❛   mhm,   mhm!   I   know,   i   know   about   promises. ❜   the   brunette   could   barely   hide   the   excitement   in   her   voice   once   she   knew   she   had   secured   jack’s   approval   of   her   prized   figurine. ❛   i   promise   they’ll   be   best   friends   too! ❜   her   eyes   locked   onto   the   mystery   loot   he   picked   up,   curiosity   sparking.   who   knew   mystery   boxes   could   be   this   thrilling   too? 

     ❝     i promise waiting for it to cool down will be worth it,     ❞     because from what he's become acutely aware of,     she has a penchant for his cuisine,     regardless of the ingredients:     it's always come in handy,     even now     (     especially now.     )     when she is in the thralls of this malicious flu. 

     but he feels bad.     he feels horrible.     he feels like the devil himself for depriving her of the bisque he'd sworn would be the cure.

     &     like always,     he gives in.     ❝     okay,     come here.     we can give taroumaru some soup once you've had some.    ❞     wooden ladle is dropped back into pot,     this time with the intention of collecting some of the liquid within,     just enough that it doesn't spill whilst in his grasp.     utensil is hauled back out,     &     he crouches down some,     just enough to remain at eye level with the child in his care.     a moment is spent blowing on the hot broth,     in order to cool it so it remains ingestible.     (     he doesn't want her burning the inner coating of her throat.     )     ❝     say aaahhh.     ❞     

❛ yaaay!   ❜   the   brunette   wore   her   brightest   smile   –   at   least   as   bright   as   a   sickly   ten-year-old   could   muster   –   as   she   waited   for   the   ladle   to   come   out   of   the   pot.   hehe,   i   knew   it,   i   knew   it!   tohma-nii   always   gives   in!   obsidian   gaze   followed   the   serving   until   it   was   right   in   front   of   her.   she   was   ready   to   inhale   the   entire   broth   in   one   go,   not   even   minding   the   heat,   until   she   saw   tohma   cool   it   first.   in   anticipation,   she   rocked   herself   on   the   balls   of   her   feet,    eagerly   waiting   for   his   signal.   once   he   neared   the   soup   towards   her,   chihiro   obediently   parted   her   lips.    ❛ aaaah–   ❜ 

 a   satisfied   slurp,   a   big   gulp,   and   an   audible   hum. ❛ mm!   yummy   as   olways–ACHOO!   ❜   another   sneeze   tumbled   out   of   her   already   reddened   nose,   but   even   that   didn’t   deter   her.   she   sniffed   and   rubbed   her   features.    ❛ can   i   haz   more   pees?   ❜   she   asked,   voice   thick   with   congestion. ❛  i   can   get   my   owng   bowl   and   a   bowl   for   taomao-san.   ❜ 

𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒅𝒐𝒎 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒔 —   royalty   au

  prince   satoru   kojima,   a   leader   of   the   stars   and   your   number   one   constellation   conjuror.   it’s   a   pleasure   to   meet   you,   milady.   

    do   you   think,   in   this   universe   ... 

    ❛   i’m   chihiro   –   lady   chihiro,   and   i’m   …   a   friend   of   the   cherry   blossoms.   it’s   nice   to   meet   you   too,   prince   satoru.   ❜ 

    ... we   can   be   friends   too? 

“you said you’d make it, you promised!” palms furiously crumpled the hem of her uniform as she let her raw emotions lead the conversation. the coal-hued gaze that glared at the man before her soon dropped, however, the moment she felt tears blur her vision. “mama would’ve made it….” / ONE ANGRY HEARTSTEEL AU PRE-TEEN CHI FOR DELIVERY!! imagine chihiro’s first singing club school concert and for some unfortunate reason sett couldn’t make it? 😭

he was rooted in place, with the sensation of his shoulders weighed down by something heavier than any experience he had almost bringing him to his knees. there was guilt coiled in his gut ( a viper of remorse ), squeezing tighter with every word that left her broken vocals. and all he could do was stare: stare at her small hands clenched into the fabric of her uniform, her breath uneven, shaking with the force of emotions too big for her chest. for a moment, he remembered her mother. she was, without a single droplet of doubt, her mother's daughter through and through ⸻ fire in her vocals, conviction in every word, heart laid bare even when it hurt. and he deserved those words. every damn bit of them.

he wanted to speak, to say something ( mayhap an apology for there were no justifications except how life was hectic ) but the words caught in his throat, strangled by the weight of guilt pressing heavy against his ribs. he had promised. he had promised her [ ... ] but he had been caught up in the band, in the music, in the mess of a life he had never really figured out how to balance. his schedules were prone to change, with little saying on the matter, and albeit he had made sure to be completely free for her, things changed drastically with the arrival of their manager. yet again.

his fists clenched at his sides, the sharp sting of his own nails digging into his palm somewhat grounding him, reminding him that there was no one else to blame but himself. she had waited for him and the cruel image of her setting in that hall, looking at an empty seat, hoping, believing he would be there because that was what a father was supposed to do, tormented him. instead, she had faced that stage alone, her vocals filling a room he should have been in. he swallowed the hard truth, his chest tightening whilst her vox broke, her anger crumbling, becoming fragile. but the second she tried to blink away the tears, he felt it ⸻ an ache, so deep and hollow, coming from knowing he failed the one person who needed him most.

