Aftermath
#11 of The Zoo
Author's Note: I'm back! Sorry this one has taken a bit longer, but I hope the end result will be worth it. Life has been a bit crazy with school starting back up, writer's block, and a ton of snow. Hopefully this chapter more than makes up for the lost time. If not, well I'll try to do better the next time. Let me know what you think (Via Comments, Faves, Ratings, and Shouts). An early Happy Valentine's to all you beautiful people out there, and as always thanks for reading- AK
Dulion sat at his kitchen table and listened to the rain hit the window gently. It was a comforting sound that Dulion needed. He looked at the small Post-it note he stuck on his calendar. His scrawl jotted down the day and time he would need to go visit with the District Attorney. Most likely, this meant the end of his career as an advisor. After all, once CATTL spread the word that he was actually a lycanthrope, his days were numbered. Of course, Dulion hadn't done anything wrong; but being a lycanthrope was probably more than enough to get him fired tomorrow. After all, who would want an inmate to run the asylum? And while the miserable saga he found himself in recently was about to come to an abrupt end, the pain it caused him still lingered.
There was a knock at his apartment door. Dulion sighed. This probably meant that another tenant was going to express their sympathies about everything that had happened to him recently. At this point, he knew exactly what everyone would say almost to the letter. He did appreciate the concern that everyone had, but hearing it all the time didn't do him any favors.
Dulion grabbed his cane and hobbled his way to his door. He still hadn't let anyone see his lycanthrope form and, he was going to keep it that way. He didn't care that he still needed the cane to move or even that, with the rain, his leg seemed to hurt more. He advertised himselfto everyone and the outside world as human and he was going to keep it that way. Dulion opened the door and was greeted by an otter with his arms crossed in front of him.
"Hello Jayson." Dulion said.
Jayson eyed Dulion up and down.
"Still haven't stretched out your legs, I see. I don't see why you feel the need to..."
"Jayson, what do you want?" Dulion said.
"Aren't we in a mood?" Jayson said.
Jayson sighed.
"Help. That's why I'm here. Can I come in?"
Dulion nodded and beckoned Jayson inside. He might not be the advisor for this place for much longer, but he still had a job to do. Besides, even though they had started on the wrong foot, Jayson had treated him well.
Jayson walked in to Dulion's apartment and closed the door behind him. Dulion gestured towards an empty chair at the kitchen table and went back to his seat at the opposite end. To Dulion's surprise, Jayson didn't sit down.
"Ok, let's start." Jayson said. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine." Dulion said curtly. "So what do you need?"
"You don't seem fine."
"Do you need my help or not, Jayson?"
"I never said I needed your help." Jayson said with a smile. "You asked me what I wanted and I said help...to help...to help you."
"Jayson, I appreciate it, but I've heard it all already. There's nothing much you could say that would make me feel better."
"Well what if I told you I understand why you're upset. I mean, why you're really upset."
"I just got outed." Dulion said. "Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why I'm upset. So I really do appreciate your sympathy and concern..."
"We both know why you're upset...why you're really upset I mean." Jayson said. "So, she still hasn't talked to you I take it?"
Dulion closed his eyes. When he opened them, he saw Jayson smiling.
"See? That's the real reason you're upset. It's got nothing to do with you being forced out of the cage or even losing your job. It's all about the girl. Have you tried to talk to her?"
Dulion didn't say anything; he simply hung his head. After a moment or two, he nodded weakly.
"No good? Well sometimes you need to try more than..."
"Six."
"Pardon?"
"I called her six times since everything happened. No response. I think trying a seventh would be pointless."
"Yeah, you're probably right." Jayson said gently.
"Now's the part when you tell me I need to move on and that I'll find someone new, right? That all I need to do is buck up and everything will be A-Okay. Fat chance."
"How 'bout you listen to what I have to say and stop assuming? Trust me it would do you at least some good."
"Sorry." Dulion said with some degree of sincerity. "It's just that I heard this all before a thousand times. From friends, my cousin, you name it."
"Usually in reference to what is commonly known as a 'crush,' right?"
"Yeah." Dulion said.
"Look, we both know you need to move on, but we also both know that's going to take a lot of luck or a lot of time. Also, it doesn't reflect the real problem you have."
"And that would be?"
"You're suffering from what we commonly call despair; the lack of hope. You see, it wouldn't surprise me at all to learn that the only thing that gave you hope in this dreary little world was the idea that Danielle loved you. The fact that she's gone combined with the fact that being outed sucks means you're hurting in a bad way."
Dulion sighed.
"So what do? How do I...get better?"
Jayson got up and put a hand on Dulion's shoulder.
"You address the real problem, which should have been addressed a long time ago I'm guessing but a lot of people were asleep at the wheel with you. You need to get some measure of hope in yourself. If you feel good about yourself, you tend to feel good about the world. And you have plenty to feel good about."
"Oh yeah, like what?"
