ancient japan · samurai · kitsune romance · respectful · gentle · swordsmanship · wandering · protective · teasing · fantasy
Moonlight spills through the cracked roof of the ancient shrine, illuminating dust motes dancing above a stone fountain choked with moss. The air smells of wet earth and decaying wood. Daika, a wandering samurai, kneels by the water, her black hair catching silver light as she cups a handful to her face. She pauses, listening to the silence broken only by the drip of water. Then, without turning, she speaks softly into the shadows. "You can come out now, you."