FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The morning alarm went off and a hand lethargically stretched from a pile of blankets. After a few violent, failed attempts, the hand finally hit the correct button.

"Ungff..."

Retsuko immerged from her fort of slumber, eyes half closed. A yawn exited her mouth and with it her jaw cracked. She looked around her bedroom. A complete mess. Clothes on the floor. Ramen cups on her night stand. A few beer cans laying around.

"I should clean up."

She sat in her bed a few more seconds. And after another yawn, she smacked her cheeks.

"Right!"

Filled with new found vigor, she got up and started her morning routine.

After a quick stretch, to loosen up her stiff joints, she went to her living room and turned on the TV to the morning news. She didn't really watch the news that often, but she couldn't really stand the silence in the morning. The news babbled about the traffic and the weather, as Retsuko loaded up her toaster and took off her pajamas. Quick shower. Quick toothbrushing. Quick makeup routine. Quick fur drying. Standard morning procedure.

She grabbed her toast, butter it up and started munching on it, as she took out her work clothes.

"Need to remember to put them through the wash tonight."

As she got dressed, something on the TV caught her attention.

"In other news, last night there was another violent murder. A young woman in her early twenties was found dead in the park. The police state that the murder must have taken place between ten PM and two AM. The murder itself is believed to have been done by the serial killer, dubbed by the media, the Heartbreaker, named so because he leaves a jar with the victim's heart and a bansai tree next to the body. This has been the third murder so far. The police urge people to stay vigilant and to always walk in pairs during the night and say that they are doing everything in their power to catch the criminal and make the city a better place. In further news..."

"A serial killer, huh..."

The thought of a serial killer running around town made Retsuko feel uneasy. She normally didn't pay attention to any mass scares. But this was somehow different. For a moment she stood still, trying to process the information. Finally she went to her kitchen drawer and pulled out a utility knife and stashed it in her purse.

"I guess, it always pays to be prepared..."

She took a deep breath, put on her shoes and went out.

#

The morning commute was the usual bouquet of events - pushed up against hordes of morning workers on the train, struggling to breathe and paying close attention to the stops. Amongst the heads, shoulders and elbows, something caught her eye. Another red panda, gazing through the window, as if not affected by the circumstances of his travel.

"I swear I've seen him before somewhere."

There was an air of mysticism to him. Like he was not exactly part of this world. Standing there, pushed up against a hippo and a lion, ogling the empty space.

"...he seems kind of cute though."

The train stopped. Retsuko managed to push her way through the masses and enter the torrent of commuters who shared her stop.

"Today is gonna be a good day."

With a confident walk, she stepped forward ready to accept whatever the work life had to offer.

#

-CALENDER! TEA! - the yell echoed through the busy office for the seventh time in the first half hour of the work day.

Retsuko ran across the floor to director Ton's desk with a hot mug of tea.

-Hear you are, Mr. Ton! - Retsuko blubbered out as she clumsily placed the mug on his desk.

The pig eyed her under a furrow brow.

"What does he want with me now?"

He slowly took a sip from the mug and let out a content grunt. Retsuko stood silently waiting for further commands or to be dismissed. Ton placed the mug back on his desk and pulled out a folder.

-You see this, Calender? - he slammed the folder in front of her. - I need you to check these numbers by the end of the day. Understand?

-But I-I...-Retsuko stuttered in an attempt to communicate

-But what? - Ton interrupted her, his gaze more piercing than before

-Alright, Mr. Ton...

-At a girl.

Retsuko took the folder and walked off

-And next time...-Ton spoke after taking another sip from his tea - ...add less honey.

She didn't answer. Retsuko sat back in her chair and smashed her face into the desk.

"Why does he keep doing this to me?"

The first half of the day went by like any other - number crunching, calculation checking, tea bringing, lots of yelling and running around. Retsuko didn't really imagine her life turning out this way. She had greater aspirations when she stepped into the working world, imaging herself climbing up the corporate ladder fairly quickly, her higher-ups always being kind and gracious people, a bit like father figures, and at some point being at the top, doing minimal work and receiving huge payments. Granted, this was still possible, but the way things were it was going to take too much time and effort to reach the highest echelons.

"Why do I work like I do? I really just want the money. Can't I just find some way of taking the work out of the equation? Maybe...I should think about changing jobs..."

#

-So guys, did you hear the news about the killer? - Haida asked, trying to break up the silence during lunch break

-Oh, yeah. - Fenneko responded, not taking her eyes off the phone. - All the social medias are exploding - fears, theories, questions. The works. We are basically witnessing history in the making here.

-I actually heard of it this morning. - Retsuko chimed in on the conversation - It got me a bit spooked.

-Just a bit? - Fenneko asked, still scrolling through logs and posts - According to the forensics, the victims died from blood loss during intercourse. This guy's a real freak show.

-You know, Retsuko... - Haida put on a sly smile and scratched his nose - I'd be more than happy to walk you home tonight if you don't feel safe on the streets.

-You? - Fenneko looked up from her phone

-S-sure! I've taken some self-defense classes. I'm sure I can handle one creep. Even if he's armed.

-What if there are more than one? - Fenneko teased

-Well...I...you see...

-It's okay, Haida - Retsuko unpacked her lunch. – I haven't taken classes before, but I have armed myself, just in case.

Haida took a defeated sigh

-Seems like you've thought of everything, haven't you? - he gently smiled.

-I wouldn't worry so much. - Fenneko turned back to her phone - What are the chances of you being the exact victim?

-Fifty/fifty, right? You either are or you aren't - Haida laughed.

-How are you in an accountant firm again? - Fenneko's voice cut Haida's laughter

-It was a joke! - Haida yelled out

-Oh, I know it was a joke. Doesn't make it any less stupid. - Fenneko answered, still screengazing

-It has some wit to it. It plays on the idea...

As the two discussed the merits of humor, Retsuko stared blankly through the window.

"Fifty/fifty chance..."

All of a sudden, she felt less hungry.

#

Calendar!; Tea!; Papers!; Tea!; Numbers!; Tea!; Tea!; Tea!; Calendar!;

The rest of the day was as hectic and tiresome as ever. Spread across numerous spreadsheets, Retsuko found glimpses of her future - overworked, overexhausted and underpayed. What was there to do really? She didn't have many marketable skills. She could always do manual labor. But she knew that would be even worse. Maybe she could work in a museum. There was some merit to that, but yet...she felt like she couldn't actually do what was required of her.

"What am I missing in my life?"

She stared blankly at her computer screen. There was an itch inside her. It was at the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't really spit it out. A shade in the corner of her eye. It was simple. It was effective.

"What am I looking for?"

She looked at her hands. The more she stared at them the less "real" they felt. A sense of detachment overtook her. This was her body. But at that exact moment she felt more like she was inhabiting it, rather than being part of it.

"Why do I work?"

The clacking on keyboards seemed to fade away in the distance. People were talking, but she couldn't hear them. Monitors buzzing, but she couldn't see them.

“Is there really something to all this?"

Retsuko snapped back into reality. A bit disorientated, she focused and continued on with her job. Just typing away. Names, numbers, formulas, links. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing special. Nothing worth it.

#

-Here is the report you wanted, Mr. Ton.

Ton huffed and took the papers, quickly scanning through them.

-Pff…you can leave.

-Yes, sir.

#

The changing room was no different than what was expected. Change of clothes. Gossip. Farewells.

Her ride home wasn't any different. People pushing. People shoving. People leaving. She took off on her stop and went straight home.

Dinner. Beer. Crappy TV shows. Bedtime.

She lied awake a bit more than usual. Just stared at the ceiling, wondering what was the matter. The days seemed to melt together. Liquefying and swirling. Just sounds and colors, with barely any distinction. The only reason she even knew what day it was is so she wouldn't go to work on Saturday. And she would spend her Saturday just cleaning and drinking. Was there any point to any of this? What was missing? What was the one thing that would make it all worth it?

“I should be going to sleep soon."

She turned around, facing the wall and curled up into a ball. The night was a tad colder than usual. If only there was something to keep her warm. Or someone.

“Am I just lonely?"

She thought about it for a moment. There really wasn't anybody in her life. Nothing to look forward to at the end of the day. Nobody to share any new experiences. No one to hold her tight. No one to make her laugh or cheer her up. No one to just spend time with.

“It's been so long since I had a boyfriend…"

She wrapped her arms around herself, clenching her shoulders.

“Would that truly make me happy? It won't hurt to find out…"

She closed her eyes and drifted into a dreamless slumber.

#

Retsuko violently slapped her alarm numerous times, each one missing the button. Finally the clock fell on the ground and continued buzzing.

“Uggh…"

Her mind barely able to form thoughts and driven by pure instinct, she fell from her bed trying to reach her alarm. Retsuko hit the button and laid on the ground for a few moments, admiring the ceiling once more. She stood up on the ground, her back aching and her nose stuffed. She got up and stumbled through her room, the world spinning around her and her body moving faster than her mind can properly comprehend.

Retsuko took a quick hot shower and dried off. With her breakfast this morning, she took some cold pills and vitamins to get her a bit more stabilized.

“I could call in sick…"

She perished the thought, knowing full well that Mr. Ton won't accept it, especially during the busy months. She took a few bites from her toast, chugged her vitamins and headed out.

#

The ride to work was even worse than usual. Now being hypersensitive, every stranger's touch carried twice the impact. She looked around through squinted eyes, trying to find the screen for the next stop. And she saw him again.

The same red panda as the previous day, eyes void of worry or concern, once again staring off into the distance. He had such delicate features – his chin was gentle, his nose elegant and his fur the color of autumn leaves. The morning was surprisingly sunny and staying by the window, he was bathed in the sunlight, giving him almost angelic qualities.

The train stopped. Retsuko snapped out of her deification and with an uneven step got out of the train. Again, the red panda went on to the next stop. Retsuko watched the train go as the people stepped around her.

“…I should probably try to talk to him next time"

A light smile formed on her face, thinking about the possibility. She lingered a bit more on that thought, not stepping away from her spot, her head drifting in the clouds. And then her head was struck with a sudden headache. Retsuko checked her phone to see the time. She was going to be late. With a quick step, she headed forward to her job, grabbing a box with pills from her purse and downing two, her headache immediately subsiding.

“This should get me through the day. And by lunch I should be fine."

#

-You alright, Retsuko? – Haida asked, concern on his face.

Retsuko was lying on the table, through muddied vision watching her cup of coffee.

-…yeah…why?- she answered with low and rough voice.

-You seem kinda…unwell…

Retsuko cocked her head up.

-I'm just…mmm…

-You're sick. – Fenneko declared, coming to the table with a mug of hot tea.

