Disclaimer: The World Ends With You and all affiliated characters do not belong to me.
Written for twewy_ldws on LJ.
An eight year old Neku is nothing but smiles as he gingerly holds his first pack of Crayola Washable markers, spreading the five or so papers he managed to take from his mother's home office on the floor of his bedroom. His eyes are bright and filled to the brim with laughter as he doodles his family in green and purple, his house in pink and orange, and his schoolmates in yellow and blue.
"Neku! Dinner!"
The boy springs to his feet, taking the "art" he put all of his effort into creating to his parents, who would display it with pride. "Such a good job, Neku! It's a masterpiece!" And he doesn't know what he would do without them.
Six years pass. A thirteen year old Neku snatches his bag of Sharpies and opens his sketchbook to the next blank page. His eyes are dark, brooding, and cold as ice as he takes the red and slashes, the black and stabs, the purple and vandalizes the previous stark whiteness.
"Neku! Dinner!"
Neku tuts in annoyance, taking down his Sharpies and his sketchbook to dinner, where he would be reprimanded by his parents for "such rudeness at the dinner table, really Neku, just open up slightly and you wouldn't be like this." But he tunes them out with thudding beats from his headphones- who needed them anyway?
Six years pass. A nineteen year old Neku is working on his latest draft- a project due in two weeks for Hanekoma. Copic markers are held in steady hands, tracing out pencil lines and filling in hues to the very minutest detail. His eyes are focused, determined, a hint of friendly warmth hidden the blue depths.
"Neku! Dinner!"
Neku gathers his sketches and files in a small folder and takes them down to the table to discuss with his parents; he's proud of the art, but is always open to another opinion, although most of the time it's nothing but "Oh, dear, it's wonderful, you're the apple of his eye!" And Neku is grateful, so so grateful for everything.