#🍁.wandering ronin

[anemcreign]

Icon for the wandering ronin Kaedehara Kazuha! 🍁

[erabundus]

@momijiba &&. said... nothing special just a nice and calm day with a soft breeze flowing through his hair. kazuha leaned his head against ren's shoulder while a pinky finger intertwines with his soulmates. kazuha is enjoying the peace and quite and just being in the presence of his boyfriend.. even having him all for himself.. is it selfish?, maybe but can you blame him.. he missed ren when he was away for only a week.. he loved him so much that he would fight any god if he wanted him to. 🍁🪷

he  doesn't  LIKE  leaving  kazuha.  it's  an  insidious  sort  of  anxiety  that  never  fails  to  sink  its  wicked  claws  into  him  whenever  obligation  forces  them  to  part.  it's  not  clinginess  nor  insecurity  —  nor  anything  so  mundane,  ren  knows.  it's  not  something  he  expects  the  human  to  UNDERSTAND.  kazuha's  life  is  such  a  precious  thing,  like  the  flowers  that  bloom  amid  the  trees  to  herald  the  spring.  something  delicate,  beautiful  and  tragically  ephemeral.  he  doesn't  seem  to  understand  just  how  little  time  he  truly  has  in  this  world  —  not  when  set against  the  incomprehensible  stretch  of  the  wanderer's  eternal existence. in comparison,  their  relationship  is  hardly  more  than  a  fleeting  dream.  (  the  only  kind  ren  would  ever  welcome.  )  being  apart  feels  like  a  tragic  waste of what precious moments they do have to share,  even  if  he  knows  they  are  both  bound  by  other  duties.

though  the  elation  he  feels  when  they  reunite  is  INTOXICATING  enough  to  be  bottled.  (  warmed  and  sipped  on  frigid  nights  like  whiskey.  )  it  was  only  a  week  —  paltry  in  comparison  to  the  five  the  ronin  spent  away  at  sea,  yet  ren  still  finds  himself  quick  to  slot  himself  back  at  kazuha's  side  with  the  same  desperation  and  vigor.  in  these  quieter  moments,  when  it's  only  them,  the  wanderer  occasionally  allows  faint  scraps  of  that  past  life's  gentleness  to  bleed  through.  he  can  be  affectionate  in  a  way  that  most  (  familiar  only  with  his  sharp  tongue  and  brusque  demeanor  )  would  never  think  him  capable  —  but  even  that  PALES  in  comparison  to  the  way  he  leans  into  the  human  now.  quietly  basking  in  his  presence,  as  though  kazuha  is  the  sun  incarnate  and  ren  is  a  feline  dozing  peacefully  beneath  his  warming  light.

a  gentle  touch  pulls  him  from  his  thoughts.  a  pinky  finger,  curling  with  his  own  —  ren  doesn't  look,  but  he  can  feel  it.  there's  something  a  bit  strange  how,  after  all  that  they've  been  through,  such  an  INNOCENT  gesture  has  his  empty  chest  buzzing,  fluttering,  flooding  with  excitement.

❝  ...  ❞  he  considers  saying  something,  only  to  DISCARD  the  idea  just  as  quickly.  words  aren't  necessary  here  —  if  anything,  ren  thinks  conversation  would  ruin  the  moment.  (  this  spider-silk  frail  moment  of  PEACE.  )  they  can  communicate  just  fine  without  them.  instead,  ren  simply  presses  his  lips  to  kazuha's  head  —  a  kiss,  small  and  fleeting,  before  he  closes  his  eyes.  content  to  appreciate  these  precious  scraps  of  shared  time  together.

it's  taken  a  while,  but  he  thinks  he's  finally,  finally  starting  to  understand  what  it  means  to  be  in  love  with  someone. with him.

[rr0ninn]

“Oh, I didn’t mean to disturb you. I just happened to be passing by” I bashfully answer. I melted a little inside at the sound of his voice.

-Kazuha closes his eyes again.- "Ah, alright.. were you looking for a specific person or place..?"

[rr0ninn]

As I walk through the forest full of maple leaf trees, I spot a figure meditating on a rock uttering a haiku. I try to approach him quietly but a leaf crunches loudly beneath my feet.

-The white-haired male opens an eye.- "Oh? Someone approaches. How may I assist you?"

[rr0ninn]

"Oh.." Bliss looked down once again, her legs refusing to take another step forward as she gently slipped her hand from Kazuha's embrace. Taking a big breath, she turned around towards the boy suddenly and cupped his cheeks in both hands while still refusing to make eyecontact.

"Tomo.. was a great friend and.. I'm sure he still would, but-- I mean.. what happened is not your fault so pease don't blame yourself! He wouldn't want you blaming yourself.. Tomo would be happy to see how you live now.. with crux.. everyone sees you as family and I.. I don't want to see you blaming yourself either.. I.." Her head lowered even more while her hands turned from cupping Kazuha's cheeks to painfully squeezing them together. "I-I like you Kazuha!"

Bliss' eyes widened as she realised what just happened. She pulled back quickly and looked at him with shock as her face turned dark shade of red.

