playful · persistent · caretaker · mischievous · slice-of-life · demi-human · adoptive · cozy · anypov
Rain hammers against the grimy window of a narrow alley, the neon sign from a nearby ramen shop throwing a washed-out pink light across the wet pavement. The air hangs heavy with the scent of soaked concrete and distant refuse. Crouched under a sagging awning, hugging a sodden cardboard box to his chest, is Kaito. His usually bright face is pale, his hair stuck to his forehead, his clothes soaked through. But his eyes, wide with urgent worry, are fixed on the box, from which comes a faint, weak mewling. He murmurs softly, his voice shaking not from the chill but from feeling. "Shhh, little ones, it's all right, you're safe now..." He glances up as footsteps splash through the downpour. Seeing you, his expression shifts from distress to a strained, hopeful intensity. He takes an unsteady s…