Hedgesville, West Virginia
Caspian Residence
Saturday, August 17, 1996
7:25 PM

"I didn't know you were there," Reiyl said as he sat Jennie down on the toilet in the downstairs' bathroom. He rummaged through the medicine cabinet and pulled out the first aid kit. He then began to go look inside the box, finding the supplies he needed.
"You're suppose to be an animal demon…and you didn‘t hear me?" she questioned as she chuckle lightly with a small smile. He glanced over at her and shook his head.
"Hai," he mumbled as he took a seat on the floor in front of her. "I was so focused on training Kasei. Being that I‘m his older brother, I need to be able to teach him to be a good fighter. To be a good Scion. My older brother taught me after all…"
"Older brother," Jennie whispered. She remember back to the day of the uniform fitting when she ran across the fox demon. He had mentioned that Reiyl and Kasei had an elder brother who had killed their parents. But I don’t remember if that guy said what happened to him.
"Nakatsu was a great teacher," Reiyl said casually.
"Naka…" She tried to repeat his name. “Na…ka…naka…”
Reiyl glanced up at her. Jennie stared back.
“Nakatsu,” he said again.
“Naka…” A look of frustration befell her as Jennie grumbled. “Nakaaa..gonna say his name.”
“You have a real problem with our names,” Reiyl mumbled, shaking his head. “They’re not that hard, you know.”
“But with your accent,” Jennie announced, “and the way I say it, I don’t want to screw it up. It’s just better for me not to say it.”
“That’s why you don’t want to say my name?” Reiyl questioned as she nodded. A small chuckle escaped him. “I don’t care if you mispronounce my name.”
“I still rather say Reiyl,” she whispered.
“Okay, that’s fine,” he remarked.
“About your brother though,” Jennie said, watching as Reiyl finally found what he was looking for. “What happened to him?”
"He left our village years ago," he said. "There‘s really no need to worry about him."
Her eyes followed his movements as Reiyl fumbled with the small tube of ointment. He smeared some of the cream onto a piece of gauze. A chill ran down her spine as she reached out her hand, touching his arm lightly.
“Reiyl?”
“Hm?” He glanced up at her as his orange eyes met with hers.
“Did your brother kill your parents?” she questioned.
All the supplies that sat in his lap fell to the floor as he eyes widened. “Where did you hear that? Kasei?” he asked.
“No,” she said, biting her bottom lip, “from this guy the other day. At the fitting. He’s a Scion, too. A fox demon.”
“Oh, an Akisu,” Reiyl muttered as he started to pick up the fallen objects. “Nakatsu did murdered my parents. It was an order from Yaozu.”
"Yaozu?" she asked.
"The king of Mid Caven. Nakatsu left the village to join Sanction," Reiyl whispered. "and to prove his loyalty, he was ordered to murder his family. At least his parents."
"Why would he... How could…" She was at a loss for words. A vision of her own parents flashed in the back of her mind as she felt a lump form in her throat. Even the idea of killing her parents made her choke up.
"Nakatsu had always been a little different from the rest of the villagers," Reiyl said quietly. "He never wanted to follow the rules. He was hard to control. When he left the first time, no one really cared. My mother didn‘t even shed a tear. My father acted like it didn‘t happen. And my grandmother disowned him. I became the heir to the family name.
“I was only eight at the time,” he continued, “and Kasei was four. A couple of months later, Nakatsu returned. And he slaughtered half the village. My parents protected Kasei and I. And ended up dead.”
"I'm sorry," Jennie whispered.
Reiyl just sat on the floor with his eyes on the ground. Silence filled the room.
Reaching out her right hand, Jennie lightly touched his dark hair while brushing her fingertips against the furry base of his cat ears. When they twitched at her contact, she opened her mouth in awe while drawing back her hand.
“Is there something I can do to make you feel better?”
"Don't ask me that," Reiyl said, looking up at her.
Not even a full week had passed yet, but she felt a very close feeling to the boy in front of her. She pressed her hands into her lap and looked to the ground. "I just want..."
"The law of the village forbids relationships with women outside our village,“ he said abruptly. A look of anguish was in his eyes. "Kasei and I were both lectured before we were even allowed to set foot outside the gates. Plus I have a fiancée to return home to."
"What?" Jennie asked as her face showed signs of bewilderment.
"Men in our village," Reiyl stated, “on their sixteenth birthday are placed into an arranged meeting with their future bride. Then on their eighteenth birthday, they marry the girl.”
Jennie could only stare at Reiyl in disbelief. She blinked a few times.
"I wasn‘t asking to marry you," she abruptly exploded as Reiyl's eyes widened at her outburst. "I wanted to try to make you smile. Quit jumping to conclusions.”
"Sorry," he whispered. "I only assumed..."
"Never assume," she muttered. "It makes you look like an ass."
"Yeah," he whispered. He looked up at her and forced smiled. "Rem likes you."
"What?" she snapped, peering at Reiyl with a disgruntled look. "Don’t say that. Where‘d that come from anyway?"
"You want me happy," Reiyl said quietly. "I want you happy. Rem can be an idiot and I don‘t agree with him most the time, but he does like you. Despite what he says."
"I rather date Mirage," Jennie cursed as she drew back when she saw Reiyl reach out for her face.
"Hold still," he whispered, cleaning her cut with a piece of gauze that had been soaked in alcohol. "Rem isn't that bad."
"He saw me naked!" she shouted as her cut burned from the alcohol.
"So did I," Reiyl stated, reaching for the ointment. "You don't seem to have a problem with me."
Her face abruptly went red as she pressed her eyes shut. She had forgotten about that. Fingers touched her cheek as she felt a small bandage being placed over her cut. "We're finished," he whispered.
"Thanks," she mumbled, standing up. Her body bumped up against Reiyl's as he rose from his sitting position. The two stared at each other as he leaned down slightly with his mouth only inches from hers.
"If I didn‘t have these obligations," he whispered quietly, “I’d have you.”
"What the fuck are you two doing?"
The door to the bathroom swung open as Rem stood with a piercing glare. He looked back and forth between Reiyl and Jennie. His eyes narrowed while his brow furled.
"Don't touch her,” Rem growled in a low voice.
"I wouldn't think of it," Reiyl stated matter-of-factly, straightening his body.
"Then get out," Rem said as Reiyl sighed.
Walking past the esper demon, Reiyl paused beside Rem for a moment. The two stared each other in the eyes. “If you want that girl,” Reiyl said under his breath, “you better put claim to her soon. Or you’re going to lose her to some other demon.”
“What the fuck is your problem?” Rem snapped.
“Just saying,” Reiyl replied, “I can’t touch her even though I want to. But others are willing. And some are forceful. You want her, you better take her.”
Rem’s face went red as he backed away from Reiyl. Jennie blinked from where she stood in the bathroom, not able to hear what the two were saying.
“Fuck you!” Rem shouted loudly as Reiyl walked away. His attention swiftly turned to Jennie who stepped back out of shock. “You…we have to talk.”
“What?” she questioned doubtfully.
“About that dream.”
Jennie's gaze fell to the floor as a cold sensation rushed through her body. The hairs on her arms stood up while a queasy feeling twisted about in her stomach. She took a step forward and glanced up at him.
"It‘s pretty easy to figure out," she said, “Put two-and-two together and you killed me.”
"Let's talk," he growled.