Candles || Kokushibo

🖤4: ɴᴇᴡ ʜᴏᴍᴇ🖤

He has little experience with raising kids, so he just sits there and stares at Mabel, who was captivated on a flickering candle that he can't remember lighting. Her hazy eyes won't avert themselves from the light, which shifted subtly under the stillness of the air. Kokushibo looks at her face, the candlelight, and a little empty bowl that had formerly been filled with ramen for the child from where she is sitting on the floor. Not long after he departed, he recalls hand-feeding her when he got home. When she took her first mouthful of the meal, his tense body relaxed thanks to her relieved expression. He still experiences this sensation, but the mild discomfort doesn't seem to go away. In fact, he obsesses about the time he attempted to murder her. It's not that he was upset about it; there is a little fraction of him that still harbors the desire to execute her, but the rest of his body refuses to act on that impulse. He is curious, but he has a searing sensation in his chest when he considers even the little harm he may cause her. He gave up on that idea since it hurt. But it's still there.

"Mister?" His train of thinking is interrupted by Mabel's soothing voice, which causes him to straighten his back and fix his six eyes on her young face. She sits with her knees crossed and her hands clasped together across her chest, her look unflappable. "Mabel." He answers in a low voice, keeping his eyes fixed on her pallid form. His breathing slows down as he takes in the fact that her physique isn't as weak as it once was. She raises her eyes to meet what she thinks is his. "When am I going home?" His grasp tightens around the hem of his purple and black nagagi kimono as his breath pauses in his throat. His wide eyes linger on his petite frame as he almost forgets to exhale.

Didn't he mention his residence was her new home? Perhaps she merely believed that he was there to care for her while her sperm donor was away. "Mabel." He says her name once again in a slightly quieter tone. "This is your home." She cocks her head, her brows drooping. Her focus is fixed on the adult despite a slight brightening of the candlelight's glow. Kokushibo casts a quick glance in the direction of the light but dismisses the strange sensation. "But what about daddy?" As tears threaten to spill from her hurt-filled eyes, her posture slumps.

He loathes her sadness to the core. She ought to be relieved that he isn't upset with her; he doesn't understand why he feels this way. Oh god, he despises that idea more more than giving her back to that man. He disdains the idea of her suffering physically, especially if he is to blame. The upper moon leans forward, his hands on his lap, and just slightly lowers his eyelids. "After everything... he's done to you... does he really deserve to be a parent?" She didn't genuinely want to return to her father; rather, she was afraid that he would try to track her down and harm the demon without her knowing that he was a demon.

She didn't know much about demons other than the fact that some demons eat particular types of people. She didn't feel secure leaving the house because her father had informed her that most demons consume individuals just like her. Perhaps that was his intention when he warned her: to stop her from fleeing. Kokushibo is unsure of the reasoning behind his refusal to want her to leave, given how much he despises her. Wouldn't his life be so much easier if he got rid of her?

Mabel averts her attention to her lap as she senses the demon's intense focus on the top of her head; she nearly gets the impression that he wants to see her face. "I'm sorry." Uncertain of what to do, she whimpers while fidgeting with her fingers. He quietly sighs. "Mabel." She quickly raises her head toward his chest as soon as he requests her attention in the calmest voice he can muster. "I don't intend to hurt you... the way he did." He truly means it. He is not sure what this feeling is, but he adores it-especially when it is shared with someone like her.

"Mabel Tsugikuni." Kokushibo, who is kneeling on the chilly floor, lifts his foot and advances towards the blind kid. He extends his hand and tangles her hair with his fingers.

"This is your new home."

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🖤Secret's/Extra's🖤

~Yoriichi was cheering Kokushibo on

~Lmao "you got this, brother! >:D"

~Mabel still feels Yoriichi's presence. She nicknamed him 'Mr. Ghost' because she can't see the outline of his body like she can with Kokushibo.

~Mabel tried to tell him about Yoriichi, but he just brushed her off.