The Dead Forest (Increased Orc activity due to skirmish)

[Tomorrow]

John lifted his jar of the fairy up to look inside. She seemed to have understood what was about to happen as well, and was flittering about the jar, bumping against the glass like a moth trying to get into a lightblub, the soft glow from both jars fluxing wildly as if to show their axiety.

"Shhh...dont hurt yourself..." He whispered into the jar to the fairy. "You'll be free in a moment..."

Placing his large hand on the jar he looked down to Juuni to see if she was doing the same befoe nodding. "Oooone...twwwwwo...three!"

As soon as he said 'three' he unscrewed the jar lid quickly and lifted it off, allowing the fairy free passage...  

[Hogosha No Juunikyuu]

One the count of three the jar lids were removed. Juuni removed hers with such force she almost fell back into the fountain and her glass scewed to the side slightly.

Out of the jars shot two streams of colour as the previous prisoners shot forwards, dancing about in the air happily leaving behind trails of sparkling dust that floated down in front of Juuni and John before the two flew off over the crowds and back towards the forest.

Juuni smiled and clapped her hands happily at the spectacle as others amongst the crowd looked up in wonder.

This little spectacle had caught the eye of a mercant and he stepped forwards out of the crowd, clicking his fingers impatiently as a scribe followed. He looked at Juuni from a distant, examining her with a piercing gaze before nodding his head and striding towards John.  

[Tomorrow]

John smiled softly, watchin the pixie and the fairy rain down sparkling dust around the two of them - before looking past the spectacle to see the fat, hairy merchant moving towards the fountain with another man.

He grimaced for a second, not knowing what the man was going to do. It figured that he wouldn't give a s**t after he'd sold his wares what was done with it...  

[Hogosha No Juunikyuu]

The merchant strode right past Juuni and stopped in front of John, casting his gaze to the neko-jin that was happily playing in the fountain before reaching forwards and pulling the startled neko towards him. Kneeling down he forced her mouth open and looked inside her mouth before knocking her hat aside to look at her ears and then reached behind to examine her tail before standing up, keeping a hand on Juuni's scruff. Throughout Juuni remained rooted to the spot, terrified. This had only ever happened to her once before. When her family had been killed and the village responsible had kept her in the town square for amusement.

How much for the anthro good sir? I will pay you well for this fine specimin.

His gaze returned to Juuni briefly as he licked his lips, something about his gaze making Juuni squirm inside as he looked her over. Wriggling against his grip in an attempt to get back to the safety of John the merchant's grip merely tightened on her scruff.

The small neko began to fuss and mew loudly, clawing at the hand and arm he was gripping her with  

[Tomorrow]

John blinked for a second, not able to understand what the hell was happening - before reaching over to the hand grabbing Juuni and grasping the wrist almost casually - before applying a little pressure.

A little being enough to split the bones at the ends of the fore-arms where they meet the wrist, dislocating the hand from the arm and letting the little girl drop into John's other hand, her butt landing in his palm as he shifted her around to sit on the edge of the fountain once more - before his hand reached around to grab the merchant by the throat, lifting the fat man off the ground by his neck, cutting off the choked screams with a simple squeeze and making him scrabble at John's hand with his good one.

"What makes you think she was for sale, huh?" John growled, static sparking from his body as he spoke in anger.  

[Hogosha No Juunikyuu]

Juuni clung tightly to John, hiding her face in his chest as her eyes welled with tears, making small tear patches on his shirt as she curled up tightly, pulling her tail in and flattening her ears before realising her hat was missing.

"Oniisama... Juunish hat..."

She looked up at John pleadingly, she'd only just got that hat and didn't want to loose it. Her gaze travelled up to the merchant in John's grip and her eyes flamed purple as she snarled at him angrily.

The merchant coughed and spluttered, unable to answer John through the pain of his hand and the choking of his grip around his throat. By now a majority of the crowd had noticed what was going on and was slowly gathering around them.  

[Tomorrow]

John's grimace of disgust was evident on his face as he watched the man's face grow purple...before he heard Juuni mewl pitifully.

Looking down to her, he looked up to the man - and dropped him, dumping him to the floor like the sack of dung he was. Hugging the little girl to his chest with one arm, John knelt down and picked up her hat, placing it onto her head and smiling down to her, poking her in the nose gently whilst whispering soothing words into her ear, showing surprising sensativity for such a large man.  

