“I’m sure they’ll be fine.” He reassured, slightly awkward. He related to the dark circles under his eyes. He had them too. Somehow she seemed more like him with the comparison. This whole situation was starting to become less stressful for the small dragon.
“I just need to know what is going on… is this killer human? How do they know about us? Do they kill dragons?”
“I don’t really know much about any of that.” Mitsune admitted, ears drooping slightly as she bustled about, popping the next batch of cupcakes into the oven. Now with nothing to do, she stared somewhat listlessly about the room, before hopping up onto the counter. “I have a theory though. I think…I think this asshole is, or was, one of us. Not…not human.”
“Not human… that’s not a good thing.” He groaned softly, rubbing at the smooth patch of scales at the back of his neck - a nervous tick. “It would have been better if it were human… so something like us is hunting us down…?” Cole was momentarily reminded of the creature simply known as Mins. She was a rather disgusting creature that smelled like the rotting insides of a beached whale in a garbage truck but she was useful when it came to information. She was the ‘queen bee’ of her species, the Alpha female in her pack. She gave the orders and had her kind everywhere like an infestation of rats. Mins had tried to take his wings from him to sell to humans who paid a high price for mythical parts.
"It makes sense, though. All the psych textbooks I've read-" For a degree she never got to get. "-, it's the soundest option. And someone like us would have the means to kill someone like us, wouldn't they? A human would have a harder time, and wouldn't be able to reach the desecration levels-" She cut off. So suddenly, without warning, she had stopped, eyes focused on the wall across from where she was sitting, eyes glossing over. She could see him. What was left of him, of her father, the blood that had been smeared on that very wall, trailing to the living room where he'd been found. Where she had found him. "Whatever is doing this…it hates us." She whispered, voice barely there. "And I can't find it."
“They would…” He winced in remembrance of the gnashing teeth that had torn into his side so easily. “They really would have to-“ her sudden switch sent him into a light panic; he jumped out of his seat and bared the line of sharp teeth that sat jagged in his jaw.
But there was no attack from the Kitsune. Instead she spoke softly, pained by something he couldn’t see.
“Whatever is doing this is twisted.” He snarled, forcing his tense muscles to relax. “And not easy to find. Whatever it’s done to you or another doesn’t phase it. It doesn’t want to be found.”
"Yeah. Yeah, I know." Mitsu said softly, fingers gripping the countertop. She forced her eyes to meet his, unable to hold the eye contact for too long before hopping off the counter. Her back to him, she checked the timer. They had a bit. She could show him the photos.
"I want to show you something. Something important to…all this." She said, motioning for him to follow her. "You're not squeamish, right? If you are, I won't show you, but…it might look familiar to you. And if it is…that's a lead."
Cole grumbled something to Shihiro under his breath, but the words were lost to all but the ancient dragon.
“Something? No I’m not usually squeamish. Blood doesn’t phase me as bad.”
’Liar’ The Lesser Soul drawled. Cole cussed at him. Truth be told, he still had PTSD. The gore had been sickeningly sweet to his nose; the sounds atrociously attractive. But it all belonged to his mother, who’s flesh and bones had been devoured by the beasts Cole shared blood with.
He sounded like there was something he wasn't telling her. But without knowledge of what that was, she would just have to place that fact on the back burner.
They weren't headed there, but when they reached the doorway to the living room, Mitsune stopped. There was that glazed over look again, the one that couldn't belong to anything but grief. Staying in this house was killing her. And that living room….she hadn't gone in there since that night.
"It was here. In the living room. The thing that's been doing this." She could taste the blood in her mouth, maybe a memory, maybe her own. She hadn't yet registered her teeth on her lip, biting, trying to bring her back. Even after she'd punctured her own lip, she still stared into the living room, looking so small and lost as she stood there.
Cole shot her a sideways glance as he entered the living room. This wasn’t going to work with her so spaced out she didn’t notice the blood from her lip.
The dragon growled lightly, shaking his head before he lead her back into the kitchen and sat her down. “I don’t believe I caught your full name. Cole Sparks, Honorary reject of his own kind.” It wasn’t the best way to distract her but it was all he knew what to do
You can't keep doing that. There's nothing for you in the past. Everything relies on now. The future needs you now. It took Mitsune a moment to focus back in, just managing to catch Cole's name as she met his eyes. She was sitting. They were in the kitchen. When had that happened? She had to get him the photos-
"Mitsune. Uh, Mitsune-" She paused, wiping absently at her lip and furrowing her brow at the blood. "-Oshiro. Again, though, Mitsu works. Um…Kitsune, baker, and volunteer-enthusiast. It's nice to meet you, if the circumstances suck…"
“Here, let me just,” Cole let his eyes wander around the kitchen as he grabbed a paper towel, sighing lightly. His hand was gentle - and a little shaky - as he dabbed at the wound to her lip. “Pleasure to meet a friendly creature like me for once.” He mused, a small and yet fleeting smile gracing his features.
