"When you see Rei…what do you see?"
"...white hair. Red, bright skin. Sharp teeth that poke out when she smiles even for a little bit. Ember eyes. A…a hunger stemming from her curiosity that may or may not be sated at times."
I look at Grandma Kon directly. Rei is the most alive thing in this dead place. So why? What…
"What are you trying to get at?"
She sighs, long, hefty. Doesn't say much, but continues.
"Master Lucien…I'll ask you this. Do you believe that's what the other Oni see in her?"
I scoff, "Why wouldn't you all? You shed the same blood, carry the same horns. She's no different to you than I am to Flugel."
There's a pause. Felt threatening. Mentioning Flugel's name made me want to scrape off my tongue. Grandma Kon continued nonetheless, however.
"...that's not what the rest see, unfortunately."
I furrow a brow, "What? She's your skin color."
She slowly shakes her head. "Not in the slightest. Look around now, you've been here long enough. You see it."
I see it on the grandmother, a muted tone of gray. Everyone else, darker, dimmer, and shallower versions of red, pink, or yellow rarely.
Rei is the only bright light bulb here.
"Are you talking about her red skin? Maybe she just has a little bit more shine than the rest of you. And she's getting hated for that?"
"Master Lucien…please do not mistake jealousy for complexity. The difference is as night and day. Our people…we were accustomed to the climate and area of this for centuries. Rei…she is not even of our race."
"Oni. Are oni. Just like how humans come in different colors. What do YOU mean she's not an Oni?"
My voice raised incredibly high. I panted, too built up. Escalated too fast. I didn't even notice myself halfway off the chair.
I apologized shortly again, before continuing.
Then…that's when I got the idea.
I gulped, wanting to treat it with delicacy and care.
"Is…is she a product of Flugel as well? Like Jex."
Grandmother Kon shakes her head violently, "Heavens forbid, no. Her mother is my daughter, I would've known. Flugel never had a part in it."
She responded almost with a certain tone, disgust. Not at Flugel, but more towards the entity and character of Jex.
"So…what's the cause of this?"
"Why is Rei the only one here with beaming red skin?"
She sighs.
"No one has had a clear answer for all 15 years of her birth. She looks oni. Is oni. But just isn't one of us."
"How? Everything but the white hair, and bright red skin. It's STILL Oni."
"That's the thing! No one understands." She snaps, her voice rising.
I let it die. Sit there in silence before continuing.
"Is she half human, maybe? Half anything?"
She shook her head, "Can't be. My daughter had wedded with one of ours. Rei just came out…abnormal." She emphasized on it greatly.
Abnormal.
Abnormal?
Like, an abnormality?
Genetically?
It clicked in my head.
Is Rei an albino oni? Maybe?
"You think it could've been a genetic trait? Something that snapped differently?" I ask. She nods softly.
"That was one of our conclusions, yes. But not in the way we've seen it. We've had…different oni before. Not disorders, but genetic mutations. Albinos, if you will."
Wow. There goes the theory I felt so smart for cooking up.
"But Rei isn't one of them. Can't be."
"So…what it could be?" I ask.
"...Master Lucien. That's the question we've all been asking for the past 15 years…and…and we still don't know."
Silence. Odd silence. I learned more, and got the answers for completely nothing.
"One thing is certain…however. Her behavior, the way she acts. It's nothing we do." Grandmother Kon clarified, but it feels nothing more than shifting away blame.
"You can't blame her antics just because she's an outlier. Just because what she is…does not mean it's a direct effect of what she will do." My words come off as defense rather than explanation. Defense into the unknown.
"So please, you need to tell me why you all treat Rei like she's an alien. Do you not understand how mental that is? You are all here under this…this…slavery! And you all still find time to fucking alienate one of your own?!"
I pant, my voice was no longer steady. Perhaps on the edge of breaking. I don't know whether to feel sad, or mad. Or anything, really.
It was at this moment, I learned.
Oppression does not erase cruelty.
It reforms it. Redirects it.
They can't hurt Flugel.
So they alienate Rei.
They can't fight the humans.
So they exile the girl whose skin glows too brightly.
"You're…you're her grandmother. How could you be saying this?"
She doesn't answer. Looks away. To shield guilt. To hide her own mask.
Maybe Rei wouldn't have to do all of this. Maybe copy other people to form some identity. Maybe…just maybe…if she was accepted all along, this would've never happened.
Man.
Fuck this.
None of this is real. I refuse to believe it.
She just wants to better herself. What's wrong with learning from people in power? You all already alienate her anyways, might as well just make more of her miserable life and take it somewhere.
Shit, can half of these people even read? Can they do anything?
Even the stalking sounds like an exaggeration. She would never. I would've noticed by now.
"Where's her mother." I demand.
Getting up from the chair, I need to see the person who birthed her. Praying. Just praying she doesn't see her own daughter like this. Grandma Kon stays quiet. So I ask again.
"Where's."
"Her."
"Mother."
Grandma Kon doesn't answer again, even when I'm practically at arms-length from her. I can summon a sword at will. At fucking will.
She pauses, wants to open her mouth, but doesn't. She's wasting my time.
Fine.
Be like that.
I'll go find her myself.
I turn, a handle on the already broken door. Then, I hear a voice.
"She's departed."
I stop in my movements, not even so twisting the knob.
"Tell me where she is." I don't face her. I can't. Not know. Not after everything she did.
"It won't be anywhere where you can find here in this park?"
I scoff, "Why is that?"
There's another silent pause.
"She's fled the park. That's why."