and when the coyotes they sing at the park, it's when the city life starts falling for the sea

[distrustful]

The forest is the only place that InuYasha can practice with Tessaiga anymore. It's not every day that the sword is accommodating enough to let him practice, sometimes stubbornly remaining in its dormant form with nicks and unraveling at the hilt, but today it seems to recognize the importance of InuYasha maintaining his skill. At least, if he wants any hope of keeping an eye out for the very human population of Darrow.

He might not have found a way to fit in yet, but he's seen the good of a great number of them, and he just doesn't trust the city to reliably protect it for long.

He can feel a storm on the way, smelling like it's from a further distance than InuYasha knows the place allows, the swirling winds raising the hair on the back of his neck as he tugs Tessaiga out from her scabbard. In a flash, the fang expands, almost as tall as InuYasha as he aims her carefully for the split in the wind.

"Kaze no kizu," he yells, dragging her along the seam of the wind, tearing through the trees in the forest and cutting long, jagged trails into the dirt. An unfortunate tree in the way of the attack gets a twig sliced clean off, each one of its leaves torn into shreds.

The force isn't as strong as InuYasha was able to manage it back home, and he just can't seem to figure out why. Sniffing the wind in the wake of his attack, InuYasha's attention focuses on a small area without scent, without sound. A strangely perfect bubble in the middle of the otherwise lively forest.

When someone emerges from the space, InuYasha's nose immediately wrinkles in distaste, and he quickly shoves Tessaiga back in her scabbard.

"Why is it always wolves?"

Comments

[distrustful]

InuYasha startles slightly at the whistle of the kettle, giving it a distrustful look, gaze skirting back up to meet Remus' bright blue a moment later. He doesn't like it, the instantaneous change, like a sudden pop of pressure against his senses.

"So you only go through this transformation on the full moon," InuYasha muses, frowning to himself. He doesn't like the idea of anyone stripped of their reason, but if it has to happen, the fact that it's only once a month helps. The fact that it will always fall on a day when InuYasha is capable helps. "I'm not human. You want me to keep an eye out for you during your transformations? The way things are around here... a back-up plan can't hurt."

[primuslune]

"Well," Remus says, only after a long pause, as he quickly pours two cups full of steaming water and adds a tea bag. Bags are cheaper, so that's what he has. He's normally more of a beer drinker himself, to begin with.

Tea is better for conversations like this one.

"Normally, I would be uncomfortable with saying yes. It's your time, after all. Even if it's out of a sense of responsibility, why waste it on me? A werewolf is a dangerous thing, but ... in the scheme of things, not the most dangerous. Not that I am undervaluing my own ability to cause unfortunate damage. But there are worse things. Out there, in the dark. I'm sure I'm not telling you anything new."

Remus observes InuYasha cooly, before continuing.

"Moreover, on a personal level, I don't like it. I don't like to have unfamiliar people around. For that. I don't like to let myself put trust in them, either way. My trust has been violated before," he admits, lifting his chin slightly, at the thought of Sirius. Who had used him, as part of an awful prank.

InuYasha is not Sirius Black. But Remus knows where he is coming from.

"Still, even I am not infallible. I can't fully trust myself, either. Only a complete fool thinks that he can."

[distrustful]

"I don't really give a shit whether or not you trust me, honestly. Maybe you shouldn't. I have ideas about how I think the world should work... and you won't be able to change my mind on a lot of it. Probably," InuYasha considers, adding the qualifier after his mind wanders to Kagome. To Kikyou. The two people most successful at turning his mindset around.

He hasn't met anyone quite like them yet in Darrow, and doesn't think their types exist very often in the world at all.

"All I'm trying to do is protect humans. That is my number one goal. I have a desire to find my way back to my world, but if I don't, I'm not going to be very upset compared to some of the people I know here," he adds, frank, turning gold eyes to fix on Remus' blue. "Your threat would be posed to humans specifically, and even just one slip will make a lot more people tumble. Besides, do you think you're the only canine that sometimes can't keep a handle on instinct?"

He crosses his arms, almost imperious in form. "I'm not a complete fool. I've... had times before when I lost all reason, attacked the prey that was easiest to go after in front of me. It's almost always humans. Maybe I want to keep other people from feeling like they've done the same. The smell of human blood on your hands isn't one you forget."

[primuslune]

"I'm not--" Remus starts, but gives up on his protest soon after. He isn't a canine. He's a werewolf. It means something specific to Remus, something which had caused him no small discomfort with Derek, as well. As InuYasha had said, though. He wasn't likely to change his set opinions simply because of a weak, bull-headed protest on Remus' part.

"If it's something you insist on doing," he decides, "I'm certainly not going to take any steps to stop you. You're right. If I had blood on my hands, I would never forgive myself for it."

He carefully slides one of the teacups toward InuYasha. If he wants sugar or cream, it's out and available. Remus uses plenty on his own, himself.

[distrustful]

"You're not. Fine. You're not the same as me, yes. I change once per moon, too, but not in the same way as you. In the opposite way as you, actually," InuYasha says, pressing his point in spite of Remus' discomfort, wanting to acknowledge his unease without babying him in the process. His eyes narrow, the golden hue darkening with the decreased exposure, the thin slits of his pupils widening in watchful wait.

"But there are similarities. We both hate the idea of human blood being on our hands. That's enough to identify with, isn't it?"

Holding Remus' gaze for a second longer, he accepts the cup of tea offered, taking no sugar or cream. He blows on the surface of the water, watching the steam give way under his breath. He can't drink it yet. It's still too hot for his overly sensitive tongue.