minkio!

Rei is glad to get rid of that damned collar. He should be. Kuya, that annoying selfish God that he is, only ever placed it on his neck because the most he could ever see Rei as is a "pet". He is but a dog to bark and dance on his feet and be obedient like a trained one. The little freedom that Rei has on him, the amount of times Kuya had allowed him to roam outside without his constant preying eyes, was the only generosity the God is giving him. And by that small constricting little collar, Kuya is saying Rei had his fun with that freedom and is taking it back.

So what did he do? Rei tore of that thing off his neck. Made it look like an accident. It caught on a branch so he has to cut himself free. He passed out in the clearing again and when he woke up, it was gone. Just make up some random bullshit excuse, believable enough so Kuya won't throw that big of a tantrum and scream and cry about a loss of a particular accessory on him.

That was what Rei has been preparing himself for. Despite not having a mirror on him, he could feel from the burn of his now empty neck that the collar had left an angry red mark on his pale skin. He shouldn't be surprised, he wore that thing even to bath and bed, Kuya never once let it out of his sight, already knowing that Rei would try the moment he gets a chance. And he did, anyway, what is he going to do about it?

Rei entered the humble cabin where the Fox God resides. He sighed heavily at the sudden warmth, contrasting the cold wind from outside. Steadily, he placed down his satchel on the floor and started taking off his shoes. Kuya doesn't seem to regard his presence but his fox ears twitched in a way that he knows Rei is home.

“You're back awfully early. You usually wait until I come for you—” Kuya turned his head to greet him properly but his sentence had cut off in the middle of his sentence. As Rei had predicted, his eyes zeroed on his neck that is obviously empty. “Where is your collar?”

Rei took a sharp breathe, “...It broke. Caught in a branch.”

Kuya squinted his eyes, obviously not falling for such a blatant lie. Rei expected him mad with rage, Rei prepared himself from burns and scratches and asphyxiation, few of Kuya's favorite pastime.

What he didn't expect is for Kuya to sigh in defeat and goes back to starting it off his cabin window. “Is that so? Oh, well.”

Rei crossed his arms warily, “Not gonna throw a fuss?”

“Do you want me to?” Kuya's voice was almost bored and lifeless as he uttered that question, “Even if I put another one on you, you'll just find a way to get rid of it again.”

He's right, and in a normal situation, Rei would be inclined to agree as some sort of year or comeback. But looking at the blank look on Kuya's face, one that has always been there but never acknowledged out loud, Rei decided to give him a little bit of space.

“I'm gonna be at my desk.”

“Yes, yes, go and play.”

--

It has been five days. Kuya never threw a fuss nor did he even try to sneakily put another collar on him. Even if he sleeps on his bed unguarded, with full access for Kuya to walk in and do as he wish, Rei still wakes up with a bare neck. In their late night endeavors, all Kiya ever does was caress the skin ever so lovingly but still lets him go right after.

He doesn't push. He doesn't insist.

It's almost unnerving how Kuya just accepts it. Rei even gets shivered at the thought.

But one night, as he was maneuvering around the rugged and uneven paths of the forest that he had already grown to learn, just as he had a small misstep due to the lack of light and about to roll down a small slope. Call itinstinct or habit, but Rei somehow placed a hand on his neck to check on something.

And his touch was met with bare skin.

Rei's face grew more and more annoyed and twisted as the realization hits. His neck does feel a little bit empty without that stupid purple collar.

He hates how Kuya always succeed into training him.

---

As Rei arrived home, he easily found where the Fox is staying and without even thinking about it, he opened his mouth and said, "Give me the damn collar."

Kuya looked up at him immediately, trying to feign surprise but the way his eyes are as bright as the stars completely denies it, "I knew you'd come around."