Mao gasps in surprise as Yuka walked up to them, suddenly aware of her fangs and eyes. She quickly turns away from Jared, hoping he hadn't noticed them, as they slowly returned to their human-like appearance. "H-hey Yuka..." Mao says hesitently. She wasn't sure how to answer the cat demon's question. Was she suspicious that he was also an inu? Maybe she had made the same mistake Mao had. "Oh, no, he's just-" But before Mao can complete her sentence, her eyes curiously on the tennis ball that Yuka was tossing about in her hands, Jared began to run off.

Mao jumps in surprise. Why was he running? "J-jared!!" Mao yells out, stepping forward to chase after him. It was too late, however. He was already far gone. Although, Mao knew she could probably catch up with him, she wasn't sure if she wanted to...If Jared was really an inu, which all had pointed to since he had run for seemingly no reason, than why would she want to go after him?...He had tricked her...Surely had planned to hurt her as well...And what would Mao look like to one of her fellow nekos if she chased after this inu, as if she wanted him?

But Mao remembers, then, the fear in his eyes when he looked at them before running. Was it simply because he had suddenly become scared of the stranger he didn't know, but she did? Strange...he didn't seem like that type of person, but maybe that was what had occurred. "S-sorry Yuka! He's not an inu...I know he smells like one, but he said it's just because he owns a dog...He's really nice, so don't worry about me, okay? I promise I'll be fine. I would never let an inu get close to me...If you are still worried about it, then please come with me. I don't want him to be scared of me. He's just an average human. " Mao states, quickly running off, then, towards Jared. Mao ran so fast that the sand belted up behind her, leaving a trail of dust. She was very fast; faster than any inu. It only took her a few moments to catch up to him. Mao was panting slightly, the wind blowing through her hair. "Jared! Wait up! Where are you going?!" She yells out to him, still running beside him. "I'm sorry if my friend made you nervous! I didn't know you were so scared around strangers."

Jared stopped when Mao had caught up enough to run next to him. By now they were in an alley. He back up away from her, terrified. "Please, don't hurt me. I didn't know what you were, I swear! I didn't know! I wasn't going to do anything! Please, don't hurt me!" His back hit the wall and he slumped down to the ground, cowering as his ears came out pressed back against his head and his tail tucked between his legs. He held his hands up in front of his face, flinching as if she would attack him at any moment. "I'm sorry! I didn't know what you were! I thought you were human! I wasn't going to do anything, I swear! I haven't ever hurt any of you! Please!" Tears streaked down his cheeks from fear. He did not want to meet his friend in the afterlife so soon. It was all too much.

Mao, panting, stops in the alley way as he does, leaning down to catch her breath. The air felt like jagged ice entering her lungs at that point. Well, at least she didn't have to worry about training. That run had been enough for the day. Her deep brown eyes gaze up towards him as Jared begins to beg for his life, cowering against the wall. Her eyes grow wide in fear as Mao sees the soft yellow ears and tail poke out. "You...you are an inu?..." Mao asks, her voice shaky and her body frozen in shock. She almost still didn't want to believe it. Maybe she was dreaming?....Mao pinches at the loose skin of her arm enough to cause a slight ping of pain. It didn't wake her...No, Mao wasn't dreaming...It was all real...The person she had thought she could finally be close to; be accepted by...He was an inu...

She knew she wouldn't hurt him, especially in the state he was in. And she definitely knew that Yuka wouldn't hurt him unless he had the intention of hurting herself. But apparently, this inu didn't know that was the case...Mao's chest twists with guilt as she watches the tears stream down his cheeks; his body trembling with fear. She knew she had not done anything to this inu, but for some reason, she still felt guilty. And she fought with herself on whether to comfort the inu or to simply leave. Comfort....What inu had ever comforted her?...Had ever helped her?....Inus...vile creatures....

