Shio is determined to be the best uncle.
Featuring Masanori, the Uihai child for @hamliet‘s “The (Mis)Adventures of GOAT.”
“Uncle Shio!” Masanori slides down the staircase railing to tumble at Shio’s feet.
“Be careful!” squawks Rikai, lifting Masanori off the floor.
Masanori giggles. “Always.”
“You mean never,” teases Yusa.
“Yup!” Masanori grabs Shio’s hands. “Will you play paint with me?”
“Play paint?” Shio frowns, but he soon learns that Masanori enjoys smearing paint all over people’s faces.
“We look like ogres!” announces the child with glee. His face is green and black.
“You’re a cute ogre,” says Shio. “Want a piggyback ride? We can go get ice cream.”
“Yesssss!” Masanori bounces up and down.
Sporting their creepy pair masks, the three Zero Squad children take turns lifting Masanori up, so he’s “almost as tall as Dad,” as they stroll to the ice cream store.
An elderly woman scowls at them, and Shio just gives her a sweet smile in return. People don’t like kids with ghoul blood. Shio hopes the world changes before Masanori grows up.
“Ghouls!”
“Happy ghouls,” Rikai retorts.
Masanori frowns. “Why don’t they like me? You said I’m cute.”
“You are,” Yusa says quickly.
“Some people are just scared of special people, like you.” Shio smiles. “They were scared of us, too. But we showed them.”
Masanori nods thoughtfully.
“Now, what flavor?”
Shio hopes the conversation is forgotten, because all he wants is happiness for his nephew. But as they’re walking home, Masanori returns to the old lady.
“Uncle Shio, I want to be like you,” says Masanori, chocolate smeared over his mask. “You’re so nice to stupid people.”
Shio melts internally. His eyes bug out. “I love you, Masanori!”
“I love you, too.” Masanori giggles and rubs chocolate onto Shio’s jacket.
Mercy and Magic 