Chapter Text
With this beginning of realization made, you couldn't help but be curious about the Science-Fiction People, and even to a lesser extent, the Human People. Your eyes began to stare into the void before you, your pupils dilating slightly as you lost yourself in thought, your face tilting slightly in the manner of a pensive puppy. You finally looked up at the detectives sitting in front of you in the car.
"Do you guys have any special traditions too ? I mean like a particular way of greeting each other, of promising each other things between Animatronics ?"
"Huh ? When it comes to greetings, not really, we have very human-like manners. But for promises it can happen that when we're a couple and more often when we get married to exchange a small object that makes us up, like a screw a bolt or a small piece of metal more often something that's in our bust. It's a way of promising your partner that you'll always be with them."
"What ? Like really ? Isn't it kind of like swapping one of your organs ?" You asked in surprise.
"Well... In a way, yes. It's a bit strange when you put it like that." Moon said with a sigh.
"Yeah... It's strange, but at the same time it's kind of romantic. Well, from what little I know about romance." You reply with a laugh. "I'd ask a friend of mine who's an expert on the subject for confirmation. But having watched films and stuff like that, that's what I think."
You saw Sun and Moon exchange a surprised look before observing you through the internal rear-view mirror, well Sun mostly since Moon quickly focused on the road again. You blinked, slightly unsettled by their surprised reaction, you knew you didn't look sentimental, which indeed you did, but they didn't need to be so surprised, you weren't entirely heartless either. You rolled your eyes and looked out again to see that the car was turning into the street where you lived. You hadn't seen the time go by, let alone paid much attention to the scenery, night had now fallen entirely over the city, and you could see some of the District's inhabitants gathering outside to take advantage of the cool night air for a chat. When the car stopped in front of your building, you let out a small sigh. Opening the door and slipping outside, you said :
"Thanks for the ride."
"You're welcome. Good night, Kitten." Sun said with a smile in your direction.
"I said no nicknames ! " You hissed with annoyance.
You let a small growl leave your lips before closing the door with a little more force than necessary just to slam it shut. You turned on your heels, plunging your hands into your pockets with annoyance as you went first to collect your keys before entering your building. The nickname and the way Sun had smiled at you had annoyed you so much that you could feel your heart beating a little faster in your chest, and your face heating up. You let a "tsk" leave your lips as you climbed the stairs to your apartment, also slamming your apartment door, though not as loudly as Moon's car door so as not to disturb your sensitive-hearing neighbors, hoping to lock away this strange sensation that was being born in the hollow of your heart outside.
~❂✯☾~
The next evening, as you were slumped in your armchair, dressed only in a tank top and jogging pants with your evening meal in your hands, watching yet another stupid movie about fantastic creatures you heard something scratching at the door of your apartment. You stared at the door for a few seconds, a small smile appearing on your lips as you decided to ignore the man you knew to be behind the door, preferring to concentrate once again on the film, which was more amusing than offensive, given all the mistakes made about the Supernaturals who appeared in the film. Vampires and werewolves were always the most misinterpreted in books and films, but that was only to be expected since they were the ones who, over the long centuries that the Fantastics had remained hidden, had been the most noticed by the human race.
The scratching against your door repeated itself once more, accompanied by a high-pitched, shrill squeak similar to that of a fox in agony. You glared at your unwanted guest through the door before turning up the TV slightly, hoping this would be enough to dissuade the tanuki from coming to bother you, but he continued barking and scratching at your door for several moments too long for your patience to hold out. You got up with a grunt of annoyance, putting your breakfast on the table before going to open the door to the tanuki, immediately lowering your eyes in the direction of the furball standing in front of your door, his amber-brown eyes looking up at you as a few tears escaped from his orbs and moistened the fur on his cheeks.
"What do you want Shin ?" You asked the tanuki with a new growl as you caught sight of his tears.
The brown-furred raccoon tilted his head back dramatically, letting another high-pitched cry leave his pointed muzzle, making you wince. Shin then walked into your apartment, you could have stopped him, but decided against it, not wanting to hear him bark any more. Once the tanuki had entered you closed the door behind him before returning to your living room, watching Shin jump onto your sofa to sit down. You let out a sigh as the tears continued to leave the tanuki's eyes, crashing onto your sofa. You clicked your tongue and headed for your kitchen to pick up the leftover fried chicken you'd made yourself, placing it on a plate along with a small slice of bread and some salad. You also grabbed a paper towel and a kitchen towel, which you placed on the armchair in front of the tanuki before putting the seat down.
