BUNNY LOVE

In the language of flowers, each color of rose means something different. Yellow roses merely mean friendship. Blue roses, depending on their hue, could mean a variety of messages ranging from one-sided love to sensitive feelings. The fact that these were the two colors that Jibun had the easiest time recognizing left a bitter taste in the succubun’s mouth. Those who could see every color perfectly could see every shade of rose with ease and understand their meaning.

All Jibun needed was a single red rose. Red roses had the most straightforward meaning- passion, desire, romance. While some might assume that every rose meant romance, that wasn’t the case. It made sense that the color of blood symbolized one of the strongest and most primal feelings a living creature could feel. And yet, it was a color that Jibun could never see in its full power and glory.

Getting a red rose hadn’t been a difficult task. Flowers grew in many areas of Burrowgatory. While found more in the outskirts, it wasn’t impossible to find them growing high on windowsills or between cracks of the sidewalk in the city. Of course, where there was a market, there would surely be stores and vendors that were happy to trade a piece of nature in exchange for its weight in carats.

Jibun had decided today would be a good day to procure a red rose and enact a plan that had been stewing inside him for some time. Carats were nothing he was lacking, and in the blink of an eye a vendor had swiped the carats from his paw and replaced them with a red rose on a sturdy, prickly green stem. Jibun couldn’t take in the beauty of the deep green stem, but he could tell it was close to the same shade of his fur. 

Quietly he stepped away from the flower vendor and inspected the red rose. Several large thorns adorned the stem in a feeble attempt to protect the plant. Had they not realized that the stem had been cut long ago? While Jibun found the thorns only added beauty to the rose, he knew that they would need to be removed. He stepped to the side, moving out of the way of any succubun who would pass by on the sidewalk, and pulled out a pocket knife. Ever so carefully he removed the thorns, leaving the stem smooth and safe for handling. Jibun tossed the thorns into the nearest trash can and let out a silent sigh. He supposed it was time to move on and deliver the rose to its intended owner.

Jibun made his way down the sidewalk through town, recalling a memory. It had been a coincidence, truly and honestly. But he had seen a certain succubun make his way down the street and enter a house on the right side. Jibun now followed the other succubun’s steps many days later, rose in hand. There was a chance that the house didn’t belong to the other, and there was a chance that the gift wouldn’t be accepted warmly, but Jibun knew nothing would get done if he idly sat by and let doubt hold him back.

That was easier said than done. Once Jibun was on the steps leading up to the front door of the house, his paw hovered ever so close to the door but never made contact. It wasn’t like him to hesitate, so what was this all about? Before he could dwell on the question for more than a second, the door open.

Another coincidence. The succubun that Jibun had a delivery for was now standing in front of him. Huang Yi had errands to attend to that day, and being greeted by an unfamiliar green succubun was not part of those plans. The two succubun stood there in silence for several seconds, piecing the situation together to formulate their next course of action.

Jibun was the first to move. He cleared his throat and took Huang Yi’s paw in his own free paw. He raised the rose and placed it in Huang Yi’s paw.

“This is for you.”
“Ah?”

Not explaining anything further, Jibun took a step back. Huang Yi looked down at the rose and didn’t notice how Jibun was continuing to move away, off of the door step and moving onto the sidewalk. By the time Huang Yi finally looked back up- the green succubun was gone.

“... How strange.”