It didn't seem like an unusual day.

The same work and chores, the same expectations and guidelines to follow. Most of my work didn't involve dealing with patrons directly, fortunately, and instead was more about housekeeping and other menial labor. You know, folding sheets and making beds, making sure the curtains are still there, and so on. I was a rather shy person so I was more than happy to work a job that didn't require dealing with people all day, such a thing aggravating my anxiety like few other things could.

My mom and I worked the gist of our inn, maybe a seasonal worker here and there to help during the more stressful months. At one point my dad also worked here, but ever since that...event, I'll call it...it's just been my mom and I. The extra work bogged us down but at least we were never bored.

Though I could tell it really wore on my mom. Not just the work itself, mostly the reason behind it. It just wasn't the same without my dad, the stress and loneliness really chewing on her with each passing day. I tried to offer an ear and shoulder but she wouldn't have it, choosing instead to bury herself in work and distract her from the reality of the situation. As much as I wanted to help it wasn't something I could force her to take, my waiting on her to do so.

I missed dad, too, but I didn't miss a lot of what took place before his departure. A lot of violent tantrums, drinking binges, those kinds of things. Fortunately he never took it out on either of us, but we were still powerless to help given his condition. It was not something we were equipped to handle and I think he, too, realized this. One morning he was simply gone and a frantic look around town was fruitless. Nothing was left behind, nobody had seen him. Just gone.

That was a few years ago, when I was still a child.

I didn't understand much then, but his condition interested me and I'd begun trying to read into it. Though it was too late to help him, maybe that information would be useful someday. It was horrible watching someone go through this even from just the outside, no telling how miserable it was for the one experiencing it all. My mom thought it was pointless, and maybe she was right, but I'd rather be equipped and not need it than need it and not have it.

I looked out the window in the small laundry room, the rain pelting hard against the glass pane. The loud white noise carried my idle thoughts as I continued folding towels and spare sheets. I wiped my forehead, warm from all the sorting and folding, but thankful I'd gotten everything inside before it started pouring like this.

Scooping up the folded wares I stood up to place them in their respective homes, murmurs from the front desk barely audible through the sound of rain.

These shower towels go in this cabinet.

Some washcloths, those go to the cabinet next to the shower towels.

A few small handtowels--

A loud yelp from the front desk broke my concentration and I dropped the handtowels. With a little sigh I bent down to pick them back up just to be startled by more discordant cries. The only thing I could tell for sure was that they were my mom's. I quietly stepped over to the doorway, the remaining wares still in my arms, to see what the noise was all about. Knowing her it was probably a bug of some kind.

Peering around the threshold I looked down the short bit of hallway to the front desk. My mom was behind the desk throwing an utter fit while someone across it was stepping back and cowering. I couldn't quite tell what she was hollering about, but whatever it was seemed to have something to do with this patron. They just kept stepping back away from the desk. I usually wouldn't try to get involved with such a thing but this seemed unusual, so I took a step out into the hallway.

Their eyes turned to me, red and glowing but with a terrified expression. For some reason I felt as though my heart was being grabbed-- it wasn't harsh or painful, but like a sort of cry for help. They froze. I took another step forward and they took a step back.

"Get back to the laundry room!" my mom yelled at me. "It isn't safe out here; it's a corrupted!"

'Corrupted.' When they heard that word they took another step back and that feeling in my chest seemed to tighten.

"Get out of here!"

I couldn't explain it, but it was though they were afraid.

...Perhaps more afraid of us than we were of them. Much more, I'd wager.

Their eyes darted between us as they took another step back, turning heel and darting out the door. I wasn't sure what just happened, but noticed that their wallet had been left on the desk's counter. Without thinking I dropped my wares and grabbed the wallet, ready to chase after this strange patron.

"What are you thinking!?" my mom continued to yell. "Let the damn thing go! You know what they do!"

She wasn't wrong. I very much did know what they did, or what they could do, but something about this was different. Surely if they were the violent type they wouldn't have turned and run, or even just stepped back away from my loud mom. Especially with how dark those eyes were, any notable behaviors would be one's second nature.

Wallet in hand I trailed them, pushing open the door and running out into the rain-soaked street. They were fast, whoever they were, and it was no simple task trying to catch up.

"Wait!" I yelled through the rain, any effort to be heard. "Please, you left your wallet behind!"