You saw the tanuki observe the plate before looking in your direction with dilated pupils, his puppy dog expression growing even more pronounced as his round ears seemed to fall further down his skull. You saw him start to open his mouth ready to bark, but you were quicker, reaching out and closing your hand around his muzzle to stop him screaming and screwing up your eardrums once more. Shin's scream turned into a squeak as he looked at you in despair. You waited to make sure he didn't decide to bark again before releasing his muzzle, indicating the plate with your hand and saying :
"Okay, you eat, calm down a bit and then explain to me what's wrong. And I hope it's not one of your stupid shows, because if it is, I'll throw you out the window."
Shin looked down at the plate, lifting one of his paws to rub his muzzle before beginning to eat silently. You turned your attention back to the film, retrieving your own plate as you settled back into your sofa, folding your legs against you to finish your interrupted meal. For several minutes you ate in silence, keeping an eye on Shin, watching him slowly calm down as he continued to eat, the tears slowly disappearing from his hairy cheeks. After finishing his plate you watched Shin get down from your chair, moving away to transform into a human with a small cloud of smoke. The brown-haired young man then returned to the sofa, removing the plate and kitchen towel and placing them on the coffee table before sitting down next to you again, his ears drooping, his tail tucked up beside him as he rested his hands on his knees like a little boy being lectured.
"So... ?" You asked, also putting down your plate to turn to the Fantastic.
"There's a cute fairy who started working a few weeks ago in the convenience store where I work. And we've also been chatting more than well for a few weeks now, and I've been flirting with him. I thought my crush on him was mutual, but when I told him I liked him, he... He just..."
"He friendzoned you." You declared tactlessly.
"Yes..." Shin squeaked sadly.
"Shin... He's another Fantastic, you should have expected him to reject you." You sighed, coming to pinch the bridge of your nose. "With all the rejections you've already taken, you should be used to it. You're too sensitive, raccoon."
An offended hiccup left Shin's lips as he glared at you, and you saw him make an exaggerated pout before reaching for the paper towel you'd brought earlier, noisily blowing his nose. You let an amused chuckle leave your lips, which drew Shin's attention back to you, and the tanuki stuck out his tongue at you before gently nudging your shoulder with his own and saying :
"It's better to be too sensitive than heartless like you."
"Yeah... But at least I don't cry every time a fictional character dies." You replied with a touch of mockery. "And if I'd been heartless I'd have kicked you the instant you slipped into my apartment without permission."
Shin let a laugh leave his lips, his amber eyes having lost some of their sadness. Shin then explained in a little more detail how he'd fallen for his colleague Fairy, and you couldn't help but sigh at the ease with which the tanuki attached himself to others, especially Fantastic who wasn't his own kind. Shin was a Supernatural, and he knew exactly how the Fantastic world worked when it came to relationships. In the Fantastics community, relationships between different species of magical creatures were just as rare as relationships with members of the other two communities, for a variety of reasons. But the one that came up most often was the fear of giving birth to an Unstable Hybrid, and in the worst case, giving birth to a Shapeshifter.
In the vast majority of inter-fantasy crosses, one of the two parents saw the genes of his species more dominant than those of his partner, so that their child would be only a few percent hybrid. Werewolves, for example, could have children without fear, despite all the accusations against them, since the lycanthrope curse could only be transmitted by bite. Some cases of inter-species mixing produced hybrids that were 50% stable, as in the case of the Dhampires, who were both human and vampire and had no problem living. But others were not so lucky, and sometimes the two 'magical' genes of the parents came into conflict, creating degenerative diseases in the child that were difficult to treat and very often fatal, and these sick hybrids were called Unstable Hybrids.
If successful crossbreeding posed no problem over one or two generations, several generations of inter-species crossing later, the risk of a Shapeshifter appearing in the line greatly increased. As it was difficult to retrace one's entire family tree, many Fantastics didn't know if they had parents born of cross-breeding and didn't want to risk giving birth to a Shapeshifter, knowing the instability and presumed danger represented by this 'species'.