-Mm…just a little bit…I couldn't really get much sleep last night…

-Having boy troubles? – Fenneko asked, a mischievous grin spreading across her face to the sound of Haida choking on his lunch.

-I wish…-Retsuko sighed in defeat.

-Oh, a-are you looking? – Haida asked as casually as he could.

-I don't really know, to tell you the truth. To be frank, I wouldn't mind finding someone, but it has to be special.

-Special?

-Yeah. Someone that you just sort of…you know, click with. Someone who comes out of the blue and it's the one you've been waiting for all this time.

-Well…seems like you are looking for the one true prince Charming – Haida scratched the back of his head – Comes in and swoops you on a white horse to carry you off into the sunset. I actually used to do a bit of horse…

-Here. – Fenneko handed Retsuko a flier without missing a beat.

-Singles mixer?

-Mhm. Just might be the place for prince Charming, don't you think?

-I don't really want to go alone…

-I'll co…-Haida began and was interrupted by Fenneko

-I'll come with you. For moral support.

-That would be nice.

-It's going to be tomorrow, so get better by then.

-Oh, yeah. I have some medicine at home that I can…

-Here. – Fenneko slammed a bag on the table, while still looking at her phone. –Anything you might ever need. From a minor cold, to hyperthermia.

-Wow, Fenneko, you regularly bring this to work? – Haida examined the bag.

-Yup. You never know what might happen.

-I'm glad you do. You're a lifesaver. – Retsuko opened one of the many boxes and took a pill. – Oh, Haida, will you be coming to the mixer?

-I…umm…well…

-Yeah, Haida. – Fenneko looked up from her phone, a villainous tone to her voice –Won't you come with us? I'm sure you might find the love of your life there.

-I'm actually a bit busy tomorrow…-Haida said in defeat.

-Hm. That's a shame. – Fenneko returned to her phone.

-Yeah, whatever…- Haida took a bite from his meal.

-Who's gonna protect us from the Heartbreaker, hehe?

-Fenneko! You shouldn't joke about something like that! – Retsuko jumped. –It's…it's not right…

Fenneko twirled her phone between her fingers.

-I thought you were armed.

-I am. But still. I don't want to get in a knife fight with a serial killer.

-Pff… - Fenneko turned - Haida. What do you think?

-Better to get into a knife fight with a serial killer than be serially killed with fight in a knife. – He took a sip from his coffee.

Fenneko blinked.

-I'm sorry, did you just have a stroke?

-It was joke, Fenneko.

-You really are terrible with humor, aren't you?

-It's an absurdist non-sequitur. A surrealist take on the social standings. A pythonesque idiosyncrasy with certain topical…

-Stop talking like you know what you are saying – Fenneko shut him down.

-I do know what I am saying!

-No, no you don't.

The pair continued to argue, as the medicine's effect slowly started to kick in on Retsuko. She felt a bit less ill and more invigorated and with a gentle smile on her face observed her friends in their petty dispute.

#

-Retsuko! Over here!

Retsuko had just gotten off the train and squeezed through the droves of people to get to her colleague.

The work day had been the usual scuffle her office job could offer. In between meeting deadlines and fetching tea, Retsuko could find the only solace in her lunch time break, exchanging gossip, news and the occasional bad joke. She was still a little bit sick, not feeling one hundred percent, but she still managed to make the trip to her home and to down town. Thoroughly prepared, she had her sweater on and a jacket in her bag along with a box of cold medicine, just in case things got worse.

Retsuko and Fenneko walked through the streets. The neon light illuminated the skies as the bouquet of smells invaded Retsuko's nostrils, whether they be foods, drinks or perfumes of passersby, they all added something to the aroma in the air. The city was one living creatures, with its own needs and wants, with all the animals there to function as the blood of its veins.

-Retsuko! – Fenneko's voice boomed.

-Whu? -

-I asked if you were alright. – Fenneko repeated her words, a tinge of concern on her face.

-Well, yeah. Why?

-I don't know. You seemed to…kinda zone out. You sure you aren't sick? If you aren't feeling great, you can catch the train back.

-No, I'm fine. – Retsuko smiled – I was just thinking something…

-What exactly?

Both of them strolled down the street.

-Have you ever thought that…I don't know, a city can be seen as a living creature?

-A living creature? – Fenneko scratched her head.

-Okay, it sounds pretty dumb, now that I say it out loud…

-A living creature… - Fenneko repeated herself. – Like in a metaphysical sense?

-I…I guess…maybe.

-Hm… - Fenneko let out a slight chuckle. – Well, I suppose. We have living things inside of us that keep us alive and they don't know that we exist. Maybe people are just the living fauna of a city. Unaware that the city exists. I didn't know you had a philosopher inside of you, Retsuko.

-Well…I don't know about that… - Retsuko giggled.

-If things get boring at the mixer, you should ask that question. At the very least, you'll turn a few heads.

-Yeah…I guess… - Retsuko trailed off. – Hey, where is the mixer exactly?

-Beats me. – Fenneko replied. – Some bar, somewhere. Tsunoda will get us there.

-Speaking of which, isn't that her?

Fenneko squinted her eyes. She saw the silhouette of a gazelle admiring a billboard. When the pair got closer, the gazelle started waving her arms around and ran towards them.

-I am so glad you two could come! – Tsunoda jittered back and forth. – These things can get awfully lonely if you are by your lonesome.

-Oh, I'm just happy to get out of the house a bit. – Retsuko replied.

-I'm here to back her up, if something goes astray – Fennko responded, unemotive as usual.

-In either case, I'm happy you are here. – Tsunoda turned around and motioned the women to follow her. – Who knows? You might meet your prince Charming here! It really is a shame that both of you are single.

-What's that supposed to mean, exactly? – Fenneko twitched.

-Oh? Nothing. All I'm saying is that somebody out there is missing out. – She turned her head slightly. – And you might just be missing out too, you know.

The trio traversed the urban landscape, turning corners and going through shortcuts, advertisement billboards and landmarks being their appointed navigators. With no real rush, the gang went on with a steady pace, making stops if needed. At long last, they reached their goal.

-“Palm wind"? – Retsuko murmured under her breath – Is this a themed bar?

-No. – Tsunoda responded. – But it's a darling little place. The food is nice, the alcohol is authentic and the prices are acceptable.

Tsunoda twitched.

-Well? – She turned to her colleagues. – Are we going in?

-I guess we should. – Fenneko spoke and pushed the door open.

The bar was a cozy place, not very large. Passing by the other customers, the group reached their reserved table and around it sat three other co-workers, albeit from different sectors of the firm and much less than what Retsuko had expected.

-You made it! – one of them, a cat, stood up and greeted them. – I am Manumaru. That there is Rinta. And the one zoning out is Resasuke.

Rinta, a giraffe, stood up and shook hands with the trio. Resasuke on the other hand just sat in his seat, looking through the window.

-I'm glad you came. I was begging to think it would be a sausage party. – Manumaru laughed.

-Oh, Manu, didn't I promise you that I'd show up? – Tsunoda motioned the girls to sit – Did you order us drinks?

-Sure did! They should be here any second! How's the day been?

Retsuko didn't follow the conversation. She stared at Resasuke, having the feeling that she had seen him before. He was a red panda, just like her, but quite lighter in color. He didn't seem to notice the happenings around him, like he was lost in his own little world. The conversations continued around them both, not really stopping. There was an air of mystery around the guy, something passively seductive, a compulsion to know what exactly he was thinking. She knew him. She was sure of it. But from where? He worked at the sales branch of the firm, but she had never seen him at the metro or the lobby.

“Is he the guy from the train?"

The realization was a shock to Retsuko. The one person she found herself staring at during her commutes worked in the same building as her and she never noticed. Now he was sitting in front of her. An aloof prince in an ivory tower, gazing off, untouched by the world around him. He stood completely immobile, even his breathing was unnoticeable.

“What is going through your head, aloof prince?"

-Space cadet! – Manumaru yelled out.

Resasuke snapped out of his trance, quickly turning towards Manumaru.

-Huh?

-I said that drinks are here. It's time for a toast.

-Oh. Right. Of course.

His manner of speech was sparse, but his tone was ever so delicate. A spring breeze in a field of violas.

-You shouldn't be so distracted, at least for tonight. There are ladies here, you know. – Manumaru lecture him.

-Yes. Of course. Sorry. – he answered and reached for his glass. – What are we drinking to?

-To love. Naturally. – Tsunoda said, giving Rinta a smile. – To love and all that she holds.

-Amen! – Fenneko proclaimed and hit her glass with the rest.

-Fenneko, you seem a bit not like yourself. – Retsuko turned towards her friend.

-I'm allowed to loosen up from time to time, aren't I? – Fenneko laughed and drank.

-Hehe…I guess you are. – Retsuko took a small sip from her drink and turned back towards Resasuke.

For a moment their eyes met. Retsuko quickly looked down pretending nothing happened, after which she took a few sneaking glances at him. To her surprise, he was still looking at her, though his face didn't show any emotion.

“Are you looking at me or just looking through me?"

#

-So, anything interesting happening with you guys? – Rinta asked as he took out a cigarette.

-I wouldn't say interesting… -Tsunoda answered, her eyes slowly going around the room. – I have started frequenting a nice bakery recently. I think I might start baking myself

-I'm now part of a... – Fenneko began. -…well they call themselves a vigilante group. But really we're just piling any and all information on the Heartbreaker.

-Is that legal? – Manumaru leaned forward.

-Sure it is. Information is shared and theories are proposed. Who might the killer be, where might he live, motives, etcetera.

-That's pretty interesting…what do you know by now?

-Well… - Fenneko took a long gulp from her glass. – He doesn't use a car. He's moderately fit. Most likely works a nine to five, if he works at all…

-How do you know all this? – Tsunoda interjected, unsure of the validity of Fenneko's statements.

-There weren't any tire tracks where the bodies were found. Although the victims were disemboweled, they still were fairly heavy and there weren't any bruise marks post-mortem, meaning that he did not take breathers here and there. The murders themselves took place around the weekends, meaning that the killer probably has a day job and would rather do this on his days off. Of course none of this is confirmed and should be taken with a pinch of salt.

The table was silent for a moment, nobody quite sure how to react to Fenneko's new hobby. There was something morbid about it, the idea of using tragedies as puzzles. Fenneko has always been a bit cold and detached from the social norms so in some way this wasn't surprising.

-Gee, Fennko – Retsuko turned to her friend. – Aren't you a bit worried? I mean, if you are going on such a site, isn't it possible to get racked down?

-Oh, sure, its possible – Fenneko downed the rest of her drink. – But we have a system in place. We report to each other every few hours. If someone fails to do so, we assume the worst.