Mao's eyes glance down towards the ground. But he didn't seem vile....Was it a trick? A play?...It seemed real...Her mind rewinds to the meeting, with that poor girl, blood oozing down the wound on her arm. That girl had been foolish enough to trust an inu, and was almost killed for doing so...Was she foolish enough to do the same?...No...Even if Mao wanted to be near the inu, she couldn't. The other nekos would not accept something like that, not after what had just happened. "I'm sorry...I never planned to hurt you, pup...So don't cry...." Mao states, her eyes shifting from chocolate brown to almost a glowing yellow in the rays of the sun, and then back again as they entered the shadows.

Jared wiped the tears from his cheeks, though he still didn't have his fears all gone yet. She didn't know he was an inu? How? Maybe it was all just some trick. But it didn't seem like it. Then Mao was apologizing, saying she never intended to harm him. But he stayed where he was, looking much like a beaten dog. He never really had any experience with nekos. And this one was unfairly attractive. She had captivated him to the point that he didn't even pay attention to all the warning signs. He wouldn't look at her. Because he had so openly complimented those features, and he couldn't risk that any more. Not now that he knew what she was. "When do you start calling me a monster?" He whispered quietly. "When is it that you start hating me for something I cannot control, that being the species I was born into?"

Being that they were in a dark alleyway, Mao wasn't much afraid that any human would come around and see them. Even if a human did happen to pass by, it was somewhat dark in the alley, so they wouldn't be able to be entirely seen. Her soft black ears and tail finally poke out, as her eyes fade to their natural hue of bright yellow. They could be seen glowing in the shadows that covered her face. "A monster?...Why would I call you a monster?...If I did, I would might as well call myself one too....Although we are two different species, we are much the same as well....still..." Her ears slightly droop in sadness as she stares at the ground, realizing that he wouldn't take the time to look at her anymore...."I don't know if I can trust inus after what they have done to me...But I don't hate you...In fact, I like you quite a lot..."

Mao states all of this with hesitation, unknowing if she should hold back some of her words or not. She usually planned what to say before saying it, but it felt as if all of her emotions were spilling from her lips without her control. The fact that he refused to look at her somewhat hurt her. The compliments he had given her...Those syrupy words which captured her heart. Were they all just meant for a human? Did they mean nothing now that he knew she was a neko?.....Her body trembles with sadness. "I could leave you...if you want..." Mao finally says after a few moments of silence. She wasn't sure what else to say to the inu, and wasn't sure if she was welcome there any longer...

Finally, Jared looks at Mao with sadness in his eyes. "You would call me a monster for what my kin have done... everyone else does, I don't see why you wouldn't." He looks at her ears and tail and realizes, she looks even prettier than before. He couldn't say that now, of course. Someone might overhear, and he heard the punishment for being with a neko was severe. But still, his lips twisted up slightly and he stated what he thought. "Cat ears suit you well, hunnie. I knew you were out to dazzle me."

He falls silent as she mentions that she does not hate him, but liked him a bit. He sighed. "This is impossible. But I think I've made it clear enough that I like you as well." He paused for a moment and looked into her now cat like eyes, his own a light amber color instead of the silver they were in his human form. "So, naturally, I don't want you to go. But... Won't this be frowned upon?"

Mao thinks for a moment, her slender tail gently swaying from side to side. His compliment of her ears suiting her causes a pink tint to her cheeks as she smiles warmly. So his compliments weren't only for a human. Even though she was a neko, he still gave sincere compliments which made her heart thud each time he heard them slip past his lips. But there was still the problem at hand of what was occurring between them. Although there wasn't a relationship, really, it was growing into one...And it could become fatal quickly.

"We aren't boyfriend and girlfriend...We are only friends...They cannot punish us for that, right?..." Mao asks, reaching a hand down towards him so that he may grab it and stand up. His eyes were quite pretty in his natural form and Mao couldn't help but stare at them. The way they shimmered against the rays of light hypnotized her. Mao blinks. "Turn back into your human disguise, and so will I. So far, my neko family does not know you are really an inu, and your inu family know nothing about me. So we are safe, for the moment...And they will not find out. I will continue to say that you are human and if any of your inu pals ask, you will continue to tell them that I am only human as well..." She states, that being the best plan she could come up with. The cat ears and tail slowly shrink away, as her eyes return to their brown color. Mao now appeared like a normal human once again.