You lowered your eyes to your hands, feeling a lump form in the pit of your stomach, your feelings about inter-species relations were very mixed. You yourself were the result of inter-species mixing, and you couldn't help but curse all your ancestors for not having done what all the other Fantastics had done, and for having settled for a few of your own species. If it hadn't been for them, you wouldn't have been here, you wouldn't have had to hide constantly, you wouldn't have had to suffer for your existence, for what you really were. You knew you weren't the Shapeshifter who suffered most, you'd been lucky enough to get out, to find what could be a family to educate and love you, but the fear that your true nature would one day be revealed hung over you. And you knew that the vast majority of Fantastics wouldn't appreciate knowing you were close to them, knowing you lived. And if you weren't afraid of dying or leaving, you feared for the safety of those who had been so good to you. You didn't want what you were to harm them, you didn't want their kindness to you to help you live to hurt them.
And if you hated the idea of inter-species relationships because your parents and family had given birth to you, only to abandon you when they discovered you were a Shapeshifter, you couldn't help thinking about the Heartons. Of how these two Fantastics of different species truly and sincerely loved each other, of how they fought to take care of their sick child, despite the difficulty, despite the reproaches and remarks people made to them, despite the fact that they knew there was probably no good end for their family. They who had accepted to raise and love you as their own flesh and blood, knowing that you were a Shapeshifter. And you, unable to do anything to help them, to return their kindness, their love...
You gritted your teeth, clenching your hands into fists, feeling your arms tremble slightly as you tried to contain all your emotions. You finally closed your eyes with a heavy sigh, releasing your hands, seeing that your nails had begun to leave small marks in your palms. You shook your face slightly, your gaze shifting to Shin, who was looking at his tanuki tail with a touch of sadness and anger. You saw one of his hands close a little too roughly on his tail, will still talking, hoping to find some comfort in you.
Tanuki were, along with Kitsune and Nekomata, the most controversial Fantastics in existence, the fact that they were animals who could transform into humans placing them on a boundary that discouraged many from frequenting them in any way. And you knew that every time he was rejected, Shin blamed his own species, which he already hated because of his family. A small, almost amused sigh left your lips as you saw once again that you weren't the only one with existential problems concerning the species to which you belonged. You leaned in Shin's direction, jostling his shoulder with yours, drawing his attention back to you as you gave him a small smile and said :
"Hey, I'm sure you'll find the right person in the end. You just have to look a little harder... And stop falling in love with every person who breathes within a meter of you."
"Ah ?! That's not true ! I don't 'fall in love with every person who breathes within a meter of me' !" Shin exclaimed, imitating your voice by echoing your words.
"Give me some proof, then."
"Easy. You. You're very often within three feet of me and I've never fallen in love with you."
"Fortunately. Otherwise I'd have been one of those who'd friendzone you... As well as kicking you." You replied with a smile.
"Don't worry, there was no risk. You're not friendly, not interesting, not funny and on top of that, you're ugly." Hissed the tanuki with a mocking smile.
You let a falsely hurt exclamation leave your lips as you brought one of your hands to your heart. Shin leaned in your direction, his two hands coming to rest on your chair right next to your folded feet before sticking his tongue out right in front of your face, his ears and tail wagging. You were about to roll your eyes at his childish behavior before stopping yourself, a Cheshire smile splitting your lips. You lifted one of your feet slightly before suddenly unfolding it, pushing one of Shin's hands, who was suddenly thrown off balance and let a cry of surprise escape his lips. His cry was quickly silenced as his face slammed into the chair. You chuckled before finally laughing outright, watching as the tanuki froze for long seconds with his tail tousled.
When Shin finally lifted his face, you could see an expression of defiance on his features, a playful smile on his lips that you quickly returned. In a flash, he threw himself at you, surprising you in turn as you toppled off the sofa, landing on the floor with a soft thud. A small grunt of pain escaped you both, as you straightened slightly, remaining motionless and silent for a few seconds as your eyes (e/c) met that amber of Shin. You suddenly assumed your feline form, ruffling the hair on your back as you assumed a playful stance, an amused gleam in your eyes. Shin also transformed, taking on his tanuki appearance, you saw him resting his front paws flat against the ground, his hindquarters raised as his tail swished rapidly from right to left like a dog inviting another to play.
Seeing that he was willing to play, you didn't waste a second before pouncing on him, your claws carefully hidden in your paws so as not to hurt him as you landed on top of him, your fangs closing gently on one of his ears. Shin yelped slightly before pushing you away with a shake of his head, and you backed away from him, staring at him with your ears laid back along your skull as your tail whipped through the air. Shin let a low growl leave his lips before pouncing on you in turn, sending you tumbling to the ground as you pulled him into your roll. You felt him gently bite one of your front paws as you playfully slapped his muzzle a few times.
