Everything Has Fallen to Pieces

Felix

Big Mama loves to remind Felix of the night she became his mother.

She always describes him as her box turtle angel that appeared on her doorstep, who was then brought to her by one of her employees. As soon as she saw him in their hands, crying and reaching out for anyone to comfort him, she couldn't resist taking him in.

They've been one happy family ever since: a mother, son, and dozens upon dozens of yokai hotel employees.

Picture perfect. For them, anyway.

Being that Felix is Big Mama's only child, he's used to being treated like a prince. Whatever he wanted Big Mama made sure he got it. And despite being in charge of a yokai hotel and the Battle Nexus, she's always been able to make time for him.

Most of the free time they've spent together, especially in the past few years, is spent training him for the Battle Nexus, however. And Felix doesn't really consider that to be very personal, but it allows them to bond over one of her greatest business ventures. Not to mention how it's prepared him to enter the Nexus himself should the situation ever arise. Big Mama's not above changing the rules of an agreement at the last second and who knows when she'll need her angel to surprise her opponents.

Besides, he's a pretty badass warrior, if he says so himself. He's even managed to beat his mother in a match once in a while.

But some of Felix's fondest memories come from the time he and Big Mama spend together outside of the Nexus, and his favorite is one of his earliest. He remembers scribbling passionately on a piece of paper—nothing more than some blobs of color that amounted to kind of a picture, he was three, after all—when she looks over and lets out a gasp. She picks up the paper and treats it like it's the Mona Lisa recreated.

"Oh, turtley-boo, you are an artiste!"

Felix looks up at her and notices the proud smile on her face, which causes a smile of his own. "Really, mama?"

She nods. It's not that true, of course, she can see the drawing for what it is: childish scribbles. And yet there's just something about the drawing that she adores, something about it just reminds her of him. Whatever that reminder is makes her love the scribbles all the more.

"Absolutely, my love. I already know the perfect place to keep this!" Then she pulls him close and plants a kiss on his forehead.

That's the moment that Felix realizes his love for art. The very next day, he spends his time making mountains of drawings, and when he's done with each, he posts them to his bedroom walls. He's only so tall, though, so they're all posted just about two feet from the floor.

It's impossible for Big Mama, or any of the dozens of employees, to ignore, and so within days she had him enrolled in private art classes to better his skills. After each session he would show his art to her and the day after that they would start going up on the walls around the hotel. It's her silent way of showing unending support for his greatest interest. And as he gets older, he feels more grateful for that with each passing day.

That support is exactly what led him to sneaking up to the human world several nights a week.

It'd happened overtime; his desire to make a big art piece combined with a curiosity about the surface, chipped away at his resolve. So one night, several months back, he made his way out of the hotel—which had taken a couple of hours in and of itself—and found his way into the shadows of New York City.

When he'd arrived on the surface, he realized he'd forgotten to bring a cloaking brooch, so he was forced to stay hidden. At that time it meant staying in the alleyway he'd sequestered himself in; after a few minutes of admiring the limited view of the busy street, he noticed the graffiti on the wall.

That was when he knew he'd made the right choice sneaking out. From that moment onward, he knew he had to come back and add his own art to these streets.

Over the next serveral months, he would sneak out every couple of weeks. Then every week, before finally gaining enough confidence to leave the hotel every few days.

He's not careless anymore—Felix always makes sure to grab a cloaking brooch before sneaking out of the hotel—and he keeps his art supplies hidden up on the surface so no one gets suspicious. Big Mama's no stranger to the human world but she's taken great lengths to keep him out of trouble, and she's always denied his requests to head topside.

If she finds out about what he's been doing he's not even sure what kind of punishment she would put him through. It wouldn't be too severe, of course, she'd never hurt her angel, but still, he'd rather not have her find out what he's doing.

Despite his descretion, several members of his mother's staff knows what he gets up to. They have no intention of telling their boss, though; Felix is a spoiled teenager and is considered more important than all of them combined, and yet he treats them with respect. He remembers their names and birthdays and goes out of his way to talk with them whenever they pass in the halls. And he's somehow a hell of a small-talk conversationalist.

So they keep their mouths shut.

When they see him sneaking around Gus to leave the building, they turn the other way. Should they ever overhear him planning his next art piece, they pretend like something else caught their attention. He's a good kid and a pretty compassionate boss compared to his mom; they wouldn't want him getting in trouble.

Which leads to tonight, and Felix is sneaking out of the hotel once again. Some of the employees notice him in the shadows but show no sign that they know he's there. He takes the elevator to the lobby, puts on the cloaking brooch, and minutes later he's walking out in the human realm.

It's almost too easy, he thinks with satisfaction.

He heads down a few alleyways before he arrives at the spot he'd scoped out last time. Thankfully for him, there's still enough room for the art piece he has in mind, and looking in his hiding spot, he finds the spray paint he hid there a few nights before.

Without waiting any longer, he puts in his earbuds and starts his playlist. In seconds he's lost himself in the music and his limbs almost seem to move on their own. He gets into a good rhythm, until something whirring by startles him and he drops the spray paint can. He can just about make out two different forms, one chasing the other, and can hear the pursuer shout something.

Well, nothing he can do! He shrugs off the event and turns his attention back to his art piece.

By the time his playlist ends, he's finished with his art, and he pulls his earbuds out. A smile forms on his face as he admires his work.

This time he's painted one of his mother's favorite flowers, one that can only be found in the recesses of the Hidden City. It's a harrowing journey just to obtain a few flowers but the plant itself is incredibly beautiful. The flower reminds him a lot of Big Mama and that's what makes it the perfect subject this time.

Know what? He's gotta take a picture of it.

Normally he keeps all evidence of his ventures hidden from Big Mama, which includes having absolutely no pictures of his art in his camera roll. Sometimes he shows her pictures of his drafts, so should he photograph his graffiti, he might slip up and allow her to find out. This time, though, with the significance of the piece, he'll risk it.

Should she ever find the picture, he has faith that she'll understand.