an unloved flower; a sealed dream

[transientbloom]

[MAN’S BEST FRIEND]

“Aren’t you allergic?” Is how Su informs Sakura of his presence. The aforementioned allergy, of course, were the numerous stray cats- many friendly with the expectations of tourists eager to win their favor with scraps of food from nearby shops.

No wonder so many of them sold things like dried fish.

It doesn’t matter what Sakura tries, the friendlier cats- the hungry ones, still approach her eagerly, waiting for their prize. Su, for his part, was much like them, drifting nearby, revealing his presence but ignored by the strays- merely a shade saying hello to a familiar face.

⁎ .｡❀ THIS SIDE OF PARADISE.

The tip of her nose is already reddened by the time he’s arrived, her only response to his question but a small, resigned smile. It’s as one would expect—whether Sakura wanted it or not, the cats were relentless. They pawed at her leg for attention, with one bold orange cat claiming her shoulder as its perch. Another sleek black cat with golden eyes circled around her ankle, meanwhile, as if contemplating whether her head might make a suitable throne or not. It’s odd. She didn’t even have any of the snacks with her, and yet they flocked her anyway.

“I am. But as you can see, it’s already too late for me to try and escape. They’re quite the persistent bunch.” She doesn’t start at his sudden presence. If any, there this hint of amusement in her voice, though it’s uncertain if it’s because of him or the cats.

Already resigned to her fate, Sakura bends down to scoop up one of the more rotund strays. A gray calico with a belly so round one would think it has never missed a meal in its life, her eyes widening at its surprising weight. She carries it in her arms like one would a fussy infant, scratching gently under its chin, until she hears a rather pleased purr in response. Loud enough that it nearly drowns out the other tourists’ voices.

“Hah. Look at this one, Su.” Turning to him more, she fixes the cat’s position in her arms. “Does it not remind you of Pardofelis?” It seems to have already made its home there, utterly content, if its slow sway of its tail is of any tell. “It’s a shame she’s not here. Perhaps she would have been able to make friends with one of the strays, seeing how affectionate they are.”

One of the bolder strays, a scruffy tabby, nudges against Su’s leg as if finally acknowledging his presence, looking rather confused when its paws phased through his form. At that, Sakura raises an eyebrow. “Hm. Maybe you’re not as invisible to them as you think.”

Then, finally, a sneeze.

[transientbloom]

[MAN’S BEST FRIEND] - Like any city’s streets, Soaring Heights is littered with a multitude of wanderers. This includes more than a handful of dogs, cats, pigeons, and even the rumored horse or two can be found in the most surprising of places. Most of them are friendly, probably, so how about you try your luck and make a new friend?

"WWRRRRAAAAOOOUUU - !!"

The sound started at such a low, intense frequency that he felt it first, deep in his chest, in his sinuses, at the very base of his spine where the primal instinct to recognize a warning resided – and for a moment, it pricked at the desire to return the warning in kind, at a magnitude far greater, and the threatening rumble started just beneath his skin before Kalpas quashed the temptation, and he simply threw a single sheer hiss back to the cat who was snarling at him from the high branches of the tree.

"You can't stay up there," he argued, reaching an arm up to wrap a large hand around the heft of the branch, to tug it just slightly down to bring the creature into reach – and like lightning, it swiped, a steak of claws against his gloves and another deep, vibrant growl.

Where another might have been tempted to release the branch, to withdraw from the beading of pain at the scratch, Kalpas kept his grip, and hissed once more in return to the flattening of its ears against its little head.

It wasn't even that big! It shouldn't be causing such a fucking fuss!!

"If you don't come down here, then I'm gonna have to come up there to you," he warned, and in return the cat fluffed its ruff to twice its normal size, and laid its flat gaze on him as though in challenge.

Try me.

"HEY, SAKURA - !!" How she finds him, dear reader, is no longer with both feet planted onto terra firma, but clambering and tangled through the dense branches, almost spiderlike, reaching through each little hole only to be met with a swipe, a hiss, and a scoot from his little feline companion.

Why was he so determined, one might ask? If one knew him well, those who had met Reverie, one might understand that he bore the beast no ill-will, no matter its enmity towards him – indeed, sharp-eyed among passersby might notice the (torn) bag of cat food at the base of the tree, and a delicate dish filled with pilfered sparkling water from the Empyrean resort.

"YOU GO TO THE OTHER END, IT CAN'T ESCAPE - !!"

⁎ .｡❀ THIS SIDE OF PARADISE.

In truth, Sakura had caught sight of Kalpas while he was still fighting with the cat from the ground, watching bemusedly as he argued with the feline creature as though it could truly understand him, and even letting out an amused hum as she watched him clamber up the tree. She would have called out his name, but thinking against it, she took a big bite of the steamed bun she’d gotten on discount instead.

A hum. She took another bite of her cheaply priced steamed bun. Purposely taking her time, perhaps, quietly enjoying the sweet, savoury filling whilst watching the spectacle before her unfold. The sight of Kalpas—towering, loud Kalpas—arguing with a scrappy little thing high up in a tree was nothing short of amusing. A part of her even wished the others were here to witness it as well. Elysia, certainly, would have enjoyed the sight.

She continued chewing leisurely, tilting her head upon hearing the way he’d hissed back at the creature, his voice a hilariously deep mimicry of the feline’s own warning. The cat, for its part, seemed entirely unimpressed. Not even afraid of the threat before it, puffing up even further, even, as if to say, You dare challenge me!?

By the time Kalpas called out her name, half tangled in the branches like some overgrown, grumbling raccoon, she had already finished her bun and dusted the crumbs from her fingers.

“Kalpas,” she called up to him in turn, voice still laced with amusement, “most people just shake the tree or wait for the cat to come down on their own. They’re nimble little creatures, I am sure it’ll be alright even without your help.”

The cat, now thoroughly displeased with the sudden audience, let out another guttural growl. Perhaps not this cat, then. It reminds her of her friend now. So feisty and just about ready to bite, if given the chance. Breathing a laugh through her nose, she walked closer to the tree, eyeing the treat and water resting against it.

Ah, so that’s why…

“I’ll stay on the ground, ready to catch it in case it jumps down.” With a clear of her throat, she does her best not to appear so thoroughly amused, “I am confident you can handle the rest on your own.”

The cat’s ears twitched, its golden eyes darting between its two would-be captors. With a yowl, the creature launched itself not at Kalpas, but past him, landing nimbly on a lower branch. “It seems to be outdoing you, Kalpas.”

[transientbloom]

[WATERFALL] - It takes the bravest of hearts to jump from so high, but all hazards have been carefully removed to make for only the safest leap of faith down the rapids. Take the plunge, or shove someone else into taking it!

When he stood at the top, the mist turning to frost around him and dusting the air in the tangible evidence of the changes made to him, he thought for a moment that under most circumstances a view like this would get lonely. It was difficult not to compare, to all of the other views that he had seen during his long life, all of the other distances, the other places on high that others could not reach.

Did not try.

"Sakura."

She was always quieter than the others, more reticent, footsteps softer and more deliberate – but he would always know Setsuna, when she allowed herself to be known.

He turned, a coating of hoarfrost spiraling outward with the motion of his coat, flaking into the rushing of water on the stones beneath their feet, and beheld her with eyes alive and grateful, before his lids fluttered shut, just a moment, of quiet respect for the moment in time when he had needed to use her likeness, of thanks, of contrition, before he raised his gaze – first to hers, then outward, to the waiting blue below.

"The jump would not be so far, for those like us," he said, and it was the closest thing that she would receive to an invitation.

⁎ .｡❀ THIS SIDE OF PARADISE.

Frost danced around her. Light, slow, delicate. Watching it reminded her of the cherry blossoms she and Rin would watch together during spring. How gentle they feel as they brush against her cheek. The way they lingered in the fold of her sleeves, how they would gather at the top of her head and shoulders. Familiar. Comforting, almost.

The jump would not be so far, no. Especially not for those like them.

Kevin’s frost had always been different from hers.

It carried his presence in every crystalline fragment, sharp and unyielding, a winter that would never thaw. Her own chill was softer, quieter—the hush of snowfall rather than the bite of glacial wind. For a fleeting moment, she wondered what it would be like to match that unforgiving cold, to stand untouched by it rather than merely enduring. If she could mirror his winter, would the distance between them feel less vast?

“You’ve stood at edges like this before.” Sakura held his gaze for as long as he had allowed her to, sharing a small nod in response to his own sign of respect. “Higher ones. Emptier ones.”

A step forward, then another. And a few more next until one foot planted firmly at the very brink, the tip of her footwear suspended over the abyss. As expected, it felt much colder here, beside him.