You twisted to get away from him, his fangs releasing your paw as you took off running across your living room to your kitchen, Shin chasing you until you jumped nimbly onto your countertop, Shin failing to stop in time and lightly impacting the underside of your counter with a squeak. Had you been in your human form, you would have laughed, but being unable to do so with your voice, you did so with your eyes. Seeing that Shin was all right, as he had started to bark in your direction, you pounced on him, sending you rolling to the ground once again, trying to bite each other.
Your heart was racing with adrenalin and action, but you were having fun. You knew it was stupid and childish to play like this like young Fantastics, but it felt good and you knew that Shin was also enjoying your little friendly battle to let off steam. You were giving in a little to your deep-rooted instincts, which told you to just have fun, but at this moment you didn't have to worry about anything, you just had to attack, dodge, run away before turning around to start chasing Shin. You hadn't often had the opportunity to play like this with other children your age when you were smaller, you were unable to control your Shapeshifter powers properly and you feared involuntarily transforming yourself while playing. So you simply watched the other young Fantastics playfully battling it out in the streets of the District, occasionally playing with the adults around you, even if it wasn't the same thing. And you knew that Shin hadn't been able to enjoy his child either, being the only son of a strict, withdrawn family.
A little mewl of surprise left your lips as you felt Shin's fangs close on your tail, and you turned towards him, pawing his muzzle repeatedly before biting his ear in retaliation. Shin snorted before fleeing, and as you once again began to run around the house frantically you thought you heard a knock on your door, but ignored it, thinking it must be the noise you and Shin were making as you galloped around your apartment. In your animal forms you were roughly the same size, Shin slightly bigger, but you were quicker than him and used to fighting for real, so you had the upper hand on him more easily.
Seeing that you were beating him, Shin took off towards the entrance to your apartment. You began to chase him quickly, your paws pounding the ground behind him, arriving in the hallway of your entrance you pounced on Shin who let out a yelp of surprise as you both rolled to the ground once more, you quickly got the better of him pushing him to the ground against his back as you placed both your front paws on the fur of his chest, your muzzle just above his as you looked him in the eye, sticking out your tongue slightly to prove your victory. Shin let an annoyed squeak leave his lips. A squeak that suddenly turned into a cry of surprise as the door to your apartment suddenly opened.
Your feline muzzle turned sharply in the direction of the door, your ears laid back against your skull, your eyes reduced to slits as your body tensed ready to react to attack or flee in case of danger. But you froze, your ears going right back to your skull as you saw Sun and Moon standing in front of your apartment door, Sun having pushed the door open while Moon had put his hand on his gun, his jacket pushed back. You blinked, slightly unsettled by the presence of the two animatronics. Shin beneath you tilted his head back, his skull resting entirely on the floor as he gazed at the two policemen with a small, shocked expression, a squeak leaving his lips. You looked down at Shin before transforming back, one of your hands still holding the tanuki to the ground as your tail and ears twitched slightly.
"Moon ? S-Sun ? What are you doing here ?" You asked.
"We've been trying to reach you for half an hour, but you didn't answer. So we came to check if you were at your apartment." Sun began, frowning.
"We did a scan for your vital signs and had seen you in the presence of another creature. And we thought, from the sudden movements you were making, that you were being attacked..." Moon finished as he straightened up, his hand leaving his holster.
You felt Shin stir beneath you before there was a small cloud of smoke, the tanuki taking on his partially human appearance. Your hand was still on his chest as you found yourself sitting next to him, who was lying star-shaped on the ground. Looking in the direction of Moon and Sun before looking back at you, he held out a hand, pointing at the two animatronics and saying :
"Do you... know them ?"
"Yeah ?" You replied, slightly confused by the situation you were in.
You raised your eyes to the two detectives, watching their expressions change from neutral to unsettled and almost devoid of feeling, their respective optics shining with a gleam that made the fur on your tail bristle. You didn't know exactly what you'd done, but they were looking at you and Shin just like the first time you'd faced them in the interrogation room, only this time you knew what you'd done wrong. Shin beneath you also tensed, a barely audible squeak leaving his throat as he saw the looks on your two colleagues' faces. Now that you were looking more closely... Were Sun and Moon looking at Shin specifically ?
You heard Moon let out an exasperated sigh before seeing him enter your apartment to get closer to you, he bent down sliding his hands under your armpits before lifting you up easily, your feet not touching the ground as Moon carried you like you were Simba at the very beginning of The Lion King. You blinked again, now even more bewildered by everything that was currently happening, your orbs lowering towards Shin who rolled onto his stomach before standing up. Sun in turn entered your apartment, moving closer to Shin and Moon, who seemed determined not to put you down.
