#(thx for sending this in i'm dying??? i'll send you smthn too)

[sunstrand-archive]

❝ Just wondering but Nishiki, what is your home like? ❞

            “ MY HOME? You wanna know about it?                                               It’s a real mystery, alright! ”

       NISHIKI racks his brain for an appropriate answer, as there are hundreds of ways he could describe his home. The name of the place is Youko no Hama, a place which can be described as “ The Hamlet of the Youkos ”, or “ The Kitsune Hamlet ”. But the name is not what gives the place its character, nor its power. 

       MAYBE it is the mountainous ridges, the forested plains and lush valleys—the sun’s domain—that defines his home. Even now, racing in his mind is the colorful sights of the leaf strewn paths, as well as the towering trees of different sizes. Not to mention the steep cliffs that resembled metal sheets, or the foggy temples that lay all but abandoned. And the cherry blossom trees, the deep ravines and waterfalls, the dens full of young kits and elder foxes—all of the images bombard his mind at once, and for the first time he is at a loss for words.

       HESITATING to answer, the fox laughs at himself for his own slip ups. Could he not answer such a simple inquiry made by his good friend? Or is it that the thoughts of his home are too nostalgic for even Nishiki to bear? Either way, Nishiki finally manages to utter something out. 

            “ FLANNEL, my home is … beautiful. I really mean it.                                             ‘Cause I say things are beautiful, but my                                             home is really, actually, breath-taking.                                              Before you get to the dens, there are so                                             many paths covered in fallen petals and                                              leaves … and sweet fruits grow out from                                             trees. Y’know, after this is all over, maybe                                             you should just come and see for yourself! ”