A Zoo in the Fog (PersonaxZoophobia)

I Want to be Alone

Rusty growls as he left the apartment, his things in tow as he began walking home. Everything that just happened was a blur to him. All at the center of it was this rage that he couldn't shake. He just wanted to forget all of this, forget his father. But then he wouldn't have many places to turn to. He just grumbles under his breath. "Dumb fucking bastard... He doesn't know a single thing about me" Rusty kept grumbling under his breath, not realizing he bumped past someone until it was too late. "Hey, watch where you're going, prick." He also didn't notice that he bumped into Autumn until it was too late. "Autumn..? The hell you doing here?"

"You didn't answer your phone and I left one of my things at your apartment" Autumn tilts his head, looking over him. "This was the last place I thought you'd be but... you're here"

"Yeah well, I ain't happy here." Rusty grumbles as he kept walking. Autumn slowly began following.

"Do you... Need any help with the box?" Autumn asks politely.

"Please. With your stick arms? You'll break em before we even get home" Rusty chuckles a bit, but slowly looks away.

"Did you... Run into your dad?" Autumn asks, placing his hand on Rusty's shoulder. Though Rusty shrugged him away.

"You don't need to be getting involved with that... That's between me and him" Rusty sighs as he kept walking away. Autumn did his best to keep up.

"Ruben, please don't ignore me..." Rusty sets his things down and looks over to Autumn. He looked so angry. His eyes boiled with rage though Autumn saw something else. Sadness. Rusty looked like he was about to burst into tears.

"I can't get rid of him like any other problem Autumn! He's my fucking dad, whether I like it or not, and I WANT to hate him!" Rusty spoke through his teeth, his fists clenched. "But I can't... I keep trying but I can't!" Autumn stood there, unsure of what to do. Rusty looked like he was ready to punch anyone who touched him, but Autumn has never seen someone so in need of a hug. Someone to help him and stand beside him. So Autumn took the risk. He hugged Rusty tightly, who didn't punch. He just stood there, silent. It took a while for him to even say anything. "... Idiot" Rusty mutters under his breath. "I'm the one who should be hugging you... You're grieving"

"I know... And I miss her everyday..." Autumn looks down. "But I can't go leaving people behind. She wouldn't want that."

Rusty sighs a bit, lightly patting Autumn's back. "Look you... Don't need to get yourself involved in all this. I can take care of it"

"Ruben, you're not alone" Autumn says, trying to stay close to Rusty as he began walking away once again with his things.

"Yeah well... I kinda want to be alone. Family is my issue. Not yours. You have your own problems right now... What with what's happened and what you're doing with Jackson." Rusty shrugs a bit. Autumn nods solemnly and pats Rusty's back. Rusty looked to him, forcing a grin "Hey, we can get your stuff at my place. I'll have to unload this anyway." Rusty says, trying to seem somewhat better. Autumn felt this odd curiosity that bubbled in him. What did Rusty's dad do? Why are him and Rusty so hostile with each other? It seems he was thinking aloud and Rusty reluctantly responds. "He... Runs in some fucking gang. Something about a guy from childhood or something bringing him in. He just... He runs these drugs in the lower sections of the city. And when he's not doing that, he drinks or gets himself in fights." Rusty then shudders a bit. "One day he came home... And his eye was completely fucked. It was scratched by a shard of glass in a fight or some shit, among other... Bloodied scratches and other fucking horrible things. My mom... Couldn't take it and left." Rusty tried to keep a composure. Usually he didn't bother trying. "Heh, I don't usually talk like this. Better be grateful Doe Boy"

Autumn sighs. "We were having a moment. The moment was just ruined."

Rusty began cheering up a bit more, laughing a bit. "Hey, don't worry Bambi, you'll get your horns. Until then, you'll be a cute little doe~" He teased.

Autumn lightly hit his arm. "Shut up!" Rusty laughs a bit more, beginning to forget the pain from before, or at least dull it. Autumn realizes this, and he knew it couldn't be healthy, but he didn't see a way he could really help Rusty. As he said, it was a family thing. And Rusty was the only one who can really resolve it in the end.