Although his voice made her stir, her heart race and her cheeks to turn crimson red, Mao wasn't sure they could turn it into a full blown relationship just yet. They hadn't even gone on a date, or kissed, unless the breakfast he paid for her was counted as a date. As far as she was concerned, they were still only simple friends. That was something which they would not get punished for. Mao wasn't sure she could completely trust Jared yet, anyways. She wanted to with all of her heart, but she was simply too nervous. Mao felt she was falling for a trick, but at the same time did not want to believe that fact. Hopefully...just hopefully...he would not be like all of the other inu she knew about...

Jared sighed. "Never did I ever say anything about being together like that. I'd never expect something like that with a girl. I was saying that a friendship would be frowned upon. I didn't say we would be in trouble for it." Jared takes Mao's outstretched hand and gets himself standing back up where he towered over Mao. His ears and tail disappeared and his eyes went from amber to silver again as he went back to human form as she told him to. "As for your plan, it isn't exactly foolproof, but it's the best we have right now, so I guess we'll take it.." He didn't know if he was being set up, and he honestly didn't care. If he was, he'd find out eventually. Besides, he trusted this girl... Well, almost. Now everything about her seemed too good to be true, and now she was forbidden fruit at the same time. "What now?"

Yuka has followed the scent of the two to where they were. She came out from around a corner and had heard half of the conversation. "Why did you two run away? It is not like I am going to hurt anybody." She saw the ears and then said: "Oh, now I get it! You two are cosplayers." She played dumb. "So he is your boyfriend?" Yuka said to Mao. "If you dont want anybody to find out, then I will keep it a secret."

Yuka then walked up to Jared and said: "You know, Mao is a dear friend of mine. And I do not want her to be hurt, okay? If you hurt her emotionally, then stay away from her until she can forgive you. If you touch her in a bad way, then who know what I might do. Now you two, come with me to my cafe, I will give you a free coffee or cocoa. Or would you rather share a bowl of ice cream?" Yuka acted as if she wasn't the cat demon she was but rather a close and protective friend of Mao's. She found the relationship to be interesting and fun to watch, but she would watch closely. Even if she would be the shadow cast on the ground behind Mao.

Rei left the building where the nekos had gathered and did not return to the meeting because he felt it was over from the way it sounded. If it wasn't he didn't care to go back. On his way home he found himself wandering through a sweet smelling field, but smelt a very strange smell. He raised his head and sniffed, although his sense of smell was weaker than an inu's sense of smell his nose smelt out the odd smell of an inu mixed within the grass around him. He walked forward through it until he heard someone laugh and say, "I love you, field. You're always here to welcome me."

He looked around surprised to find a girl laying in the grass. He walked up to this girl with short brown hair and bright green eyes. She had a flower in her hair and seemed to be enjoying herself. The oddest thing was he thought her skirt was hiding a tail, and not a proper one at that, it almost looked like a dog's tail. "Are you a dog, something around here smells like one, but you certainly can't be because you're obviously a cute girl. So where's the dog, do you perhaps own one?" He was curious why she was here and why the smell of the dog he was trying to was dissipated by all the grass, it was probably allergies.

Mao sighs softly, nervously looking away from Jared as she helps him up; him towering over her. He was quite taller than herself. Her eyes grow wide at the voice of Yuka, who seemed to have been standing there watching for a while without them having noticed. She quickly turns to her, ready to make up some sort of lie in order to protect Jared's identity. But already Yuka was speaking. She seemed to be pretending as if she was just another human, thinking they were average humans as well, who had been dressed as cos players.

