[It had been sunny that day, but nearer sunset clouds had rolled in, darkening the sky further. Which Aki wasn't afraid of or bothered by like other kids - so he took his time coming home, walking the usual path, no fears or worries at all. Thinking about what he'd do when he got home - I'll finish my math homework, then I can watch some TV, then it'll be dinner time, and Mom'll ask if I finished my homework yet and I'll say no, and I can finish the rest in the living room, 'cause Taiyou will be in the tub by then, so it'll all be fine. No one'll bother me. It'll be fine.]
[Someone in his class had talked about doing their homework with their siblings every night and how that made them ready for the next grade. That they already knew things like algebra and circumference. Not that Aki cared. If Taiyou asked him for that kind of help, he'd tell him to shove off. He wouldn't waste his time. And then Taiyou'd cry and complain and snivel at him, just like that. Like that noise, just then. ...What noise?]
[Aki came to a slow stop, the sight before him causing his eyes to go wide. On the path in front of him was an orange - dog. No, not a dog, a cat? No, cats don't have chainsaws for heads. But it had eyes, though - Wait -]
A devil?
[He'd never seen one before, their very presence a known concern but alien, like a house fire or a robbery. A threat, but only one you saw in movies and on TV. This one... This one wasn't scary at all. It was small, short, pudgy. Orange. And had a chainsaw for a nose. And on top of all that, it was crying.]
[Better judgment would tell him to stay away, that devils are dangerous no matter how they look. And sure, Aki knew that. Just like how you don't get in a stranger's car or take candy from someone you don't know, you don't approach devils or feel bad for them. But how could he do anything but those things with this... blob in front of him, pouring fat, salty tears down on the ground? His little head seemed to be turning this way and that, the metal of the chainsaw reflecting the setting sun as he wobbled around in search of something. And when his eyes landed on Aki he jolted a little, mouth opening, tongue dropping out. Then he panted once, and - barked.]
Whoa, he barked...
[He? He had no idea, but maybe it was a boy. Aki moved a little closer and the devil shrunk back, moving off the road and toward the copse of trees beyond the walking path. Aki stopped and the devil stopped, like a game of red-light-green-light. The two stared at one another until the devil broke eye contact, looking around again. Searching.]
[Aki squatted down, holding his hand out. The devil didn't approach him.] Are you lost? [No response - Actually, could devils even talk, or was that another movie-and-TV-only thing? Maybe they just had them talk so they would seem scarier.] I'm from here, so I know my way around, and who lives where... Are you looking for someone? [The realization came delayed, but the devil barked again, immediate, like a response. So maybe they can talk, he thought, but decided not to push it.] I'll help you out. C'mere. [And he motioned with his hand again, coaxing the devil forward. But again it didn't move, still seeming anxious. But still looking around nonetheless.]
[Aki frowned, standing upright and looking around, too. He didn't have too much height on the devil, but it was something, right? What would a devil be looking for, anyway? Or better yet, who? As he looked around and as the devil slowly crawled from the bushes, shaking himself off, he wondered if maybe, perhaps, a devil would only really have reason to look for another devil. That it was searching for another little bean dog with a powertool for a nose. Or maybe a parent - a grown-up powertool dog, way bigger and way scarier. Maybe it was like an angler fish, like they learned about in school, with a pretty light to attract prey and then the real trouble munching that prey down when they got too close.]
[...Maybe he should have left the devil dog alone. But every time he looked at the little guy and saw the way his eyes glistened with anxious tears, he couldn't possibly imagine any of that being true.]
no subject
[Someone in his class had talked about doing their homework with their siblings every night and how that made them ready for the next grade. That they already knew things like algebra and circumference. Not that Aki cared. If Taiyou asked him for that kind of help, he'd tell him to shove off. He wouldn't waste his time. And then Taiyou'd cry and complain and snivel at him, just like that. Like that noise, just then. ...What noise?]
[Aki came to a slow stop, the sight before him causing his eyes to go wide. On the path in front of him was an orange - dog. No, not a dog, a cat? No, cats don't have chainsaws for heads. But it had eyes, though - Wait -]
A devil?
[He'd never seen one before, their very presence a known concern but alien, like a house fire or a robbery. A threat, but only one you saw in movies and on TV. This one... This one wasn't scary at all. It was small, short, pudgy. Orange. And had a chainsaw for a nose. And on top of all that, it was crying.]
[Better judgment would tell him to stay away, that devils are dangerous no matter how they look. And sure, Aki knew that. Just like how you don't get in a stranger's car or take candy from someone you don't know, you don't approach devils or feel bad for them. But how could he do anything but those things with this... blob in front of him, pouring fat, salty tears down on the ground? His little head seemed to be turning this way and that, the metal of the chainsaw reflecting the setting sun as he wobbled around in search of something. And when his eyes landed on Aki he jolted a little, mouth opening, tongue dropping out. Then he panted once, and - barked.]
Whoa, he barked...
[He? He had no idea, but maybe it was a boy. Aki moved a little closer and the devil shrunk back, moving off the road and toward the copse of trees beyond the walking path. Aki stopped and the devil stopped, like a game of red-light-green-light. The two stared at one another until the devil broke eye contact, looking around again. Searching.]
[Aki squatted down, holding his hand out. The devil didn't approach him.] Are you lost? [No response - Actually, could devils even talk, or was that another movie-and-TV-only thing? Maybe they just had them talk so they would seem scarier.] I'm from here, so I know my way around, and who lives where... Are you looking for someone? [The realization came delayed, but the devil barked again, immediate, like a response. So maybe they can talk, he thought, but decided not to push it.] I'll help you out. C'mere. [And he motioned with his hand again, coaxing the devil forward. But again it didn't move, still seeming anxious. But still looking around nonetheless.]
[Aki frowned, standing upright and looking around, too. He didn't have too much height on the devil, but it was something, right? What would a devil be looking for, anyway? Or better yet, who? As he looked around and as the devil slowly crawled from the bushes, shaking himself off, he wondered if maybe, perhaps, a devil would only really have reason to look for another devil. That it was searching for another little bean dog with a powertool for a nose. Or maybe a parent - a grown-up powertool dog, way bigger and way scarier. Maybe it was like an angler fish, like they learned about in school, with a pretty light to attract prey and then the real trouble munching that prey down when they got too close.]
[...Maybe he should have left the devil dog alone. But every time he looked at the little guy and saw the way his eyes glistened with anxious tears, he couldn't possibly imagine any of that being true.]