The komodo slides his tan thumb down to the left corner of her mouth, a gentle pressure on her lip to show a glint of her teeth. Juno stands unmoving, her heart pounding; breathing hitched as the large reptile rubs his thumb on her teeth under her lips. The komodo places his other hand on top of her soft muzzle and opens her mouth to reveal her sharp fangs, his strong cologne burns as he studies her mouth. His face muscles pull beneath the mask as he stares at the pristine carnivore teeth.
"Someone would pay a good price for a perfect set like these." He says, tightening his hold on her muzzle, "Take the back four."
Juno thrashes in hopes of getting away from his iron grip to no avail. The monitor lizard approaches with forceps from Juno's left; shutting her eyes in pain a quick yelp chased by a long whine as her bottom left tooth is yanked out. The iron from the warm blood dancing forward across her tongue, meeting her saliva, it dribbles from her lip as a bottom left molar is stolen from her with an involuntary yelp. Her eyes water from the tugging of a third tooth behind her Jaws, the lizard's pinky brushes against her tongue, she tastes of dirt and animal blood. Her stolen teeth held in the palm of another lizard she can barely see on her right side. The monitor's hands covered in blood as Juno tries to escape the grasp of The Boss once more. The forceps lock around a fourth tooth, her bottom right, and begins to rip from her gum. This tooth refuses to cooperate with the brutish removal, the lioness tightens her grip and yanks harder; Juno cries out as the tooth shatters in rebellion. The monitor gathers most of the broken carnivore tooth, wiping her crimson strained hands onto Juno's white blouse.
"Consider this an assurance that we'll take the rest if we don't receive our money." The Boss speaks releasing her muzzle.
Juno falls to her knees, hands held around but not on her muzzle, stifled sobs coming from her as she sits. Her gums stinging and throbbing as she keeps her eyes set on the black slacks of The Boss. Blood and saliva dripping from her bottom lip onto her white uniform.
"You have two weeks before you're first payment." The Boss says grabbing her nape to force her tear-filled blue eyes to meet his gray ones "Fifty-thousand yen by then."
Releasing her, the five reptiles leave the wolf behind the school, bloodied. A small pool begins to form between her knees, her skirt stained red after fifteen minutes unmoving with the pain slowly residing. The blood stopped, the pain throbbing still. She slowly rises to her feet, walks down the alley, towards the train station to the city. She feels eyes falling on her from behind classroom windows, she doesn't care, she is a target of the Dokugumi, a tool for the mob to extort.
Akiro. What if she sees Juno like this? A bloody jaw, outfit red with blood splatters. Splatters that look like she's devoured another student. The vixen will fear the wolf as before, her heart feels a sharp pain, worse than the teeth being stolen. She has broken her heart with 'what ifs,' now she can't bear the thought of facing the vixen she adores. An urge to cry comes again, but she won't allow another to be shed.
She will get the mob's money, and she will get Akiro. They won't take the small; green eyed red fox away from her. They won't take anyone else from her life that matters to her. Not her brother; her crush; not her will to fight back. A growl grows in her throat as she enters the train station, she will get them their dirty money no matter the job. Waitress, secretary, stripper, a line cook, no matter what job she follows she is determined to finally get rid of the mob once and for all. Yuuma and Hisoka will finally find peace, and Jiro, he will let his rivalry go.
Juno feels the eyes of strangers begin to gaze upon her bloody outfit, crimson muzzle, and her aggressive mood. They assume she's devoured a student and fleeing from justice and guilt. She covers her muzzle with her clawed brown hands and proceeds to whimper in pain. A wolf, fearsome carnivore crying like a pup in public, a show of vulnerability to build trust between her and the strangers. Few pity her, some scoff and mock her for being weak, others carry on as they board the train with the whimpering wolf. She takes a seat by a door and curls forward to cover most of the blood. Whimpering faintly, as she waits for her stop, she wonders what she will tell Jiro. Should honesty be for the best? What if he begins a war with one of the most powerful mob families? Will he die like Hisoka and Yumma? What lie would keep him alive? She got into a fight with someone and was suspended?
"Are you okay?" a gruff male voice asks.
Juno looks up to see who spoke. A middle aged coyote with only a left arm and a single green right eye. His dusty brown fur matted in various places as he looks worried for her. His black jacket is tattered with years of use, blue pants, and a wrist tattoo in the shape of some shield.
"I got expelled for protecting my friend." her ears twitch as she whines still holding her muzzle, "He said I tried to devour him."
The coyote smiles a bit before removing his jacket and handing it to her, "Cover yourself, people will think you did with the amount of blood on you. Seems like he hit you pretty hard to be bleeding this much. Anything broken?"
She shakes her head covering herself with his jacket, she looks up with her puppy eyes a scared school girl would to ask if she's going to be okay. She knows that he will want to walk with her to her home so she can return his jacket. This coyote though, he is intriguing and her false fright is replaced with genuine curiosity. He looks ahead letting Juno study his tattoo, which is a canine tooth crossing a sword on the shield. His green eye surveying the train. Is he an ex-soldier of the military? What happened to him?
"Thank you for the jacket." She says quietly, pulling the sleeves to her mouth.
He nods and remains silent. Her stop is next, she informs the stranger, with an attempt to return the jacket. He remains still as the train slows. The river of mammals, reptiles, and amphibian people flooding to the doors around the stone still coyote as he waits for the movement to cease. Extending his hand to her, she stands with him. Juno continues to cover her muzzle, the blood hidden beneath the dark colored jacket. She steps off with the coyote escorting her.
The steps out of the station reveal a district of lower middleclass wealth. Cherry trees guard the sidewalks, apartment complexes snuggled together for kinship and comfort, the roadway clean of debris, and animals enjoying the warmth of each others companionship. The district she feels safe within its embrace, its under the control of the Minashigo Inu. With every step she takes towards her home, her mind races once more. What would he say? Is he going to mad at her for not calling?
A concrete step leads to a green complex, two male wolves sit upon it, watching passersby. The wolf on the left has a light grey fur, similar to Legoshi's, wearing black t-shirt and grey sweatpants. Scars tell stories of his fights, dancing with knives, horns tearing into him, and bullets fired from police weapons in pursuit of him. Kiba, the one she shared her first kiss with when they were younger. She remembers playing in the park and putting a beetle on his back. The black wolf opposite of him is a new face to her. He lacks facial scars, but makes up for it with a legion of white tattoos making him appear to be a zebra like Ellen. A knife tucked in the black belt of his pants.
"Is Jiro here?" she softly asks, slightly uncovering her muzzle.
Kiba studies her for a moment before turning to her companion. The gray wolf nods, allowing her to step into her home. Taking a step up, the she-wolf opens the complex's door for the coyote. Jiro might repay him for his vigilance over his sister.
It's been a rough past few months for me, and I want to say I'm sorry for not posting in half a year. Had some bad habits I needed to kick. But I'm back now, I am going to post as often as I can, I've made some new friends who have been helping me with the story and my habits.