They weren't having it, not slowing down or even turning back. The most I could make out was their ears raking back even further so I assumed I was heard at least. It wouldn't matter, though, as my foot met a turbid pothole in the street and I came tumbling down against the pavement with a thud. I'd dropped the wallet to try to catch myself as I fell, my hands and knees scraped from the road. I bared my teeth, my ankle smarting from the fall, and when I looked up I'd noticed they'd stopped running.

They looked back to me, a cautious and wary posture as though ready to run at any moment. I stayed still, as did they, and their gaze quickly diverted once I met it with my own.

"Y-Your wallet," I seethed. "You...forgot it on the desk."

They looked all around, tail nervously swishing in the cold rain. With one hand up by the drawstrings of their hood they took a step closer, waiting a moment before taking another.

Whatever kind of corruption this person had, I don't think it was hostile. This was only reassuring me in my assumption.

Another step. Another. And another.

They'd gotten to where the wallet met the ground, a short distance from me. Instead of grabbing it and running off they'd just given it a quick glance to acknowledge it before stepping even closer. That strange tension in my chest had mostly relented, feeling more like a gentle tug. Before long they stood just a couple feet from me, bending slightly and offering a hand.

Their hand was badly scuffed and worn, cuts and scrapes visible beneath the thinning fur. I raised my own to take theirs, their gently wrapping their fingers around my hand and slowly pulling me up. I was a bit bigger than them so it took some effort on their part, adjusting their feet to handle the weight as I rose back to my own. It was hard not to notice similar damage to their feet as I righted myself, but I wasn't sure if this was an outcome of the condition or something else.

Before I stood back up completely I took the soaked wallet back from the street. They looked ready to run off once I was back up on my feet, but I still tried to offer their wallet back. Slow and deliberate movements, quiet voices.

"H-Here, you left this behind," I said, extending my hand with the wallet in my palm.

They slowly extended their arm to receive it, clutching the worn leather and retrieving it from me. With it stowed back in their pocket they initially took a step back to run away yet again.

"Wait, please," I said, somehow stopping them.

They turned to me, their hands raised up by the opening of their hood.

"Y-You need help," I said gently. "Please come back with me to the inn and I'll...I'll give you a room to stay in for a while."

One hand reached for the other arm as they turned and looked back down to the street. While I couldn't make out much of their face I could tell they were scared and unsure. People were not kind to the corrupted; I'd heard stories of some baiting them with promises of help and care just to assault or kill them. It was a sick, sad reality, but it was reality nonetheless.

"Please, I won't hurt you," I continued. "M-My name is Esmé. I work and live here, and I just want to help you."

Maybe they could feel my honesty as they took a step closer. I offered my hand, now empty, for them to take. It took a moment but they eventually did take my offer, that damaged hand laid gently in mine. Slowly and carefully we both walked back down the street and to the inn, my pulling the door open and letting this stranger through. My mom was thankfully away from the desk, her outbursts the last thing I needed right now.

We both walked down a short hall, sopping wet, as I took a room down at the very end. I thought this would be the best place so they'd be well enough away from other potential patrons to have some privacy and quiet time. It was also a room I'd already tended to so I knew it had fresh sheets and towels and was nice and clean.

I'd read that these conditions could be recovered from with the right care and enough time and patience. While I was no professional I...I still wanted to try.

"Alright, here we are," I said, grabbing a key from my pocket and opening the door. "You'll have a lot of privacy here, plus I know it's fully stocked and newly cleaned."

I entered the room, gently tugging their hand to follow me inside so I could close the door. Our inn was nothing high-end or remarkable, but it had everything you needed-- a nice-sized futon, a dresser, a nightstand, a table with some chairs, and a personal bathroom. It was more or less a small but furnished apartment.

"How's about you take a shower?" I asked, pointing to the bathroom. "There's towels on the counter and a cloth in the shower itself if you need it, plus plenty of soap already stocked. I'm sure the hot water will feel a lot better than the cold rain, and I can wash your clothes afterward."

They wouldn't budge. I'm sure all of this was very confusing and jarring for someone in their position-- it probably would be for anyone regardless of that condition.

"Hey," I quietly said, undoing a bracelet from my wrist. "Don't worry, I'll be back."

I took one of their hands and slipped the bracelet around their wrist, gently pulling the strings to tighten it.

