FSE

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--Fen--

I have nightmares that night, hours after I kissed Naki for the first time. His finding out isn't entirely okay, yet. I still wonder if he really has my best interests in mind, even if he'd been so sweet at prom. I keep telling myself that, if he wanted to catch me, he would've already. No matter how many times I tell myself, I can't quite shake it. I should tell my parents, but then they'd tell me to keep away from him. What if he's genuinely being nice? I lay there awake after the latest nightmare, staring upwards, but the room is too dark for me to see anything. What should I do?

The morning of our first final, I decide to try going to the pools again. Even if Naki doesn't show up, I'll just swim and enjoy the water. Maybe it'll put me at ease. When I arrive, Naki is sitting at the edge of the water and a grin spreads his whisker-filled muzzle when he sees me enter.

"Hey," he says as I walk over and sit down next to him. I smile a little, still a little uncomfortable. Again, that twinge in my stomach reminds me that he could easily snatch me up and none would be the wiser, at least not immediately.

"Hey," I say, leaning against him a bit and smiling as his arm wraps around and pulls me against his warm, powerful body. I try to relax, and he does help quite a bit. Some of my cares melt away, but I never forget about them.

"Kind of a wacky couple weeks, huh?" He asks with a slight chuckle, squeezing me a bit.

"Yea," I say, "you said it. Not even one more left, though. Almost done, just a couple days."

"Yea."

"I do... want to talk more, though, after this week."

"Heheh, you think you're the only one? There're mounds of things I want to talk to you about but... yea, after this week." He smiles a little and lets go of me, slipping into the water to float on his back.

"How about next weekend, then?" I ask. "After the graduation ceremonies?"

"Probably not the best day, who knows how long we'll be busy for. We could try the day afterwards?"

"Yea, you're right. Parents will probably take me out for dinner afterwards, or something. The next day works," I say, slipping into the water and swimming over to where he's floated. I tread next to where he is, struggling a bit to stay above the water. He smiles a little and leans to lick against the side of my muzzle gently.

"Wanna do a couple laps before our first tests begin?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

The rest of the week goes rather well. My worry nags at me, of course, but I think I do a good job on my exams. Hanging out with Naki in the mornings puts my worries to rest enough that I'm able to focus through each hour-and-a-half-long test, at least. Sy also seems rather on the edge, but he was the same way when Ian found out too. We both were, really. It took months before we truly trusted him after he found out. After my last final, I'm just happy that it's -all- done. That day, Friday, walking out of the school, Sian and I take our last look at the building. It's the last time we'll be inside for years, likely.

"Feels nice, huh?" he asks, grinning a bit as we stare at it from in-front of where the busses will be picking us up.

"Yea," I respond, thinking back to all of the experiences I had in highschool. Though they'd been fun, and I might remember them fondly in the future, I'm more than happy to leave them behind for what's coming next. College, a career, potentially someone to spend it all with. A flutter climbs through my chest as I think about it and, despite my nervousness, for a moment, I'm excited.

"Today's the day they're going to talk about the registration," Sian states, the look on his face seems more like a grimace than a smile. "Kind of weird that today's the day they do it. We're out of school, going into college, and now something like this has to happen. Talk about a new chapter."

"Yea, I know. Let's hear about it before we panic, though, I guess."

"You're right. We'll just have to wait and see."

That evening, my parents and I sit around the television after dinner. We're all silent, which makes sense. After all, what they do with this might change the way we live. A knot climbs in my stomach because I just know it can't be anything good. Just as the announcement is about to start, I feel my phone vibrate.

'Fen? I'm watching the news. I know you're probably watching as well, but I want ya to know that I'm behind you 100%. No matter what :)'

I smile a bit at the text from Naki and make a quick response. 'Thanks, let's hope it's not too bad.'

"Who's that?" My mom asks, peering down at my phone and causing me to click the screen off.

"Naki, just askin' to hang out after graduation next weekend," I respond, staring on as Natbur walks up to the podium to begin.

"As many of you know, our country and way of life have been compromised to an extent that we are still attempting to measure. It is because of this that I, as well as your representatives, have been working tirelessly to come up with a solution that does not lead to another war."

I swear I hear him chortle softly when he says the word "war". I don't think any normal actually considers it a war, even if it were declared as such back then. It's best described as a massacre.

