Heiro was restless, none of his “friends” wanted to play and he had spent the morning bickering with Tasha about who should watch mom this afternoon. After his grandmother passed, his mother was completely tied up with keeping their dog King healthy and functioning. The two Catori children feared for their own mother’s health after everything that happened, but the man Hei had come to revere and love not only as his step grandfather, but as a role model was simply wallowing with grief and Amaranth wasn’t ready to let him drift away too. The King’s house depressed him. He missed his gammy-yita everyday, but he was tired of picking up the pieces and holding down the fort for his family. An eight month old shouldn’t have to do that anyway, but Hei needed a break from pretending he was an adult. He liked to think his father Niro would understand, every boy needed a little break now and then, and Tasha could handle their mom on her own today. He had ‘splorin to do.
The court was a wonderland of treasures after the hurricane. These amazing finds were usually imagined by the youth to be exceptional while they were simply bits of debris and trash blown about from who knows where. Pieces of building structures, bits of metal, scraps of rope, etc. these all made such interesting things for a young boy to find and horde. But today, the Catori had actually found something worthwhile. He was rummaging through a pile of sodden books, a pity since he loved to read, when his claws clinked against glass. What’s this? He said to himself, sitting back on his rump as he uncovered a tall bottle. His ice blue eyes widened. He’d seen firewater like this before, but was told by his father that it could mess with your head and was definitely not for children. A sly grin parted his lips. Amazing without Ro around, he still had a taste for mischief.
The husky hybrid glanced about, hugging the cool bottle against his stomach. He was amazed it wasn’t broken but realized with dismay that there would definitely be some difficulty in opening it up. Gnawing on the narrow top only hurt his teeth and his talons were far too dull to actually stick into the pesky little cork and pull it out. The boy needed to try this forbidden drink, frustration now registering in his body as he tried again unsuccessfully to reach the cork. Shit! He swore under his breath, a word he’d learned from Ro and knew was very naughty, before thumping the ground with a fist. But then an idea came to him. Standing up with the bottle in hand, he walked towards a rock jutting out of the ground and rearranged the bottle in his hands before bashing it against it.
The neck of the bottle shattered, sprinkling the grass and rock with bits of glass. Bravado gleamed in Heiro’s eyes as the heady smell of wine entered his nares. He tentatively poured some of the liquid fire out into his open palm which immediately turned his pristine fur a shade of burgundy red. His rose tongue lapped at it and his eyes widened. It burned at first and made his cheeks feel hot, but Heiro decided he liked the taste. Gaining more confidence now, the youth upturned the bottle into his open maw, careful to avoid touching himself with the sharp edges.
Not twenty minutes later, an extremely drunk Catori was wandering about the court. Slurring songs to himself and recklessly flailing an empty bottle about in a red tinged hand.
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