"Like the fact that you're technically a doctor; the fact that you saved someone's family not too long ago; the fact that you finally found a place where you belong, whether you want to or not; hell, the fact that speaking as a gay man, you're rather cute, which goes a long way for a lot of people, women included. What you need to remember, and what you need to constantly be reminded of is the fact that you can do it; whatever it is. You might stumble, you might fall, but you can get to where you want to be."
Dulion smiled weakly.
"I wish I believed you. I really wish I did. I just...can't. I don't see it."
"Well I do. Matthew does. The Makarov's, Ibuki, Jess, they all see it. And we're all going to do our best to make sure you do too. And even though I know you've heard this one a lot; our doors are always open for you."
Jayson gave Dulion another pat on his shoulder and left the apartment. Before he did, Dulion wanted to stop him and say thank you, but for some reason, he knew Jayson already got the idea.
***
Dulion tossed and turned once again. Try as he might, he just couldn't get to sleep. His nerves about his probable firing, which would take place the next day combined with what Jayson called "despair" meant that there would not likely be sleep in the immediate future. Dulion stretched a little on his bed; something he could not do when Danielle was with him. He sighed; he should at least try to forget her somehow.
Dulion took a moment to listen to the silence around him; much to his surprise, the silence was broken by the vibrating of his cell phone. Dulion reached to grab his phone. A few more vibrations confirmed it was a phone call, not a text. With a quick cringe to quell his rising hopes, he picked up his phone to see who was calling him. It was Ibuki.
"Hello?" Dulion said as he answered the phone.
"Oh good, you're awake." Ibuki said. "I was afraid you we're sleeping."
"No, I'm not sleeping anytime soon. Is everything ok?"
"Well...no, not exactly. I need some help with something. Would you mind coming up to my apartment seeing how you're awake?"
"No problem. I'll be there in like five minutes."
"Awesome, thanks."
Ibuki hung up and Dulion rolled out of bed. He threw on a t-shirt and jeans, grabbed his cane and as quietly as possible, made the hobble up the stairs to Ibuki's apartment. He felt a twinge of pain with each step. Even though he knew he could simply transform and take all the pain in his leg away, he still trudged on, trying to ignore the pain.
He eventually made it to Ibuki's apartment and quietly tapped on the door. Ibuki opened the door. She was wearing a black tank-top and shorts. She was in her human form which somewhat surprised Dulion.
"Thanks for coming." She said.
"No trouble." Dulion said. "After all, I'm still the advisor...for now."
"Meeting is tomorrow right?"
"Yeah. Partly why, I can't sleep. So what seems to be the trouble?"
"Follow me. Sorry it's so late. But I just got out of work and showered first."
Dulion followed Ibuki out of the living room and into her kitchen. On the kitchen table was a white plastic bag with the words "Thank You" written on it. Ibuki pointed at the bag as they walked in to the Kitchen.
"The problem is...in the bag?" Dulion asked, confused.
"I never said there was a problem," Ibuki said, rather lightheartedly, "I said I needed help."
"Help with...?"
Ibuki grabbed the bag off the table. As she did, Dulion was able to notice that there was a bottle of some kind in the bag. Ibuki took the bottle; which was a bottle of Jack Daniels and placed it on to the table.
"I need you to help me drink this." She said.
"Really?" Dulion said shaking his head.
"C'mon, you've had a rough time as of late and tomorrow doesn't look like it will be any better. So have a drink or two with me and relax. Who knows? It might cheer you up."
Dulion shrugged. It couldn't hurt. True, he did have a meeting the next day, but it wasn't until the late morning; and he would probably be fired anyway. Still, he'd have much rather Ibuki been a little more upfront.
"A drink or two sounds like pretty nice." Dulion said.
Ibuki grabbed two shot glasses and two larger glasses from a cabinet. She went to her fridge and grabbed a bottle of Cola and placed everything on the table. She quickly poured two shots out and slid one across to Dulion.
"Here's to your likely last day as an advisor." Ibuki said.
Both of them raised their shot glasses and swallowed them down. Ibuki's face developed a slight cringe to it which caused Dulion to laugh.
"Not used to it?" he asked her.
"Not straight, no." She answered as she fixed both of them another drink. "So, Danielle is gone then?"
"Yeah." Dulion said ruefully. "Sucks."
"I'm sorry." Ibuki said. "But a guy like you will find someone in no time."
"Yeah, handicapped and a lycanthrope, I'm the catch of the day."
Dulion took a large sip of his drink.
"Confidence, remember?" Ibuki said with a smile. "So what are you?"
"I don't follow."
"Your lycanthrope form; what is it?"
"I'd rather not say."
"And why not?"
"...just...because you know?"
"No, I don't. Hence why I'm asking."
Dulion sighed.
"I'm still...you know...embarrassed. I know, I know, it's ridiculous, but I never felt comfortable in my own skin when it comes to this. I mean, what would my parents think?"