What a boon it was, that the cold had never truly bothered her.

“I will meet you below, Kevin.”

Her fingers brushed against his sleeve—not quite holding on, not quite letting go—just enough to ensure he felt it when she leaned forward, gravity taking her first.

An answer to his unspoken invitation. A companion to his solitude.

This time, they need not be so alone in their fall.

[transientbloom]

Who in their right mind would board a ship just because it promised dazzling cityscapes, lush forests, glittering beaches, and a luxury resort? Certainly not Sakura.

And yet, here she was, anyway.

Just like the other two, Sakura will be roaming around Empyrea throughout the month! Does she have a new fit? No, she does not. Does she even have a change of clothes? Unlikely. But hey—maybe this is your chance to drag her shopping! Unless, of course, you don’t mind her wandering the beach in the same old thing?

[bloodbxrn]

don't kriff this for us

[bloodbxrn]

Warmth bloomed in his chest instantly, washing over him in ripples that, if he were any other manner of beast, might have provoked a visible reaction. Such as it was, the glow of pleasure at the praise radiated outward in posture alone, straighter for the moment, until the pinpricks of sound, muffled vaguely, hit his ears, and he rounded on those kids, lurching forward a step.

"Don't talk to her that way," he snarled once, a snapped warning, and although they recoiled immediately, hands flying up in a gesture of submission, one of the boys threw him a placating smile.

"Just said 'come this way', is all. Unless you don't want in?" The tone was clear, and it was one that Kalpas had heard for years on years, the rounded edges of mollifying circular questions, pointed and rhetorical and condescending, but he could forgive that for now.

Better to be the brute.

A snort, exhaling trapped heat to steam underneath his mask, and Kalpas straightened once more, crossing his arms, rolling his shoulders. "'Course we do. 'Course we'll go. That way? Sakura, we're going that way."

"Don't you want your skiff?" The boys collected threw a glance over their shoulders to where the thing sat, still smoking gently, warmth radiating from all exhausts into the air, emanating a thick bubble of heat.

He was supposed to say something here - they were interested in the skiffs, in the parts, it was the reason they were here - but the smooth talking was never his forte, and so he just glanced over his shoulder at the thing, assessing.

"Wouldn't it draw more attention than needed for me to be dragging that through the streets?" Gottem.

A baffled expression was the only response for a moment - like they weren't sure he could pass their little test? Hah. And by the time the boys had recovered from their confusion enough to open their mouths, he was already moving towards the thing, hands on the rim and body, and shoving it with a terrible screeeeeech - !! to an alcove it surely did not entirely fit into, and with a flourish draping a nearby greasy tarpaulin overtop.

"There. Come back for it later. That way you said?"

And off he goes.

[transientbloom]

The tarp hardly even covers the starskiff, thick plumes of smoke still rising from it. Like this, it seemed less more of an attempt at concealment and more of of a half-hearted suggestion of one. The near equivalent of tossing a napkin over a fire, essentially, and calling it contained.

That no Cloud Knights had descended upon them yet was quite the surprise. Either the general had indeed given quiet orders to stand down, aware of them infiltrating the group, or this district’s patrols had long since learned to turn blind eyes to certain... activities. More troubling, that.

For now, she noted the exact location for later. Surely the Realm-Keeping Commission would appreciate it more if they had an actual modified starskiff to look into and break apart later, provided some would still remain once the starskiff is done burning away.

A quiet huff escaped her as she fell into step behind Kalpas.

The gang led them through a maze of back alleys. Circling around the area a number of times. To disorient them, perhaps. A sorry attempt at losing tail, should there be any, until finally the the ambient glow of the Luofu's spires had completely behind layers of even taller piles of cargo boxes and junk. They must be somewhere near Cloudford, for all of this to have remained unnoticed.

The group halted in front a rusted door. With a few, rhythmic raps, it soon hissed open, revealing a hangar that smelled of burnt rubber and oil. Rows of cannibalized skiff components lined the walls, each tagged with scrawled notations that might’ve been inventory marks or death threats for each other, claiming the part theirs.

Every eye in the room snapped to them the moment they stepped inside. If they didn’t already stick out like a sore thumb earlier, then they certainly do now.