"Every micro will need to be registered, those who are using the matter conversion devices may do so at their nearest secretary of state. Those without will be asked and, failing that, forced to come forward to register at temporary stations that will be set up in the coming weeks. We realize that many micros may decide to simply avoid this process or even flee their homes to avoid it and, so, we feel it is pertinent to point out the following: You are not citizens of this country, and you are not protected by our laws. Those who refuse and are found will be forced to register, any resistance to registration will be met with lethal force or imprisonment.

I grumble a little, frowning. Typical.

"Details of your registration will be given when you arrive at your designated station. Full cooperation between Neotrians and the micros in these efforts is required to ensure that no one is harmed, so we encourage anyone who is or knows of a micro to take appropriate actions."

"Finally, registration will begin in one week and run for the entirety of two months with extensions made if required. Thank you for your attention."

There's clapping as those attending the speech cheer the prime minister on. He didn't really say anything other than we -have- to register "or else". I slouch in my seat a bit.

"We've got a week to decide, then," says my father, staring at the television for a while longer and listening to a reporter recap the message and talk about possible consequences.

"We already decided that we would," my mother says, giving an exasperated sigh and lifting her brow.

"We'll just have to keep our ears open, try and figure out their game before they spring whatever trap this turns out to be."

"Or we could run," I mutter.

"And go where?" my father asks, which quiets me down rather quickly.

"...I'm going to bed," I say, standing up and marching towards the stairs. My parents say nothing, but they don't have to. It's as hard as them as it is on me-- if not harder. My phone buzzes and I pull it from my pocket, seeing Naki's name. I answer it after tumbling down onto my bed, "Hey."

"You alright?" He asks.

"Yea, I'm fine. Just... frustrated."

"I bet, he was pretty... poignant. So... are you gonna do it?" He asks, seeming a little hesitant.

"My parents figure we should."

"What d'you think?"

"I don't have a better idea, honestly. I just... I hate that we always seem to be the ones getting trampled on. What's the last good thing that's happened to micros as a group?" I ask, growling a little beneath my breath.

"I'm really sorry it has to happen to ya, Fen. I don't even know what I can do t'help... but if there's anything then you just tell me. I know our relationship is kinda new and everything but you can trust me, I'll do whatever I can to keep you safe."

I smile a little. It's a sweet gesture. "Yea, alright. We can talk about it after graduation. We'll find a place. So how was your day?" I ask, trying to move on to a topic that wouldn't depress me.

We talk for about an hour before I get too sleepy, yawning to myself and struggling to keep my eyes open.

"Sounds like you need to sleep," I hear him chuckle over the phone and give a nod even if he can't see it.

"Yea, I do... you have a goodnight, okay?" I tell him.

"I will, you too. G'night Fen."

We hang up and I roll over, shoving Natbur's speech to the back of my head so I can at least try to get some rest.

The next week or so is filled with annoyances for both Sy's family and my own. My parents, for the most part, have avoided starting relationships with micros that don't have cloakers for fear that it'd be easier to find us if we were associated with any. Of course, finding other micros that are -trying- to remain hidden using cloakers isn't an easy task, either, which means that the only ones we could count on were Sy's family and vice versa. The only thing that kept me sane is the fact that I got to talk to Naki every evening before bed. I didn't spill everything, but I did let him in on what worried me most about registration; namely why they want to know where we are and how they're going to rectify our "illegal alien" status.

Our parents, essentially, ignored Sian and I in order to plan out what they were going to do-- much to our ire.

"They treat us like we're pups," I grumble, sitting next to Sian on my bed while we play on one of my consoles.

"Tell me about it, all I've gotten out of them all week is that I should be focusing on what I'm gonna do when I go to Phalance."

"You think we're going to make it that far after all this? Ten bucks say they register us then tell us we don't have rights or something equally assholish," I mutter.

"I'm not taking that bet. What does your boyfriend think?" he asks, twisting his head to peer at me-- a mistake he quickly regrets when I knock his character out of the arena and win the match.

"Ugh! Pfft, cheap." he mutters, putting his controller down.

Normally, I'd rub it in his face a bit but I'm in no mood today. "Naki... Naki says he'll do whatever he can to help. I know he knows and everything but I don't really want to involve him. It'll just... it'll complicate things."

"Yea, you're right. Much as I hate to admit it, though, it's not really bad to have him on your side right about now. I mean... if things really do get ugly."

I nod a little, wondering if it would ever come to that. If I were on my last legs, would I go to Naki for protection?

