Chapter Text
Super naturals weren’t uncommon, sure they weren't something you’d see day to day but they’re not rare. Take for example, vampires! Everyone knows about them, they’re creatures that burn in the sunlight and can die from something as stupid as garlic or holy water right? Well, no that’s not true at all. They are creatures of the night but they can go out in the sun just fine, and garlic can’t harm them, it just doesn’t taste the best.
Why does any of this matter anyway? Well, for Ren she has been surrounded by supernatural creatures all her life, it was a normal thing for her that she didn’t understand when others were frightened by. Sure ghosts may look scary but some of her closest friends were ghosts! Even Ren happened to be a super natural, but she wasn’t as common as the other super naturals, she was a Kitsune, or as most would know them, a 9 tailed fox.
Ren, just like most other supernaturals, hid her out of place characteristics from humans, she didn’t want to scare them. After all, not any human she knows has nine fluffy tails and ears sitting on top of their head.
Ren had been living amongst humans for three years now, she did well to act just like everyone else, but, the one thing Ren had noticed most of all about humans was that they were scared of things they didn’t understand, they were scared of things they couldn’t fully understand. Ren of course had fears too but they were all rational fears, she feared creatures that could hurt her and her kind. But to fear the unknown was something she couldn’t comprehend.
For years she wondered this and did end up asking her dear friend Mitama, the ‘human expert’ as Mitama liked to call herself.
“Ah, welcome Ren! What troubles you today?” Mitama was currently busy organizing her dorm room. Ren awkwardly stood out of the way making sure not to bother Mitama, “W-well.. I’ve wondered this for a long time but, why are humans scared of what they don’t know?” Mitama popped up out of her room and smiled, “I’ve been waiting for so long for you to be curious about humans dear Ren! Well in all honestly I haven’t been able to pinpoint exactly the reason for it but I do have an idea.” Mitama smiled and started heading towards her room, I’ll be right back~” she said in a sing song voice
Ren sighed and sat down on Mitama's couch, she knew the older one would take ages to explain a simple question, she always somehow managed to turn it into a lecture. After a minute of waiting Mitama came back out with a few notebooks, “Here we go! Now, where to get started, I wonder.” Mitama pondered for a few seconds before pulling out a notebook with a faded brownish cover, the text was worn out but a few letters could be made out if Ren tried hard enough. Mitama smiled at it and ran her fingers across the cover.
“It may seem to be old but please do trust what’s inside! It contains quite a bit of my research about humans! There are a few sections that explain their fears and other things.” Mitama nudged the notebook towards the younger girl's direction, “Oh yes and Ren, you don’t have to hide your tails while you’re here, you know that right?” Ren flushed and nodded, she knew she could roam free in her normal form at Mitama’s place, but she just wasn’t used to it, Mitama chuckled and walked back towards her room.
‘Mitama is right though. no one is around so there’s no point in staying hidden.’ Ren closed her eyes and hummed a bit, after a few seconds her ears and tails sprung out into their natural shape. She stretched and smiled, it was nice being able to be open.
“Back to business.” Ren said as she opened the notebook to the first page which was neatly decorated with an index. She smiled at the little notes in the margin of the page and skimmed through a few pages before finding what she was looking for.
Human Fears
Human fears are… irrational to say the least, they are scared of every small creature and of things that could never exist. Why do they do this? Well from what I have done, I think their brains are wired to fear the unknown, if their brains make them fear things they do not understand, there is no chance of them getting hurt. I have talked to this human named “Hagumu Azumi”, I asked about her fears, she said she fears being useless. I was confused, being useless is a natural occurrence. When humans grow old and lack the ability to move like they once did, they become useless, and they tend to get fed on by ghouls or vampires. I asked this girl why she feared it if it was natural, she looked startled by my response, like it wasn’t a normal thing to ask. Well, she said it’s because she can’t stop it that she fears it, she fears the uncomfortable feeling that comes with being useless. I assume humans fear uncertainty because they are so used to controlling things in their life, even with all the unexpected events that happen in their life they still crave the feeling of control. I’ve come to learn humans despise the uncontrollable.
Ren sighed, although it did help some, it wasn't the answer she was looking for, “Maybe there would be more on a later page?” Ren was interrupted by her own thoughts by a knock on the door, Mitama came rushing in, “I do wonder who that is, maybe it’s my dear Momoko!” She smiled and opened the door.
Mitama was right, it was Momoko, she stood at the door looking annoyed. “Mitama, do you have anything for Rena? The full moon is tonight and I’d rather not have her trying to attract other humans to our dorm again, she already did it with- Oh! Hello Ren. I didn’t see you there. It’s nice seeing you in your normal form, it suits you more.” Momoko stepped in and Mitama chuckled, “Ah yes I do have something but it’ll cost you my dear Momoko!” She went to her room to grab what Ren assumed was whatever would help Rena, knowing Mitama there was a chance it could be a trick
“Ah yes I found it!” Mitama walked out with a white wrapped box, it had a note on the top of it, “Here you go Momoko! But remember. You owe me~” she said the last part in a singsong voice that made Momoko sigh, “Yeah yeah, I always pay you back.” Ren smiled at their interaction, she liked seeing Mitama happy with her friends.
