Ocean of Dreams

1- Bread-Loser

"I, Felis Duquesne, once again return to burgle your bread!"

A short boy, around twelve years or so, stood in front of the shopkeeper, hands on his hips and brown, feline tail twitching confidently behind him. A brash grin pulled across the whisker-shaped marks on his cheeks, eagerness highlighted in his gold eyes. His hands reached for a slingshot at his waist, pulling it back to aim an imaginary rock at the old man's head. "Preferably now, before I attack."

Then he leaned forward, propping his elbows on the counter. Usually, the man would chuckle at the Cait Sith's antics before handing over one of his famous chestnut loaves, Felis already able to smell the warm, sweet bread, but for some reason, today he was shaking his head, wispy grey bangs blocking his eyes from view.

"I'm sorry, Felis but... I can't anymore."

"What?" His mouth dropped open in shock, and he leapt up onto the counter, the soft soles of his boots easily finding their footing amongst the wooden shelves of the stall. Leaning down, he craned his head until his short, stubby nose was practically touching the shopkeeper's own crooked one. "Why? Why not Alfonz? Why? Wh-"

"Don't go getting your dirty paws all over my wares. Get down!" Alfonz waved a wrinkled hand in his direction.

"Fine!" Felis shouted, but only after sticking out his tongue. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his baggy, beige shorts, he hopped back onto the street, blowing his brown bangs out of his face with a huff. "You didn't answer my question though. Do you want money now? Is that it, Mister?"

He only asked out of curiosity. It wasn't as though he had any coins; not since the Mistress found the box containing his last escapade's winnings from under his bed frame.

A flicker of annoyance ran through him as he remembered what she had so wrongfully taken from him: Three silver pelos, a rock with little blue sparkly bits on the inside, and Martin, his lucky stick. Never again would he find one so perfectly curved with a little twig off the side like a waving hand. His friend had been lost forever to the orphanage's furnaces, a noble sacrifice that Felis would never forget.

"... no. No, I just can't sell to your kind, or let you 'burgle my bread' anymore. I'm sorry," Alfonz whispered, his voice sounding strained.

"My kind?" A fang poked out of his mouth as he bit his lip. "Wait... because of these?" He reached up to tug at two, cat-like ears poking out of the top of his scruffy hair. "I thought you said I was cute." Crossing his arms, he fixed Alfonz with another glare. "It's very rude to lie, ya know."

"Felis- You need to leave. Now."

He flinched back at the warning hiss in Alfonz's tone, a tightness growing in his chest. Why? Why is he acting like this when he's always so nice to me? He did this every day, same time, the same line. Why would it be any different today?

His small fists curled tighter around his slingshot. Maybe he should have launched a real rock at Alfonz's head in order to get him to stop acting like... however he was being right now.

"Fine! I hate you too!"

Stamping his foot, Felis turned around. He meant to walk away slowly, calmly like the adult he practically was, but instead it turned into a run as Alfonz's stall was replaced by wooden boards and from there, the open sea. The final building before it fell away to the ports was a fishmonger's store with a thatched roof and barrels lined up along its side. He hopped up onto them, fighting against the wobbling to climb to the top. Straw poked into his palms as he padded along the roof, finally settling with his knees over the edge.

Usually he came up here to watch the sunset, the sky lit up in beautiful coral and purple hues as the light glinted across the pristine water. But it looked blurry to him, his throat tight as the wind whipped salt into his face, tugging playfully at the blue scarf around his neck. His tail curled around him, and the tears finally came.