!Now available on ao3! Same name, same author!
boketto (Japanese)
- the act of gazing vacantly into the distance without thinking.
*~-~*
In which young Y/n is shown there's more to life than fulfilling a duty.
And a young Tanjiro learns that first...
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Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely.
Edna St. Vincent Millay
*words* Zori - a traditional Japanese style of sandal, much like a flip-flop, originally made with a straw sole.
The sky was clear today. A few clouds were scattered across it, but besides that and the sun, it was clear. Warm on my clothed skin and face. Perfect for a day of walking.
Though I'd appreciate it more had I not spent the day before walking as well.
Don't get me wrong - I love walking. It's one of my favorite pass times and I often bask in the simple act of wandering around with a good book in my hands. But I had finished my book, and the walk had long since become boring. It had been the same surrounding scenery for a while now, and with nothing to do, the walk felt 10 times longer. As if the god of the sky had taken a coffee break that was lasting decades.
I balanced on the edge of the road, placing one foot delicately in front of the over. Teetering with a drop into a farm on one side and the rest of the dirt path on the other. No big stakes - other than my pride, maybe, but there seemed to be very few farmers around. It was around dinner time, so I suppose that made sense.
The dimming sky did inform me that I was nearly there. I was to arrive just after dusk and it was nearing that time. It seems I was beginning to head up a mountain as well.
Grabbing onto the hilt of my sword, I began the trek up the steeper path. Not much, but enough use just a bit more energy. I vaguely missed the feeling of my bag on my hip. I wasn't allowed to bring it to this, but Ms. Aika had assured me her crow would give it to me afterward.
'If you survive,' she had said. How uplifting.
Slowly, I noticed the surrounding greenery began shifting. It was a gentle shift, beginning with just a few speckles of purple before it overtook the land and clouded the sky from my vision. It was unneeded, as the purple flowers almost seemed to glow. Up ahead, I could vaguely make out some aura's becoming present though I was too far to pick apart separate ones. It was like a rainbow blob of color.
My gaze drifted, and I focused on a particular vine of the purple plant. It was practically picture perfect, glowing with the best light and petals all untouched. Nearly against my will, I found myself wandering towards it, taking it with nimble fingers and gazing at all the veins and perfectly sculpted petals.
I ran my hand up to it until I gripped the vine, and then gently broke it off. It let out a crack, but the break was clean and it continued gently glowing. So, I reached into my haori and grabbed my finished book from a pocket I had sewn inside. Flipping it open, I gently settled the plant into its pages and positioned it how I wanted it to be posted. When satisfied, I closed the book and pressed it firmly into my hands, making sure it was completely closed and would stay that way before returning it to my haori.
