Heart of Patchwork

Prologue: A Friendly Face

A young woman, eighteen years of age, wandered around the streets of a fairly sized town. She was frail, and slightly short for her age. If it weren't for her dress, one could easily tell that she wasn't at all eating as she was supposed to. Hell, the entire reason she was wandering around was so she could hopefully find some food. This girl was Kitsune, and she was trying to survive.

On her shoulder was a black duffle bag, inside which she carried around a well loved, white teddy bear. Most people would probably find it weird for a girl her age to carry around a stuffed animal, but she saw it as a comfort item. It always made her feel slightly calmer, no matter how bad her situation. It was the only thing she brought with her when she ran away.

By this point, her legs were starting to get tired. She had no shoes- instead she wore dark brown -almost black- knee-high socks. She gripped onto the strap of her duffle bag, getting slightly anxious. The sun would start setting at any time now, and she did not want to go to bed without dinner. Not again.

With a sigh, she stopped in front of a cafe. She, thankfully, did take some money when she left. Sadly though, it probably wouldn't be enough for a full meal. Still though- a muffin is a lot better than starving. With any luck, they'll let her stay and rest her legs a little. With a nod, she walked into the cafe.

"Hello, welcome! What may I get you?" A young woman, only slightly older than her, greeted with a friendly smile. She was somewhat tall- or at least, compared to Kitsune she certainly was. She had short white hair with a black streak and dark gray eyes. Her voice was sweet, which was fitting given her occupation at the bakery.

Shyly, Kitsune shuffled up to the counter. "H-Hi, um..." She opened her duffle bag a little, taking out five dollars. "W-What can I get for this...?" She questioned, timidly.

The woman at the counter examined her, growing more and more concerned with all of the things she noticed. Her red hair was kind of messy, as though she hasn't brushed it or took care of it in a while. She had bags under her amber eyes, signifying that she hadn't slept well in god knows how long. Alarming her the most, however, was how skinny she was. Her dress wasn't hiding it as well as she thought it would.

"O-Oh god..." The woman mumbled, confusing the redhead. "W-What is it?" Kitsune stuttered.

"You're so... thin..." The lady said, before shaking her head. "You know what? Forget about the money! Go sit down, I'll get you some food." She said.

Kitsune blinked before slowly complying. She sat down at a table, setting her beloved duffle bag down beside her. As she waited, she fidgeted with her fingers on the lap. 'I wasn't expecting her to be so nice to me... I especially didn't expect her to offer to give me food without pay...' She thought to herself.

Finally, the young lady came back- setting a sandwich and a glass of water in front of the slightly younger girl. "Here you go! Sorry for the wait." She said.

Kitsune looked over to her. "T-Thank you very much... I-I don't believe I caught you're name, I'm sorry." She responded.

The cafe owner's eyes widened a bit at her own accidental lack of manner. "Oh my, forgive me! I forgot to introduce myself!" She apologized, before smiling a bit sheepishly. "My name is Lily. And you are?" She asked.

"M-My name is Kitsune, K-Kit for short." Kitsune stuttered, shrinking into her scarf a little. "Likewise, Kit. Hope you enjoy your food." Lily remarked.

Kitsune's eyes lit up at the reminder. "O-Oh yeah! Thanks again!" She chirped before digging into the sandwich. Lily smiled a little before a frown slowly formed on her face, her concern for the girl resurfacing- as this just proved how hungry she was.

"Hey... Can I ask you something?" She asked. Kitsune nodded, halfway done with her food already. "Yeah, of course. W-What is it?" She responded.

Slowly, Lily sat down in the seat across from her. "So... I don't know how else to ask you this, but... Is everything ok? I noticed how thin you are, a-and you look like you haven't slept in weeks." She questioned.

Kitsune paused before averting her eyes. She now had a look of what seemed to be sadness on her face. "...N-Not... Not really..." She finally said.

"I-I ran away a few months ago... M-My brother is really abusive, a-and I had no choice but to run away before a-anything got any worse... I've been living i-in an abandoned house all this time..." She explained.

Lily covered her mouth, mortified. "Oh, you poor thing!" She cried out, standing up and rushing to her side- giving her a tight hug. "No wonder you're so shy and skinny! You've been through god knows what!"

Kitsune tensed up, hugging back as tears filled her eyes. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this cared for. It honestly made her devastated that a stranger was making her feel more loved than everyone in her family... Aside from her father... But she didn't want to think about that.

"Tell you what..." Lily spoke up, pulling back a little. "Tomorrow, come back here as soon as you can. Gather whatever belongings you have, and put them in your bag. You're coming home with me tomorrow." She stated.

Kitsune blinked, surprised. "R-Really? You'd do that?" She asked.

"Yeah, of course! You shouldn't have to sleep in an abandoned house- especially with how cold it's been getting lately! My boyfriend and I have an extra room at our house. I'm sure he'd be ok with it- especially after I tell him what happened to you!" Lily insisted.

Slowly, Kitsune smiled. "Y-You know what... I like that idea... I-I'll see you tomorrow, then." She responded, standing up- taking her bag with her. "Bye bye, Kit! See you later!" Lily called, waving as her new friend walked out of the doors of the bakery.

Needless to say, both girls were very excited for the upcoming day.