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The hour strikes midnight, and a chime starts ringing through his empty home, but Katakuri doesn’t bother getting ready for bed. Instead, he waits, lingering in the otherwise dark kitchen.
It’s almost a relief to have a reason to stay up, to do something other than lay in bed, plagued by thoughts on how he's going to deal with any number of issues: with his family, the island, and other such matters. There seems to be no end to the list of things that need his attention, and while during the day he can stay busy going from one task to the next, late at night it seems like anxiety digs its claws in, making sleep elusive.
His perception haki rips through him, a vision of the next few seconds and he opens the door that leads to the side of his home. Standing in the narrow alleyway, he watches the black sky closely. When a hole seems to rip open, casually he strolls towards it and holds out his hands.
There’s a muffled scream before Mew drops harmlessly into his outstretched palms. For a moment, the girl looks startled, purple hair messy and frizzy framing her face as she looks around wildly before awareness sparks in her eyes. “Hi, Katakuri!” she greets, a little breathlessly. The journey, as he’s come to understand it, is a disorienting one and it takes her a moment for the confusion to pass.
“Hello again, Mew,” he replies evenly. “Would you like to take a walk with me?”
“I’d love to!” she enthuses, not that he expected anything different. Mew is quite interested in the island, and he’s taken to showing her around as she peppers him with questions.
Perhaps it should be annoying, but if anything, he’s come to appreciate it. After figuring out that she isn’t a threat, and the nightly visits aren’t an attempt to gain information about his family, Katakuri has managed to relax enough to enjoy them, simple as they are. After she goes back to her own world, an hour or so after arriving, Katakuri finds that he’s able to sleep without a problem.
That alone would make it worth it, but Mew’s company is… fun, as well. Gently he holds her up to his shoulder and she scampers up, clinging to his fluffy scarf.
“Are you warm enough?” he asks. She’s only wearing shorts and a tank top. Luckily, tonight isn’t that cold but still, he’s wearing a lot more layers than her.
Mew buries herself partially into his scarf and he catches her satisfied smile from the corner of his eye. “Yep! I’m fine.”
With a nod, he sets off, making a mental note to have some clothes made for her. A jacket or sweater maybe? So she can throw it on over herself? Would it go back into her world when she left?
He lets the questions swirl before disregarding them. They’ll just deal with it when it comes.
It doesn’t take her long to begin her own line of questioning. “So, are the pipes also made of food?” she asks. Katakuri wonders if she thinks of these before she comes.
“Yes, just about everything is made out of food here.”
“Hmm. Even the water pipes? How does that work? Are they alive? Like do they have souls?? How does the water not melt the pipes?”
Katakuri opens his mouth, considers it, and furrows his brows. “I’m… not really sure. It’s not something that I’ve ever thought about before. It just… works.”
“Huh.” Mew’s tone is surprised and a little amazed. He doesn’t blame her; he feels the same.
Having her visit and ask about everything has truly put into perspective how little he actually understands about how Totto Land works.
As a child of Big Mama, while they quickly learn that other islands aren’t like their own, they also don’t tend to question it either.
What happens if Big Mama dies? How will the islands survive? With a shudder, he pushes that line of thought aside. It’s too dark and depressing, even for him, and he’d rather focus on simpler things.
“How much do you eat in a day?” Mew asks, and his lips quirk up underneath his scarf. Things like this, harmless and amusing.
“A lot,” he answers cryptically and chuckles a bit at the way she pouts. A small hand tugs at his ear.
“I knowww that! But how much is a lot? Like calorie-wise!”
“Calorie?”
Mew blinks at him and he tilts his head at her obvious confusion.
“You don’t know what a calorie is?” Mew asks, voice hushed.
“… No?”
She whispers something under her breath that he can’t make out.
“Is it bad that I don’t?” he can’t help but ask and she shakes her head rapidly.
“No, no! It’s fine, just ignore that. Uhhh.” She tries for another topic. “How big are your poops?”
A silence descends over them, and it only takes a second before she starts squealing, hands fluttering around. “NEVERMIND! Forget I asked that!!”
