Beauty and the Beast (DRAMAtical Murder fanfic) (Boyxboy)

Chapter 4

Two.

I once had two sons. Only those two, in my entire lifetime. Perhaps that may seem insignificant, but the fact that I even laid down with a female kitsune enough times to produce two is irritating in itself.

They had the same mother. One was born a good 600 years before the other. I still remember his laughter, the very way his hands fiddled, his tail twitch, his eyes shone. Everything.

I find it hard to believe you yokai could even begin to understand.

Those words... I'd had to remove him from me immediately, regardless of how he thought of it later. My anger was not easy to hide, and it wasn't long before other kitsune on the ship began to appear in the shadows, curious to know what could upset my unchanging calmness. The rage simply boiled, to the point I found myself walking stiffly through the halls on my way to the roof. Slaves and warriors alike scrambled to get out of the way, and I paid them no heed. After flinging the door to the rooftop open, I let my anger take over.

My ears and tail appeared, and I quickly gained a more and more feral appearance. My foxfire swirled around me in tangence with my rage, and I nearly surrendered myself to it then and there. My human form was consumed by the fire, which rose higher before forming my true body. The giant multi-tailed beast that was typically associated with my kind. It is not something to be taken lightly, the push into such a thing.

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Raien paused, the shogi piece still in his hand as his head tilted. Ren looked up from the board nervously, Aoba watching carefully as the yokai lord slowly placed the piece down.

"Unusual for Kyoren to be so upset... Your human friend must have really wounded a tender spot in that one..."

"Koujaku...?"

"Was that his name...? Hmm... I can't remember... Kyoren is not so easily disturbed, unless.. Ah. I see now. What an insensitive friend you two have."

"What happened?"

"I can only assume that your friend make a remark relating to yokai not feeling grief or despair. Such a horribly wrong mistake, especially in Kyoren's presence. I myself have firsthand experienced his loss. That one was precious to us all."

Seeing his sons' confusion, Raien sighed, leaning back from the shogi game.

"Kyoren's eldest son was killed by humans while he was battling an enemy yokai. He'd hid his two in separate locations in hopes they wouldn't be found by the scum, however... The humans got there before he returned. It is a woeful tale, and the single reason he agreed to be my commander. The less humans, the less danger for his younger son. Mm... I don't feel like playing anymore..."

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It took me a good few hours to calm down again. Those hours were spent simply standing in the wind, letting my muscles and mind slowly relax back into their calmness. My body returned to a human form, my tail disappearing by my will. Male kitsune do not show their tails to anyone but their loved ones.

A difficult topic in itself.

"Master Kyoren, forgive me for intruding..."

"Haki.... Let Koujaku out of his room. It's nearly lunchtime."

"As you wish. Shall I.... explain?"

I glance at him over my shoulder, sighing before pulling my pipe out from my kimono. Yokai pipes always refill themselves, so I use them only when I wish to be alone. I take a long breath, then slowly breath out the smoke. I can hear Haki fidgeting behind me as he waits for an answer.

"I leave that up to you. Go."

He scampers away quickly at my tone. For the time being, I'll allow myself to be irritated. No sense in hanging on to it later, but for now, it's kind of nice to feel something at all. I jump to a higher part of the railed roof, the part that has no rails and isn't really intended to be used. I keep my back to the door, letting my thoughts wander. As always, thoughts lead to memories, lulling me into a languid state.

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I clicked my tongue in annoyance as I moved to stand. The pain from my injury seemed ever-present, something I can only assume is from that bastard's sword and power. Why is that yokai must be so.... irritating? Why do they have power when we don't? It makes no sense.

The cat boy has been watching me very carefully from the corner. It's friend with the crooked tail left a while ago, after they'd seemed visibly disturbed. Now it's gaze flickered briefly to the door as it's friend returns, both of them sharing a glance before he relaxes. The one with the crooked tail turns to me, bowing slightly.

"May I escort you to lunch, or would you like to eat here?"

He's asking me? Odd. I'd been under the impression that I was beneath them, judging by the way they watched me like a prisoner. Although, I don't really feel like going anywhere like this...

"I'll eat here."

"Understood."

The other one leaves this time, leaving me with Crooked-tail. He sits across from me, rather than where he was before. He seems to have something to say, so I wait patiently for him to speak.

"I believe it was uncalled for, saying such a thing like that."

He must be talking about the last thing I said before I was thrown back in here.

"It's true. I find it hard to believe your kind feel anything at all."

"I suppose, in a way, I am glad. You made Master very angry, something we rarely get to see. However... I think you deserve some explanation for his reaction."

"Explanation...?"

"Master Kyoren has only ever had two children. His older one was killed behind his back my humans while he was preoccupied with something a fair distance away. Kitsune may feel nothing towards their kind which they breed with, but one's own children is extremely different. Master grieved for an entire century before agreeing to join Lord Raien as his commander. Even if only to protect his younger son. Even now, the simple mention of his older son causes him to withdraw from everyone to be alone. As such, I believe you were out of place with such a statement, considering you know very little of our kind and our experiences."

He... Had a son... I see now. I was really out of place, as much as I hate to admit it. My kind killed his child, and then I said to his face that he couldn't understand my grief. How wrong I was...

"Where is he?"

"Pardon?"

"Kyoren or whatever. Where is he?"