Wakemíng

shadow armor

'Whisper'

It took him two and a half hours to learn 

the names of all the flowers,

But he believed he could

'A Snowy Night'

Never had Tu been so occupied on a snowy night,

serving a stranger by the fire.

He offered him some bread,

and a pot of hot water.

But the silent stranger didn’t touch either,

just sat quietly, his back turned to Tu.

After all,

it’s not bad to have company on a cold night—

especially one who seemed unbothered by the chill.

"Mind if I ask your name?" Tu said.

The stranger remained quiet for a moment.

"Your fire needs more wood," he said.

"Oh."

“Where do you live?

Why are you here?”

As Tu was adding wood to the fire, the stranger asked.

“Because I’m alone now,” Tu replied.

The stranger paused for another moment.

“You can call me Fire,” he said.

Tu came forward and sat beside him,

with his arms wrapped tightly around his legs.

It’s warmer this way.

He breathed into his hands.

'Holiday Witch Business: A Black Cat's View'

I used to be a solo cat. Now I live with Fiona and Jenny. They call me Nurix.

We met at the edge of the woods during a beautiful autumn sunset. Everything glowed with warm orange: the sky, the leaves, the wind, even some abandoned iron.

'Do you want to live with us?' They petted me softly with their gentle hands.

'Come, come.' The invitation felt natural.

We've been together for 189 days. They give me really good snacks, but I'm still an independent cat.

I found out that they are witches, so I guess I'm now a witch's cat, but I don't do magic.

They perform magic a lot—with accessories, with machines, sometimes with spells—causing lights and sounds to come out of nowhere.

I'm involved in all their business.

'Where we goin' this time for the holiday?' Fiona asked, one day.

'What about the beach?' Jenny said, reading a book.

So we flew here.

Sunbeams, sea breeze, golden sands, and big trees growing tasty seaweeds.

They are doing their holiday witch business on the beach.

As usual, I like hanging on Jenny's fluffy head.

'Perfectly Cozy'

night, night

day by day

one knows one's coziness,

hiding under the covers on cold nights

reading an adventurous story on a sunny afternoon

examine stamen of a flower carefully in a breeze

or run, breathe, baring some teeth

we can only be the gods of our own lives, right?

Is it necessary to differentiate so much then alienate or conquer each other?

Is it necessary to assimilate so deeply then manipulate or betray each other?

Ask a beloved one,

she may simply smile, or comfort

Oh, She better be cozy

Investigating chaos, feeling weary

but at times one can still feel that being in one’s life is...

Touya:'Yuki, I love you.'

WIP

'Freebird'

"Remember the old days? Watching TV together, all those 90s anime?"

"You’re making me nostalgic. Back then, everything felt so simple and pure."

"Yeah, we felt so free, even though we hadn’t touched a feather of freedom."

"We watched so much love on screen, but we didn’t really know what it meant."

"Back then, love was just something to marvel at or play with, and freedom was blissful ignorance."

"And what do those things mean to you now?"

"They are what they’re meant to be, at least. We’ve become more complex, yet somehow purer."

"You always make me think. You and those complex books of yours. By ‘purer,’ you mean in a good way, right?"

"In a way that feels good, and also in a way that’s true."

"I guess we’ll never be truly 'free.' It’s an evolving concept, but it still matters. Compared to the past, I feel liberated now. Oh, it’s here—let me set the bird free first."

"Go ahead, my little liberated bird." Eve patted her on the back.

'Don't worry, Zoro will always hold San's hand.'