stained window, yellow candy screen

[quatrains]

[ He wakes up with the beginnings of a headache in his right temple. It probably doesn't help that he's overslept his 8AM alarm and been roiled by dreams since the night before. His excuse is that the dreams weren't clear enough on Tuesday. And he had work. It's hard to focus on anything after work, especially not the vague images of an uncertain future.

They're becoming easier to understand now. He Ming rubs his eyes as if that'll help as he slopes down the street, trying to make it to a coffee shop. When he gets to a crossing, he stops just long enough for the stars to clear and for his eyes to land on a furry white shape that's somehow familiar. ]

Strawberry!

[ The cat actually looks up. Whether that's her name or not, He Ming doesn't know, but he takes the advantage the moment he gets it: that cat is going home with him today. Nor does he know what's going to happen if he doesn't succeed, he just knows it's bad. ]

Strawberry, c'mere. [ He starts towards her. The cat's tail raises slightly, a beacon of alarm, before she turns tail and begins to trot further down the alley. ] Hey, come on, don't run away...

[ Well, it looks like coffee is going to have to wait. He Ming picks up the pace. ]

Comments

[aporias]

[ It has been a long day working at his family's fortune telling cafe... Many pressing couples asking about their love lives and plenty of superstitious aspiring business owners asking if this is the season to make their pitch into a reality. Of course, a lot of it is small talk to coax their clients to tell them more about their lives. Circulating information is part of the family business, too.

Dealing fates isn't so easy... It's more like scavenging a sea. Sometimes, if not a lot of the time, you see things you don't want to see. That includes a fate involving this sweet white cat. It catches his eye as he walks down the alley from another side, then a mysterious man? Eyebrows knit as his lips press into a fine line. ]

Hey. [ Ugh, he sounds tired, so he tries to lighten up his tone. ] Is that cat yours?

[ Jaeha knows it doesn't belong to him, considering He Ming wasn't present in any of his visions related to this small errand. Maybe he should feel bad about all the deception he has to sprinkle in his day-to-day, but he can't. A concerned and curious passerby is his guise now. Fortunately, he has left his uniform at the cafe, so the casual attire should help him. ]