I put it out of my head. My parents finish their meeting and Sian's family leaves. Mom and Dad won't give me any details and, instead, give me the usual reply: "You just worry about school."

Saturday is graduation and, despite the stress, I'm particularly happy the day is finally here. Our class isn't big, so walking across the stage and getting the empty shells that would, soon, contain our diplomas went rather quickly. There's quite a bit of fanfair; the local news records the entire thing, extended family attends, there're a lot of buzzers and noise-makers, and our robes are the coolest things ever. I feel like a wizard.

My parents and I work our way towards the outside of the conference center we were using for our graduation; we have to squeeze past multiple families that'd been crowding the center to take pictures, find their students, or gather scattered family members. I have to squeeze past a couple of particularly large bears before I can finally feel the cool, spring air grace my robes and flow through my fur.

"God, it was just so hot..." I groan as my parents lead us towards a clearer area.

"Oh you'll be fine." My mom grins a little and pulls a camera out of her pocket. "Let's take pictures, you only graduate from highschool once."

"I'll take'm for you, Mrs. Luwinfe."

"Hey, Ian, Samantha." I say, noticing the two when Ian offers to take the pictures for us. I walk over to shake the mouse's hand. "Congrats, man" I grin and he returns with one of his own.

"Yea, you too." Ian gives me a firm shake before going to get my mom's camera from her.

"Well, alright. Know how to use it?" She asks.

"Yea, I got it."

"Congrats to you too, Samantha, feels good doesn't it?"

"There's an understatement. Looks like you had a bit of a time yourself," she says while brushing at my back and helping to get some of that bear's fur off of my robes.

"Heh, thanks... yea, it was a bit crowded in there," I say, getting next to my parents so that Ian can take a picture or two. They stand on either side of me and we wrap our arms around one another.

After the pictures, Ian hands the camera back. "Sam and I were just lookin' for my parents, so we're gonna run off."

"You sure? You could come to dinner with us." I offer.

"Yea, always room for more," my dad chimes in.

"No, our families are going out together." Samantha smiles toothlessly, I actually manage to see the flesh beneath the fur on the cheeks redden a bit. "First time getting us all together."

"Aww, that sounds sweet." My mom grins. "Alright, you guys have fun!"

Ian waves. "Take care, Fen! Seeya Mr. and Ms. Luwinfe."

We wave back. "Alright, well, ready?" My dad asks.

"Yep, let's go," answers my mom and we turn to walk towards the car only to hear a shout and find a familiar figure waving at us.

--Naki--

Graduation was busy. The morning was hectic, I was up late, and even a bit late to be briefed on where I should sit, stand, and walk during the ceremonies. When it was all over, though, I couldn't help but feel a great sense of accomplishment.

"That's m'boy," my dad says with a grin. "First Pelwisk to go to college in two generations. We're proud of you, son."

I can't help but blush a little, especially after my mom adds to my dad's comments, "The good lord is smiling down on you today, Naki. Enjoy it, you deserve it." She leans and kisses me on the cheek.

"Heheh, thanks..." I shift a little uncomfortably. Nathan and Reggie are with us, and both of them were antsy for the last half of graduation. Apparently, Nathan's old handheld ran out of batteries and Reggie wouldn't stop messing with him. Now, Nathan is staring around silently and Reggie is sleeping in my mom's arms. We walk towards the car to go home and relax for the rest of the day. Most families would be going out to dinner but we just don't have the cash.

"Congrats, Naki," Nathan pipes up, smiling a little. It's kind of strange, probably because I don't see him do it a whole lot. He's always too busy playing his old games or on the computer.

"Thanks, were you bored enough up there?" I ask.

He just grumbles a little. "Batteries for my game are dead. It'll be foorreever before they get me some new ones." My parents could really only afford systems from a generation or two back, but Nathan never seemed to care. He'd beat any 'non-girly' game you put in front of him. Batteries were an issue, though; expensive and the older handhelds seemed to eat through them quickly.

"Don't worry, Dad'll find a job soon and everything will be normal again," I try to comfort, turning my head to see a familiar face walking nearby.

"Fen!" I shout, giving a wave and, almost immediately after, wondering if it were a good idea that my family meet him or not. I suppose it can't hurt; they don't know anything more than I hung out with him at prom.

"Fen?" My mom asks as the wolf smiles and waves back. "The Fen from prom?"

"Yea." I look to her. "Comeon, I'll introduce."

