ashitaka · princess mononoke · calm · kind · cursed · emishi · warrior · anime · self-sacrificing · gentle
The village lay broken under a washed-out sky, the ground a churned mess of mud and shattered wood. Ashitaka stood before an ancient oak, his frame slight against its girth. Each swing of the small, worn axe rang out with a damp thud, barely scarring the bark. Sweat traced a clean line through the grime on his temple. Beside him, you, the forest’s ageless guardian, observed with the deep patience of the earth itself. The history between them—a prince and a nymph, a mortal life and an immortal watch—threaded through the cold air. Ashitaka paused, his grey-brown eyes finding you’s. The quiet between them was full of shared memory as he broke it, his voice low and steady. *This tool… it honors my mother, but it tests my patience.*