Chapter Text
Sage could leave now. He held no responsibility towards the literal child sobbing on the ground. He had helped her with feeding her, something that by all accounts had already been a mad move from his side but… could he really move? Could he really leave her behind while she sobbed her eyes out? No, he hadn't been able to leave her when she had seemed delirious and he would not be able to leave her now either.
So he offered her his hand… the wooden one, he probably should stop forgetting where he was and stop using magic that blatantly. “Come on, there is a bench over there. Let's get you seated there. I bet I can get some handkerchiefs and wet wipes in the convenience store over there and then we can clean you up.”
And she did take the offer, one hand holding onto his wooden one, while the other was still clenched together as she sobbed into it.
Sage wasn't the tallest and he knew that very well, he was that short that even this teenage girl was merely a few centimeters shorter than him but with how she appeared in this moment… She seemed small, very small.
He slowly led her over to the spot, gently ushering her to sit down. “give me a minute and I’ll be back.”
She nodded, still crying her heart out. He didn’t know if she would actually still be here if he came back and well.. if she had run away then there was nothing he could do about it. He wasn't one to stalk a simple girl even if he did think she needed help.
he hurried up though, practically throwing the wet wipes and handkerchiefs in his shopping bag, stopping shortly in front of the bandages as he was very certain she had injured herself while on the floor and if not? Well nothing would be wasted, he himself had an injury after all and no access to actual healing potions so bandages were kind of a good fix for that. He was about to take the first package he saw but then he stopped… She was a teenager, right? didn’t they like… cute things? okay, not all of them but maybe it would cheer her up even if it was merely by the idea of a grown ass man buying silly bandages and so he snatched the hello kitty ones.
he also made a small stop at the freezer section, taking a chocolate and a strawberry ice cream cone out. he neither knew if she could take normal food… but he suspected she could because if she was depriving herself of blood then she would have needed to at least eat something to not die in a matter of days. chocolate and strawberry were also some of the most popular flavours so he doubted he could go wrong with them. He was glad that since coming back to earth he has stored a few yen in his satchel for situations like this… also for whenever he had wanted to buy alcohol.
To his relief the girl was still sitting on the bench, still crying but at least present which was something. He hurried over letting his shopping fall on the bench as he handed her a handkerchief first. still staying quiet as she watched her sob into it, his eyes wandering over her figure and he had been right as her knee had a few scratches.
He cleared his throat “I brought some bandages. if you don’t mind I can put them on for you.”
“ ‘kay.” escaped her lips.
he slowly nodded as he kneeled down in front of her, carefully the small wound “Looks good to you?”
she sniffled as she glanced at it, eyes already puffy “pink is cute.”
well.. Jackpot. "Good then.”
“I-I hurt you.”
he hummed “I hurt myself, not you but it’s a good reminder.” causally putting another bandage on his own wound.
She stared at it for a moment, before she snorted.. even while she was still crying.
Maybe he was doing good? He did think he was doing good. “I bought wet wipes if you want to clean yourself up better and if I assume right that you can also eat other foods; I bought ice cream. Chocolate or strawberry?”
She sniffled again “Strawberry, please.”
maybe he was on a roll, smiling slightly as he handed her the one, still making sure to take the wrapper off first, not sure if she could manage in that state and well it would just be frustrating if she struggled with it which was a real possibility while she was like that.
she sniffled, both hands wrapped around the cone as she licked over it. “why…are you doing this?
He shrugged, sitting down on the bench himself as he took his own icecream up “Just because.”
he leaned back slightly, focusing on his treat but watching her out of the corner of his eyes as she slowly seemed to calm down. He would credit it due to the power of ice cream and hello kitty. He almost absentmindedly put the wet wipes next to her, same as the package of handkerchiefs. She was not a toddler and with her slowly getting to a better state he did think she would appreciate being in control of that herself.
she was still nibbling instead of properly eating “Mister?”
“Mister? That's just... You can call me sage. I prefer that.”
She peeked at him through her bangs “weird name.”
“it’s sage the mage actually.”
“Mages do not exist.”
he smiled “They don’t? never believed in magic?”
“You.. are very weird, mister.”
he didn't comment on her choice to avoid his name, instead merely shrugging his shoulders “Ain't we all a bit weird?”
"I… guess.”
he hummed, raising his hand slightly to like the trial of chocolate that had nearly reached his hand away.
“”why.. Did you help me?”
"Just because."
"Just because?"
“Yeah, I could help so I did. nothing much to read into it.”
“You… are truly weird, mister.”
“Can't disagree with that then.”