We walk over to where his family is and I introduce him and his parents. They seem to get along easily enough; my dad and his get into a conversation about my swimming meets and various other sports while our moms talk about our graduation, Phalance, and life about the city. Nathan stands around Mom, half listening and half staring off while Reggie is still sleeping. This leaves me and Fen to walk away from the group a distance to chat.

"Congrats! We made it," I say, beaming a little.

"And not a moment too soon," the wolf grins.

"Happy I got to run into you here, at least. I've uh... I've thought about you quite a bit the last week," I mention, not certain of where I'm going with it. He seems to take it well enough, either way.

"Same here," he smiles a little. "Thanks for listening on the phone and such. Its really been helping." Hearing this makes my heart flutter a little; happy I could make at least a little bit of a difference.

"A-any time." I have to resist the urge to hug him, so I pat him on the shoulder a few times.

"We really couldn't, it's too much trouble!" I hear my mom's shrill voice as she speaks to Fen's mom, who seems insistent on whatever they're talking about.

"What're you guys going to do now?" I hear Fen ask, and turn my attention back to him.

"Ahh, well I think we're going home. Gettin' over here from across town was bad enough, thought the car was gonna fall apart." I chuckle a little. "I think we have a bit of food left at the house, we'll put something together and celebrate maybe. What're you all doing?"

"We're--" he hesitates for a moment. "Well, just going out to eat," he says gently, "nothing too special." I can tell he's trying to play it down for me. "I wish you could come," he follows-up, lowering his ears. "I'd have you with us in a heartbeat if I could pay for it."

"Don't worry, Fen, I'm not new to this kinda thing."

"No, really! We'll pay, come eat with us," I hear, twisting my head to look at Fen's mom talking to mine once more. "It's a celebration! Our boys are all grown up, join us; they're friends, I'm sure they'll enjoy it."

"Well... well, alright, we'll come," my mom relents, quickly motioning towards me to come over.

"Or... maybe I am coming," I say, looking to Fen who is grinning ear to ear.

"Let's go, then." He nudges me and we walk over to our families.

I knew Fen's family had money, but the place they invited us to is entirely out of our league, even on a good month. We're ushered to a table with all of the settings; several types of forks, two spoons, two glasses, and it's massive. More than enough to fit everyone and leave room for a few more. My mom and dad sit next to one another, and across from Fen's mother and father so that each corresponding parent is facing the other. Reggie sits to my mother's right, and Nathan to my father's left. Across from Nathan, and next to Fen's father, to his right, Fen and I sit with me closest to Fen's dad and Fen to my right.

"Anything you'd like, it's on us. Congratulations, boys, you've both accomplished so much. You should be proud of yourselves!" Fen's mom exclaims. Even so, I don't want to be greedy. Looking at the menu, no meal cost less than twenty-five dollars. I shift a little in my seat, is this really okay?

"It's alright, just order something," Fen moves to point at my menu. "That's pretty good, they make the best shrimp."

"I-it's not that I don't know what to choose... I'm just, it's a bit expensive," I say, trying to keep my voice down.

"They have the money, don't worry about that. I guess graduation has them in a good mood or something. B'sides, you drove us to prom. I didn't give you any money and you drove all the way across town for us. It's only fair." He smiles.

"Well." I smile, "Alright."

Banter begins to travel back and forth across the table and I start to feel a bit more comfortable. Admittedly, I'd been a bit worried about us coming out to dinner together. I don't know why, it just feels like what's going on between me and Fen is obvious to everyone. Of course it isn't, though. They just think we're friends.

I notice Nathan peering at us, wondering how long he'd been staring, but he twists his head to look at Fen. "How long have you and Naki known one another?" He asks the wolf.

"Hmm? Oh uh..." Fen thinks for a moment. "All of about four weeks now."

"Ahh, neat. Are you going to Phalance with Naki?"

"Yea, looking forward to it. What grade level are you at?" Fen asks in return.

"Eighth," he responds. "So's your family rich?" He asks in a way that I feel is a bit sudden.

"Nathan..." I grumble, shooting him a glance.

"I'm just asking," Nathan says. "I mean, this is a nice restaurant... and you heard them, they're paying for us."

"We're not rich," Fen says, smiling a little. "My parents were fortunate enough to get well-paying jobs."

"Must be nice," Nathan says, going back to staring down at the menu. "This'll probably be the most food we've seen in years."

I sigh a little and rub over my head, feeling rather embarrassed. I know Fen knows that we aren't the richest, but Nathan's words make it sound like we live in desolation. At least, that's how I imagine it sounds. "It's not -that- bad," I say a bit defensively.

