Though he found difficulty in communicating with the simplicity of children the elder boy had always enjoyed their company. There was so little device or malice in pre-adolescent behaviour--- a stark contrast to adult depravity. In little ones he found his former self not only mirrored but preserved in colorful detail. Having been stripped of much of his innocence early in life Ritsuka held children immensely sacred.
The kindness which lay dormant like bulbs in winter began to pierce the frozen soil of the teen's countenance. Fingers stroked Antha's downy crown with a tenderness too delicate to be paternal. "I remember you. You're the one who can't touch the stove, huh?" Clearly, the wee girl wasn't sure how she had lost her ears. No doubt that was best considering the circumstance. With great effort Ritsuka stifled the empathetic sorrow this occasioned and focused on the present. Summoning a smile required focus; he had almost forgotten which muscles should move.