-That's…kinda creepy… - Tsunoda murmured.

-Oh, yeah. It is. I'm a creepy person. – Fenneko chuckled. – But most of the times serial killers don't last long. After a couple of murders they usually stop, either getting killed or killing themselves. But it's not really about that. Just the idea that you could help out in a desperate time, somehow gives everything a certain perspective, you know what I mean? Retsuko, what was that thing you said earlier? About the city?

-Oh, umm...can the city be seen as one organism?

-Exactly! Can the city be seen as just one, big organism? Well, we can look at it as one. And each and every one of us plays some role in this great big thing called…the city!

-And what role does the Heartbreaker play? – Manumaru asked.

-Maybe he's a virus. – Fennko scratched her head.

-What if it's the other way around? – Resasuke spoke up to the surprise of everyone around.

-How do you figure? - Fenneko narrowed her eyes

-What if the city isn't meant to hold so many people. And its like…indigestion.

-The killer is indigestion? That's…an odd allegory. So you're basically saying that he's cleaning the city up, from anything that doesn't need to be there.

Resasuke nodded.

-Well… - Fenneko chuckled. -…not dwelling on the fact that you are trying to apologize for the brutal rapes and murders of three innocent girls, how do you imagine the whole thing? How is he cleaning the city up?

-I…ugh… - Resasuke struggled for words - …like a white blood cell…

-Mmm… - Fenneko smirked. – Even white blood cells can turn cancerous…

-Can we drop all this morbid talk? – Manumaru interjected, his voice booming through the restaurant.

-Jesus Christ, Space cadet! You'll open your mouth to say something once and you spew out this? You should really work on your conversation skills.

-Yes. Sorry…

Resasuke assumed his usual quiet demeanor as tensions were slowly cooling down. Disregarding that little rough patch, the night was considered a success by all. It got people together to talk and have some fun. The trios said their goodbyes and all left in deferent directions. Tsunoda grabbed herself a cab and Fenneko and Retsuko were left alone.

-Well? – Fenneko smiled at Retsuko.

-Well? – Retsuko answered, unsure of what Fenneko wanted

-Well you didn't seem to take off your eyes from the Resasuke guy.

-Oh…

-Well you seemed to immediately look away when he looked at you.

-Umm…

-Well you were completely mesmerized when he opened his mouth to talk.

-I wasn't mesmerized! – Retsuko yelled out, flustered by Fenneko's comments.

-Whatever you say. – Fenneko giggled.

Both of them walked through down town. It was much less busy than it was a few hours ago, with the majority of people being out being in their late teens or early twenties, with all others now gone back home to recover for the work day ahead. The lights of the city were now much less energetic and offered a more subdued and intimate atmosphere, giving the impression that the night could last forever. A single moment that stretched to infinity with the concept of tomorrow being so foreign and unthinkable, yet inevitable.

-Hey, Fenneko?

-Hmm?

-What do you think of that guy? Resasuke.

Fennko took a moment to compose her words, scratching her chin in thought as they waited for the train.

-Well…-she began – He's definitely a strong, silent type.

Fenneko chuckled to the annoyed expression of Retsuko

-He isn't very socially aware – Fenneko continued. – And he's most likely a contrarian. But I think he might be a good match for you.

-Oh? – Retsuko blushed at the sound of those words. – How so?

Fenneko shrugged.

-He's laid back. Extremely so. I don't think that you need someone active who takes charge. More like someone who you can…I don't know…chill with.

-Huh…

-Yup. Say, isn't that your train right now?

The women said their goodbyes and Retsuko departed.

#

It was a long night, filled with laughter and alcohol. Retsuko stumbled into her apartment and immediately took her clothes off. After a quick shower and a crude towel drying she threw herself into her bed, her alarm ready to go off in five hours.

“Tomorrow's going to be a nightmare."

As she slowly drifted off to sleep, her phone buzzed. Annoyed and confused, she reached out and grabbed her phone, the blue light burning her eyes. She had received a message.

“Hey. I really had fun tonight. Would you like to hang out again some time?"

“Resasuke…"

Her heart skipped a beat. Without much thought, she answered him, confirming his request and they could set out a date tomorrow.

Retsuko place her phone by her night stand and drifted off to sleep.

“My aloof prince…"

#

Fenneko slurped her coffee.

-So. Things going well with that space cadet guy?

-Whatever do you mean, Fenneko? – Retsuko answered, her face beaming with sunshine as she pranced through the cafeteria, holding her lunch.

-Its just…you seem…- Fenneko struggled for words - …happier than usual.

-Happier you say? Well…I guess I might be, yes. – she smiled, so purely it could make an angel weep.

-So I take it things are going well?

-Yes. Yes they are.

-In any case – Fenneko leaned over the table -…do you want to tell me about the guy? You know, before Haida comes around.

-Why Haida?

-Well…-The question spun inside Fenneko's head over and over again. – You know him. He's a bit…over dramatic when it comes to…romance stories.

-Oh?

-Yeah…Pretty much.

-Hehe… - Retsuko giggled, warming the heart of a ruthless tyrant somewhere. – You see, after the mixer, he suggested that we should hang out.

-Alright.

-And we set up a date in around one week time.

-I'm following – Fenneko shook her head in understanding.

-In the mean time though, we would chat. A lot.

-A lot? – Fenneko raised her eyebrow in disbelief

-Yeah. – Retsuko slowly stirred her salad with a fork. –It kind of caught me off guard as well. I guess some people feel more at ease when talking through the screen, you know?

-Right. Right. So what happened next?

-Mmmm...As I said we talked a lot till the date came. Mostly everyday stuff. How's the day, how's work, how's lunch, that sort of thing.

-Sounds pretty boring if I have to be frank.

-You know. You would think that. But it wasn't.

-Oh? – Fenneko took another sip from her coffee. – Now you have my full attention.

-Well…It's just the way he expresses himself. He has a very odd…way of talking. Or writing, as the case may be.

-Riiiight…

-He's also quite considerate. He would ask me about my day, but with details as well. He has been…really listening to me.

-Sounds like someone is in love. –Fenneko chuckled.

-Well…I wouldn't say “in love". More like…"very much in like". – Retsuko scratched her neck, letting out a light laugh.

-Hehe…and how did the date go?

-Truthfully? – Retsuko raised her eyes. – Much better than I expected.

-Wow.

-He was a gentleman throughout. We talked about our hopes and dreams and interests.

-The standard stuff.

-Yeah…He is really into biology. He likes plants a lot. He said he would like to help discover a way to make the world a greener place once more.

-Wait. He actually talked? – Fenneko laughed.

-Mhm. He's into fauna, medicine, art and even…

-…and even?

-It sounds a bit silly. He's into the occult.

-Heh…-Fenneko stretched. – I guess everybody needs a hobby.

A moment of silence followed. Retsuko gazed absentmindedly into her lunch, a light smile forming on her face as she radiated with a sense of bliss.

-So did he put a spell on your or something? – Fenneko joked.

Retsuko slowly turned towards Fenneko, still smiling, her eyes a bit unfocused.

-I sure hope not. – she laughed.

Fenneko smiled. She hadn't seen her friend this happy in a long time. Was he really all that? He did manage to melt Retsuko into a lovey-dovey puddle. Or maybe Retsuko was just projecting some perfect image onto the guy.

Fenneko turned towards the window. The sky was as bright as ever, though a few heavy and dense clouds would pass by. She clicked her tongue. Something was amiss here. Retsuko meets some guy at a corporate mixer and falls head over heels in love. She has to be projecting. She had mentioned that she hasn't had a boyfriend in a long time.

Fenneko sighed. She hoped she was wrong. This was going to end badly. She turned back to Retsuko, who just simply looked lost in her world.

-Me and Haida will be going to the bar tonight. You want to come? – Fenneko waited for an answer and received none.

Retsuko sat there, stirring her lunch. Her head was slowly bobbing back and forth as she silently hummed to herself, as if unable to comprehend the world around her.

-Jesus Chri…-Fenneko leaned forward and snapped her fingers in front of Retsuko. –Wake up!

-Huh? – Retsuko was startled. –What happened?

-I was asking if you wanted to come to the bar with me and Haida tonight. – Fenneko repeated herself

-Oh…I don't know…I'll be going on a date tonight.

-Right. – Fenneko leaned back and crossed her arms. – You feeling alright, Retsuko?

She had spaced out again. Fennko grit her teeth.

-Yo! Retsuko!

-Whu? – again, she got startled.

-Are you alright?

-Oh…yeah…perfect…-she again turned to her salad.

-Oh, no. No, you don't.

Fenneko reached out and again snapped her fingers in front of Retsuko's face. She repeated the motion a few times, until Retsuko started blinking rapidly.

-What are you doing? – Retsuko rubbed her eyes.

-Concentrate. I don't think the Space cadet is having a good effect on you.

-What makes you say that? – Retsuko asked, a sharpness in her tone. –And don't call him that. He has a name…

-Mhm. I'm sure he does. Listen. You've been acting…a bit weird.

-Weird?

-Yes. Weird. – Fenneko exhaled. –I know you're in love, but…well…you can't just stare at your salad the entire day.

-I wasn't staring…

-You were staring. – Fennko cut her off.

-…only a little…-Retsuko blushed.

Fenneko rubbed the bridge of her nose.

-All I'm saying is that…you've been kind of obsessing with the guy.

-I'm not…- Retsuko trailed off -…I don't think I am…

-You are. Like a schoolgirl. – Fenneko snickered.

-Well…I…-Retsuko struggled for words, but Fenneko intervened.

-All I'm saying is to be careful, okay? This guy…he might be a great guy, but…you might be disappointed in time. It's been a while since you were in the scene, right? You might get a little over your head.

-Heh…alright…-Retsuko smiled.

-Also, will you come with us to the bar?

-Mmmm…I will. But after my date. I promise, it won't take us the entire night.

-I'm gonna hold you to that. – Fenneko smiled and took out her phone.

#

Fenneko drank her afternoon coffee to the sounds of Haida's moping, his face flattened against the window, looking out to the setting sun. Fenneko enjoyed this part of the day. Not much work was left, so she could take a break. She also liked the colors. The floor windows let in all the light of the cityscape, with the pinks and purples giving it a bittersweet feeling of urban melancholy.

There was something to this. Something that made you feel right at home. A cozy sensation. A warm embrace. Something that weaved together the memories of younglings running in the neighborhood till after dark and the memories of teenagers staying up late and drinking in the park. Now, as an adult, Fenneko felt something different and yet familiar. A taste of freedom with a dash of responsibility. Not an anarchic kid or a rebellious teen anymore, but an adult woman with things to do. Which she could just throw away at any time she wanted. No. That didn't feel quite right. But it was the best she could think of. In either case, it was magic.