“I don’t think we ever exchanged pleasantries. I’m not to good with the whole communicating thing…” he cringed inwardly as Shihiro confirmed the words with a scoff.
Her ears perked slightly, shoulders tensing for a moment as he first met her lip with the paper towel, before she relaxed. "That's alright. Not a lot of people are, actually, but that's fine. Just means it's easier to communicate with others who aren't." Mitsu said, lips twitching up slightly, before falling. "Thank you. I'm sorry, I-it keeps happening. I still can't keep the sight out of my head, all the blood and the smell."
The Halfa nodded softly. He shivered lightly as she continued to speak, listening in silence. The smells were always the worse… he knew that. He remembered them all too well just as she did.
“I understand that. It’s not too pleasant.” He replied softly. “You don’t have to apologize.”
"You're not here to watch me forget who I am, though." She said, shaking her head. Her hands twisted in her lap, fingers tangling and untangling, playing with her ring. "You're here for answers. And I should be focusing ahead. I really am sorry for that. It's…so hard, with my brother's state and the house and everything. I just have to power through though."
Her eyes were sad, but there was a determined set to her jaw. Something that made it look like she was stronger than she showed. She would make it through this if she had to drag herself. "Those pictures. I still have to show them to you. Want to try that again?"
He nodded curtly, scratching at his scales. "Just keep your head held high." He murmured, repeating the words that had been said to him on multiple occasions. Shihiro was the only other being on Earth that knew of what Cole was going through. He knew how to comfort his Host.
"Yes, the photos. Please." He dipped his head in a low respect, a habit he picked up from the few years he lived with Shihiro's physical form. "If they're too hard to look at then I am more than willing to view them alone." He added, trying to be kind but his tone felt a little aggressive.
“This time I’m going to make it. All the way there and back.” Mitsu muttered to herself, sliding off the chair and stretching. Her shirt rose a tiny bit with the movement, and for a split second, a strip of tanned and scarred skin was visible. Then she was moving for the door.
“The timer’s gonna go off in a minute and a half, could you pull the cupcakes out for me? Just set the pans on the cooling rack over there, oven mits are by the stove. I’ll be right back with the photos.” She promised, before slipping out into the hallway.
Cole's eyes wandered without his permission, a light heat rising in his face. He turned away, staring out the window while Shihiro told him off. "I can do that, easy." He huffed, flexing his fingers as she mentioned the mits. He was born pretty much fireproof. He wouldn't need mits.
He turned back to watch her go, swallowing back the smoke that threatened to spill from his lungs. "I thought Kitsune's were tricksters, Shihiro." Cole said out loud, grinning wickedly as the Lesser Soul grumbled lowly. "She doesn't seem to be pulling my leg and I'm not worried about her. It's this serial creature killer that's worrying me. I've survived far too long to be killed by some random mythical that thinks us creatures deserve to be slaughtered like the beasts we are."
"Hush, you're still technically a fledgling, Cole." The ancient dragon huffed. "You're hardly surviving anyways. The apartment is atrocious and your diet is even worse than the mess you live in."
Mitsune's ears picked out Cole's words, drawing a laugh to her lips. A welcome distraction that came just as she was passing the living room, pushing the thoughts that always seemed to be clouding her mind away. The oven did go off while she was gone, a musical sort of chiming sounding from it. It payed to have a brother who loved mechanic things.
She made her way to her room, upstairs. It was near the stairway, a peculiar request of hers when she'd first moved in. Her father and brother had shared a confused look at the specificity of the request, but had told her the rooms right there weren't being used for anything at all. She was grateful. It gave her a close escape incase things turned for the worst.
When she had finally grabbed the box, she made her way back down to the kitchen, plopping it on the table. "Pictures, case file copies, and evidence." Evidence she definitely shouldn't have, considering that was something for the police. "All on the murder. I have another couple boxes with the stuff from the other murders that I could…acquire."