He laughs, liking the way she buries her face into her hands, groaning with pain.
They chat more, and Katakuri occasionally points out things that might interest her. When his haki spikes he sighs, a little disappointed, and moves underneath a large awning that can cover them both.
“Something wrong?” Mew asks, and he points up towards the sky.
“It’s going to start storming,” he explains. “I didn’t want you to get sticky.”
“ Sticky ?” Mew repeats.
Katakuri nods. “It’s juice," he explains.
On cue, the sound of liquid starts hitting the pavement, and it doesn’t take long for a few drops to turn into a downpour.
Mew leans forward with obvious interest, so he holds a palm up to her. “Would you like to taste?”
Enthralled, Mew nods and clambers onto his offered hand. Carefully, he holds her out enough that she can reach a cupped hand out and let the rain gather within it. Quickly, she draws it in and slurps up the liquid. Katakuri watches her face carefully, curious about her thoughts.
Her eyes widen and she looks up at him with obvious delight. “It’s delicious!”
Something within him gets a little squeeze of pleasure from her happiness. “Good, I’m glad.”
She tilts her head to try to look up at the clouds above them. “If the buildings are also made of food, how does the rain not melt them away?”
“Most of it is hardened to avoid that, but the parts that aren’t can just easily be remade.”
“What about the stickiness?”
“… It normally bakes out in the sun.”
During their conversation, Mew had stuck her hand back out but now she peers over her shoulder at him, eyebrows raised in surprise.
“So you just… deal with the stickiness until then?” He nods. She purses her lips. “That seems like it would be annoying.”
“It can be,” Katakuri admits. “Though some other islands have it worse. Juice and candy don’t really mix.” Digging into his pocket with his other hand, he pulls out a handkerchief. “For your hands.”
Gratefully, Mew wipes them and thanks him.
“I apologize that today’s visit isn’t more interesting,” he says after a few moments pass in comfortable silence. He pulls her away from the rain after feeling the way her body gives a small shiver. Cupping her in both hands, he hopes that it’s warmer, though his skin is blocked by his gloves.
Mew smiles up at him, wrapping a hand around a finger. “Don’t apologize! It’s been really nice. I always have a good time, no matter what we end up doing.” She pauses and seems to think about it. “Do you think on one of my next visits, you could show me your devil fruit more?” Her eyes seem to gleam with excitement at the idea.
She’s asked more than once and while he’s shown her small tricks, somehow, she knows that he’s capable of much more.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to,” Mew hurries to reassure. “I don’t want to pressure you.”
“More than you are already, you mean,” he says, and she ducks her head with embarrassment.
Lightly he rubs a finger over her head until she looks back at him. “Alright,” he agrees lowly. “Next time. This storm might last a few days, so we’ll be stuck inside anyway.”
“Yay!” Mew jumps to her feet, arms thrown up with excitement. “Thank you, thank you! I can’t wait, it’ll be so cool!”
In many ways, it’s like entertaining his younger siblings, Katakuri muses. But at the same time, not really. Mew is an adult and while sometimes her excitement comes across as childish, it’s not the same as immaturity. She’s thoughtful and while Katakuri can’t always answer her questions, they come from a place of genuine curiosity.
Their hour is almost up and Katakuri feels regretful that they always feel like they pass so quickly. Mew is fast becoming something like a friend, and he’s finding himself craving more and more time with her.
As if on cue, Mew yawns.
“I think it’s almost time,” she says, voice disappointed. Katakuri nods with understanding. She frowns. “I don’t want to go.”
He pets her head once more. “We’ll see each other tomorrow.”
Mew’s eyes go half-lidded and it’s like she can’t hold her body up any longer as she slumps down to her knees, then to her side, curling into a small ball. “You promise?” she mumbles out sleepily.
“I promise. Goodnight, Mew.”
“G’night… Kata…” she slurs before her eyes close completely and she disappears with a pop, as if she was never there at all.
Katakuri closes his fist slowly.
Tomorrow night can’t come fast enough.