The Man from Boundary

Chapter 2

The train ride lasted the majority of the day, despite what Kira Yoshikage might have wanted, and based on the looks he was starting to get from people, he assumed that news might have gotten out about the murder he had committed. Usually news like that didn't travel far out from Boundary, or so he had thought, because despite the many murders he had committed, none other than the local police force had gotten involved, no matter how mutilated the body was left. The looks he was getting were more likely due to his very disheveled appearance, which was a result of his own doing. Being unable to handle any extreme stress without snapping on something or someone was likely his biggest flaw, and in the end he wouldn't be surprised if that's what led to his own demise. If anyone were to end him, it would be himself, that's for sure. He'd let no other have the satisfaction if he could help it.

When the train eventually stopped in the feline sector of Pangea, Kira was quick to get out and find a cheap motel where he could get ahold of himself and figure things out. He had enough money to last himself a few weeks without any income if he rationed correctly, he had two extra outfits, though he'd need more eventually if he wanted to get any sort of good job. He could rob a few for more if the need arose. The room he had gotten was rather small and low quality, so immediately he checked the bed for mites. Thankfully, he hadn't found any. He could sleep with that comfort, at least. He took a look at himself in the bathroom mirror and quickly understood why he was stared at. His fur was still mostly matted down in what now looked like dirt rather than blood, his clothes littered with tears and rips from his own claws and teeth.

The blonde let out a long sigh and rubbed his eyes. He had certainly gotten himself into a mess, hadn't he? Once he dropped his hands and again looked himself in the eye, he felt a pang of rage in his chest, so he looked away. How could he be reduced to such a state by people in which he truly believed to have no value in how the course of his life should go? How could he have been uprooted by these horrible children he wanted nothing to do with in the first place? The anger grew within him again. Realizing this, he decided that he'd take a shower to calm himself down. At least this way he'd be able to get clean and try at least to keep his mind off of his current situation.

The blonde sighed deeply and undressed before getting into the shower. Given that this area of the city was specifically run by feline species, the amount of soap given was rather generous, which Kira was thankful for. He would usually use a lot considering his fur and his rather strict hygiene routine. He didn't use the soap right away, but just closed his eyes and let the warm water run over himself, his ears flat against his head so water wouldn't get in them. Deep breath in, deep breath out. All he needed to do was breathe and keep himself calm until he knew what to do. This was a complete restart on his end, which meant many possibilities, so this wasn't completely negative. He could craft an entirely new image here, get cleaned up, start a new life, maybe truly settle down. He scoffed at the last suggestion. Right, in his dreams. Like he'd ever settle with someone he'd only end up wanting to kill. Plus, he didn't even want to open up about the dynamic it would surely end up having.

Eventually Kira started to wash himself, starting with his tail. His fur was medium length in comparison to most other Tabaxis, though his fur was extraordinarily thick and well taken care of, which gave it the illusion of being longer than it really was. Maybe a haircut to look a bit different. He doubted the police force could even tell apart most tabaxis anyhow unless they had very prominent and recognizable features. He moved to his legs and torso, working his way up his body until he got to the very tips of his ears. The process did more to relax him than any kind of therapy ever had.

Once he was through with the shampoo, he conditioned in the same exact order, careful to fully rinse everything out of his fur afterwards. Now that he was clean and feeling much calmer than before, he could truly think about how to deal with all of this. He let himself stand under the water, completely motionless and silent. It was quickly becoming less warm than it had been, which was slightly uncomfortable, but it was still nice nonetheless. He could go get something to eat in the morning and maybe look for a job. If he was lucky, he'd find something that he was actually qualified for. If not, he could fuck with some papers and fake some qualifications. Nothing too complicated as long as it would actually pay well. Until then, he'd likely be living out of this shitty motel.