Mao wasn't sure what to say in response. The surprise of Yuka's play confused her. Why would she act this way? Was it because she was okay, knowing that a neko and inu were friends? Mao hadn't expected to be found out so soon. When Yuka asks if they are boyfriend and girlfriend, her cheeks turn red. "N-no! We aren't...just...very close friends..." Mao quickly replies, her own words causing a tinge of pain in her chest. Mao wasn't sure it was a good idea to follow Yuka to her cafe. She knew the cat demon had no reason to hurt her inu friend, but at the same time wasn't sure what would happen.

However, if she declined the offer, would Yuka then threaten the inu? Going with her seemed like the best idea...just to play along...Maybe if they did, things would slide by without trouble. "Yes, alright...that sounds...very nice.." Mao mumbles, hesitating over her words as her chocolate brown eyes avoid eye contact with anyone. Things had suddenly become very complicated and confusing. Was this friendship with this inu, who would probably just hurt her in the end, really worth it?...Maybe...maybe not...Mao couldn't read the future, that was for sure...But she wanted to give him a chance....Mao prepared herself to follow along with Yuka and Jared to the cafe.

Skye had almost fallen asleep when something darkened the vision from her closed eyes. She slowly opened them, only to find a boy looking at her. She blinked a bit, about to get up but stalled by his talking. "Are you a dog, something around here smells like one, but you certainly can't be because you're obviously a cute girl. So where's the dog, do you perhaps own one?" She blushed a bit when he complimented her, though she knew that he could be dangerous. He was obviously a neko from the way he spoke to her.

Skye made a quick decision and stood up, though she immediately knew she wouldn't have the tall, intimidating factor. Damn you, shortness... She looked up at him and tilted her head. "Well, since you obviously know of the hidden world, yes." She then took a step back, her husky-like ears tilting downward a bit as she looked from side to side and then back to him. "You don't have one of those demons with you, do you?" She was honesty afraid of them and was usually wary of them if there was a neko around.

"It seems as if you were afraid of something. If it is me you are afraid of, then you shouldn't need to fear me. I am not going to hurt anyone." Yuka said although she knew that Mao was afraid of the possible consequences of declining her offer. "So if you two are ready, you can follow me. But be warned, I work at a maid cafe. Well I own the maid cafe and supervise the employees, but if you like, I can throw on a maid outfit and be your waiter." Yuka said with a smile. "Now come along." Yuka then turned and started walking in a particular direction.

"No, I don't a cat demon with me. But I know of one cat demon that you describe. She's not my personal body guard, yet she does watch out for all of us who are nekos a lot of the time." Rei scratched the tip of one of his cat ears with his hand and said, "I suppose this is what I get for not having a good meeting with the nekos today, walking home alone and undisguised, and taking my usual path home."

His white tail flickered back and worth as studied Skye. She was really short and if he had to he was almost certain he could take her down despite being an inu. Being a male or female didn't play into this thought since he knew either way that nekos were strong after having tried to run from a few from time to time. It was the simple fact that her height would make her an easy target if he had to fight her. She appeared peaceful though and possibly scared of him since she was asking so many questions.

"What's your name?" asked lowering his hand from his ear and looking at her straight on.

Jared listened to Yuka was saying to him and nodded respectfully. So she would play dumb? Then he would too. It was best not to anger a cat demon, he knew. And he knew she was a cat demon simply because the odor of cats came off her stronger than Mao. But it didn't matter. He would swallow his fear and act normal since that was what everyone seemed to be doing.

"Mao and I are not dating. We are simply friends." He said to Yuka. Not that it really mattered, none of it was very good. But he wasn't about to just leave Mao like that either. That would be quite rude. When Yuma mentioned going to a cate of hers, even though he was full, he nodded. "Why not?" He said to her, ignoring the part about the maid costume. He wasn't really into costumes. Why would people dress up to be something they aren't? But that didn't matter. He waited for Yuka to make a move so he could follow.

