The right to remain silent.
© Tsumi Moogle ‘11
Characters © Their owners.
The Court-room was massive. Its marble walls were high, and arched like a cathedral, with many well-carved and decorated pillars and tiers and lead-light windows streaming faintly-golden hued light.
The jury and assorted crowd were all restless; numerous long-eared denizens of Moonblossom kind, with numerous shades of pastel fur between them. The only two in the room, not moonblossoms, were defendant and plaintiff.
The latter wasn’t entirely sure how he got there. He wasn’t particularly sure whatever the proceedings were, were valid. The pink moogle shuffled himself in his padded seat, his large dark-wood bench spanning a distance before him, whilst to his side sat his two accusers, A tall black Fox with a trailing braid, and his partner, a wryly smirking Moonblossom in a smart, pressed suit.
A tremor of excitement rippled through courthouse number 3, as a side-door to the front of the Legal-arena opened, baring a wisened Moonblossom in sweeping robes of white and silver. He wore a crown of sorts atop his head, and slowly positioned himself before the high-chair as the position of Judge. To his right, settled in a corner, a weedy Moonblossom poised with a small gem atop parchment, ready to transcribe the proceedings, and to his left, the bailiff; a taller moonblossom with a rather more solid build than most in the court, garbed in flowing cloth-pants to bare the strength of his upper-half..
“All rise for the Honorable Judge Jiro.” Came the Bailiff’s baritone voice. The court-house was filled by the shuffling of forms getting to their feet. Begrudgingly, Tsumi stood, feeling remarkably out of place and under considerable scrutiny before things had even begun.
“Be seated.” Called the judge in a steady tone, seeing everyone seated, before the Bailiff turned.
“Case number 382, your honour, on the matter of Firrel vs. Krin; 3 aggravated counts of foxie-nibbling. Subjects have been sworn in.”
Waving a hand airily, Jaro dismissed the Bailiff, and turned his gaze over the two parties, lingering his golden eyes over the Moogle, who shrank some under the gaze. “Proceed.” He rumbled, leaning back into his high-chair, as Sefra rose, and took to the floor.
“Your honour, Ladies and gentlebunnies of the Jury and court, My client here, is a good fox; an honest, hard-working one, and has been subject to, upon several occasions, the unbidden approach by this Hoodlum.” He waved a hand in the Moogle’s direction, drawing the numerous eyes of the courthouse upon him. “In each of these instances, Words of little import were exchanged.. all well and good one would believe, until the defendant took it upon himself to nibble upon my client.”
A gasp escaped the crowd at large and a steady rise of muttering.
“Most understandably, my client has been left most distressed, his carefully preened fur in shambles, and his very welfare and safety in question. We come before you today, to see justice brought to this Hoodlum, this Ragamuffin. Thank you.”
With a grim nod and mild-bow, the suited Lapine returned to his seat, with heads nodding and turning amongst themselves, murmuring quietly.
“Order.” Came Jaro’s steady voice and solid rapping of a hammer-head the size of his torso upon a raised silver stub on his desk, eliciting a ringing ‘Gong!’ that silenced the crowd swiftly.
Taking a breath, he turned his head, regarding the Moogle shifting in his seat. “…And where is your defense?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Your honour-“ Spoke Sefra, raising a hand. “The defendant has opted to act as his own defense.” The Judge nodded grimly. “Very well. Would you care to defend yourself then?” He asked, crossing his hands on the edge of his desk and leaning towards the Mog.
Tsumi blinked, splaying his ears back and looking about the court-house. Feeling his face rising with colour, he slowly stood up, sneakers padding awkwardly to the floor. “Uh-.. Kupo.. L-ladies and g-gentlebunnies of the court-kupo..” He trailed off, eyes continuing to catch pairs in the crowd, gazes, stares; /Hungry/ stares. “I-.. I am not.. in any way a-.. a ‘Ragamuffin’, I am friends with the-.. the plaintiff, Damien! M-My nibbles are wholesomely in jest and it is a shared joke between us!”
Sefra stood to his feet swiftly. “You see your honour? He freely admits to his crimes!”
Jaro nodded gravely, fixing the moogle with his almost burning gaze, causing him to falter into silence. “Indeed.. I believe we have heard plenty from your introduction. Be seated, Mr. Krin.”