"Every family has something it wants." Fen leans back with his menu and peers down at it. "We have our problems too, even if money isn't one of'em." He smiles to himself, but I can't help but wonder if it's entertained smile or something else. Perhaps I'm just thinking too hard on it, though.

I look at my menu again and choose something rather stereotypical; fish and chips. I only catch a bit of the conversation between our parents before the waiter comes to take our food and drink orders. Once that's finished, the conversation continues, and I begin to feel comfortable. I should be happy, anyway. We just graduated.

"So what do you two do, Jeff? Melina?" Fen's dad asks my parents.

"Imma mechanic... well, I was; hit a bit of a rough patch but we're workin' through it," Dad says as he looks at my mom.

"I keep the house in good shape, stay-at-home-mom. I do volunteer at our church every now and then. I've been thinking about getting a job somewhere to supplement, but keeping things straight around the house is a day's work on its own. How about you two?"

Fen's father gives a light nod. "The entire auto industry has been on the verge lately, I hope you find something soon. I'm an accountant at Emwri Corp."

"And I'm the regional manager of the Bullseye shopping chain." Fen's mom doesn't seem too keen on where this is going. Likely, she's picked up on why we weren't going to go out.

"That's wonderful," my mom says. "Which church do you attend?"

"Oh... we don't attend church," Fen's father states before adding, "didn't grow up with it so I never picked it up. Christine is about the same." I assume Christine is Fen's mother's name.

"I see-- well, you should come to ours one day. We'd be happy to have you," my mom remarks.

I stop listening for a bit. They're just making small talk. I turn to Fen instead. "So what're you doing tomorrow?" I ask.

"Hmm? Oh, well... nothing, I suppose. We could hang out if you want to," he says, smiling a little. "Still trying to figure out where to go, though."

"Well, we could go to my house. My parents have their own stuff to do and my brothers are still in school. If you want I could pick you up or something."

"Hmm..." he seems to consider.

Just in time to interrupt, the food comes out and a plate of the largest, most delicious-smelling fish is settled in front of me. "Holy..." I say under my breath, shifting down to sniff at the plate a little. The scent is heavenly...

"Wow," Nathan states, looking down at his plate. Apparently, he ordered the shrimp. He grabs one up and smiles a little, crunching into it and chewing. "We should convince dad to start trying to catch these instead."

"Heh, glad you like. It's my favorite. What does your dad catch?" Fen asks. For some reason, my brain hesitates. Almost like I'm hoping he won't say what I know he's going to.

"Nathan?" I blurt, trying to get his attention. It works, but I don't know what to say afterwards. "Uh... c-could I try one?" I ask, looking at his plate."

"Sure," he picks another up and moves to drop it onto my plate before looks to Fen again.

"N-Nathan..." I say, again, clenching my fist beneath the table. If only I could just get the message across.

"What?"

Fen stares at me now, as well, but I can't pay enough attention to tell if he can see my anxiety.

I swallow a little, not certain of how I can distract him this time. I wait for too long and he rolls his eyes. Fuck.

"Dad catches micros," he grumbles, peering at me again, for a moment as if wondering what'd gotten into me.

I want to leave, I want to be anywhere but where I am now, especially since the table goes silent. I don't look at Fen's family at all, I just stare down at my plate and start to nervously cut into the fish settled before me.

"He catches micros?" I hear Fen's voice repeat.

"Yea," Nathan states as he continues to eat as if there's no problem-- of course, to him, there isn't.

"Ahh, got it. I bet the shrimp is a lot better," Fen states without a hint of... anything. His voice is neutral.

The conversation around the table soon returns to normal and Fen starts to eat as if nothing happened. Well, normal, for the most part.

"You catch micros?" Christine asks, peering at my dad.

"Yea, mostly as a little extra meat on the table. Times've been tough, is all. They're not too hard to catch if you know where to look. Why? Do you two do the same? Y'look kinda like you've done some sport before, Roger," He says, looking to Fen's father.

"Oh no, no, can't say I have. Never have been the outdoors type."

They keep eating, and I finally gather enough nerve to look at Fen. He doesn't stare back, he just focuses on his plate. I want to say something, I want to apologize and give him a mountain of reasons for why it's not what it sounds like but I can't... I can only sit there and pray he doesn't take it all the wrong way.