Skye gulped as he said that there was no cat demons around, hoping he wasn't lying. She had been tricked by many nekos before and wouldn't let it happen again. She was glad she was still able to keep a stable, even voice. "Well, okay. But if you or any other nekos attack me, I'll just get my friends' help! I have a lot of them, too!" What did I just do?! I don't have any friends! If he attacks, I won't have anyone to help me out... She gave a small frown as he spoke that this was his usual trail home. "Really? This is my usual sleeping spot. I guess we just haven't intersected..." And that's a good thing, too.

Skye raised an eyebrow and took another step back as he seemed to inspect her. His eyes told her that he knew he could easily overcome her and that he wouldn't hesitate in defending himself if she took the first attack. No surprise attacks, I guess. She looked down at her feet, twisting her foot on the ground because she felt uncomfortable around a neko. According to her elders, they were known to be very hostile to inus and often attacked on sight. She herself had been the victim of an attack or two, so she had a hard time trusting anyone that came near her.

Skye took yet another step back as he asked for her name. She pinched her lips together before speaking in a slightly quieter voice. "My name is... Juxta." She was only halfway lying, considering it was her last name. She wouldn't say her first name until she knew that he wouldn't attack.

Yuka walked on and on until they got to a small building with the sign "Yukas Sweet Maid Cafe" on it. "Well welcome to my cafe. Congratulations, you are my first guests today." Yuka said. She opened the door and said: "Go ahead and have a seat. I will be there for you soon." Yuka then went back to the changing room and put on a maid outfit that had a white shirt, a black and white frilly apron, a knee length skirt, thigh-highs, black shoes, head wear, a short blue tie and a black choker with a white lace trim and a buckle at its from like a collar. She then came back and said: "May I take you orders, masters." In a really sweet, high-pitched voice that seemed like it burned through ear drums like salic acid through paper.

"Hm, Juxta, I'm in juxtaposition to get to know you better. But you seem to want to go ahead and leave." Rei stated as he watched her step away from him and mutter her name. "You know that's a word from the dictionary that essentially speaks of being close together, side by side, you know." He stated as he smiled at her and let his tail flicker behind him slowly. "My name's Rei, just like the sun, but it translates to dark, so I'm actually no fun."

He took a step towards her and wondered how she would react. She seemed a bit protective of herself. He just wanted to be friends.

Mao strides slowly behind Jared and Yuka as they walked into the large, seemingly beautiful cafe. It was quite grand, but at the same time quite girly. The sweet smells which roamed around the shop were too much for Mao. The smells were so delightful, that she simply couldn't wait to have a few treats. With the gesture from Yuka, Mao sits across from Jared at a grandly decorated glass table. Her brown eyes gaze around in amazement at the shop, too excited to have much worry anymore.

Mao watches as Yuka comes to them, dressed in quite a beautiful maid's outfit. Her voice sounds much more high-pitched and cuter than usual, and she blinks in surprise, having not expected to ever see Yuka in such a way. Mao had always known her as the protector; as serious, never as cute. But there she was, quite adorable in even Mao's eyes. Suddenly she became a bit self-conscious, realizing she was still only wearing her work-out clothes. They were very bland for the situation they were in and she had suddenly wished she could go home and change. Mao always liked being dressed properly for the occasion. But, Mao kept silent about her issue, and parted her lips to state what she wished to have. "Maybe a...strawberry shortcake? Please..."

(Sorry for being gone so long. I'm probably gonna be gone all tomorrow too. Please be patient with me.)

Skye stifled a laugh as the guy made a joke out of her name. She looked up slightly as he stated that she wanted to leave. That's only partially true... She then looked up at him as he defined what he had said. Looking to the side sheepishly, she mumbled. "I know what it means." She looked back to him as he introduced himself, even going as far as explaining his name. She opened her mouth to introduce herself, though her instincts spiked when he took a step towards her. She took another step backwards quickly and tripped over a rock that was jutting out of the ground. She gave a short squeak as she fell, landing on her back.

