If sunrises resembled the yolk of a perfectly cracked egg, then sunsets were like that of a peeled and messy blood orange . . so the mind of a child conjured. Rich hues of orange blooming in the sky, the merriment of other children, and the low growling of his own stomach — the afternoon was set like hundreds before except the promise of food, genuine food, awaited Fushiguro Megumi very unlike hundreds and hundreds of both afternoons and mornings prior. Had a different child been granted the same opportunity, surely they would have rushed home to eat until they were plump and brimming at every opportunity to erase years of hunger and malnourishment just in case charity was stolen with swiftness.
Megumi, however, was not like every other child, furthermore he just knew a close of new clothes and a refrigerator filled with fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and pre-cooked meals would not be the end of it. He was worth something — rather, his abilities were worth something, and as long as he remained a tool, both he and his sister would be dressed, fed, and be provided a decent roof above their heads. Another child would have smiled with glee with the realization they held worth; once again Megumi was not an average child.
If his abilities were suddenly to disappear ( he was not entirely sure how sorcery worked ) or if he failed to harness all ten shikigami, he would be discarded . . plain and simple. Nothing in life came free after all. Megumi turned his gaze away from the smiling faces of children who held the hands of their older siblings and parents as they were led away from the playground. So many families retired for the evening each and every day in similar fashion; glad to be alive and glad to have each other. The smiles they donned were a strange thing, yet he imagined he, too, could be brought to smile had his mother and father been alive and smiling.
Megumi convinced himself he did not need it, yet Tsumiki @prudenze deserved face-numbing glee and warm embraces; all Megumi truly needed was his sister and the company of an animal or two. For the past two weeks, the child had slowly been worming his way into the heart of a stray cat, just one of many who made the local park its home. The child had returned home several times donning scratches with pride, but his persistence had finally won over the tabby coloured feline, and he intended to take full advantage.
There were so many animals to help, and though he knew cats above else were incredibly resilient, the weather was going to bring an awful early chill to Tokyo. He snuggled the little creature close to his chest, beneath his jacket, and made the trip back to the Fushiguro residence. The cat wasn't precisely smitten but remained calm what with it being warm and held securely. Traces of light were still in the sky when Megumi made it home.
He punched in the code for the door, toed off his shoes at the entry way, and carefully cradled the slumbering animal as he carefully dumped his backpack on the ground. The smell of warm, freshly cooked food wafted in the air as the child padded into the apartment. He ignored the grumbling of his stomach as he moved directly in his sister's line of sight, foregoing a polite i'm home greeting. With knuckles slightly pink in hue from the chilly weather, he unzipped his jacket to reveal the cat who had woken up by then and blinked slowly upon seeing Tsumiki's face.
── ❛ Do you think the old man will pay the vet bills? ❜