mama would've made it...

a sharp exhale escaped, his jaw stiffening to the point of feeling pain just when the familiar wound of that name threatened to split him apart. her mother... a woman he had loved in the reckless way only the young and stupid could love, with passion and no sense of the future. he never knew. never knew she had carried his child, never knew about the life she had nurtured in secret, protecting their daughter from a world she thought too cruel, too dangerous. by the time he had found out, it was too late. he had been left with a child who barely knew his face, a child who looked at him with wary gaze, uncertain if he was someone she could trust or just another ghost passing through her life. he had sworn that day ( over the thought of the only woman who had ever truly seen him ) that he would not fail her, that he would be the father she deserved. standing there, looking into her tear-brimmed spehres, he wondered if he ever had the right to make that promise.

❛   ah. ❜   head   hung   low   at   the   editor’s   confirmation   at   how   these   farms   worked.   the   brunette   knew   it   was   too   good   to   be   true   to   be   given   such   an   opportunity.   just   as   she   was   about   to   lose   all   hope   for   the   farm   visit,   the   older’s   explanation   of   them   being   official   visitors   suddenly   prompted   her   ears   to   perk   up.

❛   official   guests! ❜   she   squealed   while   hopping   off   of   the   couch.   now   that   makes   sense!   ❛   then   i   guess   that   makes   us   the   very   important   people   visiting   the   farm. ❜   all   traces   of   pessimism   soon   left   pudgy   features,   replaced   by   a   bright   smile   that   paralleled   that   of   the   older’s.

𝒔𝒉𝒆   𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒚   𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒅   𝒂   𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓   toward   the   thicket   of   roseate,   letting   a   falling   petal   brush   against   her   skin   before   it   drifted   to   the   soft   grass.   a   contented   sigh   spilled   out   of   her   lips   as   she   watched   the   spectacle   of   rosé   that   continued   to   blanket   her   garden. if   only   every   hour   of   the   day   could   be   like   this [   … ] instead   i   got   these   boring   books,   tedious   lessons,   confusing   maps   of   our   allies’   territories,   and   strict   elders. 

amid   the   young   princess’   rumination,   a   man   suddenly   stumbled   into   her   garden,   prompting   her   feet   to   freeze   in   place   and   lips   to   part   in   surprise.   her   breath   hitched   and   she   took   a   step   back.   a-argenti-san—   a   silent   plea   for   her   knight,   who   had   been   here   just   moments   ago.    where   are   you?   there's   a   s-stranger   here   …

gaze   flickered   from   the   blonde-haired   newcomer   to   one   of   trees   beside   him.   how   does   he   know   me?   what   does   he   want?    she   already   had   half   the   mind   to   materialize   into   the   petals   of   her   cherry   blossom   and   let   the   wind   take   her   away   from   the   scene.   at   the   same   time,    however,   if   this   man   is   standing   before   her   then   that   could   only   mean   the   kingdom’s   trees   do   not   see   him   as   a   threat.   they   have   not   sent   him   to   the   maze   of   cherry   blossoms   that   will   lead   him   back   to   the   outside   world.    but   still   …   who   is   he? 

❛   i’m   just   …   uhm– ❜   her   words   spilled   out   of   her   lips   before   she   could   even   think   about   them   until   an   idea   coursed   through   her   head.   ❛   it’s   a   lovely   day   for   an   afternoon   walk,   a   solo   stroll,   i   mean. ❜   a   complete   lie   to   hide   the   fact   that   she   was   escaping   from   today’s   lectures. 

pools   of   obsidian   then   turned   to   the   garments   that   he   wore:   bespoke,   regal,   and   somewhat   reminiscent   of   the   colors   of   one   of   their   allies. 

in   their   kingdom,   it   is   only   the   royal   family   —   the   ogino   clan   —   who   would   be   blessed   with   powers   of   the   cherry   blossoms.   their   powers   would   be   a   reflection   of   their   greatest   desire.

chihiro’s   greatest   wish   is   …   to   run   away   from   being   a   princess   :(   hence,   she   is   given   the   power   of   teleportation   via   the   petals   of   the   kingdom’s   cherry   blossoms   that   would   gently   fly   with   the   wind.   this   is   the   accurate   visual   of   her   power.

at   first,   she   would   definitely   use   this   to   run   away   and   hide   from   the   uptight   and   strict   attendants   her   parents   would   leave   with   her   at   home,   but   later   on,   when   she   finally   accepted   her   responsibilities   as   princess   of   the   land,   she   would   use   her   gift   to   swiftly   attend   to   the   citizens’   needs   with   ease.      

the   royal   family   also   has   the   ability   to   see   and   communicate   with   spirits   –   both   good   and   bad   –   lingering   within   their   land.

OTHER OGINO FAMILY POWERS: