fox childe wanting to be a bunny.
the tips of his ears being too sharp, too pointed.
the fangs of his teeth being too long, too dangerous.
the swish of his tail being too big, too aggressive.
he stands in front of the mirror before bed. poking and prodding at his reflection. his gaze flips from his bright orange fur to the pale skin littered with scars. he thinks about the smell of iron that clung to him all day as he walked the streets. remembers the way the vendors turned away their hearts while giving him that plastic, fake smile, singing some nonsense about a damn sales pitch he didnāt care about.
as his mind wanders, his hands clench into fists. sharp claws digging into his palms. blood dripping down his fingers and onto the floor. the smell of iron floating up.
he thinks about the sweat clinging to his back. the pain building in his shoulders. in his mind he walks to a familiar place. an apartment tucked away in a corner of Liyue Harbor with low rent and insane views. a true treasure in this modern age of Teyvat.
in his mind he knocks on that door, ignoring the neighboursā stares, and waits.
the blood drips. he should sit down. step away from the mirror. but he only gets closer. step by step until heās only a single breath away.
he walks into the apartment. admires the treasures stacked high on the shelves, takes off his shoes at the door. he tosses his coat on the floor, shedding off the smell of blood and sweat with it.
childe walks around the apartment, hunting.
āajaxā a voice calls from behind.
his ears are long and soft. his teeth are still long but blunt. his tail is small and subtle.
he looks gentle. he looks kind.
he calls out again, tone sugary sweet.
āajax, please, be calmā
his nose twitches. the otherās does as well.
he canāt look away. canāt tear his eyes from the image of him so weak. so docile.
and yet, his posture sags. his legs turn to jelly just thinking of standing up any longer. his body aches with an aching intensity to simply give up and fall right into the other himās arms. to let go and embrace the rabbit.
a sense of anger begins to boil under his skin. a fire burns behind his eyes till his vision blurs and he pounces.
the glass shatters. shards pierce through his skin. the bleeding wonāt stop. his breathing spirals out of control, hyperventilating as he falls to his knees.
he looks down at the broken shards on the ground, the pool of blood staining the glass.
