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Bornes gave a growl at the f*****t remark.

"Why do you insist on insulting me all the time? I've never treated you so horribly."

He glared at the cigarettes and snatched them out of Isiah's hand.
"You're wasting my cigarettes," he quipped.

"A pet name?" he snarled and stood up, shoving the cigarettes in his pocket. Isiah would have to beat him up now to get those back.

"I need these, you're just satisfying you're pathetic addiction. You're strong enough to go trade for some more some place else. I said you could have a few, not the whole damn pack!"

Bornes was not usually one to cuss- not in english, anyway. He was truly flustered now. The daddy remark had hurt him a lot more than the pet name one had.
He was so close to punching Isiah in the face.

He knew he'd probably lose the resulting fight, but just to break his nose once would be so worth it.

Bornes watched Isiah get up, and actually took a few steps back in fear. He wouldn't lie. Bornes was intimidated.

Isiah tried to get behind Bornes, but the hybrid turned with the older man. It would be worse for Isiah to get behind him-- not when Bornes didn't know what he was going to do.

Then, all of the sudden, Isiah's hand came bursting forth. Bornes tried to side-step, but wasn't fast enough, and the older man had Bornes by the neck, and off the floor.
Bornes felt like his head was going to pop off- his hands went to Isiah's arm in an effort to get all the weight off from his head, his tail smacking around wildly.

Bornes had no idea what to do. He had stories of addicts, but that was with meth or cocaine or ex... not cigarettes.
"You would stoop so low for one?" he growled, his glare almost visible through his sunglasses.

His body visibly tensed even moreso after the remark, however. Bornes knew he'd pay for saying such a thing.

Bornes gave a short, high-pitches squeak as he was squeezed and then pushed against the wall. His sight was beginning to falter.

Why? If not for the cigarettes, than why?
I don't understand. He wanted to say it, but he wouldn't dare try. Not now.

Bornes hands searched for the place on the wrist that was the pressure point, the two points where the tendons eh could squeeze were. He couldn't seem to find them.

His heart began to race, but he tried to will it to slow. To not panic. Isiah wouldn't hurt him. Even if he passed out, Isiah wouldn't hurt him. He kept trying to reassure himself of this fact, but he couldn't believe himself.

He opened his mouth, lips curled, and he gave his all into trying to hit the inside of Isiah's elbow in hopes to induce a reflexive release, knowing full well Isiah had probably locked his arm and he was just wasting his oxygen.

He was going to pass out soon.

Bornes dropped like a stone, and as soon as he hit the ground he breathed in as best he could, wheezing and coughing during the matter.

When he had enough breath to try getting himself back up on his hands and knees, his whole body shook. Rather than collapsing again he decided it'd be safer to just stay on the ground for a while, closing his eyes and rubbing his chest, trying to calm himself down.

"I don't," he let out a cough, "...Understand." He still hacked every now and then, but the most of his oxygen panic was over, and he simply panted through his mouth for the time being. His body still crumpled on the floor and his tail still awkwardly limp.

Bornes wanted to understand, he kept grasping at the proverbial straws, but nothing wanted to piece together. For the first time in his life, all the essential pieces lay before him, and he just couldn't understand the picture they were supposed to make.

Reading people, understanding things. That was what he was best at, and he could no longer do so, now?

He got up onto his hands and knees, but decided he wouldn't bother getting up. He simply rolled onto his side, looking at the door, knowing full well he couldn't follow Isiah. Nor should he try even if he could see with the sun so high in the sky.

But he didn't have to stare at it long, before a shadow blocked the doorway. It was someone he hadn't seen before. There was a brief knock, but it was out of courtesy only, as the skinny boy who couldn't possibly be older than eighteen walked in anyway.

His brown hair was messed and went to his ears, his blue eyes full of too many secrets. This boy should've been even easier to read than a children's book, with his body language. But Bornes couldn't do it, couldn't fabricate a history for him.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"....I suppose," Bornes hoarsed, instinctually pulling his tail closer to himself.
The boy noticed the movement, his eyes going wide. "Is that a tail..? is it real?"

He stepped toward Bornes, who gave a warning growl, stopping the boy in his tracks, even if simply from shock.

"I overheard someone fighting with Kaegan early this morning. Was it you?"

Bornes closed his eyes behind his sunglasses, trying to ignore he was even there.
"Go away."

The kid hesitated, seemed to turn in a circle from what Bornes could hear, and then crouched down to Bornes face, poking his sunglasses.
"No," he said playfully. "Why are you wearing sunglasses? Why don't you get up?"

Bornes gave another growl. This boy asked too many questions. "I said Go away."

"How do you make that sound? That growl? It sounds so real, like a real dog."

Borned curled his lip. "I'll make a more convincing bark and bite if you don't leave me alone."

The boy craned his neck, his blue eyes looking at Bornes' craggly scar across his face. "How did you get that thing? It's so deep." His hand went out to touch it, and Bornes was ready to bite the kid's hand off, when Kaegan came in.

Tsurai. That name sounded familiar. It was the other person the first night in this town, was it not?

Still, such a strange name. It must've been a nickname. As Bornes opened his eyes behind his sunglasses, he couldn't pick out any strange features that would make the boy before him honorary of such a strange name. He didn't seem foreign.

Tsurai turned his head immediately, taking his hand away. "Just talking," he called out, as innocent as ever.

This boy must've been mentally handicapped. Something didn't feel right.

Tsurai stood up and faced Kaegan. "This man is really interesting. He has a real tail!"

Bornes let out a tch, unimpressed. Yes. Mentally handicapped had to be the answer, here. He lifted his head, debating whether to turn his back to this spectacle, but after slight hesitation, put it back down and simply closed his eyes instead.

"...But he doesn't want to get up..." Tsurai lowered his voice, turning back to Bornes and kneeling again. "Are you hurt?"

The hybrid huffed in response.