Heart within the beast

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan let out a sigh and sat down, looking at Sage directly in her eyes.


"The short version? I had to leave the forest where I was born, and returning is an impossibility. The old man from the pet store found me several months ago injured and nursed me back to health. Over a month ago Rhea found me there and took me in. It's been easier to remain in my wolf form and hide in that manner than go around explaining everything."

 

[Ricia]

Sage seem to turn this over in her head before she smirked, "So, you've been creeping in a young girls house? Personally I would love to be a dog I could--" Sage had invertedly dodged a fork. She was laughing though, "I am kidding Rhea! Kind of."


Rhea was blushing because she knew what Sage was going to say, this girl! She was only saying things to see if she could get a rise out of Kurogan.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan snorted a little at her comment


"I have not been creeping in Rhea's home. She was kind enough to open up her home when she barely had enough room for herself. I wouldn't even dream of it."

 

[Ricia]

"Oh but you should dog man. You don't know what are are missing out on~" Sage said happily with a rather crude smirk on her face.


"S-Sage!" Rhea said, he face turning even more red.


"Ok ok! Your turn to explain to me... what happened that night? And why did you not tell me?" Sage said, putting her hands on her hips.


Rhea shuffled her feet and looked at the ground, "Well Kurogan saved me from the guy... he was that creepy guy I was telling you about... and he just broke into the house and locked himself in the room with me... I didn't call because it was late and I was kind of in shock at finding out Kurogan was not... a dog I guess." She said.


"Oh Dog man has a name." Sage said shrugging.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan actually turned a few shades redder at Sage's comment quickly shaking his head as if he could throw it off. More accurately, he was trying to shake away the mental image from his head that had just been produced.


He managed to pull himself out of his embarrassment when Sage mentioned his name.


"Yes, I have a name. Would that be so odd?"

 

[Ricia]

"Oh no, you having a name is the least of the oddity happening here.... Rhea, you do realize the lawyers are going to be back..." Sage said suddenly, a serious expression crossed her face.


Rhea shook her head, "I don't care... I am going to drop out of school and move... they won't be able to find me."


"Thats dumb and you know it. They'll find you." Sage said crossing her arms and leaning on the counter.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan rested his chin on his hands as he leaned forward.


"You say they're lawyers . . . but who exactly are those people? They seemed to know Rhea . . ."

 

[Ricia]

"Of course they know her, they work for her family." Sage said seriously.


Rhea let out a long sigh and pulled her hair to the side and started to braid it.

 

[Ixidor92]

"Her family . . ."


Kurogan turned to look at Rhea


"The same family that disowned you?"

 

[Ricia]

Rhea nodded, though she sat down on the couch and looked at her feet, "They probably saw on the news just as Sage did... about the guy who broke in."


Sage sat down on the floor and gently scratched her hair, "They want you back. Roen's death probably reached them already too. You'll surely be taken back into the family again, mostly because you have nowhere else to go. This probably would have happened sooner if they were keeping a closer eye on you."

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan remained quiet for a minute or so.


"What exactly happened with them? . . . Rhea, all you've told me is that your brother took custody of you after your parents disowned you. What in the name of Gaia is going on?"

 

[Ricia]

Sage raised an eyebrow, but then laughed, "There is not much to besides that." She said shrugging.


Rhea shook her head, there was a bit more to it than that, and Sage knew it, but she was lying for Rhea's sake. "Well My brother ran away from home some years ago, while I was young... when he came back he had a feud with my parents about how he wanted to live his life and that he did not want to take over the company.... My parents are... very... traditional... so my brother fought with them for a few years to removed me from the custody of my parents and take me in so that I can live my life how I want." Rhea said with a sigh, though she pulled her knees up to her chest, "After that in response we were both disowned so we could not get inheritance and so on and so forth. My family is actually very wealthy."

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan's fist clenched as Rhea spoke. By the time she was done, there was actually blood dripping down from his fingers. He had pierced his own skin from the force.


"They completely remove themselves from your life because your brother wished you to follow your own path . . . and now they are going to bring you back against your will?"


He was speaking through clenched teeth, his fury was evident.


"If someone the tribe had even DARED to try that they would have been--"


Kurogan took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He did not need to get this agitated . . .

 

[Ricia]

Rhea feared telling him the worse part... Which probably won't happen, until it actually happens.


