The Fox & The Jester { Re-Write}

Ain't Youth Meant To Be Beautiful?

Cradled in his arms Reju watched Satoshi, his son, stare up at him in what might have been wonder or perhaps it was nothing at all. Just looking.

He set Satoshi back in his crib now that the crying had stopped. "Attention seeker, just like his mother." Reju spat. Since she's been gone Satoshi's been more easily agitated. Crying for seemingly no reason or having tantrums when the smallest of things go wrong. This time for example, the cap of his bottle was a bit looser than Reju thought so some of the contents spilled onto Satoshi's shirt... And then the crying started. It was only a tiny little red blob. Nothing any other kid would care about! They'd probably love the mess!

Running his hands through his dark brown hair, a habit he's developed recently thanks to the stress. Reju walked out of the room back downstairs to where the others were gathered around the table. Why his house was suddenly a meeting place was beyond him.

"He settled?" Reju looked up to see that it was Tatsu who asked the question. Strange considering his leaders general indifference to anyone but his favourites, which Reju is decidedly not. But he could understand why he'd be interested in his son's progress.

"Yes, sir." He responded curtly. Not giving any other reason for people to like him less than they do. He's already the guy who fucked a human, not to mentioned his half-breed son now sleeping soundly above his head.

If the rumours about one-eyed ghoul's are true then Satoshi is definitely a worthwhile investment. Reju has plans for his boy. Someday he might look back and think that it was a happy accident instead of a burden that he had a son.

Feeling the tell-tale urge to fidget when under someone's stare, he glanced up from the map of rival gang bases to find Tatsu giving him a look. Which he's come to know as the 'You fuck this up for me and I'll drown you in your own piss' look. He's seen the creative punishments Tatsu liked to dole out to abject failures. That one he's had reserved specially for him for a long time.

Reju's not stupid enough to think that he's the only one with plans.

Tatsu wants a well-trained dog that'll fetch when told, sit when told and kill when told. So he'll be the biggest maddest ghoul in the 11th.

They want the same things.

But for different reasons, the One-Eyed King isn't exactly one for empty promises.
_____________
8 years later
_____________

"Again." He commanded. Bracing himself for the impact Reju planted his feet firmly on the ground.

When he felt the weight land on his shoulders he reached up with both hands attempting to grab hold of a neck when he was unbalanced by a shift in weight and the legs wound tightly round his chest moved to his neck choking him slightly as he was lifted into air and then after a moment of suspension, slammed into the concrete pinned by the weight on his chest with kagune in the form of tendrils wrapped around his arms legs and neck with others fanned out above him in a protective shell.

A young boy's face smirking smugly as he crouched on his chest. "That was much better than the last three." He complemented before ramming his head into the crook of the boys nose. The tendrils immediately relenting as the boy jumped back cradling his most likely broken nose, his kagune wrapped lazily but protectively around the boy's lower body.

Getting to his feet Reju looked down at his eight year old son with a look of warning and dissatisfaction. "But always be prepared for a counterattack" He stated harshly. "Now, retract your kagune your pounce is better but we need to work on your brawling." He watched as Satoshi's kagune reluctantly slunk away into his lower back evaporating as the tips seeped the into the skin.