“Hey Ren? Aren't ya’ supposed to get a new roommate? I thought she would be there by now.” Ren shook her head, she was never told she was getting a new roommate. Her last one was her friend Kanoko, she didn’t move out because of something Ren did wrong, Ren wasn’t sure exactly the reason but she did have an idea.
“A-actually... I’m not too sure. I haven't been told anything..” Ren sighed and stood up, she truly hoped that Momoko was lying. Ren didn’t want to go through all that trouble of figuring out if her roommate was human or not, thankfully Kanoko wasn’t human. Although Ren got along fine with humans, it was annoying to hide her ‘unnatural’ features. It was easy but it took take out energy she would rather preserve
“Why not go check anyway! Momoko here can keep my company so don't worry one bit!” Mitama grinned slyly and hugged Momoko from the side. Momoko smiled nervously, “Yeah... she’s right, you should check anyway!” Ren smiled at the two and walked towards the door, “Bye Mitama and Momoko.”
Before Ren could leave Mitama remembered something, “Oh and Ren dear? Make sure to change back into your normal form!” She chuckled, Ren blushed before hiding away her ears and tails.
When Ren got to her dorm she silently prayed that her roommate somehow ended up moving out, or decided to not to move in after all, she knew she shouldn’t be thinking these things but she just had a distaste towards humans. Hopefully her new roommate was a good person and wasn’t scared of super naturals without knowing anything about them, like most people were. When she saw her door was cracked open her mood grew dim.
“H-hello? I’m assuming you’re my new roommate.. r-right?” When the other girl heard Ren’s voice she came rushing out. “Oh yes hello! I’m your new roommate! Or, you already know that- Anyway! Sorry for already coming in, I tried knocking and no one answered and I didn’t know when you would arrive so I kinda made myself at home.” She chucked and went back into the living room of their dorm room.
The smaller girl was dressed in a cute frilly dress, there were black leggings underneath it, to Ren it looked like she was going in a date with someone. “Well.. since were r-roommates can you tell me your name?”
The girl flushed, “A-Ah! Yes, I’m so sorry about that! I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Rika Ayano and I’m 16 years old! I’m majoring in literature!” She was.. bright to say the least, she looked like the type to look forward to the future, Ren liked that about her.
“Oh then it’s my turn. Uh well my name is Ren Isuzu and I’m 17 years old and I’m majoring in Art. Oh, yes, are you done unpacking? If you need help I can try t-to help any way I can.”
Rika sighed, “Packing is hard.. but hey! Better to do it now than to put it off I guess!” She chuckled and rushed back into her room, eager to finish so she could continue talking to her new roommate.
Ren sat awkwardly on the couch, it’s not that the blonde did anything wrong, that was far from the truth, it was just that actually having a human roommate still made her weary. Of course Ren was amazing at telling if people were suspicious or not and Rika was not one of them, it was just that… it made her a bit paranoid to be living with a human.
Humans had always treated their kind horribly, even if the supernatural they were dealing with could never do any harm to, they always hunted them down and made them out to be villains. Of had always been like this, no matter how far back in history you would look, humans and the supernatural just never got along. Even as a young child Ren could remember her mother warning her about the dangers humans brought to their kind.
She chuckled at the memory, it was nice to know she really did listen to her mother after all, even if her mother always complained that she wasn't listening.
Rika came out sometime after Ren was done reminiscing about her mothers nagging, "Oh, you're out. That didn't take as long as you made it out to be." She smiled
Rika chuckled, "I just made it sound worse than what it actually was! This dorm is super nice actually, my room is a really good size too so I had enough room for all my things! Even if my room was small it’s not like I have a lot of things anyway…” she trailed off.
Hearing Rika compliment the dorm made Ren feel happy, she loved when others felt safe in the place she also called home. “N-now that you’re done packing, to make this dorm feel safer I think we should set some boundaries.”
Rika nodded, “Yeah! I agree, I would feel horrible if I made you mad anyway?” She chuckled, “Hm... I’m not very good at setting boundaries and I’m not sure what things I would like you not to do but how about no being loud during the night! It’s fine to have friends over but stay quiet, I think better in the night so I tend to do my work then!”
Ren hummed in agreement, “No coming into the other’s room without permission and no taking things in our room without permission.” Ren thought for a moment, “I-if possible, I’d prefer if you wouldn’t eat some of my fruit without asking but if it’s mandatory t-then you’re free to do so...”
Rika laughed and held Ren’s hands in hers, “Of course not Renki! I would never take things without permission anyway! My parents raised me well so you don’t have to worry one bit!”
Ren’s cheeks flushed bright red and she looked away from the younger girl, “R-renki? Where did you come up w-with that?” Rika chuckled nervously, “It’s a nickname! It sorta fits you, you know! Oh, but! If you’re uncomfortable with that, I can stop calling you it..” She fidgeted with her ring.
Although Ren wasn’t used to being called by any other name than her own she was fond of the idea of Rika giving her such a cute title, she smiled and shook her head in disagreement, “It is a cute nickname, I.. like it.”
Rika beamed, “I’m glad you’re happy with it! I’m so excited to be your roommate, you’re so cool! I hope we get along well Renki!” Ren nodded, at first she felt unsafe with this human but she did think she would grow fond of theyounger girl, “I do too, Rika. I do too.”