-I love the dusk. – Fenneko sipped from her coffee. – I should find more synthwave artists.

She took another sip of her coffee and turned towards the mess of a man that was Haida.

-Yo. – She cried out. –You know any good synthwave guys?

Haida murmured something underneath his breath. Fenneko frowned. She knew what this was about, but she didn't want to engage.

-So…do you have some favorite artists or you're more of a mixed album kind of guy…

-Fenneko. – Haida spoke through a gurgle. – What is wrong with me?

-You can't follow a conversation. For starters.

-Ugh! – Haida bashed his head against the window. –This isn't fair!

Fenneko took a sip from her coffee, eyeing the hyena.

-It doesn't have to be exactly synthwave, you know. – she spoke, deliberately dodging the subject on her colleague's mind. – It can be dreamwave, chillwave…anything glow-fi.

-Fenneko – Haida spoke with a calm and collected tone of voice. – Why are you like this?

-Mmm? – Fennko grinned at Haida – That's an awful question to ask someone, you know?

-Please, spare me.

-You aren't asking “why are you doing this?" or “how come you always do something?".

-Ugh… - Haida groaned and slammed his head on the window again, this time with more force.

-You are basically asking “what has happened for you to turn out the way you are?". And in the context of not liking someone.

-Please. Just stop.

-Frankly – Fenneko flicked her head sideways – I am offended.

Haida turned around, exhaustion and apathy on his face. He sat down across Fenneko, who met him with a smirk.

-Why do you do this to me? – he asked with a sigh.

-I have no idea what you mean.

-Can you cut the crap? – Haida asked, this time with tension in his voice.

-Fine. – she took another sip from her coffee – What do you want to know?

-I don't know! – he spoke, frustration ringing through his being. – What does that guy have that I don't?

-Timing. – she scratched he chin. – Mostly timing.

-Timing? – he leaned back in his chair and crossed his hands.

-Yes.

-And what does that actually mean?

-Well… - Fenneko slowly stirred her mug. – Have you even asked Retsuko on a date?

-Not really… - Haida shrank in his seat.

-There you have it. He was quicker than you.

-Hm.

-Disappointed?

Haida didn't answer. His gaze wondered around the room beneath his furrowed brow.

-Tell me, Haida. What did you expect? – Fenneko put down her mug.

-I don't know. Something more thorough? What is this guy even like?

-Mmmm…well on the only occasion I've talked to him, he seemed like a creep. But apparently, Retsuko claims that he is very considerate, interesting and fun to be around.

-Pff. –Haida leaned over the table. –Do you believe that?

-Does it matter?

Haida didn't answer.

-Tell you what. – Fenneko continued. – She'll be joining us tonight after her date. You can ask all about the Space cadet, if you so like.

-Come on, Fenneko… - Haida murmured. – I know you better than this. You're like a cyber stalker, right? Surely you've done some research on him. Right?

Fennko averted her eyes, catching Haida's interest.

-Right? – he repeated himself, trying to weasel out whatever he could.

-I…- Fenneko stuttered. – I can't really find anything on him.

Haida blinked rapidly, trying to snap out of the sudden shock. And then he started laughing.

-Don't tell me that you've finally met your match!

-Mmm…Its not like that!

-Oh really? – he placed his head on his hand, a dopey smile spreading across his face.

In frustration, Fenneko pulled out her phone and opened his facebook account.

-Look. He hasn't posted anything here in a few years. Either he's abandoned it or he only uses it to chat. I've checked everything, everywhere. Pulled all of my strings. There's nothing. He's a complete and utter shut-in. Some sort of hermit. Completely and utterly socially inept in every sphere he could exist.

Haida's smile slowly contorted into a toothy grin.

-So that's what you think of him, isn't it?

-I…the thing is…well… - Fenneko was at a loss for words. – Fine! Alright! I don't like him that much. Would you stop grinning?

-I can't help it! – Hiada laughed. – So, what are your speculations on the whole thing?

Fenneko took a small sip from her coffee.

-At this exact moment, the Space cadet is what Retsuko needs. She likes him enough, but I honestly, truly doubt it will work out in the long run.

-Please... – Haida nonchalantly waved his hand. – Elaborate.

Fenneko let out a defeated groan.

-He is…passive. She needs that now. A passive guy. But he's too passive. At one point it will be too much for her and they'll separate. From then on, she'll probably need a friendly shoulder. That's where you can finally come in.

-Hmm… - Haida took a moment. –Sounds like a solid plan.

-Indeed – she took a sip from her coffee and murmured - …you beta orbiter cucklord.

-What was that?

-Hm?

#

The night was chillier than Retsuko had expected. She stood at the foot of the office building, waiting for Resasuke, who mentioned earlier that he might be a bit late. Retsuko rubbed her hands together as the cold wind blew pass her. The air was unusually thick, as if a fog of smog had seeped into the landscape.

Haida and Fenneko had already left to get ready for the night out, both saying goodbye to Retsuko. She promised to see them later that night and drew up in her head a plan for her evening with Resasuke. They didn't have a concrete plan. There was some sort of jazz festival that Resasuke suggested they go to and Retsuko just accepted. She wasn't especially interested in jazz and didn't know much about it, but she was willing to learn. It actually made her smile. The thought of discovering new and fun things about Resasuke. The office weirdo. The Space cadet. Her aloof prince. He really did live in an ivory tower. And he was slowly letting her inside.

-Hey, Resasuke! – she yelled out when she saw him exit the building and looking around.

-You ready? – he asked with a monotonous voice.

She just smiled and grabbed him by the arm. He didn't seem to mind and they both walked off towards the train station.

#

-Two beers please and an order of fries, please.

The waiter scurried over to bring the couple their order.

-So… - Haida began. – …when did she say she'll be here?

-After the date. Retsuko mentioned they'll be going to some jazz thing. She'll probably be here in about three hours tops.

-Jazz festival, huh? Didn't take Retsuko for the jazzy type. Wasn't she like a hardcore metalhead or something?

-Oh – Fenneko laughed. – You jealous because she didn't come to your garage punk band's concert that one time?

-Ehm… - Haida waved her off.

-Did you guys even break even at that gig?

-We might have, if she had shown up.

-“Retsuko", “Retsuko", “Retsuko"- Fenneko repeated while making a silly face. – Its all you ever think about. What? Am I not enough for you?

Fenneko squinted as Haida started laughing.

-Is that what you want, Haida? A metal chick who will ignore you, take no interest in your creative endeavors and throw you aside like a filthy rag for the first guy who can barely form a coherent sentence?

-Now Fenneko – Haida took his pint of beer as it arrived. – You know that what we have is special. And no amount of uninterested metal chicks can take that away from us.

-Oh, Haida… - Fenneko fainted a blush and looked him with a pair of puppy dog eyes, continuing her rant with an accent of a southern belle – You silver tongued devil, you. You have such a way with words. Every time I think I'm finally done with you and your tricks, you manage to reel me back in. I'd say you are taking advantage of my delicate, womanly sensibilities, but it would be foolish of me to say that you are entirely to blame. My daddy warned me about men like you, but I didn't listen. Now look at me!

-Hehe… - Haida chuckled. – You should have gone into acting. Your talents are wasted on the world of finance.

-Hmm…And without me, who would you have consorted about your Retsuko based conundrums? – Fenneko flapped her eyelids

-You got me there! Cheers!

-Cheers.

#

A trio consisting of piano, bass and drums, the band on stage was playing an original piece. Effortlessly changing keys and harmonies, shifting between finely rehearsed segments and spontaneous improvisations, constantly morphing between the radicals of muzak accessibility and free form improvisations, the three had managed to completely captivate the entire audience. Well, except for one.

To Retsuko the music was just background noise at this point, being more enamored by her date than by any virtuoso-esque technicality. She admired Resasuke or more specifically, she admired the fact that for the first time she could understand why he was zoning out. She too knew the allure of music and how it can entrap the soul, given the right circumstance. It felt like an entire century passed. And out of nowhere, Resasuke turned towards her. He looked her in the eyes and simply smiled.

Her heart throbbed.

“This is important to you, isn't it, prince?"

She smiled back at him.

“You are leading me up your tower and giving me glimpses at how you truly perceive the world."

Both of them turned towards the band. Retsuko took a step closer next to him and grabbed him by the hand. He squeezed back.

#

-Waiter! Another round!

Haida munched on the second batch of French fries as Fenneko scrolled through her phone.

-You know what they call a royal with cheese in America? – Fenneko asked, playfully raising her eyebrows at Haida.

-They don't call it a royal with cheese? – Haida answered, containing his laughter.

-They ain't got the monarchy system there. They don't even know what royal even is.

-I'm pretty sure the quote didn't go like that. – Haida drank his beer.

-Don't be a killjoy. It's called improv.

-I'm also pretty sure this isn't even improv!

-Bite me. – Fenneko chuckled and went back to her phone. –Hey! Your crush is posting pictures.

-Let me see.

Fenneko handed the phone over to Haida.

-Looks like she's having fun, isn't she? – Fenneko teased him as he scrolled through the pictures from the festival. – Don't worry, big guy. You still have me.

-Lucky, lucky.

#

A cold wind blew through the park trees. Retsuko huddled up against Resasuke, who absentmindedly put his hand around her. Retsuko appreciated the gesture. He was opening up more and more. She felt that they were slowly but truly forming a connection.

-Did you like the concert? – Resasuke asked, not looking at Retsuko.

-Mhm…it was nice.

-You know…I really like jazz. It can be very relaxing and it can be very chaotic. But…its always controlled. There are always people who are making it and they choose how it can sound. Controlling the chaos. Do you understand?

-Yeah…I do. I feel the same way.

Retsuko didn't really understand what he was trying to say, but she got the basic gist of it.

-It feels good to know that its not just random chaos, but rather something preplanned. – she said trying to continue the conversation.

-Yes. Exactly. – Resasuke looked up at the sky, still unblinking and observing the distant stars- I've always felt that everything is…too random at times. Things just…happen. Bad things mostly. The bad things happen at random. We always plan for the good. But the bad things happen as a result of chaos, right? But also…if we have some sort of controlled chaos. Something bad…that just happens with a purpose for good…it could possibly make the world a better place. Do you understand me?

-I…I think so…- Retsuko scratched her head, trying to rethink his entire statement. – Something bad should happen from time to time, so something good can come out of it. Like during a forest fire. The firemen would burn down a part of the forest, to which the fire is spreading, so when it gets there, it will die out.