"Here's my promise," I said, resting my hand on the bracelet. "Don't worry about it getting wet or anything like that, it's pretty durable. Go ahead and take a nice warm shower and I'll go do the same, okay? I'll grab some clothes for you to wear when you get out, too."

I motioned toward the bathroom again, their finally taking the offer and slowly shuffling past the doorway. Once they were inside I took the door by the handle and slowly pulled it closed, their looking back to me one last time.

Now that this odd patron was situated I left the room to venture back to the laundry room. Opening one of the cabinets I pored through sets of sleepwear. This person was wearing very baggy clothes so I couldn't quite tell their size, only that they were smaller than me. I was also uncertain of their gender, the hood obscuring their face and the baggy clothes hiding their body. I'd hoped that a small set of unisex-styled clothes would suffice, piecing together the set by article. With it all in hand I quickly made my way back to the room, happy to hear the water running in the bathroom and what sounded like movement in the water. I laid the clothes on the counter between the main room and the bathroom, reaching back into one of my pockets to lay a piece of candy atop the pile before I left again. Pulling the main door closed I returned to the hall to wander back to my quarters, where my mom and I lived.

Unfortunately for me, she was also there.

"There you are," she remarked as I entered the main room of the apartment. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"...I wanted to help and they'd left their wallet behind," I replied.

"Do you have any idea how stupid and reckless that was?" she chided. "Who knows what that thing could've done to you!"

"They're not 'things', mom, they're people just like you and me," I bit back. "If they were going to get violent they'd have done so before I even got involved."

"You don't know that."

"I know a lot more than you think. I have read a lot of--"

"Oh god, here we go, little miss 'I read a book once so I know everything'," she mocked in a grating tone. "You were there when your father was going downhill. You know damn well what those things -- sorry, 'people' -- can do."

I just rolled my eyes. This wasn't worth my time and I had a shower to take. No amount of my rebuttal would sway her anyway.

"Hey, little girl, get back here!" she called after me as I walked to the bathroom.

"Nah."

I entered the bathroom and closed the door, shutting her up well enough. I loved my mom but she was just too stubborn about some things and I valued my time and energy. With a heavy sigh I disrobed and turned on the water, stepping into the shower once the water reached a temperature I liked. I wasted little time here, soaking and scrubbing down with a generous amount of soap. The cuts on my hands and knees stung from the soap, but I worked through it.

That was probably the quickest shower I'd ever taken, drying off with a clean towel before wrapping up and heading to my small room. We weren't the most well-off, most of our money going toward the inn itself, so I hadn't much for luxuries. Not that I minded, really, since I was generally only in here to get dressed or sleep. I put on my casual clothes, figuring my shift was over by now anyway. Balling up my wet uniform I carried it with me back out to the main room where my mom was still waiting to me, to nobody's surprise.

"Don't you walk away from me when I'm talking to you," she snapped.

"I have more and better things to do than get berated for trying to help someone," I nonchalantly replied.

"This isn't about your wanting to help, it's about jumping into a potentially dangerous situation without thinking," she said.

"I did think, mom," I said in turn. "You just didn't like how I thought about it."

She raised her hand to the bridge of her snout and sighed.

"I'm just trying to look out for you," she exhaled. "I can't do that when you run out the damn door after someone. I already lost your father to this; I can't bear to lose you, too."

Good motives, poor execution, I guess.

"They weren't violent at all and actually helped me up when I tripped from a hole in the pavement," I retorted. "Further, I'm rooming them downstairs. Take the cost out of my paycheck if you want, but I won't have them living out on the streets."

Before she could formulate a response I'd already re-entered the hallway and closed the main door. I carried my wet uniform back downstairs and to the laundry room, putting it over a chair to dry and avoid that awful mildew smell.

After a moment to think I wondered when might be the last time they ate. Given how small their wrist was and how baggy that sweatshirt was they were probably quite thin. I'd taken so little time to shower, even with my mom's protesting, that I could probably squeeze in some kind of meal for this person. I quickly left the laundry room and found the kitchen, acquiring the makings for a simple breakfast-like meal-- eggs, bread, bacon, and butter. Bacon usually takes a little while to fry but it's a nice treat, the grease adding a nice taste to other food.