Dulion let out a sad laugh as he finished his thought and his drink which was replenished almost instantly.
"I mean, I think they'd be fine with it;
"Can't be worse than what my parents did." Ibuki said.
"What happened?"
"I told my parents what I was when I was sixteen. Up until then, I had always been the perfect child in their eyes. I should have known it wasn't going to end well. You see, both of them were members of WILD, and...well I thought if I told them, they might have an epiphany."
"Didn't work, huh?"
"They kicked me out on the spot. I was able to get on a train and get to my grandmother's house. She was always good to me and when she found out what my parents did she called them and screamed for at least an hour about how they were disgraces. She died two years later...and..."
Ibuki started to cry.
"My parents wouldn't even let me go to her funeral. I left all of them behind that day. I was eighteen and I had nothing, so I took lived on the streets and...I did what I needed to survive. I'm not proud of any of it. Honestly, I was almost ready to jump in front of a train when I met the Doctor. He took me in despite the fact that I couldn't pay anything."
Dulion got up and hobbled towards Ibuki. He gave her the best hug he could manage despite being unsteady. Ibuki returned the hug from her seat and rested her head for a moment on his chest. After a moment, she calmed down a bit.
"All of this probably doesn't make you feel any better, huh?" Ibuki said with a laugh as she calmed down. "But it took me a while to finally accept myself, too. And once I did, things got so much better. You can do it and you're not alone; even if you think you are."
"I know. It's just been rough. I mean I'm outed and I lost my first girlfriend so..."
Ibuki almost choked on her drink.
"Wait, what do you mean first girlfriend?" She asked
"Just what I said...?" Dulion said, confused.
"No. She was not your first girlfriend."
"Uh...yeah she was."
Ibuki laughed.
"I'm sorry that's mean." She quickly added with a smirk still plastered on her face. "I always thought you had a really bad break up which kinda messed you up. Never thought she was your first."
"Truth is, I was always too afraid to ask anyone. Always thought they'd say no."
"So? Then you move on to someone better."
"Yeah, except I was never really good at that last part, as I'm sure you can tell. Usually I find someone new and then we repeat the process."
"You do realize how stupid that is right?"
"Don't remind me."
Dulion finished his drink. He was tipsy, but not plastered. Still he didn't think having another drink was too wise. Ibuki seemed to be in the same state as he was.
"I say this all the time to you;" she said slurring her words ever so slightly, "but you need to have some confidence in yourself. You're nowhere near as bad as you think."
Dulion simply smiled at her. Truth be told, despite how embarrassed he was at Ibuki's ribbing, he was feeling better than he had all day. He couldn't tell if it was the alcohol or just his own sentimentality, but he wanted to do something to let Ibuki know how much she had helped. Saying it was pointless...but maybe if he...
"White lion." he said.
"Huh?" Ibuki asked him.
"A white lion; that's my lycanthrope form. You're the first person I've ever told."
"Dulion; du-lion. That's crazy."
"Who knows? Maybe that's how my family got our name? Still, it is a pretty fun coincidence."
Ibuki started at Dulion for a moment.
"Show me." She said.
"I'm sorry?"
"You said you were a white lion. Show me. Consider it step one in accepting yourself."
"Um...I..."
"Here, maybe this will make it easier."
Before Dulion's eyes. Ibuki transformed into her Kitsune form. She took her hands and moved them like one of those game show models showing off a prize.
"See? Here I am. It's easy. Now you do it."
Dulion closed his eyes, but let his body transform. He started with his bad leg. It hurt just a little when he did it, but the relief from a strong, healthy leg was worth it. The sudden growth of fur caused him to itch slightly, but the feeling quickly subsided. The tail was always the weirdest part for him, but even that formed without incident. Before long he knew the procedure was complete and he opened his eyes, the white fur on his face now visible to him. Ibuki beamed at him.
"See? You did it. And the world keeps turning." She said.
"It feels weird; transforming in front of someone." Dulion said.
"It becomes second nature the more you do it."
Ibuki walked up to Dulion and ran her fingers through the fur on his arm
"Your fur is nice. May I?" She said, gesturing to Dulion's mane.
Dulion nodded and Ibuki ran her hands through his mane. Her hands met under his chin. She smiled at him.
"I don't know why you would hide yourself." Ibuki whispered.
"I..."
Dulion never finished his sentence. A kiss from Ibuki took whatever he was going to say away from him. After the quick, initial burst of surprise, Dulion returned Ibuki's kiss. After a little, Ibuki broke the kiss. Dulion body couldn't help feeling disappointed that the sensation had ended. However, the disappointment did not last long. After taking some time to catch her breath, Ibuki pounced on Dulion's lips again; this time fueled more by lust. Ibuki broke the kiss once more and leaned in by Dulion's ear.
"Follow me." She said playfully and seductively at the same time. "There's one more thing I can use some help with."