Skye quickly sat up with a blush crawling across her face from embarrassment. She stood, brushing off some of the dirt as she spoke, noticing that each time she backed away he seemed a bit confused. "I-I'm sorry that I keep backing away." She grabbed one of her shoulders with the other hand. "I just have... trust issues. Capture and all, I hope you know." She gulped, wondering why she was apologizing. "I don't have a very good past with nekos, is all."

"I see, it's okay if you don't completely trust me I mean we just met and all... Although, I've never really run into trouble with inus before, but then I've always been warned to stay away from them, so I have." Rei answered her. At least she now had an explanation as to why she kept backing away from him. At the rate she was going he felt she'd injure herself having just tripped now.

Rei put his hands on his hips and said as he smiled, "I know I'm a neko, but do I look dangerous to you? Do I look like the type to capture someone against their will?" he gave her a catlike grin and stood there for a moment.

Jared had followed Yuka to the shop and walked in, sitting down in the spot she gestured for he and Mao to sit in. He looked at Mao as she sat across from him, and realized he had left his shirt on the beach. He hit his forehead with the palm of his hand, and tried to stay inconspicuous, but he could tell that a lot of eyes were fixed on him. His face burned with embarrassment. When Yuka came back over asking what they wanted, Jared said, "I do apologize, but I realize that I left my shirt on that beach and I really should go get it, don't you think?" He asked and bit his lip nervously as he looked at Yuka, hoping she wouldn't be mad that he had waltzed in without a shirt.

Skye blinked when he said he understood her mistrust. Wow... most people would just walk off. Not to mention he was told to stay away from my kind. She pinched her lips together when he asked if he looked dangerous. She looked down shyly and out of embarrassment. "I-I guess not. But I don't judge people on how they look. I-I..." She looked back up at him. "I just have a hard time trusting Nekos in general. I know it's wrong to judge someone by the few of their kind that you've met, but it's just instinct that I have such a hard time trusting you."

Skye then felt something click inside her brain. Wait. Why am I telling him all of this?! I should be running. This could all be just a trick to make me relax. The hand on her arm squeezed and she became a bit tense. Is it that I actually trust this guy... no, that can't be it. I could never trust a Neko. But what if I really can trust him? What then? The Inus that already look down on me would look down on me even more if I started hanging out with him. But if they never find out... Skye gave a slight sigh, getting a headache from the war waged in her mind. She looked to Rei. "Can I ask you a question? Why didn't you really do anything when you saw that I was an Inu?"

"The reason I haven't done anything is that I saw something rather horrible today. You know how the cat demons chase down inus right? Well, one I know went about doing that today and showed us the head of her kill. I don't go to many neko meetings, but this is just a little beyond the norm of normal cat demons. I'd rather not describe what I saw, but I suppose she, the cat demon, did what she had to do to protect a neko girl." he started to explain. "I also feel a bit more connected to my actual cat Momo than my fellow neko demons too since we've been together for a while."

Skye gulped as Rei mentioned cat demons and nodded. She didn't want to interrupt him, so she kept in her comments throughout it. She got a bit freaked out when he said that the cat demon had showed the Nekos the head of her kill. She shivered a bit, glad that it was apparently abnormal. She finally let go of her own shoulder when he said he had more of a connection with his cat than his kind. She pinched her lips before speaking. "Well, I definitely know about those demons. They caused my first bad experience with Nekos. I'll spare you the details. I guess it's kind of okay if a Neko girl was being protected, but getting the head is a bit much. The family won't be very happy getting back just the body..." She sighed. "At least you feel connected with someone. I used to have a dog, but he didn't like how I always sleep in a different place everyday."

Skye laughed a bit. "If only he hadn't run away before I found this field. Now, I sleep here every night and even hang out in it in my spare time." She tilted her head. "I'm surprised we haven't met earlier, in all honesty."