Compulsion

[zodiac_rabbit]

 Momiji rubs his head, and orders another tea from the bar.  He'd promised Enzo to not do anything, but it couldn't be anything bad, right?  No need to be concerned about it.

But it wasn't just a headache, and Momiji knows it.  It felt like when Akito called all the Zodiac.  It was a compulsion and he couldn't fight it.  Already the stress has gotten to the point where Momiji has turned into a rabbit several times.  The compulsion lessened in his rabbit form, and eventually the boy returned to well, being a boy.  Thankfully, every time had happened when he was alone and still close to his clothing so no one had commented at the naked boy in the bar.

Every time he turned though, it helped less, and less.  It was becoming less of a feeling now, and more of an actual command.

Come.

Momiji tried his best to ignore it.  Sleeping didn't help, the voice was louder in his dreams.   

Come.

It didn't offer any reasons or incentives for Momiji to come.  Just a powerful insistence that this was what the boy was GOING to do.  No matter how long it took, he would come to the house.

Momiji clutches the doorway tight with one hand.  Maybe if he just opened it, if the thing thought that he was getting his way, the voice would stop long enough for him to go inside.

The door handle turns, almost as if the boy is no longer controlling his actions.  And he isn't.  All that he can hear now is the voice.


Come.  Come.  Come.  Come.

I'm coming.  I'm coming....  Momiji manages to fight just enough to keep his pace to a walk, but he's no longer completely in control.  The voice wants him to come.

He's coming.

Comments

[v_knidh8er]

There comes a point in Momiji's pilgrimage where he's no long alone.
Keeping his pace, and matching the time of his gate is what appears to be a small child with an orange complexion and green spiked hair.

It begins.

[zodiac_rabbit]

Momiji is beyond knowing that he is being followed. Once, the rabbits would have warned him, but not today. The darkness has sent them fleeing.

His zodiac half tries to pull the boy back to his senses, tries to get him to stop, to think! This wasn't what he wanted it was a compulsion, pure and simple.

But all it manages to do is make Momiji trip over an errant root, sending him sprawling. The result? A tear in his pants, and scrapes on his knee.

It doesn't keep him down for long, he's up and stumbling forward again.

[v_knidh8er]

The orange child rushes forward to help Momiji up, but when it becomes clear that no help is required, he falls back.

A few more feet and yet another orange child joins the procession. This one, his green hair in braids, walks just to Momiji's left.

[zodiac_rabbit]

This time, Momiji does notice the children- but the compulsion makes it so that he counts it as naught.

He's moving deeper and deeper into the forest. The branches are beginning to be closer to the ground, and Momiji bangs his head into one in the deep gloom.

"Ouch!" The pain shakes him out of the grip of the tugging. "What am I doing? I have to go back!"

[v_knidh8er]

A small figure appears on Momiji's right now. An orange child with green dreadlocked hair. His face is a mask of concern as he reaches to see if Momiji is okay.

[zodiac_rabbit]

Momiji's eyes focus on the child. He twitches away for a moment. "Who are you? Are you here.. because of him?"

The pain is receding slightly, it was just a small bang. As the pain moves back, the tugging starts again.

[v_knidh8er]

His eyes stay wide, innocent. He slowly shakes his head no.

"Hush hush," he whispers, gesturing Momiji closer.
"Keep it down now, voices carry."

[zodiac_rabbit]

Momiji looks around, frightened. The tugging is back, but not strong enough to get him to take another step towards... wherever it is that that it wanted him to go.

Maybe Enzo was right...

Quietly, "Can you help me get out of here? I'm.. not sure if I can find my way out."

Without going Bunny that is.

[v_knidh8er]

He nods, and then breaks eye contact for the first time. He quickly looks over Momiji's shoulders, first the left, and then the right.

Where the other two orange children are now standing well within arms reach.

[zodiac_rabbit]

"Thank you so much," Momiji whispers. He turns to include the other two children in his thanks.

"Why are you guys out here anyway?"

[v_knidh8er]

It's the orange child with the braids that speaks up now.

"Whistling in the dark?" he offers sheepishly.

[zodiac_rabbit]

Momiji thinks that's slightly strange. But, who is he to judge? He just ran out into the forest following a thought in his brain.

Which is getting stronger. It wants him to stop talking, and keep walking.

[v_knidh8er]

A small, yet surprisingly strong hand gives Momiji's shoulder what could be a reassuring squeeze.

[zodiac_rabbit]

The compulsion is getting a little stronger. Momiji's eyes move to stare into the mist, and he straightens up. He isn't much taller than the Loompas, and a picture in contrasts.

"Actually... maybe I should keep going?"

It's almost a question, and almost a statement.

[v_knidh8er]

One by one the orange children smile.
The one with the dreads leads on, while the one with the braids reaches for Momiji's hand to lead him.

[zodiac_rabbit]

Momiji hesitates, for just another second. But the little people seem to want to do the same thing as he is beginning to do again. And maybe it is right, ad the pain addled him and wanted him to STOP doing what was right.

None of the little people look like females, so Momiji takes the proffered hand and follows.

At least, maybe, they'll keep him from getting hurt again?

[v_knidh8er]

All three of them seem quite sure that going further into the forest, further into the mist, seems like the best of all possible plans.

Dreads removes low hanging obstacles that may try and alter their course. Braids continues to reassuringly hold Momiji's hand.

The orange child with the spiked green hair follows behind.
Just as they disappear into the mist, the light from the moon glints off of the large knife that he's had hidden behind his back the entire time.