What do we do, when we are seperated?

As Ren stirred from his slumber in Junko's home, the sun's soft rays filtered through the windows and cast a gentle glow upon the room. He looked to his side and went to kiss Junko on the forehead. This was when he realized and gazed at the space next to him. He wished that he could have woken up with Junko by his side.

Her absence left a void in his heart and soul, a yearning for the warmth that resided within her embrace and the softness in her touch. Despite the comfort of her home surrounding him, Ren couldn't shake the loneliness lingering in the air, a reminder of her absence.

With a heavy sigh, Ren rose from the bed and his movements were slow and lazy as he went about his morning routine. Though the day ahead held promise and possibility, his thoughts remained tethered to the memory of Junko, her presence, and the comfort she brought with her. He knew that he needed to get his mind off of her; he wasn't going to be able to be around her at all times, and there were some times that he needed to do his own tasks, even if he didn't like it.

He left his room, and he wasn't sure who he would see there. But if he did see Junko, he would hug her and kiss her head if she allowed him. He would fashion a breakfast for him, or for them to eat should that be something she would be interested in. Then he would leave the house with thoughts of what he was going to do today.

He stepped out of the house, and he scanned the surroundings to see what called for his attention. He sees that there are markings on the side of Junko's home, markings from the bandit camp that has been causing issues over by the Tengakure Ruins. He was worried that they knew where Junko lived. Though his first instinct was the seek out the culprits of the crime and confront them, he knew that his priority was to Junko's safety and in protecting their home right now. He decided to instead to clean up the mess made.

Ren set to work repairing the damage by the bandits' markings. Armed with a bucket of pain and a brush, he covered the graffiti, layering fresh coats of paint over the defaced surface until not a trace of the bandit's presence remained. He decided that because he was already doing this much, that he would just finish painting the whole house.

He weaved a few hand seals and spit some water on the ground beside him. Then a clone sprung from the ground below him, with his own paint bucket and brush. The two of them began to paint the entire house, board by board they would make this place look better and better. With each stroke of the brush, he reclaimed their home from the clutches of not only the bandits' handiwork, but from the clutches of age and decay as well.

Though the threat of the bandits still loomed large on the horizon, Ren took comfort in the knowledge that he had taken a stand against them, and that he and Junko would continue to do just that, stand up against the bandits and try to make this island a safe haven for those that wanted to visit.

As Ren dipped his brush into the paint, his thoughts turned to Junko and the dreams he had to share this home and fill it with love and warmth. He remembered the many times she had spoke of how she wanted to fix up the house, but hadn't had the time, so he decided that he was going to just do it for her. She was a busy woman, constantly helping others, and rarely having the time to take care of herself. It was another thing that he loved about her, a list that was seeming to grow out of control.

With each stroke, he poured his love and devotion to the task at hand, but truly he poured his love out to his beloved. He imagined Junko's smile when she would return to the house and see the house transformed, her eyes alight with joy and gratitude for his time and dedication.

With each passing moment, he felt a sense of fulfillment wash over him, knowing that he was making a true difference in not only his own life, but Junko's. The task was daunting, but he approached it with a sense of purpose and dedication to something larger than himself.

He and his clone finally put the finishing touches on the house. He took a couple steps back with his clone, and they both smiled and nodded. "We did it!" Ren said to his clone, to which the clone cheered. Ren thanked his clone and went to dismiss him. But as he looked over the house, he walked around it a handful of times until he realized that he wasn't done with his job fixing up the house just yet today and chose against dismissing his clone.

He knew that he had done all of this for a woman he loved, and he was fine with spending all of this time to help the woman who didn't have the time to do anything for herself. She was so kind and so selfless, he wanted to do something for her that would bring a smile to her face. He wasn't sure just what would happen once they started the official village. He wasn't sure if this house would even be their any longer, but he wanted to improve what they had, while they had it.

While he had gotten the paint catastrophe fixed up on the house, he couldn't quite figure out what else he should do to help the house look as good as it possibly could. He looked back into his mind and had a conversation with his clone about what other things he could do to benefit their home.

