Word Count → 375
He was taller than Amaranth. It wasn't a huge difference in size; Hati was not the towering giant that his father or brothers could be, but it was still odd to notice that he could see the top of her head when they were this close. Her personality made her presence seem larger, and Hati always shrank before others more dominant than himself. She mentioned leaving the rabbit raw, and Hati nodded listlessly. It was less work, after all. Maybe she didn't need his help for anything.
His niece and nephew were doing well, but evidently his brother-in-law was not. "I'm so sorry to hear that," he said honestly. He wasn't sure whether she meant Niro would be different physically or mentally, though. Hati hadn't visited the man once, not since his injury. He supposed it was guilt steering him away from the hotel, that or fear; he was too sensitive to suffering and pain, and to visit another sickroom after his mother's, it was not possible for him. He liked Niro, though. Another good soul who did not deserve what fate had given him.
Hati flinched, hands fumbling against the counter. Amaranth was staring at him, that shade of amethyst burning right through his flimsy attempt to redirect her. He was staring down, swallowing nervously as his stomach clenched. "It's hard for you too. How do you... how can you keep coming back to this house? You don't have to, you have a life outside of these walls." His tail was swishing behind him with an agitated energy. He didn't want to break his mask of politeness -- hell, he barely even knew Amaranth. He had seen her more this month than ever in his life, and he was not exactly talkative. He didn't want to break down in front of her, it would be embarrassing. He shut his eyes tightly, drawing a deep breath to try and fight off the panic. "I just mean... it's hard to see any kind of future right now..." He knew their mother would be upset to hear him sounding so hopeless, so despondent. But she wasn't there to hear him, and that was the point. He was so lost without her, more than she could ever know.
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