Notes: This interude chapter is fully dedicated to fleshing out Kouji, as a character. I feel like I didn't make a good effort to bring some life into his personality - I wanted to for him to be energetic, entusiastic but still heavily traumatised. Without further delay, let's get into it - ah, and I almost forgot, his overall character will be in a form of snapshots.
TW: Genocide, discrimination and referenced child abuse
Part 1 - A human kitten
Takes place before the events of Chapter 1 - In the Past.
After bad people came out of hiding, innocent started to be slaughtered. We were at home when the sirens began sounding and screams started. In less than 10 minutes, many bodies were dropped - then the bad people came. All of them wore black clockes and red masks - they came after mommy. She was crying out of help, sobbing and shaking.
-"You gave birth to a monster, Aiko Nakamura" - the first men hissed -"I'll cleanse you of your sin that was bringing this thing into our already broken world".
-"Mommy look, I have cat ears!"
*SLAP*
-"WHY WERE YOU BORN THIS WAY? WHY YOU CAN'T BE JUST NORMAL?! WHY, YOU FREAK?!" - Mommy yelled while holding a glass bottle full of dark liquid
-"Run, Kouji! Just run!" - mommy screamed shakily while scary men pulled her by her hair to the bedroom
I rushed through the furniture and jumped out of the windom. My Meta kicked in and I landed softy on the pavement. But because of the hole in our home, I could still hear mommy's desperate screams and beggings for help and mercy. Then I heard a series of three gunshots - and mommy's cries have stopped.
RUN!
I did what Mommy told me to. I ran away, admists the sounds of explosions and anguish.
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Part 2 - A cat eared student
Takes place after the events of Chapter 3
I sat on the edge of the bed - it wasn't the softest but the warm blanket reminded me of mommy's tight embrace, before she started drinking from the glass bottles. Every time she was drinking, she was crying and sometimes spanked me with tears in her eyes. But when mommy was awake, she crawled and endlessly apologized. She always said that she was sorry, over and over again.
After while, Iris joined me. She had dark blond hair to the shoulders, and gray eyes like silver. When we ran through the bridge, with her free hand she covered me eyes. But I could hear the screams, the pleadings for mercy and prayers to Kami, whoever that was, he never anwsered the prayers.
Iris ruffled my hair and took out a notebook out of the backpack - she wrote something and then handed over the notebook to me along with a short pencil.
-"I think I should start teaching you Kanji, Kouji" - Iris said -"Do..do you want me to teach you? If you don't want to, that's okay...I never taught academics anyone in the past"
-"So..what did you teach?" - I asked mumbly
-"How to fight. With or without Qui-Meta Ability" - she said with a hint of sadness that reminded me of mommy when she was drinking from the bottle -"Though in the end, all I learned is that Qui-Meta brings out the worst in people".
-"W-what?"
-"Nothing, Kouji" - she dismissed me and looked me in the eye -"So what do you say, kitten?"
-"I-I want to learn, Miss Iris!" - I rasped out
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Part 3 - A cat eyed child
In the refugee camp
Some bored looking men escorted us to the tent - it was cramped, stinked with rotten fish and felt overall...scratchy? I sat on my assigned bed and went over the food the men gave us - and I still liked more the canned food in Iris backpack. Near the plastic bag with rations (that's Iris called it) there was a dark red armband - and judging by Zuku's reaction, he was ready to tear it apart. Iris often called him "a green fiery kitten".
When Zuku left the tent, after Iris ordered him to cool of on the outside, Iris ruffled my hair and hugged me - in an embrace that reminded me of mommy. When she was smiling and singing when making dinner - not when she was drinking the dark liquid that made her cry.
-"I know this armband feels icky but we have to wear it" - Iris whispered -"It's like a lantern. Inside the camp, we can recognize each other from a long distance! How does it sounds, kitten?"
-"It sounds good, Iris - neesan! But why Zuku - nii was so mad? Was he angry with me?"
-"Zuku thinks differently about armbands, kitten. Remember that Kouji - people think and react in their own way to bad situations. They might have other opinion and we should respect that. As long as non - one innocent isn't involved, it isn't our place to judge" - Iris replied scratchily
-"I-I don't understand it fully" - I admitted
-"You'll see for yourself in the future, kitten. Now, how does a dinner sounds like?"
-"I'm super hungry, Iris - neesan!"
-"Alright hold your horses. First, we need to wash our hands, kitten"