Perspective Shift

          “We live in this perfect world, thanks to so many amazing advancements, and yet who’s to say we really deserve a familiar’s attention?” Aoto contemplated. 

          “I sometimes imagine what Mumu’s life would look like independent from mine,” he admitted, looking at Mayu for understanding. Mumu’s feathers furled up, appearing as if some might fall right off. He began flying throughout the home. Aoto and Mayu followed, worried he would knock the paintings down as Mumu seemed to be experiencing an overload of anxiety. 

          But as Aoto and Mayu followed to prevent an accident, Mumu’s rainbow-feathered body zoomed about. He was guiding them frantically, showing them each of Aoto’s paintings—depicting phoenixes and beautiful jungle birds, all in natural habitats, sitting majestically in their free environments.

           Mumu flew into a closed door, and Aoto caught him as he fell. Together, they opened the door to reveal Aoto’s storage of old paintings, all of Mumu and himself. "Yes, I used to be first inspired by my bond with Mumu, but I had always felt unworthy,” Aoto stammered. “Then the new work began, where I was envisioning a world of freedom for Mumu and the endless possibilities if his life were not tied to mine.” 

          “It’s wonderful that you value Mumu so much. But have you stopped to ask him what meaning you bring to his life?” Mayu asked Aoto. 

          Mumu sat in front of a painting of child Aoto and Mumu, staring with determination at Aoto as if to say that his life was complete because of him.

          “I felt in a creative rut, and I was consumed by feelings of inadequacy,” Aoto shrugged. “I understand now that the bond we have will struggle, and so will you if I continue to have these dark thoughts toward myself. I thought I was thinking of your best interest, but really, I was consumed by worry that I was the only one benefitting from this relationship.” Aoto teared up, finally starting to reason with Mumu’s perspective.

           “Mumu does help you in many ways and I can understand Mumu’s feelings. Working at Heart Harmony, helping others, and feeling that you benefit others is a gift of its own. I think Mumu must have questioned why you were pulling away from him emotionally. Now that you understand this and how the bond was compromised by self-doubt, do you feel ready to accept Mumu with an open heart?” Mayu asked Aoto. 

           Aoto smiled, and Mumu’s feathers settled. “Yes,” said Aoto. “I am ready.” Aoto and Mayu returned to the sofa, and Aoto filled the rest of the afternoon with reminiscing stories of his awkward childhood, navigating through life with a bold Mumu by his side. 

          Mayu and Aoto shared some laughs as the afternoon light glimmered in Mumu’s eyes. His bold colors shimmered brightly in all the primary colors. Mayu’s job was done, as Mumu and Aoto’s strong bond had been repaired. It was time to return home.

          Mayu walked a short distance, smiling as students ran by, elevated with energy. One exclaimed to the other to rush to karaoke. Mayu grinned, reminded of her school days. She climbed up the steps to the train station, Luma following closely behind her as they entered the doors, which slid closed quietly behind them.

          The city of Soluma skipped by, obscured by the railing lines, flashing like a flipbook of moving images. Mayu felt satisfied with her day and began to relax, letting her work settle as she loosened her grip on the handrail. Mayu was always a standing passenger, regardless of seat availability. She enjoyed standing and facing the window to process her work.

           As soon as Mayu got home, she hopped into the shower, turning on her favorite S-Pop playlist filled with energetic and playful tunes (Soluna Pop Music). She stepped out, warm and refreshed, and began to blow-dry her hair. She slipped on her cushioned slippers and dressed in her loungewear.

          Luma was waiting for Mayu on the couch, as Mayu mostly followed similar daily routines. She sat next to her, opened her laptop on the clear glass coffee table, and began entering her notes for the day.

          FBT stood for Familiar Bond Technician, the abbreviation of her position at Heart Harmony. She recounted her work with Aoto and Mumu, feeling a sense of pride in being able to report on a successful encounter. Mayu did not expect every day to be as conclusive as today. She was excited to report the successful identification of the underlying causes of a bond’s weakening and collaborative solution-finding, all in one day. Mayu captured the presenting issues of Aoto’s depression and low sense of self-esteem, coupled with his sense of guilt that originated from his primary appreciation for his familiar. She reported on a strong bond that had begun to restore as well as a successful intervention in asking Aoto to understand Mumu’s perspective.

           Mayu smiled, feeling thankful for Mumu’s direct manner in addressing the issue by showing the majestic paintings of birds free of human companions and the abandoned room filled with memories of Aoto and Mumu’s past together.

            Mayu considered some of the methods she had used in the session, which came naturally, and documented each along with the clients’ responses and their level of engagement with each prompt. Aoto became open to a perspective shift, and Mumu was ready to provide his strong point of view through the visual representation of the paintings' shifts in subject matter. “How fitting for an artist to be told through his own work just how valued he is,” Mayu thought anecdotally to herself. She completed her summary and provided suggestions for Aoto and Mumu’s follow-up, which she would perform next week to assess and reinforce the positive changes that had been made.

          Mayu pressed submit. Smiling widely with gleaming eyes, she remarked, “Time for dinner.” Luma’s tail waved softly. Mayu prepared rice in the cooker, boiled broth, and chopped vegetables, adding a ginger aroma to the soup. Luma’s feeding robot beeped just as Mayu’s soup finished cooking. She sat at the table to enjoy her comforting meal, hearing the subtle crunches as Luma ate.

          After finishing the dishes, Mayu stepped outside to take deep breaths and admire the pink and orange-hued sky. She then settled on the couch, excited for her favorite anime show to start on S-Cast Network, the most popular animation entertainment channel, before going to sleep.