"Look... Kurogan. You can't stop it.. not even I can. If I could, I would, but I can't. It makes me mad too. On top of that, welcome to the human world. Where nothing goes the way of the weak and poor without violence." Sage said bluntly giving him a narrow look, only to look away and watch Rhea go and retrieve the first aid kit.


Rhea sat down close to Kurogan and gently took his hand to wrap it, "Its ok... its not that my parents are bad people. I think they want me back because they are worried... they do worry about me, and I know they do love me... They want to give me the best they could possibly give, it was just not always what my brother wanted, and sometimes myself."

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan let--or rather forced, his clenched fist open. There were four clear cuts where he had cut into his own flesh. He let his hand stay still as Rhea wrapped it.


"That doesn't make it right."


Then again . . . wasn't he in something of a similar position? He hadn't told either of them why he couldn't return to the forest, he hadn't even extrapolated on when Faora attacked

 

[Ricia]

"Like I said Kurogan, welcome to the human world where the weak Have Nothing." Sage said darkly, standing up and walking to the kitchen.


Rhea let out a thoughtful sigh as she finished wrapping Kurogan's hand. "Its Ok... just give me a bit to accept it.. I'll make sure you come too Kurogan... I won't let you be alone again. I... might need to hide you from my parents... but, I can make sure you're safe and still have a home." Rhea said, softly reassuring Kurogan keeping her hand on his wrapped on.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan put her other hand on top of his hand


"Thanks Rhea. But I'm more worried about you right now."


He could spend longer periods of time in his wolf form if need be, as he had seen before it wasn't impossible to pass off as a dog. He could also hunt for and defend himself. But the girl in front of him had no defense against three people armed with paper.

 

[Ricia]

Rhea gave him a small smile, "I am fine... Sage is right this was going to come eventually. Your... the only one here not really taking it too well." She said, "Does it hurt? You really shouldn't hurt yourself like this..." She told him.


"I am sure he is fine... Look Rhea you could hid out in my house for a while.." Sage said coming back into the living room.


Rhea shook her head, "No... I know what I have to do... fighting it will only prove futile... I just put in my notice to work and I will more or likely be withdrawn from school and put into an accelerated program."


Sage shook her head, "You're going to be graduated before me, I bet you'll have your degree in no time too."


Rhea nodded and smiled, "You won't have to worry about feeding me anymore either."

 

[Ixidor92]

"I'll be fine. I've hurt myself a lot worse than this."


Kurogan let his hand fall from her head as she turned and spoke to Sage. Was this . . . really going to be fine? Having her future decided for her? He couldn't think of anything to say as the conversation continued

 

[Ricia]

Sage stayed the next few hours just visiting with Rhea, though it was mostly because she was worried. Though she was with Rhea before Roen has won her over in the battle for her dependent. everything will be fine, for now but the future is only going to bring problems, the problems Roen fought against his parents so hard for in the first place.


Rhea seemed happy enough with Kurogan and Sage had determined that he was not a bad guy, and Sage... being a naturally bad person, can tell when someone is trouble. So far Kurogan had just made Sage worry less for Rhea's sake. Though she did find out about her burning the pan, "Just... Don't ever let her in the kitchen... the only thing she can touch is the microwave..." Sage warned.


Rhea flushed a bit embarrassed.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan talked where he could over the next few hours, though he mostly let Rhea and Sage, mostly Sage, talk. He was spreading out a sheet of paper as Sage mentioned the pan


"I'll . . . keep that in mind. It was a rather interesting happenstance."

 

[Ricia]

"Yeah its interesting the first time, and the the second time it is just flat out freaky." Sage commented. "She set a kettle on fire once!" Sage said throwing her hands up in the air.

 

[Ixidor92]

"That was mentioned . . . though I do wonder how such a happening is even possible."


Kurogan pulled out a piece of charcoal, starting to make a few lines on the page


"It's not something that happens on a regular basis."

 

[Ricia]

Sage just shook her head and stood up, "Ok... I am going to go home now. Need to before the buses stop running. Call me if ANYTHING happens... ok? That goes to you too dogman " Sage said.


Rhea nodded and waved to her good bye, locking the door behind her.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan watched her leave and let out a bit of a sigh. That girl was certainly talkative, though it was a good thing she had arrived when she did. He looked over at Rhea, walking over to her having finished what he was working on


"What now? Are you certain about this?"