"Are you all right ?" Sun asked Shin with worrying seriousness.
You saw Shin look at Sun, then at Moon, then at yourself, who was firmly held by Moon's hands. A mischievous smile split the tanuki's lips as he brought his hand to his left shoulder, letting a sigh of pain leave his lips before he said, almost squeaking :
"Gentlemen... I don't want to cause any trouble, but this wild creature savagely bit my shoulder."
A hiccup of surprise and offense left your lips as you felt Moon lower his eyes in your direction as Sun turned his facial disc towards you. You lifted one of your dangling legs, trying to jostle Shin, who was standing not far away from you, with your foot, but the tanuki moved away just far enough not to take a blow. You started to growl, but stopped yourself, letting your Cheshire smile reappear on your lips.
"Oh, perhaps I should make the introductions. Sun, Moon, this is Shin, my next-door neighbor. Shin, I'd like you to meet Moon and Sun, the two police officers I'm currently working with."
You had emphasized the word policeman, and you saw Shin's mischievous expression melt away, his ears falling back along his skull as his bushy, striped tail came lightly to hide between his legs, making you giggle. Feeling Moon's fingers close over your armpits without hurting you, you tilted your head back, shaking your shoulders as you silently asked him to put you down. Which the animatronic did, with a small expression of hesitation and almost... embarrassment ? Once on the ground, you smoothed out your clothes, moving closer to Shin to put your face to his, reaching out to boop the tip of his nose.
"Well, Shin ? Don't you have anything more to say ?" you almost purred.
"I... I'm sorry Detectives ! I'll... I'll let you two talk w-with y/n !"
In a flash Shin bowed respectfully to Moon and then to Sun before transforming into a tanuki, scurrying out of your apartment as he slid in beside Sun. You heard him reach his door, open it and then stop. The tanuki, now human again, poked his head through your doorframe, his ears resting on the sides of his head as he looked in your direction and said :
"Thanks for the meal... And everything. Talk to you later."
He disappeared again, and this time you heard his door close. You let a chuckle leave your lips as you rolled your eyes, and after a few seconds you let out a sigh before looking up at Sun and Moon. You watched the indecipherable expressions of the two animatronics, before looking at your door and then at your living room, which was further away. You hummed lightly before gesturing towards the living room.
"I can't really kick you out, can I ? So... Come in ?"
You turned on your heels and walked back to your living room, hearing Moon and Sun follow you after closing the door behind them. You grabbed the plates you and Shin had left behind, removing them from the coffee table and placing them in the sink. As you walked through your apartment, you noticed that while playing, you and Shin had left a few tufts of furs here and there, which made you grumble slightly as you knew you were going to have to clean your whole apartment sooner than you'd expected. Returning to the living room, you saw the two animatronics standing almost uncomfortably, their optics scanning the living room of your apartment with surgical precision.
"You can sit down, you know ? You're not dogs Skinwalkers, you don't have to wait until I suggest it to do so." You declared with a chuckle.
"It wouldn't have been very polite of us to do it without your permission." Sun declared.
"Because analyzing my apartment as if it were a crime scene is polite ?" You retorted.
"This... We were just looking." Moon replied, sounding slightly embarrassed.
You blinked as you saw the usually stoic nocturnal animatronic turn his face away, a hint of pink coloring his cheekbones. You thought back to the strange reaction Sun had had when you ate ice cream, the same kind of reaction Moon was having now. You let a teasing smile appear on your lips as you realized that the two animatronics could be blushing, that they could be embarrassed, this was information you could have fun with. You went to your bedroom, retrieved your phone and realized that you'd forgotten to charge it. You plugged in your mobile before returning to the living room, grabbing one of the chairs from your dining room and placing it opposite Sun and Moon, whom you watched settle into your sofa, which seemed so small compared to them.
"My phone did run out of battery... Sorry about that." You sighed, a touch of guilt rising in the pit of your stomach as you disturbed the two animatronics.
"That's okay, it's something that can happen to anyone." Sun replied.
"So... Why did you want to contact me ?" You asked, cutting the discussion short to get to the point. "It's late, usually you contact me in the afternoon."
"We had new information about Jenna Royn, we analyzed her habits and the places she often visited and we managed to find a bar she commonly frequented." Moon replied.
"Oh ! Okey. I'll get changed quickly and we can go."
