked, motioning towards the twins.
"Never seen them before," the bat-eared Fox said.
"Probably a couple of freshmen Tohru latched onto," the rat said. He smiled. "Let's stick around for a while, things might just get interesting tonight."
The group settled into the room and placed a few drink orders. Yogi, Jiki, and Shishi all being proper age ordered alcoholic beverages. Tohru, Masao, and the girls all ordered fruit juices or sodas. The twins, having become accustomed to it as their only option, chose water. When it arrived, they were surprised to se it had ice, even though they hadn't asked for it. They drew lots to choose who sang first. That honor went to Masao.
"Well, best to get it out of the way," Masao sighed, taking the microphone in hand. He was surprisingly good.
The lots dictated the order they would go; Masao, Kiichi, Shishi, Jiki, Ranji, Sesiri, Kiichi, Yogi, and finally Tohru. "Yeah, no pressure, all the real talent gets to go first," the eighteen year old Neko fretted. Natsuno and Gareki had both refused to join in for multiple reasons. They were unwilling to humiliate themselves in front of the others. They couldn't remember the last time they even tried to sing, and even so, they didn't know any of the songs. They simply stood back and listened, impressed with how well the others actually sounded.
"No," Yogi said , moving his strawberry daiquiri away from Tohru, once he noticed his younger brother staring at it.
"Awe, c'mon, Yogi, just a sip?" Tohru pleaded.
"Tohru, I'm not taking you home smelling of booze!" Yogi argued, "Dad will kill all four of us."
" Whadya know, he CAN be responsible, " Gareki mused.
Tohru frowned and sighed. Sometimes, being a Senator's son had its down points. "Fine," he relented .
Yogi smiled and ruffled a hand through Tohru's hair. "Hang in there, kitten," he purred, " Three more years, and I promise I'll take you out for an all-you-can -drink." He smiled and winked. Tohru smiled, purred, and nodded. Three years seemed like a long time to wait, but seemed well worth holding his brother to that promise. Natsuno and Gareki exchanged quiet smiles. They could appreciate the sibling bond between the two cats.
Half way into Jiki's second turn, all the cherry flavored soda Tohru had been drinking finally started to take it's toll. The younger Neko quietly started for the door, only to be intercepted by the two Wolves who had been silently sitting in the back, each with a book in hand. Honestly, until now, he had thought the pair had fallen asleep while reading again. "Just where do you think you're going?" Natsuno asked.
"To the litter box," Tohru answered. "And maybe to ask them to send in another round of drinks and some snacks," he added.
"Oh my gods," Gareki said, rolling his eyes, "Seriously, that's what you call it? I thought Nekos were supposed to stop using that terminology once they hit ten years old."
Natsuno bit back a smile. " Alright, fine. Since that's where you're going, I'ok at least Grant you the dignity of some privacy. "
"Yeah, thanks," Tohru said, reaching for the door knob.
"Give minutes," Natsuno said, as the door cracked open.
"Huh?" Tohru asked.
"You have five minutes before I come looking for you ," Natsuno said.
"What if there's a line?" Tohru asked. "This place is really busy tonight, after all."
"Fine, ten minutes then, " Natsuno granted.
"Fifteen," Tohru haggled.
"Fine, whatever, go while you still have enough countenance to do so," Natsuno agreed.
Tohru finished his business in the restroom and placed his order for the drinks and snacks to be sent to the room. He also picked up a small snack for himself to take back.
"Tohru's by himself," the rat said to the rest of his group, as he watched the blonde standing in line . "Perfect time to stir up a little fun" The group made their way from the table, to a small secluded area between the public area and the private rooms. The music was loud enough to drown out a lot of background noises. They waited until Tohru was close enough, then Tikus, the rat, popped around the corner, as if he were just coming out of the restroom. He was unaware of the nachos Tohru had in his hands, but it gave him an added advantage as Tohru bumped into him and thick, hot nacho cheese spilled all over him.
"Oh my gosh, terribly sorry," Tohru apologized, not yet realizing who he'd run into , "Are you alright, let me go get something to help clean that up!" He turned to head back toward the counter to ask for a rag, when the rat caught hold of his tail.
"Don't bother ," the rat growled.
" T...Tikus...? " Tohru slowly turned around to face the rat, his ears folding downward. This group had been bullying h im, Yogi, Jiki, and Masao ever since he had been in third grade. Unfortunately, the old body guard, being as old as he was, wasn't allowed to interfere with the students on school premesis, and Tohru and Yogi had an image they had to uphold if they didn't want a bad reflection on their their father 's single -parent parenting skills, so defending themselves hadn't really been an option up till now. After three of the four had left Sotoba at the same time Yogi did, th is was the first encounter with any of them all year. "Um... C-could you let go of my tail, please?" he asked , timidly. "That kind of hurts."