I wasted no time cooking up everything and plating it all, even buttering the toast. Before I left I poured a glass of milk, carrying the food back down the hall. While I normally wouldn't I let myself in, no longer hearing running water and assuming all was fine. They weren't out of the bathroom yet so I plated the food on the table, took a chair, and waited for them.

It wasn't too long before the bathroom door opened and out stepped this strange patron, now dressed in some of our sleepwear and no longer hidden under big clothes and a hood. Still they wore that bracelet.

They were quite short, maybe an inch or two shorter than me, and very thin. A messy mop of ash-brown hair topped their head, though the hair, too, was thin, likely from lack of eating. Their face was mostly grey fading into a cold tan color at the top, but with a white snout. From what I could tell they were a pure faraden like me, which wasn't something I saw often this far north.

...And honestly, that raised more questions by itself.

I still could...not quite determine their gender. Their gaunt frame was too thin and featureless to tell for sure and their big eyes and long eyelashes seemed at odds with any assumption I could make. I didn't want to be rude and ask, so I opted instead to wait.

"Hey there," I softly called as they raised their hands to their mouth. "I made you something to eat."

They looked to both sides, terrified and unsure how to respond.

"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," I said. "I'd like to take your old clothes down to the laundry room while you eat, but I will only be gone a minute or two."

I pushed the chair away from the table to invite them, their finally relenting and slowly coming forward. My eye contact seemed to both reassure and discomfort them, but I wanted to prove I wasn't afraid of them. I took one of their hands and helped them to sit down before the food in front of them, my standing back up to grab their wet clothes. Before I parted from the table I pat their messy hair, eliciting a small gasp that gently faded to normal breathing after a moment.

I balled up their clothes and quickly left the room, putting them near mine to tentatively dry. With it raining like this there was no point in washing these tonight, which would also give me time to watch over this stranger.

Free of my burden I returned to their room, happy to see them slowly and carefully eating. I sat back in the other chair to keep them company, their tail twitching and swishing nervously.

"Would you rather I leave?" I offered. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

Their short ears fell hard and they quickly shook their head, those big dark eyes full of pleading and fear.

"Okay, okay, I'll stay right here," I awkwardly laughed.

While they continued eating I thought about their behaviors, trying to compare them to things I'd read. They showed no hostile inclinations; rather they turned to run at even the slightest confrontation. They also didn't seem reckless or attention-seeking, nor did they seem lethargic. There did seem to be a slight tendency to follow some source of comfort.

...If I had to guess, this was a fear type. A non-hostile one, too.

Given how dark those eyes were this was a severe case, their sclerae about as dark as they could get from my memory. The irises were a bright, sickly red and carried a mild glow from all the negative energy housed within the soul. All of this bothered me greatly-- they were so small and so timid, with no expressed desire to hurt another and even consciously working against their fear to help someone they were afraid of.

...I didn't understand how people could hurt others even normally, but I really couldn't fathom how someone could hurt a person like this. Corruption takes a long time to get to this point so whatever it is, it went on for...years, most likely.

They'd occasionally look at me, but would quickly shift their gaze back down to their emptying plate as though ashamed. After a few times of this I rested my fingertips on the backs of their digits, stroking gently to reassure them. We both sat in silence while they ate, my wanting to ensure they ate everything in front of them. It took some time, their eating slowly, but I had plenty to spare. Once the plate and glass were empty I stood back up, scooping up the dishes.

"I'm going to bring these to the kitchen and wash them quick so the yolk doesn't dry," I said. "I'll be right back."

Egg yolk was such a pain to scrub if left to harden so I wanted to get those things out of the way, running to the kitchen and attacking everything with hot water and soap. To be nice I even hand-dried everything so there wouldn't be a stray set of dishes sitting out. After drying my hands I took note of the time.

Ten o'clock.

So late already? I suppose it was summer so it took quite a while for the sun to set, making days seem longer. Often I was so lost in what I was doing I didn't really notice the time and I guess this wasn't really an exception. Might be worth turning in after such an exciting evening.

I made it back to their room, their still sitting at the table presumably waiting for my return.

"Hey, uh, it's quite late and it's been an eventful day," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "Maybe it'd be a good idea to head to bed, get a good night's sleep."

I stepped carefully toward them, offering a hand. After some hesitation they took it, placing their hand in mine so I could help them off the chair and over to the bed. They gingerly sat upon the bed, nervously looking back up at me.