You didn't wait for a reply from the two policemen, getting up and heading into your apartment to your bedroom where you quickly put on one of your usual outfits you used to go outside. You also collected your consultant's badge before returning to the living room, where the two animatronics had not moved, chatting almost silently. You signalled that you were ready to leave, and Moon and Sun immediately got up and headed for the exit of your apartment. You recovered from your apartment before you'd left it near the entrance and closed the door to your home.
As Sun and Moon started down the stairs like sensible people, you slid along the barrier, watching and waving to the two animatronics who watched you disappear quickly down the stairs. Once at the bottom you didn't wait for the two metal policemen, leaving the building before rushing into the adjacent alley to deposit your keys in their secret hiding place. Once you'd done that, you left the alley, quickly rejoining the main street just as Sun and Moon left the building. You saw them frowning, Moon stepping forward to peer into the dark alley with both hands plunged into the pockets of his long jacket.
"What's in this alley that you need to check every time you enter or leave your apartment Kitten ?" Moon questioned, indicating the alley with a movement of his facial disk.
"Don't call me that." You hissed. "As for what's in that alley... My little secrets... But mostly my keys. I can't have anything on me when I transform, remember ? So I leave them in a little corner where no one can find them."
"Isn't there a risk that a Fantastic might find your keys because of your smell ?" Sun asked.
"With the smell of garbage ? Not a chance."
You accompanied the two animatronics to their car, taking your usual place in the back seat as night began to fall on the city, the sun painting the sky in pastel hues reflected on the tall glass buildings you passed. The car drove on for a long time, the scenery changing as it went, while the silence was pierced from time to time by Sun or Moon asking you questions or explaining how the search for information was going to unfold. As another small pause in the conversation began, Moon spoke again, surprising you slightly by broaching a subject totally different from the investigation you were carrying out.
"Why did your neighbor seem so frightened to learn that we were police ?"
"Huh ? Shin ? Oh... He's sickly afraid of the police." you hummed.
"If he's not to blame, why would he be afraid of the police ?" Sun sighed, frowning.
"Shin arrived in the country illegally, traveling in the hold of a plane from Japan. He's afraid the police will arrest him and send him home."
"What ?" Sun sighed surprised by your answer. "I thought you said you had no more acquaintances with a suspicious profile."
"Do you really think Shin looks suspicious ?" You replied with a tone somewhere between sarcasm and mockery.
There was a short silence before both policemen finally answered "no" simultaneously, which made you chuckle slightly, because even Sun and Moon, not knowing Shin personally, knew that the tanuki was harmless. You couldn't help feeling a little sorry for Shin, who was being read like an open book in the blink of an eye. What's more, his kindness, sensitivity and playfulness were what made him so endearing.
"Why did he flee his country ?" Sun asked.
"It's not really his country he fled, it's his family. Shin is a tanuki, tanukis are one of the rarest species of Fantastic these days. Before Supernaturals revealed themselves to human eyes, Tanukis, who remained almost entirely in their wild, bestial form, lived in the mountains and forests of Japan. But with the development of technology and urban expansion, their natural habitat was eaten away and destroyed. Those who didn't die trying to defend their home were forced to scatter everywhere, with less chance of encountering fellow creatures and their population slowly dwindling. Even today, Tanukis are still struggling to recover, and to try and remedy this, it's common for Tanukis families to arrange marriages. Shin didn't want that, so he ran away from his family and got as far away from them as possible."
There was silence as you explained why Shin was so afraid of the police. The tanuki feared going back to his homeland more than anything else, he feared coming face to face with his family, having to marry someone he didn't know, someone he didn't love, having to found and live with a family that would be created from scratch, a family that would be based on duty and obligation rather than love. You felt sorry for Shin, you'd been lucky enough to have a family who, even if they weren't related to you by blood, still loved you. Shin's family, on the other hand, only saw him as an object to be used as they saw fit. It was partly for this reason that you put up with his exuberant behavior and hyper-sensitivity, he was only looking for what he hadn't had for a long time.
"Have you known him long ?" Sun asked.
"Um... Since I moved into the apartment, he had arrived a few months before me if I remember correctly." You replied after thinking for a few seconds.
"You must be close then..." Moon sighed with an intonation you couldn't interpret.
"Eh.. Yes, sort of ?"