" And you think this hot cheese don't? " Tikus laughed. It didn't. It was hot, but not THAT hot.
"I said I was gonna go get something to help clean it up," Tohru said. He looked the Ratboy over. If forced to fight the guy off, he stood about half a foot taller. He stood a chance of taking him downn. It was at this point, the rest of Tikus' gang rounded the corner. NOW Tohru was worried. One-on-one, he was sure he stood a chance against Tikus, or Avis, the Blue-Crested Birdboy. The other two, however, the Fox and Coyote, would be much more difficult. If they all ganged up on him at once, he was certain they could overpower him. He wasn't looking for a fight, but would definitely give them one of need be.
"Something wrong,Tikus?" Avis asked.
"Little rich boy here just spilt hot cheese all over my new clothes," the rat scowled. "Terrible waste of cheese, and a hearty cleaning bill." He glared at Tohru. "He's lucky I didn't get any third degree burns." He squeezed Tohru 's tail, trying to elicit a cry of pain.
Instead, Tohru gave a low, warning, growl-like noise and his fur and hair puffed up. "I said let go!" he hissed, giving his tail a quick jerk to pull free. He bit back the shout of pain that tried to escape his throat. "I can afford your dry cleaning," he hissed, " But this isn't the school, and I'm not going to sit back and let you guys push me around any more, " He took a deep breath and tried to speak calmly. "Now, clealy, you're not hurt, so would you kindly get out of the way."
" Oh, I don't think so, pussy cat, " the rat laughed. " Cody, Renardo, why don't you boys show this chump why they say cats and water don't mix? "
The Kitsune and Coyote made to the grab for Tohru. He side stepped the Fox and managed to push back the Coyote, only to bump right into Avis. The bird stood slightly taller than Yogi would, and slightly wider. Tohru tilted his head up to make contact with the guy and flashed him a sheepish smile. It didn't work. Avis quickly caught hold of the Neko and slammed him against the wall. Tohru hissed and tried to squirm free, but Renardo and Cody grabbed hold of him and they drug him into the restroom.
Meanwhile
Gareki forced his eyes away from his book and rubbed them. Glancing up at the clock, he reached across and tapped Natsuno 's shoulder. "Hey?"
" Hmm? " Natsuno looked up and stretched.
"He's been gone a while," Gareki noted.
"How long has it been? " Natsuno yawned, rubbing his eyes.
"I think you just took a twenty -five minute nap," Gareki teased.
"Right, guess I'd better go look for him," Natsuno sighed, groggily as he rose to his feet.
"Need me to tag along?" Gareki offered.
"Nah, he's probably still standing in line and just lost track of time. He's skinny enough I could just hoist him over my shoulder if need be."
Tohru struggled against his attackers as they drug him into a bathroom stall. "Just my luck," he thought . For as packed as the place was, the restroom was completely empty at the moment and if he called for help, it was unlikely anyone would hear him over the music outside. He managed to bite down on Renardo's arm and wriggle free, scratching Cody's arm in the process. Once again, he tried to slip away, but this time, all four of them grabbed hold of him and wrestled him to the floor.
Tohru cringed, the floor was cold and sticky. Once again, he tried to squirm free. Unfortunately, however, all four of them were weighing him down, just as he'd expected. Now the two canines were infuriated with him. What had originally been intended as childish bullying was on the verge of becoming gang violence. Tohru grunted as he took a foot to the stomach. He wasn't certain which one had kicked him. They drug him up to his feet and he closed his eyes as the Kitsune hauled back, ready to punch him.
Midswing, a hand caught Renardo's wrist. "What the hell?" the Fox exclaimed.
Tohru slowly opened his left eye. "Natsuno?" he asked in a combination of surprise and relief.
Natsuno stood only an inch taller than the eighteen year old Kitsune. Either the fifteen year old wolves were tall for their age, or the Kitsune was short for his. Tohru assumed both, as he was still slightly taller than Natsuno. Natsuno twisted the Kitsune's arm behind his back. "Would somebody care to explain what's going on in here?" he asked.
"Bugger off, Wolf," Tikus snipped, "This is a private issue."
"If it's a private issue, maybe you should find somewhere other than a public restroom to take care of it?" Natsuno suggested. "Let the cat go."
"Stay out of this, " Avis chirped.
"What do you care?" Cody asked, "You're a w..."
