Toman's Little Sister

72 | A Living Riddle

People always say I'm being cheesy when I say that Toman's my treasure, and maybe I am.

But I always see that little glimmer you see in cartoons when the pirates finally open up the treasure chest. And I see it in Toman. Well... I saw it.

See, I can describe people like Emma and Hina.

Emma is like a piano, with two kinds of keys but also two kinds of beautiful. A kind and pure soul yet also childish and mischievous whenever she sees fit. Yet it's all beautiful. Inner and outer.

Hina is like sunshine, who lets those around her grow. She is often looked over, yet she continues to shine and glimmer, even if there are clouds in her thoughts.

Yuzuha is like diamond. An unbreakable and unrivalled force to be reckoned with, and also a beautiful and rare gem amongst many. An impossible person to mimic or copy.

I can't say much about myself. I'm not deprecating myself at all. But have you ever had trouble... finding yourself?

I don't view myself as different or an outcast. I'm like a lot of people. I enjoy music and walking outside even though I utterly despise leaving the comfort of my bed. I like reading and watching TV to get myself away from reality.

I've tripped on air and missed step on the stairs and felt like that was when my life was going to end. I've bumped into a glass door thinking there was nothing there. My eyes tear up over fictional characters.

It's not a bad thing to be human. There are people who think it is. But in the grand scheme of things, you can call someone a diamond or a piano or the sunshine, but they'll always be more than that.

Emma may be like a piano, but she can also be a candle, slowly burning herself out for others.

Hina may be like sunshine, but perhaps she's like a moon, giving light to those wandering in the darkness and giving them something to look up to.

Yuzuha may be a diamond but she's also a flower, either delicate or dangerous with many meanings.

That's how complicated it is. Toman is like that as well. Let's say they're all coins.

Mitsuya is tough and strong on one side of his coin but gentle and compassionate on the other side.

Smiley on the outside smiles and looks generally approachable, but internally he is ready to hurt whoever decides to cross him.

Mikey... there's one side he shows to people. The strong, dependable, leader side. But there's a side that is never shown when he flips the coin. The side that's hurting. Regretting. Alone.

Fascinating, isn't it? Humans are some of the weirdest species on the planet. We don't all look the same. We don't act the same. We don't have the same experiences. Our paths are carved by us. Yet we can't help but meet at the end anyways.

But, we all have roles.

There are those who are the pawns, confined to move every which way except for back. Their paths redirected by distractions at their sides.

There are bishops, who move anywhere but forward. Yet they cannot move until those in front of them do, for they wait for others to advance before doing so themselves.

The knight, who does not wait for others to move forward, who's future move is not always clear. It's subtle, but they can strike.

The rook, who either moves forwards, backwards, or to their sides. Always in a straight line. No distractions. Either regrets, goals, or side goals.