#inuoh

inu oh and tomoari!

Looking Ahead,

Tomona was sitting in a field, the tall grass swaying gently around him as he plucked the strings of his biwa. The melody was soft, almost tentative, as if it mirrored his own cautious movements. His legs, still tender and marked with bruises from the breaks he’d suffered, stretched out before him. The pain was there, a dull ache that lingered, but he didn’t let it silence him. Instead, he channeled it into the music, letting the biwa’s notes carry his quiet strength.

Suddenly, he felt a small weight press against his leg. A baby girl with dark green hair, unruly and wild like the forest itself, had leaped into his lap. She giggled, her tiny hands reaching out for something unseen—her mother’s Kodama forest spirit, which flitted just out of her grasp. Tomona chuckled softly, his fingers brushing against her cheek as he tried to picture her. The baby’s face was soft and round, but what struck him most were her eyes—one light greyish blue, cool and serene like her father’s, and the other a vibrant magenta, as if it held a spark of the unusual and extraordinary.

"Careful, little one," Tomona murmured, his voice warm but tinged with concern. The baby babbled in response, her mismatched eyes wide with curiosity as she patted his hand with her own.

"Tomo!" she finally managed, her voice high and bright, though the word was still clumsy on her tongue. It was the closest she could get to his name, but it was enough to make him smile.

"Chiharu!" Inu-oh’s voice rang out, playful yet firm, cutting through the quiet of the field. The baby turned her head towards her father's voice, seeing Inu-oh and Hana stood beside him. Both were wearing masks. Hana, was wearing her fox mask that Inu-oh gave her. Her black hair, tied back in a loose braid, caught the sunlight, and her brown eyes watched the scene with a mix of amusement and affection.

Chiharu’s tiny feet stumbled as she took off towards Inu-oh, her chubby legs wobbling with each unsteady step. Her green hair, as wild and untamed as the forest itself, bounced with every movement. Inu-oh crouched down, his movements fluid, and opened his arms to her. Chiharu let out a gleeful squeal as she launched herself into his embrace, her small hands immediately going for his mask. Her fingers explored its edges, patting and tugging lightly, as if she were determined to uncover what lay beneath.

"She’s determined, isn’t she?" Hana said, her voice light but with that hint of steel that always seemed to lie beneath her words. "Just like her father."

Inu-oh chuckled, his deep voice rumbling softly as he adjusted Chiharu in his arms, careful not to let her slip. The baby giggled at the sound of his voice, her hands now patting his cheeks through the mask. "Determined, or just stubborn? She’s got your spirit too, you know," he teased, glancing at Hana. His tone was playful, but there was a warmth in his words that spoke of the bond they shared.

Hana stepped closer, reaching out to brush a stray strand of Chiharu’s dark green hair away from her face. "Maybe she’s just curious. She wants to know what’s behind the mask," she said, her tone softer now.

Inu-oh hesitated for just a moment, his hand hovering at the side of his mask. The field seemed to hold its breath, the grass swaying in a slow, deliberate rhythm, as if nature itself was waiting. With a soft click, he pulled the mask away, revealing the face that was as much a part of him as the music he played and the dances he performed.

His features were striking—a blend of the human and the otherworldly that left a lasting impression. His skin, once marred by the curse that had defined him, was now smooth, though it bore faint traces of his past, like delicate brushstrokes on a canvas. Each mark told a story, a whisper of the trials he had endured and the transformation he had undergone. His dark green hair caught the sunlight, framing a face that was both familiar and extraordinary. His eyes, deep and piercing, held a quiet strength, but also a vulnerability that he rarely let the world see.

Chiharu cooed in delight, her mismatched eyes wide with wonder. Her tiny hands reached out, fingers brushing against his cheek with a curiosity that was both innocent and profound. Inu-oh’s breath caught for a moment, as if he were seeing himself anew through her gaze. Her touch was feather-light, but it carried the weight of something immense—acceptance, perhaps, or understanding. It was as if she saw not the mask he had worn, nor the stories whispered about him, but the essence of who he truly was.

Hana took off her fox mask, sliding it to the side of her head. Her black hair, tied back in a loose braid, caught the sunlight, and her brown eyes softened as she watched Chiharu explore Inu-oh’s face. She reached out, her fingers brushing lightly against the baby’s cheek.

Tomona, who had been quietly listening from his spot in the grass, spoke up. "She sees you as you are," he said, his voice calm and measured, yet carrying a weight of understanding. "Not the mask, not the stories, but *you*."

Chiharu turned her head towards Tomona, as if acknowledging his words. She let out another soft coo, her tiny hands still patting Inu-oh’s face as if to reassure him. Inu-oh’s gaze lingered on her, his expression a mix of awe and gratitude. For a moment, the field felt like a sanctuary, a place where their differences didn’t matter, and the world beyond the swaying grass seemed far away.

Hana’s hand found Inu-oh’s shoulder, her grip firm but comforting. "She’s going to grow up knowing the truth," she said quietly, her voice steady. Her eyes met his, and in that glance, there was a promise—a vow to protect Chiharu from the shadows of their past, to let her see the world not through the lens of judgment, but through the beauty of their art and love.