ayfai moon, eight {fin}

Even with your body covered in shawls and coats, your blood is warm but your skin is cold. The winter air clutches the little warmth you have, a tight fist wrapped around it, ready to pull right off. But you hold off. Your animals need to eat more than you need the warmth. At that sight of your crow, Rain, your chattering teeth stop and you break out into a smile. Rain has been with you since you were little. It started with a breadcrumb and ended up with a companionship.

Rain didn't end up being your only friend. Vicky, a mouse, and Phantom, a lizard. Animals always took a liking to you. It might have to do with not freaking out when you see them. Many people don't like mice or lizards, and some think Crow's are a symbol of death. But I was never one to believe in that superstitious nonsense. You prefer a more practical approach to life. You believe what you see, conspiracy theories have don't have a big place in your life. That is you think when your human friend, Andrea, who believes in a higher power above the capitol, who tries to tell you about the higher being. Andrea was nice though, she didn't think it was stupid to care for those animals, and you didn't outright tell her it was stupid to believe in a higher power. She can believe what she wants, and you'll believe what you want.

Then there is your famously deceased cousin, Zagreus. In all honesty, you really don't care about him. He held up his fists too much for you to like him. Andrea calls you laid-back. Your not a neurotic, paranoid druggy. Nothing in your life has really brought up warning signals. Red blaring alarms never go off in your head, it's more like still water with a couple splashes here and there. 

Not one cell in your body feels bad for Zagreus Moon. You might share blood with him, but you didn't know him. Maybe a couple words were exchanged but ultimately Zagreus Moon was a stranger to you. You bet that he doesn't remember your face, or your name. The only reason you know his is because he's dead. You would have forgotten his name if he came back, but the only reason he is stick in your head is his dead body appearing over and over again in your head. The sight doesn't frighten you, but rather amuses you. Death has never scared Ayfai Moon, and it never will. You are not afraid of dying, but the only thing you're afraid of is disappointing yourself.

The only judgment you ever really cared about was your own. If you can't love yourself, you can't love anything. You might look like Zagreus Moon, the dark hair and brown eyes and tan skin, but you were far from being close. He grew up in an abusive house. Your parents talked about how his parents beat him. Your parents were never abusive toward you, maybe yelling at you, but that is as far as it goes. 

You have a small body, only standing at 4'12 at fifteen. Your shoulders are not as wide as your brother's and your nose is slimmer than the other members in your family. You only weigh 98, as you do not eat as much as the other members of your family. Most of the time you don't feel hungry, so you don't eat anything causing you to slim down in weight. You also have small hands, good for fast paced work and petting your animals, and your hands are also soft. You don't work with your hands often so they aren't rough like your fathers.

Your first saw Rain when you were 12. He was hurt, his leg was bleeding. Your nursed him back to health, feeding him bread crums and portions of your food. He eventually got better and started flying back to your house expecting food. And you did feed him. He started following you and you knew you found yourself a new friend. He is loyal to you as you are the only one who gives him food. Vicky and Phantom were similar stories, you fed them and they came for more. You kept Vicky and Phantom in a cage, but Rain could fly anywhere he wanted. You knew he was going to come back.