"A WOLF?" Natsuno asked, a smug smirk sweeping his face, as he put emphasis on the word. "All the more reason you guys look like you're about to soul yourselves, I suppose," he taunted. He could smell it, they were acting tough, but everyone of them was on edge. Regardless of their unanimous dislike for cats, the presence of a wolf made them even more uncomfortable. "I'll day it again, let the cat go."
Renardo have a yelp of pain. "Ah, ow, knock it off, you're gonna break my arm!"
Natsuno ignored the Kitsune's complaints. "I REALLY don't want to spill blood here," he said, " I'm so tired of doing that." He locked eyes with Tohru. "Are you alright?"
Tohru blushed, his ears folded down. This was the first time he could recall Natsuno willingly making direct eye contact with him. He averted his eyes. "I'm fine," he fibbed.
Renardo yelped as everyone heard his arm pop. "Let... Him... GO," Natsuno growled.
"Guys... I think he's serious," Renardo whined.
"Awe, poor little rich boy can't fight his own battles," Tikus laughed.
"Oh, I dunno about that," Natsuno laughed, looking at the blood on Renardo's arm, where Tohru had bit him. "Looks like he was doing alright for himself until you ganged up on him. You want a fair fight? I'll give you one," Natsuno challenged.
Tonya and Avis looked at each other then rushed at Natsuno, leaving Cody to hold down Tohru. Forced to let go of Renardo, he threw the Fox at Tikus. He side stepped Avis and landed an elbow jab to the bird's back. Using his good leg, he swept Avis's feet, throwing him flat on the floor. Renardo and Tikus untangled themselves and rushed at Natsuno. The Fox was easy to deter, grabbing his already, now twice, injured arm, Natsuno gave one good twist, pulling it behind the Fox's back, once more. He used the unfortunate Fox as a human shield, as Tikus ran right into him. The rat received a chop to the back of his neck, knocking him out cold. Natsuno turned his attention to Cody. "You want to try me, too? Let the cat go."
The coyote obliged, letting Tohru go. "We're cool, man," the Coyote said nervously. "He's all yours."
Natsuno caught Tohru's wrist and started to lead him back to the hall. Natsuno's ears twitched and he quickly pushed Tohru into the hall. Natsuno just barely sidestepped as Cody lunged at him with a pocket knife. Taking a deep gash along his arm, Natsuno silently cursed himself for being two seconds too slow. He grabbed hold of the Coyote's wrist and wrenched the knife away. He heaved a disappointed sigh as he popped the Coyote's fingers out of place, intentionally breaking a the process. "I really had hopped we could end this without bloodshed" he sighed.
"Natsuno, are you alright?" Tohru asked worriedly, catching hold of Natsuno's injured arm.
"This?" Natsuno laughed. "This is nothing. It'll be fully healed by tomorrow afternoon."
" But...? " Tohru fretted.
"Forget it, I've had worse!" Natsuno insisted, refusing to make eye contact. "Just, help me keep it covered for now. I don't need Gareki freaking out." Tohru nodded . "What about you? Did they injure you?"
" No, I'm fi... Ah... " Tohru grabbed his stomach and sank to his knees as a sharp pain ran through him. "Hah, ok," he attempted to laugh, "Maybe they kicked me a LITTLE too hard," he admitted.
Natsuno glared back at the restroom door. "Sodding bastards," he growled , "Can you stand on your own long enough to reach the hospital?" Tohru rose to his feet, holding his hand to his side and nodded. "What provoked them?"
Tohru shook his head. "Old school bullies who thought I would still bow down to their intimidations."
" Right, come on, then! " Natsuno growled, pulling Tohru along, back to the Karaoke room.
"What the hell happened to you?" Gareki asked as Tohru entered the room. The Neko's hair and clothes were disheveled and there were a few noticeable stains and bruses, too.
"Tohru, what happened?" Yogi exclaimed , rushing to his younger brother's side.
"Leave him be," Natsuno said, snatching up his coat and quickly sliding it over his arms. "Party's over. Time for the Kittens to go home."
" What? "
"Why?"
" Tohru what happened? " came the complaints from the others.
Tohru merely lowered his head. "He was jumped by a group of low-life thugs in the restroom," Natsuno said flatly.
"Tohru?" Yogi asked.
" Tikus and his guys, " Tohru sighed, his hand on his side, his eyes still averted. He was embarrassed they had gotten the better of him again, but thankful that Natsuno had shown up when he had.
Gareki caught Natsuno's elbow. "I smell blood, and it's not his," he snarled.