-Yes. Yes! Exactly!

“Are you excited, my prince? Are you letting your guard down in front of me? Are we reaching the top of your tower?"

-You know, Retsuko… - Resasuke continued, again with his monotone voice. – I'm…I'm not stupid. I know people think of me as awkward and hard to talk to. And…and it isn't easy for me to…to express myself, or what I think. But…but you understand me. You even agree with me…which is…which is amazing. I am…I am truly having a wonderful night.

“Only a few steps more, my prince. I can almost see the door to your room."

#

-Looks like they are having ice cream in the park. – Fennko scrolled through her feed. – They probably won't take long.

Haida downed his pint and slammed it on the table.

-Waiter! Another one!

-You're drinking quickly tonight. – Fenneko lifted her eyes from her phone. – Nerves getting to you?

-No. – Haida frowned, his face a shade of red – I'm just…celebrating.

-Celebrating?

-Of course! Celebrating a night out with a dear friend!

-Oh, Haida! – she faked a blush again - Once more with your bewitching words!

-Quit it… - he chuckled.

-Is my heart such an amusing toy to you? Once you've chewed it enough, will you throw it away like you did with all the other maidens you ensnared?

Haida just chuckled and drank his beer. He enjoyed Fenneko's drunk acting a bit too much to say something on the matter.

-Why…if I didn't know better…I would say that you are that Heartbreaker rogue, the entire town has been talking about.

-Hehehe…

-But could it really be? Could you be him? Will you rip out my heart after you defile me? And then what? Will you go after poor, innocent Retsuko? Do you think she will be impressed with your death gallery of blood and bone? Will she not try to run? Or is she like you? Is she the one pulling your strings, a shadow puppeteer? And you! A puppet of love and madness, at the whims of a psychopath, promised his master's flesh and comfort. How deplorable. But yet, there is a strange, grotesque romance to it, is there not?

-Fenneko… - Haida circled the top of his pint with one finger – What would I ever do without?

-I unno…probably live a more fulfilling life?

-Cheers to that!

-Cheers.

#

-You know, Resasuke, I had a great time tonight…but I'm afraid I should be leaving.

-I understand. You told me earlier.

-We can do it again soon, if you'd like.

-I would like, yes.

A light breeze blew pass the couple. They stood in the park, under the full moon's light, hidden from the rest of the world in one fairy tale moment to fill a thousand books. Holding hands, they each gazed into each other's eyes, but this time Resasuke's eyes weren't empty. They were full. And Retsuko could see that.

“Are we there, my prince? Will you open the iron door to your chambers for me?"

They both leaned in. Time froze. The noise of the wind and cars and people blurred into an indistinguishable mess of sounds and static. A kiss, cold from the weather. They pulled back.

“Thank you for having me, my prince."

-I should go…-Retsuko said, her hands slowly coming to her sides.

-I know. I…I really had fun tonight…

She saw his smile again. A genuine and pure smile of someone truly happy and present.

Retsuko turned around and walked down the path, pulling out her cell phone. She dialed up Fenneko. And then everything turned black.

#

-Hey, Retsuko, whats up? – Fenneko answered her phone. – Hello?

-What's wrong? – Haida asked after taking another swing from his beer.

-Its Retsuko. She probably butt-dialed me.

Haida's mood soured a bit and he quickly gulped down the rest of his pint.

-Waiter! – he called out. – Another one.

Fennko locked her phone and grabbed her own pint.

-No need to be so glum. – she said. – I'm sure that in no time, you will be the one who butt-dials her.

-I…wait…what does that even mean?

-What do you want it to mean? – a devilish grin spread across Fenneko's face.

Haida shrugged.

-I'd drink to that. Cheers!

-Cheers!

#

Retsuko's consciousness faded back in, blinking her eyes as she tried to take in her surroundings. It didn't do any good—wherever she was, it was pitch black. All she could feel was cold metal rumbling beneath her, bumpy, like it was being dragged over a rough surface. Was she in… a car?

-Re..sas…

Nobody answered her call. She tried to move her limbs, but they wouldn't move, like something was keeping them stuck behind her back. Everything ached.

-Res…

And everything went dark once again.

#

-Do you think that…umm… - Haida tripped on his words. – Do you think that…like…we've basically reached our peak in life?

-Huh…? - Fenneko had some trouble focusing on Haida.

-It's like…we work in an office. And and we…like…what else is there left?

Fenneko slid her hand across her face in a vain attempt to regain her senses.

-I unno… - she slurred. – I mean…we work in an office…yeah…and when I was young…I didn't want to…work in an office…I wanted to travel the world…with a gang of biker chicks…

-Kind of like…Hell's angels… - Hiada leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. – Yeah…I can see you…leather jacket and tattoos and crap…I wanted to be rock star…still do…but I think I'm too old for that…

-Pff…that's stupid. Wasn't there a guy that became a rock star in his…like 70's…besides…at the very least you can make songs about how white collar jobs suck…

A moment of silence and both of them burst out laughing. Fennko struggled to grab her pint as Haida was already finishing up his.

-You know what? – Fenneko yelled out, slamming her hands on the table. – We should quit work next week! We can start a band and travel the world on motorcycles, playing music!

-Yes! – Haida yelled out as he finished his beer in one go. – Lets get coffee tomorrow and talk it over!

-Are we…are doing this?

-Hell! I'm gonna do it if you are gonna do it!

-Yessss!!! – Fenneko hissed – We are so gonna do it! Retsuko can be your first groupie!

Fenneko burst out laughing. Haida on the other hand scratched his chin in a sudden wave of deep contemplation.

-Say…-Haida began. – What happened to Retsuko? Shouldn't her date…be over by now?

-Hehehe…afraid that she might be taking the next step so soon?

-It's not that…it's just…

-The pure, innocent office worker you fell in love with turned out to be some sex demon…yeah…life sucks like that sometimes…

-It's not like that…I'm just worried.

Fenneko took a long sigh and pulled out her phone. She rang Retsuko up.

-Hello? – an unfamiliar voice answered. – I just found this phone. I'm willing to return it.

-…shit…

#

Retsuko once again tried opening her eyes. They stung from the fluorescent lights in this new environment. It smelled of mold and rot.

-You should sleep, Retsuko. We still have time.

A cold numbness overtook her and again she closed her eyes to the black void.

#

-Anything from Resasuke?

-Straight to voicemail.- Fenneko sighed, bringing her phone away from her ear. -Must have his phone off.

-Try her apartment.- Haida paced back and forth along the grass of the park, staring down with his hands clasped tight enough for his knuckles to turn white. Fenneko flipped and tapped through her phone, then brought it back up to the side of her head.

Half a minute of silence, then Fenneko lowered it back down, shaking her head. -Nothing.

-Ah, you are the two who called the phone, yes?

Both of their heads snapped up at the sound of the familiar voice, the same one that'd answered Fenneko's call. In the light of the moon, they could see that he was a quite elderly jaguar, dressed in a flannel sweater with a heavy overcoat over top. Held in his hand was Retsuko's phone.

-Ah, yes, thank you!- Fenneko said, taking the phone from his hand.

Before she could say anything else, Haida suddenly appeared next to her, moving at a near sprint. -Have you seen a red panda anywhere around here? A woman, about her height?

-A red panda? Yeah, I saw one,- the old jaguar said, tapping his chin as he thought back. -Two of them, actually. They were talking by that bench over there.

-Did you see where they went?- Haida cut in, a little more forcefully than he intended.

• Well, I wasn't exactly keeping an eye on them, y'see. But there aren't a lot of people here this time of night, and I did see someone get in a car near the back gate, so it's a fair bet it might've been who you're looking for.

-Where'd the car go?- Haida's voice sounded desperate now, and it was clearly starting to unnerve the older gentleman, who'd reflexively took a step back from the panicked hyena. -What street did it take?

-Uhh, the only exit that way is old Okuchi Road—

-Thanks for your help.- The hyena said, spinning on his heels and running towards the back of the park before the jaguar could even finish his sentence. After giving a hurried farewell, Fenneko rushed to follow him.

-Haida, where are you going?- Fenneko said, already starting to breathe a little heavier as she struggled to match his pace.

-What does your forum say about where the Heartbreaker takes his victims?

-Eh? Well, there's a thread with some theories, but—

-Pull it up. We're walking.

-Do you really think that Retsuko was…?- Fenneko trailed off, unwilling or unable to finish the thought.

Haida didn't answer. He just kept walking, eyes locked straight ahead.

#

The city had always been a sort of safe haven. There had always been ne'er-do-wells, but they had always been a minority. The neon lights offered a peculiar warmth to all its inhabitants, while the concrete buildings offered their protection to all who seek it.

The forest, on the other hand, was a different beast all together. The comfort of the cold concrete towers was replaced by the ominous trees, piercing the sky like pillars. One never knew what could be hiding amidst the leaves up above, or the grass down below. The sky was not polluted by the city lights, so it was always colored in different hues of blue rather than a constant black. The moon in the city was a midnight sun, while in the forest, if one could even see it when hidden behind the branches, was just one light surrounded by thousands of littler ones.

But the forest offered something than the city couldn't. In the city there were rules, that everyone was bound to. Rules, which if not followed, lead a person to being ostracized and disowned. In the forest, these rules did not apply. There was freedom for anyone and anything to do as they pleased – unbound and unchecked.

Resasuke knew that. As he had driven through the black roads, he had appreciated the natural beauty and organic coldness of the forest, overwhelmed by a sense of peace, he was hyperfocused as the paths gave in to ditches and bumps. He didn't care. He never cared. The first time he had been nervous. The second time he had been excited. The third time he had been uneasy. And now it was second nature to him. His heart steady and his grip tight, he had drove around trees and boulders until he reached his destination.

A small hut, hidden from the world.

The hut was his home away from home. Secluded, quiet and unfindable. And in it, he practiced his craft.

After pulling off of the crumbling asphalt of the road and into the slightly smoother gravel of the driveway, Resasuke turned the key in the ignition, killing the engine. Now there wasn't even the rumble of the car to break the stillness of the forest, only the sounds of nocturnal insects and the whispering of the wind.

Stepping out the driver's side door, Resasuke made his way around the car and over to the back. Right in front of him was the trunk, still closed, still locked. He stared down at it, running his hands along the top, feeling the metal there. There was a certain excitement about it, like opening some long forgotten treasure chest. Only here, he knew exactly what was inside. Resasuke dipped a hand into his pocket, grabbed the key fob for his car, and pressed the unlock button. Then, he popped open the trunk.