//LMAO IM SO SORRY THIS IS SO LONG I JUST CODNT HELP MYSELF--

-Kazuha's eyes had widened at her confession. He's silent for a few seconds, but he steps forward and takes Bliss' hands into his.- "I.. also share your feelings. I like you as well, Bliss. And.. thank you. For your kind words."

[rr0ninn]

She looked down at the ground as they were walking, staying silent for a while after his answer.

"Is something on your mind, Kazu?" She asked softly, gently squeezing his hand in hers as if reassuring him that he can talk to her about anything.

-Kazuha nods, squeezing her hand in return.- "I've been thinking about Tomo recently. I know that I mustn't dwell on the past, and yet.." -He shakes his head.- "Ah.. forgive me."

[rr0ninn]

She took a peek at him as they walked. Her eyes focused onto his shivering shoulders and hands that softly cluthed onto the blanket she gave him.

"Liar.. It's obvious you're cold.." Bliss pouted quietly and grabbed one of his hands. She held onto it tightly while taking one step forward as so he can't see her slightly reddened face.

-Kazuha sighs, rearranging their hands so that their fingers were intwined after letting out a small chuckle.- "So, you've figured it out.. It's just.. I needed some time to myself.."

[rr0ninn]

can we sit on a warm rock in the sun together 🥺

"Of course we can, my friend." -Kazuha smiles.-

[rr0ninn]

Bliss widened her eyes when their lips connected. Her body relaxed slightly as she got used to the feeling. Her eyes closed while she returned the kiss shyly, mindlessly leaning into the touch of his hand on her cheek.

Pulling back slightly after few second have passed she found herself clutching onto his arm and pressing her cheek further against his palm. Bliss opened her eyes with a blush on her face that just didn't seem to leave when her gaze focused onto the male in front of her. Looking into his eyes - she adored how the stars reflected into his pupils and how the moonlight layered those certain features that made him look even more beautiful.

Wanting to say something, her lips parted yet only for a mere second before slight gust of wind hit her from the side - sending chills all over her body and bringing her back to reality. "C-cold.."

-Kazuha smiles back at her. After Bliss says 'cold', he immediately reacts, wrapping the blanket-which had fallen during their kiss- around her shoulders. He also remembers a small gadget he'd found once. Kazuha takes a small Warming Seelie bottle that still hasn't been activated out of his pocket. He activates it, then wraps it around Bliss' neck.- "This should keep you fairly warm.. don't worry about it getting too hot."

[rr0ninn]

She blushed even harder, looking down at his hands that now seemed warmer than usual. Taking a deep breath to calm down, Bliss closed her eyes and shook her head.

"H-how are you always so calm.. you..!" Bliss squeezed his hands and unexpectedly pulled closer, catching Kazuha off guard. Girl didn't spare him a single glance before briefly pecking his lips. She pulled away only few inches - eyes closed tightly and body stiff as she waited for his reaction.

-Kazuha was certainly caught off-guard. His face was red as a tomato, and his eyes were slightly wide. He took a slight moment to calm down, then put his bandaged hand on her cheek. Kazuha leans in closer, smiling softly as he kisses her.-

[rr0ninn]

Sky turned dark and stars started to show up over it's surface as the girl finally finished climbing up the mountain. Taking a sigh of relief, Bliss closed her eyes and walked up to the boy sitting near the cliff.

"I thought I'd find you here.. Kazuha. You'll catch cold if you keep staying up meditating outside for so long.. Warm season is over you know.." Calm and delicate voice rang towards his direction as she gently put the blanket she brought with her over his shoulders.

"Let's return now.. before it gets even darker."

"Ah.. Bliss. My friend, you needn't worry. I'm used to cold weather like this.." -But his body betrayed his words. He was shivering slightly, his fingers cold. He followed the girl, letting her lead him back to the Crux.-

[rr0ninn]

Ezra: Hello!

-Kazuha turns around from meditating to see Ezra.- "Hello.. who might you be?" -Kazuha has a crisp voice, like leaves on a breeze.-

[rr0ninn]

" Hello, Sir! " She smiles.

-Kazuha smiles back.- "Hello there. Who might you be?"

[rr0ninn]

you!! hi there!!

-Kazuha looks up from his meditation to see the dual-haired boy.- "Ah.. hello there."

[rr0ninn]

The figure moves in a slow, smooth line -- from one side to another of the hall-way (the cloak a light drag upon stone ground, undoubtedly less clean for it). Though their head is bowed, and the hood casts shadows and shades over their face (and eyes-), their lips are very softly apart - some unspoken prayer or chant in unknown murmured tongue. They have not yet noticed their tail.

-Kazuha continues to follow in the shadows, confused by this strange figure. He blows a slight bit of wind at the figure using his Anemo vision, trying to see if it would blow up the hood so he may see the person's face.-

[rr0ninn]

A silver chain, tarnished yet also polished, the long thread with the centerpiece a crow's head in side-profile (bright silver gleaming in the moonlight), surrounding a lop-sided piece of pearlescent shell No words are given as the item is softly deposited within a stone basin, the edge crumbled with wear and age. The figure under a cloak of cream and dove-gray bows his head silently, and vanishes into the slender shadows of the abandoned ruins' pillars.

-Kazuha tilts his head. He had been meditating in the area and sensed the person's presence. He follows the person into the ruins, silently keeping to the shadows.-