"S-so when did you want to meet up?" I ask, just wanting him to say something. Anything.

"I dunno," Fen says, keeping his eyes down and eating.

"Let's meet at your house instead," I offer, hoping that might get him to agree to it at least.

"Let's talk about it later."

Ugh, I could punch Nathan for this. I know he doesn't know but, dammit, we'd just gotten to the point where things had smoothed out from prom week.

I try to eat, but my appetite is already ruined. I manage to get about half of a fish I should've been able to scarf down eaten before I ask the waiter for a to-go box. By the end of the dinner, my parents are thanking Fen's for the food and offering to have them over for church sometime. Fen's parents seem to be rather good at hiding their disappointment-- that, or they're not disappointed. I doubt the latter is the case, though.

They take care of the check and we all stand to leave towards our respective cars. I hang back so I can walk with Fen, whom waits for the others to get a distance ahead of us. Thank god, at least he wants to talk.

"Look, don't worry about it, okay?" He says with a slightly stern tone. "Can't talk here, anyway."

"I..." I lower my head a little and can see the wolf's tail pressed near to his legs. "I can explain, but... when can we meet? We can go to your house, instead."

"Of course we're going to my house, you think I'd come to yours?"

"I--" I feel a bit more hurt from that than I probably should. My family isn't a bunch of monsters, it's not like we'd try to eat -him- or anything.

"No... a-and I get it," I say.

"My parents have work in the morning until the evening. Come over around noon?" He asks, looking up at me and I just nod.

"Yea, noon. I'm sorry, Fen," I say, truly wanting to make him believe me.

"I know, we'll talk tomorrow." He walks towards the door and I follow suit, keeping next to him until we have to veer off towards our rides home.

"Goodnight..." I say, holding back. I'd have to wait until tomorrow to say more.

"Goodnight," he returns.

--Fen--

I feel sick to my stomach, they've eaten us before? They've -eaten- us. I get into the car and sigh a little to myself, waiting for the impending storm from my parents. I'll admit that they're damned good at keeping their feelings until they want to show them.

"Can you believe that? We just treated a bunch of murderers to dinner," Dad growls out, cranking the car up and starting to back out.

"This is why you can't trust them, the religious ones are the worst. How much do you wanna bet they think we -deserve- it?" My mom grumbles in return. I try to stay silent, hoping my mom doesn't go where I know she's going to go.

"You can't hang out with him anymore, Fen," she states, and I'm not keen to disagree. It's not that I don't want to hang out with Naki anymore, but how could I defend them without hinting at our relationship?

"It's not like it's rare. If you avoid all normals that end up eating a micro then you'd have to quit your jobs or something."

"Those aren't our friends, Fen. We associate with them so we can keep our jobs, we do -not- make friends with murderers."

"Naki isn't a murderer," I say.

"And you've known him for how long?" My mom instigates, leaving me to roll my eyes. I'm glad she can't see it due to how dark it is in the car.

"I just know, alright? He's not a murderer," I lean and peer out of the window to stare at the cars we drive past and noticing the yellow glow of my eyes reflecting off of the car window as I stare out of it. I wonder what Naki has to say about all this.

"No more hanging out with him, Fen." My dad says firmly. "I know you like him, but what if they ever found out? We have to register soon, who knows how easy it'll be to figure us out after that."

"He wouldn't..." I cringe a little. I don't even want to bring myself to say it.

"You don't know that. We just want you to be safe. We've all followed this rule since day one, and we're not going to stop now. I know you disagree, but please... listen to us. He's not the type you want to be friends with."

I won't win this battle, so I just sigh and nod. "Whatever."

It's a long car ride home and, as soon as we're back, I just go to my room to flop down onto the bed. I grab my phone and peer at the screen, wondering if I should even bother calling him. I decide against it after some consideration. I need a moment to think about all of this.

I must've fallen asleep, because the very next moment I wake up when I hear my parents getting ready for work. I don't particularly want to speak to either of them. Honestly, I kind of wish Sy were back; his family left right after he walked across the stage. Apparently, they needed to take care of something my parents wouldn't tell me about before registration. I wait in bed until I hear them both leave through the front door then get out of my bed to get dressed and ready. There's no doubt Naki will come over, so I get washed and dressed.

After a shower, new clothes, and a nice breakfast, I'm feeling a little better. Now I just need to wait for him. What should I do? I'm pissed that he's done something so terrible and avoided telling me... but I understand, too. How could he have ever brought it up? Do I just forgive him? I groan a little as the questions run through my head and I'm only pulled from my confused thought-process when I hear a knock at the door.

