“Are you hungry?” The answer is obvious, and Atom doesn’t hide the fact that he knows, eyes lingering on the apple in the other child’s hands; the apple that, moments ago, was sitting among others in a nice little farmer’s market stand. Atom’s frown deepens.
It was his innate sense of rules-following that had him trailing after the thief in the first place. It’s his understanding of hardship, fear, and their current situation that has Atom handling the moment delicately, having followed as quietly and casually as possible. Not wanting to risk scaring them off, he just slightly raises his hands with palms facing forwards.
“...You don’t have to steal things, you know,” Atom continues in a softer tone. “They give us some money when they leave us here. You could probably get more of a meal than that, too.”
@monochromedtv ❤’d.