You saw Sun open his mouth to ask a question, but he seemed to change his mind, concentrating again on the road ahead. The silence that accompanied your statement made you wonder if you'd said something you shouldn't have. You started to open your mouth, ready to ask what was wrong, before pulling yourself together at the last second. You frowned, wondering why you suddenly cared what they were doing to Sun and Moon, you didn't even understand why you'd told them about Shin, it wasn't as if you'd been obliged to answer them, you'd just spoken... instinctively.
As you shook your face, trying to put your mind back on the right track, your gaze came to rest on a sign outside whose name you knew, and as you looked closely, the street you were crossing seemed familiar, but in a bad way, chills running up your spine. Then you remembered that Moon and Sun had said you were supposed to visit a bar that Jenna Royn frequented...
"I didn't think to ask before... But what's the name of the bar we're going to inspect ?"
"The bar's called 'The Horned Goat'." Sun began.
"Holy shit..." You sighed, coming to take your face in your hands with a sigh that was as annoyed as it was worried.
"Watch your language, Kitten." Moon declared slightly mockingly.
A growl left your lips as the tension that was beginning to run through your body only increased with the reproach and nickname. You glared at the back of Moon's face enough for him to feel it before hissing :
"For the umpteenth time, don't call me that. And I can swear all I want knowing now of the shit we're going to get into, and especially me."
"Does this bar have such a bad reputation with the Fantastics ?" Sun asked, turning to you. "The bar has already had a few offences and problems with the law, like complaints but nothing too aggravating or that could be dangerous or suspicious. What's more, internet reviews are more than favorable."
"Give me a break." You declared with a dry laugh. "Firstly, the internet reviews are definitely wrong. The entire clientele of 'The Horned Goat' are Fantastics, and generally Fantastics don't leave comments on review sites, they go by word of mouth. There may be a few humans and animatronics from time to time, but you have to be brave to enter this building where other customers silently threaten you as soon as you set foot inside. Secondly, this 'bar' is more than a bar. It's where Fantastics with an unreliable profile hang out. And last but not least, this... filthy place is a kind of dating site for Fantastics."
"Well, it's a bit like most of the other suspicious and backward bars there are in this town." Sun replied with a touch of amusement.
"Maybe it is. But this is on another level, since the owner of this bar is Douglas Mushy. A satyr, he's in his thirties and is the very cliché of what Greek mythology thought Satyrs were. He's a matchmaker as soon as you set foot in his establishment and aren't already in a relationship. If you pay him a substantial sum, he won't hesitate to use his spellbinding magic to manipulate other people's feelings, for example, to make someone who doesn't normally like you fall in love with you... He's simply sickening. And I suppose he must have other crimes under his belt but not that I'm aware of."
"I understand better why some of the complaints were reported as 'sentimental manipulation'. Several investigations were opened but were unsuccessful for lack of evidence. If magic was involved, I understand better why." Moon declared.
"Yeah, Satyr magic is more or less powerful depending on the individual and lasts for more or less time. From a few hours to a year for the most powerful. The problem is that by the time the Satyr magic wears off, it may already be too late for some victims who have unwittingly found themselves invested in their couple, some having given away all their money, now being entirely dependent on the other and so on... The Fantastic Government is trying to take measures to combat this kind of crime, such as special listening and support units for victims, but to really prevent this kind of deviance we need to be able to investigate and have the evidence to charge and punish the culprits."
Your statement was accompanied by a heavy silence. So many problems and misunderstandings could have been solved if only Fantastics, Humans and Sci-Fi had all been able to put aside what made them different, but perhaps there were too many peoples, too many things to accept and too many differences to put up with... You hoped things would change, you'd told DB, things had to change, but it wasn't up to you to push for change, it certainly wasn't you who was going to make things change, the Fantastics didn't like the Shapeshifters, and you suspected that humans would accept them even less once they realized they could be everything and anything at once.
"We've arrived." Moon declared.
You brought your mind back to reality, something you'd been having to do a bit too much for your taste lately, focusing on the bright neon sign that projected too much light to be legal and announced the name 'The Horned Goat', accompanied by the bar's logo, which represented the head of a goat sporting huge, twisted horns. Given the bar's popularity, parking had been compulsory, and even so Moon had to search for a few minutes before finally finding an available space. Just as the two detectives were about to leave the car, you stopped them, grabbing their shoulders before asking in a slightly ashamed voice :
"You... Couldn't have perfumed something like that by any chance ? Even one of those little fir trees you hang in the car would do."
"N-No..." Sun sighed. "We don't usually wear perfume. And I don't think Moon is anything that scents in his car..."
