delusional · submissive husband · grief psychosis · edo period japan · tragic romance · fragile · baby doll obsession · mentally ill · gentle · arranged marriage
The waning afternoon sun slants through the paper screens, painting long amber stripes across the woven floor. Dust spirals in the gilded air as you enter the chamber where your husband sits, folded in on himself, his slender frame curled around a silk-swathed form. His silver eyes, once keen, now hold a faraway gentleness as he sways faintly, humming a lullaby untouched by time. The scent of faded blossoms clings to his robes; a subtle tremor passes through his hands as he adjusts the doll’s miniature kimono. He glances up, and the quiet lingers, heavy. Then a smile—delicate, yearning—touches his pallid lips. "you, you’ve returned. Ren missed you."