Sakura kept her expression carefully neutral, though her fingers twitched once at her side—an old habit, palm searching for the weight of her sword. The gang here was larger than she’d anticipated. Still young, still reckless, but with the sharp-eyed look of rats who’d learned to thrive in the Luofu’s shadows. Wary. Jumpy.

“Kalpas,” she breathed out his name as though a sigh, willing her shoulders to relax. “I’ll leave the discussions to you.”

Because it was he that they wanted. Normally, negotiations fell to her, always one to extract truths without ever seeming to ask. But this den of overeager boys playing at rebellion operated on different rules. Brute force seemed to hold more currency than finesse, and besides, she trusted him. Trusted his display of raucousness from earlier would best align with theirs. He was practically the new idol for those who had witnessed him earlier.

[bloodbxrn]

don't kriff this for us

[bloodbxrn]

Starskiff races are nothing abnormal at the Luofu, but a group of brash youths has been reported recently as they’ve been taking the matters a bit too far. They’ve been causing havoc and provoking dangerous situations with their starskiffs, which seem to have been illegally modified to be faster than they should be. The Realm-Keeping Commission hopes that perhaps someone may be able to uncover their operations by posing as aspiring new members and gathering intel. (starter for @transientbloom)

Kalpas knew that there were things he could do, and things he could not - just as he knew that there were many a person, ally or otherwise, that might have considered him stupid. He wasn't, for the record, but he knew that people considered him this way. For some circumstances, this was easier; better to be the brute, the force of nature that was the worst and last thing a person could see, the divine punishment for the unrepentant and the irredeemable.

Perhaps in a way he was irredeemable himself, although that was another matter entirely.

The beeping might have been jarring in concert with the roaring whoosh of wind as he skittered past other skiffs, going much slower than he, it was probably a pedestrian zone or something, he didn't fucking know this place, but he ignored it in the same way that he would have any other screaming when he was on a job - which if you asked him, was a major point for his strengths.

As far as the things he couldn't do, and knew it, of course he was helpless at infiltration and subterfuge - could you imagine him sneaking into a place and not drawing attention to himself, when at his most glorious he deserved any accolade that could be bestowed upon the fiercest and most powerful warrior to walk this or any planet? That sort of thing was better for Sakura, and it was she that brought him to her level, allowed him to breach those limits of his and to find strength in being quieter, more adaptive.

He hadn't realized for a minute that he had started screaming alongside the buzzing alerts and monitors as he swerved - well, screaming was the wrong word.  Cackling, howling, whooping, the sound that might have predicated fear in any other situation for any other person here only brought a warm buzz to his chest.

These kids might be onto something with this - !!

Ah, there they were now, and Sakura waiting alongside them. Kalpas had thought he finally got the hang of this skiff thing, and casually flipped the steering unit to arc a sharp turn to come back down to them, skidding gently once against the side of a verandah, then again along the stone of the ground, but by that time he had already swerved out from the tight fitting cockpit and made towards them in a rolling gait while the skiff dragged to a stop behind him, gently tapping against a stone pillar as the steam and smoke began to curl in aggressive skyward spirals.

"Well?" he barked at the gathered group, half a demand of their judgement, half a warning, and the shyer of them shrank back.

A handful of others could only blink at him, having forgotten to close their mouths, before one cleared his throat. "Y-yeah. Impressive, I - I guess. Might be improved by some mods, probably."

Before he could help himself, Kalpas turned his attention wholly to Sakura, his chin lifted in triumph, and awaited her judgement, as well.

[transientbloom]

Even she could not keep her eyes away from it.

The way the starskiff screamed across the sky, engine roaring loudly as it weaved between the spires of the Luofu with such terrifying precision—or perhaps terrifying lack of precision would be more accurate. Kalpas’ loud cackling echoed even from this distance, wild and chaotic as he turned just hard enough to narrowly avoid a passing vessel’s mast.

An exhale escaped her, slow and deliberate, paired with a single, subtle shake of her head

It was dangerous, utterly so. Reckless. And in a way, it was very much like the Kalpas she’d always known. And that was exactly why this worked. Because Kalpas was a force of nature. Impossible to ignore. Impossible to look away from. And right now, every eye in the vicinity was locked onto his reckless display, which meant that no one was paying attention to her.

Another loud whoop from him, and she was back to observing the excitable kids around them.

Two boys, barely older than teenagers nudging at each other and grinning about, whispering amongst each other as to whether or not Kalpas was actually flying stock or modded.

