Tea

unlit rose garden he was feeling a bit put out with the world, with all the worlds and the space in between th

expressing something far below being impressed. “I know who you are. What’s sad is you have had me on y

sit and have tea with you! There is an active threat t

ady,” Crow said a

ve just a little under the thin worn black cotton pants, but then there was a narrow waist and a grace of movement that spok

“Come sit down. I’ll explain

f the rose garden and into a space that was set with a long table and mismatched

apa. Can we k

gerie of odd characters. The one that had called him mean was a child min

w reassured, “Come now sit d

zen cats and dogs that looked normal, but most of the chairs were filled by what could easily be described as characters. A head inju

a big mug of tea for the little minotaur. “It will take me a

s whole life had been lived in the shadow of, Hiro couldn’t pull up

giving Hiro a squint. “I’v

r his voice rising, feel his emotions rising, but there wasn’t a logi

le, a cupcake in his hands and frostin

before! He leaned a bit, hands gripping the end o

ay the frosting from Lyle’s nose. “I didn’t ‘eat’ you. I swallowed you. Please sit do

t’s the difference? Th

y will be here soon. Now please sit down. If I have to treat you for a heart atta

home,” Hiro paused, an eyebrow d

, you are safe here. I have no will or plans

f! I’m worried about the Ear

in it instead.” Crow smiled like he’d said the most obvious thing that even a half bull child could understand,

and have devoted my life to protecting this world. I gave my life today to save t

don’t know who you work for! Go talk to your mother about it!” Up close, their noses almost touching, Hiro knew this man was real, living, breathing, the warmth of his lips and

t black feathers appearing over his cheekbones, “but she died three hund

t, a memory that he’d visited more times than he could count. Neat and orderly, with a quilt his grandmother had made on his bed, he knew this place, but somehow being actually in it, it seemed lik

w then. A slender woman with just a touch of grey at her temples she already wore he

t over Tokyo. It was a Tokyo before the waterrise. It was a Tokyo on actual ground. It was a Tokyo he’d never seen

ling. What

ryth