Natsuno heaved a sigh. "Just a flesh wound," he insisted . "I want you to make sure you and that one get back safely," he said , pointing at Yogi. "I'm taking this one to the doctor to make sure he's no worse for wear." Gareki opened his mouth to say something, but Natsuno reassured him, "I'll have them look me over, too, alright?"
Gareki sighed and smiled. "Alright," he nodded.
" I'm sorry about all this, " Tohru apologized, as he and Natsuno returned home from the hospital. He had a credits and bruises and the doctors said the pain in his abdomen might keep him awake during the night, but he was otherwise given a clean Bill of health.
"For what?" Natsuno asked, "Making me do my job?"
" You told them you didn't want bloodshed, " Tohru said quietly.
"They're a bunch of cowardly low life jerks," Natsuno stated, "But they're not organized criminal scum, not Kafka, just civilians. I was holding back on them. Better to take them down than out. No need for senseless killing of it can be avoided. My job is to keep and alive. That was my only concern at the time."
Tohru 's ears drooped. He had hoped there was some genuine concern beyond 'it's just a job' when Natsuno had looked him in the eyes earlier. "I guess we still haven't gotten to that point," he thought , wrapping his arms around himself. "I didn't mean what you did to them," he said aloud . Natsuno glanced at him. "I mean what they did to you." He looked up at Natsuno. "You got hurt trying to protect me. Your job or not, Yogi and I feel bad everytime someone gets hurt because of us. It's why we started learning how to fight. We hoped to one day out an end to that sort of thing."
Natsuno smiled. "Leave the fighting to the professionals," he said, trying to hide the wasn't use to anyone but Gareki worrying over his injuries.
"Huh?" Tohru asked.
"Don't get me wrong," Natsuno said. "I'm not saying not to defend yourself or the innocent bystanders, when there's no other option. And I'll give you credit , you did a good number on that Bat-Eared Kitsune, buying his arm and , your brother and you are CLEARLY lovers, not fighters." Tohru blushed that was probably the first nice thing Natsuno had said to him all week.. "You have to pick and choose your battles. Push back when you can if necessary," he sighed. He turned and faced Tohru, once more looking him straight in the eye. "But the next time you know you're going to be overpowered like that, I suggest you play along. Pretend to comply and leave the real fight to us. There's no need for any more innocents to get hurt."
"Then again," Tohru thought. He blushed and smiled , giving Natsuno a nod. "I think I understand," he purred.
Tokitatsu met Natsuno and Tohru at the door. "Tohru. Thank goodness, are you alright?" he asked , looking the teenager over. "Natsuno, what happened?"
" I'm fine, Dad, " Tohru sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Sorry," Natsuno apologized, "I let him out of my sight a little longer than I should have," he admitted, "It was just a nasty run in with some local hoodlums. The doctors said there's no internal injuries. He may be sore for a day or two, but it's nothing a hot bath, clean change of clothes, and a warm bed won't cure."
"Thank goodness that's all it was," Tokitatsu sighed. "Run on and get cleaned up, Tohru." Tohru quietly nodded and made his way adjusted his glasses and turned full attention to Natsuno. "I understand you were injured as well?"
" It's nothing, really. I don't see why everyon everyone's making such a big fuss over it, " Natsuno replied, pulling off his jacket and rolling back his sleeve to show the bandage running from his wrist to his elbow.
Tokitatsu's eyes grew wide. It rather upset him that the boy thought an injury that serious was simply nothing to make a big deal over. "What if the ruffians who...?" Tokitatsu asked.
"Don't insult me," Natsuno said, rolling his eyes. "I broke one's fingers, pulled the tendon in another's arm, and knocked all four of them out. I offered no information to suggest my connection with you, or Tohru. And on the way to the hospital, I had Tohru show me how to use his phone to call your brother-in-law and have him send someone over who would be discreet about picking them up."
"My brother-in-l...? " Tokitatsu adjusted his glasses again and laughed. "Tsukitatchi..." He laughed, shaking his head. "I see, clever boy. Not even Yogi and Tohru know about that."
"Seemed pretty obvious your brother is using those cuffs and probably even that night stick for a little more than police work," Natsuno said.
Tokitatsu stared at Natsuno for a moment, as he tried to ignore both the mental image the young Wolf had just given him, a s well as the boy's nonchalantnessh in having done so. He heaved a sigh. "If only I could have gotten them out of there, sooner," he thought . He cleared his throat. "I see," he said aloud, "Thank you for taking care of Tohru tonight."
Natsuno shrugged. "Just doing my job."
Author's Note: Natsuno's "leave the fighting to the professionals" speech made much more sense in my head.