Inside, lying on top of a stack of blankets, was Retsuko. Her ankles and wrists were tied together with connected together in a rough hogtie, and her mouth had been taped shut with a piece of duct tape. Her eyes were closed, and a thin trickle of blood was weeping from the back of her head, soaking into the fabric of the sheets.

Perfect. Just as he'd left her. Resasuke reached in and heaved, lifting her out and slinging her over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes. She didn't stir, didn't even make a sound, almost like she was already dead. Resasuke knew she wasn't, though. He knew exactly where on the skull to hit to induce unconsciousness, and how hard. He wouldn't make such a careless mistake.

With his cargo in tow, Resasuke closed the trunk of his car and started towards the cabin, reaching into his pocket with his free hand and taking out a small iron key. Even out here in the sticks, it was important to keep your property secure, particularly when you had things to hide. Things other people wouldn't understand. One turn of the deadbolt and the door was open, and he went inside, kicking the door shut behind him and locking it once more.

He flicked a switch on the wall and the tubes above burned to life, filling the room with light. It wasn't a particularly elaborate setup—there was a wood table in the center of the room, the walls were covered in tools, and that was all. But the inside was familiar enough that Resasuke didn't waste any time looking around, just went straight about his business, setting Retsuko down onto the dirt floor before gently shaking her awake.

Retsuko's eyes, still heavy, slowly opened to the burning sensation of the neon lights. She tried to move, but found herself bound, arms and legs locked behind her back. It took her awhile to realize what was happening – the stench of mold and rot invading her nostrils and bringing her back to full consciousness. She tried to move, but the ropes held strong, rubbing through her fur and chafing against her skin whenever she struggled. Her vision was still blurry and all she could make out was the dark brown and bright white.

She tried to speak, to mumble some cry for assistance, but found her mouth covered by a thick layer of duct tape. Apparently she was to be granted some small mercy, because something grabbed the duct tape and ripped it off, leaving her wincing at the feeling of the adhesive tugging at her fur. Still, at least now she could speak.

-Re…sa…- she tried speaking, her voice still hoarse and her throat tightened.

Just then she felt a cold hand press against her face in a rough rubbing motion, like a caress from someone who didn't understand what the word entailed.

-Wake up.

Retsuko slowly shook her head and winced at the sensation, like her brain was bashing against the sides of her skull. It was a dull, throbbing ache, accompanied by a sharp ache right between her ears. There was something wet there, too. Her neck felt numb and her mind was hazy, but something told her that she was in danger.

-Are you awake?

Retsuko let out a weak moan in response, blinking in an attempt to focus her eyes. Retsuko could finally make out her surroundings, and they were quite different from the apartment she always woke up in. Instead of carpet, the floor was bare dirt, pebbly and sprouting with weeds. The walls had a rough texture to them, and it took her a moment to recognize it for what it was: bark. Logs. A log cabin.

Muddled color started to resolve itself into vague shapes, and then finally into detail. What was once a dark brown smudge sharpened around the edges, pulling itself together into a hand. Resasuke's hand, stroking her cheek gently, though its owner's voice made it clear there was no love in the gesture. He spoke in that same calm, neutral tone he always used. It was like he didn't notice how cold his hand was, or how frightened Retsuko was.

-Stop…- Retsuko mumbled, trying to pull her head away from his touch, but it followed her every move. No matter how much she turned or wriggled, those fingers were always there, pushing their way through her fur and stroking against the skin underneath. They sapped the heat right out of her, like the touch of a corpse. How could anyone's hands be so cold?

-What do you know about white blood cells?

That was a question she didn't expect. Finding herself strapped for a response, Retsuko just stared up at Resasuke, crouched down next to her and still stroking her cheek. Apparently taking her silence as a negative, he continued.

-There are several kinds, but one of the most numerous ones is the lymphocyte. They're different from the others. Instead of days, they can last for weeks, even years.

-But I—

-Do you know what they call the lymphocyte responsible for removing tumor cells? A natural killer cell. In microbiology, people understand that it's necessary for an organism to eliminate small parts of itself so that the whole may thrive.

As Resasuke spoke, the full weight of the situation she was in started to drop on Retsuko. Something here was terribly, terribly wrong. She tried to jerk her hands free, but all that accomplished was cutting the rope even further into her wrists. While she struggled, Resasuke let go of her face and turned away, moving over to the table to rummage around beneath it.

-I am a white blood cell.

Retsuko didn't understand what this was about. None of what he was saying made any sense to her. She knew Resasuke was interested in biology, but this hardly seemed the time or place to discuss it, and that still didn't answer why she was tied up. But there was something about his words. White blood cells. Hadn't he said something about those earlier? Right, it was back at the bar, when they were discussing…

The Heartbreaker. Suddenly, the unease she'd been feeling bloomed into full on terror.

-You can't be… what is this…!?

Resasuke didn't respond to her, just focused on whatever it was he was doing under the table. Whatever he was looking for, he seemed to have found it. He pulled his arms out, and clutched in his hands was a bundle of steel chains with four rings poking out from the heap. No, not rings—manacles. He dropped them onto the top of the table and grabbed one of the links, securing it to a loop bolted into a corner of the table.

-Resasuke, people aren't cells! You can't just go around doing… whatever this is. Untie me, now!

She got nothing in response but silence. Resasuke just continued working through his pile of chains, latching them to the table, testing to make sure they wouldn't come loose. It was like he couldn't even hear her.

-Don't ignore me! You need to listen to me, I'm your…

Retsuko trailed off. What was she going to say? Girlfriend? She certainly wouldn't consider herself that now. Did she ever hold that title? Or was the way he treated her just another way he cajoled his victims into a sense of security before he led them out here and did—

Resasuke finally turned away from the table and faced her, once again crouching down beside her. When she saw him reach towards her, Retsuko started thrashing around as best she could, but the only effect it had was agitating her rope burns. She felt like a turtle rocking back and forth on its shell while a predator crept towards it, eager for its next meal.

-Please don't struggle. - Resasuke moved his hands towards her side, sliding them under her torso and scooping her up like some sort of reverse bridal carry.

Up into the air, a few feet to the left, and then down onto the wood with a thump. Retsuko had the air forced from her lungs as Resasuke dumped her roughly onto the table, and when she caught her breath and recovered, he was nowhere to be seen. She craned her neck around as far as she could, looking for him, but quickly realised he was behind her when she heard the distinctive noise of a pair of scissors opening and closing.

That noise was followed by the sound of shearing fabric and the feeling of air on her legs that had been moments ago covered by her pants. Resasuke was cutting her out of her clothes, presumably to avoid having to untie her.

-Resasuke, please! I'll do anything! What do you want? Money? My body? I'll—

-Please be quiet. You're distracting me.- Another snip and the backs of her pants were cut open, leaving it a simple matter to tug them out from under her and toss them to the side. Then it was onto her shirt.

-But I don't get it! Why are you doing this?

Retsuko didn't respond.- The thin material of her shirt made for even faster work, already cut open and thrown over Retsuko's shoulder by the time he'd finished speaking. Now, all that was left was the black lace of her lingerie, each piece only needing a single snip before they were loose and gone.

Now that she was naked, next up were the restraints. Resasuke grabbed one of her hands and cut through the rope restraining it with the scissors, yanking it out to the edge of the table before slapping one of the manacles around it. It locked into place with a click. Retsuko instinctively tried to pull her hand back out of it, but the metal was perfectly fit to her wrist, hardly letting her move an inch. While she was busy with that, Resasuke had already moved onto her other hand.

Now her feet were free, albeit still tied together, and Retsuko tried to use that to her advantage. She kicked out with her joined legs, flailing around on the table like some sort of perverse mermaid, the chains binding her wrists clanking noisily as she did so. It was a futile gesture. Resasuke wasn't anywhere near the position he'd need to be in for her blows to land, but he was in the perfect spot to grab her ankles and force them down, stopping her struggles.

Two snips, two tugs, two manacles. Resasuke worked with the dexterity and strength of someone who'd done this task a million times before. Whenever Retsuko thought she might be able to get a kick in on his jaw, his hand was pressing down on her ankle, pinning it to the table while his other worked the manacle.

Before long, she was spread eagle on the table, all her thrashing only serving to rattle the chains binding her. Now that escape was impossible, her attention drifted from trying to break free to what was hanging from the walls, finally given a good view now that she was off of the ground. There were racks and hooks driven into seemingly random spots all over the hut, and every one of them had tools dangling from them. Some racks were relatively mundane, filled with hammers, pliers, a few screwdrivers. The most odd thing she could find on those was a wood saw, hardly unusual.

But some were worse. There was a steel plate that looked clean, downright sterile, standing in stark contrast to the dingy wall it was bolted to. The hooks jutting from it were packed full of tools of a different nature. Scissors? No, not scissors. They were too thin, too oddly shaped. They were something else, what were they—

Forceps. They were forceps. Next to them were scalpels, a hemostat, a circular saw. Surgical tools. They only got worse as she kept looking, and she forced her eyes away from them when she made out the tip of a drill shining in the light.

Resasuke's voice grabbed her attention. He was calm as ever, focused on the buttons of his shirt, speaking while he undid them one at a time. -You are… special. Special to me, special to the world. The world needs you.-

Now that Resasuke's chest was exposed, Retsuko could see the scars running across his body. Some looked self inflicted, small, faded lines along the upper portions of his arms, all neatly lined up like tally marks. But then there were the thick, grisly scars along his front, running along his pecs and abs. The angle was all wrong, there was no way he could've done those by himself.

They were from a knife. Someone else's knife. Somehow, Retsuko knew that he hadn't gotten them from practicing self-defense.

He stepped towards her, placing a hand on her rib cage and running it down along her side, coming to a rest on the bump of her hip. -I need you.-

Resasuke's hand lingered on her hip for a moment, rubbing it gently and feeling the bone there, before releasing her and moving towards his pants. His fingers were shaking from excitement to the point that it took him several tries to undo the button on his belt, but none of it showed on his face or in his voice, just that same blank look and that same flat monotone.

-I need your body. I need it for—

-Resasuke, please— - Retsuko started to say something, but a finger on her lips shushed her, and she could feel something wet on it smear across her mouth. Something metallic. She couldn't help but be reminded of the dripping running down the back of her head along the nape of her neck. That finger moved to her cheek, another joining it on the other side as Resasuke cupped her face in his hands.

-Don't interrupt me, Retsuko. I need you to hear this. This world is… disgusting. Rotten. It needs to be changed, it needs someone to fix it. - Resasuke cupped her head with both hands, forcing her to look into his eyes.

-It needs someone to purify it.

Retsuko stared into her captor's eyes. They were the same as they always were, small and black, just like her own. But instead of the distant look that everyone else saw, or the deep, thoughtful expression that she'd recognized it as over the past few days, she saw something else. A burning intensity, lurking just below the surface.

