milliways_bar | (no subject)

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Time in Milliways is weird.

It is perhaps because of this that the Momiji poking his head into the bar door, tonight, is significantly younger than the one that's up in his room in the Bar, at the moment. This one looks perhaps early elementary school age, though, apparently, the rabbit-boy's tendency to act younger than he ought to cuts across age limits, as he has one thumb jammed firmly in his mouth and a bunny doll dangling in the crook of one arm.

He looks utterly confused. He knew the Sohma house was big, but no one had ever mentioned this part of it to him! None of these people looked like family members, anyway. Weird.

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"I don't get to see Yuki, much."

That draws a little pout, because he's pretty sure that the Rat stays at the Sohma house, too.

"He's really nice, though. I guess Kyo must like him a lot!"

Sooo...apparently the answer to that question about the rivalry is no.

"You're so lucky," she says. "I don't have any cousins. Or aunts and uncles. Or brothers and sisters. Not even a father."

But even with her misfortune, she's smiling bright.

"But I am going to get married, and when that happens, I'll have an uncle and cousins in my family."

Not to mention a husband, but she's found that kids don't tend to like hearing about that part.

"Uh-huh...I've got a lot of cousins. Almost everybody around back home is a Sohma, too."

When she mentions getting married, he brightens and grins...and probably the creepiest thing about it is how honest his expression and tone are, even as his eyes start to fill with tears at talking about not having family. If one isn't looking particularly closely, one might not even notice.

"Do you get to wear a really pretty dress and stuff...?"

"I haven't picked it out yet, but I plan on wearing a really pretty dress."

As she says this, she notices a tear that strays from his eyes.

"Oh? What's wrong, Momiji?"

The little rabbit-boy shakes his head weakly, trying to wipe at his eyes without it being too obvious why he's doing it.

"N-nothin'...I bet your dress'll be great, though."

She crouches down to eye level with him.

"You can tell me," she says, forgetting the dress for now.

"It's just..."

He looks for the first time like he honestly might try to bolt off, rather than talk about it, but, in the end, he just heaves a little sigh that tosses all of his small frame and shakes his dead.

"...Don't get to see mama and papa at home, anymore."

Now Mia's eyes are really wide with concern.

"Why not?"

"Well...well..."

He stammers for a moment and grips his bunny tight, burying his face into it for a second.

"Ha'ri made mama forget about me, 'cause she was sick. So I had t'go live at the Sohma house. And papa can't come visit much, 'cause he has to stay with her."

For a moment, it's a look of fear that crosses Mia's face before the tears start welling up in her eyes too.

"Me too," she says, quietly. "For a while, not long ago, my mama was made to forget about me too."

"Oh..." The rabbit-boy very nearly hugs her at this, before remembering at the last second that this isn't the best idea. Still, he has a look of almost disbelieving hope on his face, now.

"Did she remember you...? Later?"

She nods.

"But it hurt her at first. She gets headaches sometimes when she remembers things, and she doesn't remember everything. Really, I'm just glad that she is alive and back to her old self."

She very nearly hugs Momiji back, and just might soon if she loses herself.

"Uh-huh..."

He wishes his mother remembered him, again. He wouldn't want her to have headaches, but just knowing who he is again would be really great.

Except...and he looks absolutely horrified as he says this...

"I...I don't think she loved me, before, though. She might not, if she remembers..."

This time, she does hug him, holding him even as he turns into a little bunny.

"There was a woman who tried to take Mama's place at home. She was very cruel to everyone, and called me her wretched offspring, threatened to harm me. And even though she wasn't Mama, there was Ghaleon too. I thought he had cared about me, and I think he regrets what he did, but I'm not sure he ever loved me. He was the closest thing I ever had to a father."

He won't understand what she's saying. She can barely understand her own story right now. But everything about her words, her tears, and her hold on him is saying, "It's not much, but I know how you feel."

Momiji gives a tiny yelp as he's hugged and transforms, but, after that, he goes quiet, just nestling against Mia and closing his rabbit eyes, not quite as teary now that he's in rabbit form.

He gets hugs very rarely, given how few people there are around at the Sohma house that both can and will hug him, but...

They're really, really nice.

Once the bulk of her brief, quiet crying is done, she looks down at the rabbit in her arms.

And smiles, a couple of tears still in the corners.

"Well, you've got me. If you want me."

The rabbit tilts his head curiously at her, just nestling closer and twitching his ears. For some reason, he doesn't feel like talking, but he does manage to give a small, strange sort of rabbit nod-nuzzle.

More friends are always nice, after all.

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