"I'm going to head back upstairs to my quarters, but I'll see you in the morning when I make my rounds, okay?" I said, turning back to the door. "I won't be very far."

I grabbed the door and turned back to them, still sitting on the bed but looking at me in worry. In an attempt to reassure them I gently waved with a little smile, heading back out to the hallway as I closed the door behind me.

Returning to my quarters my mom had already gone to bed. I closed and locked the door, cutting through the small central room to get to my bedroom. I put aside this change of clothes and traded them for a comfortable set of sleepwear, crawling onto my bed to call it a night. After even a normal workday I was pretty tired but after all of this I felt ready to pass right out after my head hit the pillow.

...But for the life of me, I couldn't seem to get to sleep.

Still I tried, and tried some more. Tossing and turning I couldn't seem to find the sleep I hoped for, soon losing track of time. There wasn't much on my mind aside from this strange patron, but I knew they were safe and secure here. Something was chewing at me, but hell if I knew what.

I eventually sat back up, getting a better look at my clock.

One o'clock.

...Did I really spend three hours lying in bed and getting nowhere? I was plenty tired, but something just felt strange.

Something in my chest felt like it was being tugged, just like earlier.

With a sigh I got up out of bed, heading out to the kitchen. I wrote a quick note for my mom and left it on the counter, assuming she'd find it, before I left the small apartment.

Down the stairs and down the hall I went, stopping at that far room and noticing the light was still on. I unlocked the door and opened it, finding the patron still sitting on the futon. Their tail was curled up tightly around their body and they hugged their knees to their front. Even from here I could see them shaking and an odd red dampness around their eyes.

"Have...Have you been sitting there this whole time?" I quietly asked.

No response, though I didn't expect one. As far as I could tell they hadn't moved an inch from when I left. If they were a fear type I wondered if...maybe, without me, they were too scared to move.

"Oh, honey," I said, closing and locking the door.

Slowly and carefully I advanced, finally taking a seat upon the futon. As I got closer those little ears raked further and further back, probably expecting some kind of reprimand. While I was certainly tired I had nothing like that in mind, just wanting to provide some kind of comfort.

"I'm sure it's...weird, but...would you mind if I spent the night in here?" I awkwardly asked. "I'm a stranger to you and all and I don't want to make you more uncomfortable, but you seem to, um, like my company."

They slowly turned their head back toward me.

"I don't bite," I said, trying to be reassuring.

I stood up, grabbed the comforter, and pulled it back. They didn't seem more troubled than before so I slowly sat back down and stuck my legs under the blankets, patting the open space to my side to invite them.

"I won't hurt you," I said.

After a pause they released themselves from their tail and arms, pushing themselves back to sit upon the sheets. Once they felt safe enough to push their legs under the comforter I took the slack in my hand.

"Go ahead and lie down, honey," I coaxed.

They fidgeted for a moment before finally lying down, resting that tired head upon the pillow on their side. Now that they were situated I brought the comforter up and over them, patting their head. With each stroke those big eyes would blink a little longer, finally able to relax.

I turned aside to turn off the light and bury myself under the blankets. That tension around my heart seemed to release, replaced with a strange humming warmth. I had no idea what that meant, but I was happy enough to finally feel sleepy as I turned inward and dug my snout into the pillow. Not long for the waking world I fell asleep only a few minutes later.

---

As I slept I felt strangely peaceful with the odd warmth, the humming like a gentle massage. I couldn't really describe it.

The scent of soap slowly woke me, not used to it from myself. Slowly blinking awake I realized there was something in front of me, and pulling up the comforter brought an odd sight to my sleep-glossy eyes.

The patron had come up close, curling up into my front with their head under my chin.

Normally such a thing would alarm me but I just...couldn't feel that way about this for some reason. They'd shown no intent to hurt me or anything of the sort, after all. Rather, they were seeking comfort, trying to feel safe.

...And I was what made them feel that way.

Well then...

I brought an arm up and over them to hold them close to my front as I returned my snout to their messy hair. They briefly stirred but quickly relaxed, those little ears reclining once they got the comfort they sought.

I slowly blinked, ready to fall back asleep even with this stranger glued to me. Their warmth was pleasant, lulling me more and more as I wondered what my mom would think. I smiled a little at the thought as I finally drifted back to sleep.

...That would be tomorrow's problem.

---