for Izumi

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fish in clutch, purple flowers stand as barriers between rio and the winter winds. they were tempered by the sea but not enough to save her from shivering from her soaked feet up to her little ears.

she could never quite get used to here. but she still tried.

the girl seeks the empress for her offering of a fish and rabbit pelt

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❁

The air was cool and the sky dark – dreary it was today, she ought to have just stayed in bed. Thought that was not something she could afford, for she had work to do.

It was about time that she started planning a festival…..it had been too long since they had formed, and she had yet to incorporate the traditions of their previous clan to the new world. She remembered, even as a quell, introverted child, how she and her siblings looked forward to exploring the festivals that her parents put together during the seasons. Speaking of which, it was winter – the season of ancestor Ryu’s wake….

While walking along the stone path, her lilac gaze finds the flash of a familiar orange color in the corner of her eyes. It was Rio – and the yearling seemed to be carrying something that piqued her interest.

Young Rio, what brings you out here? The woman greeted with a faint, warm smile.

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rio whipped her head around at the sound of a voice — fish flopping in her jaws. a familiar pale face leading to a dark muzzle, and a gait full of grace. her voice melodic. sometimes, she could see her mother in the crane. not in the color of her pelt but in everything else. rio dropped her head. her violet gaze landed on her prize, and rio for a moment crossed her brows. eventually, she mustered the courage to give up her meal, and offered her fish to the empress.

just exploring. i was out fishing. she spoke, grinning gently up to the queen. she nosed her offering closer to the woman's feet. you can have it, though. she reassured to woman — actually, it was just reassurance to herself. this fish was for the empress all along, definitely.

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❁

It wasn’t often that Izumi had the opportunity to interact with someone of younger years, but with the newer members she had plenty of chance — mostly because she’d been getting much older. Not in the sense that her joints would wither away and croak, but youth was slowly fading from her, day by day. Sure, she was proud of everything she’d accomplished already; making sure the kingdom did not die with her parents….yet there was a place in time where one day she’d see herself as a parent.

When she hadn’t known, Nor thought about it much, she was not experienced when it came to children, marriage or even a simple relationship (she was terrible at them). Yet with her more recent development with Osamu, she found herself thinking about it more often. The thought of family….

The sound of light thudding on the ground snapped her out of her thoughts, and she blinked at the sight of the fish Rio had nosed towards her. Cheeks turned a shade of rose from the contrasting thoughts that previously clouded her mind.

Rio had offered her a fish! Izumi didn’t eat fish…

To reject a gift she’d went out of her way to retrieve for Izumi felt terrible, yet to take it with a smile felt disingenuous. Ah…I appreciate your offer, but I’m afraid this would be wasted on me. I do not eat fish… She admitted, bowing her head apologetically towards the young girl. You hunted this for me? I feel terrible…

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aging into womahood had only barely processed through rio, despite it being just a few months away. she'd grow into it alone, however, in this strange new world.

but the Empress was a kind woman. soon she'll find a home, even as she yearns for the tides of her beach.

she wouldn't admit it, but she felt slight relief that the fish was hers. but her eyebrow lifts and her head twitches ever slightly to the side.
uhm.. she stammered. pardon me, but.. what do you eat then Your Highness. a genuine question from the girl. fish surrounded them, they were the easiest source of food. if she didn't eat fish, then what did the Empress eat? crabs? berries? maybe thats her secret to remaining so thin.