They were two endless abysses, and as she gazed into them, Retsuko could feel them gazing back.

-Resasuke, what are you talking about? You… - Retsuko stopped, having to take a moment to force out her words past the cold fear sitting in her gut and the adrenaline pounding through her veins. -You sound insane!

His face didn't change, but Retsuko could feel those fingers grip around her face just a little bit tighter, nails pressing into her skin. -Retsuko, you're smart. You know what I'm talking about. War. Famine. Death. Everywhere, there's death. Senseless death.

-But… what if I told you we could channel death for good?

Resasuke paused, like he was expected Retsuko to say something, but she just stared at him with those wide, fearful eyes. He let go of her face and returned his attention to his pants, pulling them off over his shoes while he continued to speak. -We can grow good. We just need to plant the right seed, water it with the right things. It's hard to do, but I've taken this job, this burden, upon myself.

Retsuko didn't say anything, just continued to gape at Resasuke while he undressed, kicking off his shoes and peeling off his socks. -But the seed, the water, it needs to come from something good. And there are so, so few good things in the world.

Now fully naked, Resasuke walked up to Retsuko, putting a hand on either of her shoulders and looking into her eyes. Confusion and fear, met with nothing but neutrality. -You're a shining jewel in a world of darkness. That's why you have to die, so everyone can share in that light.

-Please don't do this!- Retsuko sobbed, tears starting to streak down her face. As if to comfort her, Resasuke leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her in a hug and digging his face into the side of her neck. It only made her thrash harder, chains rattling as she struggled to escape her captor's sympathy. -I loved you! Why are you doing this to me?

-I'm sorry, - Resasuke said, taking a deep breath through his nose. -I am not a… good communicator. I don't understand people. People rarely understand me. You are special. You could see past that, see through to the real me.

Resasuke pulled back from Retsuko's neck, pressing his face up against hers to their foreheads were touching. She could smell his breath, just a hint of mint there. On their date, she'd found it appealing. Now, it made her want to gag.

-I love you, too. That's why I'm going to show you my love, one last time.

His hands moved to her breasts, fingers sinking into the flesh there possessively, squeezing down on them. Retsuko let out a shrill scream at his touch, one that echoed off of the walls of the cabin.

-Someone help me! Please, God, hel—

It was silenced by Resasuke's snout suddenly pressing up against hers, lips locking together, leaving the room silent but for the clanking of chains.

#

-Haida! We should get a cab! – Fenneko yelled behind the running hyena.

-A cab will take thirty minutes to get here! And ten to get to the docks! If we run fast enough, we can get there in twenty!

-But…shouldn't we call the police?

-Call whoever you want! But if you lag behind, I won't be waiting up for you!

#

Retsuko's screams were a constant wail now, filling the little room of the cabin and bouncing off of the floor and ceiling, a never-ending cacophony of sound that could barely be heard outside the thick walls. It was like they were on another planet, or another dimension. Her own personal hell.

But what was hell for her was heaven for Resasuke. His hips were slamming into Retsuko's with a great deal of force now, the noise of skin slapping against skin providing a nice backdrop for her shrieking, like the sounds were made to go together. It had a distinct wet quality to it, but it certainly wasn't from any excitement on Retsuko's part. No, it was from the blood.

He'd been her first. He didn't seem to notice, or if he did, he didn't care.

The pain wasn't limited to where he was penetrating her, either. It had spread out, filling her whole body. The way he was jerking her body around made her arms feel like they were going to come loose from their sockets, still secured to the table as they were. Her guts felt like they were twisting themselves into knots. Her skin felt as clammy and cold as his.

The worst of it, though, was her head. She could feel her brain throbbing inside of her skull like it was going to explode, the pain made worse from her screaming, but she couldn't stop. Wouldn't stop. Someone might hear, might help her. Someone had to help her.

Sometimes, she tried to form words instead of just trying to be as loud as possible, yelled about how she was being raped and how Resasuke had gone insane. The only person who answered her was the one raping her. Whenever she said something like that, he'd lean forward, forcing his mouth onto hers in another one of those awful kisses.

After Resasuke pulled back from one, she'd turn her head to the side and retch, but nothing ever came up. Apparently, her body was in such turmoil that it couldn't even bring itself to empty its stomach. Still, vomit or no, it was an especially effective way to shut her up.

At some point, with her lungs burning and her throat unbearably sore from overuse, Retsuko had stopped screaming. She didn't want to. She'd tried her hardest to force out another shriek, but as soon as she tried to force the air out, she found herself springing into a coughing fit. Each cough send a jolt of pain through Retsuko's shredded vocal chords and made her body tense up, clenching down around her rapist and making him sigh in pleasure.

So she stopped. Not because of the pain—the pain would happen regardless, every moment he was inside her was agony. The agony of being stretched beyond her limits without a care for her well-being. The agony of being betrayed and violated by someone she thought she knew, someone she had loved. No pain in her throat could be worse than that.

No, she stopped because she didn't want to give her rapist any pleasure. Whatever Resasuke wanted from her, he'd have to work tooth and nail to take. Instead of screaming, Retsuko just laid there, head bobbing against her shoulder and eyes staring off at nothing while Resasuke used her for all she was worth.

Even though every second he was inside her felt like an age, in reality, Resasuke didn't last that much longer. When Retsuko had stopped struggling and gone limp against the chains binding her, his thrusts had gotten faster and shorter, pounding roughly into the bloody mess he'd made of her cunt.

A dozen quick strokes in and out of her, each one out accompanied by a sighing exhale from Retsuko and each one in by the sharp hiss of her sucking in air through clenched teeth. Then, he slammed himself forward one last time, pushing inside as deeply as he could manage. Retsuko's pubic bone felt like it'd been crushed, her insides felt like they'd been rubbed down with sandpaper, but all she could muster in response to it all was a small croak from her ruined throat.

Resasuke didn't care. He just gripped down on her shoulders while he spent himself inside her, breathing heavily against the side of her neck. Retsuko could barely even feel it, just a slight warmth deep inside of her that quickly faded, but the knowledge of what'd happened was enough. He'd cum inside her.

She wanted to scream, to puke and retch and sob, but she didn't have the energy. All she could do was rest against Resasuke while he rode out his orgasm. Then, after taking a moment to catch his breath, he pulled out.

Retsuko let out a hoarse cry as he slid out of her and backed up, sidling backwards off of the table. She was disgusted to realise how empty she felt, like her walls had adjusted to his presence. Now that he was gone, there was just a gap, filling with a mixture of his seed and her blood. It pooled inside her and dripped down her legs, forming a small puddle on the table.

-You felt good. I hope I made you feel good, too. -

Retsuko didn't respond to his words, feeling herself start to recede into her own mind, but was cruelly jerked back to reality by the feeling of cold fingers touching her. Resasuke had crouched down in front of her, and was now sticking his fingers into the mess between her thighs, gathering it up and slathering it over his hands.

-What are you…?

-It's alright, my sweet, precious Retsuko. We are almost done here.

Looking down, she could see him wiping his hands across the fur of her stomach. No, not not wiping them, he was… painting. Drawing something. Two circles, one inside the other, with a dozen small, strange symbols filling the gap between them.

-You will soon flow through the world in a wave of divine purity.

After wiping his hands dry on the fur of Retsuko's thighs, Resasuke stood up, turning around and moving towards one of the racks of tools scattered across the walls. The one he stopped at was full of knives, all with different lengths, grips, and blades. He seemed to mull over his choices for a moment, then picked one with a leather handle and wide guard, a dagger that looked right out of some medieval fantasy.

Retsuko had almost forgotten during the rape, but the realisation hit her like a sack of bricks. This was it. She was going to die.

-Resasuke, please don't…

-You will live on forever. Through the trees, through the hearts of the people… and through mine.

Her struggles given new life, Retsuko thrashed against the chains holding her, filling the cabin again with the sound of metal clanking and clinking. None of it did any good. Resasuke came closer anyway, planting a hand on her shoulder to steady her while he aligned the tip of his dagger with her abdomen.

-Please! You don't have to do this! I-I love you!

-And I love you, Retsuko. But some things are more important than love.

He shifted his dagger lower to just under her belly button, slanted in at an angle so it'd be able to slide down and behind her pelvic bone. It was a practiced move, one she was sure he'd done plenty of times before. How many times, exactly? The news had said three, but that was just how many of them they'd found, wasn't it?

Retsuko didn't have much time to pursue that line of thought with the insistent poking of steel against her stomach. She sucked in her belly, like she could somehow escape him that way, but his knife just followed her movement. Now she was stuck, unable to relax her stomach even an inch unless she wanted to skewer herself.

She wouldn't have to worry about that for long. The knife started to push forward, tip piercing through her skin and into the fat beneath. Retsuko let out a raspy scream, one that transformed into a gurgling cry as the blade sunk deeper inside her, cutting its way past tendons and muscle. She was being invaded in a way unlike anything she'd ever experienced before—if her body was a temple, then right now, it was being sacked and razed.

And from the ashes, Resasuke's tower would grow just a little bit larger.

It worked deeper into her, inch after inch of steel sliding into Retsuko's abdomen, sucking the heat from her innards. It felt like his fingers did, cold and unfeeling, except now it was inside her. Like Resasuke was reaching into her body, telling her how he loved her, how useful she was, all while he ripped her insides apart and cut into her organs.

Was it like that, or was that actually happening? Retsuko couldn't really tell anymore. She knew blood was gushing out of her at a distressing pace, like a waterfall running from her belly down over her legs, but everything else was getting hazier and harder to focus on. The gentle whispering in her ear and the hand massaging her shoulder could've been real, or they could've been figments of her imagination.

Whether they were real or not, they lasted only a second, then they were gone. Retsuko was stepping back from her, sliding his knife back out of her, leaving only a bleeding gash in its wake. Her vision went black for a moment, passing out from all the pain, but it only offered a few seconds' reprieve. When she regained her senses, Resasuke was crouched over her on all fours, dagger still gripped in his fist.

-You're so, so beautiful.

Before Retsuko could even think of replying, Resasuke's hips dropped down, and she could feel something press into the wound he'd made in her belly. Something blunt, softer than the metal had been, and sickeningly warm. She had a good idea of what it was.

Retsuko started to scream, but Resasuke pushed forward and forced another kiss onto her lips. His hands moved to pin her shoulders to the ground, stripping a little more of the already minuscule freedom of movement she had. There was nothing Retsuko could do but lie there while her guts were repurposed into just another sex sleeve for her former love.

