Submission (#3347) Approved

He has been beside her for half of the journey, endured the many difficult obstacles that stood in the way between herself and her truth. Regardless, he never faltered, never doubted her words for even a single moment. He was a great traveling companion, an amazing ear when she needed to vent, and above all... A wonderful friend. It's his kindness displayed throughout the months of the toughest time in her life that motivates her to take a detour to Kyendi.

Paws tread lightly across rocks tucked into the ground, gentle stream of water running around it. Making a little game out of passing, Fuu hops from stone to stone, musing to herself on how she was fluid in movement just like the current. Not paying attention to where she stepped, the kittom slips forward but catches herself quickly. Looking left and then right she sighs; exhausted. Thank goodness no one was around to witness that. Ultimately shrugging off the incident, her mind is far more interested in entertaining thoughts of her beloved. Passing underneath the torii, and past numerous shrines shrouded in mist, Fuu stands at the edge of a misty mountaintop, spotting the village at the base. She's interested in the quickest way to get to the bottom, and the worst lightbulb flickers in her head when a large leaf is glanced at, and then immediately her flamingo pink eyes flit over to the stream leading down the mountain. Prancing innocently towards plantlife, she grabs both ends and gives a bit of a tug, the leaf snapping quickly in her hold. It felt rather thick, something she was certainly hoping for. There wouldn't be any fun or convenience if she was cut up on the way down. Her excitement barely dies down until the kittom is practically giggling to herself, holding the large floral leaf on top of the water and seating herself right on it. To her surprise, it actually works... It actually holds her weight up. Gulping down a big breath of air, Fuu releases her safety hold on the still-moving land, paws moving to grip at the front of the leaf and steer around.

The first few drops and splits were rather tame, and she wonders if it would be this way the entire passage down. Like most times, she thought far too soon. Louder than usual crashing of water had both ears perked up, optics blown wide in realization. There was no way to fight the current at this point, but she also had a place to get to! Narrowing both of her eyes and holding onto the front with such a tight grip, the rose-patterned girl keeps her vision straight ahead and her mind focused on surviving this drop.

In hindsight, maybe she was overreacting. Twenty feet, that's what was causing all of that commotion. After peeling herself from the wet leaf, she treks down the cobble road in search of a quick way to dry off. Hitting up a spa just to soothe her nerves, it's an indulgence she'll take after what just happened. Besides, no one was here anyways for her to feel pressured to move quick. The lack of doors really stood out to her, noting that many of the other regions she's visited always had barriers of some sort, requiring knocking or keys to enter. It's new to her, but she likes it. A lot.

It's so beautiful here...

Pastries on display practically have the girl drooling, unconsciously drifting closer to the glass barrier that protected the confectionaries from pests. Her forehead presses lightly, eyes flicking about to so many of her choice. A laugh from behind the counter startles her, but soon Fuu found herself laughing as well -- even if it was more embarrassing than anything. She figures that out of anyone here, they might know best.

"Hey there! I was actually looking to buy something for my companion. He's really sweet, but I want to go with a safe choice you know? Something that could be enjoyed even by the pickiest Elnin!"

They move to the side, standing directly behind the counter to eye the pastries and pull a face in thought. As soon as they light up and pull out these balls dusted in powdered sugar and dried flowers, Fuu gasps in elation. Not only did they look beautiful, but the aroma that wafted around the shop was heavenly. Tucked delicately in a light blue carton box, the shopkeep was kind enough to wrap it in twine and tuck a few fresh white lillies to sit neatly and hand it over to the kittom. Just for their help, Fuu didn't mind leaving a little bit extra as tip. Hopping and skipping, the setting sun makes her heart race in delightful anxiousness. Maybe she caught some butterflies on the way out, or something. Luckily, Artemis and Jin were rooming in the outskirts of Faerindell. It makes revisiting that much easier, granted how tired she would be on the entire march back -- a bit slower than entering just because she had something she needed to take care of.

Those pink leaves were such a relief to behold, and her destination was finally around the corner. She pauses, noting how the boy sat in front of a fountain, staring at the streaming water that danced around the marble home. Quietly inching closer, she whispers, but her tone still conveyed such sweet affection it rivaled the sweets she traveled to another region to procure. Sitting beside him, Fuu beams with a wide smile.

"Remember those super airy donut holes I was telling you about when we first met? I actually had some spare time today and got you some. Kyendi has the best ones, they're covered in powdered sugar and edible chive blossoms. Pretty neat, right?"

The box is carefully slid into his lap, and he can only stare down at it in astonishment. She really went out of her way to get these, just for him? Gently threading the flowers out of the knot, he slides them into her hair and drops his gaze back to the present at hand. Opening it slightly, he takes a deep inhale of the sweet scent that danced around the two. Two fingers reach in to pinch and extract one of the sugared spheres, nibbling on it just to be polite. In reality, they were so good that he had to refrain from dumping the entire box into his mouth in under eight seconds. Another is plucked from the box, held out for Fuu to take. He finally speaks, small smile growing in place.

"Thank you, Fuu, these are wonderful. I cherish you and our friendship."