Tsumi blinked, muzzle agape slightly. “B-but your honour-“
“Be. Seated.” Repeated the judge with a narrowing of his eyes. Swiftly, Tsumi took his seat again and shrank, biting his lip, before watching as Sefra once more took to the floor, his large feet pacing smoothly, almost mockingly, before he seemed to decide himself.
“I would like to call Tsumi to the stand.” He said lightly, grinning, as the Moogle lifted his head, staring at the Moonblossom, before slowly easing from his bench and carefully easing around Sefra’s taller form to make for the witness booth to the side of the Judge’s counter.
Settling on the simple wooden chair there, he stared up to the Bailiff as he approached, holding a glittering Codex of Moonblossom-kind before him.
“Place your left hand upon the book and raise your right.” He rumbled. Obligingly, the moogle followed, shivering as the Bailiff spoke firmly. “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you Bun?”
Nodding almost numbly, the Moogle swallowed. “I do.”
The bailiff stepped aside with the book, whilst Sefra continued his pacing before the bench, pausing here or there, as if to collect his thoughts.. Each foot-step, each passing second weighing in on the moogle, his heart pounding nervously as the burning gaze of the hundred some Moonblossoms bore down on him. Sefra came to a stop before him, and opened his muzzle for moment, as if to speak, and in the next instant, had turned, and lunged his hungry jaws over the Moogle’s head.
Tsumi squeaked, as the magnificent court-house suddenly vanished into near darkness. The silence of those long and high walls was replaced with the heavy, slick squishes and languid groans of delight from his Prosecutor turned predator, as the moon-bunny grabbed his arms, and lunged his jaws further over his body.
Sefra grinned, his large ears flicking as he swallowed heavily. His strawberry meal, not having suspected a thing, writhed and struggled in the small witness box, as his lunging jaws crawled over the smaller form’s torso. The well-worn cotton rode up as his tongue dragged upon it, baring abs and mid-riff to his tastebuds as he straightened up and hefted the moogle into the air, throat struggling anxiously as the hapless mog Twitched and jerked and squirmed his way into the slimey, stifling depths.
His screams muffled, Tsumi could barely struggle; Arms pinned to his sides as he thrashed in the constricting embrace of those slimey walls rolling over him and compacting him into the looser space of the Moonblossom’s belly. Vaguely he was aware in his terror, of a pair of hands tugging and tearing his pants and sneakers from him, before continuing in their bid to convert him from defendant, into dessert.
Knees after thighs, and ankles after calves, he slid; tapering with ease into that gullet. His bulges shrank slowly as he slithered down, until he was wholly sealed from the world, Sefra’s jaws closing lazily behind his struggling, padded toes. The Moonblossom lidded his eyes and leant against the witness-box, his shirt having popped it’s buttons to permit the bulging, languid gut to hang heavy against his form, struggling.
Delight, etched on his face, the moonblossom slowly finished the deal as the Jury and audience burst into applause. His hand tracing the bulge of the moogle’s feet down his throat and behind his chest, until his belly lay heavy, wholly holding the nefarious foxie-nibbler.
Smacking his lips, Sefra slowly groaned and belched, kneading his gut, and slowly walked over to his desk once more to pet Damien on the shoulder with a sly grin and a wink which was smoothly returned in kind.
“Order! Order!” Called the judge again with two more ringing Clangs of his hammer. Smirking widely himself, he cleared his throat, and nodded to Sefra. “Case dismissed.”
Damien smiled as he gave that struggling belly a stroke over, before padding himself from the court-room, as Sefra settled at his desk again, kneading his gut and hiccoughing lightly, delighted as he attempted to compose himself.
“Our next order of business,” Called the judge, as he regarded a fresh sheet of paper before him. “Case number 384, on the matter of the Moogle-village Krin vs. Sefra; 10 counts of nomming, with intent to gurgle.”
Sefra froze as a tall Moogle with jet-black fur padded in, flanked by another moogle, silver-furred, towering over him at easily 10’ tall, with a Massive build hidden in an amazingly well-cut suit.
“Oh.. Shit..” The Moonblossom murmured, his belly gurgling audibly.