Cole went straight for the oven as it went off, mimicking Shihiro in response to the comment on his living conditions. "Hey, I'm doing better than we ever did before you became my Lesser Soul." He pulled the treats from the oven and hummed at the warmth against his bare hands. It had been a long time since he had felt something so invitingly warm.
His eyes widened as she spoke, his head turning to look at her. He hadn't noticed she had returned, too busy with his conversation with Shihiro. "Ah, thank you. We'll look at this first and if we need the rest, then we can get the rest." He murmured, moving to her side awkwardly. "Just so you know, I wasn't talking to myself… I'm pretty sure you heard some of that."
"I wouldn't have blamed you if you had been. You're not the only one who does." She teased, some of that Kitsune mischief sparking in her eyes once again. "If you weren't talking to yourself, though," She said, pulling out stacks of files and the different photos. It wasn't hard to notice that she was avoiding looking at the photos. "Who were you talking to?"
(Sorry! I thought I replied!!)
Cole gave her a soft smile, something close to a laugh falling from his lips. He pulled a few files to him and opened them, reading over the case descriptions and scowling at the photos. It made his stomach lurch in disgust. Or primal hunger… he couldn't tell.
"His name is Shihiro. He's my Lesser Soul." He tapped his chest, his face lighting up in a way it hadn't before. "As an Elite I get special powers and Laws that the other dragon's can't use and I get help in this life. Shihiro was my guardian before he was my Lesser soul. He's been reincarnated quite a few times and he gave up that ability to be reincarnated to help me. I like him even if he is pushy at times."
Mitsune's eyes flickered up as Cole laughed—or, did sort of—to find his face, tilting her head slightly. That was…a sound. One she kind of liked. And that light in his eyes when he spoke of his Lesser Soul was nice. Different from his usual grouchy expression. I wonder if I can get him to laugh like that more.
"He sounds great, honestly. It must be nice, having a constant companion like that." She commented, lips turning up in a smile as her eyes sparkled. "And it's sweet, that he gave that up to help you. Not many creatures would give up essential immortality."
"It is nice. But sometimes he gets on my nerves. I can hardly have a private moment when there is another soul inside me that shares my experiences." He chuckled lightly rubbing at his scales once more. "Shihiro is the only one I truly trust. I know what he's like and I feel what he feels. He misses that immortality but he doesn't regret helping me."
Shihiro was the closest thing Cole had to a father figure in his life. He absolutely loved having his Lesser Soul around to help and guide even if Shihiro could be quite rude at times. "It's funny. He's really annoyed with my involvement in this case. He thinks it's dumb to go after those who hunt me but I'm tired of hiding."
"He's not…wrong, exactly. It is dumb." Mitsune said, her eyes dropping to the folder in her hand as she flipped through it. She didn't need to. She had every folder in here memorize, could pull to mind every photo and see them clearly. That was her curse, or one of them. "But there are people that could get hurt, and killed. We could be killed. If we have the chance to do something…"
"I'm constantly wondering if Tana and I were supposed to die that night too. If my brother was lucky he was out with friends and if I was lucky I was late, because I stopped on the way home to buy dinner for one of the guys who hangs outside the grocery store hoping to get a couple dollars." She said, setting the file down and tracing one of the scars along her wrist, that trailed partly up her forearm. "You know, there was a kill a couple days before my dad. This couple, a selkie and her husband. They left a daughter behind. She's nine, living with her aunt and terrified that the bad guy who hurt her parents will come back for her aunt and her. I call her every night just to make sure she's okay, and I've got friends making sure nothing suspicious happens in her neighborhood. The people who died-they're not the only ones who were hurt by this, and they might not be the last. And there are other people who are going to die. And it's dumb, yeah, but can he blame me? Us?" Mistu arched a brow, turning fully to look at Cole, her strangely colored eyes meeting his. "The police won't do anything. They only care about non-marginalized cases in general, and it's worse for anyone who's not human. But somebody has to. Somebody has to care."
((gfdhsjs mitsu went OFF))
(Daaaaaaannngggg you go girl! Go offf!)
Cole listened carefully, hanging off every word she spoke. He agreed to a degree. Something did have to be done. But he wasn’t sure what it was. The police were incompetent, and some were even ignorant of mythical and non-humans in general. He could still remember the bullets bouncing off his scales as he fled cities.
“Well, I’ve done plenty of dumb things in my life and this won’t be the last thing either. I haven’t been personally effected by this thing that hunts us but I am at risk. My fangs have been aching for something to tear into anyways… whatever this thing is won’t last for very long against my other form.”