His ears folded back and his eyes narrowed in offense. “We are more than just humans with fur,” Mamoru tried not to get carried away. Perhaps the generation has come where humans hardly recognize us anymore… “But it may be that you were confused by my shapeshifting.”
“What on earth are you talking about?” Rigel’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, “I was high as heaven last night, I guess I’m still high because you are a dang animal.” Rigel crossed his arms over his chest, studying Mamoru. “And what are you talking about? Shapeshifting?”
Mamoru realized whatever Rigel ended up doing to himself the other night opened up a separate personality. He immediately folded his ears back and snarled, “Nothing’s keeping you from leaving this place and returning to the metal-ridden hell I managed to bring you out of.”
His eyes narrowed. “And I hope you know that I helped you out of the goodness of my heart…” He didn’t even bother to shapeshift— he knew where that issue would go. “It’s fine if you’re just going to neglect it like that…”
He swiveled around and continued to go back down the staircase. Have we become so remote that no one knows we exist anymore?
Rigel innerly cursed himself. I managed to get the one guy I really count on to get angry… “Wait, I’m- I’m sorry, I had a rough night,” Rigel followed after Mamoru, “Thank you for helping me, if you hadn’t been there…” My powers would’ve been exposed. “I need to get back though, probably, it’s just…” How did he interpret last night…? Did he know it was me controlling the metal…?
He stopped, feeling the tiniest drop of sympathy in his heart. “I appreciate your recovery and apology, and I’m glad you’re feeling better, if that’s what you’re implying.” He needs to get back…. that doesn’t make much sense…
“And if you really need to get going, I’m not stopping you.” He folded his hands together.
“But- What do you remember from last night?” Rigel questioned, watching carefully to see Mamoru’s reaction. He must know… I nearly hurt him when my powers went out of whack…
He cocked his head, unsure where exactly the conversation was going. “I remember nearly everything….” Strange…. “I helped you after you collapsed from exhaustion and got you out of the city where lampposts were falling down and curling in on themselves…” He suddenly shivered. Which reminds me— what did cause that?
“Uh, yeah —er— What do you think caused that?” Rigel tried to be as unassuming as possible, looking at the ground. Please, please, please, don’t suspect magic… I can’t have anyone find out. He started chewing his lip without realizing.
Mamoru couldn’t be so sure. “It’s hard to say because it’s so unnatural….” He glared at him and saw him chewing his lip for what seemed to be no reason, avoiding his gaze. “Is it something you happen to know about?” It’s hard to tell, but the answer will make the thinking so much easier.
“Uh— No, I thought I was just hallucinating again. Strange night…” Rigel forced an uneasy laugh, still unable to look at Mamoru in fear of being found out. If he doesn’t know it’s me, I’ll be safe… I can go back to my normal life, I can pretend this never happened.
“Well, then I have absolutely no idea what it was exactly….” He was getting an odd vibe from his demeanor. “But it was obviously something paranormal— maybe a poltergeist or something…” Yet those tend to be more vocal and catalystic.. “I won’t worry about it too much. However, there is a reason you need to be away from metal, right?”
He’s on to me… Shoot… “I, um, don’t know what you’re talking about…” He muttered, paling slightly. He attempted at changing the subject, “What do you mean by poltergeist?”
He squinted at him. “You said last night that you needed to be somewhere, perferrably a place without metal. And here you are.” Mamoru’s ears twitched irritably. Did he lose his memory or something??
He developed a strange sense of doubt in his mind that couldn’t be shooed away, and he creased his brow with mere annoyance. “Do you think something else caused it?” That’s what it sounds like he’s implying.
“No, no, of course not, it’s just that poltergeists don’t exist,” Rigel finished the sentence almost inaudibly, shrugging a little, “But that’s probably the best explanation for what happened,” He insisted, wringing his hands slightly.
(Lol sorry I’m late.)
Mamoru gave him a harsh look of suspicion but thought nothing of it. “Well, that’s alright— but just to save both us and yourself, you should… probably get going.”
He turned away. “To keep you here for too long—“ May get us killed— “Can cause slight trouble for us…”
“Why?” Rigel asked carefully, raising an eyebrow. He studied Mamoru. What is he talking about? To save both us and yourself? Something was off, something was very off.
“Well, it’s all in our history….” he waved a hand. “At a certain point in time, we had a terrible conflict with humans regarding a certain magical element within our bodies. They killed us for their own authority…. and since then, we’ve been hiding, afraid their greed would wipe us out…”
Mamoru cringed. I never should’ve said that… “As for you… we were taught instinct to fight back at any human who advanced on to us, and some may take that as kill any human in sight. Unfortunately, Junichi has adapted to that mindset…”
Rigel blinked staring for a second and trying to process all the information. “Did you- Did you say magic?” This isn’t real, this isn’t logical, I thought I was the only one with something relatively magical… His mind turned like clockwork, little gears shifting with every thought and every possibility.
He sighed. There’s no going back, I guess… Mamoru turned back around. “Yes, I said magic. Each of us has one of four powers— Kaze, Tsuchi, Hi and Mizu, which corresponds to what humans call Wind, Earth, Fire and Water.” He didn’t want to explain anymore. “And that’s all I’m going to say regarding such matters.”
“And there isn’t any… metal, or anything like that?” Rigel asked, despite Mamoru’s last words. His eyes searched desperately over Mamoru’s face for any sign, just anything, that could mean he isn’t a freak. That he had a place in this world, that his powers mean something.
“Not as far as I’ve been around,” He rolled his shoulders. “We don’t have any powers associating with… metal in any manner.” Mamoru glared hard and long at Rigel, confused at what he was trying to get at. What is he even trying to get from me…? “Now if you don’t mind, I’ll be returning to the dining hall….”
Rigel glanced away, when Mamoru glared at him, but he couldn’t give up, “How do you- Do you know- Is there any possible chance that someone else could have magic?” He asked somewhat shakily, following Mamoru to the dining hall. I need to know, I just need to know why.
He abruptly stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “We all have magic,” He snapped assertively. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to get at here… ” He reached for the doors, but hesitated. Junichi…
“I have magi-“ Rigel cut himself off before he could say anymore, biting his lip. He clenched and unclenched his fist, then shaking his head and walking through the doors without a second comment, trying to escape the situation entirely. I cannot tell anyone, what was I thinking?
“Well, wait a minute!!” Mamoru hollered at him to come back. “I mean, I know you’re leaving, but don’t you want to at least eat someting before you hit the road??” I have to have at least a little sense of humanity…