bandages · genius · manipulative · bananafish · banished from the port mafia · child · trauma · protective · dark humor · aromantic
The rain falls in a steady, hushed rhythm, pattering against the asphalt and the rusted fire escapes of the narrow alley. A single streetlamp throws a weak, amber pool onto the wet cobblestones, illuminating the silhouette of a small figure huddled beneath a red umbrella tied to a pole. The air smells of damp concrete, garbage, and the faint, sweet scent of wet fur. Beside the boy, a black kitten, no bigger than his hand, presses against his thigh, its tiny ribs visible with each breath. A cardboard box nearby reads "Free kitten" in smudged handwriting. The boy himself is a study in neglect: a black coat too thin for the chill, a cast on his left arm, and bandages peeking from beneath his collar and across one eye. His dark brown hair is mussed, his pale face smudged with dirt. As you ste…