I open it and he stands there, dressed in a brown shirt that matches his pelt, a pair of blue-jeans and showing off those brown-furred toes of his. I stare at him for a while, still wanting him to know I'm unhappy despite being glad to see him. "Come in."

He walks in slowly, looking around and taking in the scent of our home before he moves to settle in the living room on the couch. I walk in after him and sit as well, turning so that I'm entirely on the cushion and can lean my back against the arm.

I don't know how to begin; I'm happy when he does, instead.

"I didn't want you to know... not that early on," he says gently, frowning.

"What? That you've killed us before? There's a name for it, Naki. It's called murder." I know it's harsh, but that's what it is. He -has- to understand how wrong this is.

"It's not like I knew you before a month or so ago. It was... it was different, back then," he says, looking a little defensive.

"So now that you know me, it's wrong? Is that the only reason?"

"No... well, yea, kind of. Look, Fen, I didn't really think about it before I met you. It's just how I was raised. Micros weren't--"

"People. Right. Not people, so murdering us didn't matter." I rub my head a little bit, frowning. "Do you promise you won't do it again?" I ask, fully expecting that he'd agree not to.

"I won't. E-even if I don't, though, my parents and siblings won't just stop. They don't know about you, and they probably shouldn't know about you. And, anyway, it's not -really- murder, we're just... eating to survive."

I stare at him for a while, does he really believe that? "You call it survival? So if you killed some normal on the street and ate them, would that be survival?"

"No," he says quickly. "But you know what I mean, Fen. Micros aren't citizens, they don't have rights, t-this is just the way things are." He sounds increasingly agitated now, but I don't intend to let it go so easily. I can feel anger boiling up inside of me. He sounds just like a typical norm; it's never their fault. Instead of saying anything, I lean back and stare up at the ceiling, trying not to blurt something I'll regret.

"I'm sorry, Fen; I am. I wish it weren't this way, but it is. Many norms just d--"

"It's so easy to say when it's not -your- kind being eaten. Only reason you even half-care is because you care about me," I say, trying not to shout.

"Is that bad?" He shoots back.

"Not for me, but what about those other micros? They have families, they have dreams and hopes... what if someone tried to eat me? Just to survive. You'd consider it a murder, wouldn't you? They'd be a killer to you, but all of those other norms wouldn't even blink an eye because I'm just food to them. This is what you norms have always done! Even the nice ones... 'it's just the way things are', 'micros aren't people'. Why am -I- any different from the micros you---"

"What do you want me to say, Fen?" He growls, voice raising to shut mine out. "You want me to march back to my house and tell my parents that you and your family are micros and that we have to stop eating micros now because you're pissed? You want me to march about the streets announcing that I love a micro and that everyone should just drop whats been ingrained in them since they were kits? You want me to call my parents and brothers murderers? They're not. They just aren't. Yea, they've killed micros before, but they didn't do it out of spite or some twisted love of watching micros squirm. They did it to survive. It's easy for me to say, huh? Well it's easy for you to sit here and tell us we -shouldn't- eat micros. How many times have you come home to no food, Fen? How many times have you sat there watching your parents worry about where the next meal is coming from, hmm? Never? Then shut up," he half-shouts.

I'm sitting up and staring by the times he's finished. Admittedly, I'm actually kind of afraid. I've never heard Naki shout, and the fact that he knows where my cloaker is doesn't help. I don't know what to say after he finishes so, dumbfounded, I look down at my lap and lower my ears.

I don't know how long he stares for, but, eventually, he shifts to rest his elbows on the knees of his blue-jeans before looking down at the floor between his feet. We stay this way for a while, maybe even a half hour. Half of me wants to apologize, but the other half wants to drill into his head that killing is killing.

"How many times have you... run out of food?" I ask, gently, shifting my gaze to peer indirectly at him. I can see the black highlights in his headfur shift a little as he lifts his head.

"It... used to happen a lot more than it does now. Before highschool, but not as much after freshman year," he answers, folding his webbed fingers among one another while staring towards the dark television that the couch faces. "My dad's out of work, though, and things are becoming a little tight again. I don't know what they're going to do."

I nod a little, thinking about that for a bit. It's still not fair. Why should we be the ones that suffer? I stop thinking about it, closing my eyes to try and calm myself so we can change topics or something.

