There was a bit of a pause in the wake of Mr Ashliford's fable as Etsu digested the story, along with her breakfast. He had said that it was the origin of their people.

“What are we?” Etsu asked, setting her spoonful of poridge down.

Sensing something, Mimi pushed her head under Etsu's arm until she cooperated and started petting her.

“We are the Eiseros." Mr Ashliford answered, "Your mother is of the Ausghel, Okamichi. I am of the Manu, Lesnama.” He answered.

Rather than clarifying anything for her, Mr Ashliford's answer left Etsu feeling more confused than she had before asking.

“That doesn't mean anything to me...” Etsu responded, feeling lost.

“I know Baby Girl, but it will with time.” He said sympathetically.

“Why is this important right now?”

“We scare people." Mr Ashliford told her bluntly, "We're aggressive, fast, powerful and more robust. They will attack out of fear, even if you don't provoke them..." He paused for a moment, hesitated, then continued, "And things have been getting increasingly dangerous around here, so they will be more on edge. If we already scare them... Than the risk of an unprovoked attacked is going to go up with their stress levels. I'm telling you this so that you're prepared for whatever comes next... And so that you understand the why, if anyone turns on you.”

“Oh.” She said, something as vast as an ocean and bottomless as an abyss threatening to swallow her.

Etsuiku, needing to talk to someone about what she had learned, Had asked Jiro and Asa to go to Cloverhill Park with her after school. They had wanted to discuss the previous incident anyway. So on the way Asa come up with the idea of using a game scenario as an excuse. If anyone asked what they were talking about it was all just a scifi table-top role playing game. After going over what had happened, Etsu brought up what her father had told her.

Jiro's response to her reiteration of her father's tale was a quietly angry tirade that scared her.

"Under no circumstance do you," He concluded, "Ever reveal what you are unless you are introduced to each other by trusted people. Period. Full stop. No exceptions." Jiro paused and calmed himself before adding, "I'm just worried that you're going to tell the wrong person and get yourself killed. That's all... Sorry; I didn't mean to get so intense about it..."

She shook her head and said, "It's fine. But what makes you so certain that it's such a risk in this day and age?"

“It's the Hunters.” He told her bluntly, “They're people who hunt other people. Not for bounties, but simply because we're different and they can't cope with that. If word gets back to that group they will come for you. They've already killed entire communities just to get 2 of us. Even if the town has 5000 people they will still kill every last one of them. They think that we're infectious. Like what we are can be passed on through a scratch, or a bite.”

"What...?" Etsu asked in disbelief.

Ah, Jiro thought, He didn't tell her everything. Does she actually know what she is? Or just the names by which we call ourselves?

"They'll believe pretty much anything that justifies their fears. Even something that nonsensicale." Asahana put, earning her a glare from Jiro.

"If her father is from the Manu than he probably has no community connections... Anywhere. And if her Mom is Okamichi, she can't help with that." Asahana pointed out by way of explanation, "The fact that they're living here is most likely because of the on-going problems over in Japan and Yokohi."

Asahana had it fairly close, but not quite. It was actually the food; neither father, nor daughter would be able to eat the majority of what was available and consumed over there. Of the on-going problem the one that was the issue was the gangs controlling the trade of goods and acting as pirates out in open waters. It was becoming an international problem, though it was being kept very quiet for the moment.

Etsu thought about what Asahana had said. Truthfully, she had never thought about why she lived in Bryce, while her mother worked on the other side of the globe. That was just her life. Now she had questions.

Those questions that she had no words for kept Etsu up all night after she got home.