Ruminant

viii

8.

When Kyoya, in a thankfully tasteful, plain yukata, was asked to interact with small animals in a place that smelled distinctly of dogs, the first thing that flashed through his mind was how badly he wanted his tonfas right now.

His weapon - the intimidating work of art that it was - would probably make disciplining these rambunctious herd easier.

Don't get him wrong. Kyoya wouldn't hit them or anything. That particular phase in his life passed him already so as long as they wouldn't talk, touch, or crowd in his personal space, he wouldn't hurt them much.

Just a little, maybe? A playful hit here and there - just enough so they would know how to keep their distance.

That's not wrong, right?

Immediately following after that thought, however, was a contradiction of the first one. He realized how it's probably fortunate that he didn't have an actual weapon right now, because if Kyoya did, he probably would give in to his urges and hit someone with how fucking loud the noise was.

That wouldn't be good since his mother would most likely be pushed to the edge of her already waning tolerance this time. He was lucky he got away with barely a preaching after the last stunt with the yukata.

...Not to mention it's way too soon after the biting ordeal.

Kyoya would prefer not to experience the masterful passive-aggressiveness his mother had displayed for days, actually. Even though it wouldn't stop him from playing with his relatives again, he wouldn't want to go under the same treatment after just recently escaping it.

It was admittedly quite trying.

In the end, he sagely concluded that the best course of action would most likely be to blow this joint right now as soon as possible if he didn't want to incur his mother's wrath.

The sight of their grubby hands made his skin crawl and the sheer herbivorousness was getting to his nerves.

He's really quite tempted to bite them all to death - age difference be damned.

Fortunately, although it still annoyed him, his brooding and unwise train of thought was cut short when his mother nudged him to pay attention.

Shooting his mother an incensed look on principle, it took Kyoya a moment to realize that he'd been more absorbed in his mind than he thought. Apparently, he was now being introduced to another small animal, the one who's having the party actually, before his mother would mingle with the other carnivores and left him in the rabble.

"Hi-hi!, I'm Inuzuka Hana." the small animal burbled, disgustingly cheerful. "What's your name?"