[Hogosha No Juunikyuu]

Juuni nuzzled close to John, grasping a handful of his shirt tightly as her tail draped round his wasit as if worried about being snatched away again. She smiled as the hat was placed back on her head, tilting her head back to peer up at him as it fell over her eyes and kissed his nose affectionatly.

Some of the crowd came forwards to help the merchant while others whispered amoungst themselves. Almost everyone was in shock at what had happened, anthro sales were quite common in the markets in the surrounding area.  

[Tomorrow]

John giggled at the kiss and rubbed his nose against hers, before pressing her head to his chest and looked up at the crowd.

Juuni was lucky John's hand stroked her hair and kept her head diverted from his face as the crowd took a collective step back along with a gasp...

...Before John turned and walked into it, becoming lost within the masses, just another man carrying a little meta-girl in his arms. He held her close, stroking her hair gently with his free hand...before he reached out and grabbed a pair of sunglasses from a store display, putting them onto his blood-stained face, covering his shocking pale eyes.

The man behind the counter came out and grabbed John's shoulder - before John span and pushed the man in the chest, sending him flying back into the display. The man made to stand - before seeing that John was pointing at him.

There was fire radiating from Tomorrow as his large hand pointed at the merchant - before he turned, dissapearing once more into the crowd with Juuni,  

[Hogosha No Juunikyuu]

Juuni purred softly, her eyes closed as she nuzzled close to Tomorrow, listening to his steady heart beat as a means of comfort as they waded into the crowd. She was jolted slightly as John pushed the man into his stand and she blinked before turning her head and nuzzling into his neck, breathing in his smell. It was warm and somehow comforting to the small girl.  

[Tomorrow]

John felt her nuzzling his neck and looked down to see a bit of his dried blood flaking off onto her hat. Sighing softly he quickly walked into a small resturaunt.

Moving to a waitress he asked where the bathrooms were, before moving into the male restrooms, not bothering to put Juuni down. After what had happened in the main square, he wasn't sure wether to let her out of his sight anymore.

Placing her on a sink beside the mirror, he turned away for a second, his body rising and falling with a long, hard sigh - before he removed his sunglasses and turned back to the little girl, smiling down to her, the light-blue gaze back on his face. "I just wanna clean up, then we'll get going, alright sweety?"

Turning to the towel despenser he grabbed a few and twisted on the taps to the sink, dabbing the paper towels under the water before scrubbing off the coagulating blood on his face.  

[Hogosha No Juunikyuu]

Juuni simply sat and kicked her legs to and fro, wiping the remaining tears from her face. The tears more from shock than anything else. She nodded and watched Tomorrow, cocking her head to the side slightly.

"Why chu sigh Oniisama? Does it still hurt on the inside?"

Juuni's concerned tone returned as she reached one hand with stroking finger motions out towards Tomorrow.

"Juunish does still loves chu, Juunish promise she does" 3nodding heart  

[Tomorrow]

John lifted his dripped face to look at Juuni. A small smile spread on his face, his tension melting away as she looked at him. So innocent, so pure...

He leaned forward to kiss her cheek, his smile still on his face as he looked at her. "I know you love me, Juuni, just like you know i love you. I'm your Oniisama - i'll love you for forever and ever." He kissed her other cheek before hugging her to his chest once more, resting his cheek to her hat.

"You dont have to tell Oniisama you love him - he knows that already." He whispered, stroking her hair softly.  

[Hogosha No Juunikyuu]

Juuni fiddled with the hem of Tomorrow's shirt a little as she nuzzled against him, listening to his heart beat.

"Ish just Oniisama did no seem happy... And Juunish did want to make chu happy" 3nodding

The small neko pulled away and smiled at John, her ear flicking as a droplet of water landed on it and she giggled.

"Oniisama ish damp!" whee  

[Tomorrow]

John laughed out loud before grabbing a paper towel and wiping her face off, kissing her forehead before picking her up in his arms. "Well, now Juuni is kinda dry." He said with a nod. "And that makes Oniisama very happy that she's dry and with him right now."

Leaving the restroom he thanked the waitress with a nod and a smile and made his way back out into the market, moving down the pathways, surrounded by people once more.