The afternoon sun spilled across Insomnia's cobblestones, warm and bright. Sirius lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, restless. For once, he wasn't thinking of sword drills or CQC, of bruises or hidden vows. Instead, a thought from his past life tugged at him—games.
He remembered them: flashing screens, jingles, the simple joy of wasting hours with something meaningless. There was a game here too, in this world, something from canon. It had been everywhere—in diners, in inns. People played it constantly. He could picture the clunky cabinet, the gaudy lights. But the name? It escaped him.
Sirius pushed himself upright. I'll find out.
He slipped from the house, the streets alive with afternoon bustle. Children darted between stalls, merchants shouted their wares, Crownsguard patrols strode past. Sirius followed the sound of laughter until he found a group of children gathered by a fountain.
He hesitated, then stepped closer. "Hey… what game is popular right now?"
The children blinked at him, then burst out laughing. One boy nudged another. "What kind of kid doesn't know that?"
A girl with braided hair tilted her head, smiling with a mix of amusement and pity. "You're silly. It's Justice Monsters Five. Everyone knows that."
At once, the whole group leaned forward, grinning smugly. "Justice Monsters Five!" they shouted together, voices rising in unison like a chant.
Sirius chuckled softly despite himself. "Thanks," he said, turning back toward home.
---
Inside, Lyla was sitting by the fire with a cup of tea in her hands. She looked up as Sirius entered, raising a brow at his flushed cheeks.
"Back already? Where did you run off to?"
"I…" Sirius hesitated, then blurted, "I want to play Justice Monsters Five."
Lyla blinked, then chuckled, shaking her head. "You already have that game, Sirius."
His eyes widened. "I do?"
She pointed toward the corner of the living room. A small cabinet sat there, half-forgotten under a cloth. Its buttons were worn, its paint chipped, but faint crystal filaments pulsed beneath its frame — magitek circuitry humming faintly. "We bought it months ago. You never touched it. Your father did, though. I thought you'd forgotten."
Sirius blinked in surprise, then managed a sheepish smile. "Thanks, Mother."
He dragged a stool in front of the machine, climbed up, and pressed the switch. With a crackle of static and a flicker of crystal-light, the screen came alive, filling the room with bright colors and cheerful music.
"Justice Monsters Five!" the announcer's voice boomed, almost shaking the walls.
Lyla laughed lightly from her chair. "Now you look like a real child."
Sirius heard her, but ignored it, gripping the controls as the machine spat out flashing lights and pinballs.
---
For a while, he lost himself in it. The machine clinked and rattled as pinballs ricocheted across the board. Monsters appeared on the screen, defeated by every strike. The announcer's voice praised him, the crowd of digital heroes cheering him on.
At first, Sirius grinned. His fingers itched with instinct, the rhythm familiar from another life. He even laughed once, quietly, when he landed a particularly good hit. Lyla chuckled softly, her needles clicking in rhythm with the machine.
But the shine dulled quickly. The patterns repeated, the sounds grated. By the second hour, the novelty had worn off. It was just pinball with a painted mask, no real depth, no real spark.
He sighed, letting the controls fall from his hands. The machine dimmed, humming softly as it idled.
Sirius slid off the stool and padded to his mother's chair, sitting beside her.
"Done already?" Lyla asked, smiling knowingly.
Sirius nodded. "It's fun… for a while. But it's not really exciting."
She kissed the top of his head. "Still, it made you laugh. That's worth something."
He leaned against her shoulder, letting the warmth of her presence settle over him.
---
When the sun began to sink lower, Sirius slipped outside again. The streets had changed with the hour—merchants packing up their stalls, workers heading home, voices filling the air with the clamor of the day's end. Coins clinked as purses changed hands. Sirius even spotted a few Gil scattered on the ground, likely dropped in the rush. He bent down and pocketed the small coins, the sound heavy in his palm.
As he wandered further, he overheard conversations drifting from the taverns—merchants boasting of sales, Crownsguard swapping tales of patrols, men laughing too loud about things Sirius barely understood but instinctively knew were meant for adults. He frowned, hurrying past, until he spotted the children from earlier.
They were huddled together near a quiet alley, whispering. Curious, Sirius approached.
"Hey," he called softly. "What are you doing here?"
The group startled, turning. When they saw his white hair and red eyes, some flinched. The braided girl hushed him quickly.
"Quiet! Come here," she whispered, waving him over.
Sirius walked closer, curiosity burning. She pointed ahead.
In the middle of the alley stood a chocobo, tethered loosely to a post. Its feathers gleamed gold in the dimming light, its eyes wide and curious.
Sirius blinked. "It's just a chocobo."
The children gasped. One boy hissed, "Don't get close! It might hurt you!"
But Sirius was already moving. He stepped up to the chocobo, raising his hand slowly. The bird tilted its head, then leaned into his touch almost immediately, as though sensing something familiar in him.
"There, there," Sirius murmured, caressing its head.
The chocobo chirped happily, a bright "Kweeeh!" that echoed in the alley. Sirius chuckled, glancing back at the children. Their mouths hung open.
"You want to touch it?" he asked.
Some shook their heads quickly, fear in their eyes. But the braided girl took a step forward. "I do," she whispered.
She crept closer, Sirius guiding her hand. When her fingers brushed the chocobo's feathers, her eyes widened in wonder. "It's so soft…"
Another boy muttered, "Weird kid. Even chocobos like him."
Sandra's brows furrowed. She turned on him sharply. "He's not weird. He's brave."
The other children fell quiet.
Sandra smiled up at Sirius. "My name's Sandra."
"Sirius," he said simply, offering a small smile back.
---
By the time he returned home, the sun had dipped low and the streets glowed with lantern light. Lyla was waiting at the door, arms crossed, her expression stern.
"You're late," she said. "It's already evening."
Sirius shifted nervously. "I was… playing with the other children."
Her eyes softened, though the frown remained. "You had me worried. Next time, tell me where you're going."
"Yes, Mother," Sirius murmured, stepping inside.
Later that night, when the house was quiet, Sirius pulled his notebook from under his pillow. He lit a candle and began scribbling, the letters crooked but quick.
Notes – Afternoon
Played Justice Monsters Five. Fun at first. Gets boring.
Mother laughed. Said I looked like a real child.
Went back out. Found Gil on the ground. People talk loudly… some things not for kids.
Children were watching a chocobo. They were scared.
I touched it first. It liked me. "Kweeeh."
Girl's name = Sandra. Brave.
He paused, then added beneath:
For a while, I felt normal. Not the strange boy with white hair and red eyes. Just… a boy.
He closed the notebook gently, sliding it back under his pillow. As the candle guttered out, Sirius smiled faintly in the dark before sleep claimed him.