"What about you?" He asks, twisting his head to peer at me. "I mean... how did you end up here?"

I tug my legs up and rest my arms above my knees, settling my head atop of my forearms. I still want to press the other topic despite knowing where it'll lead, but I force myself to change gears. I need to cool off, anyway. "My parents escaped Les Gardiens. Well, before that, my family lived on the streets. My parents' parents lived off of whatever they could. My dad's family lived out of the rafters of a restaurant and my mother's family stole from a family of normals for a long time. They met after their families were both captured by Les Gardiens, and fell in love there. Apparently, they managed to steal some of the cloakers Les Gardiens had taken from others and, along with Sy's family, ended up here. I don't know how they managed to get the jobs they have, I've always... assumed that they forged documents. I've never asked."

He nods a little, seeming to consider things for a moment. "So you've never lived without yours?"

"No," I respond, thinking about the cloaker clasped around my tailbase. "Sy and me are the next generation of micros. We--we grew up with cloakers, we've never not had them. I've wondered what it's like living without one, but my mom and dad always say I don't want to find out. I believe them, especially considering what's going on now. Sometimes it feels like the whole damned world wants to see us dead."

"I don't want to see you dead," he says quickly, shifting to look at me directly now. I smile just a little bit and move to sit up, settling with my paws pressed to the floor.

"What about your family?" I ask.

"Mine? Nothing quite as interesting as yours," he smiles. "We moved here, to Luckten City, when I was just a kit. My mom and dad got together prematurely, and ran away from their parents because they disagreed with the relationship. Neither of them went beyond highschool, and, according to them, their parents hadn't gone to college, either. They had me and, I know they'd never say it, but I'm sure that I was an accident. They were young, and now they had a kit to take care of. I guess this is why we're where we are now."

We're both quiet again for a while, neither of us knowing what to say. Maybe I'm just being stubborn, but I'm in no mood to give ground right now. Even so, I can sympathize with Naki a little. He's right, I've never been without food.

"When we're in college, even if I have to pay for it myself, you'll always have something that -isn't- a micro to eat," I say, partially out of still wanting to express my distaste. "We aren--"

"Food, I know," Naki sighs a little, looking over to me with a tired gaze. "I know, Fen. I'm not disagreeing. My family isn't a bunch of murderers, though. Maybe what we did isn't right, but I don't hear any other solutions coming from you."

"...I don't have any," I admit. What a great feeling that is.

I feel him stand up from the couch and peer down at me, shifting on his feet a little. "I'm going back home, I think we both need some time. I -am- sorry, though, Fen," he turns to walk towards the door and I shift to get to my feet so I can follow.

"Naki," I say, trying to get him to wait for a second. He looks at me for a moment, but I hesitate. "...drive safely, text me when you get home," is all I manage to get out before he gives a nod.

"Yea, I will." He leaves and I stand there upset; not with just him, but with the entire damned world. I walk back into the living room to flop onto the couch and groan. Part of me just wants these next seven days to be over. Fuck all of this.

I get an earful that night when my parents realize that Naki was over. It's not like I don't expect it; we're canines, his scent is all over the living room.

"I can't believe you, Fen! What's gotten into you?" My dad asks. I just take it, I have no energy left for arguing and nothing I say is going to change their minds.

"I don't know," I say, to which he just growls. I see his hackles raise and sigh, lowering my tail and ears and staring towards the floor.

"You understand that we only want your safety, right? We just want you to be safe, Fen," speaks my Mom.

"And I just wanted to make friends," I state, trying to get them off my back. I want to go to bed at this point. Screw this week. "Can't be friends with most norms, can't make friends with any micros that lack a cloaker, guess I'll just have to marry Sy or something. We can be alone together."

My Mom sighs a little and walks over to hug me. I don't return it, at first, but eventually I wrap my hands about the white wolfess.

"I know it's hard, Fen. I'm really sorry. We just want you to be safe.We're not mad, alright? We can let this go if you promise to listen to us. I know it doesn't make sense to you yet, but your dad and I have seen a lot. Please, Fen? Just listen...?"

"Alright, Mom," I agree. I just want out of here.

My dad gives a nod and pats at my shoulder. "We'll figure something out, alright? This is a new thing for all of us but we're still together."

"Yea," I say, trying to smile. He nods and they both walk out of the kitchen. I follow them after a moment and go straight to my room, shutting the door. I can't wait until Sy is back. Much as I hate to admit it, I need his humor right about now.