WC: 1012

Ren took a few more laps around the house, and he started to think about what he was going to do next around the house. His mind was buzzing with ideas of how he could further help Junko and bring their house to the next level. HE remembered fondly how Junko had spoken of her love for the local moon flowers that grew in the plains that surrounded the village, so he thought how great it would be to plant a whole garden on the side of the house that would produce the beautiful moon flowers. That way every morning she could look outside, see the flowers and think of him.

He looked at the space next to the house and he realized that not only did they have room for a flower garden, but if he was smart with his space, he could even plant a small orchard here! He began to devise the spave and divide it up by marking the corners with small stakes made from the wood from an old fence that had been left behind some time in the past. He wondered if he would be able to find some younger trees that would be able to grow in their home's vicinity.

He continued working on the layout of their future orchard and garden, envisioning rows of fruit trees and colorful blooms stretching out before him. The scent of the moon flower wafting through the air, their delicate petals bathed in the soft glow of the moon glow ran through his mind, along with the taste of the star fruit growing from the branches from above. He sighed at the idea of having this new project started, and he was ready to get him and his clone moving forward to make this dream of his, a reality.

As he mapped out the design for their garden, Ren took care to consider the needs of each plant, ensuring that they would thrive in their new environment and had all of what they needed by working on irrigation methods for them all. He was determined to make an oasis of greenery and life that would flourish under their care. As he continued to plan and prepare for the task ahead, Ren was excited to give Junko this small gift in comparison to all that she had given him in the short time that they have been together.

He set out to gather the materials while he has his clone clear out the area that they are going to use to house this orchard and flower garden. He made his way to the local herbalists in the village and with a heartfelt explanation of his intentions, he shared his desire to make a space filed iwth moon flowers and star fruits for Junko. The herbalists knew of Junko, and they knew of Ren, and possibly his love for her. They were moved and gave him the seeds, the starter plants, and even told him that they would deliver some young star fruit trees to her home in the early after noon.

Ren was overcome with gratefulness to the people for being willing to do something so sweet as that. He accepted the offerings from the herbalists, feeling humbled by their generosity and kindness. Each item he received, he received as a precious gift and a symbol of support and love for Junko from the village. Armed with the materials he needed, Ren set of once more, his heart brimming with anticipation for the project ahead. He knew that there was still a ton of work that needed to be done, but with the support provided, he was going to make short work of this project.

As he made his way back to Junko's home, Ren couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement building within him. He would arrive at Junko's home with his arms and his heart full and ready to execute this project. With the area for the orchard and garden cleared by his water clone, Ren wasted no time in geting to work planting the moon flowers. He carefully placed each see into the tilled soil, and he knew that he was one step closer to creating something beautiful for Junko.

As he worked, Ren was joined by the herbalist from the village, who arrived with the star fruit trees as he had requested and they had promised. Their presence filled him with gratitude, and he welcomed their assistance eagerly. Together they all worked side by side, planting the trees and flowers with care and a joined love for the woman of the house. With each tree planted and each flower sown, they all felt a little better about the project, now that it was nearing it's completion. He knew that soon, his beloved would be able to come out to her own garden and pick her favorite flower and eat her favorite fruit, all without leaving their home.

As they worked together, the herbalists shared their knowledge and expertise, offering guidance and advice on how best to care for the plants and ensure their longevity and growth. Ren listened intently, grateful for their wisdom so he could keep this orchard and garden alive. With their help, he planted the last of the star fruit trees, their roots firmly anchored in the soil, ready to take root and grow. As they stood back to admire their work, Ren felt a sense of pride swell within him.

With the orchard and garden now planted and growing, Ren was so excited for his beloved to see what he had made for her. He bid everyone farewell, dismissed his clone after expressing the deepest appreciation for their help in making his dream a reality.

The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting a warm golden glow over the landscape, and he retreated to their home, where he would prepare her a meal for her return for dinner. He was practically hyperventilating to see how happy his beloved would be when he told her what he had done today.

WC: 1012