Sakura didn’t react, didn’t so much as glance in their direction. But she'd remember their faces for later.

A few steps away, a third youth—older, more composed—was tapping at a holoscreen, fingers moving in quick patterns. What could he be fiddling with? Supplier manifests? Race schedules? She couldn’t see from this angle, but the way his eyes darted up to track Kalpas was already telling enough that he was, without a doubt, a part of this silly little group as well.

A sharp crash echoed as Kalpas “landed”, if one could call it that, with his usual Kalpas-like grace. Which was to say, none at all.

She let out another sigh. One that may only seem resigned to most, but is in fact equal parts exasperation and admiration. The way he stood there, practically glowing with unrestrained pride—chin pointed to the sky, as if daring the heavens themselves to challenge his triumph—was endearing, in a way.

“Impressive indeed, Kalpas.” A pause, before adding, tone light. Fond, still. “But perhaps some improvement can be made with the descent. Next time, we can try not to scrape the hull against every building on our way down.”

She could see the way the gang of would-be racers, now thoroughly awestruck, exchanged glances. If this was the kind of skill they were dealing with, then there was no question: Kalpas was in, and Sakura with him.

She met Kalpas’ gaze once more, giving him the barest tilt of her chin. A quiet, but more sincere “Well done.”

[virtuouslife]

⋆✦₊‧ — ANOTHER.

Sakura & Kallen. — Commission : Abundance.

[virtuouslife]

As she peers down from her spot on one of the ceiling beams, Kallen hears her own heartbeat. It thrums, adrenaline-charged, low beneath the ambient noises of the warehouse that she and @transientbloom have infiltrated. Below, a few tuxedoed goons pace back and forth, oblivious to the presence of any intruders, and grumble among themselves. They’re too quiet for Kallen to make out what they’re saying.

Withdrawing into the shadows again, Kallen turns to her companion. Likely a quirk of this immersive adventure game, Setsuna resembles a pink, fox-like creature—with a head too big for its body. Likewise, Kallen is a white dove of similar proportions. It was difficult to adjust to, at first, but now, Kallen doesn’t mind it as much, anymore. “I don’t see Brother Hanu, yet,” she whispers, still grateful that the mechanics of the game didn’t limit her to meaningless chirps. “Can you see anything?”

Even now, after what has surely been hours at the bare minimum, Kallen isn’t sure if she fully understands what an immersive adventure game really is. But, based on what Setsuna had explained along the way, this warehouse should be their last stage—a culmination of the creators’ wishes as well as their own. Perhaps, a final clash between heroes and villains will take place here. Good and evil, right and wrong, and so on. Kallen knows she shouldn’t be taking this so seriously, but it’s hard not to be swept up by it all—the excitement, the thrill, the intrigue.

Keeping a hand—or rather, a wing—on the comically-large rocket launcher in her possession, Kallen quietly asks, “This is the right warehouse, right?”

[transientbloom]

It was the sort of thing Rin would have, without a doubt, sung praises for had she been in Sakura’s (now temporarily nicknamed Setsuna’s) shoes. The absurdity of it all, its danger, and theatricality would have sent her into a series of giggles.

Kallen’s question still hangs in the air unanswered, but Setsuna doesn’t rush her response. Instead, her gaze sweeps once more across the warehouse, noting every goon’s position, every blind spot, already wondering where the best places for them to sneak past their numbers without causing alarm would be. No, no, wrong! She could almost hear her dear sister’s voice, pouting. Because this is a game, and she’s taking it all too seriously and there should definitely be some leeway for some foolish recklessness, because what’s a game if not some chaos to go along with the plot of saving the supposed protagonist?

Finally, she sighs, shaking her head.

“I cannot see Brother Hanu, no.”

It’s... a little embarrassing, now that she thinks about it. Here she is, trapped in the absurd proportions of a child’s cartoon—a pink fox with oversized ears, a tail too fluffy to be taken seriously, and a sword so small it might as well be a kitchen knife. And yet, she’s acting as if they’re true infiltrators, creeping through shadows like she would during assigned missions rather than players in some whimsical arcade game.

A part of her wants to laugh. Another part notices the way her partner—Kallen, the dove—leans forward with barely contained excitement, wings gripping the oversized rocket launcher. Suddenly, she can’t help but play along anyway.

