Poem 9

My chest felt as hollow

As the floorboards from

Underneath me as I

Rounded the corner.

The sight before me

Caused my shoulders

To stiffen and bristle.

There was Copper,

Standing over his

Owner's corpse.

Scratch marks littered

The cold skin, the bud

Of a used cigarette in

His deadened grasp.

The calico's vision

Flicked over to my

Own wide gaze, his

Pupils dilating as

Amber eyes flashed.

They held fear,

But not regret.

"Rose, I-"

I interrupted him,

My tail curling up.

"You can tell me

Outside, Copper.

Let's leave before

More humans come."

He nodded wearily,

Worn eyes fading

And dull. There was

A patch of skin on

His cheek burnt off.

...

We stumbled across

The gravel underfoot.

Copper's voice was

Meek as he spoke.

"He tried to kill me,

My owner. I lashed

Out with no second

Thoughts of how deep

My claws even sunk."

I glanced at the

Patches of burnt

Fur, revealing torn

And bleeding skin.

His fur was covered

In reddened wounds.

Stepping forward,

I craned my neck

To give his ear an

Affectionate swipe

With my tongue.

"And to think I

Was coming over

Because of my own

Injuries. Perhaps

We should heal

Each other."

He returned my

Gesture with a

Rumbling purr.

Burn marks and

Shards of glass.

Our scars matched.

...

It was late into the

Night as I gazed at

The stars, realizing

How they didn't match

The ones me and Copper

Always slept underneath.

I breathed out slowly,

Ears perking up at

The voices overhead

And walking towards it.

Words clashed in their

Cryptic tongue as a violet

Gaze clashed against

Narrowed magenta eyes.

"So, now that I want

Lavender to help me and

Gonta look for bugs you

Suddenly want to drop in?"

It seemed like the two

Humans were arguing.

"You've already spent

Time with the cat, I just

Want her to join me and

My sidekicks for training!"

Violet eyes flickered,

A smoldering lantern

Dancing in the moonlight.

"You're really going to

Make the cat your new

Sidekick? I thought you

Were the one who said that

She was like Monokuma?"

Magenta sliced through

The night like a badger's

Sharp and seething claws.

"That was only at the

Start, of course I was

Gonna be suspicious.

Don't act like you didn't

Worry about that, too!"

...

My ears twitched as I

Watched the two refute

Against the other with

Their strange language.

"Alright, fine. I suppose

That was a while ago.

But wouldn't having

Lavender, a cat, look

For possible spy bugs

Help benefit us and

Our attempt to escape?"

There was a brief

Moment of silence,

Magenta gaze no

Longer raging.

The other continued,

A smirk playing at

The corners of his

Upturned mouth.

"Besides, how on

Earth would you

Get a cat to train

With you, anyways?"

...

The taunting smile

Turned into something

More genuine and sincere

After violet eyes caught

My storm blue gaze.

"Oh, hey lavender!"

The other human

Paused and turned.

Magenta eyes

Fell onto me.

"Oh, uh... hello

There, starlight!"

Violet swept away

From my gaze and

Narrowed, igniting.

"Are you seriously

Trying to one-up me

With a nickname, now?"

The other bunched up

His shoulders before

Dropping them again.

"Well, you already

Gave her one."

...

A new voice ripped

Through the open air.

"Are you two actually

Fighting over a cat?"

My weary gaze met

Hardened red, cool

Enough to freeze.

It was not like the

Burning flame seeping

Warmth that belonged

To the other human, the

One who the violet-eyed

Human called Gonta.

She was different,

Cold and calculating.

There's too many

Humans here.

I backed away, cautious.

♡

Character Key (Based on Eye Color):

Violet- Kokichi

Magenta- Kaito

Hardened Red- Maki