the unsung.

UNiversity. - introduction

    At Auntie Fei's behest, Kuo treaded down the narrow staircase of Amah's house, all the while chewing on some stale bubblegum and shifting his hands in his jean pockets. The seams were practically worn through — a testament to how often he did so.

    He needed some new clothes. And while the aunties were often in the mood for a good shopping trip, clothing seemed to be another matter entirely.

    "There's generations' worth on the third floor." Auntie Ying-ying appeared to swat him away with the brusque wave of her hand, deeply engrossed in another book, always irritated at disturbance.

    "Yes," Auntie Ling agreed, feet perched upon a deep-set couch while she rocked herself back and forth on her wheelchair. "The third floor is where time goes to seal away memories."

    "Mhm," Auntie Chen nodded, "It's where grown-ups dispose of their childhoods."

    "Where our babies say their goodbyes," Auntie Ai chimed in from across the room, wearing a melancolic smile and an old silk scarf, "Like you will, one day."

    Kuo wondered just how many children they'd raised, disciplined and loved, only to be left behind. Some of them came home for Lunar New Year, when the air was cool and good fortune was as abundant as food, but majority of the old tigers seemed to seek the comfort of forgetting.

    "I can take anything?" Kuo asked.

    Let's take it all. Said the tiger in his head, always hungry.

    "Nope." Kuo hissed under his breath.

    Auntie Fei narrowed her eyes, lips chapped and bitten, examining him carefully, as if she'd somehow been made privy to his internal dialogue, "Be careful with that one, hm?"

    "It's Kiho's." said Auntie Ying-ying matter-of-factly, eyes unremoved from a dog-eared page.

    "I'm sorry, what?" Kuo blinked uncomfortably, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks.

    "Your tiger!" Auntie Ling laughed gleefully, sounding a little senile as she sang-shrieked, "Bluey!"

    "Didn't Amah tell you?" asked Auntie Chen.

    Nervous, Kuo stuttered, "Tell me... w-what?"

    "Your tiger is much older than you, Li Kuo." said Auntie Wen as she waltzed in, having overheard from the kitchen corridor. "And much stronger, too."

    "And its last host was... quite something. It argues with you because it's still attached to memories of a time when it roared, through a blue-haired boy, and the world bent. Now this tiger must bend, instead. It doesn't like that, at all." Auntie Ai pursed her lips together, deep in thought. "And so Fei is right, be careful."

    "Or it will swallow you whole." Auntie Fei raised a brow, "And we wouldn't want that now, would we?"

    Swallow me whole? Kuo thought.

    Swallow. The tiger liked the sound of that, indeed. Hungry. Hungry. Hungry. Hun-

    "Auntie Wen, you wouldn't mind if I nabbed a bowl of your soup later, would you?" He massaged the back of his aching neck as if it eased any discomfort.

    "Of course not, dear." She nodded, smiling toothily, the buns in her hair wiggling in agreement. "Keep it fed, yes? And go get that sweater."

    "Third floor?" He'd never really gone there, only ever passed through to get to somewhere else. But perhaps that was its value. Every level of Amah's house had some incorporeal worth, he knew that.