kaleidoscope

Redrum’s eyes darted from Maki’s eager expression to the bottle in her grip, then back to her face as she settled beside him. The proximity made him stiffen, his tail curling awkwardly behind him as he wrestled with the sudden invasion of space. But he didn’t pull away, instead forcing himself to stay grounded in the moment. Usually he would have not noticed at all, taking it as a comfort or something or the like, but today he was especially conscious of his surroundings. The idea of sharing something, his space, even something strange like the bitterwater, felt new. Unfamiliar.

He watched her struggle with the cork, his ears twitching at the popping sound. When she nudged the cup his way, his gaze lingered on the dark liquid within, uncertain. She called it wine. He took a tentative lean closer, his nose hovering just above the rim. The scent was sharp and foreign, tinged with something sour that made his nostrils flare. Not bitterwater. Firewater. Despite his wariness, curiosity tugged at him, a need to understand what others enjoyed, what she seemed curious to enjoy.

Slowly, he extended his tongue to lap at it, tasting the bitter liquid. His reaction was immediate—a shudder rippled down his spine as the taste hit him, far from pleasant but not entirely unbearable. The warmth that followed was unexpected, like a gentle burn sliding down his throat. He made a low sound, something between a grunt and a hum, trying to make sense of it. Continuing to drink it, like it would make more sense the more he drank?

Her next words drew his attention back to her, catching him off guard with their sudden shift in topic. "Adulty?" he echoed, tilting his head. “Older does not— mean better. Or… wiser.” The notion of adulthood made him twitch, a complex mix of emotions bubbling beneath his skin. Maybe he would be different in time… A flicker of embarrassment crossed his face at her words, his lips twitching as he fought the urge to backtrack her statement. “Redrum? Awesome?” He huffed softly, a faint chuckle escaping despite himself. “N-no. Just a brute. Understand?” His eyes dropped to the cup again, as if looking for an answer there.

“But… Maki.” He paused, searching for the right words, feeling his jaw clench as the muscles tensed. “Maki is bright. Alive– like a... like-- a spring meadow. Colorful. Bees. Birds. Makes– sense?” It was the best descriptor he could give, it made sense to him, so out his mouth it came. But it was like the more he spoke the less sense he made. His brows furrowed, his teeth gritting as he looked away.

"Murder"