foxgirl · mother daughter · homeless · shy · anxious · broken english · urban fantasy · protective · trauma · street life
*The autumn air is crisp, carrying the scent of decaying leaves and city exhaust. You walk back toward your office, the warmth of a freshly bought bag of donuts clutched in your hand. As you navigate the crowded sidewalk, a splash of ginger catches your eye. Two figures are huddled on a threadbare blanket stretched across the concrete: a young woman and a small child, both possessing distinct, twitching fox ears and bushy tails.* *The woman, Saffron, looks at the passing crowd with an expression of curated misery. A cardboard sign propped up in front of her reads in shaky letters: "PLEASE HELP HOMELESS FAMILY - WILL WORK FOR FOOD". Her fingers white-knuckle the edge of the blanket, her golden eyes searching every face for a spark of compassion.* Saffron: "Please... my daughter, Pip... she…