Setsuna the Fox huffs out a sigh. One paired with a small, resigned smile. “I cannot see him, but my nose can tell that he’s here. Somewhere past these guards.” Her grip tightens on the hilt of her blade. As tightly as these little paws are able, at least.

“So, Lady Kallen, shall we carve our way through, or are we to wait until they’ve fallen asleep?”

[prettythought]

kiss roulette

inspired by the infamous "i want the k" meme by deactivated tumblr user tastcful. send 🎲 to generate a kiss! potential suggestive/nsf.w themes may appear

A kiss on the cheek

A kiss on the nose

A kiss on the forehead

A kiss to the top of the head

A firm kiss

A gentle peck

A romantic kiss

A platonic kiss

A kiss to the eyelid

A kiss along the jawline

A kiss to the neck

A kiss along the collar bone

A kiss on the chest

A kiss to the stomach

A kiss along the hips

A kiss in the rain

An upside-down "Spider-Man" kiss

A kiss while laughing

A kiss underwater

A rough kiss

WILDCARD! Dealer's choice :)

A french kiss/kiss with tongue

A kiss influenced by alcohol/other substances

A sleepy kiss

A kiss that's an accident

A kiss while one or both parties are crying

A kiss in greeting

A kiss in parting

A kiss to the back of the hand

A kiss to the palm of the hand

A kiss to the inner thigh

A kiss while someone watches

A kiss to a scar, birthmark, injury, or other marking

A kiss after a bite

A kiss against a wall

A kiss to the shoulder

A kiss to the back of the neck

A kiss while one party is carried

A tentative kiss

An impulsive kiss

A kiss out of spite

A clumsy kiss

A bloody kiss

[transientbloom]

Cherry blossoms are always the first to float away—fleeting, beautiful, and inevitable. Just like her.

Is she content?

No. Not now. Not anymore.

But once—once, contentment was real.

It lived in the quiet nights when Rin would tug at her sleeve, small fingers clutching fabric like an anchor against the dark.

“Please stay,” she would whisper, voice trembling with the threat of nightmares, cheeks flushed with embarrassment, knowing well it was she who had gone against her big sister’s advice that a late-night horror film would only make sleeping difficult.

And Sakura would. She would keep the lights on for the night, because Rin insists it so. And she would slip under the covers with her sister, let her cling to her even if the summer evening was too hot for comfort. Because what else mattered more than this?

It lived in the rare, stolen days—like when Rin, cheeks puffed with too much parfait at once, shuddered from brain freeze, whining in protest before dissolving into laughter. Sakura had laughed too, then, the sound strange and warm in her throat.

Those moments are gone now. Not lost, not truly—she carries them still, pressed between her ribs like petals in a book. But they are no longer hers to live. Only to remember.

Does she regret?

Yes.

Not for the path she walked, nor for the blood on her blade—those were inevitable. But for the moments she didn't cherish enough. The mornings she woke too late, the evenings she left too soon. She should have held Rin's hand tighter. Should have memorised the way her sister's nose scrunched when she laughed. Should have stayed, just a little longer, every single time.

But regret is a blade that cuts both ways. And so she bears it, as she bears all things—with silence.

Does she consider herself strong?

Not in the way the world measures strength.

True strength is not in the swing of a sword, nor in the enemies felled. It is in the stillness after. In the way she does not scream when grief claws at her throat. In the way she sheathes her blade, before kneeling on one knee to leave blue flowers behind, each one a silent funeral. For the lives taken. For the pieces of herself buried with them.

True strength is in the way she does not let the blood on her hands harden into indifference, even when many may come to think that she is.

In the way she honours even those she was forced to cut down, leaving behind not just bodies, but flowers—tiny, fragile things that say:

I remember you.

I remember what this cost.

Sakura mourns.

She mourns for every life taken, for every fragment of herself lost in battle. And yet—she does not stop. Does not waver. Because this was what was demanded of her, and she answered.

That is her strength. And her sorrow.

What about her, then?

What will she be remembered for?

Not as a hero. Not as a martyr. Perhaps not even as a sister.

But Sakura hopes that someone will remember her as a woman who, despite the agony of loss, refused to let hatred take control of her. Who stood at the edge of oblivion and chose, in the end, to keep her promise—not to the world, not to vengeance, but to the memory of a girl who believed in something better.

Cherry blossoms are always the first to float away—fleeting, beautiful, and inevitable.