Tukson glanced backwards at the teenager slowly walking behind him from the corner of his eyes, doing his best to remain inconspicuous as he took in the ruffled and grimy appearance of the slim being. The bookshop owner didn't know what to think about him, not yet, but he knew one thing for sure.
When he passed the alley Ren was laying in on his way to get groceries, he heard the cries of pain and sorrow loud and clear. It tugged at his heartstrings, to hear a fellow Faunus let loose cries that would have more suited a wounded animal, the raw anguish enough to stop even him in his tracks. Tukson made a vow to himself then and there to stop on his way back to his shop, at least to see if there was anything he could do to help.
If there was one belief that Tukson held in life that he had yet to relinquish, it was that the Faunus should stick together in their time of need, no matter if they were strangers or not.
Being the kind man he was at heart, no matter how much he tried to hide it, Tukson made his way back to the alley he saw the teenager weeping in, only to be surprised upon seeing Ren poking his head out of the alley just as Tukson rounded the corner.
When he attempted to get the attention of the two human passersby, Tukson couldn't stop from wincing upon hearing the teenagers head collide with the wall behind him after being shoved viciously by the silver haired human.
Growling lowly under his breath, Tukson had moved to intercept the man and demand he take a hike, only for the scrawny looking teenager to do something that unnerved the man enough to send him packing without raising a hand in anger. While Tukson wasn't close enough to see what happened, it was clear that the teen was fierce enough to scare off even the hardened gang members that hung around the shadier parts of Vale. That made Tukson a bit more weary, but he still pressed forward.
Now, the two were walking in step with one another back towards the better, less violent side of Vale, a heavy silence settling between the two as Ren's questions came to an end. Tukson wasn't sure what to make of the strange questions, but he answered them to the best of his ability.
Shibuya, huh? I'd think that was in Mistral, from the name… Tukson kept his thoughts to himself as he glanced backwards once more, this time making eye contact with the coal eyed teenager. "Are you going to be alright, kid? You look dead on your feet."
"I… don't know." Ren answered back after a few moments of silence, seemingly contemplating his answer heavily before speaking, "I just don't know."
"Yeah, I figured as much." Tukson sighed as he shifted his bags into one arm while reaching into his pocket to remove his keys, "We're here. Follow me, I'll set you up somewhere to rest while I go get those pills and ice-pack."
"Thank you," Ren spoke softly as he glanced around the darkened shop, following Tukson into the building without bothering to stop and think about it, "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't…"
Ren couldn't seem to finish his sentence as he let out a deep sigh, the pain in his voice as evident as it had been previously.
Tukson didn't respond verbally, merely nodding his head as he set the bags down on his counter before making his way to the back. Ren fell into step with him once more before taking the offered seat when Tukson gestured towards the plush furniture.
Taking his bag from around his shoulders and setting it onto the ground before him, Ren fought the urge to begin sobbing once more upon seeing the charms hanging from the side of his bag. Seeing reminders of his failure, especially so soon after awakening in a world that wasn't his own, only brought further pain to his heart and mind.
It was too much for Ren to handle so soon, nearly making him collapse forward if not for the steadying hand that Tukson placed upon his shoulder. "Easy there, kid… It's going to be alright."
The words were whispered, but Ren heard them as if they were spoken through a loud speaker. Glancing upwards at the amber eyed man, he couldn't help but compare him to Iwai in some ways. It was obvious from the way Tukson carried himself that he had combat experience, something Ren had learned to discern from spending so much time with Makoto while she practiced her techniques.
His shoulders remained tense and from the way his hands clenched and unclenched when he glanced around, it was obvious that Tukson was worried about an ambush, for one reason or another.
It was the kindness that hid beneath his gruff exterior that eventually made Ren agree to follow the man. While his hunched shoulders and tense legs might have belied his paranoia, it was the soft gaze filled with worry that sealed the deal for him, so to speak.
"I don't think it will be," Ren eventually admitted as he took the offered bag of ice and two pills before dry swallowing them at once, "Maybe… maybe someday it will be, but not now."
"That kind of pain takes time to fade." Tukson crossed his arms and took a step back before taking a seat across from the teenager, "I won't ask you to talk about it, but I will ask that you try and get some rest. Feel free to use the cot in the room next to you, Brothers know it's gone to waste the entire time I've owned this place."
"Why are you helping me?" Ren questioned after tilting his head to the right, trying his best to understand the kindness of Tukson and failing, "Do you help every stranger you come across?"
"No, not usually, but I've seen that look in your eyes before," Tukson spoke after a few seconds before reaching over to grab what appeared to be a picture frame upon his desk, "Here, take a look."
Taking the offered frame, Ren flipped it over and glanced at the image contained within. Judging from the serene expression upon the woman's face standing next to Tukson in the picture and the bulging stomach she rested her hands upon, it was clear that the two were lovers.
It took a few seconds for it to register, but the lack of a ring upon Tukson's finger and the expression on his face now told him the story that words never could. Furrowing his brows slightly, he glanced upwards and coal black met amber once more. "I'm sorry."
"It's been a year now, kid," Tukson admitted while taking back the picture and glancing down at it himself, "They meant the world to me, still do."
"I think I understand," Ren murmured as he watched the man stroke the picture frame within his grasp gently, lovingly, "More than I thought I ever would…"
"Yeah…" Tukson took a deep breath before continuing, "You look lost, kid, I'm not going to lie. I don't know what happened and I won't ask, but I'm willing to help if you'll take it."
"Help…?" Ren questioned lowly, unsure of just how the man could even help him to begin with, "Why?"
"Like I said, I can tell when someone's lost their spark, their drive," Tukson placed the picture frame upon his desk once more, face down as it had been, "I don't want to see any more Brothers and Sisters where you're at now, kid. It's a dark, terrifying place and you shouldn't have to go it alone, not like I had to."
Tukson shook his head sadly as he watched Ren pull into his shell once more, the blank glaze forming over his eyes belying his thoughts easily enough. Rising from his seated position, Tukson turned and made his way into the kitchen in the back of the bookstore, the sound of groceries being put away filling the shop as well as what sounded like whispered curses, something glass shattering and even more curses after that.
Soon, the light in the kitchen went out and Tukson entered the room once more, this time carrying a plate with a sandwich and a mug in his hands. "Here, eat up. It's not much, but it's filling."
"Ah… thanks," Ren took the offered plate after looking up, being drawn from his thoughts by the smell of coffee filling the air, "I'll pay you back, I promise."
"No worries, kid," Tukson waved away the gratitude of Ren, knowing that he was simply going through the motions at this point, "Just try and get yourself some rest, even if you don't sleep. I'll be upstairs, just give me a holler if you need anything."
"I will," Ren turned his glance back to the sandwich on the plate in his hand, "And thank you again. You have no idea how much this means to me."
"I think I might," Tukson gave him a wry grin before turning and making his way to the stairs, "Night, kid, I'll see you bright and early."
"Goodnight," Ren watched him go, not entirely sure how he felt about the kindness being displayed, "Sleep well."
With that, the shopkeeper made his way up the stairs almost silently, leaving the black haired teenager to sit with his thoughts once more.
It was a long night for Ren, but he eventually fell asleep. As he laid down and curled into a ball upon the dusty sleeping mat, completely lost in the world he found himself in and sorely missing his constant sleeping companion, he found it hard to think about anything but his failures in life.