10/21/2024, 7:52 AM
Kiyomi blinked, her newly awakened senses adjusting to the vibrant world around her. The moist, earthy scent of moss and the whisper of early morning birds made her feel both at ease and unnerved simultaneously especially given what she just woke up from. A blade piercing her belly, the feel of warm blood on her hand, and the copper taste of it in her mouth. It was disorienting for her last moments to be rife with conflict, but to suddenly awake in a familiar unfamiliar body in a place of such tranquility. The streams sparkled like diamonds in the soft light, and the sharp edges of the stones reminded her of a time long past—a civilization the world barely remembers.
As she shook her fur, shaking off remnants of the dreamlike state, Kiyomi’s dual toned eyes caught sight of a figure across the stream. Her heart raced as recognition washed over her, pulling at a thread deep within her soul: Izumi. The woman she thought lost to the clutches of time and circumstance. A soft whine escaped her throat, unintentionally breaking the morning's stillness and the only hint to Kiyomi's distress—an act she’ll later blame on the fact that she was disoriented enough to let slip pass in her confusion when she was normally so controlled with her emotions.
Kiyomi found herself moving, though she wasn’t sure if it was instinct or desire that urged her cautiously forward. The silvered wolf’s limbs felt both foreign and natural, her pulse quickening with each step toward the familiar figure. Could it be? Could Izumi really be here, in this ethereal moment, in this new life she found herself in? Kiyomi hesitated at the bank of the stream, watching the graceful figure of who she believed to be Izumi stand tall. She felt a mixture of joy and uncertainty swirl within her, but none of it, except a wariness showed on her placid features. What did she say? Was she still the Kiyomi that Izumi once knew, or was she simply a shadow of that life? She has experienced much since they were youth, has lived through horrors that she wouldnt wish on even her worst enemy. Kiyomi knew she was not the same, she couldn't be that bright light her old friend once knew her as.
Her heart pounded louder as she inhaled deeply, letting the earthy fragrances fill her lungs of peat and moss.
Then, just as the stream mirrored the colors of the sky, she let her desire break through the uncertainty. With a gentle yet tentative bark, she called out, the sound echoing in the air as she attempted to bridge the chasm of her past and present.
As she shook her fur, shaking off remnants of the dreamlike state, Kiyomi’s dual toned eyes caught sight of a figure across the stream. Her heart raced as recognition washed over her, pulling at a thread deep within her soul: Izumi. The woman she thought lost to the clutches of time and circumstance. A soft whine escaped her throat, unintentionally breaking the morning's stillness and the only hint to Kiyomi's distress—an act she’ll later blame on the fact that she was disoriented enough to let slip pass in her confusion when she was normally so controlled with her emotions.
Kiyomi found herself moving, though she wasn’t sure if it was instinct or desire that urged her cautiously forward. The silvered wolf’s limbs felt both foreign and natural, her pulse quickening with each step toward the familiar figure. Could it be? Could Izumi really be here, in this ethereal moment, in this new life she found herself in? Kiyomi hesitated at the bank of the stream, watching the graceful figure of who she believed to be Izumi stand tall. She felt a mixture of joy and uncertainty swirl within her, but none of it, except a wariness showed on her placid features. What did she say? Was she still the Kiyomi that Izumi once knew, or was she simply a shadow of that life? She has experienced much since they were youth, has lived through horrors that she wouldnt wish on even her worst enemy. Kiyomi knew she was not the same, she couldn't be that bright light her old friend once knew her as.
Her heart pounded louder as she inhaled deeply, letting the earthy fragrances fill her lungs of peat and moss.
本当にあなたですか？she thought, her gaze hopeful yet shadowed with doubt, unaware that she had spoken the thought aloud into the stillness of the morning. The connection between them felt like a glimmer—a thread binding them together across lifetimes, but it was dull and frayed with experience and trauma. Mustering her courage, Kiyomi stepped closer, brushing her nose against the cool stones at the water's edge as her head bowed and her dual colored eyes looked upwards towards the familiar figure standing across her.
Then, just as the stream mirrored the colors of the sky, she let her desire break through the uncertainty. With a gentle yet tentative bark, she called out, the sound echoing in the air as she attempted to bridge the chasm of her past and present.
私があなたの幽霊を見てから久しぶりです ,she tried to convey through her stance, the tilt of her head, and those bright, cerulean eyes filled with memories that transcended lifetimes. The warmth of recognition surged through her, and she hoped desperately that Izumi could see it, could understand it—could believe that Kiyomi was more than just a fleeting mirage and that this was reality and not a cruel dream.