forum Realm of Many and Criminals of Pain (closed)

Started October 14, 2018 by @Rvan group

tune

“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…

Rigel held his breath, thinking it over. He was famished… “I… I guess I’ll stay for a meal.” He stared at the ground, still debating whether or not he should tell Mamoru he has magic. No, I can’t, what if he told someone else, my life would be ruined…

It’ll be hard to have him enter the dining hall…. how should I do this…? He motioned Rigel to stay where he was and went through the door, joining his fellow friends at the table.
“What took you so long??” Junichi sounded annoyed, yet he was passive about it. “Is there something wrong?”
Mamoru shook his head. “Everything’s fine…. I just need some soup and maybe a couple apples…?”
Daichi already had both things for him, one in each hand. “I was waiting for you to come back….” He came closer and meant to block nearly everyone else from earshot. “How’s Rigel doing this morning?”

Rigel watched the the door, a feeling in his gut making him anxious. He opened the door slightly, looking out. What’s happening? He saw another few animal-people there, eating food. *

Junichi spotted Rigel’s head through the small crack and roared, nearly overturning the table and sending everyone spiraling downward in chaos. “How did they find us!!!?”
Mamoru barked at him to calm down. “He’s harmless!!!!! You just have to trust me!!!”
The fox sat back down, his face too red to be white anymore.
He backed away from the table, getting a good look at everyone wide-eyed. They just have to trust me… He got back out into the foyer and shrugged. “This is all we can spare…”

“Wait. What the-?” He entered the dining hall, looking at the animal-person who had shouted, “What do you mean?” Rigel looked at each of them. Do they have magic too? His nerves were on edge, and his powers desperately wanted to come to defense.

Junichi glared at him, barking, “We’ve been discrete for years, how have you found us!!!?” Before a word was said in reponse, he cupped his hands together and flung a collection of high-pressured water at Rigel for his defense.

Rigel threw his hands in front of him in instinct. The hidden knife he’d always kept on him that he had precariously forgotten flung up, the metal bending and moving to form a circular disk in between him and the water stream. The water sprayed everywhere, but he was ultimately protected by his own powers.

(:0)

Junichi folded his ears back, baring his teeth wildly, yet suppresed his behavior quickly.
All nine of Youichi’s tails flicked instinctively. “Mamoru?” His eyes narrowed. “I thought I heard you speak in defense of that human?”
His word had a sour taste to his ears, and he nodded. “I didn’t before…. But yes, yes I do.” That knife he had…. “I say he’s not seeking our power, or we’d already be dead.”

(;O;)

Rigel stopped breathing for a few seconds. Completely stunned. The disk clattered to the ground, and he took a wobbly step backwards to find himself at the wall. Shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot- “I-“ What could I possibly say to explain that?

Mamoru glared at him. “Are you okay…?” He glanced down at the metal disk on the floor, confused as to how it got like that. He exchanged glances between Rigel and Junichi, who was still growling. “Was it something someone did?”
I have to make sure he’s okay…..
Kohaku suddenly rose from her bench, but didn’t say anything.

“Sh-t, I need to go,” Rigel stumbled towards the doors, pale as snow. They’ve seen, they known, they- Pure fear and panic settled in Rigel’s gut. I’m going to be in so much trouble.

Mamoru watched him disappear, setting the food down on the table. “I don’t understand what’s wrong….”
Kohaku wandered over to the steel disk and picked it up. “He forgot his…. thing….” She dried it off with her robe sleeve hem. “I don’t even know what this is…” She ran her hand over it, turning it bright yellow with a red glow. She molded it back into a knife, yet it had an extremely dull edge. “Do you want me to return it??”
“Go ahead— I’m not stopping you,” Mamoru sighed. I don’t understand why he’s so skittish…. I told him we weren’t going to harm him…. maybe it was Junichi…

Rigel leaned against the wall trying to control his breathing before he found a way out of this place. What can I do, they saw me use my powers, gosh, I might end up in a experiment room. Rigel hand rapidly searched through his pocket, finally finding a cigarette that he put in his mouth. Even though it was unlit, the simple motion helped to start calm him down.

Kohaku wandered around, holding the knife delecately in her hand. With the help of the cool, crisp air, the hotness left the metal and was cold once again. She thought she saw him and called out to him, “Hey, you forgot your knife!!”

Rigel tensed up and jumped like a deer in headlights, frozen in place when his eyes met hers. Gosh gosh gosh gosh, she’s coming for me, she’s going to expose me, I’m going to get caught and die- He wanted to run, the just sprint out of there and run, but he couldn’t.

She held out the knife to him nonthreateningly. “You left your knive in there, and I figured you wanted it back.” Why is he so jittery….? Is it something that we said or did….? Maybe we’ll never get to understand.

“But- But- But you saw.” Rigel said shakily, glancing at the knife nervously. I’m going to be locked up. I made such a mess… “You saw my powers.” Rigel sucked on his cigarette in desperation, feeling the need to light it. I need to calm down…

“So? We showed you ours, why are you so frightened to even mention yours?” She lifted the knife up. “Here. It’s yours.”
He’s still being a bit stubborn…. “If it’ll make you feel better, I can light that cigarette for you….”

“But- I’m not- I’m a- I’m a freak,” Rigel said with wide eyes. “I- I’m not like you. I’m not suppose to be this way. Aren’t you- Aren’t you going to turn me in?” His voice was barely more than a whisper. He hesitantly took the knife from her, running his finger down the dull blade.

Her ears folded back. “Why would we turn you in? You never broke the law or anything…. I mean… You didn’t do anything wrong…..” A sizzling tear nearly broke out but she wiped it away, having it evaporate off her fur. “And truthfully… You’re not a freak….” Maybe he hasn’t found his place yet….