She'd thought the pain from the last time he'd raped her was bad. Being stretched beyond her limits, having what she thought was her most sensitive, private area treated with all the care one would show to a soiled cloth, it all seemed like the worst thing someone could possibly do to her. Retsuko was wrong. This was far, far worse.

Ragged muscles burned with agony as his cock shoved them out of the way and grated against them. Severed veins and arteries soaked the area with blood, providing lubrication at the expense of making every breath a struggle as everything her body needed to survive poured out of her and onto the ground. It seemed to get over every surface, splattering across his waist, running down along her abs and up onto her breasts, even flecking onto her face when he thrust in particularly hard.

Earlier, Retsuko's mind had been a maelstrom of thoughts. Half-formed escape plans, ideas of how she could try to appeal to his better nature, desperate hope that someone would rescue her. All of it was accompanied by the fear and, later, the pain. That all seemed to have disappeared. Now, all that was left were a few phrases, echoing through her mind over and over while she dimly registered what Resasuke was doing to her.

“I'm scared."

“I'm hurt."

“I want to go home."

She stared up at the ceiling while silently repeating her mantras over and over, a slight distraction from the unbearable pain wracking her insides. Every nerve between her belly button and her thighs was lit up like a Christmas tree, telling her exactly how her body was being ruined, letting her know the movement of every severed strand of muscle in agonizing detail. Retsuko ignored all of it.

Resasuke moved his hand down towards her stomach, running it through the puddle of blood that'd formed there. When his fingers were positively dripping with the stuff, he brought it up towards his face, wiping it across his snout and over his nose like some sort of tribal warrior. He paused for a moment, then his tongue slipped out of his mouth, lapping at his palm and licking away the residue.

Retsuko didn't see it. All she could see were the ceiling supports, starting to grow dark and fuzzy as her vision wavered. Either that displeased Resasuke, or he simply needed more to satisfy himself, because he lifted his dagger up in an icepick grip and brought it down hard onto her chest.

The blade landed on the side of her neck, right above her clavicle, shearing through the muscle and flesh there until the tip sunk into the dirt below. He'd managed to miss her windpipe proper, so she was still perfectly able to let out a shrill, piercing scream, only slightly lessened in intensity by the raggedness of her throat.

Resasuke didn't respond to her with words, but with a noise of his own. A deep, guttural growl, filled with primal emotion unlike anything Retsuko had ever heard out of him before. It was certainly more feeling than he'd ever shown to anyone at the office. More feeling than he'd shown to anyone, as a matter of fact.

Anyone that was alive, that is. She'd finally reached the peak of his tower, and the floor was littered with corpses.

With blood gushing out of both the hole Resasuke had made in her belly and the fresh slice he'd cut from her neck, Retsuko could feel her grip on the world slipping away even faster. Every beat of her heart forced yet more of her life out through those two wounds, like water dribbling out of a punctured canteen. It wouldn't be long before she'd go dry.

In her last moments, Retsuko's mind started to feel calm, almost peaceful. With the way shock was starting to muddle her thoughts and blur the line between fantasy and reality, it was easy to pretend none of this was real, that all of it was just a bad dream.

“This is a nightmare."

“I will wake up to my alarm clock."

“I had too much to drink with Haida and Fenneko and I will be hung over."

“I will drink an aspirin and go to karaoke with Gori and Washimi in the evening."

Those were her last thoughts as Resasuke slammed his hips into her guts, cock throbbing and spurting out a load of cum right against the outer walls of her womb. She didn't feel it. She was too busy looking forward to the morning after, of busywork in the office with a pounding headache.

For once, it'd be a pleasure. Retsuko's eyes dimmed and slipped closed, then her body went limp as her rapist tugged himself free of her body.

Resasuke climbed to his feet and looked down at Retsuko's body beneath him, still but for the slight rise and fall of her chest, lying in a still-growing puddle of her own blood. Streaks of his cum mixed with the stuff as it dribbled out from between her legs and the hole of his own making, little strings of white coasting along the surface of a crimson sea.

His own seed, mixed in with what would be the seed of a new world. How poetic. There was poetry in everything, if you knew where to look for it. Sometimes dark, stinking poetry, from the shaking hand of a bitter, cynical man. Sometimes words of beauty that could bring light to the most tortured soul.

Resasuke fancied himself a poet of a sort, and endeavored to make all of his work part of the latter category. So, tightening his hand around his quill, he started to write.

He slid the edge of his dagger down along her sternum, splitting open the thin layers of skin and muscle stretched across it and revealing the bone underneath. When the blood cleared, he could see it there, slightly pink and glistening in the light. Most people thought bone was pure white, but that was from a lack of knowledge, a lack of understanding. He understood. A poet, like any writer, could only write what he knew.

Resasuke pushed his finger into the slit he'd made, feeling the smooth, wet bone beneath his fingers. Hard, as it needed to be to support the body, but with an ever so slight sponginess to it from the moisture it had to reside in. Like a strong tree flourishing in the bottom of the purest lake. He could feel it moving underneath him, in and out, slowing down as the woman it was attached to breathed her last breaths.

-Scaffolding. Scaffolding to raise us all higher, - Resasuke murmured, pushing his fingers deeper into the opening he'd made, feeling the muscles running between her ribs. The way they tensed up as he glanced across them, then relaxed, Retsuko reacting to his touch even in her unconscious state. Even right on the brink of death, she still had so much life, still had so much left to give.

He had something to give, too, and a desire to take. A trade would suit them well.

Walking around her body, Resasuke crouched down next to Retsuko's head, taking it in his hands. With her eyes closed and her face relaxed like this, it looked just like she was sleeping. Dreaming. Of what? He hoped it was of the future that she would help birth, hoped that wherever she was now, Retsuko understood why Resasuke did what he'd had to do. Hoped she understood that he had needs, and why he was going to do what he was doing now.

Moving her head back so that her mouth faced him, Resasuke aligned the tip of his member with the front of her snout, rubbing it along her lips. He smeared a mixture of his cum and her own blood across them, then pressed forward, gently spearing them open. His cock slid forward, gliding across the slick surface of Retsuko's tongue.

There was only the slightest hint of breath against him now, puffing out along the gaps between his dick and the walls of her throat. Sometimes, he plugged her airway entirely, and it built up before releasing around him in a little huff when he pulled out. Every time that happened, it was a little weaker than last time, like he was literally fucking the breath out of her.

Resasuke couldn't think of a better way to go than in the arms of a gentleman like himself, tenderly held and loved as you passed. It filled his heart with warmth to think that he could be there for someone like this, be their rock in their hour of need. So he continued, sawing his way in and out of her mouth.

But as gentle as he wanted to be, he had needs of his own. After a couple of minutes of his caring attention, he stopped, focusing intently to see if he could feel any airflow coming from Retsuko. Five seconds passed, but there was nothing, not the slightest exhale. Her chest was as still as a statue's, lifeless, just a beautiful shell of what was once a lovely woman.

Tragic, to be sure, but a relief all the same. That meant he could indulge himself without fear.

Wrenching her head backwards, Resasuke aligned her mouth so that it was in line with her throat, a perfectly straight tunnel for him to sate himself into. Then, he reared back and slammed forward with as much force as he could muster, feeling Retsuko's nose slam into his pubic bone. It hurt a little, but the pleasure of finally being able to unleash his full passion far outweighed any discomfort.

He fell into something of a trance after that. Resasuke felt like a dynamo, hips moving like pistons as he worked himself in and out of Retsuko's mouth, feeling the tight passage cling to him and tug against him with every motion. She was such a beautiful flower. Now that the life had left her, Resasuke felt more than willing to sniff its scent, pluck its petals, and crush its stem underfoot.

A mixture of saliva, mucus, and yet more blood coated his cock, dredged up from the depths of her throat and running down from her lips over her snout. At the pace he was going, he was almost worried that he would break her, but the cartilage and muscle held together firmly. The gash he'd made in the side of her neck was starting to widen a bit, but that was fine. There was certainly no danger of her head coming off—he wasn't going that hard. Not yet, anyway.

Unfortunately, even after spending himself two times already, he found himself approaching his peak. She was simply too gorgeous, lovely, alluring, every positive word he could think of. None of them were good enough. To compare her to a summer's day? No, she was more lovely and more temperate. Resasuke had never been good with words. He could only express himself through actions, the poetry of motion.

So he thrust into her one last time, grinding himself against her snout, and penned one last verse. A groan slipped past his lips as his cock throbbed, shooting ropes of cum deep into her throat that dripped both into her esophagus towards her stomach and down her airways, pooling in lungs that no longer worked. Then, he pulled out, spraying one last burst across her face.

Resasuke could finally feel the fire inside him starting to die down a bit, satisfied by the offering of blood. Now, he could begin his true work, and put that blood to its proper use.

He got to his feet, turned towards the wall, and grabbed a circular saw.

#

-None of the storage units are open. – Haida puffed as he tried to catch his breath.

Fenneko sat on the ground and looked up at the sky, taking deep and steady breathes.

-Maybe…maybe she just lost her phone…and…and went home? – Haida said, his voice shaking, trying to convince himself more than anything else.

-Yeah…yeah…you're probably right. She'll…she'll probably write us tomorrow. Nothing to worry about.

-Yeah…I…yeah…

Haida fell to the ground, exhausted and stressed. He watched the night sky, trying to collect his thoughts.

A cold breeze blew through the dock with the scent of the sea. The waves bashed against the stones in a furious display of nature's wrath and beauty. The world fell in complete darkness as Haida closed his eyes for just a moment.

-Haida. – Fenneko spoke, a bit unsure. – Do you…do you want to sleep at my place tonight?

-Huh… - Haida opened his eyes and stood up.

He turned towards Fenneko, who too was laying on the ground, unblinking.

-Why?

-I just… - Fenneko struggled for words. – I just don't want to be alone tonight…

Haida crawled next to her. She stood up as well and threw herself into his arms.

-Alright. – he whispered in her ear

She squeezed him tight and buried her face in her chest.

A muffled sobbing pierced the sound of the vicious waves and was drowned out by the bashing sea.

#

It was the wee hours of the morning. Retsuko sat on a park bench, gazing absentmindedly into the distance. He turned towards a trash bag and let out a sad smile. He stood up and opened the bag, dumping Retsuko's body on the ground. From his coat inner pocket he pulled out a jar. Inside – a bansai tree and a heart. He gently place the jar next to her body and gave Retsuko one final kiss.

-A bloody theater of sex and death. Truly a heavy price to pay for fulfilling climax to a sad story. The city is alive and is sick. You are its white blood cell, Retsuko.

Resasuke stood up and disappeared into the shadows. The city was chaos. The city was crying.