#DONT BRING EMU ISNTO THIS OWIJAAJLKJGKJ

[dnangelic]

bored ? the boy's expression seems to collapse with shock in an instant . it's a thought he's never considered before ; not even once . could something that loved you --- that you loved ; fed and steadily cared for and dearly admired , still get bored of you ? if it were a human being , he couldn't have imagined anyone have ever getting bored of akira . their personality was steady and amicable , they were generous even to others as frantic as the niwa himself , and they marveled over still cat miniatures with no less respect of affection than they might have a legitimate animal ... so wasn't it that akira hardly had any flaw at all ?

daisuke frets , at first . he thinks that it might do to tell the other that a cat , a real one , might have not needed so much space anyways ; one with the right personality wouldn't have wanted to separate and so all the world would have been right within akira's lap . but the point feels moot already --- and there was no need for the niwa to convince the other of something that should have been their own decision to make with confidence , anyways . just one murmur leaves him at first : ' ... i don't think it's selfish , though . to want to love something and to worry over it properly , that's the opposite of selfishness , right ? '

and with pets , who were so often helpless and as dependent as they could be demanding , it was only when their owners ceased to love and grew bored with the idea of dedication that suffering or cruelty , true selfishness crept in . the thought's interrupted by the other's question --- daisuke awkwardly bursts into a laugh . ' uh , well --- i ... i sort of have one , ' or maybe a dozen if you counted the developing zoo in his mansion , ' his name is wiz ! he's sort of ... er , ' mostly , kind of , pretty much ... ? ' a rabbit ? '

a better word for familiar . best not to bring up how said creature could fly by flapping its ears , or transform into all sorts of things like dark's wings or its very own owners and masters themselves , another ancient masterpiece brought to life by some bizarre magic . and yet , daisuke's still a little flattered ; he's sure were his regular companion about , then wiz wouldn't have hesitated to affirm and happily hop about in agreement without the slightest concern .

' i don't have a lot of experience with cats , and dogs can be a little ... scary sometimes . ' the same went for the exotic like the hungry alligators and crocodiles his mother kept in a moat he was meant to train with . ' ah , um , but ... a-akira-san , if having your own is no good , what about visiting a cat cafe ? animals are really smart , you know --- if you visited often , i'm sure even the cats there would get to know you really well ! and you could talk with or pet them all you wanted ... ! i can go with you ! although , um , to tell you the truth --- ' cheeks redden as he slowly starts to settle .

' i haven't ... i've never really gone to one of them before . '

Did he hate it that much? Or was he a kid who couldn't accept a gift? Although, thinking about it, offering to pay for something and then having that offer thrown back at you...they would likely find themself in a troublesome position as well. At least, until he speaks again.

Huh?

It was surely a joke, a serious sentiment born out of the desire to return the conversation to the original offer and a relief that Akira wouldn't accept an entire set—it can't really be helped. So why did he seem so sincere about it? Daisuke could lie, he was a teen, a kid, a human, lying about something like this wouldn't be a bother either. An attempt to look older, an attempt to look responsible. But Daisuke is awfully, awfully flustered.

It makes them curious, and starts a slight worry at the back of their mind that they're treating him wrong (it wouldn't be the first time), but asking feels awkward in this place where they don't have an excuse. He's sweet regardless, so perhaps it doesn't matter whether they know or not at this moment. But...the time to ask doesn't come, replaced by the question that always comes up, one way or another.

Akira's not sure they're grateful about the change in topic or not.

"I have", they respond truthfully, and although the smile returns, it's more solemn than before. "It's just...I don't have time, nor space. And I don't want to selfishly buy a cat only for it to be bored", the money wasn't the problem, it was everything else. Their hand reaches for the tiny black kitty in front of them, carefully, as if treating a dear friend. "I did cat-sit for a friend once, though", technically, if you stretched the scenario a bit. "It looked something like this, small and cute with a green cape. At first it was very difficult to care for it, but...I had a lot of fun too", the object now turned toward him, alongside a question. "Have you ever wanted a pet? I feel you'd become best friends at first sight", this time, the smile looks like a proper one.