i love the heart of yours that loved me

ultramarine

day 2 of kbweek 2023: sea/prison

the calligraphy beneath the bottle, elegance of the han dynasty.

our meeting, i foreshadowed.
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as baam painted, he marveled at the beauty of the peony taking shape on the base of the vase, each stroke of his brush seemed lighter and more delicate than the last.

"hello, aguero." he whispered softly, longing for a response that never came. "i've missed you, you know?"

he paused halfway while painting.

"it'll rain soon," he stated, "we wouldn't want to get wet, would we?"

baam rose from his usual seat in front of the temple's porch, his clothes rugged of dust while his leg was numb from sitting in the crossing position for too long.

the subtle fragrance of sandalwood enveloped him, calming his senses as he continued to paint. his fingers traced the elegant patterns on the vase, where the peony found its place amidst a vast and serene landscape.

"such pretty peony," he hummed affectionately "simplest beauty, just like you."

but then again, he wasn't here for leisure.

the vase was only halfway done, and he knew there was much work left.

"if we had the time, i would probably wait until the rain started to pour, and then get to paint," baam mumbled regretfully, "but we don't, don't we? it would be a shame if the cerulean wasn't as deep as i wanted, but you wouldn't complain, right?"

for the porcelain to hatch a vibrant, hyaline cerulean blue, the artist must wait for a misty rain to come, for the humidity shall deepen the color and imprint a more translucent pattern. baam knew this, and he knows that aguero knew.

it's unfortunate that they won't get to see it then.

"your smile was like a bud waiting to bloom," baam smiles gently, his brush giving a final stroke to the fish whisking its tail under the pond, "you always smile with your eyes, come to think of it, i think i have never heard your laughter before."

he heard rumbles, fumbling sounds of hooves.

horse hooves.

"the perfect shade of blues awaits for a misty rain," he whispers, "and yet here i am, waiting for you."

for your beauty has dissipated like smoke, entering a place that i cannot follow.

he put his finishing touches beneath the vase, elegantly, just like how aguero has taught him.

the rumbles then stop.

"ah, just in time." he quietly said before glancing up, "hello there, hatsu."

the black-haired man did not reply, sheathing his sword before stepping inside the temple. behind him, from a thousand miles away, the curling chimney smoke spiraled through thick fog.

"jyu viole grace," hatsu said in a deliberate sound, "you are under arrest for stealing his highness khun aguero agnis's cremated remains."

despite the gravity of the accusation, baam smiled, holding the blue and white porcelain vase firmly.

"eduan wouldn't absolve me that easily, right?" he pondered aloud, "i would be executed for this, correct?"

the deafening rain did not give him any replies.

neither is the disappointment in hatsu's eyes.