The Last Time

Her things were packed. At least the few things that she believed of as her own. She'd been given her Koto and her Shamisen and leaving them behind would make her genuinely sad. The Koto was the last thing that she had to pack. Delicate digits ran softly over the long strings, one claw giving a single string a pluck, sending a humming thrum through the air. Iki matched the tone with a hum of her own, the fae's soft vibrato echoing throughout the chamber.

Soon she would be leaving for Elysium and the cold northeastern climate would become her new home. Ikigai was a tropical wolf. Ashen was a very warm climate no matter what time of year. It would be a drastic difference as she would be traveling to her new home in the beginning of spring. There would still be snow on the ground and the air would still be cold. Ikigai wondered if she might beg a fur cloak from Manea until she could acquire her own.

With her back to the door, the snow and ink princess sighed. All of this had been her idea in order to benefit Ashen. Still... that didn't make leaving her home and her family any easier. Once more Ikigai ran dark pads over the strings of her instrument, playing a chord which she again mimicked with well honed vocals.

"Ikigai"