"No, I don't have anything like that. But why would you need perfume ?" Moon replied before turning in your direction.
"To try and hide my scent. If I walk into this bar, reputed to serve as a meeting place, smelling... Well, like myself, the other Fantastics might think I'm looking for a partner. Especially as we're going to Douglas's bar... Tsk. If I'd known we were coming here in particular I'd have asked Shin to lend me one of his clothes just to get his scent on me so I'd be left alone."
You heard Sun take a slightly wheezing breath, which made you frown, not only because the animatronic clearly didn't need to breathe, but also because the noise he had made seemed almost annoying. Your (e/c) orb slid over to Moon, whose optics had begun to glow a little brighter, illuminating the dark interior of the car. You stared at the two metal policemen for several long seconds, watching them glance in your direction before quickly looking away. You snapped your fingers in their direction, forcing their attentions towards you before crossing your arms and saying :
"Well, what's the matter ? I've got the impression that you've been troubled by something for some time now, but you don't dare ask. So what is it, because now you're seriously starting to piss me off."
"It's a... A personal question, and we know you want to keep your life private, so we thought it best not to ask." Moon declared.
"Huh ? So... You consult my personal police file to find out where I live, as well as to learn other personal information. You take the liberty of coming to my front door, opening it and entering without my permission. You've already asked me personal questions before, and what's more, you've done worse than what I've already mentioned, and asking me a personal question now makes you have a problem with your conscience ? You know, for supposedly intelligent creatures, you really are stupid." You sighed with an amused smile and a raised eyebrow.
"We... don't have any arguments to use." Sun replied, pursing his lips.
Sun's animatronic rays had retracted into his skull a little more with each new argument you'd added to their list of things they'd done that he wasn't responsible for. Sun certainly had a few more on his list because of the episode when he'd insisted on offering you ice cream, but Moon felt just as guilty in view of the way he'd grabbed his nightcap and pulled it slightly in front of his face. Seeing them do this, noting their little mimicry, you couldn't help but wonder if you'd never noticed their habit before or if they'd simply not done it in front of you before.
"And so... what is this famous personal question ?" You said, tilting your face.
"Are you and Shin... together ?"
"Wait... Together ? Like, as a couple ?" You sigh with an almost surprised expression.
You saw the two animatronics nodding affirmatively, and let a small "o" appear on your lips before slowly pursing your lips together, trying to hold back the laughter that appeared in the back of your throat before finally a sneer left your lips. You lowered your face, resting your arm on the chair in front of you and resting your forehead against your arm, shaking your head as you continued to laugh uncontrollably. You now understood a little better the reaction they'd had when they'd caught you having a friendly fight with Shin. After several short, hard breaths of laughter, you looked up at the two animatronics, wiping away a small tear that had escaped your eye.
"Oh my... I know Shin's desperate to find someone, but not so desperate as to choose me as a partner."
"You're not lovers ?" Sun asked, as if to make sure she'd understood your answer.
"Hell no ! Shin, at best, I think of him as a big brother, stupid, super sensitive, caring and stupid."
"You said stupid twice." Moon corrected you.
"That was on purpose."
"Why would he be desperate to pick you ?" Sun asked, frowning.
"Despite everything, he's a good person. He's kind and emphatic and sometimes his stupidity is his charm. He deserves someone who can understand him and give him back what he's given. And I can't do that... I barely tolerate him as a neighbor, if I had to share my life with him you'd probably have me arrested for murder." You joked.
You saw Moon roll his eyes as Sun let a little laughter leave his lips, and you could suddenly feel the strange tension between you fading. You hummed slightly before the two animatronics finally decided to leave the car, you following their movements. Even several yards away from the bar, you could smell the alcohol and the various magical creatures wafting up to your nostrils, making you wince. You inhaled deeply before exhaling loudly through your nostrils, trying to calm yourself and prepare for the mental and sensory torture you were about to undergo.
"Some times I envy you not having a sense of smell." You declared in the direction of Sun and Moon.
"We do have a sense of smell. It's just not as well developed as yours. I think it's more or less comparable to that of humans." Moon interjects.
"Oh? I didn't know." You exclaimed, genuinely surprised.
As you slowly digested this new information, you approached the bar, your gaze lingering on the front and outside of the bar and the queue out front, stretching out to the parking lots, many Fantastics waiting for the bouncer to finally let them in. You felt more like you were standing in front of the entrance to a nightclub or private club than in front of a simple bar, and you knew that nothing good would be waiting for you once inside this bar like no other.